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Sal-Sarria S, Conejo NM, González-Pardo H. Maternal immune activation and its multifaceted effects on learning and memory in rodent offspring: A systematic review. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 164:105844. [PMID: 39106940 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2024] [Revised: 07/25/2024] [Accepted: 08/02/2024] [Indexed: 08/09/2024]
Abstract
This systematic review explored the impact of maternal immune activation (MIA) on learning and memory behavior in offspring, with a particular focus on sexual dimorphism. We analyzed 20 experimental studies involving rodent models (rats and mice) exposed to either lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or POLY I:C during gestation following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Our findings reveal that most studies report a detrimental impact of MIA on the learning and memory performance of offspring, highlighting the significant role of prenatal environmental factors in neurodevelopment. Furthermore, this review underscores the complex effects of sex, with males often exhibiting more pronounced cognitive impairment compared to females. Notably, a small subset of studies report enhanced cognitive function following MIA, suggesting complex, context-dependent outcomes of prenatal immune challenges. This review also highlights sex differences caused by the effects of MIA in terms of cytokine responses, alterations in gene expression, and differences in microglial responses as factors that contribute to the cognitive outcomes observed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saúl Sal-Sarria
- Laboratory of Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, University of Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain; Institute of Neurosciences of the Principality of Asturias (INEUROPA), Oviedo, Spain; Health Research Institute of the Principality of Asturias (ISPA), Oviedo, Spain.
| | - Nélida M Conejo
- Laboratory of Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, University of Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain; Institute of Neurosciences of the Principality of Asturias (INEUROPA), Oviedo, Spain; Health Research Institute of the Principality of Asturias (ISPA), Oviedo, Spain.
| | - Héctor González-Pardo
- Laboratory of Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, University of Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain; Institute of Neurosciences of the Principality of Asturias (INEUROPA), Oviedo, Spain; Health Research Institute of the Principality of Asturias (ISPA), Oviedo, Spain.
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2
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Yotova AY, Li LL, O'Leary A, Tegeder I, Reif A, Courtney MJ, Slattery DA, Freudenberg F. Synaptic proteome perturbations after maternal immune activation: Identification of embryonic and adult hippocampal changes. Brain Behav Immun 2024; 121:351-364. [PMID: 39089536 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2024.07.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2024] [Revised: 07/10/2024] [Accepted: 07/28/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Maternal immune activation (MIA) triggers neurobiological changes in offspring, potentially reshaping the molecular synaptic landscape, with the hippocampus being particularly vulnerable. However, critical details regarding developmental timing of these changes and whether they differ between males and females remain unclear. METHODS We induced MIA in C57BL/6J mice on gestational day nine using the viral mimetic poly(I:C) and performed mass spectrometry-based proteomic analyses on hippocampal synaptoneurosomes of embryonic (E18) and adult (20 ± 1 weeks) MIA offspring. RESULTS In the embryonic synaptoneurosomes, MIA led to lipid, polysaccharide, and glycoprotein metabolism pathway disruptions. In the adult synaptic proteome, we observed a dynamic shift toward transmembrane trafficking, intracellular signalling cascades, including cell death and growth, and cytoskeletal organisation. In adults, many associated pathways overlapped between males and females. However, we found distinct sex-specific enrichment of dopaminergic and glutamatergic pathways. We identified 50 proteins altered by MIA in both embryonic and adult samples (28 with the same directionality), mainly involved in presynaptic structure and synaptic vesicle function. We probed human phenome-wide association study data in the cognitive and psychiatric domains, and 49 of the 50 genes encoding these proteins were significantly associated with the investigated phenotypes. CONCLUSIONS Our data emphasise the dynamic effects of viral-like MIA on developing and mature hippocampi and provide novel targets for study following prenatal immune challenges. The 22 proteins that changed directionality from the embryonic to adult hippocampus, suggestive of compensatory over-adaptions, are particularly attractive for future investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Y Yotova
- Goethe University Frankfurt, University Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Frankfurt, Germany; Goethe University Frankfurt, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Institute of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Li-Li Li
- Turku Bioscience Centre, University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University, 20520 Turku, Finland; Turku Brain and Mind Center, University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University, 20014 Turku, Finland
| | - Aet O'Leary
- Goethe University Frankfurt, University Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Frankfurt, Germany; Department of Neuropsychopharmacology, Institute of Chemistry, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Irmgard Tegeder
- Goethe University Frankfurt, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Andreas Reif
- Goethe University Frankfurt, University Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Frankfurt, Germany; Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology ITMP, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60596 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Michael J Courtney
- Turku Bioscience Centre, University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University, 20520 Turku, Finland; Turku Brain and Mind Center, University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University, 20014 Turku, Finland
| | - David A Slattery
- Goethe University Frankfurt, University Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Florian Freudenberg
- Goethe University Frankfurt, University Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Frankfurt, Germany; Goethe University Frankfurt, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Institute of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Frankfurt, Germany.
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Rexrode LE, Hartley J, Showmaker KC, Challagundla L, Vandewege MW, Martin BE, Blair E, Bollavarapu R, Antonyraj RB, Hilton K, Gardiner A, Valeri J, Gisabella B, Garrett MR, Theoharides TC, Pantazopoulos H. Molecular profiling of the hippocampus of children with autism spectrum disorder. Mol Psychiatry 2024:10.1038/s41380-024-02441-8. [PMID: 38355786 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-024-02441-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Revised: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
Several lines of evidence point to a key role of the hippocampus in Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Altered hippocampal volume and deficits in memory for person and emotion related stimuli have been reported, along with enhanced ability for declarative memories. Mouse models have demonstrated a critical role of the hippocampus in social memory dysfunction, associated with ASD, together with decreased synaptic plasticity. Chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPGs), a family of extracellular matrix molecules, represent a potential key link between neurodevelopment, synaptic plasticity, and immune system signaling. There is a lack of information regarding the molecular pathology of the hippocampus in ASD. We conducted RNAseq profiling on postmortem human brain samples containing the hippocampus from male children with ASD (n = 7) and normal male children (3-14 yrs old), (n = 6) from the NIH NeuroBioBank. Gene expression profiling analysis implicated molecular pathways involved in extracellular matrix organization, neurodevelopment, synaptic regulation, and immune system signaling. qRT-PCR and Western blotting were used to confirm several of the top markers identified. The CSPG protein BCAN was examined with multiplex immunofluorescence to analyze cell-type specific expression of BCAN and astrocyte morphology. We observed decreased expression of synaptic proteins PSD95 (p < 0.02) and SYN1 (p < 0.02), increased expression of the extracellular matrix (ECM) protease MMP9 (p < 0.03), and decreased expression of MEF2C (p < 0.03). We also observed increased BCAN expression with astrocytes in children with ASD, together with altered astrocyte morphology. Our results point to alterations in immune system signaling, glia cell differentiation, and synaptic signaling in the hippocampus of children with ASD, together with alterations in extracellular matrix molecules. Furthermore, our results demonstrate altered expression of genes implicated in genetic studies of ASD including SYN1 and MEF2C.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay E Rexrode
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical School, Jackson, MS, USA
| | - Joshua Hartley
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical School, Jackson, MS, USA
| | | | - Lavanya Challagundla
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Mississippi Medical School, Jackson, MS, USA
| | | | - Brigitte E Martin
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Mississippi Medical School, Jackson, MS, USA
| | - Estelle Blair
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical School, Jackson, MS, USA
| | - Ratna Bollavarapu
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical School, Jackson, MS, USA
| | - Rhenius B Antonyraj
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical School, Jackson, MS, USA
| | - Keauna Hilton
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical School, Jackson, MS, USA
| | - Alex Gardiner
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical School, Jackson, MS, USA
| | - Jake Valeri
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical School, Jackson, MS, USA
- Program in Neuroscience, University of Mississippi Medical School, Jackson, MS, USA
| | - Barbara Gisabella
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical School, Jackson, MS, USA
- Program in Neuroscience, University of Mississippi Medical School, Jackson, MS, USA
| | - Michael R Garrett
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Mississippi Medical School, Jackson, MS, USA
| | - Theoharis C Theoharides
- Institute of Neuro-Immune Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Clearwater, FL, USA
- Department of Immunology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Harry Pantazopoulos
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical School, Jackson, MS, USA.
- Program in Neuroscience, University of Mississippi Medical School, Jackson, MS, USA.
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Patlola SR, Donohoe G, McKernan DP. Counting the Toll of Inflammation on Schizophrenia-A Potential Role for Toll-like Receptors. Biomolecules 2023; 13:1188. [PMID: 37627253 PMCID: PMC10452856 DOI: 10.3390/biom13081188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Revised: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are a family of pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) that are ubiquitously expressed in the human body. They protect the brain and central nervous system from self and foreign antigens/pathogens. The immune response elicited by these receptors culminates in the release of cytokines, chemokines, and interferons causing an inflammatory response, which can be both beneficial and harmful to neurodevelopment. In addition, the detrimental effects of TLR activation have been implicated in multiple neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, multiple sclerosis, etc. Many studies also support the theory that cytokine imbalance may be involved in schizophrenia, and a vast amount of literature showcases the deleterious effects of this imbalance on cognitive performance in the human population. In this review, we examine the current literature on TLRs, their potential role in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia, factors affecting TLR activity that contribute towards the risk of schizophrenia, and lastly, the role of TLRs and their impact on cognitive performance in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saahithh Redddi Patlola
- Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, School of Medicine, University of Galway, H91 TK33 Galway, Ireland;
| | - Gary Donohoe
- School of Psychology, University of Galway, H91 TK33 Galway, Ireland;
| | - Declan P. McKernan
- Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, School of Medicine, University of Galway, H91 TK33 Galway, Ireland;
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5
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Adolescent raloxifene treatment in females prevents cognitive deficits in a neurodevelopmental rodent model of schizophrenia. Behav Brain Res 2023; 441:114276. [PMID: 36574844 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2022.114276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Revised: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The existence of sex differences in schizophrenia is a well documented phenomenon which led to the hypothesis that female sex hormones are neuroprotective and hence responsible for the more favorable disease characteristics seen in women. The current study sought to investigate the effects of estrogen-like agents administered during early adolescence on behavioral outcomes in adulthood using the neurodevelopmental maternal immune activation (MIA) rodent model of schizophrenia. Female MIA offspring were administered during the asymptomatic period of adolescence with either 17β-estradiol, raloxifene or saline and were tested in late adolescence and adulthood for schizophrenia-related behavioral performance. We report here that whereas adult female MIA offspring exhibited cognitive deficits in the form of retarded spatial learning, the administration of raloxifene during adolescence was sufficient in preventing these deficits and resulted in intact performance in the MIA group.
