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Kiemes A, Serrano Navacerrada ME, Kim E, Randall K, Simmons C, Rojo Gonzalez L, Petrinovic MM, Lythgoe DJ, Rotaru D, Di Censo D, Hirschler L, Barbier EL, Vernon AC, Stone JM, Davies C, Cash D, Modinos G. Erbb4 Deletion From Inhibitory Interneurons Causes Psychosis-Relevant Neuroimaging Phenotypes. Schizophr Bull 2023; 49:569-580. [PMID: 36573631 PMCID: PMC10154722 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbac192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND HYPOTHESIS Converging lines of evidence suggest that dysfunction of cortical GABAergic inhibitory interneurons is a core feature of psychosis. This dysfunction is thought to underlie neuroimaging abnormalities commonly found in patients with psychosis, particularly in the hippocampus. These include increases in resting cerebral blood flow (CBF) and glutamatergic metabolite levels, and decreases in ligand binding to GABAA α5 receptors and to the synaptic density marker synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2A (SV2A). However, direct links between inhibitory interneuron dysfunction and these neuroimaging readouts are yet to be established. Conditional deletion of a schizophrenia susceptibility gene, the tyrosine kinase receptor Erbb4, from cortical and hippocampal inhibitory interneurons leads to synaptic defects, and behavioral and cognitive phenotypes relevant to psychosis in mice. STUDY DESIGN Here, we investigated how this inhibitory interneuron disruption affects hippocampal in vivo neuroimaging readouts. Adult Erbb4 conditional mutant mice (Lhx6-Cre;Erbb4F/F, n = 12) and their wild-type littermates (Erbb4F/F, n = 12) were scanned in a 9.4T magnetic resonance scanner to quantify CBF and glutamatergic metabolite levels (glutamine, glutamate, GABA). Subsequently, we assessed GABAA receptors and SV2A density using quantitative autoradiography. RESULTS Erbb4 mutant mice showed significantly elevated ventral hippccampus CBF and glutamine levels, and decreased SV2A density across hippocampus sub-regions compared to wild-type littermates. No significant GABAA receptor density differences were identified. CONCLUSIONS These findings demonstrate that specific disruption of cortical inhibitory interneurons in mice recapitulate some of the key neuroimaging findings in patients with psychosis, and link inhibitory interneuron deficits to non-invasive measures of brain function and neurochemistry that can be used across species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Kiemes
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Maria Elisa Serrano Navacerrada
- Department of Neuroimaging, School of Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Eugene Kim
- Department of Neuroimaging, School of Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Karen Randall
- Department of Neuroimaging, School of Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Camilla Simmons
- Department of Neuroimaging, School of Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Loreto Rojo Gonzalez
- Department of Neuroimaging, School of Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Marija-Magdalena Petrinovic
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King’s College London, London, UK
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Science, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - David J Lythgoe
- Department of Neuroimaging, School of Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Diana Rotaru
- Department of Neuroimaging, School of Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Davide Di Censo
- Department of Neuroimaging, School of Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Lydiane Hirschler
- C.J. Gorter Center for High Field MRI, Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, U1216, Grenoble Institut Neurosciences, Grenoble, France
| | - Emmanuel L Barbier
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, U1216, Grenoble Institut Neurosciences, Grenoble, France
| | - Anthony C Vernon
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King’s College London, London, UK
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, School of Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - James M Stone
- Brighton and Sussex Medical School, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
| | - Cathy Davies
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Diana Cash
- Department of Neuroimaging, School of Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Gemma Modinos
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
- Department of Neuroimaging, School of Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King’s College London, London, UK
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2
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Bruce MR, Couch ACM, Grant S, McLellan J, Ku K, Chang C, Bachman A, Matson M, Berman RF, Maddock RJ, Rowland D, Kim E, Ponzini MD, Harvey D, Taylor SL, Vernon AC, Bauman MD, Van de Water J. Altered behavior, brain structure, and neurometabolites in a rat model of autism-specific maternal autoantibody exposure. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:2136-2147. [PMID: 36973347 PMCID: PMC10575787 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02020-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Revised: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
Abstract
Maternal immune dysregulation is a prenatal risk factor for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Importantly, a clinically relevant connection exists between inflammation and metabolic stress that can result in aberrant cytokine signaling and autoimmunity. In this study we examined the potential for maternal autoantibodies (aAbs) to disrupt metabolic signaling and induce neuroanatomical changes in the brains of exposed offspring. To accomplish this, we developed a model of maternal aAb exposure in rats based on the clinical phenomenon of maternal autoantibody-related ASD (MAR-ASD). Following confirmation of aAb production in rat dams and antigen-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) transfer to offspring, we assessed offspring behavior and brain structure longitudinally. MAR-ASD rat offspring displayed a reduction in pup ultrasonic vocalizations and a pronounced deficit in social play behavior when allowed to freely interact with a novel partner. Additionally, longitudinal in vivo structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI) at postnatal day 30 (PND30) and PND70, conducted in a separate cohort of animals, revealed sex-specific differences in total and regional brain volume. Treatment-specific effects by region appeared to converge on midbrain and cerebellar structures in MAR-ASD offspring. Simultaneously, in vivo 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) data were collected to examine brain metabolite levels in the medial prefrontal cortex. Results showed that MAR-ASD offspring displayed decreased levels of choline-containing compounds and glutathione, accompanied by increased taurine compared to control animals. Overall, we found that rats exposed to MAR-ASD aAbs present with alterations in behavior, brain structure, and neurometabolites; reminiscent of findings observed in clinical ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew R Bruce
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Allergy, and Clinical Immunology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Amalie C M Couch
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Simone Grant
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Janna McLellan
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Allergy, and Clinical Immunology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Katherine Ku
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Christina Chang
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Angelica Bachman
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Matthew Matson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Robert F Berman
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
- MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Richard J Maddock
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Douglas Rowland
- Center for Molecular and Genomic Imaging, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Eugene Kim
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Matthew D Ponzini
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Danielle Harvey
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Sandra L Taylor
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Anthony C Vernon
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Melissa D Bauman
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
- MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Judy Van de Water
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Allergy, and Clinical Immunology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA.
- MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, CA, USA.
