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Reorganization of Brain Networks as a Substrate of Resilience: An Analysis of Cytochrome c Oxidase Activity in Rats. Neuroscience 2023; 516:75-90. [PMID: 36805003 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2023.01.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Revised: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/14/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023]
Abstract
The unpredictable chronic mild stress (UCMS) model has been used to induce depressive-like symptoms in animal models, showing adequate predictive validity. Our work aims to evaluate the effects of environmental enrichment (EE) on resilience in this experimental model of depression. We also aim to assess changes in brain connectivity using cytochrome c oxidase histochemistry in cerebral regions related to cognitive-affective processes associated with depressive disorder: dorsal hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, amygdala, accumbens, and habenula nuclei. Five groups of rats were used: UCMS, EE, EE + UCMS (enrichment + stress), BG (basal level of brain activity), and CONT (behavioral tests only). We assessed the hedonic responses elicited by sucrose solution using a consumption test; the anxiety level was evaluated using the elevated zero maze test, and the unconditioned fear responses were assessed by the cat odor test. The behavioral results showed that the UCMS protocol induces elevated anhedonia and anxiety. But these responses are attenuated previous exposure to EE. Regarding brain activity, the UCMS group showed greater activity in the habenula compared to the EE + UCMS group. EE induced a functional reorganization of brain activity. The EE + UCMS and UCMS groups showed different patterns of connections between brain regions. Our results showed that EE favors greater resilience and could reduce vulnerability to disorders such as depression and anxiety, modifying metabolic brain activity.
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López-Taboada I, Sal-Sarria S, Vallejo G, Coto-Montes A, Conejo NM, González-Pardo H. Sexual dimorphism in spatial learning and brain metabolism after exposure to a western diet and early life stress in rats. Physiol Behav 2022; 257:113969. [PMID: 36181786 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2022.113969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Revised: 09/17/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Prolonged daily intake of Western-type diet rich in saturated fats and sugars, and exposure to early life stress have been independently linked to impaired neurodevelopment and behaviour in animal models. However, sex-specific effects of both environmental factors combined on spatial learning and memory, behavioural flexibility, and brain oxidative capacity have still not been addressed. The current study aimed to evaluate the impact of maternal and postnatal exposure to a high-fat and high-sugar diet (HFS), and exposure to early life stress by maternal separation in adult male and female Wistar rats. For this purpose, spatial learning and memory and behavioural flexibility were evaluated in the Morris water maze, and regional brain oxidative capacity and oxidative stress levels were measured in the hippocampus and medial prefrontal cortex. Spatial memory, regional brain oxidative metabolism, and levels of oxidative stress differed between females and males, suggesting sexual dimorphism in the effects of a HFS diet and early life stress. Males fed the HFS diet performed better than all other experimental groups independently of early life stress exposure. However, behavioural flexibility evaluated in the spatial reversal leaning task was impaired in males fed the HFS diet. In addition, exposure to maternal separation or the HFS diet increased the metabolic capacity of the prefrontal cortex and dorsal hippocampus in males and females. Levels of oxidative stress measured in the latter brain regions were also increased in groups fed the HFS diet, but maternal separation seemed to dampen regional brain oxidative stress levels. Therefore, these results suggest a compensatory effect resulting from the interaction between prolonged exposure to a HFS diet and early life stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel López-Taboada
- Laboratory of Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Oviedo, Plaza Feijoo s/n, 33003, Oviedo, Spain; Institute of Neurosciences of the Principality of Asturias (INEUROPA), Oviedo, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), Av. del Hospital Universitario s/n, 33011 Oviedo, Spain
| | - Saúl Sal-Sarria
- Laboratory of Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Oviedo, Plaza Feijoo s/n, 33003, Oviedo, Spain; Institute of Neurosciences of the Principality of Asturias (INEUROPA), Oviedo, Spain
| | - Guillermo Vallejo
- Methodology area, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Oviedo, Plaza Feijoo s/n, 33003 Oviedo, Spain
| | - Ana Coto-Montes
- Institute of Neurosciences of the Principality of Asturias (INEUROPA), Oviedo, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), Av. del Hospital Universitario s/n, 33011 Oviedo, Spain; Department of Morphology and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oviedo, Julián Clavería s/n, 33006 Oviedo, Spain
| | - Nélida M Conejo
- Laboratory of Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Oviedo, Plaza Feijoo s/n, 33003, Oviedo, Spain; Institute of Neurosciences of the Principality of Asturias (INEUROPA), Oviedo, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), Av. del Hospital Universitario s/n, 33011 Oviedo, Spain.
| | - Héctor González-Pardo
- Laboratory of Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Oviedo, Plaza Feijoo s/n, 33003, Oviedo, Spain; Institute of Neurosciences of the Principality of Asturias (INEUROPA), Oviedo, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), Av. del Hospital Universitario s/n, 33011 Oviedo, Spain
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3
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Glover ME, Unroe KA, Moughnyeh MM, McCoy C, Kerman IA, Clinton SM. Structural and metabolic activity differences in serotonergic cell groups in a rat model of individual differences of emotionality and stress reactivity. Neurosci Lett 2022; 784:136752. [PMID: 35753615 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2022.136752] [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: 05/28/2021] [Revised: 06/17/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Serotonin regulates a diverse set of functions, including emotional behavior, cognition, sociability, appetite, and sleep. Serotonin is also a key trophic factor that shapes neurodevelopmental processes. Genetic and environmental factors that drive individual differences in the serotonergic system have the capacity to impact brain structure and behavior, and likely contribute to pathophysiological processes involved in neuropsychiatric disorders. Using adult rats selectively bred for low novelty exploration (Low Responders, LR), we previously demonstrated pronounced increases in the levels of their anxiety- and depression- relevant behaviors as compared to the selectively bred High Novelty Responder (HR) rats. These behavioral differences were accompanied by alterations in the expression of genes that regulate serotonin synthesis in the brainstem, and its signaling in the forebrain. The present study extends these observations with a focus on the organization and the metabolism of brainstem serotonin cell groups that provide serotonergic innervation of the hippocampus and other limbic regions of male HR/LR rats. Using design-based stereology, we found the median raphe (MnR) in adult male LR rats contains increased number of serotonergic neurons as compared to the HRs. This is preceded by an increase in the metabolic activity of the caudal dorsal raphe (DRC) and the intrafascicular DR (DRI) during early postnatal development. These findings suggest that structural and functional differences in the raphe-limbic projections shape behavioral inhibition throughout the lifespan.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Keaton A Unroe
