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Fadaei-Kenarsary M, Esmaeilpour K, Shabani M, Sheibani V. Maternal Substance Use and Early-Life Adversity: Inducing Drug Dependence in Offspring, Interactions, Mechanisms, and Treatments. ADDICTION & HEALTH 2024; 16:51-66. [PMID: 38651025 PMCID: PMC11032613 DOI: 10.34172/ahj.2024.1478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
The likelihood of substance dependency in offspring is increased in cases when there is a family history of drug or alcohol use. Mothering is limited by maternal addiction because of the separation. Maternal separation (MS) leads to the development of behavioural and neuropsychiatric issues in the future. Despite the importance of this issue, empirical investigations of the influences of maternal substance use and separation on substance use problems in offspring are limited, and studies that consider both effects are rare. This study aims to review a few studies on the mechanisms, treatments, genetics, epigenetics, molecular and psychological alterations, and neuroanatomical regions involved in the dependence of offspring who underwent maternal addiction and separation. The PubMed database was used. A total of 95 articles were found, including the most related ones in the review. The brain's lateral paragigantocellularis (LPGi), nucleus accumbens (NAc), caudate-putamen (CPu), prefrontal cortex (PFC), and hippocampus, can be affected by MS. Dopamine receptor subtype genes, alcohol biomarker minor allele, and preproenkephalin mRNA may be affected by alcohol or substance use disorders. After early-life adversity, histone acetylation in the hippocampus may be linked to brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene epigenetics and glucocorticoid receptors (GRs). The adverse early-life experiences differ in offspring›s genders and rewire the brain›s dopamine and endocannabinoid circuits, making offspring more susceptible to dependence. Related psychological factors rooted in early-life stress (ELS) and parental substance use disorder (SUD). Treatments include antidepressants, histone deacetylase inhibitors, lamotrigine, ketamine, choline, modafinil, methadone, dopamine, cannabinoid 1 receptor agonists/antagonists, vitamins, oxytocin, tetrahydrocannabinol, SR141716A, and dronabinol. Finally, the study emphasizes the need for multifaceted strategies to prevent these outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maysam Fadaei-Kenarsary
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Khadijeh Esmaeilpour
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
- Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - Mohammad Shabani
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Vahid Sheibani
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
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Herzberg MP, Triplett R, McCarthy R, Kaplan S, Alexopoulos D, Meyer D, Arora J, Miller JP, Smyser TA, Herzog ED, England SK, Zhao P, Barch DM, Rogers CE, Warner BB, Smyser CD, Luby J. The Association Between Maternal Cortisol and Infant Amygdala Volume Is Moderated by Socioeconomic Status. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY GLOBAL OPEN SCIENCE 2023; 3:837-846. [PMID: 37881545 PMCID: PMC10593881 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsgos.2023.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2022] [Revised: 02/25/2023] [Accepted: 03/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Background It has been well established that socioeconomic status is associated with mental and physical health as well as brain development, with emerging data suggesting that these relationships begin in utero. However, less is known about how prenatal socioeconomic environments interact with the gestational environment to affect neonatal brain volume. Methods Maternal cortisol output measured at each trimester of pregnancy and neonatal brain structure were assessed in 241 mother-infant dyads. We examined associations between the trajectory of maternal cortisol output across pregnancy and volumes of cortisol receptor-rich regions of the brain, including the amygdala, hippocampus, medial prefrontal cortex, and caudate. Given the known effects of poverty on infant brain structure, socioeconomic disadvantage was included as a moderating variable. Results Neonatal amygdala volume was predicted by an interaction between maternal cortisol output across pregnancy and socioeconomic disadvantage (standardized β = -0.31, p < .001), controlling for postmenstrual age at scan, infant sex, and total gray matter volume. Notably, amygdala volumes were positively associated with maternal cortisol for infants with maternal disadvantage scores 1 standard deviation below the mean (i.e., less disadvantage) (simple slope = 123.36, p < .01), while the association was negative in infants with maternal disadvantage 1 standard deviation above the mean (i.e., more disadvantage) (simple slope = -82.70, p = .02). Individuals with disadvantage scores at the mean showed no association, and there were no significant interactions in the other brain regions examined. Conclusions These data suggest that fetal development of the amygdala is differentially affected by maternal cortisol production at varying levels of socioeconomic advantage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Max P. Herzberg
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Regina Triplett
- Department of Neurology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Ronald McCarthy
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Sydney Kaplan
- Department of Neurology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
| | | | - Dominique Meyer
- Department of Neurology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Jyoti Arora
- Department of Biostatistics, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - J. Philip Miller
- Department of Biostatistics, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Tara A. Smyser
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Erik D. Herzog
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Sarah K. England
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Peinan Zhao
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Deanna M. Barch
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
- Department of Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Cynthia E. Rogers
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Barbara B. Warner
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Christopher D. Smyser
- Department of Neurology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
- Department of Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Joan Luby
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
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Local production of corticotropin-releasing hormone in prefrontal cortex modulates male-specific novelty exploration. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2211454119. [PMID: 36442105 PMCID: PMC9894189 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2211454119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuromodulatory substances can be released from distal afferents for communication between brain structures or produced locally to modulate neighboring circuit elements. Corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) from long-range neurons in the hypothalamus projecting to the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) has been shown to induce anxiety-like behaviors. However, the role of CRH produced in the mPFC has not been investigated. Here we demonstrate that a specific class of mPFC interneurons that express CRH (CrhINs) releases CRH upon high-frequency stimulation to enhance excitability of layer 2/3 pyramidal cells (L2/3 PCs) expressing the CRH receptors. When stimulated at low frequency, CrhINs release GABA resulting in the inhibition of oxytocin receptor-expressing interneurons (OxtrINs) and L2/3 PCs. Conditional deletion of CRH in mPFC CrhINs and chemogenetic activation of CrhINs have opposite effects on novelty exploration in male but not in female mice, and do not affect anxiety-related behaviors in either males or females. Our data reveal that CRH produced by local interneurons in the mPFC is required for sex-specific novelty exploration and suggest that our understanding of complex behaviors may require knowledge of local and remote neuromodulatory action.
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Demaestri C, Gallo M, Mazenod E, Hong AT, Arora H, Short AK, Stern H, Baram TZ, Bath KG. Resource scarcity but not maternal separation provokes unpredictable maternal care sequences in mice and both upregulate Crh-associated gene expression in the amygdala. Neurobiol Stress 2022; 20:100484. [PMID: 36120094 PMCID: PMC9475315 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2022.100484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Revised: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Early life adversity (ELA) is a major risk factor for the development of pathology, including anxiety disorders. Neurodevelopmental and behavioral outcomes following ELA are multifaceted and are influenced heavily by the type of adversity experienced and sex of the individual experiencing ELA. It remains unclear what properties of ELA portend differential neurobiological risk and the basis of sex-differences for negative outcomes. Predictability of the postnatal environment has emerged as being a core feature supporting development, with the most salient signals deriving from parental care. Predictability of parental care may be a distinguishing feature of different forms of ELA, and the degree of predictability afforded by these manipulations may contribute to the diversity of outcomes observed across models. Further, questions remain as to whether differing levels of predictability may contribute to differential effects on neurodevelopment and expression of genes associated with risk for pathology. Here, we tested the hypothesis that changes in maternal behavior in mice would be contingent on the type of ELA experienced, directly comparing predictability of care in the limited bedding and nesting (LBN) and maternal separation (MS) paradigms. We then tested whether the predictability of the ELA environment altered the expression of corticotropin-releasing hormone (Crh), a sexually-dimorphic neuropeptide that regulates threat-related learning, in the amygdala of male and female mice. The LBN manipulation reliably increased the entropy of maternal care, a measure that indicates lower predictability between sequences of dam behavior. LBN and MS rearing similarly increased the frequency of nest sorties and licking of pups but had mixed effects on other aspects of dam-, pup-, and nest-related behaviors. Increased expression of Crh-related genes was observed in pups that experienced ELA, with gene expression measures showing a significant interaction with sex and type of ELA manipulation. Specifically, MS was associated with increased expression of Crh-related genes in males, but not females, and LBN primarily increased expression of these genes in females, but not males. The present study provides evidence for predictability as a distinguishing feature of models of ELA and demonstrates robust consequences of these differing experience on sex-differences in gene expression critically associated with stress responding and sex differences in risk for pathology. Type of early life adversity differentially altered quantity of maternal behavior. Limited bedding and nesting increased unpredictable dam behavior. Amygdalar Crh expression in male and female pups were dependent on the type rearing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camila Demaestri
- Doctoral Program in Neurobiology and Behavior, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Meghan Gallo
- Doctoral Program in Cognitive, Linguistic and Psychological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.,Division of Developmental Neuroscience, Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, Inc./ New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Elisa Mazenod
- Doctoral Program in Cognitive, Linguistic and Psychological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Alexander T Hong
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Hina Arora
- Department of Statistics, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Annabel K Short
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Hal Stern
- Department of Statistics, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Tallie Z Baram
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.,Department of Neurology, University of California-Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Kevin G Bath
- Division of Developmental Neuroscience, Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, Inc./ New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
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Bardo MT, Hammerslag LR, Malone SG. Effect of early life social adversity on drug abuse vulnerability: Focus on corticotropin-releasing factor and oxytocin. Neuropharmacology 2021; 191:108567. [PMID: 33862030 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2021.108567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2020] [Revised: 02/16/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Early life adversity can set the trajectory for later psychiatric disorders, including substance use disorders. There are a host of neurobiological factors that may play a role in the negative trajectory. The current review examines preclinical evidence suggesting that early life adversity specifically involving social factors (maternal separation, adolescent social isolation and adolescent social defeat) may influence drug abuse vulnerability by strengthening corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) systems and weakening oxytocin (OT) systems. In adulthood, pharmacological and genetic evidence indicates that both CRF and OT systems are directly involved in drug reward processes. With early life adversity, numerous studies show an increase in drug abuse vulnerability measured in adulthood, along a concomitant strengthening of CRF systems and a weakening of OT systems. Mechanistic studies, while relatively few in number, are generally consistent with the theme that strengthened CRF systems and weakened OT systems mediate, at least in part, the link between early life adversity and drug abuse vulnerability. Establishing a direct role of CRF and OT in mediating the relation between early life social stressors and drug abuse vulnerability will inform clinical researchers and practitioners toward the development of intervention strategies to reduce risk among those suffering from early life adversities. This article is part of the special issue on 'Vulnerabilities to Substance Abuse'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael T Bardo
- Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536-0509, USA.