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Ben-Azu B, Uruaka CI, Ajayi AM, Jarikre TA, Nwangwa KE, Chilaka KC, Chijioke BS, Omonyeme MG, Ozege CB, Ofili EC, Warekoromor EB, Edigbue NL, Esiekpe UV, Akaenyi DE, Agu GO. Reversal and Preventive Pleiotropic Mechanisms Involved in the Antipsychotic-Like Effect of Taurine, an Essential β-Amino Acid in Ketamine-Induced Experimental Schizophrenia in Mice. Neurochem Res 2023; 48:816-829. [PMID: 36350433 DOI: 10.1007/s11064-022-03808-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Revised: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a life disabling, multisystem neuropsychiatric disease mostly derived from complex epigenetic-mediated neurobiological changes causing behavioural deficits. Neurochemical disorganizations, neurotrophic and neuroimmune alterations are some of the challenging neuropathologies proving unabated during psychopharmacology of schizophrenia, further bedeviled by drug-induced metabolic derangements including alteration of amino acids. In first-episode schizophrenia patients, taurine, an essential β-amino acid represses psychotic-symptoms. However, its anti-psychotic-like mechanisms remain incomplete. This study evaluated the ability of taurine to prevent or reverse ketamine-induced experimental psychosis and the underlying neurochemical, neurotrophic and neuroinmune mechanisms involved in taurine's clinical action. The study consisted of three different experiments with Swiss mice (n = 7). In the drug alone, mice received saline (10 mL/kg/p.o./day), taurine (50 and 100 mg/kg/p.o./day) and risperidone (0.5 mg/kg/p.o./day) for 14 days. In the preventive study of separate cohort, mice were concomitantly given ketamine (20 mg/kg/i.p./day) from days 8 to 14. In the reversal study, mice received ketamine for 14 days before taurine or risperidone treatments from days 8 to 14 respectively. Afterwards, stereotypy behaviour, social, non-spatial memory deficits, and body weights were assessed. Neurochemical (dopamine, 5-hydroxytryptamine, glutamic acid decarboxylase, (GAD)), brain derived-neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and pro-inflammatory cytokines [tumor necrosis factor-alpha, (TNF-α), interleukin-6, (IL-6)] were assayed in the striatum, prefrontal-cortex and hippocampal area. Taurine attenuates ketamine-induced schizophrenia-like behaviour without changes in body weight. Taurine reduced ketamine-induced dopamine and 5-hydroxytryptamine changes, and increased GAD and BDNF levels in the striatum, prefrontal-cortex and hippocampus, suggesting increased GABAergic and neurotrophic transmissions. Taurine decreases ketamine-induced increased in TNF-α and IL-6 concentrations in the striatum, prefrontal-cortex and hippocampus. These findings also suggest that taurine protects against schizophrenia through neurochemical modulations, neurotrophic enhancement, and inhibition of neuropathologic cytokine activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benneth Ben-Azu
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Delta State University, Abraka, Delta State, Nigeria. .,Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada.
| | - Christian I Uruaka
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Rivers State University, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria
| | - Abayomi M Ajayi
- Neuropharmacology Unit, Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria
| | - Thiophilus Aghogho Jarikre
- Department of Veterinary Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | - Kingsley E Nwangwa
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Delta State University, Abraka, Delta State, Nigeria
| | - Kingsley C Chilaka
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, College of Health Sciences, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State, Nigeria
| | - Bienose S Chijioke
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Delta State University, Abraka, Delta State, Nigeria
| | - Marymagdalene G Omonyeme
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Delta State University, Abraka, Delta State, Nigeria
| | - Chineye B Ozege
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Delta State University, Abraka, Delta State, Nigeria
| | - Emmanuella C Ofili
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Delta State University, Abraka, Delta State, Nigeria
| | - Ebidenara B Warekoromor
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Delta State University, Abraka, Delta State, Nigeria
| | - Nwanneka L Edigbue
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Delta State University, Abraka, Delta State, Nigeria
| | - Ufoma V Esiekpe
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Delta State University, Abraka, Delta State, Nigeria
| | - Dabrechi E Akaenyi
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Delta State University, Abraka, Delta State, Nigeria
| | - Gladys O Agu
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, Afe Babalo University, Ado-Ekiti, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria
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Petty A, Howes O, Eyles D. Animal Models of Relevance to the Schizophrenia Prodrome. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY GLOBAL OPEN SCIENCE 2023; 3:22-32. [PMID: 36712558 PMCID: PMC9874082 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsgos.2021.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Revised: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Patients with schizophrenia often undergo a prodromal phase prior to diagnosis. Given the absence of significant therapeutic improvements, attention has recently shifted to the possibility of intervention during this early stage to delay or diminish symptom severity or even prevent onset. Unfortunately, the 20 or so trials of intervention to date have not been successful in either preventing onset or improving long-term outcomes in subjects who are at risk of developing schizophrenia. One reason may be that the biological pathways an effective intervention must target are not static. The prodromal phase typically occurs during late adolescence, a period during which a number of brain circuits and structures are still maturing. We propose that developing a deeper understanding of which circuits/processes and brain structures are still maturing at this time and which processes drive the transition to schizophrenia will take us a step closer to developing better prophylactic interventions. Fortunately, such knowledge is now emerging from clinical studies, complemented by work in animal models. Our task here is to describe what would constitute an appropriate animal model to study and to potentially intervene in such processes. Such a model would allow invasive analysis of the cellular and molecular substrates of the progressive neurobiology that defines the schizophrenia prodrome and hopefully offer valuable insights into potential prophylactic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Petty
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | | | - Darryl Eyles
- Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.,Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, Wacol, Queensland, Australia
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Maternal immune activation in rats induces dysfunction of placental leucine transport and alters fetal brain growth. Clin Sci (Lond) 2022; 136:1117-1137. [PMID: 35852150 PMCID: PMC9366863 DOI: 10.1042/cs20220245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2022] [Revised: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Maternal infection during pregnancy increases the offspring risk of developing a variety of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), including schizophrenia. While the mechanisms remain unclear, dysregulation of placental function is implicated. We hypothesised that maternal infection, leading to maternal immune activation and stimulated cytokine production, alters placental and yolk sac amino acid transport, affecting fetal brain development and thus NDD risk. Using a rat model of maternal immune activation induced by the viral mimetic polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (poly(I:C)), we investigated placental and yolk sac expression of system L amino acid transporter subtypes which transport several essential amino acids including branched-chain amino acids (BCAA), maternal and fetal BCAA concentration, placental 14C-leucine transport activity and associated impacts on fetal growth and development. Poly(I:C) treatment increased acutely maternal IL-6 and TNFα concentration, contrasting with IL-1β. Transcriptional responses for these pro-inflammatory cytokines were found in placenta and yolk sac following poly(I:C) treatment. Placental and yolk sac weights were reduced by poly(I:C) treatment, yet fetal body weight was unaffected, while fetal brain weight was increased. Maternal plasma BCAA concentration was reduced 24 h post-poly(I:C) treatment, yet placental, but not yolk sac, BCAA concentration was increased. Placental and yolk sac gene expression of Slc7a5, Slc7a8 and Slc43a2 encoding LAT1, LAT2 and LAT4 transporter subtypes respectively, was altered by poly(I:C) treatment. Placental 14C-leucine transport was significantly reduced 24 h post-treatment, contrasting with a significant increase six days following poly(I:C) treatment. Maternal immune activation induces dysregulated placental transport of amino acids affecting fetal brain development, and NDD risk potential in offspring.