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA; Graduate Program in Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | | | - Chelsea McCoy
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Ilan A Kerman
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA; Behavioral Health Service Line, Veterans Affairs Pittsburgh Health System, Pittsburgh, PA 15240, USA
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4
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Martín-Sánchez A, González-Pardo H, Alegre-Zurano L, Castro-Zavala A, López-Taboada I, Valverde O, Conejo NM. Early-life stress induces emotional and molecular alterations in female mice that are partially reversed by cannabidiol. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2022; 115:110508. [PMID: 34973413 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2021.110508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Revised: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Gender is considered as a pivotal determinant of mental health. Indeed, several psychiatric disorders such as anxiety and depression are more common and persistent in women than in men. In the past two decades, impaired brain energy metabolism has been highlighted as a risk factor for the development of these psychiatric disorders. However, comprehensive behavioural and neurobiological studies in brain regions relevant to anxiety and depression symptomatology are scarce. In the present study, we summarize findings describing cannabidiol effects on anxiety and depression in maternally separated female mice as a well-established rodent model of early-life stress associated with many mental disorders. Our results indicate that cannabidiol could prevent anxiolytic- and depressive-related behaviour in early-life stressed female mice. Additionally, maternal separation with early weaning (MSEW) caused long-term changes in brain oxidative metabolism in both nucleus accumbens and amygdalar complex measured by cytochrome c oxidase quantitative histochemistry. However, cannabidiol treatment could not revert brain oxidative metabolism impairment. Moreover, we identified hyperphosphorylation of mTOR and ERK 1/2 proteins in the amygdala but not in the striatum, that could also reflect altered brain intracellular signalling related with to bioenergetic impairment. Altogether, our study supports the hypothesis that MSEW induces profound long-lasting molecular changes in mTOR signalling and brain energy metabolism related to depressive-like and anxiety-like behaviours in female mice, which were partially ameliorated by CBD administration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Martín-Sánchez
- Neurobiology of Behaviour Research Group (GReNeC-NeuroBio), Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain; Neuroscience Research Program, IMIM-Hospital del Mar Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Héctor González-Pardo
- Laboratory of Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, University of Oviedo, Plaza Feijóo, Oviedo, Spain; Instituto de Neurociencias del Principado de Asturias (INEUROPA), University of Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), Oviedo, Spain
| | - Laia Alegre-Zurano
- Neurobiology of Behaviour Research Group (GReNeC-NeuroBio), Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Adriana Castro-Zavala
- Neurobiology of Behaviour Research Group (GReNeC-NeuroBio), Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Isabel López-Taboada
- Laboratory of Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, University of Oviedo, Plaza Feijóo, Oviedo, Spain; Instituto de Neurociencias del Principado de Asturias (INEUROPA), University of Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain
| | - Olga Valverde
- Neurobiology of Behaviour Research Group (GReNeC-NeuroBio), Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain; Neuroscience Research Program, IMIM-Hospital del Mar Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Nélida M Conejo
- Laboratory of Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, University of Oviedo, Plaza Feijóo, Oviedo, Spain; Instituto de Neurociencias del Principado de Asturias (INEUROPA), University of Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), Oviedo, Spain
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González-Pardo H, Arias JL, Gómez-Lázaro E, López Taboada I, Conejo NM. Sex-Specific Effects of Early Life Stress on Brain Mitochondrial Function, Monoamine Levels and Neuroinflammation. Brain Sci 2020; 10:brainsci10070447. [PMID: 32674298 PMCID: PMC7408325 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci10070447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2020] [Revised: 07/05/2020] [Accepted: 07/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Sex differences have been reported in the susceptibility to early life stress and its neurobiological correlates in humans and experimental animals. However, most of the current research with animal models of early stress has been performed mainly in males. In the present study, prolonged maternal separation (MS) paradigm was applied as an animal model to resemble the effects of adverse early experiences in male and female rats. Regional brain mitochondrial function, monoaminergic activity, and neuroinflammation were evaluated as adults. Mitochondrial energy metabolism was greatly decreased in MS females as compared with MS males in the prefrontal cortex, dorsal hippocampus, and the nucleus accumbens shell. In addition, MS males had lower serotonin levels and increased serotonin turnover in the prefrontal cortex and the hippocampus. However, MS females showed increased dopamine turnover in the prefrontal cortex and increased norepinephrine turnover in the striatum, but decreased dopamine turnover in the hippocampus. Sex differences were also found for pro-inflammatory cytokine levels, with increased levels of TNF-α and IL-6 in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus of MS males, and increased IL-6 levels in the striatum of MS females. These results evidence the complex sex- and brain region-specific long-term consequences of early life stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Héctor González-Pardo
- Laboratory of Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, Institute of Neuroscience of the Principality of Asturias (INEUROPA), University of Oviedo, Plaza Feijóo, s/n E-33003 Oviedo, Spain; (H.G.-P.); (J.L.A.); (I.L.T.)
| | - Jorge L. Arias
- Laboratory of Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, Institute of Neuroscience of the Principality of Asturias (INEUROPA), University of Oviedo, Plaza Feijóo, s/n E-33003 Oviedo, Spain; (H.G.-P.); (J.L.A.); (I.L.T.)
| | - Eneritz Gómez-Lázaro
- Department of Basic Psychological Processes and their Development, Basque Country University, Avda. Tolosa 70, s/n E-20018 San Sebastian, Spain;
| | - Isabel López Taboada
- Laboratory of Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, Institute of Neuroscience of the Principality of Asturias (INEUROPA), University of Oviedo, Plaza Feijóo, s/n E-33003 Oviedo, Spain; (H.G.-P.); (J.L.A.); (I.L.T.)
| | - Nélida M. Conejo
- Laboratory of Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, Institute of Neuroscience of the Principality of Asturias (INEUROPA), University of Oviedo, Plaza Feijóo, s/n E-33003 Oviedo, Spain; (H.G.-P.); (J.L.A.); (I.L.T.)
