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Huang J, Yang W, Bao L, Yin B. Effects of Peripubertal Experiences on Competitive Behavior in Male Rats at Different Stages of Adulthood. Dev Psychobiol 2024; 66:e22544. [PMID: 39236223 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Revised: 08/12/2024] [Accepted: 08/14/2024] [Indexed: 09/07/2024]
Abstract
Past studies in animal models have extensively investigated the impact of early life experiences on behavioral development, yet relatively few have specifically examined the implications of peripubertal experiences on the evolution of competitive behavior across distinct stages of adulthood. In the current research, we probed potential differences in competitive behavior during emerging adulthood (3 months old) and middle adulthood (12 months old) in 81 Sprague-Dawley male rats exposed to three different peripubertal (postnatal Days 37-60) environments: an enriched environment (EE), a chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) condition, and a control condition. Anxiety-like behavior served as a positive control in our study. Results revealed significant variations in competitive behavior among the groups during emerging adulthood. The EE group displayed the least anxiety and outperformed their peers in food-reward-oriented competition, whereas the CUMS group excelled in status-driven, agonistic competition. However, these behavioral differentiations gradually attenuated by middle adulthood, at which point the control group began to show an advantage. Our findings suggest that although peripubertal experiences significantly shape competitive behavior in the emerging adulthood stage, this effect diminishes over time and is nearly non-detectable during mid-adulthood, underscoring the fluidity of behavioral development and demonstrating that the effects of peripubertal experiences can be modulated by subsequent life experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinkun Huang
- School of Psychology, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Wenjia Yang
- School of Psychology, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Lili Bao
- School of Psychology, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Bin Yin
- School of Psychology, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
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2
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Shangase KB, Luvuno M, Mabandla M. Effects of combined postweaning social isolation and ketamine administration on schizophrenia-like behaviour in male Sprague Dawley rats. Behav Brain Res 2024; 476:115214. [PMID: 39182622 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2024.115214] [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: 04/10/2024] [Revised: 08/08/2024] [Accepted: 08/21/2024] [Indexed: 08/27/2024]
Abstract
The pathophysiology behind negative and cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia is not well understood, thus limiting the effectiveness of treatment on these symptoms. Developing reliable animal model of schizophrenia is vital to advance our understanding on the neurobiological basis of the disorder. Double hit is used to refer to the use of two schizophrenia inducing interventions viz ketamine exposure and social isolation. In this study we aim to investigate the robustness of double hit model of schizophrenia in inducing negative and cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia. On postnatal day (PND) 23, thirty-two male Sprague Dawley rats were randomly grouped into four equal groups as follows: group housed + saline (GH), group housed + ketamine (GHK), isolated + saline (SI), and isolated + ketamine (SIK). A single ketamine dose (16 mg/kg) was administered 3 times a week for four weeks. Isolated animals were housed singly throughout the study. The following behavioural tests were carried out: elevated plus maze, three chamber social interaction, resident intruder tests, and novel object recognition (NOR). The SIK group exhibited high anxiety levels, with increased ACTH, corticosterone and norepinephrine concentration when compared to the other groups. The SIK animals also presented with reduced social interaction and decreased oxytocin concentration. SIK rats were more aggressive towards a juvenile intruder but had low testosterone concentration. The SIK group or double hit model showed impaired visual learning and memory and increased expression of proinflammatory cytokines. This suggest that the double hit model is more robust in inducing negative and cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia than each treatment alone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khanyiso Bright Shangase
- Department of Human Physiology, School of Laboratory Medicine and Medical Science, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4041, South Africa.
| | - Mluleki Luvuno
- Department of Human Physiology, School of Laboratory Medicine and Medical Science, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4041, South Africa
| | - Musa Mabandla
- Department of Human Physiology, School of Laboratory Medicine and Medical Science, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4041, South Africa
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3
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da Silva RPB, Pinheiro IL, da Silva RKB, Moretti EC, de Oliveira Neto OB, Ferraz-Pereira K, Galindo LCM. Social isolation and post-weaning environmental enrichment effects on rat emotional behavior and serotonergic system. Int J Dev Neurosci 2024; 84:265-280. [PMID: 38526313 DOI: 10.1002/jdn.10324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Social isolation (SI) is related to adverse neurobehavioral effects and neurochemical changes when it occurs early in development. On the other hand, environmental enrichment (EE) is associated with a reduction in anxiety-like and depression-like behavior, as well as an increase in serotonin (5-HT) levels in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus in rodents. This study systematically reviewed the effects of SI and EE on emotional behavior and serotonergic system components in rats after weaning. Primary experimental studies that used subgroups of rats subjected to SI, EE, and normal social conditions after weaning were considered eligible. Studies that used transgenic rodents, ex vivo studies, in vitro studies, human research, or in silico studies were ineligible. Two authors completed searches in Medline/PubMed, LILACS, Scopus, Web of Science, EMBASE, and Open Gray. The Kappa index was calculated to assess agreement between reviewers and assess study quality. The results showed that the animals exposed to EE showed better adaptation to a new environment. Furthermore, EE increased 5-HT levels in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex of rodents. Thus, it appears that an EE during the critical period of development may reduce anxiety/depression-like behaviors, as well as increase long-term neurotransmitter response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roxana Patrícia Bezerra da Silva
- Post-Graduate Program in Nutrition, Physical Activity and Phenotypic Plasticity, Federal University of Pernambuco, Vitória de Santo Antão, Brazil
| | - Isabeli Lins Pinheiro
- Post-Graduate Program in Nutrition, Physical Activity and Phenotypic Plasticity, Federal University of Pernambuco, Vitória de Santo Antão, Brazil
- Nutrition and Phenotypic Plasticity Study Unit, Department of Nutrition, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
| | - Regina Katiuska Bezerra da Silva
- Post-Graduate Program in Nutrition, Physical Activity and Phenotypic Plasticity, Federal University of Pernambuco, Vitória de Santo Antão, Brazil
| | | | | | - Kelli Ferraz-Pereira
- Nutrition and Phenotypic Plasticity Study Unit, Department of Nutrition, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
- Department Speech Therapy, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
| | - Lígia Cristina Monteiro Galindo
- Post-Graduate Program in Nutrition, Physical Activity and Phenotypic Plasticity, Federal University of Pernambuco, Vitória de Santo Antão, Brazil
- Nutrition and Phenotypic Plasticity Study Unit, Department of Nutrition, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
- Department of Anatomy, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
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4
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Aghighi F, Salami M, Talaei SA. Effect of postnatal environmental enrichment on LTP induction in the CA1 area of hippocampus of prenatally traffic noise-stressed female rats. AIMS Neurosci 2023; 10:269-281. [PMID: 38188003 PMCID: PMC10767064 DOI: 10.3934/neuroscience.2023021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2023] [Revised: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Early-life stress negatively alters mammalian brain programming. Environmental enrichment (EE) has beneficial effects on brain structure and function. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of postnatal environmental enrichment on long-term potentiation (LTP) induction in the hippocampal CA1 area of prenatally stressed female rats. The pregnant Wistar rats were housed in a standard animal room and exposed to traffic noise stress 2 hours/day during the third week of pregnancy. Their offspring either remained intact (ST) or received enrichment (SE) for a month starting from postnatal day 21. The control groups either remained intact (CO) or received enrichment (CE). Basic field excitatory post-synaptic potentials (fEPSPs) were recorded in the CA1 area; then, LTP was induced by high-frequency stimulation. Finally, the serum levels of corticosterone were measured. Our results showed that while the prenatal noise stress decreased the baseline responses of the ST rats when compared to the control rats (P < 0.001), the postnatal EE increased the fEPSPs of both the CE and SE animals when compared to the respective controls. Additionally, high-frequency stimulation (HFS) induced LTP in the fEPSPs of the CO rats (P < 0.001) and failed to induce LTP in the fEPSPs of the ST animals. The enriched condition caused increased potentiation of post-HFS responses in the controls (P < 0.001) and restored the disrupted synaptic plasticity of the CA1 area in the prenatally stressed rats. Likewise, the postnatal EE decreased the elevated serum corticosterone of prenatally stressed offspring (P < 0.001). In conclusion, the postnatal EE restored the stress induced impairment of synaptic plasticity in rats' female offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Sayyed Alireza Talaei
- Physiology Research Center, Institute for Basic Sciences, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, I. R. Iran
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Bozkurt S, Lannin NA, Mychasiuk R, Semple BD. Environmental modifications to rehabilitate social behavior deficits after acquired brain injury: What is the evidence? Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 152:105278. [PMID: 37295762 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105278] [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: 01/18/2023] [Revised: 04/22/2023] [Accepted: 05/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Social behavior deficits are a common, debilitating consequence of traumatic brain injury and stroke, particularly when sustained during childhood. Numerous factors influence the manifestation of social problems after acquired brain injuries, raising the question of whether environmental manipulations can minimize or prevent such deficits. Here, we examine both clinical and preclinical evidence addressing this question, with a particular focus on environmental enrichment paradigms and differing housing conditions. We aimed to understand whether environmental manipulations can ameliorate injury-induced social behavior deficits. In summary, promising data from experimental models supports a beneficial role of environmental enrichment on social behavior. However, limited studies have considered social outcomes in the chronic setting, and few studies have addressed the social context specifically as an important component of the post-injury environment. Clinically, limited high-caliber evidence supports the use of specific interventions for social deficits after acquired brain injuries. An improved understanding of how the post-injury environment interacts with the injured brain, particularly during development, is needed to validate the implementation of rehabilitative interventions that involve manipulating an individuals' environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salome Bozkurt
- Department of Neuroscience, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Natasha A Lannin
- Department of Neuroscience, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; Alfred Health, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; School of Allied Health (Occupational Therapy), La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Richelle Mychasiuk
- Department of Neuroscience, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; Alfred Health, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Bridgette D Semple
- Department of Neuroscience, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; Alfred Health, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; Department of Medicine (Royal Melbourne Hospital), The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
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Dill LK, Teymornejad S, Sharma R, Bozkurt S, Christensen J, Chu E, Rewell SS, Shad A, Mychasiuk R, Semple BD. Modulating chronic outcomes after pediatric traumatic brain injury: Distinct effects of social and environmental enrichment. Exp Neurol 2023; 364:114407. [PMID: 37059414 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2023.114407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Revised: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 04/16/2023]
Abstract
Impairments in social and cognitive function are a common consequence of pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI). Rehabilitation has the potential to promote optimal behavioral recovery. Here, we evaluated whether an enhanced social and/or cognitive environment could improve long-term outcomes in a preclinical model of pediatric TBI. Male C57Bl/6 J mice received a moderately-severe TBI or sham procedure at postnatal day 21. After one week, mice were randomized to different social conditions (minimal socialization, n = 2/cage; or social grouping, n = 6/cage), and housing conditions (standard cage, or environmental enrichment (EE), incorporating sensory, motor, and cognitive stimuli). After 8 weeks, neurobehavioral outcomes were assessed, followed by post-mortem neuropathology. We found that TBI mice exhibited hyperactivity, spatial memory deficits, reduced anxiety-like behavior, and reduced sensorimotor performance compared to age-matched sham controls. Pro-social and sociosexual behaviors were also reduced in TBI mice. EE increased sensorimotor performance, and the duration of sociosexual interactions. Conversely, social housing reduced hyperactivity and altered anxiety-like behavior in TBI mice, and reduced same-sex social investigation. TBI mice showed impaired spatial memory retention, except for TBI mice exposed to both EE and group housing. In the brain, while TBI led to significant regional tissue atrophy, social housing had modest neuroprotective effects on hippocampal volumes, neurogenesis, and oligodendrocyte progenitor numbers. In conclusion, manipulation of the post-injury environment has benefit for chronic behavioral outcomes, but the benefits are specific to the type of enrichment available. This study improves understanding of modifiable factors that may be harnessed to optimize long-term outcomes for survivors of early-life TBI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Larissa K Dill
- Department of Neuroscience, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia; Department of Neurology, Alfred Health, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia; The Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Sadaf Teymornejad
- Department of Neuroscience, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
| | - Rishabh Sharma
- Department of Neuroscience, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
| | - Salome Bozkurt
- Department of Neuroscience, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
| | - Jennaya Christensen
- Department of Neuroscience, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
| | - Erskine Chu
- Department of Neuroscience, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
| | - Sarah S Rewell
- Department of Neuroscience, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
| | - Ali Shad
- Department of Neuroscience, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia; Department of Neurology, Alfred Health, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
| | - Richelle Mychasiuk
- Department of Neuroscience, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia; Department of Neurology, Alfred Health, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
| | - Bridgette D Semple
- Department of Neuroscience, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia; Department of Neurology, Alfred Health, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia; Department of Medicine (Royal Melbourne Hospital), The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3050, Australia.
