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Shabani M, Ilaghi M, Naderi R, Razavinasab M. The hyperexcitability of laterodorsal tegmentum cholinergic neurons accompanies adverse behavioral and cognitive outcomes of prenatal stress. Sci Rep 2023; 13:6011. [PMID: 37045899 PMCID: PMC10097720 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-33016-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Exposure to prenatal stress (PS) leads to the offspring's vulnerability towards the development of cognitive and behavioral disorders. Laterodorsal tegmentum (LDT) is a part of the brainstem cholinergic system that is believed to play a pivotal role in the stress-associated progression of anxiety, memory impairment, and addictive behaviors. In this study, we aimed to investigate the electrophysiological alterations of LDT cholinergic neurons and its accompanied behavioral and cognitive outcomes in the offspring of mice exposed to physical or psychological PS. Swiss Webster mice were exposed to physical or psychological stress on the tenth day of gestation. Ex vivo investigations in LDT brain slices of adolescent male offspring were performed to evaluate the effects of two stressor types on the activity of cholinergic neurons. Open field test, elevated plus maze, passive avoidance test, and conditioned place preference were conducted to assess behavioral and cognitive alterations in the offspring. The offspring of both physical and psychological PS-exposed mice exhibited increased locomotor activity, anxiety-like behavior, memory impairment, and preference to morphine. In both early- and late-firing cholinergic neurons of the LDT, stressed groups demonstrated higher firing frequency, lower adaptation ratio, decreased action potential threshold, and therefore increased excitability compared to the control group. The findings of the present study suggest that the hyperexcitability of the cholinergic neurons of LDT might be involved in the development of PS-associated anxiety-like behaviors, drug seeking, and memory impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Shabani
- Intracellular Recording Lab, Neuroscience Research Center, Neuropharmacology Institute, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, P.O. Box 76198-13159, Kerman, Iran
| | - Mehran Ilaghi
- Intracellular Recording Lab, Neuroscience Research Center, Neuropharmacology Institute, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, P.O. Box 76198-13159, Kerman, Iran
| | - Reyhaneh Naderi
- Laboratory of Emotions Neurobiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Pasteur Street 3, 02-093, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Moazamehosadat Razavinasab
- Intracellular Recording Lab, Neuroscience Research Center, Neuropharmacology Institute, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, P.O. Box 76198-13159, Kerman, Iran.
- Department of Physiology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
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Wang R, Zhao F, Li Y, Zhu J, Liu Y, Li J, Yao G, Liu H, Guan S, Ma S. The effects of chronic unpredicted mild stress on maternal negative emotions and gut microbiota and metabolites in pregnant rats. PeerJ 2023; 11:e15113. [PMID: 37090110 PMCID: PMC10117386 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.15113] [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: 08/04/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 04/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Chronic long-term stress is associated with a range of disorders, including depression and a variety of other chronic illnesses. It is well known that maternal exposure to psychosocial stress during pregnancy significantly increases the likelihood of adverse pregnancy outcomes. The gut microbiota has been a popular topic, it is a key mediator of the gut-brain axis and plays an important role in human health; changes in the gut microbiota have been related to chronic stress-induced health impairment, however, the relationship between maternal negative emotions and abnormal gut microbiota and its metabolites during maternal exposure to chronic stress during pregnancy remains unclear. Methods Pregnant rats were subjected to chronic unpredicted mild stress (CUMS) to establish the rat model of chronic stress during pregnancy. The behavioral changes were recorded using sucrose preference test (SPT) and open-field test (OFT), plasma corticosterone levels were determined by radioimmunoassay, and a comprehensive method combining 16S rRNA gene sequencing and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) metabolomics was used to study the effects of stress during pregnancy on the function of intestinal microbiota and its metabolites. Results Chronic stress during pregnancy not only increased maternal plasma corticosterone (P < 0.05), but also caused maternal depression-like behaviors (P < 0.05). Chronic stress during pregnancy changed the species composition at the family level of maternal gut microbiota, the species abundance of Ruminococcaceae in the stress group (23.45%) was lower than the control group (32.67%) and the species abundance of Prevotellaceae in the stress group (10.45%) was higher than the control group (0.03%) (P < 0.05). Vertical locomotion and 1% sucrose preference percentage in pregnant rats were negatively correlated with Prevotellaceae (r = - 0.90, P < 0.05). Principal component analysis with partial least squares discriminant analysis showed that the integration points of metabolic components in the stress and control groups were completely separated, indicating that there were significant differences in the metabolic patterns of the two groups, and there were seven endogenous metabolites that differed (P < 0.05). Conclusions The negative emotional behaviors that occur in pregnant rats as a result of prenatal chronic stress may be associated with alterations in the gut microbiota and its metabolites. These findings provide a basis for future targeted metabolomics and gut flora studies on the effects of chronic stress during pregnancy on gut flora.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Wang
- Ningxia Medical University, Ningxia, People’s Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Chronic Disease Control, Ningxia, People’s Republic of China
| | - Feng Zhao
- Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Ye Li
- Ningxia Medical University, Ningxia, People’s Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Chronic Disease Control, Ningxia, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jiashu Zhu
- Ningxia Medical University, Ningxia, People’s Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Chronic Disease Control, Ningxia, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yifei Liu
- Ningxia Medical University, Ningxia, People’s Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Chronic Disease Control, Ningxia, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jiaqi Li
- Ningxia Medical University, Ningxia, People’s Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Chronic Disease Control, Ningxia, People’s Republic of China
| | - Guixiang Yao
- Ningxia Medical University, Ningxia, People’s Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Chronic Disease Control, Ningxia, People’s Republic of China
| | - Hongya Liu
- Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Suzhen Guan
- Ningxia Medical University, Ningxia, People’s Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Chronic Disease Control, Ningxia, People’s Republic of China
| | - Shuqin Ma
- General hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Ningxia, People’s Republic of China