- Correspondence:
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McCoy CR, Sabbagh MN, Huaman JP, Pickrell AM, Clinton SM. Oxidative metabolism alterations in the emotional brain of anxiety-prone rats. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2019; 95:109706. [PMID: 31330216 PMCID: PMC6708503 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2019.109706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2019] [Revised: 05/31/2019] [Accepted: 07/17/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Mood disorders such as anxiety and depression are heterogeneous disorders with many sufferers unresponsive to current pharmacological treatments. Individual differences in temperament represent one factor that may underlie symptom heterogeneity, so understanding its biological underpinnings can help pave the way to personalized therapies and improved patient outcomes. The present study uses a rodent model of temperamental differences to examine whether individual differences in emotional behavior phenotypes correspond to altered limbic brain cellular metabolism, an indicator of neuronal activity. The model uses two selectively bred rat lines - high novelty responder rats (HRs) that show highly exploratory behavior in a novel environment, active coping style and resilience to chronic mild stress compared to low novelty responder rats (LRs), which are inhibited in novel environments, display passive coping style, and are susceptible to chronic stress. Utilizing transcriptome data from a prior study in adult HR/LR rats, we first show that a preponderance of genes differing in the HR vs. LR hippocampus and amygdala are involved in cellular metabolism. This led us to then ask if oxygen consumption was altered in isolated mitochondria of the hippocampus and amygdala of HR/LR rats; here we found increased oxygen consumption reserve capacity in LR amygdala. Our last experiment examined activity of cytochrome c oxidase (COX), an enzyme responsible for ATP production and correlate of metabolic activity, in several brain regions of HR/LR rats. We found that LRs displayed higher COX activity in the dentate gyrus, prefrontal cortex, and dorsal raphe compared to HRs, with no significant HR/LR difference in nuclei of the amygdala. Correlational analyses of COX activity across brain regions suggested divergent connectivity between the prefrontal cortex, amygdala, hippocampus, and dorsal raphe of HR vs. LR rats. Together these studies point to altered cellular metabolism in the limbic brain of LR/HR animals, which may reflect altered neural circuitry that drives their divergent behavioral profiles.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Sarah M. Clinton
- Corresponding author at: Integrated Life Sciences Building (ILSB), 1981 Kraft Drive, Blacksburg, VA, , Phone: (540) 231-5946
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González-Pardo H, Arias JL, Vallejo G, Conejo NM. Environmental enrichment effects after early stress on behavior and functional brain networks in adult rats. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0226377. [PMID: 31830106 PMCID: PMC6907785 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0226377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2019] [Accepted: 11/25/2019] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Early life stress is associated with long-term and pervasive adverse effects on neuroendocrine development, affecting normal cognitive and emotional development. Experimental manipulations like environmental enrichment (EE) may potentially reverse the effects of early life stress induced by maternal separation (MS) paradigm in rodents. However, the functional brain networks involved in the effects of EE after prolonged exposure to MS have not yet been investigated. In order to evaluate possible changes in brain functional connectivity induced by EE after MS, quantitative cytochrome c oxidase (CCO) histochemistry was applied to determine regional brain oxidative metabolism in adult male rats. Unexpectedly, results show that prolonged MS during the entire weaning period did not cause any detrimental effects on spatial learning and memory, including depressive-like behavior evaluated in the forced-swim test, and decreased anxiety-like behavior. However, EE seemed to alter anxiety- and depression-like behaviors in both control and MS groups, but improved spatial memory in the latter groups. Analysis of brain CCO activity showed significantly lower metabolic capacity in most brain regions selected in EE groups probably associated with chronic stress, but no effects of MS on brain metabolic capacity. In addition, principal component analysis of CCO activity revealed increased large-scale functional brain connectivity comprising at least three main networks affected by EE in both MS and control groups. Moreover, EE induced a pattern of functional brain connectivity associated with stress and anxiety-like behavior as compared with non-enriched groups. In conclusion, EE had differential effects on cognition and emotional behavior irrespective of exposure to MS. In view of the remarkable effects of EE on brain function and behavior, implementation of rodent housing conditions should be optimized by evaluating the balance between scientific validity and animal welfare.
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Affiliation(s)
- Héctor González-Pardo
- Laboratory of Neuroscience, Department of Psychology and Institute of Neuroscience of the Principality of Asturias (INEUROPA), University of Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain
| | - Jorge L. Arias
- Laboratory of Neuroscience, Department of Psychology and Institute of Neuroscience of the Principality of Asturias (INEUROPA), University of Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain
| | - Guillermo Vallejo
- Methodology Area, Department of Psychology and Institute of Neuroscience of the Principality of Asturias (INEUROPA), University of Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain
| | - Nélida M. Conejo
- Laboratory of Neuroscience, Department of Psychology and Institute of Neuroscience of the Principality of Asturias (INEUROPA), University of Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain
- * E-mail:
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8
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Harro J. Animal models of depression: pros and cons. Cell Tissue Res 2018; 377:5-20. [PMID: 30560458 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-018-2973-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2018] [Accepted: 11/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Animal models of depression are certainly needed but the question in the title has been raised owing to the controversies in the interpretation of the readout in a number of tests, to the perceived lack of progress in the development of novel treatments and to the expressed doubts in whether animal models can offer anything to make a true breakthrough in understanding the neurobiology of depression and producing novel drugs against depression. Herewith, it is argued that if anything is wrong with animal models, including those for depression, it is not about the principle of modelling complex human disorder in animals but in the way the tests are selected, conducted and interpreted. Further progress in the study of depression and in developing new treatments, will be supported by animal models of depression if these were more critically targeted to drug screening vs. studies of underlying neurobiology, clearly stratified to vulnerability and pathogenetic models, focused on well-defined endophenotypes and validated for each setting while bearing the existing limits to validation in mind. Animal models of depression need not to rely merely on behavioural readouts but increasingly incorporate neurobiological measures as the understanding of depression as human brain disorder advances. Further developments would be fostered by cross-fertilizinga translational approach that is bidirectional, research on humans making more use of neurobiological findings in animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaanus Harro
- Division of Neuropsychopharmacology, Department of Psychology, Estonian Centre of Behavioural and Health Sciences, University of Tartu, Ravila 14A Chemicum, 50411, Tartu, Estonia.