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7
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Davari S, D'Costa N, Ramezan R, Mielke JG. Chronic Early-Life Social Isolation Enhances Spatial Memory in Male and Female Rats. Behav Brain Res 2023; 447:114433. [PMID: 37037406 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2023.114433] [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: 12/21/2022] [Revised: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 04/07/2023] [Indexed: 04/12/2023]
Abstract
Social adversity during childhood and adolescence can alter brain development in ways that may increase the likelihood of many prominent mental illnesses. To determine the underlying mechanisms, several animal models have been developed, such as Chronic Early-Life Social Isolation (CELSI), which sees rats isolated for several weeks after weaning. Although such a paradigm does cause many consistent changes in adult behaviour, one area where uncertainty exists concerns its effect upon hippocampal-dependent learning and memory. To help sort out how CELSI affects spatial learning and memory, male and female siblings from 15 Sprague-Dawley rat litters were stratified by sex and then randomly assigned to either group-housing (3 animals/cage), or social isolation (1 animal/cage) for 7 weeks. Spatial learning and memory were then tested over 5 days using the Morris water maze. Next, the animals were euthanised, and stress-sensitive biometrics, including serum corticosterone levels, were collected. Lastly, to determine whether CELSI affected neural cell density, the expression of key neuronal and glial proteins (such as PSD-95 and GFAP, respectively) was assessed in isolated hippocampal tissue using immunoblotting. Notably, both male and female rats that had experienced post-weaning social isolation displayed stronger spatial learning and memory abilities than their group-housed counterparts. As well, socially isolated male rats exhibited a clear increase in expression of PSD-95. However, housing condition did not seem to affect either stress-sensitive biometrics, or hippocampal GFAP expression. Our results support the possibility that CELSI may enhance some aspects of hippocampal-dependent behaviour in a fashion similar among male and female rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saeideh Davari
- School of Public Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
| | - Nicole D'Costa
- School of Public Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
| | - Reza Ramezan
- Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
| | - John G Mielke
- School of Public Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada.
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Shirenova SD, Khlebnikova NN, Krupina NA. Changes in Sociability and Preference for Social Novelty in Female Rats in Prolonged Social Isolation. NEUROSCIENCE AND BEHAVIORAL PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 53:103-118. [PMID: 36969361 PMCID: PMC10006548 DOI: 10.1007/s11055-023-01395-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 03/25/2023]
Abstract
Chronic stress due to social isolation (SI) can lead to distress with negative consequences for both humans and animals. Numerous disorders caused by SI include disorders in the emotional-motivational domain and cognitive functions, as well as changes in social behavior. There are currently no data identifying the sequelae of SI when its duration is significantly increased. Although female rats have been shown to be highly sensitive to stress, research on them is lacking. The present study assessed sociability and preference for "social novelty" in a three-chamber social test in female Wistar rats in two series of experiments at different time points during prolonged SI, which began at adolescence and continued to ages 5.5 and 9.5 months. At two months of SI, rats showed an increased preference for a social object over a non-social object (increased sociability) simultaneously with the appearance of signs of a decrease in the preference for a new social object over an already familiar social object (signs of a decrease in the preference for social novelty). In a social interaction test, the rats also displayed increases in the durations of social contacts, including aggressive interactions; they showed a decrease in exploratory risk assessments (head dips from the open arms) in the elevated plus maze test and a decrease in exploratory activity. After SI lasting 8.5 months, the rats showed signs of social deficit and a marked decrease in the preference for social novelty. No signs of increased aggressiveness were found. Thus, the impact of SI on social behavior depended on its duration and, we believe, was accompanied by a change in coping strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- S. D. Shirenova
- Research Institute of General Pathology and Pathophysiology, Moscow, Russia
| | - N. N. Khlebnikova
- Research Institute of General Pathology and Pathophysiology, Moscow, Russia
| | - N. A. Krupina
- Research Institute of General Pathology and Pathophysiology, Moscow, Russia
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Ferrara NC, Trask S, Ritger A, Padival M, Rosenkranz JA. Developmental differences in amygdala projection neuron activation associated with isolation-driven changes in social preference. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:956102. [PMID: 36090658 PMCID: PMC9449454 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.956102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Adolescence is a developmental period characterized by brain maturation and changes in social engagement. Changes in the social environment influence social behaviors. Memories of social events, including remembering familiar individuals, require social engagement during encoding. Therefore, existing differences in adult and adolescent social repertoires and environmentally-driven changes in social behavior may impact novel partner preference, associated with social recognition. Several amygdala subregions are sensitive to the social environment and can influence social behavior, which is crucial for novelty preference. Amygdala neurons project to the septum and nucleus accumbens (NAc), which are linked to social engagement. Here, we investigated how the social environment impacts age-specific social behaviors during social encoding and its subsequent impact on partner preference. We then examined changes in amygdala-septal and -NAc circuits that accompany these changes. Brief isolation can drive social behavior in both adults and adolescents and was used to increase social engagement during encoding. We found that brief isolation facilitates social interaction in adolescents and adults, and analysis across time revealed that partner discrimination was intact in all groups, but there was a shift in preference within isolated and non-isolated groups. We found that this same isolation preferentially increases basal amygdala (BA) activity relative to other amygdala subregions in adults, but activity among amygdala subregions was similar in adolescents, even when considering conditions (no isolation, isolation). Further, we identify isolation-driven increases in BA-NAc and BA-septal circuits in both adults and adolescents. Together, these results provide evidence for changes in neuronal populations within amygdala subregions and their projections that are sensitive to the social environment that may influence the pattern of social interaction within briefly isolated groups during development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole C. Ferrara
- Department of Foundational Sciences and Humanities, Discipline of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, United States
- Center for Neurobiology of Stress Resilience and Psychiatric Disorders, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Sydney Trask
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
| | - Alexandra Ritger
- Center for Neurobiology of Stress Resilience and Psychiatric Disorders, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Mallika Padival
- Department of Foundational Sciences and Humanities, Discipline of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, United States
- Center for Neurobiology of Stress Resilience and Psychiatric Disorders, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, United States
| | - J. Amiel Rosenkranz
- Department of Foundational Sciences and Humanities, Discipline of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, United States
- Center for Neurobiology of Stress Resilience and Psychiatric Disorders, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, United States
- *Correspondence: J. Amiel Rosenkranz,
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Guven EB, Pranic NM, Unal G. The differential effects of brief environmental enrichment following social isolation in rats. COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2022; 22:818-832. [PMID: 35199313 PMCID: PMC8865499 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-022-00989-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Environmental enrichment (EE) in rodents is associated with a wide range of physiological, affective, and cognitive benefits. A seemingly opposite housing condition, social isolation (SI), is used as a rodent model of stress, negatively affecting several neurobiological mechanisms and hampering cognitive performance. Experimental designs that involve switching between these housing conditions produced mixed results. We evaluated different behavioral and cognitive effects of brief EE following long-term, SI-induced stress. We revealed the influence of enrichment after 30 days of isolation on behavioral despair, anxiety-like behavior, and spatial working memory in adult male Wistar rats and found a substantial anxiolytic effect in the experimental (SI to EE) group. Interestingly, rats exposed to EE also showed increased behavioral despair compared with the control (continuous SI) group. There was no difference in spatial working memory performance at the end of a 5-day water Y-maze (WYM) test. However, the SI to EE animals displayed better memory performance in the first 2 days of the WYM, indicating faster learning. In line with this difference, we recorded significantly more c-Fos-immunopositive (c-Fos+) cells in the retrosplenial and perirhinal cortices of the SI to EE animals. The lateral and basolateral nuclei of the amygdala showed no such difference. These results suggest that brief enrichment following isolation stress leads to differential results in affective and cognitive systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elif Beyza Guven
- Department of Psychology, Behavioral Neuroscience Laboratory, Boğaziçi University, 34342, Istanbul, Turkey
- Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Nicole Melisa Pranic
- Department of Psychology, Behavioral Neuroscience Laboratory, Boğaziçi University, 34342, Istanbul, Turkey
- Department of Psychology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Gunes Unal
- Department of Psychology, Behavioral Neuroscience Laboratory, Boğaziçi University, 34342, Istanbul, Turkey.