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Wei RM, Zhang YM, Li Y, Wu QT, Wang YT, Li XY, Li XW, Chen GH. Altered cognition and anxiety in adolescent offspring whose mothers underwent different-pattern maternal sleep deprivation, and cognition link to hippocampal expressions of Bdnf and Syt-1. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:1066725. [PMID: 36570704 PMCID: PMC9772274 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.1066725] [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: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Inadequate sleep during pregnancy negatively affects the neural development of offspring. Previous studies have focused on the continuous sleep deprivation (CSD) paradigm, but the sleep pattern during late pregnancy is usually fragmented. Objective To compare the effects of CSD and fragmented sleep deprivation (FSD) in late pregnancy on emotion, cognition, and expression of synaptic plasticity-related proteins in offspring mice. Methods Pregnant CD-1 mice were either subjected to 3/6 h of CSD/FSD during gestation days 15-21, while those in the control group were left untreated. After delivery, the offspring were divided into five groups, i.e., control (CON), short or long CSD (CSD3h, CSD6h), and short or long FSD (FSD3h, FSD6h). When the offspring were 2 months old, the anxiety-like behavior level was tested using the open field (OF) and elevated plus maze (EPM) test, and spatial learning and memory were evaluated using the Morris water maze (MWM) test. The expression of hippocampal of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (Bdnf) and synaptotagmin-1 (Syt-1) was determined using RT-PCR and western blotting. Results The CSD6h, FSD3h, and FSD6h had longer latency, fewer center times in the OF test, less open arms time and fewer numbers of entries in the open arms of the EPM, longer learning distance swam and lower memory percentage of distance swam in the target quadrant in the MWM test, and decreased BDNF and increased Syt-1 mRNA and protein levels in the hippocampus. Compared to the CSD6h, the FSD3h and FSD6h had longer distance swam, a lower percentage of distance swam in the target quadrant, decreased BDNF, and increased Syt-1 mRNA and protein levels in the hippocampus. Conclusion The results suggested that maternal sleep deprivation during late pregnancy impairs emotion and cognition in offspring, and FSD worsened the cognitive performance to a higher extent than CSD. The observed cognitive impairment could be associated with the expression of altered hippocampal of Bdnf and Syt-1 genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ru-Meng Wei
- Department of Neurology (Sleep Disorders), The Affiliated Chaohu Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Yue-Ming Zhang
- Department of Neurology (Sleep Disorders), The Affiliated Chaohu Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Yun Li
- Department of Neurology (Sleep Disorders), The Affiliated Chaohu Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Qi-Tao Wu
- Department of Neurology (Sleep Disorders), The Affiliated Chaohu Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Ya-Tao Wang
- Department of Neurology (Sleep Disorders), The Affiliated Chaohu Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Xue-Yan Li
- Department of Neurology (Sleep Disorders), The Affiliated Chaohu Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Xue-Wei Li
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, China,Xue-Wei Li
| | - Gui-Hai Chen
- Department of Neurology (Sleep Disorders), The Affiliated Chaohu Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China,*Correspondence: Gui-Hai Chen
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Soti M, Ranjbar H, Kohlmeier KA, Shabani M. Sex differences in the vulnerability of the hippocampus to prenatal stress. Dev Psychobiol 2022; 64:e22305. [PMID: 36282753 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22305] [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: 01/17/2022] [Revised: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Distressing events during pregnancy that engage activity of the body's endocrine stress response have been linked with later life cognitive deficits in offspring and associated with developmental changes in cognitive-controlling neural regions. Interestingly, prenatal stress (PS)-induced alterations have shown some sex specificity. Here, we review the literature of animal studies examining sex-specific effect of physical PS on the function and structure of the hippocampus as hippocampal impairments likely underlie PS-associated deficits in learning and memory. Furthermore, the connectivity between the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the hippocampus as well as the heavy presence of glucocorticoid receptors (GRs) in the hippocampus suggests this structure plays an important role in modulation of activity within stress circuitry in a sex-specific pattern. We hope that better understanding of sex-specific, PS-related hippocampal impairment will assist in uncovering the molecular mechanisms behind sex-based risk factors in PS populations across development, and perhaps contribute to greater precision in management of cognitive disturbances in this vulnerable population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monavareh Soti
- Neuroscience Research Center, Neuropharmacology Institute, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Hoda Ranjbar
- Neuroscience Research Center, Neuropharmacology Institute, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Kristi A Kohlmeier
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Mohammad Shabani
- Neuroscience Research Center, Neuropharmacology Institute, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
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Fu Y, Liu H, He L, Ma S, Chen X, Wang K, Zhao F, Qi F, Guan S, Liu Z. Prenatal chronic stress impairs the learning and memory ability via inhibition of the NO/cGMP/PKG pathway in the Hippocampus of offspring. Behav Brain Res 2022; 433:114009. [PMID: 35850398 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2022.114009] [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: 03/14/2022] [Revised: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Numerous clinical and animal studies have found that antenatal chronic stress can lead to pathological changes the hippocampal development from embryos to adult, but the mechanisms are not well understood. Proteomic analyses provide a new insight to explore the potential mechanisms of this impairment. In this study, gestating rats were subjected to chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) during pregnant days using nine different stimulations, and the changes of the learning and memory performance and the expression of proteins in the hippocampus of offspring were measured. It was found that prenatal chronic stress led to growth retardation, impaired spatial learning and memory ability in the offspring. Furthermore, prenatal stress caused various degrees of damage to neurons, Nissl body, mitochondria and synaptic structures in hippocampal CA3 region of offspring. In addition, 26 significantly different expressed proteins (DEPs) were found between the two groups by using isoquantitative tag-based relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ) proteomics analysis. Further analyses of these DEPs showed that involved with different molecular functions and several biological processes, such as biological regulation and metabolic processes. Among these, the KEGG pathway enrichment showed that learning and memory impairment was mainly associated with the cyclic guanosine monophosphate protein kinase G (cGMP-PKG) pathway. At the same time, compared with OPC group, the NO, nNOS and cGMP level were significantly decreased, and the expression of PKG protein was also dropped. All of these results suggested that pregnant rats exposed to chronic psychological stress might impair spatial learning and memory ability of offspring, by disturbing the NO/cGMP/PKG signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youjuan Fu