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Kucharczyk M, Kurek A, Pomierny B, Detka J, Papp M, Tota K, Budziszewska B. The reduced level of growth factors in an animal model of depression is accompanied by regulated necrosis in the frontal cortex but not in the hippocampus. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2018; 94:121-133. [PMID: 29775875 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2018.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2017] [Revised: 03/02/2018] [Accepted: 05/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
In the present study, we asked if the different types of stress alter neuronal plasticity markers distinctively in the frontal cortex (FCx) and in the hippocampus (Hp). To do so, we implemented various stress regimens to analyze changes evoked in these rat brain structures. We utilized several molecular techniques, including western blot, ELISA, quantitative RT-PCR, and various biochemical assays, to examine a range of proteins and subjected rats to behavioral tests to evaluate potential maladaptive alterations. A decrease in the level of growth factors in the FCx was accompanied by changes suggesting damage of this structure in the manner of regulated necrosis, while the Hp appeared to be protected. The observed changes in the brain region-specific alterations in neurotrophin processing may also depend on the period of life, in which an animal experiences stress and the duration of the stressful stimuli. We conclude that chronic stress during pregnancy can result in serious alterations in the functioning of the FCx of the progeny, facilitating the development of depressive behavior later in life. We also suggest that the altered energy metabolism may redirect pro-NGF/p75NTR/ATF2 signaling in the cortical neurons towards cellular death resembling regulated necrosis, rather than apoptosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mateusz Kucharczyk
- Department of Experimental Neuroendocrinology, Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków, Poland.
| | - Anna Kurek
- Department of Experimental Neuroendocrinology, Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków, Poland
| | - Bartosz Pomierny
- Department of Biochemical Toxicology, Chair of Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical College, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - Jan Detka
- Department of Experimental Neuroendocrinology, Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków, Poland
| | - Mariusz Papp
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Tota
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków, Poland
| | - Bogusława Budziszewska
- Department of Experimental Neuroendocrinology, Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków, Poland
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Abstract
Positive emotions have been shown to induce resilience to stress in humans, as well as increase cognitive abilities (learning, memory, and problem solving) and improve overall health. In rats, frequency modulated 50-kHz ultrasonic vocalizations (hedonic 50 kHz) reflect a positive affective state and are best elicited by rough-and-tumble play. A well-established rat chronic unpredictable stress paradigm was used to produce a robust and long-lasting decrease in positive affect, increase in negative affect, and learned helplessness in Sprague-Dawley rats. Rough-and-tumble play (3 min every 3 days) reversed stress-induced effects of chronic unpredictable stress in the Porsolt forced swim test, novelty-induced hypophagia, sucrose preference, and ultrasonic vocalization assays compared with a light touch control group. These data demonstrate that positive affect induces resilience to stress effects in rats, and that rough-and-tumble play can be used to explore the biological basis of resilience that may lead to the development of new therapeutics for stress-related disorders.
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Matrov D, Kaart T, Lanfumey L, Maldonado R, Sharp T, Tordera RM, Kelly PA, Deakin B, Harro J. Cerebral oxidative metabolism mapping in four genetic mouse models of anxiety and mood disorders. Behav Brain Res 2018; 356:435-443. [PMID: 29885846 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2018.05.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2018] [Revised: 05/29/2018] [Accepted: 05/29/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The psychopathology of depression is highly complex and the outcome of studies on animal models is divergent. In order to find brain regions that could be metabolically distinctively active across a variety of mouse depression models and to compare the interconnectivity of brain regions of wild-type and such genetically modified mice, histochemical mapping of oxidative metabolism was performed by the measurement of cytochrome oxidase activity. We included mice with the heterozygous knockout of the vesicular glutamate transporter (VGLUT1-/+), full knockout of the cannabinoid 1 receptor (CB1-/-), an anti-sense knockdown of the glucocorticoid receptor (GRi) and overexpression of the human 5-hydroxytryptamine transporter (h5-HTT). Altogether 76 mouse brains were studied to measure oxidative metabolism in one hundred brain regions, and the obtained dataset was submitted to a variety of machine learning algorithms and multidimensional scaling. Overall, the top brain regions having the largest contribution to classification into depression model were the lateroanterior hypothalamic nucleus, the anterior part of the basomedial amygdaloid nucleus, claustrum, the suprachiasmatic nucleus, the ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus, and the anterior hypothalamic area. In terms of the patterns of inter-regional relationship between wild-type and genetically modified mice there was little overall difference, while the most deviating brain regions were cortical amygdala and ventrolateral and ventral posteromedial thalamic nuclei. The GRi mice that most clearly differed from their controls exhibited deviation of connectivity for a number of brain regions, such as ventrolateral thalamic nucleus, the intermediate part of the lateral septal nucleus, the anteriodorsal part of the medial amygdaloid nucleus, the medial division of the central amygdaloid nucleus, ventral pallidum, nucleus of the vertical limb of the diagonal band, anteroventral parts of the thalamic nucleus and parts of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis. Conclusively, the GRi mouse model was characterized by changes in the functional connectivity of the extended amygdala and stress response circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denis Matrov
- Division of Neuropsychopharmacology, Department of Psychology, University of Tartu, Ravila 14A Chemicum, 50411 Tartu, Estonia; Department of Neuroscience, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Yoshida-konoe-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan
| | - Tanel Kaart
- Institute of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Kreutzwaldi 1, 51014 Tartu, Estonia
| | - Laurence Lanfumey
- Centre de Psychiatrie et Neuroscience, INSERM U 894, 2 ter rue d'Alésia, 75014 Paris, France
| | - Rafael Maldonado
- Laboratory of Neuropharmacology, Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Trevor Sharp
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Oxford, Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3QT, United Kingdom
| | - Rosa M Tordera
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Paul A Kelly
- Centre for Cognitive and Neural Systems, University of Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Bill Deakin
- Neuroscience and Psychiatry Unit, Division of Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Jaanus Harro
- Division of Neuropsychopharmacology, Department of Psychology, University of Tartu, Ravila 14A Chemicum, 50411 Tartu, Estonia.