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de Bartolomeis A, Barone A, Vellucci L, Mazza B, Austin MC, Iasevoli F, Ciccarelli M. Linking Inflammation, Aberrant Glutamate-Dopamine Interaction, and Post-synaptic Changes: Translational Relevance for Schizophrenia and Antipsychotic Treatment: a Systematic Review. Mol Neurobiol 2022; 59:6460-6501. [PMID: 35963926 PMCID: PMC9463235 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-022-02976-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 07/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Evidence from clinical, preclinical, and post-mortem studies supports the inflammatory/immune hypothesis of schizophrenia pathogenesis. Less evident is the link between the inflammatory background and two well-recognized functional and structural findings of schizophrenia pathophysiology: the dopamine-glutamate aberrant interaction and the alteration of dendritic spines architecture, both believed to be the “quantal” elements of cortical-subcortical dysfunctional network. In this systematic review, we tried to capture the major findings linking inflammation, aberrant glutamate-dopamine interaction, and post-synaptic changes under a direct and inverse translational perspective, a paramount picture that at present is lacking. The inflammatory effects on dopaminergic function appear to be bidirectional: the inflammation influences dopamine release, and dopamine acts as a regulator of discrete inflammatory processes involved in schizophrenia such as dysregulated interleukin and kynurenine pathways. Furthermore, the link between inflammation and glutamate is strongly supported by clinical studies aimed at exploring overactive microglia in schizophrenia patients and maternal immune activation models, indicating impaired glutamate regulation and reduced N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) function. In addition, an inflammatory/immune-induced alteration of post-synaptic density scaffold proteins, crucial for downstream NMDAR signaling and synaptic efficacy, has been demonstrated. According to these findings, a significant increase in plasma inflammatory markers has been found in schizophrenia patients compared to healthy controls, associated with reduced cortical integrity and functional connectivity, relevant to the cognitive deficit of schizophrenia. Finally, the link between altered inflammatory/immune responses raises relevant questions regarding potential new therapeutic strategies specifically for those forms of schizophrenia that are resistant to canonical antipsychotics or unresponsive to clozapine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea de Bartolomeis
- Laboratory of Molecular and Translational Psychiatry, University School of Medicine of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy. .,Unit of Treatment Resistant Psychosis, Section of Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Reproductive Science and Odontostomatology, University School of Medicine of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.
| | - Annarita Barone
- Laboratory of Molecular and Translational Psychiatry, University School of Medicine of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.,Unit of Treatment Resistant Psychosis, Section of Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Reproductive Science and Odontostomatology, University School of Medicine of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Licia Vellucci
- Laboratory of Molecular and Translational Psychiatry, University School of Medicine of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.,Unit of Treatment Resistant Psychosis, Section of Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Reproductive Science and Odontostomatology, University School of Medicine of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Benedetta Mazza
- Unit of Treatment Resistant Psychosis, Section of Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Reproductive Science and Odontostomatology, University School of Medicine of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Mark C Austin
- Clinical Psychopharmacology Program, College of Pharmacy, Idaho State University (ISU), Pocatello, ID, USA
| | - Felice Iasevoli
- Laboratory of Molecular and Translational Psychiatry, University School of Medicine of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.,Unit of Treatment Resistant Psychosis, Section of Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Reproductive Science and Odontostomatology, University School of Medicine of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Mariateresa Ciccarelli
- Laboratory of Molecular and Translational Psychiatry, University School of Medicine of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.,Unit of Treatment Resistant Psychosis, Section of Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Reproductive Science and Odontostomatology, University School of Medicine of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
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Normalizing hyperactivity of the Gunn rat with bilirubin-induced neurological disorders via ketanserin. Pediatr Res 2022; 91:556-564. [PMID: 33790408 DOI: 10.1038/s41390-021-01446-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2020] [Revised: 01/28/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Severe neonatal hyperbilirubinemia has been known to cause the clinical syndrome of kernicterus and a milder one the syndrome of bilirubin-induced neurologic dysfunction (BIND). BIND clinically manifests itself after the neonatal period as developmental delay, cognitive impairment, and related behavioral and psychiatric disorders. The complete picture of BIND is not clear. METHODS The Gunn rat is a mutant strain of the Wistar rat with the BIND phenotype, and it demonstrates abnormal behavior. We investigated serotonergic dysfunction in Gunn rats by pharmacological analyses and ex vivo neurochemical analyses. RESULTS Ketanserin, the 5-HT2AR antagonist, normalizes hyperlocomotion of Gunn rats. Both serotonin and its metabolites in the frontal cortex of Gunn rats were higher in concentrations than in control Wistar rats. The 5-HT2AR mRNA expression was downregulated without alteration of the protein abundance in the Gunn rat frontal cortex. The TPH2 protein level in the Gunn rat raphe region was significantly higher than that in the Wistar rat. CONCLUSIONS It would be of value to be able to postulate that a therapeutic strategy for BIND disorders would be the restoration of brain regions affected by the serotonergic dysfunction to normal operation to prevent before or to normalize after onset of BIND manifestations. IMPACT We demonstrated serotonergic dysregulation underlying hyperlocomotion in Gunn rats. This finding suggests that a therapeutic strategy for bilirubin-induced neurologic dysfunction (BIND) would be the restoration of brain regions affected by the serotonergic dysfunction to normal operation to prevent before or to normalize after the onset of the BIND manifestations. Ketanserin normalizes hyperlocomotion of Gunn rats. To our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate a hyperlocomotion link to serotonergic dysregulation in Gunn rats.
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Altered circadian rhythms in a mouse model of neurodevelopmental disorders based on prenatal maternal immune activation. Brain Behav Immun 2021; 93:119-131. [PMID: 33412254 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2020.12.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2020] [Revised: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 12/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders, such as schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorder, exhibit various sleep and circadian rhythm disturbances that often persist and worsen throughout the lifespan. To study the interaction between circadian rhythm disruption and neurodevelopmental disorders, we utilized a mouse model based on prenatal maternal immune activation (MIA). We hypothesized that MIA exposure would lead to impaired circadian locomotor activity rhythms in adult mouse offspring. We induced MIA by injecting pregnant dams with polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (poly IC) at embryonic day 9.5, then aged resulting offspring to adulthood. We first confirmed that poly IC injection in pregnant dams elevated plasma levels of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines. We then placed adult offspring in running wheels and subjected them to various lighting conditions. Overall, poly IC-exposed male offspring exhibited altered locomotor activity rhythms, reminiscent of individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders. In particular, we report increased (subjective) day activity across 3 different lighting conditions: 12 h of light, 12 h of dark (12:12LD), constant darkness (DD) and constant light. Further data analysis indicated that this was driven by increased activity in the beginning of the (subjective) day in 12:12LD and DD, and at the end of the day in 12:12LD. This effect was sex-dependent, as in utero poly IC exposure led overall to much milder alterations in locomotor activity rhythms in female offspring than in male offspring. We also confirmed that the observed behavioral impairments in adult poly IC-exposed offspring were not due to differences in maternal behavior. These data further our understanding of the link between circadian rhythm disruption and neurodevelopmental disorders and may have implications for mitigating risk to the disorders and/or informing the development of circadian-based therapies.
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Cieślik M, Gassowska-Dobrowolska M, Zawadzka A, Frontczak-Baniewicz M, Gewartowska M, Dominiak A, Czapski GA, Adamczyk A. The Synaptic Dysregulation in Adolescent Rats Exposed to Maternal Immune Activation. Front Mol Neurosci 2021; 13:555290. [PMID: 33519375 PMCID: PMC7840660 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2020.555290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2020] [Accepted: 11/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Maternal immune activation (MIA) is a risk factor for neurodevelopmental disorders in offspring, but the pathomechanism is largely unknown. The aim of our study was to analyse the molecular mechanisms contributing to synaptic alterations in hippocampi of adolescent rats exposed prenatally to MIA. MIA was evoked in pregnant female rats by i.p. administration of lipopolysaccharide at gestation day 9.5. Hippocampi of offspring (52-53-days-old rats) were analysed using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), qPCR and Western blotting. Moreover, mitochondrial membrane potential, activity of respiratory complexes, and changes in glutathione system were measured. It was found that MIA induced changes in hippocampi morphology, especially in the ultrastructure of synapses, including synaptic mitochondria, which were accompanied by impairment of mitochondrial electron transport chain and decreased mitochondrial membrane potential. These phenomena were in agreement with increased generation of reactive oxygen species, which was evidenced by a decreased reduced/oxidised glutathione ratio and an increased level of dichlorofluorescein (DCF) oxidation. Activation of cyclin-dependent kinase 5, and phosphorylation of glycogen synthase kinase 3β on Ser9 occurred, leading to its inhibition and, accordingly, to hypophosphorylation of microtubule associated protein tau (MAPT). Abnormal phosphorylation and dysfunction of MAPT, the manager of the neuronal cytoskeleton, harmonised with changes in synaptic proteins. In conclusion, this is the first study demonstrating widespread synaptic changes in hippocampi of adolescent offspring prenatally exposed to MIA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Cieślik
- Department of Cellular Signalling, Mossakowski Medical Research Centre Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | | | - Aleksandra Zawadzka
- Department of Cellular Signalling, Mossakowski Medical Research Centre Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | | | - Magdalena Gewartowska
- Electron Microscopy Platform, Mossakowski Medical Research Centre Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Dominiak
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacogenomics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medicine, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Grzegorz A Czapski
- Department of Cellular Signalling, Mossakowski Medical Research Centre Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Agata Adamczyk
- Department of Cellular Signalling, Mossakowski Medical Research Centre Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
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Nakagawa K, Yoshino H, Ogawa Y, Yamamuro K, Kimoto S, Noriyama Y, Makinodan M, Yamashita M, Saito Y, Kishimoto T. Maternal Immune Activation Affects Hippocampal Excitatory and Inhibitory Synaptic Transmission in Offspring From an Early Developmental Period to Adulthood. Front Cell Neurosci 2020; 14:241. [PMID: 32903758 PMCID: PMC7438877 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2020.00241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2020] [Accepted: 07/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the risk factors for schizophrenia is maternal infection. We have previously shown that Polyriboinosinic-polyribocytidylic acid (poly I:C) induced maternal immune activation in mice caused histological changes in the hippocampal CA1 area of offspring during the developmental period and impaired sensorimotor gating in offspring during adulthood, resulting in behavioral changes. However, it remains unclear how maternal immune activation functionally impacts the hippocampal neuronal activity of offspring. We studied the effect of prenatal poly I:C treatment on synaptic transmission of hippocampal CA1 pyramidal cells in postnatal and adult offspring. Treatment with poly I:C diminished excitatory and enhanced inhibitory (GABAergic) synaptic transmission on pyramidal cells in adult offspring. During the early developmental period, we still observed that treatment with poly I:C decreased excitatory synaptic transmission and potentially increased GABAergic synaptic transmission, which was uncovered under a condition of high extracellular potassium-activated neurons. In conclusion, we demonstrate that maternal immune activation decreased excitatory and increased inhibitory synaptic transmission on hippocampal pyramidal cells from an early developmental period to adulthood, which could result in net inhibition in conjunction with poor functional organization and integration of hippocampal circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keiju Nakagawa