| | - Lindsey R Hammerslag
- Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536-0509, USA
| | - Samantha G Malone
- Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536-0509, USA
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Babicola L, Ventura R, D'Addario SL, Ielpo D, Andolina D, Di Segni M. Long term effects of early life stress on HPA circuit in rodent models. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2021; 521:111125. [PMID: 33333214 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2020.111125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2020] [Revised: 11/23/2020] [Accepted: 12/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Adaptation to environmental challenges represents a critical process for survival, requiring the complex integration of information derived from both external cues and internal signals regarding current conditions and previous experiences. The Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis plays a central role in this process inducing the activation of a neuroendocrine signaling cascade that affects the delicate balance of activity and cross-talk between areas that are involved in sensorial, emotional, and cognitive processing such as the hippocampus, amygdala, Prefrontal Cortex, Ventral Tegmental Area, and dorsal raphe. Early life stress, especially early critical experiences with caregivers, influences the functional and structural organization of these areas, affects these processes in a long-lasting manner and may result in long-term maladaptive and psychopathological outcomes, depending on the complex interaction between genetic and environmental factors. This review summarizes the results of studies that have modeled this early postnatal stress in rodents during the first 2 postnatal weeks, focusing on the long-term effects on molecular and structural alteration in brain areas involved in Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis function. Moreover, a brief investigation of epigenetic mechanisms and specific genetic targets mediating the long-term effects of these early environmental manipulations and at the basis of differential neurobiological and behavioral effects during adulthood is provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucy Babicola
- Dept. of Psychology and Center "Daniel Bovet", Sapienza University, 00184, Rome, Italy; IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Via Del Fosso di Fiorano, 64, 00143, Rome, Italy
| | - Rossella Ventura
- Dept. of Psychology and Center "Daniel Bovet", Sapienza University, 00184, Rome, Italy; IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Via Del Fosso di Fiorano, 64, 00143, Rome, Italy.
| | - Sebastian Luca D'Addario
- Dept. of Psychology and Center "Daniel Bovet", Sapienza University, 00184, Rome, Italy; IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Via Del Fosso di Fiorano, 64, 00143, Rome, Italy; Behavioral Neuroscience PhD Programme, Sapienza University, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00184, Rome, Italy
| | - Donald Ielpo
- Dept. of Psychology and Center "Daniel Bovet", Sapienza University, 00184, Rome, Italy; IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Via Del Fosso di Fiorano, 64, 00143, Rome, Italy; Behavioral Neuroscience PhD Programme, Sapienza University, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00184, Rome, Italy
| | - Diego Andolina
- Dept. of Psychology and Center "Daniel Bovet", Sapienza University, 00184, Rome, Italy; IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Via Del Fosso di Fiorano, 64, 00143, Rome, Italy
| | - Matteo Di Segni
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Via Del Fosso di Fiorano, 64, 00143, Rome, Italy.
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7
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Sheng JA, Bales NJ, Myers SA, Bautista AI, Roueinfar M, Hale TM, Handa RJ. The Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis: Development, Programming Actions of Hormones, and Maternal-Fetal Interactions. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 14:601939. [PMID: 33519393 PMCID: PMC7838595 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2020.601939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2020] [Accepted: 12/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis is a complex system of neuroendocrine pathways and feedback loops that function to maintain physiological homeostasis. Abnormal development of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis can further result in long-term alterations in neuropeptide and neurotransmitter synthesis in the central nervous system, as well as glucocorticoid hormone synthesis in the periphery. Together, these changes can potentially lead to a disruption in neuroendocrine, behavioral, autonomic, and metabolic functions in adulthood. In this review, we will discuss the regulation of the HPA axis and its development. We will also examine the maternal-fetal hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and disruption of the normal fetal environment which becomes a major risk factor for many neurodevelopmental pathologies in adulthood, such as major depressive disorder, anxiety, schizophrenia, and others.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julietta A. Sheng
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
| | - Natalie J. Bales
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
| | - Sage A. Myers
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
| | - Anna I. Bautista
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
| | - Mina Roueinfar
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
| | - Taben M. Hale
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix, AZ, United States
| | - Robert J. Handa
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix, AZ, United States
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Abstract
Nearly 1 in 5 children in the United States lives in a household whose income is below the official federal poverty line, and more than 40% of children live in poor or near-poor households. Research on the effects of poverty on children's development has been a focus of study for many decades and is now increasing as we accumulate more evidence about the implications of poverty. The American Academy of Pediatrics recently added "Poverty and Child Health" to its Agenda for Children to recognize what has now been established as broad and enduring effects of poverty on child development. A recent addition to the field has been the application of neuroscience-based methods. Various techniques including neuroimaging, neuroendocrinology, cognitive psychophysiology, and epigenetics are beginning to document ways in which early experiences of living in poverty affect infant brain development. We discuss whether there are truly worthwhile reasons for adding neuroscience and related biological methods to study child poverty, and how might these perspectives help guide developmentally based and targeted interventions and policies for these children and their families.
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Smith KE, Pollak SD. Early life stress and development: potential mechanisms for adverse outcomes. J Neurodev Disord 2020; 12:34. [PMID: 33327939 PMCID: PMC7745388 DOI: 10.1186/s11689-020-09337-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 140] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2019] [Accepted: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chronic and/or extreme stress in early life, often referred to as early adversity, childhood trauma, or early life stress, has been associated with a wide range of adverse effects on development. However, while early life stress has been linked to negative effects on a number of neural systems, the specific mechanisms through which early life stress influences development and individual differences in children's outcomes are still not well understood. MAIN TEXT The current paper reviews the existing literature on the neurobiological effects of early life stress and their ties to children's psychological and behavioral development. CONCLUSIONS Early life stress has persistent and pervasive effects on prefrontal-hypothalamic-amygdala and dopaminergic circuits that are at least partially mediated by alterations in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis function. However, to date, this research has primarily utilized methods of assessment that focus solely on children's event exposures. Incorporating assessment of factors that influence children's interpretation of stressors, along with stressful events, has the potential to provide further insight into the mechanisms contributing to individual differences in neurodevelopmental effects of early life stress. This can aid in further elucidating specific mechanisms through which these neurobiological changes influence development and contribute to risk for psychopathology and health disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen E Smith
- Department of Psychology and Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1500 S Highland Blvd, Rm 399, Madison, WI, 53705, USA.
| | - Seth D Pollak
- Department of Psychology and Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1500 S Highland Blvd, Rm 399, Madison, WI, 53705, USA
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Demaestri C, Pan T, Critz M, Ofray D, Gallo M, Bath KG. Type of early life adversity confers differential, sex-dependent effects on early maturational milestones in mice. Horm Behav 2020; 124:104763. [PMID: 32407728 PMCID: PMC7487052 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2020.104763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2020] [Revised: 03/16/2020] [Accepted: 04/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Early life adversity (ELA) increases risk for negative health outcomes, with sex disparities in prevalence and form of ELA experienced and risk for neuropsychiatric pathology. ELA comes in many forms (e.g. parental neglect/loss, limited access to resources) but whether disparate forms of ELA have common effects on outcomes, and if males and females are equally affected, remains unknown. Epidemiological studies often fail to accurately account for differences in type, timing, and duration of adversity experienced. Rodent models allow precise control of many of these variables. However, differences in the form of ELA, species, strain, housing, and testing paradigms used may contribute to differences in outcomes leading to questions of whether differences are the result of the form of ELA or these other variables. Here, we directly compared two mouse models of ELA, maternal separation (MS) and limited bedding (LB) in males and females on development of the body, motor and visual milestones, stress physiology, and anxiety-like behavior. LB affected timing of early milestones, somatic growth, and stress physiology in both sexes, yet only females showed later anxiety-like behaviors. MS rearing affected males and females similarly in early milestone development, yet only males showed changes in stress physiology and anxiety-like outcomes. These studies provide a platform to directly compare MS and LB models within one lab. The current work advances our understanding of the unique features of ELA that shape early neurodevelopmental events and risk for later pathology, increasing the translational relevance of these ELA models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camila Demaestri
- Department of Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences, 190 Thayer St., Box 1821, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Tracy Pan
- Department of Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences, 190 Thayer St., Box 1821, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Madalyn Critz
- Department of Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences, 190 Thayer St., Box 1821, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Dayshalis Ofray
- Department of Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences, 190 Thayer St., Box 1821, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Meghan Gallo
- Department of Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences, 190 Thayer St., Box 1821, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Kevin G Bath
- Department of Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences, 190 Thayer St., Box 1821, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA.