- School of Public Health and Management, Ningxia Medical University, No. 1160, Shengli Street, Xingqing District, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Chronic Disease Control, No. 1160, Shengli Street, Xingqing District, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
| | - Hongya Liu
- School of Public Health and Management, Ningxia Medical University, No. 1160, Shengli Street, Xingqing District, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Chronic Disease Control, No. 1160, Shengli Street, Xingqing District, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
| | - Ling He
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Center, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, No. 804, Shengli Street, Xingqing District, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
| | - Shuqin Ma
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Center, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, No. 804, Shengli Street, Xingqing District, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
| | - Xiaohui Chen
- School of Public Health and Management, Ningxia Medical University, No. 1160, Shengli Street, Xingqing District, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Chronic Disease Control, No. 1160, Shengli Street, Xingqing District, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
| | - Kai Wang
- School of Public Health and Management, Ningxia Medical University, No. 1160, Shengli Street, Xingqing District, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Chronic Disease Control, No. 1160, Shengli Street, Xingqing District, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
| | - Feng Zhao
- School of Public Health and Management, Ningxia Medical University, No. 1160, Shengli Street, Xingqing District, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Chronic Disease Control, No. 1160, Shengli Street, Xingqing District, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
| | - Faqiu Qi
- School of Public Health and Management, Ningxia Medical University, No. 1160, Shengli Street, Xingqing District, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Chronic Disease Control, No. 1160, Shengli Street, Xingqing District, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
| | - Suzhen Guan
- School of Public Health and Management, Ningxia Medical University, No. 1160, Shengli Street, Xingqing District, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Chronic Disease Control, No. 1160, Shengli Street, Xingqing District, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China; Ningxia Key Laboratory of Cerebrocranial Disease, Incubation Base of National Key Laboratory, Ningxia Medical University, No. 1160, Shengli Street, Xingqing District, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China.
| | - Zhihong Liu
- School of Public Health and Management, Ningxia Medical University, No. 1160, Shengli Street, Xingqing District, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Chronic Disease Control, No. 1160, Shengli Street, Xingqing District, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China.
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Zhao F, Wang K, Wen Y, Chen X, Liu H, Qi F, Fu Y, Zhu J, Guan S, Liu Z. Contribution of hippocampal BDNF/CREB signaling pathway and gut microbiota to emotional behavior impairment induced by chronic unpredictable mild stress during pregnancy in rats offspring. PeerJ 2022; 10:e13605. [PMID: 35769142 PMCID: PMC9235812 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.13605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 05/26/2022] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Numerous studies have shown that exposure to prenatal maternal stress (PMS) is associated with various psychopathological outcomes of offspring. The accumulating evidence linking bacteria in the gut and neurons in the brain (the microbiota-gut-brain axis) has been aconsensus; however, there is a lack of research on the involvement mechanism of gut microbiota in the regulation of the BDNF/CREB signaling pathway in the hippocampus of prenatally stressed offspring. Methods Pregnant rats were subjected to chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) to establish the prenatal maternal stress model. The body weight was measured and the behavioral changes were recorded. Offspring were tested to determine emotional state using sucrose preference test (SPT), open-field test (OFT) and suspended tail test (STT). Gut microbiota was evaluated by sequencing the microbial 16S rRNA V3-V4 region, and the interactive analysis of bacterial community structure and diversity was carried out. The expression of hippocampal BDNF, TrkB and CREB mRNA and proteins were respectively measured using RT-PCR and Western blotting. Results Prenatal maternal stress increased maternal plasma corticosterone levels, slowed maternal weight gain and caused depression-like behaviors (all P < 0.05). In offspring, prenatal maternal stress increased plasma corticosterone levels (P < 0.05) and emotional behavior changes (depression-like state) were observed (P < 0.05). The species abundance, diversity and composition of the offspring's gut microbiota changed after the maternal stress during pregnancy (P < 0.05). Compared with the control group's offspring, the species abundance of Lactobacillaceae was dropped, while the abundance of the Muribaculaceae species abundance was risen. Concurrent, changes in the hippocampal structure of the offspring and decreases in expression of BDNF/CREB signaling were noted (P < 0.05). Conclusions Prenatal maternal stress leads to high corticosterone status and abnormal emotion behavior of offspring, which may be associated with the abnormal BDNF/CREB signaling in hippocampus of offspring caused by the change of gut microbiota composition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Zhao
- Ningxia Key Laboratory of Cerebrocranial Disease, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Chronic Disease Control, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
- School of Public Health and Management, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
- School of Public Health, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Kai Wang
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Chronic Disease Control, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
- School of Public Health and Management, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
| | - Yujun Wen
- Ningxia Key Laboratory of Cerebrocranial Disease, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
| | - Xiaohui Chen
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Chronic Disease Control, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
- School of Public Health and Management, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
| | - Hongya Liu
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Chronic Disease Control, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
- School of Public Health and Management, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
| | - Faqiu Qi
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Chronic Disease Control, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
- School of Public Health and Management, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