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Capellán R, Moreno-Fernández M, Orihuel J, Roura-Martínez D, Ucha M, Ambrosio E, Higuera-Matas A. Ex vivo 1H-MRS brain metabolic profiling in a two-hit model of neurodevelopmental disorders: Prenatal immune activation and peripubertal stress. Schizophr Res 2022; 243:232-240. [PMID: 31787482 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2019.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2019] [Revised: 09/28/2019] [Accepted: 11/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Prenatal infections are environmental risk factors for neurodevelopmental disorders. In addition, traumatic experiences during adolescence in individuals exposed to infections during gestation could increase the risk of schizophrenia. It is of the most crucial importance to discover potential markers of the disease in its early stages or before its onset, so that therapeutic strategies may be implemented. In the present study, we combined a proposed two-hit model of schizophrenia-related symptoms with proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) to discover potential biomarkers. To this end, we i.p. injected 100 μg/kg/ml of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or saline on gestational days 15 and 16 to pregnant rats. Their male offspring were then subjected to five episodes of stress or handling on alternate days during postnatal days (PND) 28-38. Once the animals reached adulthood (PND70), we evaluated prepulse inhibition (PPI). At PND90, we performed an ex vivo 1H-MRS study in the cortex and striatum. While we did not detect alterations in PPI at the age tested, we found neurochemical disturbances induced by LPS, stress or (more interestingly) their interaction. LPS decreased glucose levels in the cortex and striatum and altered glutamate, glutamine and N-acetylaspartate levels. Glutamate and glutamine levels in the left (but not right) striatum were differentially affected by prenatal LPS exposure in a manner that depended on stress experiences. These results suggest that alterations in the glutamate cycle in the striatum could be used as early markers of developmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Capellán
- Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, National University for Distance Education (UNED), C/Juan del Rosal 10, Madrid, Spain
| | - Mario Moreno-Fernández
- Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, National University for Distance Education (UNED), C/Juan del Rosal 10, Madrid, Spain
| | - Javier Orihuel
- Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, National University for Distance Education (UNED), C/Juan del Rosal 10, Madrid, Spain
| | - David Roura-Martínez
- Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, National University for Distance Education (UNED), C/Juan del Rosal 10, Madrid, Spain
| | - Marcos Ucha
- Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, National University for Distance Education (UNED), C/Juan del Rosal 10, Madrid, Spain
| | - Emilio Ambrosio
- Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, National University for Distance Education (UNED), C/Juan del Rosal 10, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Alejandro Higuera-Matas
- Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, National University for Distance Education (UNED), C/Juan del Rosal 10, Madrid, Spain.
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Haddad FL, Lu L, Baines KJ, Schmid S. Sensory filtering disruption caused by poly I:C - Timing of exposure and other experimental considerations. Brain Behav Immun Health 2021; 9:100156. [PMID: 34589898 PMCID: PMC8474281 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbih.2020.100156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2020] [Accepted: 10/06/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Maternal immune activation (MIA) in response to infection during pregnancy has been linked through various epidemiological and preclinical studies to an increased risk of neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and schizophrenia in exposed offspring. Sensory filtering disruptions occur in both of these disorders and are typically measured using the acoustic startle response in both humans and rodents. Our study focuses on characterizing the baseline reactivity, habituation and prepulse inhibition (PPI) of the acoustic startle response following exposure to MIA. We induced MIA using polyinosinic: polycytidylic acid (poly I:C) at gestational day (GD) 9.5 or 14.5, and we tested sensory filtering phenotypes in adolescent and adult offspring. Our results show that startle reactivity was robustly increased in adult GD9.5 but not GD14.5 poly I:C offspring. In contrast to some previous studies, we found no consistent changes in short-term habituation, long-term habituation or prepulse inhibition of startle. Our study highlights the importance of MIA exposure timing and discusses sensory filtering phenotypes as they relate to ASD, schizophrenia and the poly I:C MIA model. Moreover, we analyze and discuss the potential impact of between- and within-litter variability on behavioural findings in poly I:C studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Faraj L Haddad
- Anatomy & Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, Canada
| | - Lu Lu
- Anatomy & Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, Canada.,Department of Neurology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Kelly J Baines
- Anatomy & Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, Canada
| | - Susanne Schmid
- Anatomy & Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, Canada
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Abstract
RATIONALE Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) is a cross-species neuroimaging technique that can measure concentrations of several brain metabolites, including glutamate and GABA. This non-invasive method has promise in developing centrally acting drugs, as it can be performed repeatedly within-subjects and be used to translate findings from the preclinical to clinical laboratory using the same imaging biomarker. OBJECTIVES This review focuses on the utility of single-voxel 1H-MRS in developing novel glutamatergic or GABAergic drugs for the treatment of psychiatric disorders and includes research performed in rodent models, healthy volunteers and patient cohorts. RESULTS Overall, these studies indicate that 1H-MRS is able to detect the predicted pharmacological effects of glutamatergic or GABAergic drugs on voxel glutamate or GABA concentrations, although there is a shortage of studies examining dose-related effects. Clinical studies have applied 1H-MRS to better understand drug therapeutic mechanisms, including the glutamatergic effects of ketamine in depression and of acamprosate in alcohol dependence. There is an emerging interest in identifying patient subgroups with 'high' or 'low' brain regional 1H-MRS glutamate levels for more targeted drug development, which may require ancillary biomarkers to improve the accuracy of subgroup discrimination. CONCLUSIONS Considerations for future research include the sensitivity of single-voxel 1H-MRS in detecting drug effects, inter-site measurement reliability and the interpretation of drug-induced changes in 1H-MRS metabolites relative to the known pharmacological molecular mechanisms. On-going technological development, in single-voxel 1H-MRS and in related complementary techniques, will further support applications within CNS drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Egerton
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, De Crespigny Park, London, UK.