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11
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Smith KE, Pollak SD. Rethinking Concepts and Categories for Understanding the Neurodevelopmental Effects of Childhood Adversity. PERSPECTIVES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2020; 16:67-93. [PMID: 32668190 PMCID: PMC7809338 DOI: 10.1177/1745691620920725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 152] [Impact Index Per Article: 38.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Discovering the processes through which early adverse experiences affect children’s nervous-system development, health, and behavior is critically important for developing effective interventions. However, advances in our understanding of these processes have been constrained by conceptualizations that rely on categories of adversity that are overlapping, have vague boundaries, and lack consistent biological evidence. Here, we discuss central problems in understanding the link between early-life adversity and children’s brain development. We conclude by suggesting alternative formulations that hold promise for advancing knowledge about the neurobiological mechanisms through which adversity affects human development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen E Smith
- Department of Psychology and Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison
| | - Seth D Pollak
- Department of Psychology and Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison
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12
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Biological intersection of sex, age, and environment in the corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) system and alcohol. Neuropharmacology 2020; 170:108045. [PMID: 32217364 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2020.108045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2019] [Revised: 02/13/2020] [Accepted: 03/06/2020] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
The neuropeptide corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) is critical in neural circuit function and behavior, particularly in the context of stress, anxiety, and addiction. Despite a wealth of preclinical evidence for the efficacy of CRF receptor 1 antagonists in reducing behavioral pathology associated with alcohol exposure, several clinical trials have had disappointing outcomes, possibly due to an underappreciation of the role of biological variables. Although he National Institutes of Health (NIH) now mandate the inclusion of sex as a biological variable in all clinical and preclinical research, the current state of knowledge in this area is based almost entirely on evidence from male subjects. Additionally, the influence of biological variables other than sex has received even less attention in the context of neuropeptide signaling. Age (particularly adolescent development) and housing conditions have been shown to affect CRF signaling and voluntary alcohol intake, and the interaction between these biological variables is particularly relevant to the role of the CRF system in the vulnerability or resilience to the development of alcohol use disorder (AUD). Going forward, it will be important to include careful consideration of biological variables in experimental design, reporting, and interpretation. As new research uncovers conditions in which sex, age, and environment play major roles in physiological and/or pathological processes, our understanding of the complex interaction between relevant biological variables and critical signaling pathways like the CRF system in the cellular and behavioral consequences of alcohol exposure will continue to expand ultimately improving the ability of preclinical research to translate to the clinic. This article is part of the special issue on Neuropeptides.
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Nyman C, Hebert FO, Bessert‐Nettelbeck M, Aubin‐Horth N, Taborsky B. Transcriptomic signatures of social experience during early development in a highly social cichlid fish. Mol Ecol 2019; 29:610-623. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.15335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2019] [Revised: 11/23/2019] [Accepted: 12/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Cecilia Nyman
- Division of Behavioural Ecology Institute of Ecology and Evolution University of Bern Bern Switzerland
| | - Francois Olivier Hebert
- Département de Biologie and Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes Université Laval Laval QC Canada
| | | | - Nadia Aubin‐Horth
- Département de Biologie and Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes Université Laval Laval QC Canada
| | - Barbara Taborsky
- Division of Behavioural Ecology Institute of Ecology and Evolution University of Bern Bern Switzerland
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14
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Abstract
Corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) is distributed throughout the brain and in peripheral sites but primarily is localized in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus. It is a "master" stress hormone that is responsible for the synthesis of proopiomelanocortin (POMC) in the anterior pituitary gland. Behaviorally active peptide hormones, including adrenocorticotropin hormone (ACTH) and B-endorphin, are liberated from POMC by enzymes to activate critical processes during stress. CRH is not detectable in the circulation even during extreme stress. However, during human pregnancy, the human placenta expresses the gene for CRH (pCRH) resulting in detectable levels in maternal plasma that increases 20- to 40-fold over the course of gestation. Placental CRH is identical to CRH of hypothalamic origin in size, structure, immunoreactivity, and bioactivity. However, unlike the negative feedback between adrenal cortisol and hypothalamic CRH, cortisol stimulates the synthesis and release of pCRH. The bidirectional release of pCRH into maternal and fetal compartments is associated with regulating the timing of delivery, remodeling the fetal nervous system, and influencing developmental trajectories. Fetal exposure to pCRH during early and late gestation is associated with unique patterns of cortical thinning in school-age children. Placental CRH is elevated in response to physical and behavioral stress and may be an integrative marker of early adversity.
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15
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Negative consequences of early-life adversity on substance use as mediated by corticotropin-releasing factor modulation of serotonin activity. Neurobiol Stress 2018; 9:29-39. [PMID: 30151419 PMCID: PMC6108067 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2018.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2018] [Revised: 07/11/2018] [Accepted: 08/05/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Early-life adversity is associated with increased risk for substance abuse in later life, with women more likely to report past and current stress as a mediating factor in their substance use and relapse as compared to men. Preclinical models of neonatal and peri-adolescent (early through late adolescence) stress all support a direct relationship between experiences of early-life adversity and adult substance-related behaviors, and provide valuable information regarding the underlying neurobiology. This review will provide an overview of these animal models and how these paradigms alter drug and alcohol consumption and/or seeking in male and female adults. An introduction to the corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) and serotonin systems, their development and their interactions at the level of the dorsal raphe will be provided, illustrating how this particular stress system is sexually dimorphic, and is well positioned to be affected by stressors early in development and throughout maturation. A model for CRF-serotonin interactions in the dorsal raphe and how these influence dopaminergic activity within the nucleus accumbens and subsequent reward-associated behaviors will be provided, and alterations to the activity of this system following early-life adversity will be identified. Overall, converging findings suggest that early-life adversity has long-term effects on the functioning of the CRF-serotonin system, highlighting a potentially important and targetable mediator linking stress to addiction. Future work should focus on identifying the exact mechanisms that promote long-term changes to the expression and activity of CRF receptors in the dorsal raphe. Moreover, it is important to clarify whether similar neurobiological mechanisms exist for males and females, given the sexual dimorphism both in CRF receptors and serotonin indices in the dorsal raphe and in the behavioral outcomes of early-life adversity. Early life stress increases risk for substance abuse in adulthood. Stress and drugs increase CRF which alters serotonin release in the brain. CRF2 receptor expression in the dorsal raphe is altered by early life stress. Resultant changes to serotonin output facilitates dopamine in the accumbens. CRF2-sertotonin-dopamine interactions may link early life stress with substance abuse.
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Key Words
- 5-HIAA, 5–Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid
- BNST, Bed Nucleus of the Stria Terminalis
- CRF, Corticotropin-Releasing Factor
- CRF-BP, Corticotropin-Releasing Factor Binding Protein
- CeA, Central Nucleus of the Amygdala
- Corticotropin-releasing factor
- Dorsal raphe nucleus
- Drug reward
- Early-life stress
- LC, Locus Coeruleus
- MDMA, 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine
- NAc, Nucleus Accumbens
- NMDA, N-methyl-d-aspartate
- PND, Postnatal Day
- Serotonin
- Sex differences
- TPH2, Tryptophan Hydroxylase 2
- VTA, Ventral Tegmental Area
- dRN, Dorsal Raphe Nucleus
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16
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O'Mahony SM, Clarke G, Dinan TG, Cryan JF. Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Stress-Related Psychiatric Co-morbidities: Focus on Early Life Stress. Handb Exp Pharmacol 2017; 239:219-246. [PMID: 28233180 DOI: 10.1007/164_2016_128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Irritable bowel syndrome is a functional gastrointestinal disorder, with stress playing a major role in onset and exacerbation of symptoms such as abdominal pain and altered bowel movements. Stress-related disorders including anxiety and depression often precede the development of irritable bowel syndrome and vice versa. Stressor exposure during early life has the potential to increase an individual's susceptibility to both irritable bowel syndrome and psychiatric disease indicating that there may be a common origin for these disorders. Moreover, adverse early life events significantly impact upon many of the communication pathways within the brain-gut-microbiota axis, which allows bidirectional interaction between the central nervous system and the gastrointestinal tract. This axis is proposed to be perturbed in irritable bowel syndrome and studies now indicate that dysfunction of this axis is also seen in psychiatric disease. Here we review the co-morbidity of irritable bowel syndrome and psychiatric disease with their common origin in mind in relation to the impact of early life stress on the developing brain-gut-microbiota axis. We also discuss the therapeutic potential of targeting this axis in these diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siobhain M O'Mahony
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland. .,APC Microbiome Institute, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
| | - Gerard Clarke
- APC Microbiome Institute, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.,Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioural Science, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Timothy G Dinan
- APC Microbiome Institute, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.,Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioural Science, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - John F Cryan
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.,APC Microbiome Institute, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
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17
