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Higa GSV, Viana FJC, Francis-Oliveira J, Cruvinel E, Franchin TS, Marcourakis T, Ulrich H, De Pasquale R. Serotonergic neuromodulation of synaptic plasticity. Neuropharmacology 2024; 257:110036. [PMID: 38876308 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2024.110036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2024] [Revised: 05/15/2024] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 06/16/2024]
Abstract
Synaptic plasticity constitutes a fundamental process in the reorganization of neural networks that underlie memory, cognition, emotional responses, and behavioral planning. At the core of this phenomenon lie Hebbian mechanisms, wherein frequent synaptic stimulation induces long-term potentiation (LTP), while less activation leads to long-term depression (LTD). The synaptic reorganization of neuronal networks is regulated by serotonin (5-HT), a neuromodulator capable of modify synaptic plasticity to appropriately respond to mental and behavioral states, such as alertness, attention, concentration, motivation, and mood. Lately, understanding the serotonergic Neuromodulation of synaptic plasticity has become imperative for unraveling its impact on cognitive, emotional, and behavioral functions. Through a comparative analysis across three main forebrain structures-the hippocampus, amygdala, and prefrontal cortex, this review discusses the actions of 5-HT on synaptic plasticity, offering insights into its role as a neuromodulator involved in emotional and cognitive functions. By distinguishing between plastic and metaplastic effects, we provide a comprehensive overview about the mechanisms of 5-HT neuromodulation of synaptic plasticity and associated functions across different brain regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guilherme Shigueto Vilar Higa
- Laboratório de Neurofisiologia, Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica, Universidade de São Paulo, Butantã, São Paulo, SP, 05508-000, Brazil; Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Química (USP), Butantã, São Paulo, SP, 05508-900, Brazil
| | - Felipe José Costa Viana
- Laboratório de Neurofisiologia, Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica, Universidade de São Paulo, Butantã, São Paulo, SP, 05508-000, Brazil
| | - José Francis-Oliveira
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, 35233, USA
| | - Emily Cruvinel
- Laboratório de Neurofisiologia, Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica, Universidade de São Paulo, Butantã, São Paulo, SP, 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Thainá Soares Franchin
- Laboratório de Neurofisiologia, Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica, Universidade de São Paulo, Butantã, São Paulo, SP, 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Tania Marcourakis
- Departamento de Análises Clínicas e Toxicológicas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade de São Paulo, Butantã, São Paulo, SP, 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Henning Ulrich
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Química (USP), Butantã, São Paulo, SP, 05508-900, Brazil
| | - Roberto De Pasquale
- Laboratório de Neurofisiologia, Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica, Universidade de São Paulo, Butantã, São Paulo, SP, 05508-000, Brazil.
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Gcwensa NZ, Russell DL, Long KY, Brzozowski CF, Liu X, Gamble KL, Cowell RM, Volpicelli-Daley LA. Excitatory synaptic structural abnormalities produced by templated aggregation of α-syn in the basolateral amygdala. Neurobiol Dis 2024; 199:106595. [PMID: 38972360 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2024.106595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2024] [Revised: 07/03/2024] [Accepted: 07/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) and Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) are characterized by neuronal α-synuclein (α-syn) inclusions termed Lewy Pathology, which are abundant in the amygdala. The basolateral amygdala (BLA), in particular, receives projections from the thalamus and cortex. These projections play a role in cognition and emotional processing, behaviors which are impaired in α-synucleinopathies. To understand if and how pathologic α-syn impacts the BLA requires animal models of α-syn aggregation. Injection of α-syn pre-formed fibrils (PFFs) into the striatum induces robust α-syn aggregation in excitatory neurons in the BLA that corresponds with reduced contextual fear conditioning. At early time points after aggregate formation, cortico-amygdala excitatory transmission is abolished. The goal of this project was to determine if α-syn inclusions in the BLA induce synaptic degeneration and/or morphological changes. In this study, we used C57BL/6 J mice injected bilaterally with PFFs in the dorsal striatum to induce α-syn aggregate formation in the BLA. A method was developed using immunofluorescence and three-dimensional reconstruction to analyze excitatory cortico-amygdala and thalamo-amygdala presynaptic terminals closely juxtaposed to postsynaptic densities. The abundance and morphology of synapses were analyzed at 6- or 12-weeks post-injection of PFFs. α-Syn aggregate formation in the BLA did not cause a significant loss of synapses, but cortico-amygdala and thalamo-amygdala presynaptic terminals and postsynaptic densities with aggregates of α-syn show increased volumes, similar to previous findings in human DLB cortex, and in non-human primate models of PD. Transmission electron microscopy showed that asymmetric synapses in mice with PFF-induced α-syn aggregates have reduced synaptic vesicle intervesicular distances, similar to a recent study showing phospho-serine-129 α-syn increases synaptic vesicle clustering. Thus, pathologic α-syn causes major alterations to synaptic architecture in the BLA, potentially contributing to behavioral impairment and amygdala dysfunction observed in synucleinopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nolwazi Z Gcwensa
- Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA.
| | - Dreson L Russell
- Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA.
| | - Khaliah Y Long
- Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA.
| | - Charlotte F Brzozowski
- Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA.
| | - Xinran Liu
- Center for Cellular and Molecular Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA.
| | - Karen L Gamble
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA.
| | - Rita M Cowell
- Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA.
| | - Laura A Volpicelli-Daley
- Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA.
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Wang CY, Jiang SY, Liao SM, Tian-Liu, Wu QS, Pan HQ, Wei-Nie, Zhang WH, Pan BX, Liu WZ. Dimethyl fumarate ameliorates chronic stress-induced anxiety-like behaviors by decreasing neuroinflammation and neuronal activity in the amygdala. Int Immunopharmacol 2024; 137:112414. [PMID: 38897132 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2024.112414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2024] [Revised: 05/28/2024] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chronic stress-induced neuroinflammation plays a pivotal role in the development and exacerbation of mental disorders, such as anxiety and depression. Dimethyl Fumarate (DMF), an effective therapeutic agent approved for the treatment of multiple sclerosis, has been widely reported to display anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative effects. However, the impact of DMF on chronic stress-induced anxiety disorders and the exact underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. METHODS We established a mouse model of chronic social defeat stress (CSDS). DMF was administered orally 1 h before daily stress session for 10 days in CSDS + DMF group. qRT-PCR and western blotting were used to analyze mRNA and protein expression of NLRP3, Caspase-1 and IL-1β. Immunofluorescence staining was carried out to detect the expression of Iba 1 and c-fos positive cells as well as morphological change of Iba 1+ microglia. Whole-cell patch-clamp recording was applied to evaluate synaptic transmission and intrinsic excitability of neurons. RESULTS DMF treatment significantly alleviated CSDS-induced anxiety-like behaviors in mice. Mechanistically, DMF treatment prevented CSDS-induced neuroinflammation by inhibiting the activation of microglia and NLRP3/Caspase-1/IL-1β signaling pathway in basolateral amygdala (BLA), a brain region important for emotional processing. Furthermore, DMF treatment effectively reversed the CSDS-caused disruption of excitatory and inhibitory synaptic transmission balance, as well as the increased intrinsic excitability of BLA neurons. CONCLUSIONS Our findings provide new evidence that DMF may exert anxiolytic effect by preventing CSDS-induced activation of NLRP3/Caspase-1/IL-1β signaling pathway and alleviating hyperactivity of BLA neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Yan Wang
- School of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, China; Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institute of Biomedical Innovation, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
| | - Si-Ying Jiang
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institute of Biomedical Innovation, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
| | - Shuang-Mei Liao
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institute of Biomedical Innovation, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
| | - Tian-Liu
- School of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, China; Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institute of Biomedical Innovation, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
| | - Qi-Sheng Wu
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institute of Biomedical Innovation, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
| | - Han-Qing Pan
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institute of Biomedical Innovation, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
| | - Wei-Nie
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institute of Biomedical Innovation, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
| | - Wen-Hua Zhang
- School of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, China; Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institute of Biomedical Innovation, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China.
| | - Bing-Xing Pan
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institute of Biomedical Innovation, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China.
| | - Wei-Zhu Liu
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institute of Biomedical Innovation, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China; Department of Pathology, The 1(st) Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, China.
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Krolick KN, Cao J, Gulla EM, Bhardwaj M, Marshall SJ, Zhou EY, Kiss AJ, Choueiry F, Zhu J, Shi H. Subregion-specific transcriptomic profiling of rat brain reveals sex-distinct gene expression impacted by adolescent stress. Neuroscience 2024; 553:19-39. [PMID: 38977070 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2024.07.002] [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: 01/18/2024] [Revised: 05/14/2024] [Accepted: 07/02/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
Stress during adolescence clearly impacts brain development and function. Sex differences in adolescent stress-induced or exacerbated emotional and metabolic vulnerabilities could be due to sex-distinct gene expression in hypothalamic, limbic, and prefrontal brain regions. However, adolescent stress-induced whole-genome expression changes in key subregions of these brain regions were unclear. In this study, female and male adolescent Sprague Dawley rats received one-hour restraint stress daily from postnatal day (PD) 32 to PD44. Corticosterone levels, body weights, food intake, body composition, and circulating adiposity and sex hormones were measured. On PD44, brain and blood samples were collected. Using RNA-sequencing, sex-specific differences in stress-induced differentially expressed (DE) genes were identified in subregions of the hypothalamus, limbic system, and prefrontal cortex. Canonical pathways reflected well-known sex-distinct maladies and diseases, substantiating the therapeutic potential of the DE genes found in the current study. Thus, we proposed specific sex distinct, adolescent stress-induced transcriptional changes found in the current study as examples of the molecular bases for sex differences witnessed in stress induced or exacerbated emotional and metabolic disorders. Future behavioral studies and single-cell studies are warranted to test the implications of the DE genes identified in this study in sex-distinct stress-induced susceptibilities.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jingyi Cao
- Department of Biology, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056, USA.
| | - Evelyn M Gulla
- Department of Biology, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056, USA.
| | - Meeta Bhardwaj
- Department of Biology, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056, USA.
| | | | - Ethan Y Zhou
- Department of Biology, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056, USA.
| | - Andor J Kiss
- Center for Bioinformatics & Functional Genomics, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056, USA.
| | - Fouad Choueiry
- Department of Human Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
| | - Jiangjiang Zhu
- Department of Human Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; James Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
| | - Haifei Shi
- Department of Biology, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056, USA.
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5
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Ma LH, Li S, Jiao XH, Li ZY, Zhou Y, Zhou CR, Zhou CH, Zheng H, Wu YQ. BLA-involved circuits in neuropsychiatric disorders. Ageing Res Rev 2024; 99:102363. [PMID: 38838785 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2024.102363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2023] [Revised: 05/04/2024] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
The basolateral amygdala (BLA) is the subregion of the amygdala located in the medial of the temporal lobe, which is connected with a wide range of brain regions to achieve diverse functions. Recently, an increasing number of studies have focused on the participation of the BLA in many neuropsychiatric disorders from the neural circuit perspective, aided by the rapid development of viral tracing methods and increasingly specific neural modulation technologies. However, how to translate this circuit-level preclinical intervention into clinical treatment using noninvasive or minor invasive manipulations to benefit patients struggling with neuropsychiatric disorders is still an inevitable question to be considered. In this review, we summarized the role of BLA-involved circuits in neuropsychiatric disorders including Alzheimer's disease, perioperative neurocognitive disorders, schizophrenia, anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, posttraumatic stress disorders, autism spectrum disorders, and pain-associative affective states and cognitive dysfunctions. Additionally, we provide insights into future directions and challenges for clinical translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin-Hui Ma
- Department of Anesthesiology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China
| | - Shuai Li
- Department of Anesthesiology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China
| | - Xin-Hao Jiao
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, China
| | - Zi-Yi Li
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, China
| | - Yue Zhou
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, China
| | - Chen-Rui Zhou
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, China
| | - Cheng-Hua Zhou
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of New Drug Research and Clinical Pharmacy, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, China.
| | - Hui Zheng
- Department of Anesthesiology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China.
| | - Yu-Qing Wu
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, China.