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11
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Social support and C-reactive protein in a Québec population cohort of children and adolescents. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0268210. [PMID: 35731783 PMCID: PMC9216536 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0268210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective Robust evidence exists for the health-enhancing benefits of social support in adults. Inflammatory processes are thought to be an important mechanism linking social support and health risk. Less is known about the relation between social support and chronic inflammation during childhood and adolescence, or when the association emerges during the lifespan. Method Data from the population-representative 1999 Quebec Child and Adolescent Health and Social (QCAHS) survey were analyzed. Youth aged 9, 13, and 16 years (N = 3613) and their parents answered questions about social support. A subsample (n = 2186) completed a fasting blood draw that was assayed for C-reactive protein (CRP). Findings Higher social support was significantly associated with lower hs-CRPlog, after controlling for age, sex, body mass index (BMI Z-score), medication use, puberty, ethnoracial status (French-Canadian), smoking, household income, and parental education (F = 25.88, p = < .001, Total R2adj = 10.2%). The association was largely similar for boys and girls, and strengthened with age. Conclusion Greater social support was linked to lower chronic low-grade inflammation in a large sample of children and adolescents. Effect sizes were small and consistent with prior findings in the adult literature. Importantly, these findings provide evidence that the relation between social support and inflammation emerges early in the lifespan. Future work should consider broader, more encompassing conceptualizations of social support, the role of social media, and prospective trajectories of social support and inflammatory markers.
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12
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Vitale EM, Smith AS. Neurobiology of Loneliness, Isolation, and Loss: Integrating Human and Animal Perspectives. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:846315. [PMID: 35464141 PMCID: PMC9029604 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.846315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2021] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
In social species such as humans, non-human primates, and even many rodent species, social interaction and the maintenance of social bonds are necessary for mental and physical health and wellbeing. In humans, perceived isolation, or loneliness, is not only characterized by physical isolation from peers or loved ones, but also involves negative perceptions about social interactions and connectedness that reinforce the feelings of isolation and anxiety. As a complex behavioral state, it is no surprise that loneliness and isolation are associated with dysfunction within the ventral striatum and the limbic system - brain regions that regulate motivation and stress responsiveness, respectively. Accompanying these neural changes are physiological symptoms such as increased plasma and urinary cortisol levels and an increase in stress responsivity. Although studies using animal models are not perfectly analogous to the uniquely human state of loneliness, studies on the effects of social isolation in animals have observed similar physiological symptoms such as increased corticosterone, the rodent analog to human cortisol, and also display altered motivation, increased stress responsiveness, and dysregulation of the mesocortical dopamine and limbic systems. This review will discuss behavioral and neuropsychological components of loneliness in humans, social isolation in rodent models, and the neurochemical regulators of these behavioral phenotypes with a neuroanatomical focus on the corticostriatal and limbic systems. We will also discuss social loss as a unique form of social isolation, and the consequences of bond disruption on stress-related behavior and neurophysiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erika M. Vitale
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Pharmacy, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, United States
| | - Adam S. Smith
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Pharmacy, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, United States
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13
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Rubio Arzola P, Shansky RM. Considering Organismal Physiology in Laboratory Studies of Rodent Behavior. Annu Rev Neurosci 2022; 45:387-402. [PMID: 35395164 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-neuro-111020-085500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Any experiment conducted in a rodent laboratory is done so against the backdrop of each animal's physiological state at the time of the experiment. This physiological state can be the product of multiple factors, both internal (e.g., animal sex, strain, hormone cycles, or circadian rhythms) and external (e.g., housing conditions, social status, and light/dark phases). Each of these factors has the potential to influence experimental outcomes, either independently or via interactions with others, and yet there is little consistency across laboratories in terms of the weight with which they are considered in experimental design. Such discrepancies-both in practice and in reporting-likely contribute to the perception of a reproducibility crisis in the field of behavioral neuroscience. In this review, we discuss how several of these sources of variability can impact outcomes within the realm of common learning and memory paradigms. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Neuroscience, Volume 45 is July 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rebecca M Shansky
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA;
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14
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Funabashi D, Wakiyama Y, Muto N, Kita I, Nishijima T. Social isolation is a direct determinant of decreased home-cage activity in mice: A within-subjects study using a body-implantable actimeter. Exp Physiol 2021; 107:133-146. [PMID: 34921441 DOI: 10.1113/ep090132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
NEW FINDINGS What is the central question of this study? It is generally recognized that social isolation is associated with physical inactivity; however, is social isolation a direct determinant of decreased physical activity? What is the main finding and its importance? We conducted a within-subjects experiment with the aid of a body-implantable actimeter. Our results clearly demonstrated that social isolation decreased home-cage activity in mice. This might have resulted from increased immobility and decreased vigorous activity, suggesting that avoiding social isolation is important to preventing physical inactivity. ABSTRACT An inactive lifestyle can negatively affect physiological and mental health. Social isolation is associated with physical inactivity; however, it remains uncertain whether social isolation is a direct determinant of decreased physical activity. Hence, we assessed whether social isolation decreases home-cage activity using a within-subjects design and examined the effects of social isolation on hippocampal neurogenesis in mice. This study used a body-implantable actimeter called nanotag®, which enabled us to measure home-cage activity despite housing the mice in groups. We first examined the influence of the intraperitoneal implantation of nanotag® on home-cage activity. Although nanotag® implantation decreased home-cage activity temporarily, 7 days post-implantation, it recovered to the same level as that of control (non-implanted) mice, suggesting that implantation of nanotag® does not have a negative influence on home-cage activity if mice undergo a 1-week recovery period after implantation. In the main experiment, after the 1-week baseline measurement performed while in group housing, the mice were placed in a group or in isolation. Home-cage activity was measured for an additional 4 weeks. Home-cage activity in isolated mice during the dark period decreased by 26% from pre-intervention to the last week of intervention. Furthermore, the reduction in the number of 5-minute epochs during which the activity count exceeded 301 (an index of vigorous activity) was significantly larger for isolated mice. Contrary to expectations, social isolation did not impair hippocampal neurogenesis. Our results demonstrate that social isolation is a direct determinant of decreased physical activity, possibly because of reduced vigorous physical activity. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daisuke Funabashi
- Department of Health Promotion Science, Graduate School of Human Health Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, 1-1 Minamiohsawa, Hachioji, Tokyo, 192-0397, Japan
| | - Yusuke Wakiyama
- Department of Health Promotion Science, Graduate School of Human Health Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, 1-1 Minamiohsawa, Hachioji, Tokyo, 192-0397, Japan
| | - Naoya Muto
- Department of Health Promotion Science, Graduate School of Human Health Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, 1-1 Minamiohsawa, Hachioji, Tokyo, 192-0397, Japan
| | - Ichiro Kita
- Department of Health Promotion Science, Graduate School of Human Health Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, 1-1 Minamiohsawa, Hachioji, Tokyo, 192-0397, Japan
| | - Takeshi Nishijima
- Department of Health Promotion Science, Graduate School of Human Health Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, 1-1 Minamiohsawa, Hachioji, Tokyo, 192-0397, Japan
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15
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Li DC, Hinton EA, Gourley SL. Persistent behavioral and neurobiological consequences of social isolation during adolescence. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2021; 118:73-82. [PMID: 34112579 PMCID: PMC8434983 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2021.05.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2021] [Revised: 04/05/2021] [Accepted: 05/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Meaningful social interactions are a fundamental human need, the lack of which can pose serious risks to an individual's physical and mental health. Across species, peer-oriented social behaviors are dramatically reshaped during adolescence, a developmental period characterized by dynamic changes in brain structure and function as individuals transition into adulthood. Thus, the experience of social isolation during this critical developmental stage may be especially pernicious, as it could permanently derail typical neurobiological processes that are necessary for establishing adaptive adult behaviors. The purpose of this review is to summarize investigations in which rodents were isolated during adolescence, then re-housed in typical social groups prior to testing, thus allowing the investigators to resolve the long-term consequences of social adversity experienced during adolescent sensitive periods, despite subsequent normalization of the social environment. Here, we discuss alterations in social, anxiety-like, cognitive, and decision-making behaviors in previously isolated adult rodents. We then explore corresponding neurobiological findings, focusing on the prefrontal cortex, including changes in synaptic densities and protein levels, white matter and oligodendrocyte function, and neuronal physiology. Made more urgent by the recent wave of social deprivation resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, especially amongst school-aged adolescents, understanding the mechanisms by which even transient social adversity can negatively impact brain function across the lifespan is of paramount importance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan C Li
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Emory University School of Medicine, USA; Graduate Training Program in Neuroscience, Emory University, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Emory University School of Medicine, USA; Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, USA.
| | - Elizabeth A Hinton
- Graduate Training Program in Neuroscience, Emory University, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Emory University School of Medicine, USA; Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, USA
| | - Shannon L Gourley
- Graduate Training Program in Neuroscience, Emory University, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Emory University School of Medicine, USA; Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, USA.
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16
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Methods and Challenges in Investigating Sex-Specific Consequences of Social Stressors in Adolescence in Rats: Is It the Stress or the Social or the Stage of Development? Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2021; 54:23-58. [PMID: 34455576 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2021_245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Adolescence is a time of social learning and social restructuring that is accompanied by changes in both the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. The activation of these axes by puberty and stressors, respectively, shapes adolescent development. Models of social stress in rats are used to understand the consequences of perturbations of the social environment for ongoing brain development. This paper reviews the challenges in investigating the sex-specific consequences of social stressors, sex differences in the models of social stress used in rats and the sex-specific effects on behaviour and provides an overview of sex differences in HPA responding to stressors, the variability in pubertal development and in strains of rats that require consideration in conducting such research, and directions for future research.