- Department of Psychiatry, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, Japan
| | - Hiroki Yoshino
- Department of Psychiatry, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, Japan
| | - Yoichi Ogawa
- Department of Neurophysiology, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, Japan
| | | | - Sohei Kimoto
- Department of Psychiatry, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, Japan
| | | | - Manabu Makinodan
- Department of Psychiatry, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, Japan
| | - Masayuki Yamashita
- Center for Medical Science, International University of Health and Welfare, Otawara, Japan
| | - Yasuhiko Saito
- Department of Neurophysiology, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, Japan
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Ferreira FR, de Moura NSB, Hassib L, Pombo TR. Resveratrol ameliorates the effect of maternal immune activation associated with schizophrenia in adulthood offspring. Neurosci Lett 2020; 734:135100. [PMID: 32473196 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2020.135100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2019] [Revised: 05/20/2020] [Accepted: 05/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Maternal exposure to infectious agents such as arboviruses, bacteria, or other protozoans has been associated with an elevated risk of schizophrenia (SZ). Evidence suggests that immunological processes occurring during infection may disturb the neural progenitor, impacting the central nervous system (CNS) functions. Moreover, growing evidence suggests that resveratrol (RSV) has neuroprotective activity through anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory mechanisms. Therefore, we investigated if the treatment with RSV during pregnancy would prevent the abnormalities associated with a SZ-like phenotype induced by maternal immune activation (MIA). Pregnant dams stimulated with a subcutaneous (s.c.) injection of polyriboinosinic-polyribocytidylic acid (poly I:C; 50 mg/kg), a viral nucleic acid mimetic or vehicle, on gestational day (GD) 12.5, were treated with RSV (40 mg/kg, s.c.) or saline, from GD 9.5 to GD 14.5. On day 45 after birth, the offspring was evaluated using a three-compartment social interaction test, elevated plus maze, and hyperlocomotion test induced by amphetamine. After the behavioral tests, the relative expression of mRNA to synapsin 1 (Syn1), oligodendrocyte transcription factor 1 (Olig1), and SRY (sex-determining region Y)-box 2 (Sox2) was determined in the hippocampus and cortex. Treatment with RSV restored the social behavior and attenuated the hyperlocomotion of the offspring bred by dams submitted to MIA. RSV prevented the effects of MIA on Syn1 and Olig1 expression in the hippocampus and Syn1 in the cortex. The present study showed that maternal treatment with RSV attenuates some of the negative behavioral impacts caused by MIA, with modulation of synaptic and oligodendrogenesis processes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nathalia Souza Barros de Moura
- Lab. of Cardiovascular Investigations, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Lucas Hassib
- Lab. of Cardiovascular Investigations, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Thatiane Rebelo Pombo
- Lab. of Cardiovascular Investigations, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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12
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Chen CY, Shih YC, Hung YF, Hsueh YP. Beyond defense: regulation of neuronal morphogenesis and brain functions via Toll-like receptors. J Biomed Sci 2019; 26:90. [PMID: 31684953 PMCID: PMC6827257 DOI: 10.1186/s12929-019-0584-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2019] [Accepted: 10/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are well known as critical pattern recognition receptors that trigger innate immune responses. In addition, TLRs are expressed in neurons and may act as the gears in the neuronal detection/alarm system for making good connections. As neuronal differentiation and circuit formation take place along with programmed cell death, neurons face the challenge of connecting with appropriate targets while avoiding dying or dead neurons. Activation of neuronal TLR3, TLR7 and TLR8 with nucleic acids negatively modulates neurite outgrowth and alters synapse formation in a cell-autonomous manner. It consequently influences neural connectivity and brain function and leads to deficits related to neuropsychiatric disorders. Importantly, neuronal TLR activation does not simply duplicate the downstream signal pathways and effectors of classical innate immune responses. The differences in spatial and temporal expression of TLRs and their ligands likely account for the diverse signaling pathways of neuronal TLRs. In conclusion, the accumulated evidence strengthens the idea that the innate immune system of neurons serves as an alarm system that responds to exogenous pathogens as well as intrinsic danger signals and fine-tune developmental processes of neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiung-Ya Chen
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, 128, Academia Rd., Sec. 2, Taipei, 11529, Taiwan, Republic of China.
| | - Yi-Chun Shih
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, 128, Academia Rd., Sec. 2, Taipei, 11529, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Yun-Fen Hung
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, 128, Academia Rd., Sec. 2, Taipei, 11529, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Yi-Ping Hsueh
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, 128, Academia Rd., Sec. 2, Taipei, 11529, Taiwan, Republic of China.
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13
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Hao K, Su X, Luo B, Cai Y, Chen T, Yang Y, Shao M, Song M, Zhang L, Zhong Z, Li W, Lv L. Prenatal immune activation induces age-related alterations in rat offspring: Effects upon NMDA receptors and behaviors. Behav Brain Res 2019; 370:111946. [PMID: 31112730 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2019.111946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2019] [Revised: 04/28/2019] [Accepted: 05/14/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Prenatal exposure to polyriboinosinic-polyribocytidylic acid (poly I:C) results in psychotic-like behavior in mature rat offspring as well as enduring modifications of glutamatergic excitatory synaptic transmission. However, little is known about the dynamic behavioral and glutamate N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor changes in rat offspring following poly I:C treatment of pregnant dams. In this study, poly I:C was administered to rats intravenously at a dose of 10 mg/kg on gestational day 9 in order to assess changes in behavior and NMDA receptors in offspring over time. Results demonstrate progressive worsening behaviors in adolescents and adults that manifest as increased anxiety, cognitive impairment, and pre-pulse inhibition deficits. Age-related alteration of NMDA receptors in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus, either total number or distribution, were observed from weaning to adulthood. These results suggest that abnormalities of NMDA receptors occur prior to obvious schizophrenia-like behavioral manifestations. Hence, NMDA receptors may be potential therapeutic targets to prevent disease development during asymptomatic periods of schizophrenia, and may serve as targets for preventive and/or therapeutic strategies for schizophrenia. Further, PSD95, a scaffolding protein that is a component of the NMDA receptor signaling complex, is increased in the hippocampus of adult offspring, when serious behavioral abnormalities emerge. This result suggests that PSD95 may be involved in behavioral abnormalities of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keke Hao
- Henan Mental Hospital, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, China; Henan Key Lab of Biological Psychiatry of Xinxiang Medical University, China; Institute of Psychiatry and Neuroscience of Xinxiang Medical University.
| | - Xi Su
- Henan Mental Hospital, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, China; Henan Key Lab of Biological Psychiatry of Xinxiang Medical University, China.
| | - Binbin Luo
- Henan Mental Hospital, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, China; Henan Key Lab of Biological Psychiatry of Xinxiang Medical University, China.
| | - Yaqi Cai
- Henan Mental Hospital, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, China; Henan Key Lab of Biological Psychiatry of Xinxiang Medical University, China.
| | - Tengfei Chen
- Henan Mental Hospital, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, China; Henan Key Lab of Biological Psychiatry of Xinxiang Medical University, China.
| | - Yongfeng Yang
- Henan Mental Hospital, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, China; Henan Key Lab of Biological Psychiatry of Xinxiang Medical University, China.
| | - Minglong Shao
- Henan Mental Hospital, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, China; Henan Key Lab of Biological Psychiatry of Xinxiang Medical University, China.
| | - Meng Song
- Henan Mental Hospital, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, China; Henan Key Lab of Biological Psychiatry of Xinxiang Medical University, China.
| | - Luwen Zhang
- Henan Mental Hospital, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, China; Henan Key Lab of Biological Psychiatry of Xinxiang Medical University, China.
| | - Zhaoxi Zhong
- Henan Mental Hospital, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, China.
| | - Wenqiang Li
- Henan Mental Hospital, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, China; Henan Key Lab of Biological Psychiatry of Xinxiang Medical University, China.
| | - Luxian Lv
- Henan Mental Hospital, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, China; Henan Key Lab of Biological Psychiatry of Xinxiang Medical University, China.
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14
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Wang HL, Pei DE, Yang RD, Wan CL, Ye YM, Peng SS, Zeng QQ, Yu Y. Prenatal maternal vaginal inflammation increases anxiety and alters HPA axis signalling in adult male mice. Int J Dev Neurosci 2019; 75:27-35. [PMID: 30954504 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2019.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2018] [Revised: 03/30/2019] [Accepted: 04/01/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Maternal infection during pregnancy is known to adversely affect foetal development, but previous studies have rarely investigated the impact of gynaecological diseases during pregnancy on offspring during adulthood. Vaginitis is one of the most prevalent gynaecological diseases during pregnancy. METHODS The effect of maternal vaginal inflammation on offspring was simulated by inducing maternal vaginal infection. We performed a transvaginal injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in pregnant mice to induce vaginitis and investigated their offspring by means of behavioural tests and molecular and cellular measurements. RESULTS Behavioural tests revealed that the offspring of mothers transvaginally injected with LPS exhibited sex-dependent differences. Male offspring showed increased anxiety-related behaviours, including reduced time exploring the open arm in the elevated plus maze test and light chamber in the light-dark box test. Serum levels of corticosterone were increased in LPS male offspring, indicating activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) protein expression and c-Fos positive cells were increased in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) in LPS male offspring, which presented with an increased number of microglia. CONCLUSION This study suggests that prenatal vaginal infection increases anxiety-like behaviour in male offspring, possibly via activation of the HPA axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huan-Li Wang
- Guangzhou Institute of Dermatology, Guangzhou 510095, China
| | - De-En Pei
- Department of Pathology, Foshan Chancheng Central Hospital, Foshan 528031, Guangdong, China
| | - Ri-Dong Yang
- Guangzhou Institute of Dermatology, Guangzhou 510095, China
| | - Chang-Lan Wan
- Guangzhou Institute of Dermatology, Guangzhou 510095, China
| | - Yan-Mei Ye
- Department of Obstetrics, Baoan Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Jinan University, Shenzhen 518100, China
| | - Shan-Shan Peng
- Department of Obstetrics, Baoan Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Jinan University, Shenzhen 518100, China
| | - Qing-Qin Zeng
- Department of Obstetrics, Baoan Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Jinan University, Shenzhen 518100, China
| | - Yan Yu
- Department of Obstetrics, Baoan Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Jinan University, Shenzhen 518100, China; Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Birth Defects in Baoan Maternal and Child Health Care Affiliated Hospital in Jinan University, Shenzhen, China.