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Tian Y, Yang XW, Chen L, Xi K, Cai SQ, Cai J, Yang XM, Wang ZY, Li M, Xing GG. Activation of CRF/CRFR1 Signaling in the Central Nucleus of the Amygdala Contributes to Chronic Stress-Induced Exacerbation of Neuropathic Pain by Enhancing GluN2B-NMDA Receptor-Mediated Synaptic Plasticity in Adult Male Rats. THE JOURNAL OF PAIN 2024; 25:104495. [PMID: 38354968 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpain.2024.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Revised: 01/27/2024] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
Exacerbation of pain by chronic stress and comorbidity of pain with stress-related disorders such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, represent significant clinical challenges. Previously we have documented that chronic forced swim (FS) stress exacerbates neuropathic pain in spared nerve injury (SNI) rats, associated with an up-regulation of GluN2B-containing N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (GluN2B-NMDARs) in the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA). However, the molecular mechanisms underlying chronic FS stress (CFSS)-mediated exacerbation of pain sensitivity in SNI rats still remain unclear. In this study, we demonstrated that exposure of CFSS to rats activated the corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF)/CRF receptor type 1 (CRFR1) signaling in the CeA, which was shown to be necessary for CFSS-induced depressive-like symptoms in stressed rats, and as well, for CFSS-induced exacerbation of pain hypersensitivity in SNI rats exposed to chronic FS stress. Furthermore, we discovered that activation of CRF/CRFR1 signaling in the CeA upregulated the phosphorylation of GluN2B-NMDARs at tyrosine 1472 (pGluN2BY1472) in the synaptosomal fraction of CeA, which is highly correlated to the enhancement of synaptic GluN2B-NMDARs expression that has been observed in the CeA in CFSS-treated SNI rats. In addition, we revealed that activation of CRF/CRFR1 signaling in the CeA facilitated the CFSS-induced reinforcement of long-term potentiation as well as the enhancement of NMDAR-mediated excitatory postsynaptic currents in the basolateral amygdala (BLA)-CeA pathway in SNI rats. These findings suggest that activation of CRF/CRFR1 signaling in the CeA contributes to chronic stress-induced exacerbation of neuropathic pain by enhancing GluN2B-NMDAR-mediated synaptic plasticity in rats subjected to nerve injury. PERSPECTIVE: Our present study provides a novel mechanism for elucidating stress-induced hyperalgesia and highlights that the CRF/CRFR1 signaling and the GluN2B-NMDAR-mediated synaptic plasticity in the CeA may be important as potential therapeutic targets for chronic stress-induced pain exacerbation in human neuropathic pain. DATA AVAILABILITY: The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Tian
- Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education of China & National Health Commission of China, Beijing, China; Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China; Neuroscience Research Institute, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Xue-Wei Yang
- Department of Endocrinology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Lin Chen
- Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education of China & National Health Commission of China, Beijing, China; Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China; Neuroscience Research Institute, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Ke Xi
- Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education of China & National Health Commission of China, Beijing, China; Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China; Neuroscience Research Institute, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Si-Qing Cai
- Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education of China & National Health Commission of China, Beijing, China; Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China; Neuroscience Research Institute, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Jie Cai
- Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education of China & National Health Commission of China, Beijing, China; Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China; Neuroscience Research Institute, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiao-Mei Yang
- Department of Human Anatomy and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Zhi-Yong Wang
- Department of Human Anatomy and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Min Li
- Department of Anesthesiology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Guo-Gang Xing
- Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education of China & National Health Commission of China, Beijing, China; Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China; Neuroscience Research Institute, Peking University, Beijing, China; Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan, China
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Zhang BB, Ling XY, Shen QY, Zhang YX, Li QX, Xie ST, Li HZ, Zhang QP, Yung WH, Wang JJ, Ke Y, Zhang XY, Zhu JN. Suppression of excitatory synaptic transmission in the centrolateral amygdala via presynaptic histamine H3 heteroreceptors. J Physiol 2024. [PMID: 38953534 DOI: 10.1113/jp286392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024] Open
Abstract
The central histaminergic system has a pivotal role in emotional regulation and psychiatric disorders, including anxiety, depression and schizophrenia. However, the effect of histamine on neuronal activity of the centrolateral amygdala (CeL), an essential node for fear and anxiety processing, remains unknown. Here, using immunostaining and whole-cell patch clamp recording combined with optogenetic manipulation of histaminergic terminals in CeL slices prepared from histidine decarboxylase (HDC)-Cre rats, we show that histamine selectively suppresses excitatory synaptic transmissions, including glutamatergic transmission from the basolateral amygdala, on both PKC-δ- and SOM-positive CeL neurons. The histamine-induced effect is mediated by H3 receptors expressed on VGLUT1-/VGLUT2-positive presynaptic terminals in CeL. Furthermore, optoactivation of histaminergic afferent terminals from the hypothalamic tuberomammillary nucleus (TMN) also significantly suppresses glutamatergic transmissions in CeL via H3 receptors. Histamine neither modulates inhibitory synaptic transmission by presynaptic H3 receptors nor directly excites CeL neurons by postsynaptic H1, H2 or H4 receptors. These results suggest that histaminergic afferent inputs and presynaptic H3 heteroreceptors may hold a critical position in balancing excitatory and inhibitory synaptic transmissions in CeL by selective modulation of glutamatergic drive, which may not only account for the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders but also provide potential psychotherapeutic targets. KEY POINTS: Histamine selectively suppresses the excitatory, rather than inhibitory, synaptic transmissions on both PKC-δ- and SOM-positive neurons in the centrolateral amygdala (CeL). H3 receptors expressed on VGLUT1- or VGLUT2-positive afferent terminals mediate the suppression of histamine on glutamatergic synaptic transmission in CeL. Optogenetic activation of hypothalamic tuberomammillary nucleus (TMN)-CeL histaminergic projections inhibits glutamatergic transmission in CeL via H3 receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bei-Bei Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, National Resource Center for Mutant Mice, and Department of Physiology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xin-Yu Ling
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, National Resource Center for Mutant Mice, and Department of Physiology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Qing-Yi Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, National Resource Center for Mutant Mice, and Department of Physiology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yang-Xun Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, National Resource Center for Mutant Mice, and Department of Physiology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Qian-Xiao Li
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, National Resource Center for Mutant Mice, and Department of Physiology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Shu-Tao Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, National Resource Center for Mutant Mice, and Department of Physiology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Hong-Zhao Li
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, National Resource Center for Mutant Mice, and Department of Physiology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Qi-Peng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, National Resource Center for Mutant Mice, and Department of Physiology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
- Institute for Brain Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Wing-Ho Yung
- Department of Neuroscience, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China
| | - Jian-Jun Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, National Resource Center for Mutant Mice, and Department of Physiology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Ya Ke
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China
| | - Xiao-Yang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, National Resource Center for Mutant Mice, and Department of Physiology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
- Institute for Brain Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jing-Ning Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, National Resource Center for Mutant Mice, and Department of Physiology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
- Institute for Brain Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
- Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
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8
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Peshev B, Ivanova P, Krushovlieva D, Kortenska L, Atanasova D, Rashev P, Lazarov N, Tchekalarova J. Predatory Odor Exposure as a Potential Paradigm for Studying Emotional Modulation of Memory Consolidation-The Role of the Noradrenergic Transmission in the Basolateral Amygdala. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:6576. [PMID: 38928281 PMCID: PMC11204360 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25126576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2024] [Revised: 06/09/2024] [Accepted: 06/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The pivotal role of the basolateral amygdala (BLA) in the emotional modulation of hippocampal plasticity and memory consolidation is well-established. Specifically, multiple studies have demonstrated that the activation of the noradrenergic (NA) system within the BLA governs these modulatory effects. However, most current evidence has been obtained by direct infusion of synthetic NA or beta-adrenergic agonists. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the effect of endogenous NA release in the BLA, induced by a natural aversive stimulus (coyote urine), on memory consolidation for a low-arousing, hippocampal-dependent task. Our experiments combined a weak object location task (OLT) version with subsequent mild predator odor exposure (POE). To investigate the role of endogenous NA in the BLA in memory modulation, a subset of the animals (Wistar rats) was treated with the non-selective beta-blocker propranolol at the end of the behavioral procedures. Hippocampal tissue was collected 90 min after drug infusion or after the OLT test, which was performed 24 h later. We used the obtained samples to estimate the levels of phosphorylated CREB (pCREB) and activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein (Arc)-two molecular markers of experience-dependent changes in neuronal activity. The result suggests that POE has the potential to become a valuable behavioral paradigm for studying the interaction between BLA and the hippocampus in memory prioritization and selectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bogomil Peshev
- Institute of Neurobiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria; (B.P.); (P.I.); (D.K.); (L.K.); (D.A.)
| | - Petya Ivanova
- Institute of Neurobiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria; (B.P.); (P.I.); (D.K.); (L.K.); (D.A.)
| | - Desislava Krushovlieva
- Institute of Neurobiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria; (B.P.); (P.I.); (D.K.); (L.K.); (D.A.)
| | - Lidia Kortenska
- Institute of Neurobiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria; (B.P.); (P.I.); (D.K.); (L.K.); (D.A.)
| | - Dimitrinka Atanasova
- Institute of Neurobiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria; (B.P.); (P.I.); (D.K.); (L.K.); (D.A.)
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Trakia University, 6003 Stara Zagora, Bulgaria
| | - Pavel Rashev
- Institute of Biology and Immunology of Reproduction, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria;
| | - Nikolai Lazarov
- Department of Anatomy and Histology, Medical University of Sofia, 1431 Sofia, Bulgaria;
| | - Jana Tchekalarova
- Institute of Neurobiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria; (B.P.); (P.I.); (D.K.); (L.K.); (D.A.)
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9
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Nicosia N, Giovenzana M, Misztak P, Mingardi J, Musazzi L. Glutamate-Mediated Excitotoxicity in the Pathogenesis and Treatment of Neurodevelopmental and Adult Mental Disorders. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:6521. [PMID: 38928227 PMCID: PMC11203689 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25126521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2024] [Revised: 06/09/2024] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Glutamate is the main excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain wherein it controls cognitive functional domains and mood. Indeed, brain areas involved in memory formation and consolidation as well as in fear and emotional processing, such as the hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, and amygdala, are predominantly glutamatergic. To ensure the physiological activity of the brain, glutamatergic transmission is finely tuned at synaptic sites. Disruption of the mechanisms responsible for glutamate homeostasis may result in the accumulation of excessive glutamate levels, which in turn leads to increased calcium levels, mitochondrial abnormalities, oxidative stress, and eventually cell atrophy and death. This condition is known as glutamate-induced excitotoxicity and is considered as a pathogenic mechanism in several diseases of the central nervous system, including neurodevelopmental, substance abuse, and psychiatric disorders. On the other hand, these disorders share neuroplasticity impairments in glutamatergic brain areas, which are accompanied by structural remodeling of glutamatergic neurons. In the current narrative review, we will summarize the role of glutamate-induced excitotoxicity in both the pathophysiology and therapeutic interventions of neurodevelopmental and adult mental diseases with a focus on autism spectrum disorders, substance abuse, and psychiatric disorders. Indeed, glutamatergic drugs are under preclinical and clinical development for the treatment of different mental diseases that share glutamatergic neuroplasticity dysfunctions. Although clinical evidence is still limited and more studies are required, the regulation of glutamate homeostasis is attracting attention as a potential crucial target for the control of brain diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noemi Nicosia
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20900 Monza, Italy; (N.N.); (M.G.); (P.M.)
- PhD Program in Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20900 Monza, Italy
| | - Mattia Giovenzana
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20900 Monza, Italy; (N.N.); (M.G.); (P.M.)
- PhD Program in Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20900 Monza, Italy
| | - Paulina Misztak
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20900 Monza, Italy; (N.N.); (M.G.); (P.M.)
| | - Jessica Mingardi
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20900 Monza, Italy; (N.N.); (M.G.); (P.M.)
| | - Laura Musazzi
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20900 Monza, Italy; (N.N.); (M.G.); (P.M.)
- Fondazione IRCCS San Gerardo dei Tintori, 20900 Monza, Italy
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10
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Zhao H, Liu Y, Cai N, Liao X, Tang L, Wang Y. Endocannabinoid Hydrolase Inhibitors: Potential Novel Anxiolytic Drugs. Drug Des Devel Ther 2024; 18:2143-2167. [PMID: 38882045 PMCID: PMC11179644 DOI: 10.2147/dddt.s462785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Over the past decade, the idea of targeting the endocannabinoid system to treat anxiety disorders has received increasing attention. Previous studies focused more on developing cannabinoid receptor agonists or supplementing exogenous cannabinoids, which are prone to various adverse effects due to their strong pharmacological activity and poor receptor selectivity, limiting their application in clinical research. Endocannabinoid hydrolase inhibitors are considered to be the most promising development strategies for the treatment of anxiety disorders. More recent efforts have emphasized that inhibition of two major endogenous cannabinoid hydrolases, monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL) and fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH), indirectly activates cannabinoid receptors by increasing endogenous cannabinoid levels in the synaptic gap, circumventing receptor desensitization resulting from direct enhancement of endogenous cannabinoid signaling. In this review, we comprehensively summarize the anxiolytic effects of MAGL and FAAH inhibitors and their potential pharmacological mechanisms, highlight reported novel inhibitors or natural products, and provide an outlook on future directions in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongqing Zhao
- Science & Technology Innovation Center, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan, People’s Republic of China
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Prevention & Treatment of Depressive Diseases, Changsha, Hunan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yang Liu
- Science & Technology Innovation Center, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan, People’s Republic of China
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Prevention & Treatment of Depressive Diseases, Changsha, Hunan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Na Cai
- Outpatient Department, the First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiaolin Liao
- Science & Technology Innovation Center, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan, People’s Republic of China
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Prevention & Treatment of Depressive Diseases, Changsha, Hunan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Lin Tang
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Prevention & Treatment of Depressive Diseases, Changsha, Hunan, People’s Republic of China
- Department of Pharmacy, the First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yuhong Wang
- Science & Technology Innovation Center, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan, People’s Republic of China
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Prevention & Treatment of Depressive Diseases, Changsha, Hunan, People’s Republic of China
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11
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Soberanes-Chávez P, Trujillo-Barrera J, de Gortari P. Circadian Synchronization of Feeding Attenuates Rats' Food Restriction-Induced Anxiety and Amygdalar Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone Downregulation. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:5857. [PMID: 38892044 PMCID: PMC11172148 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25115857] [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: 04/04/2024] [Revised: 04/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Anxiety is a common comorbidity of obesity, resulting from prescribing long-term caloric restriction diets (CRDs); patients with a reduced food intake lose weight but present anxious behaviors, poor treatment adherence, and weight regain in the subsequent 5 years. Intermittent fasting (IF) restricts feeding time to 8 h during the activity phase, reducing patients' weight even with no caloric restriction; it is unknown whether an IF regime with ad libitum feeding avoids stress and anxiety development. We compared the corticosterone blood concentration between male Wistar rats fed ad libitum or calorie-restricted with all-day or IF food access after 4 weeks, along with their anxiety parameters when performing the elevated plus maze (EPM). As the amygdalar thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) is believed to have anxiolytic properties, we evaluated its expression changes in association with anxiety levels. The groups formed were the following: a control which was offered food ad libitum (C-adlib) or 30% of C-adlib's energy requirements (C-CRD) all day, and IF groups provided food ad libitum (IF-adlib) or 30% of C-adlib's requirements (IF-CRD) with access from 9:00 to 17:00 h. On day 28, the rats performed the EPM and, after 30 min, were decapitated to analyze their amygdalar TRH mRNA expression by in situ hybridization and corticosterone serum levels. Interestingly, circadian feeding synchronization reduced the body weight, food intake, and animal anxiety levels in both IF groups, with ad libitum (IF-adlib) or restricted (IF-CRD) food access. The anxiety levels of the experimental groups resulted to be negatively associated with TRH expression, which supported its anxiolytic role. Therefore, the low anxiety levels induced by synchronizing feeding with the activity phase would help patients who are dieting to improve their diet therapy adherence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulina Soberanes-Chávez
- Laboratorio de Neurofisiología Molecular, Dirección de Neurociencias, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, Ciudad de México 14370, Mexico; (P.S.-C.); (J.T.-B.)
| | - Jariz Trujillo-Barrera
- Laboratorio de Neurofisiología Molecular, Dirección de Neurociencias, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, Ciudad de México 14370, Mexico; (P.S.-C.); (J.T.-B.)