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Sampedro-Piquero P, Álvarez-Suárez P, Begega A. Coping with Stress During Aging: The Importance of a Resilient Brain. Curr Neuropharmacol 2018; 16:284-296. [PMID: 28925881 PMCID: PMC5843980 DOI: 10.2174/1570159x15666170915141610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2017] [Revised: 09/12/2017] [Accepted: 01/01/1970] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Resilience is the ability to achieve a positive outcome when we are in the face of adversity. It supposes an active resistance to adversity by coping mechanisms in which genetic, molecular, neural and environmental factors are involved. Resilience has been usually studied in early ages and few is known about it during aging. METHODS In this review, we will address the age-related changes in the brain mechanisms involved in regulating the stress response. Furthermore, using the EE paradigm, we analyse the resilient potential of this intervention and its neurobiological basis. In this case, we will focus on identifying the characteristics of a resilient brain (modifications in HPA structure and function, neurogenesis, specific neuron types, glia, neurotrophic factors, nitric oxide synthase or microRNAs, among others). RESULTS The evidence suggests that a healthy lifestyle has a crucial role to promote a resilient brain during aging. Along with the behavioral changes described, a better regulation of HPA axis, enhanced levels of postmitotic type-3 cells or changes in GABAergic neurotransmission are some of the brain mechanisms involved in resilience. CONCLUSION Future research should identify different biomarkers that increase the resistance to develop mood disorders and based on this knowledge, develop new potential therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- P. Sampedro-Piquero
- Departamento de Psicobiología y Metodología de las CC, Facultad de Psicología, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga (IBIMA), Universidad de Málaga, Spain
| | - P. Álvarez-Suárez
- Institute of Neuroscience of the Principality of Asturias (INEUROPA), Department of Psychology, University of Oviedo, Spain
| | - A. Begega
- Institute of Neuroscience of the Principality of Asturias (INEUROPA), Department of Psychology, University of Oviedo, Spain
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Moskal JR, Burgdorf J. Ultrasonic Vocalizations in Rats as a Measure of Emotional Responses to Stress: Models of Anxiety and Depression. HANDBOOK OF ULTRASONIC VOCALIZATION - A WINDOW INTO THE EMOTIONAL BRAIN 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-809600-0.00039-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
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14
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Sociability trait and regional cerebral oxidative metabolism in rats: Predominantly nonlinear relations. Behav Brain Res 2018; 337:186-192. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2017.08.049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2017] [Revised: 08/25/2017] [Accepted: 08/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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15
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Pro-neurogenic, Memory-Enhancing and Anti-stress Effects of DF302, a Novel Fluorine Gamma-Carboline Derivative with Multi-target Mechanism of Action. Mol Neurobiol 2017; 55:335-349. [DOI: 10.1007/s12035-017-0745-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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16
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Burgdorf J, Colechio EM, Stanton P, Panksepp J. Positive Emotional Learning Induces Resilience to Depression: A Role for NMDA Receptor-mediated Synaptic Plasticity. Curr Neuropharmacol 2017; 15:3-10. [PMID: 27102428 PMCID: PMC5327454 DOI: 10.2174/1570159x14666160422110344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2015] [Revised: 09/11/2015] [Accepted: 01/30/2016] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Positive emotions have been shown to induce resilience to depression and anxiety in humans, as well as increase cognitive abilities (learning, memory and problem solving) and improve overall health. In rats, frequency modulated 50-kHz ultrasonic vocalizations (Hedonic 50-kHz USVs) reflect a positive affective state and are best elicited by rough-and-tumble play. METHODS The effect of positive affect induced by rough-and tumble play was examined on models of depression and learning and memory. The molecular and pharmacological basis of play induced positive affect was also examined. RESULTS Rough-and-tumble play induced Hedonic 50-kHz USVs, lead to resilience to depression and anxiety, and facilitation of learning and memory. These effects are mediated, in part, by increased NMDAR expression and activation in the medial prefrontal cortex. CONCLUSIONS We hypothesize that positive affect induces resilience to depression by facilitating NMDAR-dependent synaptic plasticity in the medial prefrontal cortex. Targeting MPFC synaptic plasticity may lead to novel treatments for depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey Burgdorf
- Falk Center for Molecular Therapeutics, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, 1801 Maple Ave., Suite 4300, Evanston IL, 60201, USA
| | | | - Patric Stanton
- Department of Cell Biology & Anatomy, Basic Sciences Bldg., Rm. 217, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY 10595, USA
| | - Jaak Panksepp
- Department of Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99163 USA
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O’Leary A, Kõiv K, Raudkivi K, Harro J. Antidepressants differentially affect striatal amphetamine-stimulated dopamine and serotonin release in rats with high and low novelty-oriented behaviour. Pharmacol Res 2016; 113:739-746. [DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2016.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2015] [Revised: 02/01/2016] [Accepted: 02/01/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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18
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McCoy CR, Golf SR, Melendez-Ferro M, Perez-Costas E, Glover ME, Jackson NL, Stringfellow SA, Pugh PC, Fant AD, Clinton SM. Altered metabolic activity in the developing brain of rats predisposed to high versus low depression-like behavior. Neuroscience 2016; 324:469-484. [PMID: 26979051 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2016.03.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2015] [Revised: 02/27/2016] [Accepted: 03/05/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Individual differences in human temperament can increase the risk of psychiatric disorders like depression and anxiety. Our laboratory utilized a rat model of temperamental differences to assess neurodevelopmental factors underlying emotional behavior differences. Rats selectively bred for low novelty exploration (Low Responders, LR) display high levels of anxiety- and depression-like behavior compared to High Novelty Responder (HR) rats. Using transcriptome profiling, the present study uncovered vast gene expression differences in the early postnatal HR versus LR limbic brain, including changes in genes involved in cellular metabolism. These data led us to hypothesize that rats prone to high (versus low) anxiety/depression-like behavior exhibit distinct patterns of brain metabolism during the first weeks of life, which may reflect disparate patterns of synaptogenesis and brain circuit development. Thus, in a second experiment we examined activity of cytochrome C oxidase (COX), an enzyme responsible for ATP production and a correlate of metabolic activity, to explore functional energetic differences in the HR/LR early postnatal brain. We found that HR rats display higher COX activity in the amygdala and specific hippocampal subregions compared to LRs during the first 2 weeks of life. Correlational analysis examining COX levels across several brain regions and multiple early postnatal time points suggested desynchronization in the developmental timeline of the limbic HR versus LR brain during the first two postnatal weeks. These early divergent COX activity levels may reflect altered circuitry or synaptic activity in the early postnatal HR/LR brain, which could contribute to the emergence of their distinct behavioral phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chelsea R McCoy
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, 1720 7th Ave S., SC 745, University of Alabama-Birmingham AL, USA
| | - Samantha R Golf
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, 1720 7th Ave S., SC 745, University of Alabama-Birmingham AL, USA
| | - Miguel Melendez-Ferro
- Department of Surgery, 1600 7 Ave S., ACC300, University of Alabama-Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Emma Perez-Costas
- Department of Pediatrics, 1600 7 Ave S., ACC502, University of Alabama-Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Matthew E Glover
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, 1720 7th Ave S., SC 745, University of Alabama-Birmingham AL, USA
| | - Nateka L Jackson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, 1720 7th Ave S., SC 745, University of Alabama-Birmingham AL, USA
| | - Sara A Stringfellow
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, 1720 7th Ave S., SC 745, University of Alabama-Birmingham AL, USA
| | - Phyllis C Pugh
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, 1720 7th Ave S., SC 745, University of Alabama-Birmingham AL, USA
| | - Andrew D Fant
- Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 27599, USA
| | - Sarah M Clinton
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, 1720 7th Ave S., SC 745, University of Alabama-Birmingham AL, USA