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15
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Missault S, Anckaerts C, Ahmadoun S, Blockx I, Barbier M, Bielen K, Shah D, Kumar-Singh S, De Vos WH, Van der Linden A, Dedeurwaerdere S, Verhoye M. Hypersynchronicity in the default mode-like network in a neurodevelopmental animal model with relevance for schizophrenia. Behav Brain Res 2019; 364:303-316. [PMID: 30807809 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2019.02.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2018] [Revised: 02/22/2019] [Accepted: 02/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Immune activation during pregnancy is an important risk factor for schizophrenia. Brain dysconnectivity and NMDA receptor (NMDAR) hypofunction have been postulated to be central to schizophrenia pathophysiology. The aim of this study was to investigate resting-state functional connectivity (resting-state functional MRI-rsfMRI), microstructure (diffusion tension imaging-DTI) and response to NMDAR antagonist (pharmacological fMRI-phMRI) using multimodal MRI in offspring of pregnant dams exposed to immune challenge (maternal immune activation-MIA model), and determine whether these neuroimaging readouts correlate with schizophrenia-related behaviour. METHODS Pregnant rats were injected with Poly I:C or saline on gestational day 15. The maternal weight response was assessed. Since previous research has shown behavioural deficits can differ between MIA offspring dependent on the maternal response to immune stimulus, offspring were divided into three groups: controls (saline, n = 11), offspring of dams that gained weight (Poly I:C WG, n = 12) and offspring of dams that lost weight post-MIA (Poly I:C WL, n = 16). Male adult offspring were subjected to rsfMRI, DTI, phMRI with NMDAR antagonist, behavioural testing and histological assessment. RESULTS Poly I:C WL offspring exhibited increased functional connectivity in default mode-like network (DMN). Poly I:C WG offspring showed the most pronounced attenuation in NMDAR antagonist response versus controls. DTI revealed no differences in Poly I:C offspring versus controls. Poly I:C offspring exhibited anxiety. CONCLUSIONS MIA offspring displayed a differential pathophysiology depending on the maternal response to immune challenge. While Poly I:C WL offspring displayed hypersynchronicity in the DMN, altered NMDAR antagonist response was most pronounced in Poly I:C WG offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephan Missault
- Experimental Laboratory of Translational Neuroscience and Otolaryngology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium; Bio-Imaging Lab, Faculty of Pharmaceutical, Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium.
| | - Cynthia Anckaerts
- Bio-Imaging Lab, Faculty of Pharmaceutical, Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Soumaya Ahmadoun
- Experimental Laboratory of Translational Neuroscience and Otolaryngology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Ines Blockx
- Bio-Imaging Lab, Faculty of Pharmaceutical, Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Michaël Barbier
- Laboratory of Cell Biology and Histology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical, Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Kenny Bielen
- Molecular Pathology Group, Laboratory of Cell Biology and Histology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Disha Shah
- Bio-Imaging Lab, Faculty of Pharmaceutical, Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Samir Kumar-Singh
- Molecular Pathology Group, Laboratory of Cell Biology and Histology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Winnok H De Vos
- Laboratory of Cell Biology and Histology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical, Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium; Cell Systems & Imaging, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, University of Ghent, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Gent, Belgium
| | - Annemie Van der Linden
- Bio-Imaging Lab, Faculty of Pharmaceutical, Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Stefanie Dedeurwaerdere
- Experimental Laboratory of Hematology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Marleen Verhoye
- Bio-Imaging Lab, Faculty of Pharmaceutical, Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
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16
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Bergdolt L, Dunaevsky A. Brain changes in a maternal immune activation model of neurodevelopmental brain disorders. Prog Neurobiol 2018; 175:1-19. [PMID: 30590095 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2018.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 144] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2018] [Revised: 12/13/2018] [Accepted: 12/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The developing brain is sensitive to a variety of insults. Epidemiological studies have identified prenatal exposure to infection as a risk factor for a range of neurological disorders, including autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia. Animal models corroborate this association and have been used to probe the contribution of gene-environment interactions to the etiology of neurodevelopmental disorders. Here we review the behavior and brain phenotypes that have been characterized in MIA offspring, including the studies that have looked at the interaction between maternal immune activation and genetic risk factors for autism spectrum disorder or schizophrenia. These phenotypes include behaviors relevant to autism, schizophrenia, and other neurological disorders, alterations in brain anatomy, and structural and functional neuronal impairments. The link between maternal infection and these phenotypic changes is not fully understood, but there is increasing evidence that maternal immune activation induces prolonged immune alterations in the offspring's brain which could underlie epigenetic alterations which in turn may mediate the behavior and brain changes. These concepts will be discussed followed by a summary of the pharmacological interventions that have been tested in the maternal immune activation model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara Bergdolt
- University of Nebraska Medical Center, Neurological Sciences, 985960 Nebraska Medical Center, 68105, Omaha, NE, United States
| | - Anna Dunaevsky
- University of Nebraska Medical Center, Neurological Sciences, 985960 Nebraska Medical Center, 68105, Omaha, NE, United States.
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17
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Pozzi D, Menna E, Canzi A, Desiato G, Mantovani C, Matteoli M. The Communication Between the Immune and Nervous Systems: The Role of IL-1β in Synaptopathies. Front Mol Neurosci 2018; 11:111. [PMID: 29674955 PMCID: PMC5895746 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2018.00111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2018] [Accepted: 03/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
In the last 15 years, groundbreaking genetic progress has underlined a convergence onto coherent synaptic pathways for most psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders, which are now collectively called “synaptopathies.” However, the modest size of inheritance detected so far indicates a multifactorial etiology for these disorders, underlining the key contribution of environmental effects to them. Inflammation is known to influence the risk and/or severity of a variety of synaptopathies. In particular, pro-inflammatory cytokines, produced and released in the brain by activated astrocytes and microglia, may play a pivotal role in these pathologies. Although the link between immune system activation and defects in cognitive processes is nowadays clearly established, the knowledge of the molecular mechanisms by which inflammatory mediators specifically hit synaptic components implicated in synaptopathies is still in its infancy. This review summarizes recent evidence showing that the pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-1β (IL-1β) specifically targets synaptopathy molecular substrate, leading to memory defects and pathological processes. In particular, we describe three specific pathways through which IL-1β affects (1) synaptic maintenance/dendritic complexity, (2) spine morphology, and (3) the excitatory/inhibitory balance. We coin the term immune synaptopathies to identify this class of diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davide Pozzi
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Rozzano, Italy.,Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, Rozzano, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Menna
- Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, Rozzano, Italy.,Istituto di Neuroscienze, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Milan, Italy
| | - Alice Canzi
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Rozzano, Italy
| | - Genni Desiato
- Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, Rozzano, Italy.,School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milan-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Michela Matteoli
- Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, Rozzano, Italy.,Istituto di Neuroscienze, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Milan, Italy
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18
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Antonson AM, Balakrishnan B, Radlowski EC, Petr G, Johnson RW. Altered Hippocampal Gene Expression and Morphology in Fetal Piglets following Maternal Respiratory Viral Infection. Dev Neurosci 2018. [PMID: 29539630 DOI: 10.1159/000486850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Maternal infection during pregnancy increases the risk of neurobehavioral problems in offspring. Evidence from rodent models indicates that the maternal immune response to infection can alter fetal brain development, particularly in the hippocampus. However, information on the effects of maternal viral infection on fetal brain development in gyrencephalic species is limited. Thus, the objective of this study was to assess several effects of maternal viral infection in the last one-third of gestation on hippocampal gene expression and development in fetal piglets. Pregnant gilts were inoculated with porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) at gestational day (GD) 76 and the fetuses were removed by cesarean section at GD 111 (3 days before anticipated parturition). The gilts infected with PRRSV had elevated plasma interleukin-6 levels and developed transient febrile and anorectic responses lasting approximately 21 days. Despite having a similar overall body weight, fetuses from the PRRSV-infected gilts had a decreased brain weight and altered hippocampal gene expression compared to fetuses from control gilts. Notably, maternal infection caused a reduction in estimated neuronal numbers in the fetal dentate gyrus and subiculum. The number of proliferative Ki-67+ cells was not altered, but the relative integrated density of GFAP+ staining was increased, in addition to an increase in GFAP gene expression, indicating astrocyte-specific gliosis. Maternal viral infection caused an increase in fetal hippocampal gene expression of the inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IFN-γ and the myelination marker myelin basic protein. MHCII protein, a classic monocyte activation marker, was reduced in microglia, while expression of the MHCII gene was decreased in hippocampal tissue of the fetuses from PRRSV-infected gilts. Together, these data suggest that maternal viral infection at the beginning of the last trimester results in a reduction in fetal hippocampal neurons that is evident 5 weeks after infection, when fetal piglets are near full term. The neuronal reduction was not accompanied by pronounced neuroinflammation at GD 111, indicating that any activation of classic neuroinflammatory pathways by maternal viral infection, if present, is mostly resolved by parturition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrienne M Antonson
- Department of Animal Sciences, Laboratory of Integrative Immunology and Behavior, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| | - Bindu Balakrishnan
- Department of Animal Sciences, Laboratory of Integrative Immunology and Behavior, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| | - Emily C Radlowski
- Department of Animal Sciences, Laboratory of Integrative Immunology and Behavior, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| | - Geraldine Petr
- Department of Animal Sciences, Laboratory of Integrative Immunology and Behavior, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| | - Rodney W Johnson
- Department of Animal Sciences, Laboratory of Integrative Immunology and Behavior, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA.,Division of Nutritional Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA.,Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
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19
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Konefal SC, Stellwagen D. Tumour necrosis factor-mediated homeostatic synaptic plasticity in behavioural models: testing a role in maternal immune activation. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2017; 372:rstb.2016.0160. [PMID: 28093554 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2016.0160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/09/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The proinflammatory cytokine tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα) has long been characterized for its role in the innate immune system, but more recently has been found to have a distinct role in the nervous system that does not overlap with other proinflammatory cytokines. Through regulation of neuronal glutamate and GABA receptor trafficking, TNF mediates a homeostatic form of synaptic plasticity, but plays no direct role in Hebbian forms of plasticity. As yet, there is no evidence to suggest that this adaptive plasticity plays a significant role in normal development, but it does maintain neuronal circuit function in the face of several types of disruption. This includes developmental plasticity in primary sensory cortices, as well as modulating the response to antidepressants, chronic antipsychotics and drugs of abuse. TNF is also a prominent component of the neuroinflammation occurring in most neuropathologies, but the role of TNF-mediated synaptic plasticity in this context remains to be determined. We tested this in a maternal immune activation (MIA) model of neurodevelopmental disorders. Using TNF-/- mice, we observed that TNF is not required for the expression of abnormal social or anxious behaviour in this model. This indicates that TNF does not uniquely contribute to the development of neuronal dysfunction in this model, and suggests that during neuroinflammatory events, compensation between the various proinflammatory cytokines is the norm.This article is part of the themed issue 'Integrating Hebbian and homeostatic plasticity'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah C Konefal