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van Bodegom M, Homberg JR, Henckens MJAG. Modulation of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis by Early Life Stress Exposure. Front Cell Neurosci 2017; 11:87. [PMID: 28469557 PMCID: PMC5395581 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2017.00087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 310] [Impact Index Per Article: 44.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2017] [Accepted: 03/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Exposure to stress during critical periods in development can have severe long-term consequences, increasing overall risk on psychopathology. One of the key stress response systems mediating these long-term effects of stress is the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis; a cascade of central and peripheral events resulting in the release of corticosteroids from the adrenal glands. Activation of the HPA-axis affects brain functioning to ensure a proper behavioral response to the stressor, but stress-induced (mal)adaptation of the HPA-axis' functional maturation may provide a mechanistic basis for the altered stress susceptibility later in life. Development of the HPA-axis and the brain regions involved in its regulation starts prenatally and continues after birth, and is protected by several mechanisms preventing corticosteroid over-exposure to the maturing brain. Nevertheless, early life stress (ELS) exposure has been reported to have numerous consequences on HPA-axis function in adulthood, affecting both its basal and stress-induced activity. According to the match/mismatch theory, encountering ELS prepares an organism for similar ("matching") adversities during adulthood, while a mismatching environment results in an increased susceptibility to psychopathology, indicating that ELS can exert either beneficial or disadvantageous effects depending on the environmental context. Here, we review studies investigating the mechanistic underpinnings of the ELS-induced alterations in the structural and functional development of the HPA-axis and its key external regulators (amygdala, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex). The effects of ELS appear highly dependent on the developmental time window affected, the sex of the offspring, and the developmental stage at which effects are assessed. Albeit by distinct mechanisms, ELS induced by prenatal stressors, maternal separation, or the limited nesting model inducing fragmented maternal care, typically results in HPA-axis hyper-reactivity in adulthood, as also found in major depression. This hyper-activity is related to increased corticotrophin-releasing hormone signaling and impaired glucocorticoid receptor-mediated negative feedback. In contrast, initial evidence for HPA-axis hypo-reactivity is observed for early social deprivation, potentially reflecting the abnormal HPA-axis function as observed in post-traumatic stress disorder, and future studies should investigate its neural/neuroendocrine foundation in further detail. Interestingly, experiencing additional (chronic) stress in adulthood seems to normalize these alterations in HPA-axis function, supporting the match/mismatch theory.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Marloes J. A. G. Henckens
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Centre for Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and BehaviourRadboudumc, Nijmegen, Netherlands
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18
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Zhang B. Consequences of early adverse rearing experience(EARE) on development: insights from non-human primate studies. Zool Res 2017; 38:7-35. [PMID: 28271667 PMCID: PMC5368383 DOI: 10.13918/j.issn.2095-8137.2017.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2016] [Accepted: 12/30/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Early rearing experiences are important in one's whole life, whereas early adverse rearing experience(EARE) is usually related to various physical and mental disorders in later life. Although there were many studies on human and animals, regarding the effect of EARE on brain development, neuroendocrine systems, as well as the consequential mental disorders and behavioral abnormalities, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Due to the close genetic relationship and similarity in social organizations with humans, non-human primate(NHP) studies were performed for over 60 years. Various EARE models were developed to disrupt the early normal interactions between infants and mothers or peers. Those studies provided important insights of EARE induced effects on the physiological and behavioral systems of NHPs across life span, such as social behaviors(including disturbance behavior, social deficiency, sexual behavior, etc), learning and memory ability, brain structural and functional developments(including influences on neurons and glia cells, neuroendocrine systems, e.g., hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal(HPA) axis, etc). In this review, the effects of EARE and the underlying epigenetic mechanisms were comprehensively summarized and the possibility of rehabilitation was discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Zhang
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Kunming Yunnan 650500, China; Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming Yunnan 650500, China; National Institute of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
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19
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Antoniazzi CTD, Metz VG, Roversi K, Freitas DL, Vey LT, Dias VT, Segat HJ, Duarte MMMF, Burger ME. Tactile stimulation during different developmental periods modifies hippocampal BDNF and GR, affecting memory and behavior in adult rats. Hippocampus 2016; 27:210-220. [PMID: 27874237 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.22686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2016] [Revised: 11/20/2016] [Accepted: 11/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Recent studies have shown that tactile stimulation (TS) in pups is able to prevent and/or minimize fear, anxiety behaviors, and addiction to psychostimulant drugs in adult rats. In these studies, animals have been exposed to handling from postnatal day (PND) 1-21. This study was designed to precisely establish which period of preweaning development has a greater influence of TS on neuronal development. After birth, male pups were exposed to TS from PND1-7, PND8-14, and PND15-21. In adulthood, the different periods of postnatal TS were assessed through behavioral, biochemical, and molecular assessments. Animals that received TS from PND8-14 showed lower anxiety-like symptoms, as observed by decreased anxiety index in elevated plus maze. This same TS period was able to improve rats' working memory by increasing the percentage of alternation rate in Y-maze, and induce better ability to cope with stressful situations, as showed in the defensive burying test by a reduced time of burying behavior. On the other hand, animals receiving TS in the first week of life showed longest cumulative burying time, which is directly related to increased anxiety-like behavior. Moreover, TS from PND8-14 showed lower corticosterone levels and better oxidative status, as observed by decreased lipid peroxidation and increased catalase activity in the hippocampus. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) immunocontent was increased in the hippocampus of animals receiving TS from PND8-14, while glucocorticoid receptors immunocontent was decreased in both TS1-7 and TS15-21 , but not TS8-14 . To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to show TS can be more efficient if applied over a focused period of neonatal development (PND8-14) and this beneficial influence can be reflected on reduced emotionality and increased ability to address stressful situations in adulthood. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caren T D Antoniazzi
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Farmacologia Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, RS, Brazil
| | - Vinícia G Metz
- Departamento de Fisiologia e Farmacologia Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, RS, Brazil
| | - Karine Roversi
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Farmacologia Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, RS, Brazil
| | - Daniele L Freitas
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Biológicas: Bioquímica Toxicológica Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, RS, Brazil
| | - Luciana T Vey
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Biológicas: Bioquímica Toxicológica Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, RS, Brazil
| | - Verônica T Dias
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Farmacologia Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, RS, Brazil
| | - Hecson J Segat
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Biológicas: Bioquímica Toxicológica Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, RS, Brazil
| | | | - Marilise E Burger
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Farmacologia Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, RS, Brazil.,Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Biológicas: Bioquímica Toxicológica Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, RS, Brazil
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20
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Tottenham N, Galván A. Stress and the adolescent brain: Amygdala-prefrontal cortex circuitry and ventral striatum as developmental targets. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2016; 70:217-227. [PMID: 27473936 PMCID: PMC5074883 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.07.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 171] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2016] [Revised: 07/22/2016] [Accepted: 07/25/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Adolescence is a time in development when significant changes occur in affective neurobiology. These changes provide a prolonged period of plasticity to prepare the individual for independence. However, they also render the system highly vulnerable to the effects of environmental stress exposures. Here, we review the human literature on the associations between stress-exposure and developmental changes in amygdala, prefrontal cortex, and ventral striatal dopaminergic systems during the adolescent period. Despite the vast differences in types of adverse exposures presented in his review, these neurobiological systems appear consistently vulnerable to stress experienced during development, providing putative mechanisms to explain why affective processes that emerge during adolescence are particularly sensitive to environmental influences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nim Tottenham
- Columbia University, Department of Psychology, 1190 Amsterdam Avenue MC 5501, New York, NY 10027, United States.
| | - Adriana Galván
- University of California, Los Angeles, Department of Psychology, 1285 Franz Hall BOX 951563, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1563, United States.
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21
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Zelena D, Stocker B, Barna I, Tóth ZE, Makara GB. Vasopressin deficiency diminishes acute and long-term consequences of maternal deprivation in male rat pups. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2015; 51:378-91. [PMID: 25462910 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2014.10.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2014] [Revised: 09/26/2014] [Accepted: 10/17/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Early life events have special importance in the development as postnatal environmental alterations may permanently affect the lifetime vulnerability to diseases. For the interpretation of the long-term consequences it is important to understand the immediate effects. As the role of vasopressin in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis regulation as well as in affective disorders seem to be important we addressed the question whether the congenital lack of vasopressin will modify the stress reactivity of the pups and will influence the later consequences of single 24h maternal deprivation (MD) on both stress-reactivity and stress-related behavioral changes. Vasopressin-producing (di/+) and deficient (di/di) Brattleboro rat were used. In 10-day-old pups MD induced a remarkable corticosterone rise in both genotypes without adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) increase in di/di rats. Studying the later consequences at around weaning (25-35-day-old rats) we found somatic and hormonal alterations (body weight reduction, dysregulation of the stress axis) which were not that obvious in di/di rats. The more anxious state of MD rats was not detectable in di/di rats both at weaning and in adulthood (7-12-week-old). The lack of vasopressin abolished all chronic stress and anxiety-like tendencies both at weaning and in adulthood probably as a consequence of reduced ACTH rise immediately after MD in pups. This finding suggests that postnatal stress-induced ACTH rise may have long-term developmental consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dóra Zelena
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Berhard Stocker
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - István Barna
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Zsuzsanna E Tóth
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Gábor B Makara
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
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22