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Martín-Aragón S, Villar Á, Benedí J. Age-dependent effects of esculetin on mood-related behavior and cognition from stressed mice are associated with restoring brain antioxidant status. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2016; 65:1-16. [PMID: 26290950 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2015.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2015] [Revised: 08/06/2015] [Accepted: 08/12/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Dietary antioxidants might exert an important role in the aging process by relieving oxidative damage, a likely cause of age-associated brain dysfunctions. This study aims to investigate the influence of esculetin (6,7-dihydroxycoumarin), a naturally occurring antioxidant in the diet, on mood-related behaviors and cognitive function and its relation with age and brain oxidative damage. Behavioral tests were employed in 11-, 17- and 22-month-old male C57BL/6J mice upon an oral 35day-esculetin treatment (25mg/kg). Activity of antioxidant enzymes, GSH and GSSG levels, GSH/GSSG ratio, and mitochondrial function were analyzed in brain cortex at the end of treatment in order to assess the oxidative status related to mouse behavior. Esculetin treatment attenuated the increased immobility time and enhanced the diminished climbing time in the forced swim task elicited by acute restraint stress (ARS) in the 11- and 17-month-old mice versus their counterpart controls. Furthermore, ARS caused an impairment of contextual memory in the step-through passive avoidance both in mature adult and aged mice which was partially reversed by esculetin only in the 11-month-old mice. Esculetin was effective to prevent the ARS-induced oxidative stress mostly in mature adult mice by restoring antioxidant enzyme activities, augmenting the GSH/GSSG ratio and increasing cytochrome c oxidase (COX) activity in cortex. Modulation of the mood-related behavior and cognitive function upon esculetin treatment in a mouse model of ARS depends on age and is partly due to the enhancement of redox status and levels of COX activity in cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sagrario Martín-Aragón
- Departamento de Farmacología, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Plaza Ramón y Cajal s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
| | - Ángel Villar
- Departamento de Farmacología, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Plaza Ramón y Cajal s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Juana Benedí
- Departamento de Farmacología, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Plaza Ramón y Cajal s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
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20
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Bernstein HG, Ortmann A, Dobrowolny H, Steiner J, Brisch R, Gos T, Bogerts B. Bilaterally reduced claustral volumes in schizophrenia and major depressive disorder: a morphometric postmortem study. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2016; 266:25-33. [PMID: 25822416 DOI: 10.1007/s00406-015-0597-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2015] [Accepted: 03/23/2015] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Multiple brain structural abnormalities have been reported in schizophrenia and major depressive disorder. A majority of disease-affected brain regions act as relay nodes within neural networks, which are known to be impaired in neuropsychiatric diseases. One of these regions is the claustrum, which has the highest connectivity in the human brain by regional volume. Its possible involvement in disturbed connectivity is yet incompletely explored, however. The present study aimed at searching for possible structural deviations of the claustrum in neuropsychiatric disorders. We found bilaterally reduced claustral volumes both in schizophrenia and in major depressive disorder. These structural impairments may have different, disease-related consequences: In patients with schizophrenia, they may contribute to sensory processing impairments, and in patients with major depressive disorder to disturbances in salience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hans-Gert Bernstein
- Department of Psychiatry, Otto-von-Guericke-University, Leipziger Str. 44, 39120, Magdeburg, Germany.
| | - Anna Ortmann
- Department of Psychiatry, Otto-von-Guericke-University, Leipziger Str. 44, 39120, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Henrik Dobrowolny
- Department of Psychiatry, Otto-von-Guericke-University, Leipziger Str. 44, 39120, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Johann Steiner
- Department of Psychiatry, Otto-von-Guericke-University, Leipziger Str. 44, 39120, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Ralf Brisch
- Institute of Forensic Medicine, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Tomasz Gos
- Institute of Forensic Medicine, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Bernhard Bogerts
- Department of Psychiatry, Otto-von-Guericke-University, Leipziger Str. 44, 39120, Magdeburg, Germany
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21
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Raudkivi K, Alttoa A, Leito I, Harro J. Differences in extracellular glutamate levels in striatum of rats with high and low exploratory activity. Pharmacol Rep 2015; 67:858-65. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pharep.2015.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2014] [Revised: 01/06/2015] [Accepted: 02/02/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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22
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Detka J, Kurek A, Kucharczyk M, Głombik K, Basta-Kaim A, Kubera M, Lasoń W, Budziszewska B. Brain glucose metabolism in an animal model of depression. Neuroscience 2015; 295:198-208. [PMID: 25819664 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2015.03.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2015] [Revised: 03/18/2015] [Accepted: 03/19/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
An increasing number of data support the involvement of disturbances in glucose metabolism in the pathogenesis of depression. We previously reported that glucose and glycogen concentrations in brain structures important for depression are higher in a prenatal stress model of depression when compared with control animals. A marked rise in the concentrations of these carbohydrates and glucose transporters were evident in prenatally stressed animals subjected to acute stress and glucose loading in adulthood. To determine whether elevated levels of brain glucose are associated with a change in its metabolism in this model, we assessed key glycolytic enzymes (hexokinase, phosphofructokinase and pyruvate kinase), products of glycolysis, i.e., pyruvate and lactate, and two selected enzymes of the tricarboxylic acid cycle (pyruvate dehydrogenase and α-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase) in the hippocampus and frontal cortex. Additionally, we assessed glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity, a key enzyme in the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP). Prenatal stress increased the levels of phosphofructokinase, an important glycolytic enzyme, in the hippocampus and frontal cortex. However, prenatal stress had no effect on hexokinase or pyruvate kinase levels. The lactate concentration was elevated in prenatally stressed rats in the frontal cortex, and pyruvate levels remained unchanged. Among the tricarboxylic acid cycle enzymes, prenatal stress decreased the level of pyruvate dehydrogenase in the hippocampus, but it had no effect on α-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase. Like in the case of glucose and its transporters, also in the present study, differences in markers of glucose metabolism between control animals and those subjected to prenatal stress were not observed under basal conditions but in rats subjected to acute stress and glucose load in adulthood. Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity was not reduced by prenatal stress but was found to be even higher in animals exposed to all experimental conditions, i.e., prenatal stress, acute stress, and glucose administration. Our data indicate that glycolysis is increased and the Krebs cycle is decreased in the brain of a prenatal stress animal model of depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Detka
- Department of Experimental Neuroendocrinology, Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Smętna 12, PL 31-343 Kraków, Poland
| | - A Kurek
- Department of Experimental Neuroendocrinology, Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Smętna 12, PL 31-343 Kraków, Poland
| | - M Kucharczyk
- Department of Experimental Neuroendocrinology, Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Smętna 12, PL 31-343 Kraków, Poland
| | - K Głombik
- Department of Experimental Neuroendocrinology, Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Smętna 12, PL 31-343 Kraków, Poland
| | - A Basta-Kaim
- Department of Experimental Neuroendocrinology, Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Smętna 12, PL 31-343 Kraków, Poland
| | - M Kubera
- Department of Experimental Neuroendocrinology, Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Smętna 12, PL 31-343 Kraków, Poland
| | - W Lasoń
- Department of Experimental Neuroendocrinology, Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Smętna 12, PL 31-343 Kraków, Poland
| | - B Budziszewska
- Department of Experimental Neuroendocrinology, Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Smętna 12, PL 31-343 Kraków, Poland.