- Escuela de Dietética y Nutrición del ISSSTE, Ciudad de México 14070, Mexico
| | - Patricia de Gortari
- Laboratorio de Neurofisiología Molecular, Dirección de Neurociencias, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, Ciudad de México 14370, Mexico; (P.S.-C.); (J.T.-B.)
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12
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Gcwensa NZ, Russell DL, Long KY, Brzozowski CF, Liu X, Gamble KL, Cowell RM, Volpicelli-Daley LA. Cortico-amygdala synaptic structural abnormalities produced by templated aggregation of α-synuclein. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.15.594419. [PMID: 38798467 PMCID: PMC11118572 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.15.594419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) and Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) are characterized by neuronal α-synuclein (α-syn) inclusions termed Lewy Pathology, which are abundant in the amygdala. The basolateral amygdala (BLA), in particular, receives projections from the thalamus and cortex. These projections play a role in cognition and emotional processing, behaviors which are impaired in α-synucleinopathies. To understand if and how pathologic α-syn impacts the BLA requires animal models of α-syn aggregation. Injection of α-synuclein pre-formed fibrils (PFFs) into the striatum induces robust α-synuclein aggregation in excitatory neurons in the BLA that corresponds with reduced contextual fear conditioning. At early time points after aggregate formation, cortico-amygdala excitatory transmission is abolished. The goal of this project was to determine if α-syn inclusions in the BLA induce synaptic degeneration and/or morphological changes. In this study, we used C57BL/6J mice injected bilaterally with PFFs in the dorsal striatum to induce α-syn aggregate formation in the BLA. A method was developed using immunofluorescence and three-dimensional reconstruction to analyze excitatory cortico-amygdala and thalamo-amygdala presynaptic terminals closely juxtaposed to postsynaptic densities. The abundance and morphology of synapses were analyzed at 6- or 12-weeks post-injection of PFFs. α-Syn aggregate formation in the BLA did not cause a significant loss of synapses, but cortico-amygdala and thalamo-amygdala presynaptic terminals and postsynaptic densities with aggregates of α-synuclein show increased volumes, similar to previous findings in human DLB cortex, and in non-human primate models of PD. Transmission electron microscopy showed that PFF-injected mice showed reduced intervesicular distances similar to a recent study showing phospho-serine-129 α-synuclein increases synaptic vesicle clustering. Thus, pathologic α-synuclein causes major alterations to synaptic architecture in the BLA, potentially contributing to behavioral impairment and amygdala dysfunction observed in synucleinopathies.
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Han RW, Zhang ZY, Jiao C, Hu ZY, Pan BX. Synergism between two BLA-to-BNST pathways for appropriate expression of anxiety-like behaviors in male mice. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3455. [PMID: 38658548 PMCID: PMC11043328 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47966-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Understanding how distinct functional circuits are coordinated to fine-tune mood and behavior is of fundamental importance. Here, we observe that within the dense projections from basolateral amygdala (BLA) to bed nucleus of stria terminalis (BNST), there are two functionally opposing pathways orchestrated to enable contextually appropriate expression of anxiety-like behaviors in male mice. Specifically, the anterior BLA neurons predominantly innervate the anterodorsal BNST (adBNST), while their posterior counterparts send massive fibers to oval BNST (ovBNST) with moderate to adBNST. Optogenetic activation of the anterior and posterior BLA inputs oppositely regulated the activity of adBNST neurons and anxiety-like behaviors, via disengaging and engaging the inhibitory ovBNST-to-adBNST microcircuit, respectively. Importantly, the two pathways exhibited synchronized but opposite responses to both anxiolytic and anxiogenic stimuli, partially due to their mutual inhibition within BLA and the different inputs they receive. These findings reveal synergistic interactions between two BLA-to-BNST pathways for appropriate anxiety expression with ongoing environmental demands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ren-Wen Han
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institute of Biomedical Innovation, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China.
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China.
| | - Zi-Yi Zhang
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institute of Biomedical Innovation, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
- College of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
| | - Chen Jiao
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institute of Biomedical Innovation, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
- College of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
| | - Ze-Yu Hu
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institute of Biomedical Innovation, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
- College of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
| | - Bing-Xing Pan
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institute of Biomedical Innovation, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China.
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China.
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14
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Wang C, Wang Q, Xu G, Sun Z, Zhang D, Ma C, Li Y, Wen D, Zhang X, Cong B. Circular RNA expression profiles and functional predication after restraint stress in the amygdala of rats. Front Mol Neurosci 2024; 17:1381098. [PMID: 38685915 PMCID: PMC11056511 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2024.1381098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Prolonged or repeated exposure to stress elevates the risk of various psychological diseases, many of which are characterized by central nervous system dysfunction. Recent studies have demonstrated that circular RNAs (circRNAs) are highly abundant in the mammalian brain. Although their precise expression and function remain unknown, they have been hypothesized to regulate transcriptional and post-transcriptional gene expression. In this investigation, we comprehensively analyzed whether restraint stress for 2 days altered the circRNA expression profile in the amygdala of male rats. The impact of restraint stress on behavior was evaluated using an elevated plus maze and open field test. Serum corticosterone levels were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. A total of 10,670 circRNAs were identified using RNA sequencing. Ten circRNAs were validated by reverse transcription and quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis. Gene ontology and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes pathway analyzes supported the notion that genes associated with differentially expressed circRNAs are primarily implicated in neuronal activity and neurotransmitter transport. Moreover, the three differentially expressed circRNAs showed high specificity in the amygdala. Overall, these findings indicate that differentially expressed circRNAs are highly enriched in the amygdala and offer a potential direction for further research on restraint stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuan Wang
- College of Forensic Medicine, Hebei Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Collaborative Innovation Center of Forensic Medical Molecular Identification, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Qian Wang
- College of Forensic Medicine, Hebei Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Collaborative Innovation Center of Forensic Medical Molecular Identification, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Guangming Xu
- College of Forensic Medicine, Hebei Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Collaborative Innovation Center of Forensic Medical Molecular Identification, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China
- Department of Forensic Medicine, The National Police University for Criminal Justice, Baoding, China
| | - Zhaoling Sun
- College of Forensic Medicine, Hebei Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Collaborative Innovation Center of Forensic Medical Molecular Identification, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Dong Zhang
- College of Forensic Medicine, Hebei Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Collaborative Innovation Center of Forensic Medical Molecular Identification, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China
- College of Integrative Medicine, Hebei University of Chinese Medicine, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Chunling Ma
- College of Forensic Medicine, Hebei Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Collaborative Innovation Center of Forensic Medical Molecular Identification, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Yingmin Li
- College of Forensic Medicine, Hebei Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Collaborative Innovation Center of Forensic Medical Molecular Identification, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Di Wen
- College of Forensic Medicine, Hebei Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Collaborative Innovation Center of Forensic Medical Molecular Identification, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Xiaojing Zhang
- College of Forensic Medicine, Hebei Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Collaborative Innovation Center of Forensic Medical Molecular Identification, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Bin Cong
- College of Forensic Medicine, Hebei Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Collaborative Innovation Center of Forensic Medical Molecular Identification, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China
- Hainan Tropical Forensic Medicine Academician Workstation, Haikou, China
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15
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Harvey T, Rios M. The Role of BDNF and TrkB in the Central Control of Energy and Glucose Balance: An Update. Biomolecules 2024; 14:424. [PMID: 38672441 PMCID: PMC11048226 DOI: 10.3390/biom14040424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2024] [Revised: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 03/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The global rise in obesity and related health issues, such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, is alarming. Gaining a deeper insight into the central neural pathways and mechanisms that regulate energy and glucose homeostasis is crucial for developing effective interventions to combat this debilitating condition. A significant body of evidence from studies in humans and rodents indicates that brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) signaling plays a key role in regulating feeding, energy expenditure, and glycemic control. BDNF is a highly conserved neurotrophin that signals via the tropomyosin-related kinase B (TrkB) receptor to facilitate neuronal survival, differentiation, and synaptic plasticity and function. Recent studies have shed light on the mechanisms through which BDNF influences energy and glucose balance. This review will cover our current understanding of the brain regions, neural circuits, and cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the metabolic actions of BDNF and TrkB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theresa Harvey
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02111, USA;
| | - Maribel Rios
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02111, USA;
- Department of Neuroscience, Tufts University School of Medicine, 136 Harrison Avenue, Boston, MA 02111, USA
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16
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Asim M, Wang H, Chen X, He J. Potentiated GABAergic neuronal activities in the basolateral amygdala alleviate stress-induced depressive behaviors. CNS Neurosci Ther 2024; 30:e14422. [PMID: 37715582 PMCID: PMC10915993 DOI: 10.1111/cns.14422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2022] [Revised: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/17/2023] Open
Abstract
AIMS Major depressive disorder is a severe psychiatric disorder that afflicts ~17% of the world population. Neuroimaging investigations of depressed patients have consistently reported the dysfunction of the basolateral amygdala in the pathophysiology of depression. However, how the BLA and related circuits are implicated in the pathogenesis of depression is poorly understood. METHODS Here, we combined fiber photometry, immediate early gene expression (c-fos), optogenetics, chemogenetics, behavioral analysis, and viral tracing techniques to provide multiple lines of evidence of how the BLA neurons mediate depressive-like behavior. RESULTS We demonstrated that the aversive stimuli elevated the neuronal activity of the excitatory BLA neurons (BLACAMKII neurons). Optogenetic activation of CAMKII neurons facilitates the induction of depressive-like behavior while inhibition of these neurons alleviates the depressive-like behavior. Next, we found that the chemogenetic inhibition of GABAergic neurons in the BLA (BLAGABA ) increased the firing frequency of CAMKII neurons and mediates the depressive-like phenotypes. Finally, through fiber photometry recording and chemogenetic manipulation, we proved that the activation of BLAGABA neurons inhibits BLACAMKII neuronal activity and alleviates depressive-like behavior in the mice. CONCLUSION Thus, through evaluating BLAGABA and BLACAMKII neurons by distinct interaction, the BLA regulates depressive-like behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Asim
- Department of NeuroscienceCity University of Hong KongKowloon TongPeople's Republic of China
- Department of Biomedical ScienceCity University of Hong KongKowloon TongPeople's Republic of China
| | - Huajie Wang
- Department of NeuroscienceCity University of Hong KongKowloon TongPeople's Republic of China
- Department of Biomedical ScienceCity University of Hong KongKowloon TongPeople's Republic of China
| | - Xi Chen
- Department of NeuroscienceCity University of Hong KongKowloon TongPeople's Republic of China
- City University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Research InstituteShenzhenPeople's Republic of China
| | - Jufang He
- Department of NeuroscienceCity University of Hong KongKowloon TongPeople's Republic of China
- City University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Research InstituteShenzhenPeople's Republic of China
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17
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Mahoney HL, Schmidt TM. The cognitive impact of light: illuminating ipRGC circuit mechanisms. Nat Rev Neurosci 2024; 25:159-175. [PMID: 38279030 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-023-00788-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/28/2024]
Abstract
Ever-present in our environments, light entrains circadian rhythms over long timescales, influencing daily activity patterns, health and performance. Increasing evidence indicates that light also acts independently of the circadian system to directly impact physiology and behaviour, including cognition. Exposure to light stimulates brain areas involved in cognition and appears to improve a broad range of cognitive functions. However, the extent of these effects and their mechanisms are unknown. Intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) have emerged as the primary conduit through which light impacts non-image-forming behaviours and are a prime candidate for mediating the direct effects of light on cognition. Here, we review the current state of understanding of these effects in humans and mice, and the tools available to uncover circuit-level and photoreceptor-specific mechanisms. We also address current barriers to progress in this area. Current and future efforts to unravel the circuits through which light influences cognitive functions may inform the tailoring of lighting landscapes to optimize health and cognitive function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather L Mahoney
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.
| | - Tiffany M Schmidt
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.