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Centre for Research in Neuroscience, The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3G 1A4
| | - David Stellwagen
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Centre for Research in Neuroscience, The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3G 1A4
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20
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Paolicelli RC, Ferretti MT. Function and Dysfunction of Microglia during Brain Development: Consequences for Synapses and Neural Circuits. Front Synaptic Neurosci 2017; 9:9. [PMID: 28539882 PMCID: PMC5423952 DOI: 10.3389/fnsyn.2017.00009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 126] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2017] [Accepted: 04/27/2017] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Many diverse factors, ranging from stress to infections, can perturb brain homeostasis and alter the physiological activity of microglia, the immune cells of the central nervous system. Microglia play critical roles in the process of synaptic maturation and brain wiring during development. Any perturbation affecting microglial physiological function during critical developmental periods could result in defective maturation of synaptic circuits. In this review, we critically appraise the recent literature on the alterations of microglial activity induced by environmental and genetic factors occurring at pre- and early post-natal stages. Furthermore, we discuss the long-lasting consequences of early-life microglial perturbation on synaptic function and on vulnerability to neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosa C Paolicelli
- IREM, Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of ZurichZürich, Switzerland.,ZNZ Neuroscience Center ZurichZürich, Switzerland
| | - Maria T Ferretti
- IREM, Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of ZurichZürich, Switzerland.,ZNZ Neuroscience Center ZurichZürich, Switzerland
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21
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Giovanoli S, Weber-Stadlbauer U, Schedlowski M, Meyer U, Engler H. Prenatal immune activation causes hippocampal synaptic deficits in the absence of overt microglia anomalies. Brain Behav Immun 2016; 55:25-38. [PMID: 26408796 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2015.09.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2015] [Revised: 09/22/2015] [Accepted: 09/23/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Prenatal exposure to infectious or inflammatory insults can increase the risk of developing neuropsychiatric disorder in later life, including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and autism. These brain disorders are also characterized by pre- and postsynaptic deficits. Using a well-established mouse model of maternal exposure to the viral mimetic polyriboinosinic-polyribocytidilic acid [poly(I:C)], we examined whether prenatal immune activation might cause synaptic deficits in the hippocampal formation of pubescent and adult offspring. Based on the widely appreciated role of microglia in synaptic pruning, we further explored possible associations between synaptic deficits and microglia anomalies in offspring of poly(I:C)-exposed and control mothers. We found that prenatal immune activation induced an adult onset of presynaptic hippocampal deficits (as evaluated by synaptophysin and bassoon density). The early-life insult further caused postsynaptic hippocampal deficits in pubescence (as evaluated by PSD95 and SynGAP density), some of which persisted into adulthood. In contrast, prenatal immune activation did not change microglia (or astrocyte) density, nor did it alter their activation phenotypes. The prenatal manipulation did also not cause signs of persistent systemic inflammation. Despite the absence of overt glial anomalies or systemic inflammation, adult offspring exposed to prenatal immune activation displayed increased hippocampal IL-1β levels. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that age-dependent synaptic deficits and abnormal pro-inflammatory cytokine expression can occur during postnatal brain maturation in the absence of microglial anomalies or systemic inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Giovanoli
- Physiology and Behavior Laboratory, ETH Zurich, Schwerzenbach, Switzerland
| | - Ulrike Weber-Stadlbauer
- Physiology and Behavior Laboratory, ETH Zurich, Schwerzenbach, Switzerland; Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich-Vetsuisse, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Manfred Schedlowski
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Immunobiology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Urs Meyer
- Physiology and Behavior Laboratory, ETH Zurich, Schwerzenbach, Switzerland; Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich-Vetsuisse, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Harald Engler
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Immunobiology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
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22
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Hollins SL, Cairns MJ. MicroRNA: Small RNA mediators of the brains genomic response to environmental stress. Prog Neurobiol 2016; 143:61-81. [PMID: 27317386 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2016.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2016] [Revised: 05/24/2016] [Accepted: 06/11/2016] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
The developmental processes that establish the synaptic architecture of the brain while retaining capacity for activity-dependent remodeling, are complex and involve a combination of genetic and epigenetic influences. Dysregulation of these processes can lead to problems with neural circuitry which manifest in humans as a range of neurodevelopmental syndromes, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and fragile X mental retardation. Recent studies suggest that prenatal, postnatal and intergenerational environmental factors play an important role in the aetiology of stress-related psychopathology. A number of these disorders have been shown to display epigenetic changes in the postmortem brain that reflect early life experience. These changes affect the regulation of gene expression though chromatin remodeling (transcriptional) and post-transcriptional influences, especially small noncoding microRNA (miRNA). These dynamic and influential molecules appear to play an important function in both brain development and its adaption to stress. In this review, we examine the role of miRNA in mediating the brain's response to both prenatal and postnatal environmental perturbations and explore how stress- induced alterations in miRNA expression can regulate the stress response via modulation of the immune system. Given the close relationship between environmental stress, miRNA, and brain development/function, we assert that miRNA hold a significant position at the molecular crossroads between neural development and adaptations to environmental stress. A greater understanding of the dynamics that mediate an individual's predisposition to stress-induced neuropathology has major human health benefits and is an important area of research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharon L Hollins
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy and the Hunter Medical Research Institute, the University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia
| | - Murray J Cairns
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy and the Hunter Medical Research Institute, the University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia; Schizophrenia Research Institute, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
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Cassella SN, Hemmerle AM, Lundgren KH, Kyser TL, Ahlbrand R, Bronson SL, Richtand NM, Seroogy KB. Maternal immune activation alters glutamic acid decarboxylase-67 expression in the brains of adult rat offspring. Schizophr Res 2016; 171:195-9. [PMID: 26830319 PMCID: PMC4803111 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2016.01.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2015] [Revised: 01/15/2016] [Accepted: 01/19/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Activation of the maternal innate immune system, termed "maternal immune activation" (MIA), represents a common environmental risk factor for schizophrenia. Whereas evidence suggests dysregulation of GABA systems may underlie the pathophysiology of schizophrenia, a role for MIA in alteration of GABAergic systems is less clear. Here, pregnant rats received either the viral mimetic polyriboinosinic-polyribocytidilic acid or vehicle injection on gestational day 14. Glutamic acid decarboxylase-67 (GAD67) mRNA expression was examined in male offspring at postnatal day (P)14, P30 and P60. At P60, GAD67 mRNA was elevated in hippocampus and thalamus and decreased in prefrontal cortex of MIA offspring. MIA-induced alterations in GAD expression could contribute to the pathophysiology of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah N Cassella
- Department of Neurology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
| | - Ann M Hemmerle
- Department of Neurology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
| | - Kerstin H Lundgren
- Department of Neurology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
| | - Tara L Kyser
- Department of Neurology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
| | - Rebecca Ahlbrand
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
| | - Stefanie L Bronson
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
| | - Neil M Richtand
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA; San Diego Veterans Affairs Healthcare System, San Diego, CA 92161, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Kim B Seroogy
- Department of Neurology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA.
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Maternal immune activation produces neonatal excitability defects in offspring hippocampal neurons from pregnant rats treated with poly I:C. Sci Rep 2016; 6:19106. [PMID: 26742695 PMCID: PMC4705483 DOI: 10.1038/srep19106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2015] [Accepted: 12/02/2015] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Maternal immune activation (MIA) resulting from prenatal exposure to infectious pathogens or inflammatory stimuli is increasingly recognized to play an important etiological role in neuropsychiatric disorders with neurodevelopmental features. MIA in pregnant rodents induced by injection of the synthetic double-stranded RNA, Poly I:C, a mimic of viral infection, leads to a wide spectrum of behavioral abnormalities as well as structural and functional defects in the brain. Previous MIA studies using poly I:C prenatal treatment suggested that neurophysiological alterations occur in the hippocampus. However, these investigations used only juvenile or adult animals. We postulated that MIA-induced alterations could occur earlier at neonatal/early postnatal stages. Here we examined the neurophysiological properties of cultured pyramidal-like hippocampal neurons prepared from neonatal (P0-P2) offspring of pregnant rats injected with poly I:C. Offspring neurons from poly I:C-treated mothers exhibited significantly lower intrinsic excitability and stronger spike frequency adaptation, compared to saline. A similar lower intrinsic excitability was observed in CA1 pyramidal neurons from hippocampal slices of two weeks-old poly I:C offspring. Cultured hippocampal neurons also displayed lower frequency of spontaneous firing, higher charge transfer of IPSCs and larger amplitude of miniature IPSCs. Thus, maternal immune activation leads to strikingly early neurophysiological abnormalities in hippocampal neurons.
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Patrich E, Piontkewitz Y, Peretz A, Weiner I, Attali B. Maturation- and sex-sensitive depression of hippocampal excitatory transmission in a rat schizophrenia model. Brain Behav Immun 2016; 51:240-251. [PMID: 26327125 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2015.08.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2015] [Revised: 08/20/2015] [Accepted: 08/27/2015] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia is associated with behavioral and brain structural abnormalities, of which the hippocampus appears to be one of the most consistent region affected. Previous studies performed on the poly I:C model of schizophrenia suggest that alterations in hippocampal synaptic transmission and plasticity take place in the offspring. However, these investigations yielded conflicting results and the neurophysiological alterations responsible for these deficits are still unclear. Here we performed for the first time a longitudinal study examining the impact of prenatal poly I:C treatment and of gender on hippocampal excitatory neurotransmission. In addition, we examined the potential preventive/curative effects of risperidone (RIS) treatment during the peri-adolescence period. Excitatory synaptic transmission was determined by stimulating Schaffer collaterals and monitoring fiber volley amplitude and slope of field-EPSP (fEPSP) in CA1 pyramidal neurons in male and female offspring hippocampal slices from postnatal days (PNDs) 18-20, 34, 70 and 90. Depression of hippocampal excitatory transmission appeared at juvenile age in male offspring of the poly I:C group, while it expressed with a delay in female, manifesting at adulthood. In addition, a reduced hippocampal size was found in both adult male and female offspring of poly I:C treated dams. Treatment with RIS at the peri-adolescence period fully restored in males but partly repaired in females these deficiencies. A maturation- and sex-dependent decrease in hippocampal excitatory transmission occurs in the offspring of poly I:C treated pregnant mothers. Pharmacological intervention with RIS during peri-adolescence can cure in a gender-sensitive fashion early occurring hippocampal synaptic deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eti Patrich
- Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel; Department of Psychology, Gordon Faculty of Social Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel; Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Yael Piontkewitz
- Strauss Center for Computational Neuroimaging, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Asher Peretz
- Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Ina Weiner
- Department of Psychology, Gordon Faculty of Social Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel; Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Bernard Attali
- Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel; Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel.