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Girardi CEN, Zanta NC, Suchecki D. Neonatal stress-induced affective changes in adolescent Wistar rats: early signs of schizophrenia-like behavior. Front Behav Neurosci 2014; 8:319. [PMID: 25309370 PMCID: PMC4159973 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2014.00319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2014] [Accepted: 08/27/2014] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Psychiatric disorders are multifactorial diseases with etiology that may involve genetic factors, early life environment and stressful life events. The neurodevelopmental hypothesis of schizophrenia is based on a wealth of data on increased vulnerability in individuals exposed to insults during the perinatal period. Maternal deprivation (MD) disinhibits the adrenocortical response to stress in neonatal rats and has been used as an animal model of schizophrenia. To test if long-term affective consequences of early life stress were influenced by maternal presence, we submitted 10-day old rats, either deprived (for 22 h) or not from their dams, to a stress challenge (i.p. saline injection). Corticosterone plasma levels were measured 2 h after the challenge, whereas another subgroup was assessed for behavior in the open field, elevated plus maze (EPM), social investigation and the negative contrast sucrose consumption test in adolescence (postnatal day 45). Maternally deprived rats exhibited increased plasma corticosterone (CORT) levels which were higher in maternally deprived and stress challenged pups. Social investigation was impaired in maternally deprived rats only, while saline injection, independently of MD, was associated with increased anxiety-like behavior in the EPM and an impaired intake decrement in the negative sucrose contrast. In the open field, center exploration was reduced in all maternally-deprived adolescents and in control rats challenged with saline injection. The most striking finding was that exposure to a stressful stimulus per se, regardless of MD, was linked to differential emotional consequences. We therefore propose that besides being a well-known and validated model of schizophrenia in adult rats, the MD paradigm could be extended to model early signs of psychiatric dysfunction, and would particularly be a useful tool to detect early signs that resemble schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Eduardo Neves Girardi
- Department of Psychobiology - Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Natália Cristina Zanta
- Department of Psychobiology - Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Deborah Suchecki
- Department of Psychobiology - Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo São Paulo, SP, Brazil
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23
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Tottenham N. The importance of early experiences for neuro-affective development. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2014; 16:109-29. [PMID: 24264369 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2013_254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
This chapter considers the functional utility of the prolonged period of immaturity in human brain development. Development of the amygdala and its connections with the prefrontal cortex is used as an example system for discussing the special role of sensitive periods in shaping neural functional architecture. The argument is made that neural immaturity during childhood may be important and confer a longer period of neuroplasticity, which can increase learning from the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nim Tottenham
- University of California, Franz Hall, Psychology Department, 502 Portola Plaza, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA,
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24
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Cope JL, Regev L, Chen Y, Korosi A, Rice CJ, Ji S, Rogge GA, Wood MA, Baram TZ. Differential contribution of CBP:CREB binding to corticotropin-releasing hormone expression in the infant and adult hypothalamus. Stress 2014; 17:39-50. [PMID: 23768074 PMCID: PMC3869921 DOI: 10.3109/10253890.2013.806907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) contributes crucially to the regulation of central and peripheral responses to stress. Because of the importance of a finely tuned stress system, CRH expression is tightly regulated in an organ- and brain region-specific manner. Thus, in the hypothalamus, CRH is constitutively expressed and this expression is further enhanced by stress; however, the underlying regulatory mechanisms are not fully understood. The regulatory region of the crh gene contains several elements, including the cyclic-AMP response element (CRE), and the role of the CRE interaction with the cyclic-AMP response element binding protein (CREB) in CRH expression has been a focus of intensive research. Notably, whereas thousands of genes contain a CRE, the functional regulation of gene expression by the CRE:CREB system is limited to ∼100 genes, and likely requires additional proteins. Here, we investigated the role of a member of the CREB complex, CREB binding protein (CBP), in basal and stress-induced CRH expression during development and in the adult. Using mice with a deficient CREB-binding site on CBP, we found that CBP:CREB interaction is necessary for normal basal CRH expression at the mRNA and protein level in the nine-day-old mouse, prior to onset of functional regulation of hypothalamic CRH expression by glucocorticoids. This interaction, which functions directly on crh or indirectly via regulation of other genes, was no longer required for maintenance of basal CRH expression levels in the adult. However, CBP:CREB binding contributed to stress-induced CRH expression in the adult, enabling rapid CRH synthesis in hypothalamus. CBP:CREB binding deficiency did not disrupt basal corticosterone plasma levels or acute stress-evoked corticosterone release. Because dysregulation of CRH expression occurs in stress-related disorders including depression, a full understanding of the complex regulation of this gene is important in both health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica L. Cope
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Limor Regev
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Yuncai Chen
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Aniko Korosi
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Courtney J. Rice
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Sung Ji
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - George A. Rogge
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Marcelo A. Wood
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Tallie Z. Baram
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
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25
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Spencer SJ. Perinatal programming of neuroendocrine mechanisms connecting feeding behavior and stress. Front Neurosci 2013; 7:109. [PMID: 23785312 PMCID: PMC3683620 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2013.00109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2013] [Accepted: 05/31/2013] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Feeding behavior is closely regulated by neuroendocrine mechanisms that can be influenced by stressful life events. However, the feeding response to stress varies among individuals with some increasing and others decreasing food intake after stress. In addition to the impact of acute lifestyle and genetic backgrounds, the early life environment can have a life-long influence on neuroendocrine mechanisms connecting stress to feeding behavior and may partially explain these opposing feeding responses to stress. In this review I will discuss the perinatal programming of adult hypothalamic stress and feeding circuitry. Specifically I will address how early life (prenatal and postnatal) nutrition, early life stress, and the early life hormonal profile can program the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, the endocrine arm of the body's response to stress long-term and how these changes can, in turn, influence the hypothalamic circuitry responsible for regulating feeding behavior. Thus, over- or under-feeding and/or stressful events during critical windows of early development can alter glucocorticoid (GC) regulation of the HPA axis, leading to changes in the GC influence on energy storage and changes in GC negative feedback on HPA axis-derived satiety signals such as corticotropin-releasing-hormone. Furthermore, peripheral hormones controlling satiety, such as leptin and insulin are altered by early life events, and can be influenced, in early life and adulthood, by stress. Importantly, these neuroendocrine signals act as trophic factors during development to stimulate connectivity throughout the hypothalamus. The interplay between these neuroendocrine signals, the perinatal environment, and activation of the stress circuitry in adulthood thus strongly influences feeding behavior and may explain why individuals have unique feeding responses to similar stressors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah J Spencer
- School of Health Sciences and Health Innovations Research Institute, RMIT University Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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26
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Gutiérrez-Rojas C, Pascual R, Bustamante C. Prenatal stress alters the behavior and dendritic morphology of the medial orbitofrontal cortex in mouse offspring during lactation. Int J Dev Neurosci 2013; 31:505-11. [PMID: 23727133 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2013.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2013] [Revised: 05/20/2013] [Accepted: 05/21/2013] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Several preclinical and clinical studies have shown that prenatal stress alters neuronal dendritic development in the prefrontal cortex, together with behavioral disturbances (anxiety). Nevertheless, neither whether these alterations are present during the lactation period, nor whether such findings may reflect the onset of anxiety disorders observed in childhood and adulthood has been studied. The central aim of the present study was to determine the effects of prenatal stress on the neuronal development and behavior of mice offspring during lactation (postnatal days 14 and 21). We studied 24 CF-1 male mice, grouped as follows: (i) control P14 (n=6), (ii) stressed P14 (n=6), (iii) control P21 (n=6) and (iv) stressed P21 (n=6). On the corresponding days, animals were evaluated with the open field test and sacrificed. Their brains were then stained in Golgi-Cox solution for 30 days. The morphological analysis dealt with the study of 96 pyramidal neurons. The results showed, first, that prenatal stress resulted in a significant (i) decrease in the apical dendritic length of pyramidal neurons in the orbitofrontal cortex at postnatal day 14, (ii) increase in the apical dendritic length of pyramidal neurons in the orbitofrontal cortex at postnatal day 21, and (iii) reduction in exploratory behavior at postnatal day 14 and 21.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristian Gutiérrez-Rojas
- Laboratorio de Neurociencias, Escuela de Kinesiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Chile.
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Chaloner A, Greenwood-Van Meerveld B. Early life adversity as a risk factor for visceral pain in later life: importance of sex differences. Front Neurosci 2013; 7:13. [PMID: 23407595 PMCID: PMC3570767 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2013.00013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2012] [Accepted: 01/23/2013] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
A history of early life adversity (ELA) has health-related consequences that persist beyond the initial maltreatment and into adulthood. Childhood adversity is associated with abnormal glucocorticoid signaling within the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the development of functional pain disorders such as the irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). IBS and many adult psychopathologies are more frequently diagnosed in women, and ovarian hormones have been shown to modulate pain sensitivity. Therefore, the sexually dimorphic effects of ELA and the role of ovarian hormones in visceral pain perception represent critical research concepts to enhance our understanding of the etiology of IBS. In this review, we discuss current animal models of ELA and the potential mechanisms through which ovarian hormones modulate the HPA axis to alter nociceptive signaling pathways and induce functionally relevant changes in pain behaviors following ELA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron Chaloner
- Oklahoma Center for Neuroscience, University of Oklahoma Health Science Center Oklahoma City, OK, USA
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Zhang W, Rosenkranz JA. Repeated restraint stress increases basolateral amygdala neuronal activity in an age-dependent manner. Neuroscience 2012; 226:459-74. [PMID: 22986163 PMCID: PMC3506707 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2012.08.051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2012] [Revised: 08/22/2012] [Accepted: 08/24/2012] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Chronic stress is a precipitating factor for affective disorders such as depression and anxiety. This is associated with the effects of chronic stress on the amygdala. Adolescents may be more vulnerable to the effects of chronic stress, which may be related to its impact on amygdala function. However, the stress-induced changes in amygdala neuronal activity, and the age-dependent impact of chronic stress on amygdala neuronal activity have not been studied in depth. In this study, we investigated how repeated restraint impacts basolateral amygdala (BLA) projection neuron activity in both adolescent and adult rats. Using in vivo extracellular recordings from anesthetized rats, we found that repeated restraint increased the number of spontaneously firing neurons in the BLA of adolescent rats, but did not significantly increase the firing rate. In contrast, repeated restraint increased the firing rate of BLA neurons in adult rats, but did not change the number of spontaneously firing neurons. This is the first direct evidence of how stress differently impacts amygdala physiology in adolescent and adult rats. These findings may shed light on the mechanism by which chronic stress may age-dependently precipitate psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- W Zhang
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, The Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University, North Chicago, IL 60064, USA.