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23
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Harro J, Kanarik M, Kaart T, Matrov D, Kõiv K, Mällo T, Del Río J, Tordera RM, Ramirez MJ. Revealing the cerebral regions and networks mediating vulnerability to depression: oxidative metabolism mapping of rat brain. Behav Brain Res 2014; 267:83-94. [PMID: 24662150 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2014.03.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2013] [Revised: 03/09/2014] [Accepted: 03/13/2014] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
The large variety of available animal models has revealed much on the neurobiology of depression, but each model appears as specific to a significant extent, and distinction between stress response, pathogenesis of depression and underlying vulnerability is difficult to make. Evidence from epidemiological studies suggests that depression occurs in biologically predisposed subjects under impact of adverse life events. We applied the diathesis-stress concept to reveal brain regions and functional networks that mediate vulnerability to depression and response to chronic stress by collapsing data on cerebral long term neuronal activity as measured by cytochrome c oxidase histochemistry in distinct animal models. Rats were rendered vulnerable to depression either by partial serotonergic lesion or by maternal deprivation, or selected for a vulnerable phenotype (low positive affect, low novelty-related activity or high hedonic response). Environmental adversity was brought about by applying chronic variable stress or chronic social defeat. Several brain regions, most significantly median raphe, habenula, retrosplenial cortex and reticular thalamus, were universally implicated in long-term metabolic stress response, vulnerability to depression, or both. Vulnerability was associated with higher oxidative metabolism levels as compared to resilience to chronic stress. Chronic stress, in contrast, had three distinct patterns of effect on oxidative metabolism in vulnerable vs. resilient animals. In general, associations between regional activities in several brain circuits were strongest in vulnerable animals, and chronic stress disrupted this interrelatedness. These findings highlight networks that underlie resilience to stress, and the distinct response to stress that occurs in vulnerable subjects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaanus Harro
- Department of Psychology, Estonian Centre of Behavioural and Health Sciences, University of Tartu, Ravila 14A, 50411 Tartu, Estonia.
| | - Margus Kanarik
- Department of Psychology, Estonian Centre of Behavioural and Health Sciences, University of Tartu, Ravila 14A, 50411 Tartu, Estonia
| | - Tanel Kaart
- Institute of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Kreutzwaldi 1, 51014 Tartu, Estonia
| | - Denis Matrov
- Department of Psychology, Estonian Centre of Behavioural and Health Sciences, University of Tartu, Ravila 14A, 50411 Tartu, Estonia
| | - Kadri Kõiv
- Department of Psychology, Estonian Centre of Behavioural and Health Sciences, University of Tartu, Ravila 14A, 50411 Tartu, Estonia
| | - Tanel Mällo
- Department of Psychology, Estonian Centre of Behavioural and Health Sciences, University of Tartu, Ravila 14A, 50411 Tartu, Estonia
| | - Joaquin Del Río
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Navarra, Irunlarrea 1, 31008 Pamplona, Spain
| | - Rosa M Tordera
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Navarra, Irunlarrea 1, 31008 Pamplona, Spain
| | - Maria J Ramirez
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Navarra, Irunlarrea 1, 31008 Pamplona, Spain
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Gelfo F, Petrosini L, Graziano A, De Bartolo P, Burello L, Vitale E, Polverino A, Iuliano A, Sorrentino G, Mandolesi L. Cortical metabolic deficits in a rat model of cholinergic basal forebrain degeneration. Neurochem Res 2013; 38:2114-23. [PMID: 23925861 DOI: 10.1007/s11064-013-1120-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2012] [Revised: 07/23/2013] [Accepted: 07/30/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Evidence indicates that the degeneration of basal forebrain cholinergic neurons may represent an important factor underlying the progressive cognitive decline characterizing Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the nature of the relationship between cholinergic depletion and AD is not fully elucidated. This study aimed at clarifying some aspects of the relation existing between deficits in cerebral energy metabolism and degeneration of cholinergic system in AD, by investigating the neuronal metabolic activity of several cortical areas after depletion of basal forebrain cholinergic neurons. In cholinergically depleted rats, we evaluated the neuronal metabolic activity by assaying cytochrome oxidase (CO) activity in frontal, parietal and posterior parietal cortices at four different time-points after unilateral injection of 192 IgG-saporin in the nucleus basalis magnocellularis. Unilateral depletion of cholinergic cells in the basal forebrain induced a bilateral decrease of metabolic activity in all the analyzed areas. Frontal and parietal cortices showed decreased metabolic activity even 3 days after the lesion, when the cholinergic degeneration was still incomplete. In posterior parietal cortex metabolic activity decreased only 7 days after the lesion. The possible molecular mechanisms underlying these findings were also investigated. Real-time PCR showed an increase of CO mRNA levels at 3, 7 and 15 days after the lesion both in frontal and parietal cortices, followed by normalization at 30 days. Western Blot analysis did not show any change in CO protein levels at any time-point after the lesion. Our findings support a link between metabolic deficit and cholinergic hypofunctionality characterizing AD pathology. The present model of cholinergic hypofunctionality provides a useful means to study the complex mechanisms linking two fundamental and interrelated phenomena characterizing AD from the early stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Gelfo
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Via del Fosso di Fiorano, 64, 00143, Rome, Italy,
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Rats selectively bred for low levels of play-induced 50 kHz vocalizations as a model for autism spectrum disorders: a role for NMDA receptors. Behav Brain Res 2013; 251:18-24. [PMID: 23623884 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2013.04.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2012] [Revised: 04/15/2013] [Accepted: 04/16/2013] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Early childhood autism is characterized by deficits in social approach and play behaviors, socio-emotional relatedness, and communication/speech abnormalities, as well as repetitive behaviors. These core neuropsychological features of autism can be modeled in laboratory rats, and the results may be useful for drug discovery and therapeutic development. We review data that show that rats selectively bred for low rates of play-related pro-social ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) can be used to model social deficit symptoms of autism. Low-line animals engage in less social contact time with conspecifics, show lower rates of play induced pro-social USVs, and show an increased proportion of non-frequency modulated (i.e. monotonous) ultrasonic vocalizations compared to non-selectively bred random-line animals. Gene expression patterns in the low-line animals show significant enrichment in autism-associated genes, and the NMDA receptor family was identified as a significant hub. Treatment of low-line animals with the NMDAR functional glycine site partial agonist, GLYX-13, rescued the deficits in play-induced pro-social 50-kHz USVs and reduced monotonous USVs. Since the NMDA receptor has been implicated in the genesis of autistic symptoms, it is possible that GLYX-13 may be of therapeutic value in the treatment of autism.