| | - Youjuan Fu
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Chronic Disease Control, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
- School of Public Health and Management, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
| | - Jiashu Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Chronic Disease Control, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
- School of Public Health and Management, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
| | - Suzhen Guan
- Ningxia Key Laboratory of Cerebrocranial Disease, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Chronic Disease Control, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
- School of Public Health and Management, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
| | - Zhihong Liu
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Chronic Disease Control, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
- School of Public Health and Management, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
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Öztürk KH, Ünal GÖ, Doğuç DK, Toğay VA, Koşar PA, Sezik M. Hypothalamic NR3C1 DNA methylation in rats exposed to prenatal stress. Mol Biol Rep 2022; 49:7921-7928. [PMID: 35661969 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-022-07626-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Human and animal studies have indicated that maternal prenatal stress (PS) has molecular and behavioral effects during pregnancy and early life. The present study aimed to evaluate the epigenetic changes of the NR3C1 gene involved in the HPA axis in the hypothalamic tissues of rats exposed to PS induced by chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS). Behavioral and molecular effects of these changes on the next generation were also assessed. METHODS AND RESULTS CUMS protocol was used to generate stress in pregnant Wistar rats. To determine the effects of stress on anhedonia and movement, sucrose preference test, forced swimming test, and open field test were performed. Following these behavioral experiments, bisulfite sequencing PCR for DNA methylation levels of the NR3C1 gene, RT-qPCR for mRNA levels, and Western blot techniques for protein analysis were used in the hypothalamic tissue of sacrificed rats. Depression-like behaviors were evident in the behavioral tests of stress-exposed mothers and pups. In PS-exposed pups, hypothalamic NR3C1 promoter methylation was higher, and NR3C1 mRNA levels and NR3C1 protein levels were lower compared with controls, regardless of sex. CONCLUSION Our results confirm the relationship between PS and epigenetic changes of HPA axis-related genes and show that NR3C1 gene methylation status in pups is sensitive to PS during pregnancy. Environmental maternal stress may have transgenerational effects that are potentially associated with adverse outcomes in the pups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kuyaş Hekimler Öztürk
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Süleyman Demirel University, 32260, Isparta, Turkey.
| | - Gülin Özdamar Ünal
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Süleyman Demirel University, Isparta, Turkey
| | - Duygu Kumbul Doğuç
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Süleyman Demirel University, Isparta, Turkey
| | - Vehbi Atahan Toğay
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Süleyman Demirel University, Isparta, Turkey
| | - Pınar Aslan Koşar
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Süleyman Demirel University, Isparta, Turkey
| | - Mekin Sezik
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Süleyman Demirel University, Isparta, Turkey
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Zhao F, Guan S, Fu Y, Wang K, Liu Z, Ng TB. Lycium barbarum polysaccharide attenuates emotional injury of offspring elicited by prenatal chronic stress in rats via regulation of gut microbiota. Biomed Pharmacother 2021; 143:112087. [PMID: 34474339 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2021.112087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2020] [Revised: 04/23/2021] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Stress during pregnancy is not only detrimental to a woman's own physical and mental health, but can also cause changes in the intrauterine environment and even have an impact on later growth and development, this study was designed to understand the changes of gut microbiota in the maternal and offspring caused by prenatal chronic stress, and to explore the regulatory effect of LBP on gut microbiota, and then to improve the emotional damage caused by prenatal chronic stress in the offspring. A rat model of prenatal chronic stress was made and used LBP to intervene by gavage. Fresh feces of offspring were collected, the concentration of microbial metabolites were tested by ELISA. Illumina MiSeqPE300 sequencing technology was used to determine the sequence of 16S rRNA V3-V4 of microorganisms. On the PND 42, the emotional function of offspring were tested by open-field test (OFT), sucrose preference test (SPT) and tail of suspend test (TST). Results indicated that stress factors increased the plasma corticosterone level of rats during pregnancy and they appeared depressive behaviors. The body weight of offspring during prenatal chronic stress was lower than the control group, and the plasma corticosterone level was increased. Prenatal chronic stress had a significant impact on emotional performance of the offspring on OFT, SPT and TST. Alpha diversity of gut microbiota and microbiota composition in offspring of prenatal chronic stress was attenuated and some relationships existed between these parameters. LBP treatment reduced offspring's plasma corticosterone level and improved their body weight, changed the emotional function, increased the diversity of gut microbiota. Collectively, these findings disclose that prenatal chronic stress not only causes emotional injury on the offspring, but also changes the gut microbiota of the mother and offspring; LBP may regulate the intestinal flora of the mother, then reducing the influence of stress factors on the emotional injury of offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Zhao
- Department of Occupational Health and Environmental Health, School of Public Health and Management, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan 750001, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Chronic Disease Control, Yinchuan 750001, Ningxia, China
| | - Suzhen Guan
- Department of Occupational Health and Environmental Health, School of Public Health and Management, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan 750001, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Chronic Disease Control, Yinchuan 750001, Ningxia, China
| | - Youjuan Fu
- Department of Occupational Health and Environmental Health, School of Public Health and Management, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan 750001, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Chronic Disease Control, Yinchuan 750001, Ningxia, China
| | - Kai Wang
- Department of Occupational Health and Environmental Health, School of Public Health and Management, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan 750001, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Chronic Disease Control, Yinchuan 750001, Ningxia, China
| | - Zhihong Liu
- Department of Occupational Health and Environmental Health, School of Public Health and Management, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan 750001, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Chronic Disease Control, Yinchuan 750001, Ningxia, China.