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17
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Drummond KD, Waring ML, Faulkner GJ, Blewitt ME, Perry CJ, Kim JH. Hippocampal neurogenesis mediates sex-specific effects of social isolation and exercise on fear extinction in adolescence. Neurobiol Stress 2021; 15:100367. [PMID: 34337114 PMCID: PMC8313755 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2021.100367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2021] [Revised: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Impaired extinction of conditioned fear is associated with anxiety disorders. Common lifestyle factors, like isolation stress and exercise, may alter the ability to extinguish fear. However, the effect of and interplay between these factors on adolescent fear extinction, and the relevant underlying neural mechanisms are unknown. Here we examined the effects of periadolescent social isolation and physical activity on adolescent fear extinction in rats and explored neurogenesis as a potential mechanism. Isolation stress impaired extinction recall in male adolescents, an effect prevented by exercise. Extinction recall in female adolescents was unaffected by isolation stress. However, exercise disrupted extinction recall in isolated females. Extinction recall in isolated females was positively correlated to the number of immature neurons in the ventral hippocampus, suggesting that exercise affected extinction recall via neurogenesis in females. Pharmacologically suppressing cellular proliferation in isolated adolescents using temozolomide blocked the effect of exercise on extinction recall in both sexes. Together, these findings highlight sex-specific outcomes of isolation stress and exercise on adolescent brain and behavior, and highlights neurogenesis as a potential mechanism underlying lifestyle effects on adolescent fear extinction. Periadolescent isolation stress disrupted extinction recall in male adolescents. Running prevented isolation-induced extinction recall deficit in male adolescents. Exercise impaired extinction recall in isolated female adolescents. Exercise increased hippocampal neurogenesis, except in isolated males. Suppression of neurogenesis blocked exercise effects in isolated adolescents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine D Drummond
- Mental Health Theme, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia.,Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
| | - Michelle L Waring
- Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
| | - Geoffrey J Faulkner
- Mater Research Institute - University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, QLD, 4102, Australia.,Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, 4067, Australia
| | - Marnie E Blewitt
- The Epigenetics and Development Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria, 3052, Australia.,The Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
| | - Christina J Perry
- Mental Health Theme, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia.,Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
| | - Jee Hyun Kim
- Mental Health Theme, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia.,Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia.,IMPACT - the Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia
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18
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Pavlova IV, Broshevitskaya ND. The Influence of Social Isolation and Enriched Environment on Fear Conditioning in Rats after Early Proinflammatory Stress. J EVOL BIOCHEM PHYS+ 2021. [DOI: 10.1134/s0022093021040062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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19
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Post-weaning social isolation impairs purinergic signaling in rat brain. Neurochem Int 2021; 148:105111. [PMID: 34171414 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2021.105111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2021] [Revised: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Early life stressors, such as social isolation (SI), can disrupt brain development contributing to behavioral and neurochemical alterations in adulthood. Purinergic receptors and ectonucleotidases are key regulators of brain development in embryonic and postnatal periods, and they are involved in several psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia. The extracellular ATP drives purinergic signaling by activating P2X and P2Y receptors and it is hydrolyzed by ectonucleotidases in adenosine, which activates P1 receptors. The purpose of this study was to investigate if SI, a rodent model used to replicate abnormal behavior relevant to schizophrenia, impacts purinergic signaling. Male Wistar rats were reared from weaning in group-housed or SI conditions for 8 weeks. SI rats exhibited impairment in prepulse inhibition and social interaction. SI presented increased ADP levels in cerebrospinal fluid and ADP hydrolysis in the hippocampus and striatum synaptosomes. Purinergic receptor expressions were upregulated in the prefrontal cortex and downregulated in the hippocampus and striatum. A2A receptors were differentially expressed in SI prefrontal cortex and the striatum, suggesting distinct roles in these brain structures. SI also presented decreased ADP, adenosine, and guanosine levels in the cerebrospinal fluid in response to D-amphetamine. Like patients with schizophrenia, uric acid levels were prominently increased in SI rats after D-amphetamine challenge. We suggest that the SI-induced deficits in prepulse inhibition might be related to the SI-induced changes in purinergic signaling. We provide new evidence that purinergic signaling is markedly affected in a rat model relevant to schizophrenia, pointing out the importance of purinergic system in psychiatry conditions.
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20
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Acero-Castillo MC, Ardila-Figueroa MC, Botelho de Oliveira S. Anhedonic Type Behavior and Anxiety Profile of Wistar-UIS Rats Subjected to Chronic Social Isolation. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 15:663761. [PMID: 34122025 PMCID: PMC8192826 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.663761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic Social Isolation (CSI) is a model of prolonged stress employed in a variety of studies to induce depression and anxious behavior in rats. The present study aims to evaluate the effect of CSI on male Wistar rats in terms of "anhedonic-type" behavior in the Sucrose Preference Test (SPT) and anxiogenic profile in the elevated-plus-maze (EPM) test, as well as evaluating the effect of resocialization upon sucrose consumption. A total of 24 adolescent male Wistar rats were evaluated. The animals were housed either together (communally) or socially isolated for 21 days, and then exposed for four consecutive days to the SPT test [water vs. a 32% sucrose solution (SS)]. Four days later, they were again subjected to the SPT test (32% vs. 0.7% SS), and then tested on the EPM apparatus 3 days later. Following the completion of the anxiogenic profile of the model, the animals were resocialized for 72 h and then re-tested once again using the SPT (32% vs. 0.7% SS). Twenty-four hours after this final consumption, the animals were euthanized to record the weight of their adrenal glands (AG). It was found that exposure to CSI produces anhedonic-type behavior and an anxiogenic profile in adolescent male rats, as evidenced in both the SPT and EPM tests, as well as in the animals' physiological stress response. It was also demonstrated that resocialization does not reverse the anhedonic-type behavior, nor the physiological response to stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Camila Acero-Castillo
- Psychology, Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana Sectional Bucaramanga, Santander, Colombia.,Neurosciences and Behavior, Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana Sectional Bucaramanga, Santander, Colombia.,Health Sciences, Universidade de Brasilia, Brasilia, Brazil
| | - María Camila Ardila-Figueroa
- Psychology, Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana Sectional Bucaramanga, Santander, Colombia.,Neurosciences and Behavior, Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana Sectional Bucaramanga, Santander, Colombia
| | - Silvia Botelho de Oliveira
- Neurosciences and Behavior, Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana Sectional Bucaramanga, Santander, Colombia.,Psychology, Universidade Estadual Paulista, São Paulo, Brazil.,Psychobiology, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,Faculty of Psychology, Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana Sectional Bucaramanga, Santander, Colombia.,Laboratory of Neurosciences and Behavior, Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana Sectional Bucaramanga, Santander, Colombia
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21
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Rojas-Carvajal M, Sequeira-Cordero A, Brenes JC. The environmental enrichment model revisited: A translatable paradigm to study the stress of our modern lifestyle. Eur J Neurosci 2021; 55:2359-2392. [PMID: 33638921 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2020] [Revised: 01/31/2021] [Accepted: 02/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Mounting evidence shows that physical activity, social interaction and sensorimotor stimulation provided by environmental enrichment (EE) exert several neurobehavioural effects traditionally interpreted as enhancements relative to standard housing (SH) conditions. However, this evidence rather indicates that SH induces many deficits, which could be ameliorated by exposing animals to an environment vaguely mimicking some features of their wild habitat. Rearing rodents in social isolation (SI) can aggravate such deficits, which can be restored by SH or EE. It is not surprising, therefore, that most preclinical stress models have included severe and unnatural stressors to produce a stress response prominent enough to be distinguishable from SH or SI-frequently used as control groups. Although current stress models induce a stress-related phenotype, they may fail to represent the stress of our urban lifestyle characterized by SI, poor housing and working environments, sedentarism, obesity and limited access to recreational activities and exercise. In the following review, we discuss the stress of living in urban areas and how exposures to and performing activities in green environments are stress relievers. Based on the commonalities between human and animal EE, we discuss how models of housing conditions (e.g., SI-SH-EE) could be adapted to study the stress of our modern lifestyle. The housing conditions model might be easy to implement and replicate leading to more translational results. It may also contribute to accomplishing some ethical commitments by promoting the refinement of procedures to model stress, diminishing animal suffering, enhancing animal welfare and eventually reducing the number of experimental animals needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mijail Rojas-Carvajal
- Instituto de Investigaciones Psicológicas, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro, Costa Rica.,Centro de Investigación en Neurociencias, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro, Costa Rica
| | - Andrey Sequeira-Cordero
- Centro de Investigación en Neurociencias, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro, Costa Rica.,Instituto de Investigaciones en Salud, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro, Costa Rica
| | - Juan C Brenes
- Instituto de Investigaciones Psicológicas, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro, Costa Rica.,Centro de Investigación en Neurociencias, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro, Costa Rica
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22
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McQuail JA, Dunn AR, Stern Y, Barnes CA, Kempermann G, Rapp PR, Kaczorowski CC, Foster TC. Cognitive Reserve in Model Systems for Mechanistic Discovery: The Importance of Longitudinal Studies. Front Aging Neurosci 2021; 12:607685. [PMID: 33551788 PMCID: PMC7859530 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2020.607685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2020] [Accepted: 12/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The goal of this review article is to provide a resource for longitudinal studies, using animal models, directed at understanding and modifying the relationship between cognition and brain structure and function throughout life. We propose that forthcoming longitudinal studies will build upon a wealth of knowledge gleaned from prior cross-sectional designs to identify early predictors of variability in cognitive function during aging, and characterize fundamental neurobiological mechanisms that underlie the vulnerability to, and the trajectory of, cognitive decline. Finally, we present examples of biological measures that may differentiate mechanisms of the cognitive reserve at the molecular, cellular, and network level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph A. McQuail
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, United States
| | - Amy R. Dunn
- The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME, United States
| | - Yaakov Stern
- Cognitive Neuroscience Division, Department of Neurology, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Carol A. Barnes
- Departments of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
- Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
| | - Gerd Kempermann
- CRTD—Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Helmholtz Association of German Research Centers (HZ), Dresden, Germany
| | - Peter R. Rapp
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, Neurocognitive Aging Section, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | | | - Thomas C. Foster
- Department of Neuroscience, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
- Genetics and Genomics Program, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
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23
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Ménard S, Gelez H, Jacubovitch M, Coria-Avila GA, Pfaus JG. Appetitive olfactory conditioning in the neonatal male rat facilitates subsequent sexual partner preference. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2020; 121:104858. [PMID: 32919208 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2020.104858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Revised: 08/20/2020] [Accepted: 08/25/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Pairing a neutral odor with a male rat's initial sexual experiences to ejaculation produces a subsequent conditioned ejaculatory preference (CEP) in which males ejaculate preferentially with receptive females that bear the odor relative to unscented receptive females. In 1986, Fillion and Blass reported that neonatal male rats exposed to a neutral lemon odor (citral) painted on their mother's ventrum while nursing ejaculated faster as adults with sexually receptive, citral-scented females compared to unscented receptive females. The present study examined whether the same odor paired with tactile reward in neonatal male rats would alter the subsequent expression of a CEP. Newborn Long-Evans male rats were separated from their mothers each day beginning on Postnatal Day 1 and placed into a Plexiglas cage that contained either unscented or citral-scented bedding (N = 8/group). During each trial, rats were stroked from head to toe with a soft, narrow paintbrush, after which they were returned to their mothers. Males were weaned at 21 days of age and housed in same-treatment pairs for an intervening 50 days. Following habituation to a large open field, males were presented with two sexually receptive Long-Evans females, one scented with citral, and the other unscented, for a 30-min test of copulation. Males in the Paired group copulated and ejaculated preferentially with the scented female whereas males in the Unpaired group showed no preference. Pairing a neutral odor with a reward state in infancy generates a preference in male rats to ejaculate with sexually receptive females bearing the same odor in adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shann Ménard
- Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montréal, QC H4B 1R6 Canada
| | - Hélène Gelez
- Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montréal, QC H4B 1R6 Canada
| | - Mariana Jacubovitch
- Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montréal, QC H4B 1R6 Canada
| | - Genaro A Coria-Avila
- Centro de Investigaciones Cerebrales, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, VER 91193 México
| | - James G Pfaus
- Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montréal, QC H4B 1R6 Canada; Centro de Investigaciones Cerebrales, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, VER 91193 México.