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18
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Monti L, Hanover R, Salmán E, Baker RA, Lappalainen J, Smith M. Effect of fasedienol (PH94B) pherine nasal spray and steroidal hormones on electrogram responses and autonomic nervous system activity in healthy adult volunteers. Hum Psychopharmacol 2024; 39:e2892. [PMID: 38193849 DOI: 10.1002/hup.2892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Fasedienol (PH94B) is a pherine compound formulated as a nasal spray that is hypothesized to regulate olfactory-amygdala circuits of fear and anxiety. Fasedienol's effect on the local electrogram of nasal chemosensory neurons (EGNR) and autonomic nervous system (ANS) responses versus steroidal hormones and controls in healthy adults is reported. METHODS Eight males and 8 females randomly received aerosolized control (propylene glycol) and study drugs (fasedienol, 17β-estradiol, progesterone, cortisol, and testosterone, 0.4 μg each in propylene glycol) onto the nasal septum mucosal lining at 30-min intervals over 2 sessions. EGNR was continuously monitored; autonomic parameters were recorded before and after administration. RESULTS Fasedienol significantly increased EGNR amplitude (males: 5.0 vs. 0.6 mV, p < 0.001; females:5.7 vs. 0.6 mV, p < 0.001), and rapidly reduced respiratory rate (p < 0.05), heart rate (p < 0.01), and electrodermal activity (p < 0.05) versus control. EGNR and ANS responses after steroidal hormone administration were similar to control. 81% reported feeling less tense/more relaxed after receiving fasedienol, but not after receiving either control or steroidal hormones. CONCLUSIONS Intranasal fasedienol, but not control or steroidal hormones, activated EGNR and rapidly reduced ANS responses, consistent with sympatholytic effects. Combined with subjective reports, results suggest fasedienol may provide acute relief in anxiety conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louis Monti
- Vistagen Therapeutics, Inc., South San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Rita Hanover
- Vistagen Therapeutics, Inc., South San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Ester Salmán
- Vistagen Therapeutics, Inc., South San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Ross A Baker
- Vistagen Therapeutics, Inc., South San Francisco, California, USA
| | | | - Mark Smith
- Vistagen Therapeutics, Inc., South San Francisco, California, USA
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19
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Gao Y, Gao D, Zhang H, Zheng D, Du J, Yuan C, Mingxi Ma, Yin Y, Wang J, Zhang X, Wang Y. BLA DBS improves anxiety and fear by correcting weakened synaptic transmission from BLA to adBNST and CeL in a mouse model of foot shock. Cell Rep 2024; 43:113766. [PMID: 38349792 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.113766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Revised: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) in the basal lateral amygdala (BLA) has been established to correct symptoms of refractory post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, how BLA DBS operates in correcting PTSD symptoms and how the BLA elicits pathological fear and anxiety in PTSD remain unclear. Here, we discover that excitatory synaptic transmission from the BLA projection neurons (PNs) to the adBNST, and lateral central amygdala (CeL) is greatly suppressed in a mouse PTSD model induced by foot shock (FS). BLA DBS revises the weakened inputs from the BLA to these two areas to improve fear and anxiety. Optogenetic manipulation of the BLA-adBNST and BLA-CeL circuits shows that both circuits are responsible for anxiety but the BLA-CeL for fear in FS mice. Our results reveal that synaptic transmission dysregulation of the BLA-adBNST or BLA-CeL circuits is reversed by BLA DBS, which improves anxiety and fear in the FS mouse model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Gao
- Center of Cognition and Brain Science, Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Dawen Gao
- Center of Cognition and Brain Science, Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Hui Zhang
- Center of Cognition and Brain Science, Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Danhao Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences-Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Jun Du
- Center of Cognition and Brain Science, Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Chao Yuan
- Center of Cognition and Brain Science, Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Mingxi Ma
- Center of Cognition and Brain Science, Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yao Yin
- Center of Cognition and Brain Science, Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jie Wang
- Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences-Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Wuhan 430071, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xiaohui Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience & Learning and IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Yizheng Wang
- Center of Cognition and Brain Science, Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing, China; National Clinical Research Center for Aging and Medicine, Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
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20
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Ortiz-Whittingham LR, Zhan L, Ortiz-Chaparro EN, Baumer Y, Zenk S, Lamar M, Powell-Wiley TM. Neighborhood Perceptions Are Associated With Intrinsic Amygdala Activity and Resting-State Connectivity With Salience Network Nodes Among Older Adults. Psychosom Med 2024; 86:116-123. [PMID: 38150567 PMCID: PMC10922456 DOI: 10.1097/psy.0000000000001272] [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] [Indexed: 12/29/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Neighborhood perceptions are associated with physical and mental health outcomes; however, the biological associates of this relationship remain to be fully understood. Here, we evaluate the relationship between neighborhood perceptions and amygdala activity and connectivity with salience network (i.e., insula, anterior cingulate, thalamus) nodes. METHODS Forty-eight older adults (mean age = 68 [7] years, 52% female, 47% non-Hispanic Black, 2% Hispanic) without dementia or depression completed the Perceptions of Neighborhood Environment Scale. Lower scores indicated less favorable perceptions of aesthetic quality, walking environment, availability of healthy food, safety, violence (i.e., more perceived violence), social cohesion, and participation in activities with neighbors. Participants separately underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. RESULTS Less favorable perceived safety ( β = -0.33, pFDR = .04) and participation in activities with neighbors ( β = -0.35, pFDR = .02) were associated with higher left amygdala activity, independent of covariates including psychosocial factors. Less favorable safety perceptions were also associated with enhanced left amygdala functional connectivity with the bilateral insular cortices and the left anterior insula ( β = -0.34, pFDR = .04). Less favorable perceived social cohesion was associated with enhanced left amygdala functional connectivity with the right thalamus ( β = -0.42, pFDR = .04), and less favorable perceptions about healthy food availability were associated with enhanced left amygdala functional connectivity with the bilateral anterior insula (right: β = -0.39, pFDR = .04; left: β = -0.42, pFDR = .02) and anterior cingulate gyrus ( β = -0.37, pFDR = .04). CONCLUSIONS Taken together, our findings document relationships between select neighborhood perceptions and amygdala activity as well as connectivity with salience network nodes; if confirmed, targeted community-level interventions and existing community strengths may promote brain-behavior relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lola R. Ortiz-Whittingham
- Social Determinants of Obesity and Cardiovascular Risk Laboratory, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Liang Zhan
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Erika N. Ortiz-Chaparro
- Social Determinants of Obesity and Cardiovascular Risk Laboratory, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Yvonne Baumer
- Social Determinants of Obesity and Cardiovascular Risk Laboratory, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Shannon Zenk
- National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Melissa Lamar
- Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center and the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Tiffany M. Powell-Wiley
- Social Determinants of Obesity and Cardiovascular Risk Laboratory, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
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21
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Pross A, Metwalli AH, Abellán A, Desfilis E, Medina L. Subpopulations of corticotropin-releasing factor containing neurons and internal circuits in the chicken central extended amygdala. J Comp Neurol 2024; 532:e25569. [PMID: 38104270 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25569] [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: 06/07/2023] [Revised: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 11/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
In mammals, the central extended amygdala is critical for the regulation of the stress response. This regulation is extremely complex, involving multiple subpopulations of GABAergic neurons and complex networks of internal and external connections. Two neuron subpopulations expressing corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), located in the central amygdala and the lateral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BSTL), play a key role in the long-term component of fear learning and in sustained fear responses akin to anxiety. Very little is known about the regulation of stress by the amygdala in nonmammals, hindering efforts for trying to improve animal welfare. In birds, one of the major problems relates to the high evolutionary divergence of the telencephalon, where the amygdala is located. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the presence of CRF neurons of the central extended amygdala in chicken and the local connections within this region. We found two major subpopulations of CRF cells in BSTL and the medial capsular central amygdala of chicken. Based on multiple labeling of CRF mRNA with different developmental transcription factors, all CRF neurons seem to originate within the telencephalon since they express Foxg1, and there are two subtypes with different embryonic origins that express Islet1 or Pax6. In addition, we demonstrated direct projections from Pax6 cells of the capsular central amygdala to BSTL and the oval central amygdala. We also found projections from Islet1 cells of the oval central amygdala to BSTL, which may constitute an indirect pathway for the regulation of BSTL output cells. Part of these projections may be mediated by CRF cells, in agreement with the expression of CRF receptors in both Ceov and BSTL. Our results show a complex organization of the central extended amygdala in chicken and open new venues for studying how different cells and circuits regulate stress in these animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Pross
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Universitat de Lleida, Lleida, Spain
- Laboratory of Evolutionary and Developmental Neurobiology, Lleida's Institute for Biomedical Research-Dr. Pifarré Foundation (IRBLleida), Lleida, Spain
| | - Alek H Metwalli
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Universitat de Lleida, Lleida, Spain
- Laboratory of Evolutionary and Developmental Neurobiology, Lleida's Institute for Biomedical Research-Dr. Pifarré Foundation (IRBLleida), Lleida, Spain
| | - Antonio Abellán
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Universitat de Lleida, Lleida, Spain
- Laboratory of Evolutionary and Developmental Neurobiology, Lleida's Institute for Biomedical Research-Dr. Pifarré Foundation (IRBLleida), Lleida, Spain
| | - Ester Desfilis
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Universitat de Lleida, Lleida, Spain
- Laboratory of Evolutionary and Developmental Neurobiology, Lleida's Institute for Biomedical Research-Dr. Pifarré Foundation (IRBLleida), Lleida, Spain
| | - Loreta Medina
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Universitat de Lleida, Lleida, Spain
- Laboratory of Evolutionary and Developmental Neurobiology, Lleida's Institute for Biomedical Research-Dr. Pifarré Foundation (IRBLleida), Lleida, Spain
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22
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Beaulieu M. Capturing wild animal welfare: a physiological perspective. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2024; 99:1-22. [PMID: 37635128 DOI: 10.1111/brv.13009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Revised: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023]
Abstract
Affective states, such as emotions, are presumably widespread across the animal kingdom because of the adaptive advantages they are supposed to confer. However, the study of the affective states of animals has thus far been largely restricted to enhancing the welfare of animals managed by humans in non-natural contexts. Given the diversity of wild animals and the variable conditions they can experience, extending studies on animal affective states to the natural conditions that most animals experience will allow us to broaden and deepen our general understanding of animal welfare. Yet, this same diversity makes examining animal welfare in the wild highly challenging. There is therefore a need for unifying theoretical frameworks and methodological approaches that can guide researchers keen to engage in this promising research area. The aim of this article is to help advance this important research area by highlighting the central relationship between physiology and animal welfare and rectify its apparent oversight, as revealed by the current scientific literature on wild animals. Moreover, this article emphasises the advantages of including physiological markers to assess animal welfare in the wild (e.g. objectivity, comparability, condition range, temporality), as well as their concomitant limitations (e.g. only access to peripheral physiological markers with complex relationships with affective states). Best-practice recommendations (e.g. replication and multifactorial approaches) are also provided to allow physiological markers to be used most effectively and appropriately when assessing the welfare of animals in their natural habitat. This review seeks to provide the foundation for a new and distinct research area with a vast theoretical and applied potential: wild animal welfare physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michaël Beaulieu
- Wild Animal Initiative, 5123 W 98th St, 1204, Minneapolis, MN, 55437, USA
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23
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Sourty M, Nasseef MT, Champagnol-Di Liberti C, Mondino M, Noblet V, Parise EM, Markovic T, Browne CJ, Darcq E, Nestler EJ, Kieffer BL. Manipulating ΔFOSB in D1-Type Medium Spiny Neurons of the Nucleus Accumbens Reshapes Whole-Brain Functional Connectivity. Biol Psychiatry 2024; 95:266-274. [PMID: 37517704 PMCID: PMC10834364 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2023.07.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Revised: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The transcription factor ΔFOSB, acting in the nucleus accumbens, has been shown to control transcriptional and behavioral responses to opioids and other drugs of abuse. However, circuit-level consequences of ΔFOSB induction on the rest of the brain, which are required for its regulation of complex behavior, remain unknown. METHODS We used an epigenetic approach in mice to suppress or activate the endogenous Fosb gene and thereby decrease or increase, respectively, levels of ΔFOSB selectively in D1-type medium spiny neurons of the nucleus accumbens and tested whether these modifications affect the organization of functional connectivity (FC) in the brain. We acquired functional magnetic resonance imaging data at rest and in response to a morphine challenge and analyzed both stationary and dynamic FC patterns. RESULTS The 2 manipulations modified brainwide communication markedly and differently. ΔFOSB down- and upregulation had overlapping effects on prefrontal- and retrosplenial cortex-centered networks, but also generated specific FC signatures for epithalamus (habenula) and dopaminergic/serotonergic centers, respectively. Analysis of dynamic FC patterns showed that increasing ΔFOSB essentially altered responsivity to morphine and uncovered striking modifications of the roles of the epithalamus and amygdala in brain communication, particularly upon ΔFOSB downregulation. CONCLUSIONS These novel findings illustrate how it is possible to link activity of a transcription factor within a single cell type of an identified brain region to consequent changes in circuit function brainwide by use of functional magnetic resonance imaging, and they pave the way for fundamental advances in bridging the gap between transcriptional and brain connectivity mechanisms underlying opioid addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marion Sourty
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U1114, University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France; iCube, University of Strasbourg, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Strasbourg, France
| | - Md Taufiq Nasseef
- Douglas Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada; Department of Mathematics, College of Science and Humanity Studies, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | | | - Mary Mondino
- iCube, University of Strasbourg, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Strasbourg, France
| | - Vincent Noblet
- iCube, University of Strasbourg, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Strasbourg, France
| | - Eric M Parise
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Tamara Markovic
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Caleb J Browne
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Emmanuel Darcq
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U1114, University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France; Douglas Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Eric J Nestler
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York.
| | - Brigitte L Kieffer
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U1114, University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France; Douglas Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada.