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Chen J, Evans AN, Liu Y, Honda M, Saavedra JM, Aguilera G. Maternal deprivation in rats is associated with corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH) promoter hypomethylation and enhances CRH transcriptional responses to stress in adulthood. J Neuroendocrinol 2012; 24:1055-64. [PMID: 22375940 PMCID: PMC3380160 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2826.2012.02306.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 140] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Exposure to stress during early development causes long-lasting alterations in behaviour and hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis activity, including increased expression of corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH). To determine whether early-life stress causes epigenetic changes in the CRH promoter leading to increased CRH transcription, 8-week old female and male rats, subjected to maternal deprivation (MD) between days 2 and 13 post-birth, were studied for HPA axis responses to stress and CRH promoter methylation in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) and central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA). Plasma corticosterone and PVN CRH heteronuclear (hn)RNA responses to acute restraint stress were higher in MD rats of both sexes. DNA methylation analysis of the CRH promoter revealed a significantly lower percentage of methylation in two CpGs preceding (CpG1) and inside (CpG2) the cyclic AMP-response element (CRE) at -230 bp in the CRH promoter in the PVN but not the CeA of MD rats. Gel-shift assays, using nuclear proteins from forskolin-treated hypothalamic 4B cells and CRH promoter CRE oligonucleotides, unmethylated or methylated at CpG1, revealed a strong band that was supershifted by phospho-cAMP response element-binding antibody. This band was 50% weaker using oligonucleotides methylated at CpG2 (intra-CRE), or methylated at both CpG1 and CpG2. These findings demonstrate that HPA axis hypersensitivity caused by neonatal stress causes long-lasting enhanced CRH transcriptional activity in the PVN of both sexes. Hypomethylation of the CRH promoter CRE, a region critical for CRH transcriptional activation, could serve as a mechanism for the increased transcriptional responses to stress observed in MD rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Chen
- Section on Endocrine Physiology, PDEGEN, NICHD, NIH, Bethesda MD 20892
| | - Andrew N. Evans
- Section on Endocrine Physiology, PDEGEN, NICHD, NIH, Bethesda MD 20892
| | - Ying Liu
- Section on Endocrine Physiology, PDEGEN, NICHD, NIH, Bethesda MD 20892
| | - Masaru Honda
- Section on Pharmacology, NIMH, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | | | - Greti Aguilera
- Section on Endocrine Physiology, PDEGEN, NICHD, NIH, Bethesda MD 20892
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Tottenham N. Human amygdala development in the absence of species-expected caregiving. Dev Psychobiol 2012; 54:598-611. [PMID: 22714586 DOI: 10.1002/dev.20531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2010] [Accepted: 01/07/2011] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
In altricial species, like the human, caregiver presence is necessary for typical emotional development. Children who have been raised in institutional care early in life experience caregiver deprivation and are at significantly elevated risk for emotional difficulties. The current manuscript examines the non-human and human literatures on amygdala development following caregiver deprivation and presents an argument that in the absence of the species-expected caregiver presence, human amygdala development exhibits rapid development and perhaps premature engagement that results in some of the emotional phenotypes observed following early institutional care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nim Tottenham
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, PO Box 951563, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
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Tottenham N, Hare TA, Millner A, Gilhooly T, Zevin JD, Casey BJ. Elevated amygdala response to faces following early deprivation. Dev Sci 2012; 14:190-204. [PMID: 21399712 DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-7687.2010.00971.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 300] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
A functional neuroimaging study examined the long-term neural correlates of early adverse rearing conditions in humans as they relate to socio-emotional development. Previously institutionalized (PI) children and a same-aged comparison group were scanned using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) while performing an Emotional Face Go/Nogo task. PI children showed heightened activity of the amygdala, a region that supports emotional learning and reactivity to emotional stimuli, and corresponding decreases in cortical regions that support perceptual and cognitive functions. Amygdala activity was associated with decreased eye-contact as measured by eye-tracking methods and during a live dyadic interaction. The association between early rearing environment and subsequent eye-contact was mediated by amygdala activity. These data support the hypothesis that early adversity alters human brain development in a way that can persist into childhood, and they offer insight into the socio-emotional disturbances in human behavior following early adversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Tottenham
- Department of Psychology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1563, USA.
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Gilpin NW, Karanikas CA, Richardson HN. Adolescent binge drinking leads to changes in alcohol drinking, anxiety, and amygdalar corticotropin releasing factor cells in adulthood in male rats. PLoS One 2012; 7:e31466. [PMID: 22347484 PMCID: PMC3275622 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0031466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 121] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2011] [Accepted: 01/07/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Heavy episodic drinking early in adolescence is associated with increased risk of addiction and other stress-related disorders later in life. This suggests that adolescent alcohol abuse is an early marker of innate vulnerability and/or binge exposure impacts the developing brain to increase vulnerability to these disorders in adulthood. Animal models are ideal for clarifying the relationship between adolescent and adult alcohol abuse, but we show that methods of involuntary alcohol exposure are not effective. We describe an operant model that uses multiple bouts of intermittent access to sweetened alcohol to elicit voluntary binge alcohol drinking early in adolescence (∼postnatal days 28–42) in genetically heterogeneous male Wistar rats. We next examined the effects of adolescent binge drinking on alcohol drinking and anxiety-like behavior in dependent and non-dependent adult rats, and counted corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) cell in the lateral portion of the central amygdala (CeA), a region that contributes to regulation of anxiety- and alcohol-related behaviors. Adolescent binge drinking did not alter alcohol drinking under baseline drinking conditions in adulthood. However, alcohol-dependent and non-dependent adult rats with a history of adolescent alcohol binge drinking did exhibit increased alcohol drinking when access to alcohol was intermittent. Adult rats that binged alcohol during adolescence exhibited increased exploration on the open arms of the elevated plus maze (possibly indicating either decreased anxiety or increased impulsivity), an effect that was reversed by a history of alcohol dependence during adulthood. Finally, CRF cell counts were reduced in the lateral CeA of rats with adolescent alcohol binge history, suggesting semi-permanent changes in the limbic stress peptide system with this treatment. These data suggest that voluntary binge drinking during early adolescence produces long-lasting neural and behavioral effects with implications for anxiety and alcohol use disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas W. Gilpin
- Department of Physiology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States of America
| | - Chrisanthi A. Karanikas
- Department of Psychology (Neuroscience and Developmental Divisions), Neuroscience and Behavior Program, Center for Neuroendocrine Studies, The University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Heather N. Richardson
- Department of Psychology (Neuroscience and Developmental Divisions), Neuroscience and Behavior Program, Center for Neuroendocrine Studies, The University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Ricon T, Toth E, Leshem M, Braun K, Richter-Levin G. Unpredictable chronic stress in juvenile or adult rats has opposite effects, respectively, promoting and impairing resilience. Stress 2012; 15:11-20. [PMID: 21682654 DOI: 10.3109/10253890.2011.572207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
We evaluated the effects of early maternal deprivation (MD; age 7-14 days) alone or in combination with unpredictable chronic stress (UCS; MDUN; 28-84 days) on anxiety and learning in 90 days old adult rats. We hypothesized that exposure to both stressors (MDUN) would be more detrimental than exposure to one or neither. Unexpectedly, adult rats from the MDUN group did not differ from control animals, whereas adult MD animals exhibited impaired avoidance learning. We next investigated the effect of juvenile-onset (30-90 days) versus adult-onset (60-90 days) stress on avoidance learning in adulthood (90 days). We found that adult-onset chronic stress impaired avoidance learning and memory whereas juvenile-onset stress did not. Thus, the results again indicate that juvenile exposure to UCS induces resilience rather than impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Ricon
- Department of Psychology, he Brain and Behavior Research Center, University of Haifa, Mount Carmel Haifa, Israel.
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Allostasis and the developing human brain: Explicit consideration of implicit models. Dev Psychopathol 2011; 23:955-74. [DOI: 10.1017/s0954579411000447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
AbstractWe previously used the theory of allostasis as the foundation for a model of the current stress process. This work highlighted the core emotional systems of the brain as the central mediator of the relationship between stress and health. In this paper, we extend this theoretical approach to consider the role of developmental timing. In doing so, we note that there are strong implicit models that underlie current developmental stress research in the social and life sciences. We endeavor to illustrate these modelsexplicitlyas we review the evidence behind each one and discuss their implications. We then extend these models to reflect recent findings from research in life span human neuroscience. The result is a new set of developmental allostatic models that provide fodder for future empirical research, as well as novel perspectives on intervention.
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Barbosa Neto JB, Tiba PA, Faturi CB, de Castro-Neto EF, da Graça Naffah-Mazacoratti M, de Jesus Mari J, de Mello MF, Suchecki D. Stress during development alters anxiety-like behavior and hippocampal neurotransmission in male and female rats. Neuropharmacology 2011; 62:518-26. [PMID: 21945413 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2011.09.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2011] [Revised: 08/18/2011] [Accepted: 09/09/2011] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Epidemiological data indicate that early stress increases vulnerability to psychiatric disorders, including anxiety and depression. In the present study we sought to investigate the long-term behavioral and neurochemical consequences of increased and sustained corticosterone levels induced by a 24 h bout of maternal deprivation (DEP) imposed on postnatal day 11 (DEP11). As adults, animals were exposed to the elevated plus maze for assessment of anxiety-like behavior and corticosterone response to this challenge, or decapitated for determination of monoamines and amino acid neurotransmitters content in the hippocampus by HPLC method. The results showed that DEP11 male and female rats displayed increased time in the central hub of the maze and more risk assessment behavior, reflecting increased anxiety-like behavior; in addition, these animals continuously secreted corticosterone in response to the behavioral test until the latest time-point, e.g., 60 min post-stress. In males, maternal deprivation increased aspartate and glutamate levels and reduced taurine levels compared to non-deprived (NDEP) rats. DEP11 females displayed reduced noradrenaline, aspartate and GABA levels compared to NDEP counterparts. These results indicate that maternal deprivation at 11 days of age produced changes in hippocampal neurotransmission that may mediate the increased anxiety-like behavior observed in male and female deprived rats. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled 'Anxiety and Depression'.