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24
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Hernández-Arteaga E, Hernández-González M, Bonilla-Jaime H, Guevara MA, Ågmo A. Pubertal stress decreases sexual motivation and supresses the relation between cerebral theta rhythms and testosterone levels in adult male rats. Brain Res 2020; 1745:146937. [PMID: 32505750 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2020.146937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2019] [Revised: 05/27/2020] [Accepted: 06/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
This study evaluated the effect of stress during puberty on sexual motivation and the correlation between serum testosterone levels (T) and the absolute power of the theta electroencephalographic rhythms, recorded in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and basolateral amygdala (BLA) of adult male rats. Thirty males of the stressed group (SG, housed 1 per cage from days 25-50) and 30 controls (CG, housed 5 per cage), were tested in copulatory interactions at 90 days of age. The above mentioned physiological parameters were obtained during the awake-quiet state in a sub-group without sexual motivation (WSM, n = 15, stimulated with a nonreceptive female) and a sub-group with sexual motivation (SM, n = 15, stimulated with a receptive-female). Pearson correlations (r) between these parameters were calculated for each sub-group and brain structure and then compared between sub-groups. SG presented higher mount and intromission latencies than CG. While CG-WSM showed a positive r between T levels and theta band (0.23-0.59), those CG-SM presented a negative r (-0.23 to -0.67). An r that tended towards zero (-0.31 to 0.29) was obtained in both stressed sub-groups. This study shows that pubertal stress suppresses the relation between serum T levels and theta rhythms in the mPFC and BLA in adult male rats. This is one of the first studies evaluating the association between these two physiological parameters specifically in the context of sexual motivation; thus increasing our understanding of the effect of pubertal stress on prefrontal-amygdaline functioning during the sexually-motivated state in male rats.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Herlinda Bonilla-Jaime
- Departamento de Biología de la Reproducción, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Iztapalapa, Mexico
| | - Miguel Angel Guevara
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
| | - Anders Ågmo
- Psychology Department, Tromsø University, Tromsø, Norway
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25
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Aghighi Bidgoli F, Salami M, Talaei SA. Environmental enrichment restores impaired spatial memory and synaptic plasticity in prenatally stress exposed rats: The role of GABAergic neurotransmission. Int J Dev Neurosci 2020; 80:573-585. [PMID: 32706909 DOI: 10.1002/jdn.10052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2020] [Revised: 07/15/2020] [Accepted: 07/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Evidence shows that prenatal stress negatively affects cognitive functions and activity of neuronal circuits in postnatal age. Environmental enrichment counteracts deficits induced by early life stress. We examined if behavioural function and synaptic plasticity are sensitive to prenatal stress and, how much environmental enrichment and GABAergic system impact these phenomena. Animals were exposed to noise stress during the third trimester of foetal life. Groups of the stressed animals remained intact (S-SH) or received enrichment (S-EE) from postnatal day 22 for one month. Also, two groups received either saline (S-SH-S) or bicuculline (S-SH-B). One enriched group received muscimol (S-EE-M). The control groups were intact (C-SH), enriched (C-EE), or received bicuculline (C-SH-B) or saline (C-SH-S). We assessed learning and memory and, hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP). Serum corticosterone levels were detected as a measure of stress condition. We found that stress reduced spatial performance and suppressed LTP in the S-SH animals. Postnatal enrichment restored both spatial learning and memory and synaptic plasticity in the S-EE rats. GABAergic antagonism strengthens maze performance and LTP induction in the S-SH-B group. However, muscimol prevented the positive effects of enrichment in the S-EE-M animals. Environmental enrichment and GABAergic modulation may improve disrupted spatial performance and synaptic plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatemeh Aghighi Bidgoli
- Physiology Research Center, Institute for Basic Sciences, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
| | - Mahmoud Salami
- Physiology Research Center, Institute for Basic Sciences, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
| | - Sayyed Alireza Talaei
- Physiology Research Center, Institute for Basic Sciences, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
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26
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Harland BC, Dalrymple-Alford JC. Enriched Environment Procedures for Rodents: Creating a Standardized Protocol for Diverse Enrichment to Improve Consistency across Research Studies. Bio Protoc 2020; 10:e3637. [PMID: 33659308 DOI: 10.21769/bioprotoc.3637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2019] [Revised: 01/13/2020] [Accepted: 01/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Exposure to environmental enrichment has beneficial effects on learning and memory, diverse neurobiological effects, and promotes recovery of function after brain injury. The effect of enrichment is produced by a combination of increased social interaction, physical activity, spatial complexity, and novelty. Procedures in the literature have, however, been idiosyncratic with poor consistency in the manner or extent to which protocols provide consistent enrichment. We provide an environmental enrichment protocol that can be easily replicated with minor details determined locally so that animals across cohorts and cages all experience a comparable level of enrichment. Procedures are outlined to generate and use a daily pool of suitably varied objects using a standardized format, with objects systematically varied up to a 40-day continuous period. Together with using a large group of rats in a suitably-sized cage, and regular shifting of the position of food and water and cage location, these procedures have produced robust effects in different laboratories and rat strain, thereby improving comparisons within and across laboratories. Non-enriched comparisons can vary, but typically would include grouped animals in standard laboratory housing without objects and with stable food and water locations. Enrichment is a safe non-pharamacological tool to examine behavioral and neurobiological processes in animal models of the lifespan, brain dysfunction and injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruce C Harland
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - John C Dalrymple-Alford
- School of Psychology, Speech and Hearing, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand.,New Zealand Brain Research Institute and Brain Research, Christchurch, New Zealand
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Brenes JC, Fornaguera J, Sequeira-Cordero A. Environmental Enrichment and Physical Exercise Attenuate the Depressive-Like Effects Induced by Social Isolation Stress in Rats. Front Pharmacol 2020; 11:804. [PMID: 32547399 PMCID: PMC7272682 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2020.00804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2020] [Accepted: 05/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
We assessed the antidepressant-like effects of environmental enrichment (EE) and physical exercise (PE) compared with the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor fluoxetine against the depression-related neurobehavioral alterations induced by postweaning social isolation (SI) in rats. After 1 month of SI, rats were submitted to PE (treadmill), EE, or fluoxetine (10 mg/kg), which were compared with naïve SI and group-housed rats. After 1 month, behavior was analyzed in the open field (OFT), the sucrose preference (SPT), and the forced swimming (FST) tests. Afterward, the hippocampal serotonin contents, its metabolite, and turnover were measured. SI induced a depression-related phenotype characterized by a marginal bodyweight gain, anxiety, anhedonia, behavioral despair, and alterations of serotonin metabolism. EE produced the widest and largest antidepressive-like effect, followed by PE and fluoxetine, which were almost equivalent. The treatments, however, affected differentially the neurobehavioral domains investigated. EE exerted its largest effect on anhedonia and was the only treatment inducing anxiolytic-like effects. Fluoxetine, in contrast, produced its largest effect on serotonin metabolism, followed by its anti-behavioral despair action. PE was a middle-ground treatment with broader behavioral outcomes than fluoxetine, but ineffective to reverse the serotonergic alterations induced by SI. The most responsive test to the treatments was the FST, followed closely by the SPT. Although OFT locomotion and body weight varied considerably between groups, they were barely responsive to PE and fluoxetine. From a translational standpoint, our data suggest that exercise and recreational activities may have broader health benefits than antidepressants to overcome confinement and the consequences of chronic stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan C Brenes
- Institute for Psychological Research, University of Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica.,Neuroscience Research Center, University of Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Jaime Fornaguera
- Neuroscience Research Center, University of Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica.,Biochemistry Department, School of Medicine, University of Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Andrey Sequeira-Cordero
- Neuroscience Research Center, University of Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica.,Institute of Health Research, University of Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
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28
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Stress in groups: Lessons from non-traditional rodent species and housing models. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 113:354-372. [PMID: 32278793 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.03.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2019] [Revised: 03/06/2020] [Accepted: 03/31/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
A major feature of life in groups is that individuals experience social stressors of varying intensity and type. Social stress can have profound effects on health, social behavior, and ongoing relationships. Relationships can also buffer the experience of exogenous stressors. Social stress has most commonly been investigated in dyadic contexts in mice and rats that produce intense stress. Here we review findings from studies of diverse rodents and non-traditional group housing paradigms, focusing on laboratory studies of mice and rats housed in visible burrow systems, prairie and meadow voles, and mole-rats. We argue that the use of methods informed by the natural ecology of rodent species provides novel insights into the relationship between social stress, behavior and physiology. In particular, we describe how this ethologically inspired approach reveals how individuals vary in their experience of and response to social stress, and how ecological and social contexts impact the effects of stress. Social stress induces adaptive changes, as well as long-term disruptive effects on behavior and physiology.