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26
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Filiano AJ, Gadani SP, Kipnis J. Interactions of innate and adaptive immunity in brain development and function. Brain Res 2015; 1617:18-27. [PMID: 25110235 PMCID: PMC4320678 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2014.07.050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 147] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2014] [Revised: 07/28/2014] [Accepted: 07/30/2014] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
It has been known for decades that the immune system has a tremendous impact on behavior. Most work has described the negative role of immune cells on the central nervous system. However, we and others have demonstrated over the last decade that a well-regulated immune system is needed for proper brain function. Here we discuss several neuro-immune interactions, using examples from brain homeostasis and disease states. We will highlight our understanding of the consequences of malfunctioning immunity on neurodevelopment and will discuss the roles of the innate and adaptive immune system in neurodevelopment and how T cells maintain a proper innate immune balance in the brain surroundings and within its parenchyma. Also, we describe how immune imbalance impairs higher order brain functioning, possibly leading to behavioral and cognitive impairment. Lastly, we propose our hypothesis that some behavioral deficits in neurodevelopmental disorders, such as in autism spectrum disorder, are the consequence of malfunctioning immunity. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled SI: Neuroimmunology in Health And Disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony J Filiano
- Center for Brain Immunology and Glia (BIG), Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA.
| | - Sachin P Gadani
- Center for Brain Immunology and Glia (BIG), Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA; Graduate Program in Neuroscience and Medical Scientist Training Program, School of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA
| | - Jonathan Kipnis
- Center for Brain Immunology and Glia (BIG), Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA; Graduate Program in Neuroscience and Medical Scientist Training Program, School of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA
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Leza JC, García-Bueno B, Bioque M, Arango C, Parellada M, Do K, O'Donnell P, Bernardo M. Inflammation in schizophrenia: A question of balance. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2015; 55:612-26. [PMID: 26092265 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2015.05.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 144] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2014] [Revised: 04/22/2015] [Accepted: 05/18/2015] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
In the past decade, there has been renewed interest in immune/inflammatory changes and their associated oxidative/nitrosative consequences as key pathophysiological mechanisms in schizophrenia and related disorders. Both brain cell components (microglia, astrocytes, and neurons) and peripheral immune cells have been implicated in inflammation and the resulting oxidative/nitrosative stress (O&NS) in schizophrenia. Furthermore, down-regulation of endogenous antioxidant and anti-inflammatory mechanisms has been identified in biological samples from patients, although the degree and progression of the inflammatory process and the nature of its self-regulatory mechanisms vary from early onset to full-blown disease. This review focuses on the interactions between inflammation and O&NS, their damaging consequences for brain cells in schizophrenia, the possible origins of inflammation and increased O&NS in the disorder, and current pharmacological strategies to deal with these processes (mainly treatments with anti-inflammatory or antioxidant drugs as add-ons to antipsychotics).
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan C Leza
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Complutense University, Madrid, Spain; Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria (IIS) Hospital 12 de Octubre (i+12), Madrid, Spain.
| | - Borja García-Bueno
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Complutense University, Madrid, Spain; Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria (IIS) Hospital 12 de Octubre (i+12), Madrid, Spain
| | - Miquel Bioque
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Complutense University, Madrid, Spain; Barcelona Clínic Schizophrenia Unit, Hospital Clínic Barcelona, University of Barcelona, IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Celso Arango
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Complutense University, Madrid, Spain; Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain; Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department, IIS Hospital Gregorio Marañón (IISGM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Mara Parellada
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Complutense University, Madrid, Spain; Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain; Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department, IIS Hospital Gregorio Marañón (IISGM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Kim Do
- Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | - Miguel Bernardo
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Complutense University, Madrid, Spain; Barcelona Clínic Schizophrenia Unit, Hospital Clínic Barcelona, University of Barcelona, IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain
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28
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Majidi-Zolbanin J, Doosti MH, Kosari-Nasab M, Salari AA. Prenatal maternal immune activation increases anxiety- and depressive-like behaviors in offspring with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. Neuroscience 2015; 294:69-81. [PMID: 25779966 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2015.03.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2014] [Revised: 03/06/2015] [Accepted: 03/07/2015] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is thought to result from a combination of genetics and environmental factors. Several lines of evidence indicate that significant prevalence of anxiety and depression-related disorders in MS patients can influence the progression of the disease. Although we and others have already reported the consequences of prenatal maternal immune activation on anxiety and depression, less is known about the interplay between maternal inflammation, MS and gender. We here investigated the effects of maternal immune activation with Poly I:C during mid-gestation on the progression of clinical symptoms of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE; a mouse model of MS), and then anxiety- and depressive-like behaviors in non-EAE and EAE-induced offspring were evaluated. Stress-induced corticosterone and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) levels in EAE-induced offspring were also measured. Maternal immune activation increased anxiety and depression in male offspring, but not in females. This immune challenge also resulted in an earlier onset of the EAE clinical signs in male offspring and enhanced the severity of the disease in both male and female offspring. Interestingly, the severity of the disease was associated with increased anxiety/depressive-like behaviors and elevated corticosterone or TNF-α levels in both sexes. Overall, these data suggest that maternal immune activation with Poly I:C during mid-pregnancy increases anxiety- and depressive-like behaviors, and the clinical symptoms of EAE in a sex-dependent manner in non-EAE or EAE-induced offspring. Finally, the progression of EAE in offspring seems to be linked to maternal immune activation-induced dysregulation in neuro-immune-endocrine system.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Majidi-Zolbanin
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - M-H Doosti
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - M Kosari-Nasab
- Drug Applied Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - A-A Salari
- Drug Applied Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; Laboratory of Neuropsychopharmacology and Psychoneuroimmunology, Hayyan Research Institute, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran.
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29
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Booth CA, Brown JT, Randall AD. Neurophysiological modification of CA1 pyramidal neurons in a transgenic mouse expressing a truncated form of disrupted-in-schizophrenia 1. Eur J Neurosci 2014; 39:1074-90. [PMID: 24712988 PMCID: PMC4232873 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.12549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2013] [Revised: 02/04/2014] [Accepted: 02/06/2014] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
A t(1;11) balanced chromosomal translocation transects the Disc1 gene in a large Scottish family and produces genome-wide linkage to schizophrenia and recurrent major depressive disorder. This study describes our in vitro investigations into neurophysiological function in hippocampal area CA1 of a transgenic mouse (DISC1tr) that expresses a truncated version of DISC1 designed to reproduce aspects of the genetic situation in the Scottish t(1;11) pedigree. We employed both patch-clamp and extracellular recording methods in vitro to compare intrinsic properties and synaptic function and plasticity between DISC1tr animals and wild-type littermates. Patch-clamp analysis of CA1 pyramidal neurons (CA1-PNs) revealed no genotype dependence in multiple subthreshold parameters, including resting potential, input resistance, hyperpolarization-activated ‘sag’ and resonance properties. Suprathreshold stimuli revealed no alteration to action potential (AP) waveform, although the initial rate of AP production was higher in DISC1tr mice. No difference was observed in afterhyperpolarizing potentials following trains of 5–25 APs at 50 Hz. Patch-clamp analysis of synaptic responses in the Schaffer collateral commissural (SC) pathway indicated no genotype-dependence of paired pulse facilitation, excitatory postsynaptic potential summation or AMPA/NMDA ratio. Extracellular recordings also revealed an absence of changes to SC synaptic responses and indicated input–output and short-term plasticity were also unaltered in the temporoammonic (TA) input. However, in DISC1tr mice theta burst-induced long-term potentiation was enhanced in the SC pathway but completely lost in the TA pathway. These data demonstrate that expressing a truncated form of DISC1 affects intrinsic properties of CA1-PNs and produces pathway-specific effects on long-term synaptic plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clair A Booth
- School of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Bristol, Medical Sciences Building, University Walk, Bristol, BS8 1TD, UK
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30
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McDougle CJ, Landino SM, Vahabzadeh A, O'Rourke J, Zurcher NR, Finger BC, Palumbo ML, Helt J, Mullett JE, Hooker JM, Carlezon WA. Toward an immune-mediated subtype of autism spectrum disorder. Brain Res 2014; 1617:72-92. [PMID: 25445995 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2014.09.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2014] [Revised: 09/15/2014] [Accepted: 09/20/2014] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
A role for immunological involvement in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has long been hypothesized. This review includes four sections describing (1) evidence for a relationship between familial autoimmune disorders and ASD; (2) results from post-mortem and neuroimaging studies that investigated aspects of neuroinflammation in ASD; (3) findings from animal model work in ASD involving inflammatory processes; and (4) outcomes from trials of anti-inflammatory/immune-modulating drugs in ASD that have appeared in the literature. Following each section, ideas are provided for future research, suggesting paths forward in the continuing effort to define the role of immune factors and inflammation in the pathophysiology of a subtype of ASD. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled SI: Neuroimmunology in Health And Disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J McDougle
- Lurie Center for Autism, Lexington, MA, United States; Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States.
| | - Samantha M Landino
- Behavioral Genetics Laboratory, Belmont, MA, United States; McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, United States
| | - Arshya Vahabzadeh
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States; McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, United States; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Julia O'Rourke
- Lurie Center for Autism, Lexington, MA, United States; Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Nicole R Zurcher
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Charlestown, MA, United States; Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Beate C Finger
- Behavioral Genetics Laboratory, Belmont, MA, United States; McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, United States; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Michelle L Palumbo
- Lurie Center for Autism, Lexington, MA, United States; Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Jessica Helt
- Lurie Center for Autism, Lexington, MA, United States; Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Jennifer E Mullett
- Lurie Center for Autism, Lexington, MA, United States; Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Jacob M Hooker
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Charlestown, MA, United States; Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - William A Carlezon
- Behavioral Genetics Laboratory, Belmont, MA, United States; McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, United States; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
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31
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Vorhees CV, Graham DL, Braun AA, Schaefer TL, Skelton MR, Richtand NM, Williams MT. Prenatal immune challenge in rats: effects of polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid on spatial learning, prepulse inhibition, conditioned fear, and responses to MK-801 and amphetamine. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2014; 47:54-65. [PMID: 25450663 DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2014.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2014] [Revised: 10/23/2014] [Accepted: 10/31/2014] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Prenatal maternal immune activation increases risk for schizophrenia and/or autism. Previous data suggest that maternal weight change in response to the immune activator polyinosinic-polycytidylic (Poly IC) in rats influences the severity of effect in the offspring as does the exposure period. We treated gravid Sprague-Dawley rats from E14 to 18 with 8mg/kg/day Poly IC or saline. The Poly IC group was divided into those that gained the least weight or lost (Poly IC (L)) and those that gained the most (Poly IC (H)) weight. There were no effects of Poly IC on anxiety (elevated zero-maze, open-field, object burying), or Morris water maze cued learning or working memory or Cincinnati water maze egocentric learning. The Poly IC (H) group males had decreased acoustic startle whereas Poly IC (L) females had reduced startle and increased PPI. Poly IC offspring showed exaggerated hyperactivity in response to amphetamine (primarily in the Poly IC (H) group) and attenuated hyperactivity in response to MK-801 challenge (primarily in the Poly IC (L) group). Poly IC (L) males showed reduced cued conditioned freezing; both sexes showed less time in the dark in a light-dark test, and the Poly IC groups showed impaired Morris water maze hidden platform acquisition and probe performance. The data demonstrate that offspring from the most affected dams were more affected than those from less reactive dams indicating that degree of maternal immune activation predicts severity of effects on offspring behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles V Vorhees
- Division of Child Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Research Foundation, 3333 Burnet Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45229, United States; Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, United States.