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9
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Goh JY, O'Sullivan SE, Shortall SE, Zordan N, Piccinini AM, Potter HG, Fone KCF, King MV. Gestational poly(I:C) attenuates, not exacerbates, the behavioral, cytokine and mTOR changes caused by isolation rearing in a rat 'dual-hit' model for neurodevelopmental disorders. Brain Behav Immun 2020; 89:100-117. [PMID: 32485291 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2020.05.076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2020] [Revised: 05/28/2020] [Accepted: 05/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Many psychiatric illnesses have a multifactorial etiology involving genetic and environmental risk factors that trigger persistent neurodevelopmental impairments. Several risk factors have been individually replicated in rodents, to understand disease mechanisms and evaluate novel treatments, particularly for poorly-managed negative and cognitive symptoms. However, the complex interplay between various factors remains unclear. Rodent dual-hit neurodevelopmental models offer vital opportunities to examine this and explore new strategies for early therapeutic intervention. This study combined gestational administration of polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (poly(I:C); PIC, to mimic viral infection during pregnancy) with post-weaning isolation of resulting offspring (to mirror adolescent social adversity). After in vitro and in vivo studies required for laboratory-specific PIC characterization and optimization, we administered 10 mg/kg i.p. PIC potassium salt to time-mated Lister hooded dams on gestational day 15. This induced transient hypothermia, sickness behavior and weight loss in the dams, and led to locomotor hyperactivity, elevated striatal cytokine levels, and increased frontal cortical JNK phosphorylation in the offspring at adulthood. Remarkably, instead of exacerbating the well-characterized isolation syndrome, gestational PIC exposure actually protected against a spectrum of isolation-induced behavioral and brain regional changes. Thus isolation reared rats exhibited locomotor hyperactivity, impaired associative memory and reversal learning, elevated hippocampal and frontal cortical cytokine levels, and increased mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) activation in the frontal cortex - which were not evident in isolates previously exposed to gestational PIC. Brains from adolescent littermates suggest little contribution of cytokines, mTOR or JNK to early development of the isolation syndrome, or resilience conferred by PIC. But notably hippocampal oxytocin, which can protect against stress, was higher in adolescent PIC-exposed isolates so might contribute to a more favorable outcome. These findings have implications for identifying individuals at risk for disorders like schizophrenia who may benefit from early therapeutic intervention, and justify preclinical assessment of whether adolescent oxytocin manipulations can modulate disease onset or progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jen-Yin Goh
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Medical School, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham NG7 2UH, UK
| | - Saoirse E O'Sullivan
- School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Royal Derby Hospital, Derby DE22 3DT, UK
| | - Sinead E Shortall
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Medical School, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham NG7 2UH, UK
| | - Nicole Zordan
- School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Anna M Piccinini
- School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Harry G Potter
- Division of Evolution and Genomic Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, UK
| | - Kevin C F Fone
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Medical School, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham NG7 2UH, UK
| | - Madeleine V King
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Medical School, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham NG7 2UH, UK.
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10
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Haddad FL, Patel SV, Schmid S. Maternal Immune Activation by Poly I:C as a preclinical Model for Neurodevelopmental Disorders: A focus on Autism and Schizophrenia. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 113:546-567. [PMID: 32320814 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.04.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2019] [Revised: 01/28/2020] [Accepted: 04/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Maternal immune activation (MIA) in response to a viral infection during early and mid-gestation has been linked through various epidemiological studies to a higher risk for the child to develop autism or schizophrenia-related symptoms.. This has led to the establishment of the pathogen-free poly I:C-induced MIA animal model for neurodevelopmental disorders, which shows relatively high construct and face validity. Depending on the experimental variables, particularly the timing of poly I:C administration, different behavioural and molecular phenotypes have been described that relate to specific symptoms of neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder and/or schizophrenia. We here review and summarize epidemiological evidence for the effects of maternal infection and immune activation, as well as major findings in different poly I:C MIA models with a focus on poly I:C exposure timing, behavioural and molecular changes in the offspring, and characteristics of the model that relate it to autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Faraj L Haddad
- Anatomy & Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada.
| | - Salonee V Patel
- Anatomy & Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada.
| | - Susanne Schmid
- Anatomy & Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada.
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11
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Khambadkone SG, Cordner ZA, Tamashiro KLK. Maternal stressors and the developmental origins of neuropsychiatric risk. Front Neuroendocrinol 2020; 57:100834. [PMID: 32084515 PMCID: PMC7243665 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2020.100834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2019] [Revised: 01/23/2020] [Accepted: 02/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The maternal environment during pregnancy is critical for fetal development and perinatal perturbations can prime offspring disease risk. Here, we briefly review evidence linking two well-characterized maternal stressors - psychosocial stress and infection - to increased neuropsychiatric risk in offspring. In the current climate of increasing obesity and globalization of the Western-style diet, maternal overnutrition emerges as a pressing public health concern. We focus our attention on recent epidemiological and animal model evidence showing that, like psychosocial stress and infection, maternal overnutrition can also increase offspring neuropsychiatric risk. Using lessons learned from the psychosocial stress and infection literature, we discuss how altered maternal and placental physiology in the setting of overnutrition may contribute to abnormal fetal development and resulting neuropsychiatric outcomes. A better understanding of converging pathophysiological pathways shared between stressors may enable development of interventions against neuropsychiatric illnesses that may be beneficial across stressors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seva G Khambadkone
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Cellular & Molecular Medicine Graduate Program, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Zachary A Cordner
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Kellie L K Tamashiro
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Cellular & Molecular Medicine Graduate Program, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
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12