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29
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Febo M, Rani A, Yegla B, Barter J, Kumar A, Wolff CA, Esser K, Foster TC. Longitudinal Characterization and Biomarkers of Age and Sex Differences in the Decline of Spatial Memory. Front Aging Neurosci 2020; 12:34. [PMID: 32153384 PMCID: PMC7044155 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2020.00034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2019] [Accepted: 02/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The current longitudinal study examined factors (sex, physical function, response to novelty, ability to adapt to a shift in light/dark cycle, brain connectivity), which might predict the emergence of impaired memory during aging. Male and female Fisher 344 rats were tested at 6, 12, and 18 months of age. Impaired spatial memory developed in middle-age (12 months), particularly in males, and the propensity for impairment increased with advanced age. A reduced response to novelty was observed over the course of aging, which is inconsistent with cross-sectional studies. This divergence likely resulted from differences in the history of environmental enrichment/impoverishment for cross-sectional and longitudinal studies. Animals that exhibited lower level exploration of the inner region on the open field test exhibited better memory at 12 months. Furthermore, males that exhibited a longer latency to enter a novel environment at 6 months, exhibited better memory at 12 months. For females, memory at 12 months was correlated with the ability to behaviorally adapt to a shift in light/dark cycle. Functional magnetic resonance imaging of the brain, conducted at 12 months, indicated that the decline in memory was associated with altered functional connectivity within different memory systems, most notably between the hippocampus and multiple regions such as the retrosplenial cortex, thalamus, striatum, and amygdala. Overall, some factors, specifically response to novelty at an early age and the capacity to adapt to shifts in light cycle, predicted spatial memory in middle-age, and spatial memory is associated with corresponding changes in brain connectivity. We discuss similarities and differences related to previous longitudinal and cross-sectional studies, as well as the role of sex differences in providing a theoretical framework to guide future longitudinal research on the trajectory of cognitive decline. In addition to demonstrating the power of longitudinal studies, these data highlight the importance of middle-age for identifying potential predictive indicators of sexual dimorphism in the trajectory in brain and cognitive aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcelo Febo
- Department of Psychiatry, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Asha Rani
- Department of Neuroscience, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Brittney Yegla
- Department of Neuroscience, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Jolie Barter
- Department of Neuroscience, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Ashok Kumar
- Department of Neuroscience, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Christopher A Wolff
- Department of Physiology and Functional Genomics, Myology Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Karyn Esser
- Department of Physiology and Functional Genomics, Myology Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Thomas C Foster
- Department of Neuroscience, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States.,Genetics and Genomics Program, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
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30
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Developmental effects of environmental enrichment on selective and auditory sustained attention. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2020; 111:104479. [PMID: 31704636 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2019.104479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2019] [Revised: 08/23/2019] [Accepted: 10/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Environmental enrichment (EE) has been used as a positive manipulation in different disease models. However, there is conflicting evidence reported in the literature about the effects of EE. Additionally, the time period that would be most beneficial in implementing environmental enrichment as an intervention is not clear. Our study aimed to systematically compare the prenatal, juvenile, mid-adolescence, and adulthood developmental trajectory to further the understanding of enriched environment's effects on selective and auditory sustained attention, corresponding to behavioral (conceived) and physiological-reflexive (non-conceived) measures. Rats were exposed for 21 days to enriched environment during various developmental periods and compared to age-matched controls. All groups were tested for long-term effects (at postnatal day 120 and onward) on selective and sustained attention. We found that the exposure to enriched environment during mid-adolescence has yielded the most significant and long-term pattern of effects, including selective and auditory sustained attention performance, increased foraging-like behavior and a significant decrease in corticosterone level. Similarly, the exposure to EE at juvenile period improved selective attention, increased foraging-like behavior, and reduced anxiety levels as reflected in the open field as well as in low corticosterone levels. These results specify a crucial period along the developmental trajectory for applying environmental enrichment. Mid-adolescence is suggested, in future basic and translational studies, as the sensitive time period that induces the most beneficial and long-term effects of EE on attention. The current findings suggest that the exposure to EE during mid-adolescence should be further considered and studied as behavioral alternative intervention, or as adjuvant behavioral therapy, aimed to decrease the probability to develop ADHD in post-adolescence period. This suggestion is highly relevant due to the debate regarding the pros and cons of screens usage (e.g. Facebook, online games, etc.) during early life that decreases environmental enrichment, especially, direct social interaction.
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31
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Effects of intraperitoneal and intracerebroventricular injections of oxytocin on social and emotional behaviors in pubertal male mice. Physiol Behav 2019; 212:112701. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2019.112701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2019] [Revised: 09/27/2019] [Accepted: 10/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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32
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Perkins AE, Varlinskaya EI, Deak T. Impact of housing conditions on social behavior, neuroimmune markers, and oxytocin receptor expression in aged male and female Fischer 344 rats. Exp Gerontol 2019; 123:24-33. [PMID: 31100373 DOI: 10.1016/j.exger.2019.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2019] [Revised: 04/23/2019] [Accepted: 05/10/2019] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Aging is associated with a substantial decline in social behavior, whereas positive social interaction can improve overall health in aged individuals. In laboratory rodents, manipulations of the social environment across the lifespan have been shown to affect social behavior. Therefore, we examined the effects of long-term (5-6 weeks) housing conditions (alone, with one adult, or with two adults) on social behavior and the expression of neuroinflammation-related genes as well as oxytocin receptor (OXTR) gene expression in brain areas associated with social behavior regulation in aged male and female Fischer (F) 344 rats. Single-housed males and females exhibited increased social investigation, relative to pair-housed rats (one aged and one adult). Triple-housed (one aged and two adults) aged males exhibited lower levels of social investigation, relative to triple-housed aged females. Aged females were more socially active that their male counterparts. Although social housing condition significantly affected social behavior in males, it had no impact on cytokine gene expression in the paraventricular nucleus of hypothalamus (PVN), bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) or medial amygdala (MeA). However, in triple-housed aged females, who exhibited social behavior comparable to their single- and pair-housed counterparts, there was a significant increase in the expression of IL-1β and IL-6 mRNA in the MeA. No changes in cytokine gene expression were observed in the PVN or BNST, indicating that the increased expression of cytokines in the MeA was not a result of a generalized increase in neuroinflammation. Single-housed males and females exhibited elevated OXTR gene expression in the BNST. Taken together, these data indicate that manipulations of the social environment in late aging significantly influenced social interactions with a novel partner and gene expression in social behavior circuits and that these effects are sex-specific.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy E Perkins
- Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, Binghamton University-SUNY, Binghamton, NY 13902-6000, United States of America
| | - Elena I Varlinskaya
- Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, Binghamton University-SUNY, Binghamton, NY 13902-6000, United States of America
| | - Terrence Deak
- Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, Binghamton University-SUNY, Binghamton, NY 13902-6000, United States of America.
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33
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Zorzo C, Méndez-López M, Méndez M, Arias JL. Adult social isolation leads to anxiety and spatial memory impairment: Brain activity pattern of COx and c-Fos. Behav Brain Res 2019; 365:170-177. [PMID: 30851318 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2019.03.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2019] [Revised: 02/19/2019] [Accepted: 03/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Social isolation during adulthood is a frequent problem that leads to a large variety of adverse emotional and cognitive effects. However, most of the social isolation rodent procedures begin the separation early post-weaning. This work explores locomotor activity, anxiety-like behaviour, and spatial working memory after twelve weeks of adult social isolation. In order to study the functional contribution of selected brain areas following a working memory task, we assessed neuronal metabolic activity through quantitative cytochrome oxidase histochemistry and c-Fos immunohistochemistry. Behaviourally, we found that isolated animals (IS) showed anxiety-like behaviour and worse working memory than controls, whereas motor functions were preserved. Moreover, IS rats showed lower levels of learning-related c-Fos immunoreactivity, compared to controls, in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), ventral tegmental area (VTA), and nucleus accumbens shell. In addition, the IS group showed lower neuronal metabolic activity in the mPFC, VTA, and CA1 subfield of the hippocampus. These results indicate that twelve weeks of social isolation in adult rats leads to different behavioural and brain alterations, and they highlight the importance of social support, not only in development, but also in adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Candela Zorzo
- Departamento de Psicología, Instituto de Neurociencias del Principado de Asturias (INEUROPA), Universidad de Oviedo, Plaza Feijoo s/n, 33003, Oviedo, Spain.
| | - Magdalena Méndez-López
- IIS Aragón, Departamento de Psicología y Sociología, Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain.
| | - Marta Méndez
- Departamento de Psicología, Instituto de Neurociencias del Principado de Asturias (INEUROPA), Universidad de Oviedo, Plaza Feijoo s/n, 33003, Oviedo, Spain.
| | - Jorge L Arias
- Departamento de Psicología, Instituto de Neurociencias del Principado de Asturias (INEUROPA), Universidad de Oviedo, Plaza Feijoo s/n, 33003, Oviedo, Spain.
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34
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Social modulation of drug use and drug addiction. Neuropharmacology 2019; 159:107545. [PMID: 30807753 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2019.02.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2018] [Revised: 02/05/2019] [Accepted: 02/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
This review aims to demonstrate how social science and behavioral neurosciences have highlighted the influence of social interactions on drug use in animal models. In neurosciences, the effect of global social context that are distal from drug use has been widely studied. For human and other social animals such as monkeys and rodents, positive social interactions are rewarding, can overcome drug reward and, in all, protect from drug use. In contrast, as other types of stress, negative social experiences facilitate the development and maintenance of drug abuse. However, interest recently emerged in the effect of so-called "proximal" social factors, that is, social interactions during drug-taking. These recent studies have characterized the role of the drug considered, the sharing of drug experience and the familiarity of the peer which interaction are made with. We also examine the few studies regarding the sensorial mediator of social behaviors and critically review the neural mediation of social factors on drug use. However, despite considerable characterization of the factors modulating distal influences, the mechanisms for proximal influences on drug use remain largely unknown. This article is part of the Special Issue entitled 'The neuropharmacology of social behavior: from bench to bedside'.