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24
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Ibos KE, Bodnár É, Dinh H, Kis M, Márványkövi F, Kovács ZZA, Siska A, Földesi I, Galla Z, Monostori P, Szatmári I, Simon P, Sárközy M, Csabafi K. Chronic kidney disease may evoke anxiety by altering CRH expression in the amygdala and tryptophan metabolism in rats. Pflugers Arch 2024; 476:179-196. [PMID: 37989901 DOI: 10.1007/s00424-023-02884-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Revised: 10/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023]
Abstract
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is associated with anxiety; however, its exact mechanism is not well understood. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to assess the effect of moderate CKD on anxiety in rats. 5/6 nephrectomy was performed in male Wistar rats. 7 weeks after, anxiety-like behavior was assessed by elevated plus maze (EPM), open field (OF), and marble burying (MB) tests. At weeks 8 and 9, urinalysis was performed, and blood and amygdala samples were collected, respectively. In the amygdala, the gene expression of Avp and the gene and protein expression of Crh, Crhr1, and Crhr2 were analyzed. Furthermore, the plasma concentration of corticosterone, uremic toxins, and tryptophan metabolites was measured by UHPLC-MS/MS. Laboratory tests confirmed the development of CKD. In the CKD group, the closed arm time increased; the central time and the total number of entries decreased in the EPM. There was a reduction in rearing, central distance and time in the OF, and fewer interactions with marbles were detected during MB. CKD evoked an upregulation of gene expression of Crh, Crhr1, and Crhr2, but not Avp, in the amygdala. However, there was no alteration in protein expression. In the CKD group, plasma concentrations of p-cresyl-sulfate, indoxyl-sulfate, kynurenine, kynurenic acid, 3-hydroxykynurenine, anthranilic acid, xanthurenic acid, 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid, picolinic acid, and quinolinic acid increased. However, the levels of tryptophan, tryptamine, 5-hydroxytryptophan, serotonin, and tyrosine decreased. In conclusion, moderate CKD evoked anxiety-like behavior that might be mediated by the accumulation of uremic toxins and metabolites of the kynurenine pathway, but the contribution of the amygdalar CRH system to the development of anxiety seems to be negligible at this stage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katalin Eszter Ibos
- Department of Pathophysiology, Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical School, University of Szeged, 1 Semmelweis utca, Szeged, H-6725, Hungary.
| | - Éva Bodnár
- Department of Pathophysiology, Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical School, University of Szeged, 1 Semmelweis utca, Szeged, H-6725, Hungary
| | - Hoa Dinh
- Department of Biochemistry, Bach Mai Hospital, 78 Giai Phong Street, Phuong Mai, Dong Da, Hanoi, 100000, Vietnam
| | - Merse Kis
- Department of Pathophysiology, Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical School, University of Szeged, 1 Semmelweis utca, Szeged, H-6725, Hungary
- Department of Biochemistry and Interdisciplinary Centre of Excellence, Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical School, 9 Dóm tér, University of Szeged, Szeged, H-6720, Hungary
| | - Fanni Márványkövi
- Department of Biochemistry and Interdisciplinary Centre of Excellence, Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical School, 9 Dóm tér, University of Szeged, Szeged, H-6720, Hungary
| | - Zsuzsanna Z A Kovács
- Department of Biochemistry and Interdisciplinary Centre of Excellence, Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical School, 9 Dóm tér, University of Szeged, Szeged, H-6720, Hungary
| | - Andrea Siska
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical School, University of Szeged, 6 Semmelweis utca, Szeged, H-6725, Hungary
| | - Imre Földesi
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical School, University of Szeged, 6 Semmelweis utca, Szeged, H-6725, Hungary
| | - Zsolt Galla
- Metabolic and Newborn Screening Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical School, University of Szeged, 35-36 Temesvári körút, Szeged, H-6726, Hungary
| | - Péter Monostori
- Metabolic and Newborn Screening Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical School, University of Szeged, 35-36 Temesvári körút, Szeged, H-6726, Hungary
| | - István Szatmári
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and HUN-REN-SZTE Stereochemistry Research Group, University of Szeged, 6 Eötvös utca, Szeged, H-6720, Hungary
| | - Péter Simon
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and HUN-REN-SZTE Stereochemistry Research Group, University of Szeged, 6 Eötvös utca, Szeged, H-6720, Hungary
| | - Márta Sárközy
- Department of Pathophysiology, Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical School, University of Szeged, 1 Semmelweis utca, Szeged, H-6725, Hungary
- Department of Biochemistry and Interdisciplinary Centre of Excellence, Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical School, 9 Dóm tér, University of Szeged, Szeged, H-6720, Hungary
| | - Krisztina Csabafi
- Department of Pathophysiology, Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical School, University of Szeged, 1 Semmelweis utca, Szeged, H-6725, Hungary
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25
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Hahad O, Kuntic M, Al-Kindi S, Kuntic I, Gilan D, Petrowski K, Daiber A, Münzel T. Noise and mental health: evidence, mechanisms, and consequences. JOURNAL OF EXPOSURE SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENTAL EPIDEMIOLOGY 2024:10.1038/s41370-024-00642-5. [PMID: 38279032 DOI: 10.1038/s41370-024-00642-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 01/13/2024] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 01/28/2024]
Abstract
The recognition of noise exposure as a prominent environmental determinant of public health has grown substantially. While recent years have yielded a wealth of evidence linking environmental noise exposure primarily to cardiovascular ailments, our understanding of the detrimental effects of noise on the brain and mental health outcomes remains limited. Despite being a nascent research area, an increasing body of compelling research and conclusive findings confirms that exposure to noise, particularly from sources such as traffic, can potentially impact the central nervous system. These harms of noise increase the susceptibility to mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, suicide, and behavioral problems in children and adolescents. From a mechanistic perspective, several investigations propose direct adverse phenotypic changes in brain tissue by noise (e.g. neuroinflammation, cerebral oxidative stress), in addition to feedback signaling by remote organ damage, dysregulated immune cells, and impaired circadian rhythms, which may collectively contribute to noise-dependent impairment of mental health. This concise review linking noise exposure to mental health outcomes seeks to fill research gaps by assessing current findings from studies involving both humans and animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omar Hahad
- Department of Cardiology-Cardiology I, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany.
- German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), partner site Rhine-Main, Mainz, Germany.
| | - Marin Kuntic
- Department of Cardiology-Cardiology I, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
- German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), partner site Rhine-Main, Mainz, Germany
| | - Sadeer Al-Kindi
- Cardiovascular Prevention and Wellness, DeBakey Heart and Vascular Center, Houston Methodist, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Ivana Kuntic
- Department of Cardiology-Cardiology I, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Donya Gilan
- Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research (LIR), Mainz, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Katja Petrowski
- Medical Psychology & Medical Sociology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Andreas Daiber
- Department of Cardiology-Cardiology I, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
- German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), partner site Rhine-Main, Mainz, Germany
| | - Thomas Münzel
- Department of Cardiology-Cardiology I, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
- German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), partner site Rhine-Main, Mainz, Germany
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26
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Chapp AD, Shan Z, Chen QH. Acetic Acid: An Underestimated Metabolite in Ethanol-Induced Changes in Regulating Cardiovascular Function. Antioxidants (Basel) 2024; 13:139. [PMID: 38397737 PMCID: PMC10886048 DOI: 10.3390/antiox13020139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Revised: 01/13/2024] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Acetic acid is a bioactive short-chain fatty acid produced in large quantities from ethanol metabolism. In this review, we describe how acetic acid/acetate generates oxidative stress, alters the function of pre-sympathetic neurons, and can potentially influence cardiovascular function in both humans and rodents after ethanol consumption. Our recent findings from in vivo and in vitro studies support the notion that administration of acetic acid/acetate generates oxidative stress and increases sympathetic outflow, leading to alterations in arterial blood pressure. Real-time investigation of how ethanol and acetic acid/acetate modulate neural control of cardiovascular function can be conducted by microinjecting compounds into autonomic control centers of the brain and measuring changes in peripheral sympathetic nerve activity and blood pressure in response to these compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew D. Chapp
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Zhiying Shan
- Kinesiology and Integrative Physiology, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI 49931, USA;
| | - Qing-Hui Chen
- Kinesiology and Integrative Physiology, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI 49931, USA;
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27
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Mulc D, Smilović D, Krsnik Ž, Junaković-Munjas A, Kopić J, Kostović I, Šimić G, Vukšić M. Fetal development of the human amygdala. J Comp Neurol 2024; 532:e25580. [PMID: 38289194 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25580] [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: 04/30/2023] [Revised: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 12/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
The intricate development of the human amygdala involves a complex interplay of diverse processes, varying in speed and duration. In humans, transient cytoarchitectural structures deliquesce, leading to the formation of functionally distinct nuclei as a result of multiple interdependent developmental events. This study compares the amygdala's cytoarchitectural development in conjunction with specific antibody reactivity for neuronal, glial, neuropil, and radial glial fibers, synaptic, extracellular matrix, and myelin components in 39 fetal human brains. We recognized that the early fetal period, as a continuation of the embryonic period, is still dominated by relatively uniform histogenetic processes. The typical appearance of ovoid cell clusters in the lateral nucleus during midfetal period is most likely associated with the cell migration and axonal growth processes in the developing human brain. Notably, synaptic markers are firstly detected in the corticomedial group of nuclei, while immunoreactivity for the panaxonal neurofilament marker SMI 312 is found dorsally. The late fetal period is characterized by a protracted migration process evidenced by the presence of doublecortin and SOX-2 immunoreactivity ventrally, in the prospective paralaminar nucleus, reinforced by vimentin immunoreactivity in the last remaining radial glial fibers. Nearing the term period, SMI 99 immunoreactivity indicates that perinatal myelination becomes prominent primarily along major axonal pathways, laying the foundation for more pronounced functional maturation. This study comprehensively elucidates the rate and sequence of maturational events in the amygdala, highlighting the key role of prenatal development in its behavioral, autonomic, and endocrine regulation, with subsequent implications for both normal functioning and psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damir Mulc
- Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, Scientific Centre of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
- Psychiatric Hospital Vrapče, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Dinko Smilović
- Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, Scientific Centre of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Željka Krsnik
- Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, Scientific Centre of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Alisa Junaković-Munjas
- Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, Scientific Centre of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Janja Kopić
- Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, Scientific Centre of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Ivica Kostović
- Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, Scientific Centre of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Goran Šimić
- Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, Scientific Centre of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Mario Vukšić
- Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, Scientific Centre of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
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28
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Sherman BE, Turk-Browne NB, Goldfarb EV. Multiple Memory Subsystems: Reconsidering Memory in the Mind and Brain. PERSPECTIVES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2024; 19:103-125. [PMID: 37390333 PMCID: PMC10756937 DOI: 10.1177/17456916231179146] [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] [Indexed: 07/02/2023]
Abstract
The multiple-memory-systems framework-that distinct types of memory are supported by distinct brain systems-has guided learning and memory research for decades. However, recent work challenges the one-to-one mapping between brain structures and memory types central to this taxonomy, with key memory-related structures supporting multiple functions across substructures. Here we integrate cross-species findings in the hippocampus, striatum, and amygdala to propose an updated framework of multiple memory subsystems (MMSS). We provide evidence for two organizational principles of the MMSS theory: First, opposing memory representations are colocated in the same brain structures; second, parallel memory representations are supported by distinct structures. We discuss why this burgeoning framework has the potential to provide a useful revision of classic theories of long-term memory, what evidence is needed to further validate the framework, and how this novel perspective on memory organization may guide future research.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Elizabeth V Goldfarb
- Department of Psychology, Yale University
- Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University
- National Center for PTSD, West Haven, USA
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Haubrich J, Nader K. Network-level changes in the brain underlie fear memory strength. eLife 2023; 12:RP88172. [PMID: 38047914 PMCID: PMC10695559 DOI: 10.7554/elife.88172] [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] [Indexed: 12/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The strength of a fear memory significantly influences whether it drives adaptive or maladaptive behavior in the future. Yet, how mild and strong fear memories differ in underlying biology is not well understood. We hypothesized that this distinction may not be exclusively the result of changes within specific brain regions, but rather the outcome of collective changes in connectivity across multiple regions within the neural network. To test this, rats were fear conditioned in protocols of varying intensities to generate mild or strong memories. Neuronal activation driven by recall was measured using c-fos immunohistochemistry in 12 brain regions implicated in fear learning and memory. The interregional coordinated brain activity was computed and graph-based functional networks were generated to compare how mild and strong fear memories differ at the systems level. Our results show that mild fear recall is supported by a well-connected brain network with small-world properties in which the amygdala is well-positioned to be modulated by other regions. In contrast, this connectivity is disrupted in strong fear memories and the amygdala is isolated from other regions. These findings indicate that the neural systems underlying mild and strong fear memories differ, with implications for understanding and treating disorders of fear dysregulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josue Haubrich
- Department of Psychology, McGill UniversityMontréalCanada
- Department of Neurophysiology, Ruhr-University BochumBochumGermany
| | - Karim Nader
- Department of Psychology, McGill UniversityMontréalCanada
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Vozella V, Cruz B, Feldman HC, Bullard R, Bianchi PC, Natividad LA, Cravatt BF, Zorrilla EP, Ciccocioppo R, Roberto M. Sexually dimorphic effects of monoacylglycerol lipase inhibitor MJN110 on stress-related behaviour and drinking in Marchigian Sardinian alcohol-preferring rats. Br J Pharmacol 2023; 180:3130-3145. [PMID: 37488777 PMCID: PMC10805956 DOI: 10.1111/bph.16197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2023] [Revised: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The endocannabinoid (eCB) system plays an important homeostatic role in the regulation of stress circuits and has emerged as a therapeutic target to treat stress disorders and alcohol use disorder (AUD). Extensive research has elucidated a role for the eCB anandamide (AEA), but less is known about 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) mediated signalling. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH We pharmacologically enhanced eCB signalling by inhibiting the 2-AG metabolizing enzyme, monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL), in male and female Marchigian Sardinian alcohol-preferring (msP) rats, a model of innate alcohol preference and stress hypersensitivity, and in control Wistar rats. We tested the acute effect of the selective MAGL inhibitor MJN110 in alleviating symptoms of alcohol drinking, anxiety, irritability and fear. KEY RESULTS A single systemic administration of MJN110 increased 2-AG levels in the central amygdala, prelimbic and infralimbic cortex but did not acutely alter alcohol drinking. MAGL inhibition reduced aggressive behaviours in female msPs, and increased defensive behaviours in male msPs, during the irritability test. Moreover, in the novelty-induced hypophagia test, MJN110 selectively enhanced palatable food consumption in females, mitigating stress-induced food suppression. Lastly, msP rats showed increased conditioned fear behaviour compared with Wistar rats, and MJN110 reduced context-associated conditioned fear responses, but not cue-probed fear expression, in male msPs. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS Acute inhibition of MAGL attenuated some stress-related responses in msP rats but not voluntary alcohol drinking. Our results provide new insights into the sex dimorphism documented in stress-induced responses. Sex-specific eCB-based approaches should be considered in the clinical development of therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Vozella
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 N. Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Bryan Cruz
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 N. Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Hannah C. Feldman
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 N. Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Ryan Bullard
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 N. Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Paula C. Bianchi
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 N. Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Universidade Federal de São Paulo - UNIFESP, São Paulo, SP 04023-062, Brazil
| | - Luis A. Natividad
- College of Pharmacy, Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, The University of Texas at Austin, 107 W. Dean Keeton Street, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Benjamin F. Cravatt
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 N. Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Eric P. Zorrilla
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 N. Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Roberto Ciccocioppo
- School of Pharmacy, Pharmacology Unit, University of Camerino, Via Madonna delle Carceri 9, Camerino, 62032 Italy
| | - Marisa Roberto
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 N. Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
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Lai TT, Liou CW, Tsai YH, Lin YY, Wu WL. Butterflies in the gut: the interplay between intestinal microbiota and stress. J Biomed Sci 2023; 30:92. [PMID: 38012609 PMCID: PMC10683179 DOI: 10.1186/s12929-023-00984-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Psychological stress is a global issue that affects at least one-third of the population worldwide and increases the risk of numerous psychiatric disorders. Accumulating evidence suggests that the gut and its inhabiting microbes may regulate stress and stress-associated behavioral abnormalities. Hence, the objective of this review is to explore the causal relationships between the gut microbiota, stress, and behavior. Dysbiosis of the microbiome after stress exposure indicated microbial adaption to stressors. Strikingly, the hyperactivated stress signaling found in microbiota-deficient rodents can be normalized by microbiota-based treatments, suggesting that gut microbiota can actively modify the stress response. Microbiota can regulate stress response via intestinal glucocorticoids or autonomic nervous system. Several studies suggest that gut bacteria are involved in the direct modulation of steroid synthesis and metabolism. This review provides recent discoveries on the pathways by which gut microbes affect stress signaling and brain circuits and ultimately impact the host's complex behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tzu-Ting Lai
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, 1 University Rd., Tainan, 70101, Taiwan
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, 1 University Rd., Tainan, 70101, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Wei Liou
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, 1 University Rd., Tainan, 70101, Taiwan
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, 1 University Rd., Tainan, 70101, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Hsuan Tsai
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, 1 University Rd., Tainan, 70101, Taiwan
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, 1 University Rd., Tainan, 70101, Taiwan
| | - Yuan-Yuan Lin
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, 1 University Rd., Tainan, 70101, Taiwan
| | - Wei-Li Wu
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, 1 University Rd., Tainan, 70101, Taiwan.