| | - Tzi Bun Ng
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
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Sun GC, Lee YJ, Lee YC, Yu HF, Wang DC. Exercise prevents the impairment of learning and memory in prenatally phthalate-exposed male rats by improving the expression of plasticity-related proteins. Behav Brain Res 2021; 413:113444. [PMID: 34245761 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Revised: 06/27/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Regular exercise has been identified to facilitate neuroplasticity that maximize functional outcome after brain injuries. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has emerged as a key facilitator of neuroplasticity after exercise. The activity-regulated cytoskeleton associated protein (Arc) is induced by BDNF and N-methyl-d-aspartic acid receptor (NMDAR), contributing to functional modification of neuroplasticity in the hippocampus. Meanwhile, early-life exposure to neuroendocrine disruptor di-(2-ethylhexyl)-phthalate (DEHP) is a risk factor for behavioral deficits, but the mechanisms responsible for DEHP-induced neurotoxicity are not well understood. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether hippocampal Arc expression is impaired by DEHP exposure and to examine the protective role of exercise in the prenatally DEHP-exposed male rats. Sprague Dawley dams were fed with vehicle or DEHP during gestation. The male offspring were trained to treadmill running for 5 weeks followed by examination of behavioral and biochemical outcomes. The results showed that DEHP-exposed rats exhibited impairment of spatial learning and memory as well as down-regulations of BDNF, NMDAR, Arc, and synaptophysin. Importantly, aerobic exercise during childhood-adolescence prevented the impairment of learning and memory by recovering the expressions of BDNF, NMDAR, Arc, and synaptophysin. These findings suggest that exercise may provide beneficial effects on ameliorating the impairment of neuroplasticity in the prenatally DEHP-exposed male rats at late adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gwo-Ching Sun
- Department of Anesthesiology, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Department of Anesthesiology, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
| | - Yi-Ju Lee
- Department of Sports Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
| | - Yi-Ching Lee
- Department of Food and Beverage Services, Tainan University of Technology, Tainan, Taiwan.
| | - Hsien-Fu Yu
- Department of Sports Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
| | - Dean-Chuan Wang
- Department of Sports Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
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10
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Xu YH, Wang XX, Wang MJ, Liu YY, Xue Z, Chen JX. Influence of progestational stress on BDNF and NMDARs in the hippocampus of male offspring and amelioration by Chaihu Shugan San. Biomed Pharmacother 2021; 135:111204. [PMID: 33548869 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2020.111204] [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: 08/11/2020] [Revised: 12/13/2020] [Accepted: 12/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/09/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Progestational stress has been proven to be a risk for the neural development of offspring, especially in the hippocampus. However, whether Chaihu Shugan San (CSS) can ameliorate hippocampal neural development via the regulation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDAR) 2A (NR2A) and 2B (NR2B), and the mechanism of such action remains unclear. METHODS Thirty-six female rats were randomly allocated into control, chronic immobilization stress (CIS) and CSS groups according to the random number table, respectively. The male offspring were fed for 21 days after birth then randomly divided into the same three groups (6 rats/group) as the female rats. Female rats, except for the control group, underwent 21-day CIS to established a progestational stress anxiety-like model which was evaluated by body weight, the elevated plus-maze (EPM) test and serum dopamine (DA) measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The expression levels of estrogen receptors (ERα/ERβ) and progesterone receptor (PR) in female rat ovaries were quantified by real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and Western blot analysis. The hippocampal tissue in the 21-day offspring was observed by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. The concentration of BDNF, NR2A, and NR2B were measured by RT-qPCR and immunohistochemistry in the CA3 and dentate gyrus (DG) regions of offsprings' hippocampus. RESULTS Compared with the female control group, significant differences in body weight, EPM test and DA concentration were observed in the CIS group, meanwhile, the concentration of ERα (P < 0.05), PR (P < 0.05) and ERβ in the ovaries were decreased. In the offsprings' hippocampus of the CIS group, the chromatin of the nucleus was edge set and with condensed and irregular morphology nucleus, and the cytoplasm was unevenly stained with spaces around the cells, moreover, the expression levels of BDNF, NR2A, and NR2B were also declined (P < 0.05). However, Chaihu Shugan San reversed these changes, especially the BDNF in the DG region (P < 0.05), and NR2A and NR2B in the CA3 and DG region (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS CSS could ameliorate the neural development of the hippocampus in offspring damaged by anxiety-like progestational stress in female rats via regulating the expression levels of ERα, ERβ, and PR in female rat ovaries and BDNF, NR2A, and NR2B in the hippocampus of their offspring.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor/genetics
- Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor/metabolism
- Disease Models, Animal
- Estrogen Receptor alpha/genetics
- Estrogen Receptor alpha/metabolism
- Estrogen Receptor beta/genetics
- Estrogen Receptor beta/metabolism
- Female
- Gestational Age
- Hippocampus/drug effects
- Hippocampus/metabolism
- Hippocampus/pathology
- Male
- Neurogenesis/drug effects
- Ovary/drug effects
- Ovary/metabolism
- Plant Extracts/pharmacology
- Pregnancy
- Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects
- Rats, Wistar
- Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate/genetics
- Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate/metabolism
- Receptors, Progesterone/genetics
- Receptors, Progesterone/metabolism
- Restraint, Physical
- Signal Transduction
- Stress, Psychological/drug therapy
- Stress, Psychological/genetics
- Stress, Psychological/metabolism
- Stress, Psychological/pathology
- Rats
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya-Hui Xu
- School of Basic Medicine, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, 450046, Henan, China; School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Xin-Xing Wang
- School of Basic Medicine, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, 450046, Henan, China
| | - Ming-Jing Wang
- School of Basic Medicine, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, 450046, Henan, China
| | - Yue-Yun Liu
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Zhe Xue
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Jia-Xu Chen
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China; Formula-Pattern Research Center, School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, Guangdong, China.