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35
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Pereda-Pérez I, Valencia A, Baliyan S, Núñez Á, Sanz-García A, Zamora B, Rodríguez-Fernández R, Esteban JA, Venero C. Systemic administration of a fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 agonist rescues the cognitive deficit in aged socially isolated rats. Neurobiol Aging 2019; 78:155-165. [PMID: 30928883 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2019.02.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2018] [Revised: 01/22/2019] [Accepted: 02/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Social isolation predominantly occurs in elderly people and it is strongly associated with cognitive decline. However, the mechanisms that produce isolation-related cognitive dysfunction during aging remain unclear. Here, we evaluated the cognitive, electrophysiological, and morphological effects of short- (4 weeks) and long-term (12 weeks) social isolation in aged male Wistar rats. Long-term but not short-term social isolation increased the plasma corticosterone levels and impaired spatial memory in the Morris water maze. Moreover, isolated animals displayed dampened hippocampal long-term potentiation in vivo, both in the dentate gyrus (DG) and CA1, as well as a specific reduction in the volume of the stratum oriens and spine density in CA1. Interestingly, social isolation induced a transient increase in hippocampal basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF2), whereas fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR1) levels only increased after long-term isolation. Importantly, subchronic systemic administration of FGL, a synthetic peptide that activates FGFR1, rescued spatial memory in long-term isolated rats. These findings provide new insights into the neurobiological mechanisms underlying the detrimental effects on memory of chronic social isolation in the aged.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inmaculada Pereda-Pérez
- Department of Psychobiology, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED), Madrid, Spain; Faculty of Experimental Sciences, Universidad Francisco de Vitoria, UFV, Madrid, Spain
| | - Azucena Valencia
- Department of Psychobiology, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Shishir Baliyan
- Department of Psychobiology, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Ángel Núñez
- School of Medicine, Autonoma University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ancor Sanz-García
- Unidad de Análisis de datos, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital de la Princesa, Madrid, Spain
| | - Berta Zamora
- Department of Psychobiology, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED), Madrid, Spain; Fetal Medicine Unit-SAMID, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hospital Universitario, Madrid, Spain
| | - Raquel Rodríguez-Fernández
- Department of Behavioural Sciences Methodology, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia, Madrid, Spain
| | - José Antonio Esteban
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa", Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) / Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - César Venero
- Department of Psychobiology, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED), Madrid, Spain.
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36
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Mora-Gallegos A, Fornaguera J. The effects of environmental enrichment and social isolation and their reversion on anxiety and fear conditioning. Behav Processes 2019; 158:59-69. [DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2018.10.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2018] [Revised: 09/25/2018] [Accepted: 10/29/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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37
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Wang B, Wu Q, Lei L, Sun H, Michael N, Zhang X, Wang Y, Zhang Y, Ge B, Wu X, Wang Y, Xin Y, Zhao J, Li S. Long-term social isolation inhibits autophagy activation, induces postsynaptic dysfunctions and impairs spatial memory. Exp Neurol 2018; 311:213-224. [PMID: 30219732 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2018.09.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2018] [Revised: 08/14/2018] [Accepted: 09/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
. Moreover, we found that L-PWSI increased the protein expression of p-AKT/AKT, p-mTOR/mTOR and p62, whereas the protein levels of LC3B and Beclin1 were decreased indicating an inhibition in autophagy activity. Intraperitoneal injection of rapamycin significantly potentiated fEPSP slope and cognition-related proteins expression in the L-PWSI mice. These results therefore suggest that L-PWSI induces postsynaptic dysfunction by disrupting the interaction between AMPAR, NMDAR and PSD-95, and inhibit the autophagy activity which led to impaired spatial memory and cognitive function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Wang
- Liaoning Provincial Key Laboratory of Cerebral Diseases, Department of Physiology, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning, China.
| | - Qiong Wu
- Liaoning Provincial Key Laboratory of Cerebral Diseases, Department of Physiology, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning, China
| | - Lei Lei
- Technology Centre of Target-based Nature Products for Prevention and Treatment of Ageing-related Neurodegeneration, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning, China
| | - Hailun Sun
- Liaoning Provincial Key Laboratory of Cerebral Diseases, Department of Physiology, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning, China
| | - Ntim Michael
- Liaoning Provincial Key Laboratory of Cerebral Diseases, Department of Physiology, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning, China
| | - Xuan Zhang
- Technology Centre of Target-based Nature Products for Prevention and Treatment of Ageing-related Neurodegeneration, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning, China
| | - Ying Wang
- Department of Cardiology, Institute of Heart and Vessel Diseases of Dalian Medical University, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning, China; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning, China
| | - Yue Zhang
- Liaoning Provincial Key Laboratory of Cerebral Diseases, Department of Physiology, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning, China
| | - Biying Ge
- Technology Centre of Target-based Nature Products for Prevention and Treatment of Ageing-related Neurodegeneration, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning, China
| | - Xuefei Wu
- Liaoning Provincial Key Laboratory of Cerebral Diseases, Department of Physiology, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning, China
| | - Yue Wang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning, China
| | - Yi Xin
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning, China.
| | - Jie Zhao
- Technology Centre of Target-based Nature Products for Prevention and Treatment of Ageing-related Neurodegeneration, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning, China.
| | - Shao Li
- Liaoning Provincial Key Laboratory of Cerebral Diseases, Department of Physiology, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning, China.
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38
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Jafari Z, Kolb BE, Mohajerani MH. Chronic traffic noise stress accelerates brain impairment and cognitive decline in mice. Exp Neurol 2018; 308:1-12. [PMID: 29936225 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2018.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2018] [Revised: 06/08/2018] [Accepted: 06/21/2018] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Although traffic noise exposure is a well-known environmental pollutant whose negative health effect has been discussed in different aspects of the human life, only a few animal studies have tackled this issue as a cohort study, which is not feasible to be addressed in human studies. In addition to the deleterious impact of the daytime noise on well-being, chronic nocturnal noise can also disturb sleep and affects physical and mental health, but to date, little research has examined the neurobiological effects of light/dark cycles of traffic noise exposure. We investigated the effects of light/dark cycles and sex on the impact of chronic traffic noise exposure on mouse brain structure-function. The mice were randomly assigned to either one of two stress conditions or a control condition. Animals were exposed to traffic noise on either the light-cycle (LC) or dark-cycle (DC) for 30 days. Traffic noise exposure caused the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis hyperactivity, anxiety-like behavior, impairments in learning and memory, dysfunction in balance and motor coordination, and a reduction in variety of brain measures including a brain volume, medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) area, cortical thickness, hippocampal volume, amygdala area, and the neural density in mPFC and dentate gyrus. All behavioral and brain measures revealed adverse effects of the chronic noise stress irrespective of the LC/DC exposure or sex. Our findings were a re-emphasis on the significance of noise prevention and mitigation strategies for public health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zahra Jafari
- Department of Neuroscience, Canadian Center for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB T1K 3M4, Canada; Department of Basic Sciences in Rehabilitation, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Iran University of Medical Science (IUMS), Tehran, Iran
| | - Bryan E Kolb
- Department of Neuroscience, Canadian Center for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB T1K 3M4, Canada.
| | - Majid H Mohajerani
- Department of Neuroscience, Canadian Center for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB T1K 3M4, Canada.
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Mumtaz F, Khan MI, Zubair M, Dehpour AR. Neurobiology and consequences of social isolation stress in animal model-A comprehensive review. Biomed Pharmacother 2018; 105:1205-1222. [PMID: 30021357 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2018.05.086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 217] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2017] [Revised: 05/10/2018] [Accepted: 05/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The brain is a vital organ, susceptible to alterations under genetic influences and environmental experiences. Social isolation (SI) acts as a stressor which results in alterations in reactivity to stress, social behavior, function of neurochemical and neuroendocrine system, physiological, anatomical and behavioral changes in both animal and humans. During early stages of life, acute or chronic SIS has been proposed to show signs and symptoms of psychiatric and neurological disorders such as anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, epilepsy and memory loss. Exposure to social isolation stress induces a variety of endocrinological changes including the activation of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, culminating in the release of glucocorticoids (GCs), release of catecholamines, activation of the sympatho-adrenomedullary system, release of Oxytocin and vasopressin. In several regions of the central nervous system (CNS), SIS alters the level of neurotransmitter such as dopamine, serotonin, gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA), glutamate, nitrergic system and adrenaline as well as leads to alteration in receptor sensitivity of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) and opioid system. A change in the function of oxidative and nitrosative stress (O&NS) mediated mitochondrial dysfunction, inflammatory factors, neurotrophins and neurotrophicfactors (NTFs), early growth response transcription factor genes (Egr) and C-Fos expression are also involved as a pathophysiological consequences of SIS which induce neurological and psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Faiza Mumtaz
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Experimental Medicine Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Muhammad Imran Khan
- Department of Pharmacy, Kohat University of Science and Technology, 26000 Kohat, KPK, Pakistan; Drug Detoxification Health Welfare Research Center, Bannu, KPK, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Zubair
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Crop Diseases and Pests, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agriculture University, Nanjing, 210095, PR China
| | - Ahmad Reza Dehpour
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Experimental Medicine Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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Lo Iacono L, Carola V. The impact of adolescent stress experiences on neurobiological development. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2018; 77:93-103. [DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2017.09.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2017] [Revised: 09/18/2017] [Accepted: 09/29/2017] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
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Templer VL, Wise TB, Dayaw KIT, Dayaw JNT. Nonsocially housed rats (Ratus norvegicus) seek social interactions and social novelty more than socially housed counterparts. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018; 132:240-252. [PMID: 29683686 DOI: 10.1037/com0000112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Sociability is the act or quality of social interaction and can be quantified by determining the number and duration of interactions with conspecifics. The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which sustained social contact, as achieved by constant social living conditions, influenced social behavior. Beginning in juvenility, 19 male Long-Evans rats were housed in enriched environments, with half living socially in a large group and half living individually. After several months in these housing conditions, rats were tested on a sociality test and a social novelty preference test. Nonsocially housed rats exhibited more social behavior than socially housed rats. In the sociality test, nonsocially housed rats engaged with an unfamiliar rat more than socially housed rats. Similarly, in the social novelty test, nonsocially housed rats visited a novel stranger more than the now-familiar rat (from the sociality test) as compared with the socially housed rats. It is unlikely that general anxiety factors can account for between-groups social effects, as there were no group differences in behavior on the elevated zero maze and open field test. Furthermore, socially and nonsocially housed rats were matched in spontaneous object exploration and novelty preference in a novel object recognition test, eliminating the possibility that general exploratory behavior or novelty preference accounted for group differences in the sociability tasks. These results suggest that lack of social interaction in nonsocially housed rats may be more powerful for social motivation than the consistent opportunity for social contact afforded by social living conditions. (PsycINFO Database Record
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Arakawa H. Ethological approach to social isolation effects in behavioral studies of laboratory rodents. Behav Brain Res 2018; 341:98-108. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2017.12.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2017] [Revised: 12/15/2017] [Accepted: 12/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
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Phencyclidine increased while isolation rearing did not affect progressive ratio responding in rats: Investigating potential models of amotivation in schizophrenia. Behav Brain Res 2017; 364:413-422. [PMID: 29175446 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2017.11.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2017] [Revised: 11/20/2017] [Accepted: 11/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Schizophrenia is a debilitating neurodevelopmental disorder affecting 1% of the global population with heterogeneous symptoms including positive, negative, and cognitive. While treatment for positive symptoms exists, none have been developed to treat negative symptoms. Animal models of schizophrenia are required to test targeted treatments and since patients exhibit reduced effort (breakpoints) for reward in a progressive ratio (PR) task, we examined the PR breakpoints of rats treated with the NMDA receptor antagonist phencyclidine or those reared in isolation - two common manipulations used to induce schizophrenia-relevant behaviors in rodents. METHODS In two cohorts, the PR breakpoint for a palatable food reward was examined in Long Evans rats after: 1) a repeated phencyclidine regimen; 2) A subchronic phencyclidine regimen followed by drug washout; and 3) post-weaning social isolation. RESULTS Rats treated with repeated phencyclidine and those following washout from phencyclidine exhibited higher PR breakpoints than vehicle-treated rats. The breakpoint of isolation reared rats did not differ from those socially reared, despite abnormalities of these rats in other schizophrenia-relevant behaviors. CONCLUSION Despite their common use for modeling other schizophrenia-relevant behaviors neither phencyclidine treatment nor isolation rearing recreated the motivational deficits observed in patients with schizophrenia, as measured by PR breakpoint. Other manipulations, and negative symptom-relevant behaviors, require investigation prior to testing putative therapeutics.