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, 1 University Rd., Tainan, 70101, Taiwan.
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Kokhan VS, Anokhin PK, Proskuryakova TV, Shokhonova VA, Ageldinov RA, Shamakina IY. Interleukin-1β and TNF-α are elevated in the amygdala of adult rats prenatally exposed to ethanol. BIOMEDITSINSKAIA KHIMIIA 2023; 69:300-306. [PMID: 37937432 DOI: 10.18097/pbmc20236905300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2023]
Abstract
Affective disorders, including anxiety and depression, developed in adult offspring of the mothers who consumed alcohol during pregnancy could be associated with an imbalance in neuroimmune factors in the amygdala (corpus amygdaloideum) resulted in impaired emotional stimulus processing. The aim of this study was to compare the content of cytokines TNF-α, IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-10, and IL-17 in the amygdala of adult female rats exposed to alcohol in utero and control rats. Cytokine levels were evaluated using a multiplex immunoassay system; mRNA expression was investigated using a real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) assay. Prenatal alcohol exposure led to the increase in the content of TNF-α and IL-1β without significant changes in the mRNA expression level. Our data suggest that ethanol exposure to the fetus during pregnancy can result in long-term alterations in the content of the key neuroinflammatory factors in the amygdala, which in turn can be a risk factor for affective disorders in the adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- V S Kokhan
- National Scientific Center for Narcology - Branch of the V.P. Serbsky National Medical Research Centre for Psychiatry and Narcology, Moscow, Russia
| | - P K Anokhin
- National Scientific Center for Narcology - Branch of the V.P. Serbsky National Medical Research Centre for Psychiatry and Narcology, Moscow, Russia
| | - T V Proskuryakova
- National Scientific Center for Narcology - Branch of the V.P. Serbsky National Medical Research Centre for Psychiatry and Narcology, Moscow, Russia
| | - V A Shokhonova
- National Scientific Center for Narcology - Branch of the V.P. Serbsky National Medical Research Centre for Psychiatry and Narcology, Moscow, Russia
| | - R A Ageldinov
- Scientific Center of Biomedical Technologies of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency of Russia, Svetlye gory, Moscow Region, Russia
| | - I Yu Shamakina
- National Scientific Center for Narcology - Branch of the V.P. Serbsky National Medical Research Centre for Psychiatry and Narcology, Moscow, Russia
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Ambrozio-Marques D, Gagnon M, Radcliff AB, Meza AL, Baker TL, Watters JJ, Kinkead R. Gestational intermittent hypoxia increases FosB-immunoreactive perikaryas in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus of adult male (but not female) rats. Exp Physiol 2023; 108:1376-1385. [PMID: 37642495 PMCID: PMC10841242 DOI: 10.1113/ep091343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
Sleep-disordered breathing is a respiratory disorder commonly experienced by pregnant women. The recurrent hypoxaemic events associated with sleep-disordered breathing have deleterious consequences for the mother and fetus. Adult male (but not female) rats born to dams subjected to gestational intermittent hypoxia (GIH) have a higher resting blood pressure than control animals and show behavioural/neurodevelopmental disorders. The origin of this persistent, sex-specific effect of GIH in offspring is unknown, but disruption of the neuroendocrine stress pathways is a key mechanism by which gestational stress increases disease risk in progeny. Using FosB immunolabelling as a chronic marker of neuronal activation, we determined whether GIH augments basal expression of FosB in the perikaryas of cells in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN), a key structure in the regulation of the stress response and blood pressure. From gestational day 10, female rats were subjected to GIH for 8 h/day (light phase) until the day before delivery (gestational day 21); GIH consisted of 2 min hypoxic bouts (10.5% O2 ) alternating with normoxia. Control rats were exposed to intermittent normoxia over the same period (GNX). At adulthood (10-15 weeks), the brains of male and female rats were harvested for FosB immunohistochemistry. In males, GIH augmented PVN FosB labelling density by 30%. Conversely, PVN FosB density in GIH females was 28% lower than that of GNX females. We conclude that GIH has persistent and sex-specific impacts on the development of stress pathways, thereby offering a plausible mechanism by which GIH can disturb neural development and blood pressure homeostasis in adulthood. NEW FINDINGS: What is the central question of this study? In pregnant women, sleep apnoea increases the risk of disease for the offspring at various life stages. Given that gestational stress disrupts the programming of the stress pathways, we determined whether exposing female rats to gestational intermittent hypoxia (GIH) activates hypothalamic neurons regulating the stress response in adult rats. What is the main finding and its importance? Using FosB immunolabelling as a marker of marker of neuronal activation, we showed that GIH augmented basal activation of the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus in males, but not females. Disruption of the stress pathways is a new hypothesis to explain the persistent and sex-specific impacts of GIH on offspring health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danuzia Ambrozio-Marques
- Research Center of the Québec Heart and Lung Institute, Université Laval, Quebec City, Québec, Canada
| | - Marianne Gagnon
- Research Center of the Québec Heart and Lung Institute, Université Laval, Quebec City, Québec, Canada
| | - Abigail B Radcliff
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Armand L Meza
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Tracy L Baker
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Jyoti J Watters
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Richard Kinkead
- Research Center of the Québec Heart and Lung Institute, Université Laval, Quebec City, Québec, Canada
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Hossein S, Cooper JA, DeVries BAM, Nuutinen MR, Hahn EC, Kragel PA, Treadway MT. Effects of acute stress and depression on functional connectivity between prefrontal cortex and the amygdala. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:4602-4612. [PMID: 37076616 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02056-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Revised: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 04/21/2023]
Abstract
Stress is known to be a significant risk factor for the development of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), yet the neural mechanisms that underlie this risk are poorly understood. Prior work has heavily implicated the corticolimbic system in the pathophysiology of MDD. In particular, the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and amygdala play a central role in regulating the response to stress, with dorsal PFC and ventral PFC exhibiting reciprocal excitatory and inhibitory influences on amygdala subregions. However, it remains unclear how best to disentangle the impact of stress from the impact of current MDD symptoms on this system. Here, we examined stress-induced changes in resting state functional connectivity (rsFC) within an a priori corticolimbic network in MDD patients and healthy controls (total n = 80) before and after an acute stressor or a "no stress" control condition. Using graph theoretic analysis, we found that connectivity between basolateral amygdala and dorsal prefrontal nodes of the corticolimbic network had a negative association with individual differences in chronic perceived stress at baseline. Following the acute stressor, healthy individuals showed a reduction of the amygdala node strength, while MDD patients exhibited little change. Finally, dorsal PFC-particularly dorsomedial PFC- connectivity to the basolateral amygdala was associated with the strength of the basolateral amygdala responses to loss feedback during a reinforcement learning task. These findings highlight attenuated connectivity between basolateral amygdala and prefrontal cortex in patients with MDD. In healthy individuals, acute stress exposure was found to push the corticolimbic network to a "stress-phenotype" that may be chronically present in patients with current depression and high levels of perceived stress. In sum, these results help to identify circuit mechanisms underlying the effects of acute stress and their role in mood disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shabnam Hossein
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Jessica A Cooper
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | | | | | - Emma C Hahn
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Philip A Kragel
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Michael T Treadway
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
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35
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Song Q, Tan Y. Knowledge mapping of the relationship between norepinephrine and memory: a bibliometric analysis. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2023; 14:1242643. [PMID: 37955010 PMCID: PMC10634421 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1242643] [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: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Memory is a fundamental cognitive function for successful interactions with a complex environment. Norepinephrine (NE) is an essential component of catecholamine induced by emotional arousal, and numerous studies have demonstrated that NE is a key regulator in memory enhancement. We therefore conducted a bibliometric analysis to represent the knowledge pattern of the literature on the theme of NE-memory relationship. Methods The WOSCC database was selected to extract literature published during 2003-2022. The collected data of annual production, global cooperation, research structure and hotspots were analyzed and visualized. Results Our results showed that research on the links between NE and memory displayed a considerable development trend over the last two decades. The USA had a leading position in terms of scientific outputs and collaborations. Meanwhile, University of California Irvine contributed the most publications. Benno Roozendaal and James McGaugh were the most prolific authors in this field, and Neurobiology of Learning and Memory had the highest number of publications on this topic. The research emphasis has evolved from memory-related diseases and brain regions to neural mechanisms for different types of memory at neural circuit levels. Conclusion Our bibliometric analysis systematically analyzed the literature on the links between NE and memory from a bibliometric perspective. The demonstrated results of the knowledge mapping would provide valuable insights into the global research landscape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Song
- Department of Pharmacy, Affiliated Cancer Hospital & Institute of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yaqian Tan
- Department of Pharmacy, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
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36
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Jiang Y, Zhou J, Song BL, Wang Y, Zhang DL, Zhang ZT, Li LF, Liu YJ. 5-HT1A receptor in the central amygdala and 5-HT2A receptor in the basolateral amygdala are involved in social hierarchy in male mice. Eur J Pharmacol 2023; 957:176027. [PMID: 37659688 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2023.176027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2023] [Revised: 08/12/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/04/2023]
Abstract
Most social animals self-organize into dominance hierarchies that strongly influence their behavior and health. The serotonin (5-HT) system is believed to play an important role in the formation of social hierarchy. 5-HT receptors are abundantly expressed in the amygdala, which is considered as the central node for the perception and learning of social hierarchy. In this study, we assessed the functions of various 5-HT receptor subtypes related to social rank determination in different subregions of the amygdala using the confrontation tube test in mice. We revealed that most adult C57BL/6 J male mice exhibited a linear social rank after a few days of cohousing. The tube test ranks were slightly related to anxiety-like behavioral performance. After the tube test, the amygdala and 5-HT neurons in the dorsal raphe nucleus were activated in lower-rank individuals. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis revealed that despite the high expression of 5-HT1A receptor mRNA in the central amygdala (CeA), 5-HT2A receptor mRNA expression was downregulated in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) in higher-rank individuals. The dominant-subordinate relationship between mouse pairs could be switched via pharmacological modulation of these receptors in CeA and BLA, suggesting that these expression changes are essential for establishing social ranks. Our findings provide novel insights into the divergent functions of 5-HT receptors in the amygdala related to social hierarchy, which is closely related to our health and welfare.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Jiang
- Research Center of Henan Provincial Agricultural Biomass Resource Engineering and Technology, College of Life Science and Agriculture, Nanyang Normal University, Nanyang, 473061, China
| | - Jie Zhou
- Research Center of Henan Provincial Agricultural Biomass Resource Engineering and Technology, College of Life Science and Agriculture, Nanyang Normal University, Nanyang, 473061, China
| | - Bai-Lin Song
- Research Center of Henan Provincial Agricultural Biomass Resource Engineering and Technology, College of Life Science and Agriculture, Nanyang Normal University, Nanyang, 473061, China
| | - Yan Wang
- Research Center of Henan Provincial Agricultural Biomass Resource Engineering and Technology, College of Life Science and Agriculture, Nanyang Normal University, Nanyang, 473061, China
| | - Dong-Lin Zhang
- Research Center of Henan Provincial Agricultural Biomass Resource Engineering and Technology, College of Life Science and Agriculture, Nanyang Normal University, Nanyang, 473061, China
| | - Zheng-Tian Zhang
- Research Center of Henan Provincial Agricultural Biomass Resource Engineering and Technology, College of Life Science and Agriculture, Nanyang Normal University, Nanyang, 473061, China
| | - Lai-Fu Li
- Research Center of Henan Provincial Agricultural Biomass Resource Engineering and Technology, College of Life Science and Agriculture, Nanyang Normal University, Nanyang, 473061, China.
| | - Ying-Juan Liu
- Research Center of Henan Provincial Agricultural Biomass Resource Engineering and Technology, College of Life Science and Agriculture, Nanyang Normal University, Nanyang, 473061, China.