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Kępińska AP, Iyegbe CO, Vernon AC, Yolken R, Murray RM, Pollak TA. Schizophrenia and Influenza at the Centenary of the 1918-1919 Spanish Influenza Pandemic: Mechanisms of Psychosis Risk. Front Psychiatry 2020; 11:72. [PMID: 32174851 PMCID: PMC7054463 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2019] [Accepted: 01/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Associations between influenza infection and psychosis have been reported since the eighteenth century, with acute "psychoses of influenza" documented during multiple pandemics. In the late 20th century, reports of a season-of-birth effect in schizophrenia were supported by large-scale ecological and sero-epidemiological studies suggesting that maternal influenza infection increases the risk of psychosis in offspring. We examine the evidence for the association between influenza infection and schizophrenia risk, before reviewing possible mechanisms via which this risk may be conferred. Maternal immune activation models implicate placental dysfunction, disruption of cytokine networks, and subsequent microglial activation as potentially important pathogenic processes. More recent neuroimmunological advances focusing on neuronal autoimmunity following infection provide the basis for a model of infection-induced psychosis, potentially implicating autoimmunity to schizophrenia-relevant protein targets including the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor. Finally, we outline areas for future research and relevant experimental approaches and consider whether the current evidence provides a basis for the rational development of strategies to prevent schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrianna P. Kępińska
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Conrad O. Iyegbe
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Anthony C. Vernon
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Robert Yolken
- Stanley Laboratory of Developmental Neurovirology, Johns Hopkins Medical Center, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Robin M. Murray
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas A. Pollak
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
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13
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Di Biase MA, Katabi G, Piontkewitz Y, Cetin-Karayumak S, Weiner I, Pasternak O. Increased extracellular free-water in adult male rats following in utero exposure to maternal immune activation. Brain Behav Immun 2020; 83:283-287. [PMID: 31521731 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2019.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2019] [Revised: 08/27/2019] [Accepted: 09/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In previous work, we applied novel in vivo imaging methods to reveal that white matter pathology in patients with first-episode psychosis (FEP) is mainly characterized by excessive extracellular free-water, and to a lesser extent by cellular processes, such as demyelination. Here, we apply a back-translational approach to evaluate whether or not a rodent model of maternal immune activation (MIA) induces patterns of white matter pathology that we observed in patients with FEP. To this end, we examined free-water and tissue-specific white matter alterations in rats born to mothers exposed to the viral mimic polyriboinosinic-polyribocytidylic acid (Poly-I:C) in pregnancy, which is widely used to produce alterations relevant to schizophrenia and is characterized by a robust neuroinflammatory response. METHOD Pregnant dams were injected on gestational day 15 with the viral mimic Poly-I:C (4 mg/kg) or saline. Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance images were acquired from 17 male offspring (9 Poly-I:C and 8 saline) on postnatal day 90, after the emergence of brain structural and behavioral abnormalities. The free-water fraction (FW) and tissue-specific fractional anisotropy (FAT), as well as conventional fractional anisotropy (FA) were computed across voxels traversing a white matter skeleton. Voxel-wise and whole-brain averaged white matter were tested for significant microstructural alterations in immune-challenged, relative to saline-exposed offspring. RESULTS Compared to saline-exposed offspring, those exposed to maternal Poly-I:C displayed increased extracellular FW averaged across voxels comprising a white matter skeleton (t(15) = 2.74; p = 0.01). Voxel-wise analysis ascribed these changes to white matter within the corpus callosum, external capsule and the striatum. In contrast, no significant between-group differences emerged for FAT or for conventional FA, measured across average and voxel-wise white matter. CONCLUSION We identified excess FW across frontal white matter fibers of rats exposed to prenatal immune activation, analogous to our "bedside" observation in FEP patients. Findings from this initial experiment promote use of the MIA model to examine pathological pathways underlying FW alterations observed in patients with schizophrenia. Establishing these mechanisms has important implications for clinical studies, as free-water imaging reflects a feasible biomarker that has so far yielded consistent findings in the early stages of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria A Di Biase
- Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Gili Katabi
- School of Psychological Sciences and Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Yael Piontkewitz
- Straus Center for Computational Neuroimaging, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Israel
| | - Suheyla Cetin-Karayumak
- Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ina Weiner
- School of Psychological Sciences and Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Ofer Pasternak
- Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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14
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The role of maternal immune activation in altering the neurodevelopmental trajectories of offspring: A translational review of neuroimaging studies with implications for autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2019; 104:141-157. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.06.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2019] [Revised: 05/24/2019] [Accepted: 06/13/2019] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
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15
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Wood TC, Edye ME, Harte MK, Neill JC, Prinssen EP, Vernon AC. Mapping the impact of exposure to maternal immune activation on juvenile Wistar rat brain macro- and microstructure during early post-natal development. Brain Neurosci Adv 2019; 3:2398212819883086. [PMID: 31742236 PMCID: PMC6861131 DOI: 10.1177/2398212819883086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Maternal immune activation is consistently associated with elevated risk for multiple psychiatric disorders in the affected offspring. Related to this, an important goal of our work is to explore the impact of maternal immune activation effects across the lifespan. In this context, we recently reported the effects of polyriboinosinic-polyribocytidylic acid-induced maternal immune activation at gestational day 15, immediately prior to birth, at gestational day 21 and again at post-natal day 21, providing a systematic assessment of plasma interleukin 6, body temperature and weight alterations in pregnant rats and preliminary evidence for gross morphological changes and microglial neuropathology in both male and female offsprings at these time points. Here, we sought to complement and extend these data by characterising in more detail the mesoscale impact of gestational polyriboinosinic-polyribocytidylic acid exposure at gestational day 15 on the neuroanatomy of the juvenile (post-natal day 21) rat brain using high-resolution, ex vivo anatomical magnetic resonance imaging in combination with atlas-based segmentation. Our preliminary data suggest subtle neuroanatomical effects of gestational polyriboinosinic-polyribocytidylic acid exposure (n = 10) relative to saline controls (n = 10) at this time-point. Specifically, we found an increase in the relative volume of the diagonal domain in polyriboinosinic-polyribocytidylic acid offspring (p < 0.01 uncorrected), which just failed to pass stringent multiple comparisons correction (actual q = 0.07). No statistically significant microstructural alterations were detectable using diffusion tensor imaging. Further studies are required to map the proximal effects of maternal immune activation on the developing rodent brain from foetal to early post-natal life and confirm our findings herein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias C Wood