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Larger amygdala but no change in hippocampal volume in 10-year-old children exposed to maternal depressive symptomatology since birth. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2011; 108:14324-9. [PMID: 21844357 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1105371108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 235] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Maternal separation and poor maternal care in animals have been shown to have important effects on the developing hippocampus and amygdala. In humans, children exposed to abuse/maltreatment or orphanage rearing do not present changes in hippocampal volumes. However, children reared in orphanages present enlarged amygdala volumes, suggesting that the amygdala may be particularly sensitive to severely disturbed (i.e., discontinous, neglectful) care in infancy. Maternal depressive symptomatology has been associated with reductions in overall sensitivity to the infant, and with an increased rate of withdrawn, disengaged behaviors. To determine if poor maternal care associated with maternal depressive symptomatology has a similar pattern of association to the volumes of the hippocampus and amygdala in children, as is the case for severely disturbed infant care (orphanage rearing), we measured hippocampal and amygdala volumes as well as stress hormone (glucocorticoid) levels in children exposed (n = 17) or not (n = 21) to maternal depressive symptomatology since birth. Results revealed no group difference in hippocampal volumes, but larger left and right amygdala volumes and increased levels of glucocorticoids in the children of mothers presenting depressive symptomatology since birth. Moreover, a significant positive correlation was observed between mothers' mean depressive scores and amygdala volumes in their children. The results of this study suggest that amygdala volume in human children may represent an early marker of biological sensitivity to quality of maternal care.
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Schulkin J. Evolutionary conservation of glucocorticoids and corticotropin releasing hormone: Behavioral and physiological adaptations. Brain Res 2011; 1392:27-46. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2011.03.055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2009] [Revised: 03/14/2011] [Accepted: 03/22/2011] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
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Curley JP, Jensen CL, Mashoodh R, Champagne FA. Social influences on neurobiology and behavior: epigenetic effects during development. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2011; 36:352-71. [PMID: 20650569 PMCID: PMC2980807 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2010.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 149] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2010] [Revised: 06/10/2010] [Accepted: 06/14/2010] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
The quality of the social environment can have profound influences on the development and activity of neural systems with implications for numerous behavioral and physiological responses, including the expression of emotionality. Though social experiences occurring early in development may be particularly influential on the developing brain, there is continued plasticity within these neural circuits amongst juveniles and into early adulthood. In this review, we explore the evidence derived from studies in rodents which illustrates the social modulation during development of neural systems, with a particular emphasis on those systems in which a long-term effect is observed. One possible explanation for the persistence of dynamic changes in these systems in response to the environment is the involvement of epigenetic mechanisms, and here we discuss recent studies which support the role of these mechanisms in mediating the link between social experiences, gene expression, neurobiological changes, and behavioral variation. This literature raises critical questions about the interaction between neural systems, the concordance between neural and behavioral changes, sexual dimorphism in effects, the importance of considering individual differences in response to the social environment, and the potential of an epigenetic perspective in advancing our understanding of the pathways leading to variations in mental health.
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Affiliation(s)
- J P Curley
- Columbia University, Department of Psychology, 1190 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10027, USA
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Maternal separation as a model of brain-gut axis dysfunction. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2011; 214:71-88. [PMID: 20886335 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-010-2010-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 274] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2010] [Accepted: 08/28/2010] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Early life stress has been implicated in many psychiatric disorders ranging from depression to anxiety. Maternal separation in rodents is a well-studied model of early life stress. However, stress during this critical period also induces alterations in many systems throughout the body. Thus, a variety of other disorders that are associated with adverse early life events are often comorbid with psychiatric illnesses, suggesting a common underlying aetiology. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a functional gastrointestinal disorder that is thought to involve a dysfunctional interaction between the brain and the gut. Essential aspects of the brain-gut axis include spinal pathways, the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis, the immune system, as well as the enteric microbiota. Accumulating evidence suggest that stress, especially in early life, is a predisposing factor to IBS. OBJECTIVE The objective of this review was to assess and compile the most relevant data on early life stress and alterations at all levels of the brain gut axis. RESULTS In this review, we describe the components of the brain-gut axis individually and how they are altered by maternal separation. The separated phenotype is characterised by alterations of the intestinal barrier function, altered balance in enteric microflora, exaggerated stress response and visceral hypersensitivity, which are all evident in IBS. CONCLUSION Thus, maternally separated animals are an excellent model of brain-gut axis dysfunction for the study of disorders such as IBS and for the development of novel therapeutic interventions.
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Abstract
Comprehensive clinical studies show that adverse conditions in early life can severely impact the developing brain and increase vulnerability to mood disorders later in life. During early postnatal life the brain exhibits high plasticity which allows environmental signals to alter the trajectories of rapidly developing circuits. Adversity in early life is able to shape the experience-dependent maturation of stress-regulating pathways underlying emotional functions and endocrine responses to stress, such as the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) system, leading to long-lasting altered stress responsivity during adulthood. To date, the study of gene-environment interactions in the human population has been dominated by epidemiology. However, recent research in the neuroscience field is now advancing clinical studies by addressing specifically the mechanisms by which gene-environment interactions can predispose individuals toward psychopathology. To this end, appropriate animal models are being developed in which early environmental factors can be manipulated in a controlled manner. Here we will review recent studies performed with the common aim of understanding the effects of the early environment in shaping brain development and discuss the newly developing role of epigenetic mechanisms in translating early life conditions into long-lasting changes in gene expression underpinning brain functions. Particularly, we argue that epigenetic mechanisms can mediate the gene-environment dialog in early life and give rise to persistent epigenetic programming of adult physiology and dysfunction eventually resulting in disease. Understanding how early life experiences can give rise to lasting epigenetic marks conferring increased risk for mental disorders, how they are maintained and how they could be reversed, is increasingly becoming a focus of modern psychiatry and should pave new guidelines for timely therapeutic interventions.
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Casey BJ, Ruberry EJ, Libby V, Glatt CE, Hare T, Soliman F, Duhoux S, Frielingsdorf H, Tottenham N. Transitional and translational studies of risk for anxiety. Depress Anxiety 2011; 28:18-28. [PMID: 21225849 PMCID: PMC3070413 DOI: 10.1002/da.20783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Adolescence reflects a period of increased rates of anxiety, depression, and suicide. Yet most teens emerge from this period with a healthy, positive outcome. In this article, we identify biological factors that may increase risk for some individuals during this developmental period by: (1) examining changes in neural circuitry underlying core phenotypic features of anxiety as healthy individuals transition into and out of adolescence; (2) examining genetic factors that may enhance the risk for psychopathology in one individual over another using translation from mouse models to human neuroimaging and behavior; and (3) examining the effects of early experiences on core phenotypic features of anxiety using human neuroimaging and behavioral approaches. Each of these approaches alone provides only limited information on genetic and environmental influences on complex human behavior across development. Together, they reflect an emerging field of translational developmental neuroscience in forming important bridges between animal models of neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- B J Casey
- Sackler Institute for Developmental Psychobiology, Weil Cornell Medical College, 1300 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA.
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Long-term losses of amygdala corticotropin-releasing factor neurons are associated with behavioural outcomes following neonatal hypoxia-ischemia. Behav Brain Res 2010; 208:609-18. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2010.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2009] [Revised: 11/10/2009] [Accepted: 01/09/2010] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Transient early-life forebrain corticotropin-releasing hormone elevation causes long-lasting anxiogenic and despair-like changes in mice. J Neurosci 2010; 30:2571-81. [PMID: 20164342 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.4470-09.2010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
During development, early-life stress, such as abuse or trauma, induces long-lasting changes that are linked to adult anxiety and depressive behavior. It has been postulated that altered expression of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) can at least partially account for the various effects of stress on behavior. In accord with this hypothesis, evidence from pharmacological and genetic studies has indicated the capacity of differing levels of CRH activity in different brain areas to produce behavioral changes. Furthermore, stress during early life or adulthood causes an increase in CRH release in a variety of neural sites. To evaluate the temporal and spatial specificity of the effect of early-life CRH exposure on adult behavior, the tetracycline-off system was used to produce mice with forebrain-restricted inducible expression of CRH. After transient elevation of CRH during development only, behavioral testing in adult mice revealed a persistent anxiogenic and despair-like phenotype. These behavioral changes were not associated with alterations in adult circadian or stress-induced corticosterone release but were associated with changes in CRH receptor type 1 expression. Furthermore, the despair-like changes were normalized with antidepressant treatment. Overall, these studies suggest that forebrain-restricted CRH signaling during development can permanently alter stress adaptation leading to increases in maladaptive behavior in adulthood.