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Giovanniello JR, Paredes N, Wiener A, Ramírez-Armenta K, Oragwam C, Uwadia HO, Lim K, Nnamdi G, Wang A, Sehgal M, Reis FM, Sias AC, Silva AJ, Adhikari A, Malvaez M, Wassum KM. A dual-pathway architecture enables chronic stress to promote habit formation. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.10.03.560731. [PMID: 37873076 PMCID: PMC10592885 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.03.560731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
Chronic stress can change how we learn and, thus, how we make decisions by promoting the formation of inflexible, potentially maladaptive, habits. Here we investigated the neuronal circuit mechanisms that enable this. Using a multifaceted approach in male and female mice, we reveal a dual pathway, amygdala-striatal, neuronal circuit architecture by which a recent history of chronic stress shapes learning to disrupt flexible goal-directed behavior in favor of inflexible habits. Chronic stress inhibits activity of basolateral amygdala projections to the dorsomedial striatum to impede the action-outcome learning that supports flexible, goal-directed decisions. Stress also increases activity in direct central amygdala projections to the dorsomedial striatum to promote the formation of rigid, inflexible habits. Thus, stress exerts opposing effects on two amygdala-striatal pathways to promote premature habit formation. These data provide neuronal circuit insights into how chronic stress shapes learning and decision making, and help understand how stress can lead to the disrupted decision making and pathological habits that characterize substance use disorders and other psychiatric conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Anna Wiener
- Dept. of Psychology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | | | | | | | - Kayla Lim
- Dept. of Biological Chemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | - Gift Nnamdi
- Dept. of Psychology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | - Alicia Wang
- Dept. of Psychology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | - Megha Sehgal
- Dept. of Psychology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | | | - Ana C Sias
- Dept. of Psychology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | - Alcino J Silva
- Dept. of Psychology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095
- Brain Research Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Integrative Center for Learning and Memory, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Avishek Adhikari
- Dept. of Psychology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095
- Brain Research Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Integrative Center for Learning and Memory, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | | | - Kate M Wassum
- Dept. of Psychology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095
- Brain Research Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Integrative Center for Learning and Memory, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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38
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Kraaijenvanger EJ, Banaschewski T, Eickhoff SB, Holz NE. A coordinate-based meta-analysis of human amygdala connectivity alterations related to early life adversities. Sci Rep 2023; 13:16541. [PMID: 37783710 PMCID: PMC10545708 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-43057-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/04/2023] Open
Abstract
By affecting core neurobiological systems early in development, early life adversities (ELAs) might confer latent vulnerability to future psychopathologies. This coordinate-based meta-analysis aims to identify significant convergent alterations in functional connectivity of the amygdala related to ELAs across resting-state and task-based fMRI-studies. Five electronic databases were systematically searched until 22 October 2020, retrieving 49 eligible studies (n = 3162 participants). Convergent alterations in functional connectivity related to ELAs between the amygdala and the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and left hippocampus were found. Sub-analyses based on hemisphere and direction showed that connectivity seeded in the right amygdala was affected and, moreover, revealed that connectivity with ACC was decreased. Analyses based on paradigm and age showed that amygdala-ACC coupling was altered during resting state and that amygdala-left hippocampus connectivity was mostly affected during task-based paradigms and in adult participants. While both regions showed altered connectivity during emotion processing and following adverse social postnatal experiences such as maltreatment, amygdala-ACC coupling was mainly affected when ELAs were retrospectively assessed through self-report. We show that ELAs are associated with altered functional connectivity of the amygdala with the ACC and hippocampus. As such, ELAs may embed latent vulnerability to future psychopathologies by systematically affecting important neurocognitive systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eline J Kraaijenvanger
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim/Heidelberg University, J5, 68159, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Tobias Banaschewski
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim/Heidelberg University, J5, 68159, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Simon B Eickhoff
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Brain & Behaviour (INM-7), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Nathalie E Holz
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim/Heidelberg University, J5, 68159, Mannheim, Germany.
- Donders Institute, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
- Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
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39
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Huerta-Canseco C, Caba M, Camacho-Morales A. Obesity-mediated Lipoinflammation Modulates Food Reward Responses. Neuroscience 2023; 529:37-53. [PMID: 37591331 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2023.08.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023]
Abstract
Accumulation of white adipose tissue (WAT) during obesity is associated with the development of chronic low-grade inflammation, a biological process known as lipoinflammation. Systemic and central lipoinflammation accumulates pro-inflammatory cytokines including IL-6, IL-1β and TNF-α in plasma and also in brain, disrupting neurometabolism and cognitive behavior. Obesity-mediated lipoinflammation has been reported in brain regions of the mesocorticolimbic reward circuit leading to alterations in the perception and consumption of ultra-processed foods. While still under investigation, lipoinflammation targets two major outcomes of the mesocorticolimbic circuit during food reward: perception and motivation ("Wanting") and the pleasurable feeling of feeding ("Liking"). This review will provide experimental and clinical evidence supporting the contribution of obesity- or overnutrition-related lipoinflammation affecting the mesocorticolimbic reward circuit and enhancing food reward responses. We will also address neuroanatomical targets of inflammatory profiles that modulate food reward responses during obesity and describe potential cellular and molecular mechanisms of overnutrition linked to addiction-like behavior favored by brain lipoinflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mario Caba
- Centro de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Mexico
| | - Alberto Camacho-Morales
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Medicine, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Monterrey, NL, Mexico; Neurometabolism Unit, Center for Research and Development in Health Sciences, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Monterrey, NL, Mexico.
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40
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Laricchiuta D, Gimenez J, Sciamanna G, Termine A, Fabrizio C, Della Valle F, Caioli S, Saba L, De Bardi M, Balsamo F, Panuccio A, Passarello N, Mattioni A, Bisicchia E, Zona C, Orlando V, Petrosini L. Synaptic and transcriptomic features of cortical and amygdala pyramidal neurons predict inefficient fear extinction. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113066. [PMID: 37656620 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Revised: 04/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Fear-related disorders arise from inefficient fear extinction and have immeasurable social and economic costs. Here, we characterize mouse phenotypes that spontaneously show fear-independent behavioral traits predicting adaptive or maladaptive fear extinction. We find that, already before fear conditioning, specific morphological, electrophysiological, and transcriptomic patterns of cortical and amygdala pyramidal neurons predispose to fear-related disorders. Finally, by using an optogenetic approach, we show the possibility to rescue inefficient fear extinction by activating infralimbic pyramidal neurons and to impair fear extinction by activating prelimbic pyramidal neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Giuseppe Sciamanna
- IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00143 Rome, Italy; Saint Camillus International University of Health and Medical Sciences, 00131 Rome, Italy
| | | | | | - Francesco Della Valle
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Biological Environmental Science and Engineering Division, KAUST Environmental Epigenetics Program, Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Silvia Caioli
- Unit of Neurology, IRCCS Neuromed, 86077 Pozzilli, Isernia, Italy
| | - Luana Saba
- University of Campus Biomedico, 00128 Rome, Italy
| | | | - Francesca Balsamo
- IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00143 Rome, Italy; Department of Human Sciences, Guglielmo Marconi University, 00166 Rome, Italy
| | - Anna Panuccio
- IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00143 Rome, Italy; Department of Psychology, University Sapienza of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Noemi Passarello
- IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00143 Rome, Italy; Department of Humanities, Federico II University of Naples, 80138 Naples, Italy
| | | | | | - Cristina Zona
- Department of Systems Medicine, Tor Vergata University of Rome, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Valerio Orlando
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Biological Environmental Science and Engineering Division, KAUST Environmental Epigenetics Program, Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia.
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41
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Lai CW, Chang CH. Pharmacological activation of the amygdala, but not single prolonged footshock-induced acute stress, interferes with cue-induced motivation toward food rewards in rats. Front Behav Neurosci 2023; 17:1252868. [PMID: 37781505 PMCID: PMC10538645 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1252868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023] Open
Abstract
In the face of threats, animals adapt their behaviors to cope with the situation. Under such circumstances, irrelevant behaviors are usually suppressed. In this study, we examined whether food-seeking motivation would decrease under activation of the amygdala, an important nucleus in the regulation of stress response in the central nervous system, or after a physical acute stress session. In Experiment 1, we pharmacologically activated the basolateral nucleus (BLA) or the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) before a cue-induced reinstatement test in rats. Our results showed that activation of the BLA or the CeA abolished cue-induced motivation toward food rewards, while locomotor activity and free food intake were not affected. In Experiments 2 and 3, we further assessed anxiety and despair levels, as well as cue-induced reinstatement, after a single prolonged footshock-induced acute stress in rats. Behaviorally, acute stress did not affect anxiety level, despair level, or cue-induced motivation toward food rewards. Physiologically, there was no difference in cellular activities of the amygdala immediately after acute stress. To conclude, our results suggested that pharmacological activation of the amygdala decreased cue-induced motivation toward food reward. However, physiological acute stress did not immediately interfere with the negative emotions, motivation, or amygdala activities of the animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chien-Wen Lai
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Chun-hui Chang
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
- Brain Research Center, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
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42
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He YT, Zou JX, He Y, Wang CY, Pan BX, Pan HQ. Isolation of Projection-Specific and Behavior-Relevant Amygdala Circuit for RNA Sequencing. Curr Protoc 2023; 3:e858. [PMID: 37561726 DOI: 10.1002/cpz1.858] [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] [Indexed: 08/12/2023]
Abstract
One of the most sought-after topics in neuroscience is to understand how the environment regulates the activity and function of neural circuitry and subsequently influences relevant behaviors. In response to alterations in the environment, the neural circuits undergo adaptive changes ranging from gene expression changes to altered cellular function. Performing sequencing of the transcriptome involved in these behavior-related circuits will provide clues to accurately dissect the detailed mechanisms of related behavior. Here, we describe methods for marking and collecting the ventral hippocampus-projecting basolateral amygdala neurons, which have been repeatedly implicated in regulation of anxiety-like behavior, and subsequently constructing a library ready for sequencing. Specifically, the reported approaches include adeno-associated virus injection, acute brain slice isolation, cell suspension preparation, cell extraction, and cDNA library construction. By utilizing the techniques described here, researchers can comprehensively investigate the transcriptional levels of neural clusters embedded in particular circuits and discover potential pathogenic and therapeutic targets for behavior-relevant disorders. © 2023 Wiley Periodicals LLC. Basic Protocol 1: Tagging of behavior-related neural circuits Basic Protocol 2: Isolation and capture of fluorescent-positive cells Basic Protocol 3: Foundation of sequencing library.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Ting He
- Queen Mary School, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institutes of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Jia-Xin Zou
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institutes of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
- Department of Biological Science, School of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Ye He
- Center for Medical Experiments, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Chun-Yan Wang
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institutes of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Bing-Xing Pan
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institutes of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Han-Qing Pan
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institutes of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
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Horváth K, Juhász B, Kuti D, Ferenczi S, Kovács KJ. Recruitment of Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone (CRH) Neurons in Categorically Distinct Stress Reactions in the Mouse Brain. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:11736. [PMID: 37511494 PMCID: PMC10380650 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241411736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) neurons in the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus (PVH) are in the position to integrate stress-related information and initiate adaptive neuroendocrine-, autonomic-, metabolic- and behavioral responses. In addition to hypophyseotropic cells, CRH is widely expressed in the CNS, however its involvement in the organization of the stress response is not fully understood. In these experiments, we took advantage of recently available Crh-IRES-Cre;Ai9 mouse line to study the recruitment of hypothalamic and extrahypothalamic CRH neurons in categorically distinct, acute stress reactions. A total of 95 brain regions in the adult male mouse brain have been identified as containing putative CRH neurons with significant expression of tdTomato marker gene. With comparison of CRH mRNA and tdTomato distribution, we found match and mismatch areas. Reporter mice were then exposed to restraint, ether, high salt, lipopolysaccharide and predator odor stress and neuronal activation was revealed by FOS immunocytochemistry. In addition to a core stress system, stressor-specific areas have been revealed to display activity marker FOS. Finally, activation of CRH neurons was detected by colocalization of FOS in tdTomato expressing cells. All stressors resulted in profound activation of CRH neurons in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus; however, a differential activation of pattern was observed in CRH neurons in extrahypothalamic regions. This comprehensive description of stress-related CRH neurons in the mouse brain provides a starting point for a systematic functional analysis of the brain stress system and its relation to stress-induced psychopathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krisztina Horváth
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuroendocrinology, Institute of Experimental Medicine Eötvös Loránd Research Network, 1083 Budapest, Hungary
- János Szentágothai Doctoral School of Neurosciences, Semmelweis University, 1085 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Balázs Juhász
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuroendocrinology, Institute of Experimental Medicine Eötvös Loránd Research Network, 1083 Budapest, Hungary
- János Szentágothai Doctoral School of Neurosciences, Semmelweis University, 1085 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Dániel Kuti
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuroendocrinology, Institute of Experimental Medicine Eötvös Loránd Research Network, 1083 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Szilamér Ferenczi
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuroendocrinology, Institute of Experimental Medicine Eötvös Loránd Research Network, 1083 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Krisztina J Kovács
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuroendocrinology, Institute of Experimental Medicine Eötvös Loránd Research Network, 1083 Budapest, Hungary
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44
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Metwalli AH, Pross A, Desfilis E, Abellán A, Medina L. Mapping of corticotropin-releasing factor, receptors, and binding protein mRNA in the chicken telencephalon throughout development. J Comp Neurol 2023. [PMID: 37393534 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Revised: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 06/10/2023] [Indexed: 07/03/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the neural mechanisms that regulate the stress response is critical to know how animals adapt to a changing world and is one of the key factors to be considered for improving animal welfare. Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) is crucial for regulating physiological and endocrine responses, triggering the activation of the sympathetic nervous system and the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) during stress. In mammals, several telencephalic areas, such as the amygdala and the hippocampus, regulate the autonomic system and the HPA responses. These centers include subpopulations of CRF containing neurons that, by way of CRF receptors, play modulatory roles in the emotional and cognitive aspects of stress. CRF binding protein also plays a role, buffering extracellular CRF and regulating its availability. CRF role in activation of the HPA is evolutionary conserved in vertebrates, highlighting the relevance of this system to help animals cope with adversity. However, knowledge on CRF systems in the avian telencephalon is very limited, and no information exists on detailed expression of CRF receptors and binding protein. Knowing that the stress response changes with age, with important variations during the first week posthatching, the aim of this study was to analyze mRNA expression of CRF, CRF receptors 1 and 2, and CRF binding protein in chicken telencephalon throughout embryonic and early posthatching development, using in situ hybridization. Our results demonstrate an early expression of CRF and its receptors in pallial areas regulating sensory processing, sensorimotor integration and cognition, and a late expression in subpallial areas regulating the stress response. However, CRF buffering system develops earlier in the subpallium than in the pallium. These results help to understand the mechanisms underlying the negative effects of noise and light during prehatching stages in chicken, and suggest that stress regulation becomes more sophisticated with age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alek H Metwalli