- Centre for Neuroimaging Sciences, Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Michelle E Edye
- Division of Pharmacy and Optometry, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Biology and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Michael K Harte
- Division of Pharmacy and Optometry, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Biology and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Joanna C Neill
- Division of Pharmacy and Optometry, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Biology and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Eric P Prinssen
- Roche Innovation Centre Basel, Grenzacherstrasse, Switzerland
| | - Anthony C Vernon
- Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.,MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Guy's Hospital Campus, King's College London, London, UK
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16
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Murray KN, Edye ME, Manca M, Vernon AC, Oladipo JM, Fasolino V, Harte MK, Mason V, Grayson B, McHugh PC, Knuesel I, Prinssen EP, Hager R, Neill JC. Evolution of a maternal immune activation (mIA) model in rats: Early developmental effects. Brain Behav Immun 2019; 75:48-59. [PMID: 30218784 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2018.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2018] [Revised: 08/05/2018] [Accepted: 09/04/2018] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Maternal immune activation (mIA) in rodents is rapidly emerging as a key model for neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and schizophrenia. Here, we optimise a mIA model in rats, aiming to address certain limitations of current work in this field. Specifically, the lack of clear evidence for methodology chosen, identification of successful induction of mIA in the dams and investigation of male offspring only. We focus on gestational and early juvenile changes in offspring following mIA, as detailed information on these critical early developmental time points is sparse. Following strain (Wistar, Lister Hooded, Sprague Dawley) comparison and selection, and polyriboinosinic-polyribocytidylic acid (poly I:C) dose selection (2.5-15 mg/kg single or once daily for 5 days), mIA was induced in pregnant Wistar rats with 10 mg/kg poly I:C i.p. on gestational day (GD) 15. Early morphometric analysis was conducted in male and female offspring at GD21 and postnatal day (PD) 21, eight dams for each treatment at each time point were used, 32 in total. Subsequent microglia analysis was conducted at PD21 in a small group of offspring. Poly I:C at 10 mg/kg i.p. induced a robust, but variable, plasma IL-6 response 3 h post-injection and reduced body weight at 6 h and 24 h post-injection in two separate cohorts of Wistar rats at GD15. Plasma IL-6 was not elevated at PD21 in offspring or dams. Poly I:C-induced mIA did not affect litter numbers, but resulted in PD21 pup, and GD21 placenta growth restriction. Poly I:C significantly increased microglial activation at PD21 in male hippocampi. We have identified 10 mg/kg poly I:C i.p on GD15 as a robust experimental approach for inducing mIA in Wistar rats and used this to identify early neurodevelopmental changes. This work provides a framework to study the developmental trajectory of disease-relevant, sex-specific phenotypic changes in rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katie N Murray
- Division of Pharmacy and Optometry, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Biology and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, United Kingdom
| | - Michelle E Edye
- Division of Pharmacy and Optometry, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Biology and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, United Kingdom
| | - Maurizio Manca
- Division of Pharmacy and Optometry, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Biology and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, United Kingdom
| | - Anthony C Vernon
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, 5 Cutcombe Road, London SE5 9RT, United Kingdom; King's College London, MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, New Hunt's House, Guy's Hospital Campus, London SE1 1UL, United Kingdom
| | - Joanna M Oladipo
- Division of Pharmacy and Optometry, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Biology and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, United Kingdom
| | - Victoria Fasolino
- Division of Pharmacy and Optometry, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Biology and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, United Kingdom
| | - Michael K Harte
- Division of Pharmacy and Optometry, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Biology and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, United Kingdom
| | - Varsha Mason
- Division of Pharmacy and Optometry, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Biology and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, United Kingdom
| | - Ben Grayson
- Division of Pharmacy and Optometry, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Biology and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, United Kingdom
| | - Patrick C McHugh
- Centre for Biomarker Research and Department of Pharmacy, School of Applied Sciences, University of Huddersfield, HD1 3DH, United Kingdom
| | - Irene Knuesel
- Roche Innovation Center Basel, 124 Grenzacherstrasse, Basel, CH 4070, Switzerland
| | - Eric P Prinssen
- Roche Innovation Center Basel, 124 Grenzacherstrasse, Basel, CH 4070, Switzerland
| | - Reinmar Hager
- Division of Evolution and Genomic Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Biology and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, United Kingdom.
| | - Joanna C Neill
- Division of Pharmacy and Optometry, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Biology and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, United Kingdom.
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17
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Careaga M, Taylor SL, Chang C, Chiang A, Ku KM, Berman RF, Van de Water JA, Bauman MD. Variability in PolyIC induced immune response: Implications for preclinical maternal immune activation models. J Neuroimmunol 2018; 323:87-93. [PMID: 30196839 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneuroim.2018.06.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2018] [Revised: 06/19/2018] [Accepted: 06/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Maternal infection during pregnancy may increase the risk of offspring neurodevelopmental disorders. The preclinical Polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (PolyIC) model has become one of the most widely used approaches in maternal immune activation (MIA) research. However, variability in molecular weight may impact the immune activating potential of PolyIC. Nulliparous rats injected with high molecular weight PolyIC exhibit pronounced cytokine response and sickness behavior that was not observed in rats injected low molecular weight PolyIC. Although an essential next step is to extend these studies to pregnant animals, the preliminary results suggest that PolyIC molecular weight is an important experimental design consideration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milo Careaga
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, USA; The MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, USA
| | - Sandra L Taylor
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California, Davis, USA
| | - Carolyn Chang
- The MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, USA
| | - Alex Chiang
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, USA; The MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, USA
| | - Katherine M Ku
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, USA; The MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, USA
| | - Robert F Berman
- The MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, USA; Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, Davis, USA
| | - Judy A Van de Water
- The MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, USA; Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, University of California, Davis, USA
| | - Melissa D Bauman
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, USA; The MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, USA; California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, USA.