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Models of progressive neurological dysfunction originating early in life. Prog Neurobiol 2017; 155:2-20. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2015.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2015] [Revised: 09/11/2015] [Accepted: 10/11/2015] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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Sun L, Min L, Zhou H, Li M, Shao F, Wang W. Adolescent social isolation affects schizophrenia-like behavior and astrocyte biomarkers in the PFC of adult rats. Behav Brain Res 2017; 333:258-266. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2017.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2017] [Revised: 07/05/2017] [Accepted: 07/09/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Glueck E, Ginder D, Hyde J, North K, Grimm JW. Effects of dopamine D1 and D2 receptor agonists on environmental enrichment attenuated sucrose cue reactivity in rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2017; 234:815-825. [PMID: 28032125 PMCID: PMC5891328 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-016-4516-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2016] [Accepted: 12/17/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Acute or chronic environmental enrichment (EE) reduces sucrose cue reactivity in rats. This effect may be mediated by dopamine receptors. OBJECTIVES We examined whether dopamine D1 or D2 receptor agonism could reverse the EE effect. We also examined whether any reversal effects would vary with the incubation of sucrose craving. METHODS Following 10 days (2 h/day) of sucrose self-administration, rats experienced either 1 or 30 days of forced abstinence and either overnight (acute) or 29 day (chronic) EE. D1 (SKF 81297; 0, 0.3, or 1 mg/kg) or D2 (quinpirole; 0, 0.1, or 0.3 mg/kg) agonist was administered systemically immediately prior to a subsequent 2-h cue reactivity test the next day (n = 9-12 per group). RESULTS Dose-dependent effects were limited to the day 1 test. High doses of the agonists increased day 1 acute EE cue reactivity to levels comparable to control animals. On the day 30 test, SKF 81297 increased cue reactivity in acute EE, chronic EE, and control rats. In contrast, quinpirole resulted in similar cue reactivity for control and enriched rats, more from a reduction in responding by controls vs. a recovery of responding by EE-experienced rats. CONCLUSIONS Both D1 and D2 receptors may be involved in the acute EE-mediated decrease in cue reactivity observed following 1 day of forced abstinence. In contrast, at 30 days of forced abstinence, D1 receptors may be critical in cue reactivity as SKF 81297 was effective at both restoring responding of enriched animals and potentiating responding of controls.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edwin Glueck
- Department of Psychology and Program in Behavioral Neuroscience, Western Washington University, 516 High Street, Bellingham, WA 98225-9172, USA
| | - Darren Ginder
- Department of Psychology and Program in Behavioral Neuroscience, Western Washington University, 516 High Street, Bellingham, WA 98225-9172, USA
| | - Jeff Hyde
- Department of Psychology and Program in Behavioral Neuroscience, Western Washington University, 516 High Street, Bellingham, WA 98225-9172, USA
| | - Katherine North
- Department of Psychology and Program in Behavioral Neuroscience, Western Washington University, 516 High Street, Bellingham, WA 98225-9172, USA
| | - Jeffrey W. Grimm
- Department of Psychology and Program in Behavioral Neuroscience, Western Washington University, 516 High Street, Bellingham, WA 98225-9172, USA
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McCormick CM, Green MR, Simone JJ. Translational relevance of rodent models of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal function and stressors in adolescence. Neurobiol Stress 2017; 6:31-43. [PMID: 28229107 PMCID: PMC5314422 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2016.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2016] [Revised: 08/18/2016] [Accepted: 08/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Elevations in glucocorticoids that result from environmental stressors can have programming effects on brain structure and function when the exposure occurs during sensitive periods that involve heightened neural development. In recent years, adolescence has gained increasing attention as another sensitive period of development, a period in which pubertal transitions may increase the vulnerability to stressors. There are similarities in physical and behavioural development between humans and rats, and rats have been used effectively as an animal model of adolescence and the unique plasticity of this period of ontogeny. This review focuses on benefits and challenges of rats as a model for translational research on hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) function and stressors in adolescence, highlighting important parallels and contrasts between adolescent rats and humans, and we review the main stress procedures that are used in investigating HPA stress responses and their consequences in adolescence in rats. We conclude that a greater focus on timing of puberty as a factor in research in adolescent rats may increase the translational relevance of the findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheryl M. McCormick
- Department of Psychology, Brock University, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, St. Catharines, ON, L2S 3A1, Canada
- Department of Biological Sciences, Brock University, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, St. Catharines, ON, L2S 3A1, Canada
| | - Matthew R. Green
- Department of Psychology, Brock University, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, St. Catharines, ON, L2S 3A1, Canada
| | - Jonathan J. Simone
- Department of Biological Sciences, Brock University, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, St. Catharines, ON, L2S 3A1, Canada
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Fulcher N, Tran S, Shams S, Chatterjee D, Gerlai R. Neurochemical and Behavioral Responses to Unpredictable Chronic Mild Stress Following Developmental Isolation: The Zebrafish as a Model for Major Depression. Zebrafish 2017; 14:23-34. [DOI: 10.1089/zeb.2016.1295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Niveen Fulcher
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, Canada
| | - Steven Tran
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Soaleha Shams
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Diptendu Chatterjee
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, Canada
| | - Robert Gerlai
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, Canada
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
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Molenda-Figueira HA, Bell MR, De Lorme KC, Sisk CL. Pubertal pair-housing facilitates adult sexual behavior in male rats. Dev Psychobiol 2017; 59:111-117. [PMID: 27714794 DOI: 10.1002/dev.21475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2016] [Accepted: 09/01/2016] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
This study examined the effects of pubertal testosterone (T) and social housing manipulations on male sexual behavior in adult rats. Prepubertal rats were castrated at 21 days of age (P21) and implanted with either blank or T-releasing pellets. At the onset of puberty, P28, half the rats in each treatment group were either single- or pair-housed with a male of the same hormone condition through P56, at which time pellets were removed and all rats were single-housed. In adulthood (P84), all rats received T replacement and were tested for sexual behavior. Rats pair-housed during adolescence showed more sexual behavior and greater improvement of sexual performance over repeated tests than single-housed rats, regardless of pubertal T status. Pubertal T, however, did facilitate the frequency of anogenital investigation. Thus, in male rats, social interactions during adolescence are more important than exposure to pubertal T in enhancing adult sexual behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Margaret R Bell
- Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan
| | - Kayla C De Lorme
- Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan
| | - Cheryl L Sisk
- Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan
- Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan
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Liu YP, Wilkinson LS, Robbins TW. 'Waiting impulsivity' in isolation-reared and socially-reared rats: effects of amphetamine. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2017; 234:1587-1601. [PMID: 28314950 PMCID: PMC5420383 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-017-4579-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2016] [Accepted: 02/20/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Rats reared in social isolation exhibit various cognitive and behavioural abnormalities in adulthood. However, impulsivity following this treatment still remains unclear, especially in response to medications used in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, such as amphetamine. METHODS Using an isolation-rearing (IR) manipulation, the present study examined the effects of IR on impulsive action and impulsive choice when also treated with doses of D-amphetamine, by employing the five-choice serial reaction time task (5-CSRTT) and a temporal discounting of reward task (TDRT), respectively. RESULTS IR rats showed similar acquisition of the 5-CSRTT. Amphetamine increased premature responding in both groups; however, IR rats showed less responding overall. For the TDRT, IR rats revealed a greater preference for the large but delayed reward during task acquisition (i.e. were less impulsive) with a higher rate of nose poking during the delay, and exhibited a compressed dose-response function (i.e. reduced dose sensitivity) for amphetamine. DISCUSSION Impulsive action and impulsive choice were reduced in IR rats under certain conditions, and a blunted response to D-amphetamine was found on these measures. These reductions in impulsivity contrast with locomotor hyperactivity normally shown in IR rats and the findings have implications for the utility of IR as a model of psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yia-Ping Liu
- Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Departments of Physiology and Psychiatry, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, 11490, Taiwan. .,Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK. .,Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0SZ, UK.
| | - Lawrence S. Wilkinson
- Behavioural Genetics Group, Schools of Psychology & Medicine, Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10 3AT UK
| | - Trevor W. Robbins
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB UK ,Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB UK
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