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Early-life stress disrupts attachment learning: the role of amygdala corticosterone, locus ceruleus corticotropin releasing hormone, and olfactory bulb norepinephrine. J Neurosci 2010; 29:15745-55. [PMID: 20016090 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.4106-09.2009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 141] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Infant rats require maternal odor learning to guide pups' proximity-seeking of the mother and nursing. Maternal odor learning occurs using a simple learning circuit including robust olfactory bulb norepinephrine (NE), release from the locus ceruleus (LC), and amygdala suppression by low corticosterone (CORT). Early-life stress increases NE but also CORT, and we questioned whether early-life stress disrupted attachment learning and its neural correlates [2-deoxyglucose (2-DG) autoradiography]. Neonatal rats were normally reared or stressed-reared during the first 6 d of life by providing the mother with insufficient bedding for nest building and were odor-0.5 mA shock conditioned at 7 d old. Normally reared paired pups exhibited typical odor approach learning and associated olfactory bulb enhanced 2-DG uptake. However, stressed-reared pups showed odor avoidance learning and both olfactory bulb and amygdala 2-DG uptake enhancement. Furthermore, stressed-reared pups had elevated CORT levels, and systemic CORT antagonist injection reestablished the age-appropriate odor-preference learning, enhanced olfactory bulb, and attenuated amygdala 2-DG. We also assessed the neural mechanism for stressed-reared pups' abnormal behavior in a more controlled environment by injecting normally reared pups with CORT. This was sufficient to produce odor aversion, as well as dual amygdala and olfactory bulb enhanced 2-DG uptake. Moreover, we assessed a unique cascade of neural events for the aberrant effects of stress rearing: the amygdala-LC-olfactory bulb pathway. Intra-amygdala CORT or intra-LC corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) infusion supported aversion learning with intra-LC CRH infusion associated with increased olfactory bulb NE (microdialysis). These results suggest that early-life stress disturbs attachment behavior via a unique cascade of events (amygdala-LC-olfactory bulb).
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Tottenham N, Sheridan MA. A review of adversity, the amygdala and the hippocampus: a consideration of developmental timing. Front Hum Neurosci 2010; 3:68. [PMID: 20161700 PMCID: PMC2813726 DOI: 10.3389/neuro.09.068.2009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 286] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2009] [Accepted: 12/08/2009] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
A review of the human developmental neuroimaging literature that investigates outcomes following exposure to psychosocial adversity is presented with a focus on two subcortical structures – the hippocampus and the amygdala. Throughout this review, we discuss how a consideration of developmental timing of adverse experiences and age at measurement might provide insight into the seemingly discrepant findings across studies. We use findings from animal studies to suggest some mechanisms through which timing of experiences may result in differences across time and studies. The literature suggests that early life may be a time of heightened susceptibility to environmental stressors, but that expression of these effects will vary by age at measurement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nim Tottenham
- University of California, Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Alfarez DN, De Simoni A, Velzing EH, Bracey E, Joëls M, Edwards FA, Krugers HJ. Corticosterone reduces dendritic complexity in developing hippocampal CA1 neurons. Hippocampus 2009; 19:828-36. [PMID: 19235231 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.20566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Although prolonged stress and corticosteroid exposure induce morphological changes in the hippocampal CA3 area, the adult CA1 area is quite resistant to such changes. Here we addressed the question whether elevated corticosteroid hormone levels change dendritic complexity in young, developing CA1 cells. In organotypic cultures (prepared from P5 rats) that were 14-21 days cultured in vitro, two doses of corticosterone (30 and 100 nM) were tested. Dendritic morphology of CA1 neurons was established by imaging neurons filled with the fluorescent dye Alexa. Application of 100 nM corticosterone for 20 minutes induced atrophy of the apical dendritic tree 1-4 hours later. Fractal analysis showed that total neuronal complexity was reduced twofold when compared with vehicle-treated neurons. Exposing organotypic slices to 30 nM corticosterone reduced apical length in a more delayed manner: only neurons examined more than 2 hours after exposure to corticosterone showed atrophy of the apical dendritic tree. Neither dose of corticosterone affected the length of basal dendrites or spine density. Corticosterone was ineffective in changing morphology of the apical dendrites when tested in the presence of the glucocorticoid receptor antagonist RU38486. These results suggest that high physiological levels of corticosterone, via activation of the glucocorticoid receptor, can, during the course of only a few hours, reduce the dendritic complexity of CA1 pyramidal neurons in young, developing hippocampal tissue. These findings suggest that it is relevant to maintain plasma corticosterone levels low during hippocampal development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deborah N Alfarez
- Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, Center for Neuroscience, Universiteit van Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Koe AS, Jones NC, Salzberg MR. Early life stress as an influence on limbic epilepsy: an hypothesis whose time has come? Front Behav Neurosci 2009; 3:24. [PMID: 19838325 PMCID: PMC2762371 DOI: 10.3389/neuro.08.024.2009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2009] [Accepted: 08/18/2009] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The pathogenesis of mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE), the most prevalent form of refractory focal epilepsy in adults, is thought to begin in early life, even though seizures may not commence until adolescence or adulthood. Amongst the range of early life factors implicated in MTLE causation (febrile seizures, traumatic brain injury, etc.), stress may be one important contributor. Early life stress is an a priori agent deserving study because of the large amount of neuroscientific data showing enduring effects on structure and function in hippocampus and amygdala, the key structures involved in MTLE. An emerging body of evidence directly tests hypotheses concerning early life stress and limbic epilepsy: early life stressors, such as maternal separation, have been shown to aggravate epileptogenesis in both status epilepticus and kindling models of limbic epilepsy. In addition to elucidating its influence on limbic epileptogenesis itself, the study of early life stress has the potential to shed light on the psychiatric disorder that accompanies MTLE. For many years, psychiatric comorbidity was viewed as an effect of epilepsy, mediated psychologically and/or neurobiologically. An alternative – or complementary – perspective is that of shared causation. Early life stress, implicated in the pathogenesis of several psychiatric disorders, may be one such causal factor. This paper aims to critically review the body of experimental evidence linking early life stress and epilepsy; to discuss the direct studies examining early life stress effects in current models of limbic seizures/epilepsy; and to suggest priorities for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amelia S Koe
- Department of Medicine, Royal Melbourne Hospital, University of Melbourne Parkville, VIC, Australia
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Lukkes JL, Watt MJ, Lowry CA, Forster GL. Consequences of post-weaning social isolation on anxiety behavior and related neural circuits in rodents. Front Behav Neurosci 2009; 3:18. [PMID: 19738931 PMCID: PMC2737489 DOI: 10.3389/neuro.08.018.2009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 160] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2009] [Accepted: 08/05/2009] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Exposure to adverse experiences in early-life is implicated in the later vulnerability to development of psychiatric disorders, including anxiety and affective disorders in humans. Adverse early-life experiences likely impart their long-term consequences on mental health by disrupting the normal development of neural systems involved in stress responses, emotional behavior and emotional states. Neural systems utilizing the neurotransmitters serotonin, dopamine and the neuropeptide corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) are implicated in mediating emotive behaviors, and dysfunction of these neurochemical systems is associated with mood/anxiety disorders. These neural systems continue maturing until early or mid-adolescence in humans, thus alterations to their development are likely to contribute to the long-term consequences of adverse early-life experiences. A large body of literature suggests that post-weaning isolation rearing of rodents models the behavioral consequences of adverse early-life experiences in humans. Overall, the majority findings suggest that post-weaning social isolation that encompasses pre-adolescence produces long-lasting alterations to anxiety behavior, while measures of monoaminergic activity in various limbic regions during social isolation suggest alterations to dopamine and serotonin systems. The goal of this review is to evaluate and integrate findings from post-weaning social isolation studies specifically related to altered fear and anxiety behaviors and associated changes in neuroendocrine function and the activity of monoaminergic systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jodi L Lukkes
- Department of Integrative Physiology, University of Colorado at Boulder Boulder, CO, USA
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Alleva E, Francia N. Psychiatric vulnerability: Suggestions from animal models and role of neurotrophins. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2009; 33:525-36. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2008.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2007] [Revised: 05/21/2008] [Accepted: 09/03/2008] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
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Schmitt HF, Huang LZ, Son JH, Pinzon-Guzman C, Slaton GS, Winzer-Serhan UH. Acute nicotine activates c-fos and activity-regulated cytoskeletal associated protein mRNA expression in limbic brain areas involved in the central stress-response in rat pups during a period of hypo-responsiveness to stress. Neuroscience 2008; 157:349-59. [PMID: 18848603 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2008.09.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2008] [Revised: 07/14/2008] [Accepted: 09/10/2008] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
In adult rats, acute nicotine, the major psychoactive ingredient in tobacco smoke, stimulates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA), resulting in activation of brain areas involved in stress and anxiety-linked behavior. However, in rat pups the first two postnatal weeks are characterized by hypo-responsiveness to stress, also called the 'stress non-responsive period' (SNRP). Therefore, we wanted to address the question if acute nicotine stimulates areas involved in the stress response during SNRP. To determine neuronal activation, the expression of the immediate-early genes c-fos and activity-regulated cytoskeletal associated protein (Arc) was studied in the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA), bed nucleus stria terminalis (BST) and paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus (PVN), which are areas involved in the neuroendocrine and central stress response. Rat pups received nicotine tartrate (2 mg/kg) or saline by i.p. injection at postnatal days (P) 5, 7 and 10 and their brains were removed after 30 min. We used semi-quantitative radioactive in situ hybridization with gene specific antisense cRNA probes in coronal sections. In control pups, c-fos expression was low in most brain regions, but robust Arc hybridization was found in several areas including cingulate cortex, hippocampus and caudate. Acute nicotine resulted in significant induction of c-fos expression in the PVN and CeA at P5, P7 and P10, and in the BST at P7 and P10. Acute nicotine significantly induced expression of Arc in CeA at P5, P7 and P10, and in the BST at P10. In conclusion, acute nicotine age dependently activated different brain areas of the HPA axis during the SNRP. After P7, the response was more pronounced and included the BST, suggesting differential maturation of the HPA axis in response to nicotine.
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Affiliation(s)
- H F Schmitt
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Medicine, TX A&M University System, 203 Reynolds Medical Building, College Station, TX 77843-1114, USA
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