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18
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Duarte JMN, Xin L. Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy in Schizophrenia: Evidence for Glutamatergic Dysfunction and Impaired Energy Metabolism. Neurochem Res 2018; 44:102-116. [PMID: 29616444 PMCID: PMC6345729 DOI: 10.1007/s11064-018-2521-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2017] [Revised: 03/28/2018] [Accepted: 03/30/2018] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
In the past couple of decades, major efforts were made to increase reliability of metabolic assessments by magnetic resonance methods. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) has been valuable for providing in vivo evidence and investigating biomarkers in neuropsychiatric disorders, namely schizophrenia. Alterations of glutamate and glutamine levels in brains of schizophrenia patients relative to healthy subjects are generally interpreted as markers of glutamatergic dysfunction. However, only a small fraction of MRS-detectable glutamate is involved in neurotransmission. Here we review and discuss brain metabolic processes that involve glutamate and that are likely to be implicated in neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- João M N Duarte
- Department of Experimental Medical Science, Faculty of Medicine, Lund University, BMC C11, Sölvegatan 19, 221 84, Lund, Sweden. .,Wallenberg Center for Molecular Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
| | - Lijing Xin
- Animal Imaging and Technology Core (AIT), Center for Biomedical Imaging (CIBM), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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19
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Solek CM, Farooqi N, Verly M, Lim TK, Ruthazer ES. Maternal immune activation in neurodevelopmental disorders. Dev Dyn 2017; 247:588-619. [PMID: 29226543 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.24612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2017] [Revised: 11/30/2017] [Accepted: 12/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Converging lines of evidence from basic science and clinical studies suggest a relationship between maternal immune activation (MIA) and neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and schizophrenia. The mechanisms through which MIA increases the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders have become a subject of intensive research. This review aims to describe how dysregulation of microglial function and immune mechanisms may link MIA and neurodevelopmental pathologies. We also summarize the current evidence in animal models of MIA. Developmental Dynamics 247:588-619, 2018. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia M Solek
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Nasr Farooqi
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Myriam Verly
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Tony K Lim
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Edward S Ruthazer
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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20
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Drazanova E, Ruda-Kucerova J, Kratka L, Horska K, Demlova R, Starcuk Z, Kasparek T. Poly(I:C) model of schizophrenia in rats induces sex-dependent functional brain changes detected by MRI that are not reversed by aripiprazole treatment. Brain Res Bull 2017; 137:146-155. [PMID: 29155259 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2017.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2017] [Revised: 11/06/2017] [Accepted: 11/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE One of the hallmarks of schizophrenia is altered brain structure, potentially due to antipsychotic treatment, the disorder itself or both. It was proposed that functional changes may precede the structural ones. In order to understand and potentially prevent this unwanted process, brain function assessment should be validated as a diagnostic tool. METHODS We used Arterial Spin Labelling MRI technique for the evaluation of brain perfusion in several brain regions in a neurodevelopmental poly(I:C) model of schizophrenia (8mg/kg on a gestational day 15) in rats taking into account sex-dependent effects and chronic treatment with aripiprazole (30days), an atypical antipsychotic acting as a partial agonist on dopaminergic receptors. RESULTS We found the sex of the animal to have a highly significant effect in all regions of interest, with females showing lower blood perfusion than males. However, both males and females treated prenatally with poly(I:C) showed enlargement of the lateral ventricles. Furthermore, we detected increased perfusion in the circle of Willis, hippocampus, and sensorimotor cortex, which was not influenced by chronic atypical antipsychotic aripiprazole treatment in male poly(I:C) rats. CONCLUSION We hypothesize that perfusion alterations may be caused by the hyperdopaminergic activity in the poly(I:C) model, and the absence of aripiprazole effect on perfusion in brain regions related to schizophrenia may be due to its partial agonistic mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Drazanova
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic; Institute of Scientific Instruments, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jana Ruda-Kucerova
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Lucie Kratka
- Institute of Scientific Instruments, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Katerina Horska
- Department of Human Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Regina Demlova
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Zenon Starcuk
- Institute of Scientific Instruments, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Tomas Kasparek
- Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital and Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
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21
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Corcoba A, Gruetter R, Do KQ, Duarte JMN. Social isolation stress and chronic glutathione deficiency have a common effect on the glutamine-to-glutamate ratio and myo-inositol concentration in the mouse frontal cortex. J Neurochem 2017; 142:767-775. [PMID: 28664650 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.14116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2017] [Revised: 06/23/2017] [Accepted: 06/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Environmental stress can interact with genetic predisposition to increase the risk of developing psychopathology. In this work, we tested the hypothesis that social isolation stress interacts with impaired glutathione synthesis and have cumulative effects on the neurochemical profile of the frontal cortex. A mouse model with chronic glutathione deficit induced by knockout (-/-) of the glutamate-cysteine ligase modulatory subunit (Gclm) was exposed to social isolation stress from weaning to post-natal day 65. Using magnetic resonance methods at high-field (14.1 T), we analysed the neurochemical profile in the frontal cortex, brain size and ventricular volume of adult animals. Glutathione deficit was accompanied by elevated concentrations of N-acetylaspartate, alanine, and glutamine, as well as the ratio of glutamine-to-glutamate (Gln/Glu), and by a reduction in levels of myo-inositol and choline-containing compounds in the frontal cortex of -/- animals with respect to wild-type littermates. Although there was no significant interaction between social isolation stress and glutathione deficiency, mice reared in isolation displayed lower myo-inositol concentration (-8.4%, p < 0.05) and larger Gln/Glu (+7.6%, p < 0.05), relative to those in group housing. Furthermore, glutathione deficiency caused a reduction in whole brain volume and enlargement of ventricles, but social isolation had no effect on these parameters. We conclude that social isolation caused neurochemical alterations that may add to those associated to impaired glutathione synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Corcoba
- Laboratory for Functional and Metabolic Imaging, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Department of Psychiatry, Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Lausanne University Hospital, Prilly-Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Rolf Gruetter
- Laboratory for Functional and Metabolic Imaging, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Department of Radiology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Department of Radiology, University of Geneva, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Kim Q Do
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Lausanne University Hospital, Prilly-Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - João M N Duarte
- Laboratory for Functional and Metabolic Imaging, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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22
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Mondelli V, Vernon AC, Turkheimer F, Dazzan P, Pariante CM. Brain microglia in psychiatric disorders. Lancet Psychiatry 2017; 4:563-572. [PMID: 28454915 DOI: 10.1016/s2215-0366(17)30101-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 167] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2016] [Revised: 01/30/2017] [Accepted: 01/31/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The role of immune activation in psychiatric disorders has attracted considerable attention over the past two decades, contributing to the rise of a new era for psychiatry. Microglia, the macrophages of the brain, are progressively becoming the main focus of the research in this field. In this Review, we assess the literature on microglia activation across different psychiatric disorders, including post-mortem and in-vivo studies in humans and experimental studies in animals. Although microglia activation has been noted in all types of psychiatric disorder, no association was seen with specific diagnostic categories. Furthermore, the findings from these studies highlight that not all psychiatric patients have microglial activation. Therefore, the cause of the neuroinflammation in these cohorts and its implications are unclear. We discuss psychosocial stress as one of the main factors determining microglial activation in patients with psychiatric disorders, and explore the relevance of these findings for future treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Mondelli
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK; National Institute for Health Research Mental Health Biomedical Research Centre, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and King's College London, London, UK.