| | - Devon L Graham
- Department of Pharmacology and Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
| | - Amanda A Braun
- Division of Child Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Research Foundation, 3333 Burnet Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45229, United States; Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, United States
| | - Tori L Schaefer
- Division of Child Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Research Foundation, 3333 Burnet Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45229, United States; Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, United States
| | - Matthew R Skelton
- Division of Child Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Research Foundation, 3333 Burnet Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45229, United States; Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, United States
| | - Neil M Richtand
- Psychiatry Service, V-116A, VA San Diego Healthcare System, 3350 La Jolla Village Dr., San Diego, CA 92161, United States
| | - Michael T Williams
- Division of Child Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Research Foundation, 3333 Burnet Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45229, United States; Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, United States
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Vezzani A, Viviani B. Neuromodulatory properties of inflammatory cytokines and their impact on neuronal excitability. Neuropharmacology 2014; 96:70-82. [PMID: 25445483 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2014.10.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 413] [Impact Index Per Article: 41.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2014] [Revised: 10/24/2014] [Accepted: 10/29/2014] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Increasing evidence underlines that prototypical inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, TNF-α and IL-6) either synthesized in the central (CNS) or peripheral nervous system (PNS) by resident cells, or imported by immune blood cells, are involved in several pathophysiological functions, including an unexpected impact on synaptic transmission and neuronal excitability. This review describes these unconventional neuromodulatory properties of cytokines, that are distinct from their classical action as effector molecules of the immune system. In addition to the role of cytokines in brain physiology, we report evidence that dysregulation of their biosynthesis and cellular release, or alterations in receptor-mediated intracellular pathways in target cells, leads to neuronal cell dysfunction and modifications in neuronal network excitability. As a consequence, targeting of these cytokines, and related signalling molecules, is considered a novel option for the development of therapies in various CNS or PNS disorders associated with an inflammatory component. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled 'Neuroimmunology and Synaptic Function'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annamaria Vezzani
- IRCCS-Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche "Mario Negri", Department of Neuroscience, Milano, Italy.
| | - Barbara Viviani
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Milano, Italy.
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33
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Richetto J, Riva MA. Prenatal maternal factors in the development of cognitive impairments in the offspring. J Reprod Immunol 2014; 104-105:20-5. [PMID: 24794049 DOI: 10.1016/j.jri.2014.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2013] [Revised: 03/11/2014] [Accepted: 03/17/2014] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Different environmental factors acting during sensitive prenatal periods can have a negative impact on neurodevelopment and predispose the individual to the development of various psychiatric conditions that often share cognitive impairments as a common component. As cognitive symptoms remain one of the most challenging and resistant aspects of mental illness to be treated pharmacologically, it is important to investigate the mechanisms underlying such cognitive deficits, with particular focus on the impact of early life adverse events that predispose the individual to mental disorders. Multiple clinical studies have, in fact, repeatedly confirmed that prenatal maternal factors, such as infection, stress or malnutrition, are pivotal in shaping behavioral and cognitive functions of the offspring, and in the past decade many preclinical studies have investigated this hypothesis. The purpose of this review is to describe recent preclinical studies aimed at dissecting the relative impact of various prenatal maternal factors on the development of cognitive impairments in offspring, focusing on animal models of prenatal stress and prenatal infection. These recent studies point to the pivotal role of prenatal stressful experiences in shaping memory and learning functions associated with specific brain structures, such as the hippocampus and the prefrontal cortex. More importantly, such experimental evidence suggests that different insults converge on similar downstream functional targets, such as cognition, which may therefore represent an endophenotype for several pathological conditions. Future studies should thus focus on investigating the mechanisms contributing to the convergent action of different prenatal insults in order to identify targets for novel therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliet Richetto
- Center of Neuropharmacology, Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Marco A Riva
- Center of Neuropharmacology, Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.
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34
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Green HF, Nolan YM. Inflammation and the developing brain: Consequences for hippocampal neurogenesis and behavior. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2014; 40:20-34. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2014.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2013] [Revised: 01/12/2014] [Accepted: 01/13/2014] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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35
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Dickerson DD, Bilkey DK. Aberrant neural synchrony in the maternal immune activation model: using translatable measures to explore targeted interventions. Front Behav Neurosci 2013; 7:217. [PMID: 24409130 PMCID: PMC3873515 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2013.00217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2013] [Accepted: 12/16/2013] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Maternal exposure to infection occurring mid-gestation produces a three-fold increase in the risk of schizophrenia in the offspring. The critical initiating factor appears to be the maternal immune activation (MIA) that follows infection. This process can be induced in rodents by exposure of pregnant dams to the viral mimic Poly I:C, which triggers an immune response that results in structural, functional, behavioral, and electrophysiological phenotypes in the adult offspring that model those seen in schizophrenia. We used this model to explore the role of synchronization in brain neural networks, a process thought to be dysfunctional in schizophrenia and previously associated with positive, negative, and cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia. Exposure of pregnant dams to Poly I:C on GD15 produced an impairment in long-range neural synchrony in adult offspring between two regions implicated in schizophrenia pathology; the hippocampus and the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). This reduction in synchrony was ameliorated by acute doses of the antipsychotic clozapine. MIA animals have previously been shown to have impaired pre-pulse inhibition (PPI), a gold-standard measure of schizophrenia-like deficits in animal models. Our data showed that deficits in synchrony were positively correlated with the impairments in PPI. Subsequent analysis of LFP activity during the PPI response also showed that reduced coupling between the mPFC and the hippocampus following processing of the pre-pulse was associated with reduced PPI. The ability of the MIA intervention to model neurodevelopmental aspects of schizophrenia pathology provides a useful platform from which to investigate the ontogeny of aberrant synchronous processes. Further, the way in which the model expresses translatable deficits such as aberrant synchrony and reduced PPI will allow researchers to explore novel intervention strategies targeted to these changes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - David K Bilkey
- Department of Psychology, University of Otago Dunedin, New Zealand
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Savanthrapadian S, Wolff AR, Logan BJ, Eckert MJ, Bilkey DK, Abraham WC. Enhanced hippocampal neuronal excitability and LTP persistence associated with reduced behavioral flexibility in the maternal immune activation model of schizophrenia. Hippocampus 2013; 23:1395-409. [PMID: 23966340 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.22193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/16/2013] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Individuals with schizophrenia display a number of structural and cytoarchitectural alterations in the hippocampus, suggesting that other functions such as synaptic plasticity may also be modified. Altered hippocampal plasticity is likely to affect memory processing, and therefore any such pathology may contribute to the cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia, which includes prominent memory impairment. The current study tested whether prenatal exposure to infection, an environmental risk factor that has previously been associated with schizophrenia produced changes in hippocampal synaptic transmission or plasticity, using the maternal immune activation (MIA) animal model. We also assessed performance in hippocampus-dependent memory tasks to determine whether altered plasticity is associated with memory dysfunction. MIA did not alter basal synaptic transmission in either the dentate gyrus or CA1 of freely moving adult rats. It did, however, result in increased paired-pulse facilitation of the dentate gyrus population spike and an enhanced persistence of dentate long-term potentiation. MIA animals displayed slower learning of a reversed platform location in the water maze, and a similarly slowed learning during reversal in a spatial plus maze task. Together these findings are indicative of reduced behavioral flexibility in response to changes in task requirements. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that hippocampal plasticity is altered in schizophrenia, and that this change in plasticity mechanisms may underlie some aspects of cognitive dysfunction in this disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shakuntala Savanthrapadian
- Department of Psychology and the Brain Health Research Center, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
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Tang B, Jia H, Kast RJ, Thomas EA. Epigenetic changes at gene promoters in response to immune activation in utero. Brain Behav Immun 2013; 30:168-75. [PMID: 23402795 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2013.01.086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2012] [Revised: 01/21/2013] [Accepted: 01/29/2013] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Increasing evidence suggests that maternal infection increases the risk of psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia and autism in offspring. However, the molecular mechanisms associated with these effects are unclear. Here, we have studied epigenetic gene regulation in mice exposed to non-specific immune activation elicited by polyI:C injection to pregnant dams. Using Western blot analysis, we detected global hypoacetylation of histone H3, at lysine residues 9 and 14, and histone H4, at lysine residue 8, in the cortex from juvenile (∼24days of age) offspring exposed to polyI:C in utero, but not from adult (3months of age) offspring, which exhibit significant behavioral abnormalities. Accordingly, we detected robust deficits in the expression of genes associated with neuronal development, synaptic transmission and immune signaling in the cortex of polyI:C-exposed juvenile mice. In particular, we found that several genes in the glutamate receptor signaling pathway, including Gria1 and Slc17a7, showed decreases in promoter-specific histone acetylation, and corresponding gene expression deficits, in polyI:C-exposed offspring at both juvenile and adult ages. In contrast, the expression of these same genes, in addition to Disc1 and Ntrk3, was elevated in the hippocampus of juvenile mice, in concordance with elevated levels of promoter-specific histone acetylation. We suggest that these early epigenetic changes contribute to the delayed behavioral abnormalities that are observed in adult animals after exposure to polyI:C, and which resemble symptoms seen in schizophrenia and related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Tang
- Department of Molecular Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 N. Torrey Pines Red., La Jolla, CA 92037, United States
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Connor CM, Dincer A, Straubhaar J, Houston IB, Akbarian S, Akbarian S. Maternal immune activation alters behavior in adult offspring, with subtle changes in the cortical transcriptome and epigenome. Schizophr Res 2012; 140:175-84. [PMID: 22804924 PMCID: PMC3568668 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2012.06.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2012] [Revised: 06/21/2012] [Accepted: 06/25/2012] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Maternal immune activation during prenatal development, including treatment with the viral RNA mimic, polyriboinosinic-polyribocytidilic acid (poly IC), serves as a widely used animal model to induce behavioral deficits reminiscent of schizophrenia and related disease. Here, we report that massive cytokine activation after a single dose of poly IC in the prenatal period is associated with lasting working memory deficits in adult offspring. To explore whether dysregulated gene expression in cerebral cortex, contributes to cognitive dysfunction, we profiled the cortical transcriptome, and in addition, mapped the genome-wide distribution of trimethylated histone H3-lysine 4 (H3K4me3), an epigenetic mark sharply regulated at the 5' end of transcriptional units. However, deep sequencing-based H3K4me3 mapping and mRNA profiling by microarray did not reveal significant alterations in mature cerebral cortex after poly IC exposure at embryonic days E17.5 or E12.5. At a small set of genes (including suppressor of cytokine signaling Socs3), H3K4me3 was sensitive to activation of cytokine signaling in primary cultures from fetal forebrain but adult cortex of saline- and poly IC-exposed mice did not show significant differences. A limited set of transcription start sites (TSS), including Disrupted-in-Schizophrenia 1 (Disc1), a schizophrenia risk gene often implicated in gene-environment interaction models, showed altered H3K4me3 after prenatal poly IC but none of these differences survived after correcting for multiple comparisons. We conclude that prenatal poly IC is associated with cognitive deficits later in life, but without robust alterations in epigenetic regulation of gene expression in the cerebral cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline M Connor