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Universitat de Lleida, Lleida, Spain
- Laboratory of Evolutionary and Developmental Neurobiology, Lleida's Institute for Biomedical Research-Dr. Pifarré Foundation (IRBLleida), Lleida, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Alessandra Pross
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Universitat de Lleida, Lleida, Spain
- Laboratory of Evolutionary and Developmental Neurobiology, Lleida's Institute for Biomedical Research-Dr. Pifarré Foundation (IRBLleida), Lleida, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Ester Desfilis
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Universitat de Lleida, Lleida, Spain
- Laboratory of Evolutionary and Developmental Neurobiology, Lleida's Institute for Biomedical Research-Dr. Pifarré Foundation (IRBLleida), Lleida, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Antonio Abellán
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Universitat de Lleida, Lleida, Spain
- Laboratory of Evolutionary and Developmental Neurobiology, Lleida's Institute for Biomedical Research-Dr. Pifarré Foundation (IRBLleida), Lleida, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Loreta Medina
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Universitat de Lleida, Lleida, Spain
- Laboratory of Evolutionary and Developmental Neurobiology, Lleida's Institute for Biomedical Research-Dr. Pifarré Foundation (IRBLleida), Lleida, Catalonia, Spain
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45
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Coelho A, Lima-Bastos S, Gobira P, Lisboa S. Endocannabinoid signaling and epigenetics modifications in the neurobiology of stress-related disorders. Neuronal Signal 2023; 7:NS20220034. [PMID: 37520658 PMCID: PMC10372471 DOI: 10.1042/ns20220034] [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: 01/26/2023] [Revised: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Stress exposure is associated with psychiatric conditions, such as depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It is also a vulnerability factor to developing or reinstating substance use disorder. Stress causes several changes in the neuro-immune-endocrine axis, potentially resulting in prolonged dysfunction and diseases. Changes in several transmitters, including serotonin, dopamine, glutamate, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), glucocorticoids, and cytokines, are associated with psychiatric disorders or behavioral alterations in preclinical studies. Complex and interacting mechanisms make it very difficult to understand the physiopathology of psychiatry conditions; therefore, studying regulatory mechanisms that impact these alterations is a good approach. In the last decades, the impact of stress on biology through epigenetic markers, which directly impact gene expression, is under intense investigation; these mechanisms are associated with behavioral alterations in animal models after stress or drug exposure, for example. The endocannabinoid (eCB) system modulates stress response, reward circuits, and other physiological functions, including hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis activation and immune response. eCBs, for example, act retrogradely at presynaptic neurons, limiting the release of neurotransmitters, a mechanism implicated in the antidepressant and anxiolytic effects after stress. Epigenetic mechanisms can impact the expression of eCB system molecules, which in turn can regulate epigenetic mechanisms. This review will present evidence of how the eCB system and epigenetic mechanisms interact and the consequences of this interaction in modulating behavioral changes after stress exposure in preclinical studies or psychiatric conditions. Moreover, evidence that correlates the involvement of the eCB system and epigenetic mechanisms in drug abuse contexts will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arthur A. Coelho
- Department of Pharmacology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Brazil
- Department of BioMolecular Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Sávio Lima-Bastos
- Department of Pharmacology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Brazil
- Department of BioMolecular Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Pedro H. Gobira
- Department of BioMolecular Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Sabrina F. Lisboa
- Department of BioMolecular Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Brazil
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Hall NT, Hallquist MN. Dissociation of basolateral and central amygdala effective connectivity predicts the stability of emotion-related impulsivity in adolescents and emerging adults with borderline personality symptoms: a resting-state fMRI study. Psychol Med 2023; 53:3533-3547. [PMID: 35225192 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291722000101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is associated with altered activity in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and amygdala, yet no studies have examined fronto-limbic circuitry in borderline adolescents and emerging adults. Here, we examined the contribution of fronto-limbic effective connectivity (EC) to the longitudinal stability of emotion-related impulsivity, a key feature of BPD, in symptomatic adolescents and young adults. METHODS We compared resting-state EC in 82 adolescents and emerging adults with and without clinically significant borderline symptoms (n BPD = 40, ages 13-30). Group-specific directed networks were estimated amongst fronto-limbic nodes including PFC, ventral striatum (VS), central amygdala (CeN), and basolateral amygdala (BLA). We examined the association of directed centrality metrics with initial levels and rates of change in emotion-related impulsivity symptoms over a one-year follow-up using latent growth curve models (LGCMs). RESULTS In controls, ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) and dorsal ACC had a directed influence on CeN and VS, respectively. In the BPD group, bilateral BLA had a directed influence on CeN, whereas in the healthy group CeN influenced BLA. LGCMs indicated that emotion-related impulsivity was stable across a one-year follow-up in the BPD group. Further, higher EC of R CeN to other regions in controls was associated with stronger within-person decreases in emotion-related impulsivity. CONCLUSIONS Functional inputs from BLA and vmPFC appear to play competing roles in influencing CeN activity. In borderline adolescents and young adults, BLA may predominate over CeN activity, while in controls the ability of CeN to influence BLA activity predicted more rapid reductions in emotion-related impulsivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan T Hall
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Michael N Hallquist
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
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Ferland JMN, Ellis RJ, Rompala G, Landry JA, Callens JE, Ly A, Frier MD, Uzamere TO, Hurd YL. Dose mediates the protracted effects of adolescent THC exposure on reward and stress reactivity in males relevant to perturbation of the basolateral amygdala transcriptome. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:2583-2593. [PMID: 35236956 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01467-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Revised: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Despite the belief that cannabis is relatively harmless, exposure during adolescence is associated with increased risk of developing several psychopathologies in adulthood. In addition to the high levels of use amongst teenagers, the potency of ∆-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) has increased more than fourfold compared to even twenty years ago, and it is unclear whether potency influences the presentation of THC-induced behaviors. Expanded knowledge about the impact of adolescent THC exposure, especially high dose, is important to delineating neural networks and molecular mechanisms underlying psychiatric risk. Here, we observed that repeated exposure to low (1.5 mg/kg) and high (5 mg/kg) doses of THC during adolescence in male rats produced divergent effects on behavior in adulthood. Whereas low dose rats showed greater sensitivity to reward devaluation and also self-administered more heroin, high dose animals were significantly more reactive to social isolation stress. RNA sequencing of the basolateral amygdala, a region linked to reward processing and stress, revealed significant perturbations in transcripts and gene networks related to synaptic plasticity and HPA axis that were distinct to THC dose as well as stress. In silico single-cell deconvolution of the RNAseq data revealed a significant reduction of astrocyte-specific genes related to glutamate regulation in stressed high dose animals, a result paired anatomically with greater astrocyte-to-neuron ratios and hypotrophic astrocytes. These findings emphasize the importance of dose and behavioral state on the presentation of THC-related behavioral phenotypes in adulthood and dysregulation of astrocytes as an interface for the protracted effects of high dose THC and subsequent stress sensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline-Marie N Ferland
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Departments of Neuroscience and Psychiatry, Addiction Institute of Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Randall J Ellis
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Departments of Neuroscience and Psychiatry, Addiction Institute of Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Gregory Rompala
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Departments of Neuroscience and Psychiatry, Addiction Institute of Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Joseph A Landry
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Departments of Neuroscience and Psychiatry, Addiction Institute of Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - James E Callens
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Departments of Neuroscience and Psychiatry, Addiction Institute of Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Annie Ly
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Departments of Neuroscience and Psychiatry, Addiction Institute of Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Micah D Frier
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Departments of Neuroscience and Psychiatry, Addiction Institute of Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Teddy O Uzamere
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Departments of Neuroscience and Psychiatry, Addiction Institute of Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Yasmin L Hurd
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Departments of Neuroscience and Psychiatry, Addiction Institute of Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
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Datta S, Rashid Z, Naskar S, Chattarji S. Administration of the glutamate-modulating drug, riluzole, after stress prevents its delayed effects on the amygdala in male rats. PNAS NEXUS 2023; 2:pgad166. [PMID: 37266396 PMCID: PMC10230288 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgad166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Revised: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Extracellular glutamate levels are elevated across brain regions immediately after stress. Despite sharing common features in their genesis, the patterns of stress-induced plasticity that eventually take shape are strikingly different between these brain areas. While stress causes structural and functional deficits in the hippocampus, it has the opposite effect on the amygdala. Riluzole, an FDA-approved drug known to modulate glutamate release and facilitate glutamate clearance, prevents stress-induced deficits in the hippocampus. But whether the same drug is also effective in countering the opposite effects of stress in the amygdala remains unexplored. We addressed this question by using a rat model wherein even a single 2-h acute immobilization stress causes a delayed expression of anxiety-like behavior, 10 days later, alongside stronger excitatory synaptic connectivity in the basolateral amygdala (BLA). This temporal profile-several days separating the acute stressor and its delayed impact-allowed us to test if these effects can be prevented by administering riluzole in drinking water after acute stress. Poststress riluzole not only prevented the delayed increase in anxiety-like behavior on the elevated plus maze but also blocked the increase in spine density on BLA neurons 10 days later. Further, stress-induced increase in the frequency of miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents recorded in BLA slices, 10 days later, was also blocked by the same poststress riluzole administration. Together, these findings underscore the importance of therapeutic strategies, aimed at glutamate uptake and modulation, in correcting the delayed behavioral, physiological, and morphological effects of stress on the amygdala.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Saptarnab Naskar
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
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49
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Liu WZ, Wang CY, Wang Y, Cai MT, Zhong WX, Liu T, Wang ZH, Pan HQ, Zhang WH, Pan BX. Circuit- and laminar-specific regulation of medial prefrontal neurons by chronic stress. Cell Biosci 2023; 13:90. [PMID: 37208769 DOI: 10.1186/s13578-023-01050-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 05/07/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chronic stress exposure increases the risk of mental health problems such as anxiety and depression. The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is a hub for controlling stress responses through communicating with multiple limbic structures, including the basolateral amygdala (BLA) and nucleus accumbens (NAc). However, considering the complex topographical organization of the mPFC neurons in different subregions (dmPFC vs. vmPFC) and across multiple layers (Layer II/III vs. Layer V), the exact effects of chronic stress on these distinct mPFC output neurons remain largely unknown. RESULTS We first characterized the topographical organization of mPFC neurons projecting to BLA and NAc. Then, by using a typical mouse model of chronic restraint stress (CRS), we investigated the effects of chronic stress on the synaptic activity and intrinsic properties of the two mPFC neuronal populations. Our results showed that there was limited collateralization of the BLA- and NAc-projecting pyramidal neurons, regardless of the subregion or layer they were situated in. CRS significantly reduced the inhibitory synaptic transmission onto the BLA-projecting neurons in dmPFC layer V without any effect on the excitatory synaptic transmission, thus leading to a shift of the excitation-inhibition (E-I) balance toward excitation. However, CRS did not affect the E-I balance in NAc-projecting neurons in any subregions or layers of mPFC. Moreover, CRS also preferentially increased the intrinsic excitability of the BLA-projecting neurons in dmPFC layer V. By contrast, it even caused a decreasing tendency in the excitability of NAc-projecting neurons in vmPFC layer II/III. CONCLUSION Our findings indicate that chronic stress exposure preferentially modulates the activity of the mPFC-BLA circuit in a subregion (dmPFC) and laminar (layer V) -dependent manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei-Zhu Liu
- Department of Biological Science, School of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institutes of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
| | - Chun-Yan Wang
- Department of Biological Science, School of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institutes of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
| | - Yu Wang
- Department of Biological Science, School of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institutes of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
| | - Mei-Ting Cai
- Department of Biological Science, School of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
| | - Wei-Xiang Zhong
- Department of Biological Science, School of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
| | - Tian Liu
- Department of Biological Science, School of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institutes of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
| | - Zhi-Hao Wang
- Department of Biological Science, School of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institutes of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
| | - Han-Qing Pan
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institutes of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
| | - Wen-Hua Zhang
- Department of Biological Science, School of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China.
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institutes of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China.
- Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Interdisciplinary Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, People's Republic of China.
| | - Bing-Xing Pan
- Department of Biological Science, School of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China.
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institutes of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China.
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Kinkead R, Ambrozio-Marques D, Fournier S, Gagnon M, Guay LM. Estrogens, age, and, neonatal stress: panic disorders and novel views on the contribution of non-medullary structures to respiratory control and CO 2 responses. Front Physiol 2023; 14:1183933. [PMID: 37265841 PMCID: PMC10229816 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1183933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 04/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023] Open
Abstract
CO2 is a fundamental component of living matter. This chemical signal requires close monitoring to ensure proper match between metabolic production and elimination by lung ventilation. Besides ventilatory adjustments, CO2 can also trigger innate behavioral and physiological responses associated with fear and escape but the changes in brain CO2/pH required to induce ventilatory adjustments are generally lower than those evoking fear and escape. However, for patients suffering from panic disorder (PD), the thresholds for CO2-evoked hyperventilation, fear and escape are reduced and the magnitude of those reactions are excessive. To explain these clinical observations, Klein proposed the false suffocation alarm hypothesis which states that many spontaneous panics occur when the brain's suffocation monitor erroneously signals a lack of useful air, thereby maladaptively triggering an evolved suffocation alarm system. After 30 years of basic and clinical research, it is now well established that anomalies in respiratory control (including the CO2 sensing system) are key to PD. Here, we explore how a stress-related affective disorder such as PD can disrupt respiratory control. We discuss rodent models of PD as the concepts emerging from this research has influenced our comprehension of the CO2 chemosensitivity network, especially structure that are not located in the medulla, and how factors such as stress and biological sex modulate its functionality. Thus, elucidating why hormonal fluctuations can lead to excessive responsiveness to CO2 offers a unique opportunity to gain insights into the neuroendocrine mechanisms regulating this key aspect of respiratory control and the pathophysiology of respiratory manifestations of PD.
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