| | - Anthony C Vernon
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK; MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Federico Turkheimer
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK; MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Paola Dazzan
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK; National Institute for Health Research Mental Health Biomedical Research Centre, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and King's College London, London, UK
| | - Carmine M Pariante
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK; National Institute for Health Research Mental Health Biomedical Research Centre, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and King's College London, London, UK
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23
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Crum WR, Sawiak SJ, Chege W, Cooper JD, Williams SC, Vernon AC. Evolution of structural abnormalities in the rat brain following in utero exposure to maternal immune activation: A longitudinal in vivo MRI study. Brain Behav Immun 2017; 63:50-59. [PMID: 27940258 PMCID: PMC5441572 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2016.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2016] [Revised: 11/07/2016] [Accepted: 12/07/2016] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Genetic and environmental risk factors for psychiatric disorders are suggested to disrupt the trajectory of brain maturation during adolescence, leading to the development of psychopathology in adulthood. Rodent models are powerful tools to dissect the specific effects of such risk factors on brain maturational profiles, particularly when combined with Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI; clinically comparable technology). We therefore investigated the effect of maternal immune activation (MIA), an epidemiological risk factor for adult-onset psychiatric disorders, on rat brain maturation using atlas and tensor-based morphometry analysis of longitudinal in vivo MR images. Exposure to MIA resulted in decreases in the volume of several cortical regions, the hippocampus, amygdala, striatum, nucleus accumbens and unexpectedly, the lateral ventricles, relative to controls. In contrast, the volumes of the thalamus, ventral mesencephalon, brain stem and major white matter tracts were larger, relative to controls. These volumetric changes were maximal between post-natal day 50 and 100 with no differences between the groups thereafter. These data are consistent with and extend prior studies of brain structure in MIA-exposed rodents. Apart from the ventricular findings, these data have robust face validity to clinical imaging findings reported in studies of individuals at high clinical risk for a psychiatric disorder. Further work is now required to address the relationship of these MRI changes to behavioral dysfunction and to establish thier cellular correlates.
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Affiliation(s)
- William R. Crum
- Department of Neuroimaging Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Stephen J. Sawiak
- Wolfson Brain Imaging Centre, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Hills Road, Cambridge, UK
| | - Winfred Chege
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Jonathan D. Cooper
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, 5 Cutcombe Road, London SE5 9RT, UK
| | - Steven C.R. Williams
- Department of Neuroimaging Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF, UK,MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London SE1 1UL, UK
| | - Anthony C. Vernon
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, 5 Cutcombe Road, London SE5 9RT, UK,MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London SE1 1UL, UK,Corresponding author at: Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, 5 Cutcombe Road, London SE5 9RT, UK.Department of Basic and Clinical NeuroscienceInstitute of PsychiatryPsychology and NeuroscienceKing’s College LondonMaurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute5 Cutcombe RoadLondonSE5 9RTUK
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24
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da Silveira VT, Medeiros DDC, Ropke J, Guidine PA, Rezende GH, Moraes MFD, Mendes EMAM, Macedo D, Moreira FA, de Oliveira ACP. Effects of early or late prenatal immune activation in mice on behavioral and neuroanatomical abnormalities relevant to schizophrenia in the adulthood. Int J Dev Neurosci 2017; 58:1-8. [PMID: 28122258 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2017.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2016] [Revised: 01/19/2017] [Accepted: 01/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Maternal immune activation (MIA) during pregnancy in rodents increases the risk of the offspring to develop schizophrenia-related behaviors, suggesting a relationship between the immune system and the brain development. Here we tested the hypothesis that MIA induced by the viral mimetic polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (poly I:C) in early or late gestation of mice leads to behavioral and neuroanatomical disorders in the adulthood. On gestational days (GDs) 9 or 17 pregnant dams were treated with poly I:C or saline via intravenous route and the offspring behaviors were measured during adulthood. Considering the progressive structural neuroanatomical alterations in the brain of individuals with schizophrenia, we used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to perform brain morphometric analysis of the offspring aged one year. MIA on GD9 or GD17 led to increased basal locomotor activity, enhanced motor responses to ketamine, a psychotomimetic drug, and reduced time spent in the center of the arena, suggesting an increased anxiety-like behavior. In addition, MIA on GD17 reduced glucose preference in the offspring. None of the treatments altered the relative volume of the lateral ventricles. However, a decrease in brain volume, especially for posterior structures, was observed for one-year-old animals treated with poly I:C compared with control groups. Thus, activation of the maternal immune system at different GDs lead to neuroanatomical and behavioral alterations possibly related to the positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia. These results provide insights on neuroimmunonological and neurodevelopmental aspects of certain psychopathologies, such as schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vivian T da Silveira
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Daniel de Castro Medeiros
- Center for Technology and Research in Magneto-Resonance (CTPMAG), Graduate Program in Electrical Engineering - Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Jivago Ropke
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Patricia A Guidine
- Center for Technology and Research in Magneto-Resonance (CTPMAG), Graduate Program in Electrical Engineering - Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Gustavo H Rezende
- Center for Technology and Research in Magneto-Resonance (CTPMAG), Graduate Program in Electrical Engineering - Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Marcio Flavio D Moraes
- Center for Technology and Research in Magneto-Resonance (CTPMAG), Graduate Program in Electrical Engineering - Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Eduardo Mazoni A M Mendes
- Center for Technology and Research in Magneto-Resonance (CTPMAG), Graduate Program in Electrical Engineering - Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Danielle Macedo
- Drug Research and Development Center, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical School, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Brazil
| | - Fabricio A Moreira
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brazil
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25
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Febo M, Foster TC. Preclinical Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Spectroscopy Studies of Memory, Aging, and Cognitive Decline. Front Aging Neurosci 2016; 8:158. [PMID: 27468264 PMCID: PMC4942756 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2016.00158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2016] [Accepted: 06/16/2016] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuroimaging provides for non-invasive evaluation of brain structure and activity and has been employed to suggest possible mechanisms for cognitive aging in humans. However, these imaging procedures have limits in terms of defining cellular and molecular mechanisms. In contrast, investigations of cognitive aging in animal models have mostly utilized techniques that have offered insight on synaptic, cellular, genetic, and epigenetic mechanisms affecting memory. Studies employing magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy (MRI and MRS, respectively) in animal models have emerged as an integrative set of techniques bridging localized cellular/molecular phenomenon and broader in vivo neural network alterations. MRI methods are remarkably suited to longitudinal tracking of cognitive function over extended periods permitting examination of the trajectory of structural or activity related changes. Combined with molecular and electrophysiological tools to selectively drive activity within specific brain regions, recent studies have begun to unlock the meaning of fMRI signals in terms of the role of neural plasticity and types of neural activity that generate the signals. The techniques provide a unique opportunity to causally determine how memory-relevant synaptic activity is processed and how memories may be distributed or reconsolidated over time. The present review summarizes research employing animal MRI and MRS in the study of brain function, structure, and biochemistry, with a particular focus on age-related cognitive decline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcelo Febo
- Department of Psychiatry, William L. and Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Thomas C Foster
- Department of Neuroscience, William L. and Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida Gainesville, FL, USA
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