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11
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Lopizzo N, Mazzelli M, Zonca V, Begni V, D'Aprile I, Cattane N, Pariante CM, Riva MA, Cattaneo A. Alterations in 'inflammatory' pathways in the rat prefrontal cortex as early biological predictors of the long-term negative consequences of exposure to stress early in life. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2021; 124:104794. [PMID: 33429258 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2020.104794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2019] [Revised: 06/24/2020] [Accepted: 06/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Early life stress, especially when experienced during the first period of life, affects the brain developmental trajectories leading to an enhanced vulnerability for stress-related psychiatric disorders later in life. Although both clinical and preclinical studies clearly support this association, the biological pathways deregulated by such exposure, and the effects in shaping the neurodevelopmental trajectories, have so far been poorly investigated. By using the prenatal stress (PNS) model, a well-established rat model of early life stress, we performed transcriptomic analyses in the prefrontal cortex of rats exposed or not to PNS and sacrificed at different postnatal days (PNDs 21, 40, 62). We first investigated the long-lasting mechanisms and pathways affected in the PFC. We have decided to focus on the prefrontal cortex because we have previously shown that this brain region is highly sensitive to PNS exposure. We found that adult animals exposed to PNS show alterations in 389 genes, mainly involved in stress and inflammatory signalling. We then wanted to establish whether PNS exposure could also affect the neurodevelopmental trajectories in order to identify the most critical temporal window. We found that PNS rats show the most significant changes during adolescence (between PND 40 versus PND 21), with alterations of several pathways related to stress, inflammation and metabolism, which were maintained until adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Lopizzo
- Biological Psychiatry Unit, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy; Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Italy
| | - Monica Mazzelli
- Biological Psychiatry Unit, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy; Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Italy
| | - Valentina Zonca
- Biological Psychiatry Unit, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy; Stress, Psychiatry and Immunology Laboratory, Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College, London, UK
| | - Veronica Begni
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Italy
| | - Ilari D'Aprile
- Biological Psychiatry Unit, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy
| | - Nadia Cattane
- Biological Psychiatry Unit, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy
| | - Carmine M Pariante
- Stress, Psychiatry and Immunology Laboratory, Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College, London, UK
| | - Marco A Riva
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Italy
| | - Annamaria Cattaneo
- Biological Psychiatry Unit, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy; Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Italy.
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12
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Prenatal Stress Impairs Spinal Cord Oligodendrocyte Maturation via BDNF Signaling in the Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis Model of Multiple Sclerosis. Cell Mol Neurobiol 2020; 42:1225-1240. [PMID: 33259004 PMCID: PMC8942968 DOI: 10.1007/s10571-020-01014-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2020] [Accepted: 11/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
One of the most substantial and established environmental risk factors for neurological and psychiatric disorders is stress exposure, whose detrimental consequences hinge on several variables including time. In this regard the gestational period is known to present an intrinsic vulnerability to environmental insults and thus stressful events during pregnancy can lead to severe consequences on the offspring's brain development with long-term repercussions throughout adulthood. On this basis, we investigated the long-lasting impact of prenatal stress exposure on the susceptibility to the experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a well-established murine model of multiple sclerosis. Although stress is considered a triggering factor for this chronic, progressive, autoimmune disease, little is known about the underlying mechanisms. To this end, EAE was induced by immunization with MOG35-55/CFA and pertussis toxin administration in adult female C57BL/6 mice born from control or stressed dams exposed to restraint stress during the last days of gestation. Our results demonstrate that gestational stress induces a marked increase in the severity of EAE symptoms in adulthood. Further, we highlight an altered maturation of oligodendrocytes in the spinal cord of prenatally stressed EAE mice, as indicated by the higher levels of GPR17, a marker of immature oligodendrocyte precursor cells. These behavioral and molecular alterations are paralleled by changes in the expression and signaling of the neurotrophin BDNF, an important mediator of neural plasticity that may contribute to stress-induced impaired remyelination. Since several already marketed drugs are able to modulate BDNF levels, these results pave the way to the possibility of repositioning these drugs in multiple sclerosis.