- Department of Psychiatry, Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester MA 01604
| | - Aslihan Dincer
- Department of Psychiatry, Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester MA 01604
| | - Juerg Straubhaar
- Program in Molecular Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester MA 01604
| | - Isaac B Houston
- Department of Psychiatry, Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester MA 01604
| | - Schahram Akbarian
- Department of Psychiatry, Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester MA 01604
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Rana SA, Aavani T, Pittman QJ. Sex effects on neurodevelopmental outcomes of innate immune activation during prenatal and neonatal life. Horm Behav 2012; 62:228-36. [PMID: 22516179 PMCID: PMC3522744 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2012.03.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2012] [Revised: 03/25/2012] [Accepted: 03/28/2012] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Humans are exposed to potentially harmful agents (bacteria, viruses, toxins) throughout our lifespan; the consequences of such exposure can alter central nervous system development. Exposure to immunogens during pregnancy increases the risk of developing neurological disorders such as schizophrenia and autism. Further, sex hormones, such as estrogen, have strong modulatory effects on immune function and have also been implicated in the development of neuropathologies (e.g., schizophrenia and depression). Similarly, animal studies have demonstrated that immunogen exposure in utero or during the neonatal period, at a time when the brain is undergoing maturation, can induce changes in learning and memory, as well as dopamine-mediated behaviors in a sex-specific manner. Literature that covers the effects of immunogens on innate immune activation and ultimately the development of the adult brain and behavior is riddled with contradictory findings, and the addition of sex as a factor only adds to the complexity. This review provides evidence that innate immune activation during critical periods of development may have effects on the adult brain in a sex-specific manner. Issues regarding sex bias in research as well as variability in animal models of immune function are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Quentin J. Pittman
- Corresponding author at: Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Fax: +1 403 283 2700. (Q.J. Pittman)
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Bilbo SD, Schwarz JM. The immune system and developmental programming of brain and behavior. Front Neuroendocrinol 2012; 33:267-86. [PMID: 22982535 PMCID: PMC3484177 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2012.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 389] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2012] [Revised: 08/28/2012] [Accepted: 08/29/2012] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The brain, endocrine, and immune systems are inextricably linked. Immune molecules have a powerful impact on neuroendocrine function, including hormone-behavior interactions, during health as well as sickness. Similarly, alterations in hormones, such as during stress, can powerfully impact immune function or reactivity. These functional shifts are evolved, adaptive responses that organize changes in behavior and mobilize immune resources, but can also lead to pathology or exacerbate disease if prolonged or exaggerated. The developing brain in particular is exquisitely sensitive to both endogenous and exogenous signals, and increasing evidence suggests the immune system has a critical role in brain development and associated behavioral outcomes for the life of the individual. Indeed, there are associations between many neuropsychiatric disorders and immune dysfunction, with a distinct etiology in neurodevelopment. The goal of this review is to describe the important role of the immune system during brain development, and to discuss some of the many ways in which immune activation during early brain development can affect the later-life outcomes of neural function, immune function, mood and cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Staci D Bilbo
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, 572 Research Drive, Box 91050, Durham, NC 27708, USA.
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Vorhees CV, Graham DL, Braun AA, Schaefer TL, Skelton MR, Richtand NM, Williams MT. Prenatal immune challenge in rats: altered responses to dopaminergic and glutamatergic agents, prepulse inhibition of acoustic startle, and reduced route-based learning as a function of maternal body weight gain after prenatal exposure to poly IC. Synapse 2012; 66:725-37. [PMID: 22473973 DOI: 10.1002/syn.21561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2011] [Revised: 03/26/2012] [Accepted: 03/27/2012] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Prenatal maternal immune activation has been used to test the neurodevelopmental hypothesis of schizophrenia. Most of the data are in mouse models; far less is available for rats. We previously showed that maternal weight change in response to the immune activator polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (Poly IC) in rats differentially affects offspring. Therefore, we treated gravid Harlan Sprague-Dawley rats i.p. on embryonic day 14 with 8 mg/kg of Poly IC or Saline. The Poly IC group was divided into those that lost or gained the least weight, Poly IC (L), versus those that gained the most weight, Poly IC (H), following treatment. The study design controlled for litter size, litter sampling, sex distribution, and test experience. We found no effects of Poly IC on elevated zero maze, open-field activity, object burying, light-dark test, straight channel swimming, Morris water maze spatial acquisition, reversal, or shift navigation or spatial working or reference memory, or conditioned contextual or cued fear or latent inhibition. The Poly IC (H) group showed a significant decrease in the rate of route-based learning when visible cues were unavailable in the Cincinnati water maze and reduced prepulse inhibition of acoustic startle in females, but not males. The Poly IC (L) group exhibited altered responses to acute pharmacological challenges: exaggerated hyperactivity in response to (+)-amphetamine and an attenuated hyperactivity in response to MK-801. This model did not exhibit the cognitive, or latent inhibition deficits reported in Poly IC-treated rats but showed changes in response to drugs acting on neurotransmitter systems implicated in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia (dopaminergic hyperfunction and glutamatergic hypofunction).
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles V Vorhees
- Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Research Foundation, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229, USA.
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Macêdo DS, Araújo DP, Sampaio LRL, Vasconcelos SMM, Sales PMG, Sousa FCF, Hallak JE, Crippa JA, Carvalho AF. Animal models of prenatal immune challenge and their contribution to the study of schizophrenia: a systematic review. Braz J Med Biol Res 2012; 45:179-86. [PMID: 22392187 PMCID: PMC3854194 DOI: 10.1590/s0100-879x2012007500031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2011] [Accepted: 02/10/2012] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Prenatal immune challenge (PIC) in pregnant rodents produces offspring with abnormalities in behavior, histology, and gene expression that are reminiscent of schizophrenia and autism. Based on this, the goal of this article was to review the main contributions of PIC models, especially the one using the viral-mimetic particle polyriboinosinic-polyribocytidylic acid (poly-I:C), to the understanding of the etiology, biological basis and treatment of schizophrenia. This systematic review consisted of a search of available web databases (PubMed, SciELO, LILACS, PsycINFO, and ISI Web of Knowledge) for original studies published in the last 10 years (May 2001 to October 2011) concerning animal models of PIC, focusing on those using poly-I:C. The results showed that the PIC model with poly-I:C is able to mimic the prodrome and both the positive and negative/cognitive dimensions of schizophrenia, depending on the specific gestation time window of the immune challenge. The model resembles the neurobiology and etiology of schizophrenia and has good predictive value. In conclusion, this model is a robust tool for the identification of novel molecular targets during prenatal life, adolescence and adulthood that might contribute to the development of preventive and/or treatment strategies (targeting specific symptoms, i.e., positive or negative/cognitive) for this devastating mental disorder, also presenting biosafety as compared to viral infection models. One limitation of this model is the incapacity to model the full spectrum of immune responses normally induced by viral exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- D S Macêdo
- Departamento de Fisiologia e Farmacologia, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil.
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Oh-Nishi A, Obayashi S, Minamimoto T, Nagai Y, Hori Y, Suhara T. Preparation of acute living hippocampal slice from common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) for synaptic function analysis. Neurosci Res 2011; 72:275-8. [PMID: 22101369 DOI: 10.1016/j.neures.2011.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2011] [Revised: 10/15/2011] [Accepted: 11/04/2011] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
We described the preparation of acute living slices from the hippocampus of the neonatal common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus). Slices from a temporal lobe section were prepared quickly using a rotary slicer. By this method, we successfully recorded field potentials, namely, pre-synaptic fiber volley and field excitatory post-synaptic potentials, from the hippocampal CA1 region with conventional electrophysiological techniques, and analyzed the indicators of synaptic function such as input-output curve. This study thus presents an efficient preparation method for acute living hippocampal slice from which synaptic function of the hippocampus in non-human primate can be analyzed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arata Oh-Nishi
- Molecular Neuroimaging Program, Molecular Imaging Center, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, Chiba 263-8555, Japan.
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Abstract
A variety of features of autism can be simulated in rodents, including the core behavioral hallmarks of stereotyped and repetitive behaviors, and deficits in social interaction and communication. Other behaviors frequently found in autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) such as neophobia, enhanced anxiety, abnormal pain sensitivity and eye blink conditioning, disturbed sleep patterns, seizures, and deficits in sensorimotor gating are also present in some of the animal models. Neuropathology and some characteristic neurochemical changes that are frequently seen in autism, and alterations in the immune status in the brain and periphery are also found in some of the models. Several known environmental risk factors for autism have been successfully established in rodents, including maternal infection and maternal valproate administration. Also under investigation are a number of mouse models based on genetic variants associated with autism or on syndromic disorders with autistic features. This review briefly summarizes recent developments in this field, highlighting models with face and/or construct validity, and noting the potential for investigation of pathogenesis, and early progress toward clinical testing of potential therapeutics. Wherever possible, reference is made to reviews rather than to primary articles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul H. Patterson
- Division of Biology, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, 91125
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Abstract
We provide a brief review of findings supporting a role for prenatal infection in the etiology of schizophrenia. Our group and others have conducted birth cohort studies to address whether in utero exposure to infectious agents, prospectively documented by biomarker assays of archived maternal sera, and by detailed obstetric records, confer an increased risk of schizophrenia in adult offspring. Prenatal exposure to influenza, elevated toxoplasma antibody, rubella, genital-reproductive infections, and other infections have been associated with an increased risk of schizophrenia among offspring. Animal models have supported these epidemiologic findings by revealing that maternal immune activation causes phenotypes analogous to those found in patients with schizophrenia. Given that exposure to microbial agents are preventable or treatable, they suggest that interventions to diminish the incidence of infection during pregnancy have the potential to prevent an appreciable proportion of schizophrenia cases. Given the clear genetic component to schizophrenia, future studies should include investigations of interactions between prenatal infection and susceptibility genes in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan S Brown
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York State Psychiatric Institute New York, NY, USA
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