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13
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Li YJ, Yang LP, Hou JL, Li XM, Chen L, Zhu JH, Wang QY, Li G, Zhao PY, Liu XH, Shi ZJ. Prenatal Stress Impairs Postnatal Learning and Memory Development via Disturbance of the cGMP-PKG Pathway and Oxidative Phosphorylation in the Hippocampus of Rats. Front Mol Neurosci 2020; 13:158. [PMID: 33013315 PMCID: PMC7509422 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2020.00158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2020] [Accepted: 08/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Clinical and animal studies have found that prenatal stress can lead to pathological changes in embryos and fetuses. However, the mechanisms through which this occurs have not been made clear. In the present study, pregnant rats were subjected to chronic psychological stress during gestational days using an improved communication box system, and the changes in behavioral performance and proteins in the hippocampus of offspring were analyzed. It was found that prenatal stress caused postnatal growth retardation and impairment in spatial learning and memory. Furthermore, in isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation-based proteomics analyses, 158 significantly differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were found between the two groups. Further analyses showed that these DEPs are involved in different molecular function categories and participate in several biological processes, such as energy metabolism, learning or memory, and synaptic plasticity. Moreover, the enrichment of pathways showed that the learning and memory impairment was primarily connected with the cyclic guanosine monophosphate–protein kinase G (cGMP–PKG) pathway and oxidative phosphorylation. At the same time, the cGMP level and the expression of PKG protein were significantly decreased, and the neuronal mitochondria appeared to have a swollen and irregular shape in the hippocampus of offspring of stressed rats. These results suggest that the chronic psychological stress that pregnant rats were subjected to during gestational days may have impaired the spatial learning and memory of offspring. This affected the hippocampal oxidative phosphorylation and inhibited the cGMP–PKG pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Jie Li
- Pharmacology Laboratory, School of Basic Medical Medicine, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Li-Ping Yang
- Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, School of Basic Medical Medicine, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Jun-Lin Hou
- Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, School of Basic Medical Medicine, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Xin-Min Li
- Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, School of Basic Medical Medicine, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Lei Chen
- Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, School of Basic Medical Medicine, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Jiang-Hui Zhu
- Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, School of Basic Medical Medicine, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Qi-Yang Wang
- Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, School of Basic Medical Medicine, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Gai Li
- Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, School of Basic Medical Medicine, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Pei-Yuan Zhao
- Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, School of Basic Medical Medicine, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Xi-Hong Liu
- Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, School of Basic Medical Medicine, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Zhan-Jiang Shi
- Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, School of Basic Medical Medicine, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, China
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14
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Jafari Z, Kolb BE, Mohajerani MH. Noise exposure accelerates the risk of cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease: Adulthood, gestational, and prenatal mechanistic evidence from animal studies. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 117:110-128. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2018] [Revised: 03/18/2019] [Accepted: 04/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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15
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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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16
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Enayati M, Mosaferi B, Homberg JR, Diniz DM, Salari AA. Prenatal maternal stress alters depression-related symptoms in a strain - and sex-dependent manner in rodent offspring. Life Sci 2020; 251:117597. [PMID: 32243926 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2020.117597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2019] [Revised: 03/26/2020] [Accepted: 03/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Stress during pregnancy adversely affects foetal development and leads to later behavioural outcomes in offspring. Preclinical studies have reported conflicting effects of prenatal stress on depression-related symptoms in rodent offspring. This study aimed to study the combined effect of strain and sex on prenatal stress outcomes in a single study. To this end, male and female offspring from outbred Wistar and inbred Lewis rats, and outbred NMRI and inbred C57BL6 mice were compared. As outcomes we focussed on depression-related behaviour and related molecular and neurochemical parameters. Prenatally stressed and non-stressed offspring were subjected to the sucrose preference, novelty-suppressed feeding, tail suspension, and forced swim tests. We measured basal and stress-induced corticosterone levels in the serum, and brain-derived-neurotrophic-factor (BDNF), interleukin-1β, tumor necrosis factor-α, glutamate and serotonin in the brain to determine changes in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal-(HPA)-axis function, neuroplasticity, neuroinflammation, and neurotransmission. Our findings revealed that prenatal stress increases depression-like behaviour, HPA-axis (re) activity, pro-inflammatory cytokines and glutamate levels, and decreases BDNF and serotonin levels in a strain and sex-dependent manner in rodent offspring. Overall, male and female Lewis rats, female Wistar rats, male NMRI mice and female C57BL6 mice were found to be most responsive to prenatal stress. Based on these results, we conclude that genetic background and sex contribute to the great diversity in the effects of prenatal maternal stress in rodents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohsen Enayati
- Salari Institute of Cognitive and Behavioral Disorders (SICBD), Alborz, Karaj, Iran; Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Belal Mosaferi
- Department of Basic Sciences, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Maragheh University of Medical Sciences, Maragheh, Iran
| | - Judith R Homberg
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Centre for Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Danielle Mendes Diniz
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Centre for Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Ali-Akbar Salari
- Salari Institute of Cognitive and Behavioral Disorders (SICBD), Alborz, Karaj, Iran.
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Zhu G, Liu Y, Zhi Y, Jin Y, Li J, Shi W, Liu Y, Han Y, Yu S, Jiang J, Zhao X. PKA- and Ca 2+-dependent p38 MAPK/CREB activation protects against manganese-mediated neuronal apoptosis. Toxicol Lett 2019; 309:10-19. [PMID: 30951808 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxlet.2019.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2019] [Revised: 03/24/2019] [Accepted: 04/01/2019] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Although manganese (Mn) is an essential trace element, its excessive consumption may lead to neuronal death and neurodegenerative disorders. Human cells launch adaptive responses to attenuate Mn-induced neurotoxicity. However, the regulation of the responsive proteins and their function during Mn-stimulated neurotoxicity remain largely unknown. We report the role of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) response element-binding protein (CREB) in Mn-induced neuronal apoptosis. Mn increased CREB phosphorylation and cellular apoptosis in both PC12 cells and mouse brain tissue. Furthermore, downregulation of CREB with shRNA plasmid transfection significantly worsened the PC12 cell apoptosis by decreasing mRNA and protein expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Moreover, Mn enhanced protein kinase A (PKA) activation and activation of the p38 MAPK and JNK pathways. Inhibition of p38 MAPK rather than JNK effectively reduced the CREB phosphorylation. Subsequent analysis showed that a PKA inhibitor blocked p38 MAPK and CREB phosphorylation. Moreover, the intracellular Ca2+ chelator BAPTA-AM decreased the phosphorylation of p38 MAPK and CREB but failed to reduce PKA activation. In summary, p38 MAPK/CREB activation via PKA activation and increased cellular Ca2+ helped to alleviate Mn-induced neuronal apoptosis via BDNF regulation. These findings improve our understanding of Mn-induced neurotoxicity and the molecular targets to antagonise it.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ganlin Zhu
- Department of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Toxicology, School of Public Health, Nantong University, Nantong 226019, China
| | - Yiming Liu
- Department of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Toxicology, School of Public Health, Nantong University, Nantong 226019, China
| | - Ye Zhi
- Department of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Toxicology, School of Public Health, Nantong University, Nantong 226019, China
| | - Yang Jin
- Department of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Toxicology, School of Public Health, Nantong University, Nantong 226019, China
| | - Jinlong Li
- School of Pharmacy, Nangtong University, Nantong 226001, China.
| | - Weiwei Shi
- Nantong Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nantong 226001, China
| | - Yuting Liu
- Department of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Toxicology, School of Public Health, Nantong University, Nantong 226019, China
| | - Yu Han
- Department of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Toxicology, School of Public Health, Nantong University, Nantong 226019, China
| | - Shali Yu
- Department of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Toxicology, School of Public Health, Nantong University, Nantong 226019, China
| | - Junkang Jiang
- Department of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Toxicology, School of Public Health, Nantong University, Nantong 226019, China.
| | - Xinyuan Zhao
- Department of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Toxicology, School of Public Health, Nantong University, Nantong 226019, China.
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Huang C, Wu J, Chen D, Jin J, Wu Y, Chen Z. Effects of sulforaphane in the central nervous system. Eur J Pharmacol 2019; 853:153-168. [PMID: 30858063 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2019.03.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2018] [Revised: 02/25/2019] [Accepted: 03/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Sulforaphane (SFN) is an active component extracted from vegetables like cauliflower and broccoli. Activation of the nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (Nrf2) signaling is a common mechanism for the anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory activity of some herb-derived compounds, such as icariin and berberine. However, due to its peculiar ability in Nrf2 activation, SFN is recognized as an activator of Nrf2 and recommended as a supplementation for prevention and/or treatment of disorders like neoplasm and heart failure. In the central nervous system (CNS), the prophylactic and/or therapeutic effects of SFN have been revealed in recent years. For example, it has been reported to prevent the progression of Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, cerebral ischemia, Huntington's disease, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, and psychiatric disorders via promotion of neurogenesis or inhibition of oxidative stress and neuroinflammation. SFN is also implicated in reversing cognition, learning, and memory impairment in rodents induced by scopolamine, lipopolysaccharide, okadaic acid, and diabetes. In models of neurotoxicity, SFN has been shown to suppress neurotoxicity induced by a wide range of toxic factors, such as hydrogen peroxide, prion protein, hyperammonemia, and methamphetamine. To date, no consolidated source of knowledge about the pharmacological effects of SFN in the CNS has been presented in the literature. In this review, we summarize and discuss the pharmacological effects of SFN as well as their possible mechanisms in prevention and/or therapy of disorders afflicting the CNS, aiming to get a further insight into how SFN affects the pathophysiological process of CNS disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Huang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Nantong University, #19 Qixiu Road, Nantong 226001, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jingjing Wu
- Department of Cardiology, Suzhou Kowloon Hospital of Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, #118 Wansheng Street, Suzhou 215021, Jiangsu, China
| | - Dongjian Chen
- Invasive Technology Department, Nantong First People's Hospital, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, #6 North Road Hai'er Xiang, Nantong 226001, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jie Jin
- Invasive Technology Department, Nantong First People's Hospital, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, #6 North Road Hai'er Xiang, Nantong 226001, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yue Wu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Nantong University, #19 Qixiu Road, Nantong 226001, Jiangsu, China
| | - Zhuo Chen
- Invasive Technology Department, Nantong First People's Hospital, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, #6 North Road Hai'er Xiang, Nantong 226001, Jiangsu, China.
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19
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Dong W, Xu D, Hu Z, He X, Guo Z, Jiao Z, Yu Y, Wang H. Low-functional programming of the CREB/BDNF/TrkB pathway mediates cognitive impairment in male offspring after prenatal dexamethasone exposure. Toxicol Lett 2018; 283:1-12. [DOI: 10.1016/j.toxlet.2017.10.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2017] [Revised: 10/19/2017] [Accepted: 10/26/2017] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
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