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Sampedro-Piquero P, Zancada-Menendez C, Begega A, Mendez M, Arias J. Effects of forced exercise on spatial memory and cytochrome c oxidase activity in aged rats. Brain Res 2013; 1502:20-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2012.12.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2012] [Revised: 11/19/2012] [Accepted: 12/13/2012] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Homberg JR. Measuring behaviour in rodents: Towards translational neuropsychiatric research. Behav Brain Res 2013; 236:295-306. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2012.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2012] [Revised: 08/31/2012] [Accepted: 09/05/2012] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Frederick AL, Saborido TP, Stanwood GD. Neurobehavioral phenotyping of G(αq) knockout mice reveals impairments in motor functions and spatial working memory without changes in anxiety or behavioral despair. Front Behav Neurosci 2012; 6:29. [PMID: 22723772 PMCID: PMC3377978 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2012.00029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2012] [Accepted: 05/29/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Many neurotransmitters, hormones, and sensory stimuli elicit their cellular responses through the targeted activation of receptors coupled to the Gαq family of heterotrimeric G proteins. Nevertheless, we still understand little about the consequences of loss of this signaling activity on brain function. We therefore examined the effects of genetic inactivation of Gnaq, the gene that encode for Gαq, on responsiveness in a battery of behavioral tests in order to assess the contribution of Gαq signaling capacity in the brain circuits mediating expression of affective behaviors (anxiety and behavioral despair), spatial working memory, and locomotor output (coordination, strength, spontaneous activity, and drug-induced responses). First, we replicated and extended findings showing clear motor deficits in Gαq knockout mice as assessed on an accelerating rotarod and the inverted screen test. We then assessed the contribution of the basal ganglia motor loops to these impairments, using open field testing and analysis of drug-induced locomotor responses to the psychostimulant cocaine, the benzazepine D1 receptor agonists SKF83822 and SKF83959, and the NMDA receptor antagonist MK-801. We observed significant increases in drug-induced locomotor activity in Gαq knockout mice from the dopaminergic agonists but not MK-801, indicating that basal ganglia locomotor circuitry is largely intact in the absence of Gαq. Additionally, we observed normal phenotypes in both the elevated zero maze and the forced swim test indicating that anxiety and depression-related circuitry appears to be largely intact after loss of Gnaq expression. Lastly, use of the Y-maze revealed spatial memory deficits in Gαq knockout mice, indicating that receptors signaling through Gαq are necessary in these circuits for proficiency in this task.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aliya L Frederick
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville TN, USA
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Begega A, Cuesta M, Rubio S, Méndez M, Santín LJ, Arias JL. Functional networks involved in spatial learning strategies in middle-aged rats. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2012; 97:346-53. [PMID: 22406474 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2012.02.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2011] [Revised: 02/08/2012] [Accepted: 02/23/2012] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Our aim was to assess the way that middle-aged rats solve spatial learning tasks that can be performed using different strategies. We assessed the brain networks involved in these spatial learning processes using Principal Component Analysis. Two tasks were performed in a complex context, a four-arm radial maze, in which each group must use either an allocentric or an egocentric strategy. Another task was performed in a simple T-maze in which rats must use an egocentric strategy. Brain metabolic activity was quantified to evaluate neural changes related to spatial learning in the described tasks. Our findings revealed that two functional networks are involved in spatial learning in aged rats. One of the networks, spatial processing, is composed of brain regions involved in the integration of sensory and motivational information. The other network, context-dependent processing, mainly involves the dorsal hippocampus and is related to the processing of contextual information from the environment. Both networks work together to solve spatial tasks in a complex spatial environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Begega
- Laboratorio de Neurociencias, Departamento de Psicología, Universidad de Oviedo, Plaza Feijoo s/n, 33003 Oviedo, Spain.
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Abstract
The rapid increase in the number of proposed animal models of depression reflects the dissatisfaction with our current state of knowledge on neurobiology of depression and unsuccessful drug development. Results obtained with even the best validated models can be difficult to compare. Because evidence from epidemiological studies suggests that depression occurs in biologically predisposed subjects under the impact of adverse life events, increasing attempts have been made to use the diathesis-stress concept in animal models. In this way, factors underpinning vulnerability to depression have been identified by measuring behavioural traits analogous to facets of human personality, or created by inducing neurochemical lesions. Stressful interventions administered prenatally, in early life or in adulthood have been combined with other vulnerability factors including genetic changes. As a result, several putative animal models of endophenotypes of depression or depression vulnerability have been proposed. Diathesis-stress models may aid in separating adaptive and maladaptive strategies in coping with stress, and understanding the relevant neurobiology. Studies comparing effects of stress on males and females should reveal to which extent the pathogenetic processes leading to depression can be specific to sex/gender.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaanus Harro
- Unit of Psychophysiology, Department of Psychology, Estonian Centre of Behavioural and Health Sciences, University of Tartu, Estonia.
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Alcaro A, Panksepp J. The SEEKING mind: Primal neuro-affective substrates for appetitive incentive states and their pathological dynamics in addictions and depression. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2011; 35:1805-20. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2011.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 121] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2010] [Revised: 02/28/2011] [Accepted: 03/01/2011] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
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The basic emotional circuits of mammalian brains: Do animals have affective lives? Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2011; 35:1791-804. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2011.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 268] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2010] [Revised: 07/23/2011] [Accepted: 08/03/2011] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
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Wright JS, Panksepp J. Toward affective circuit-based preclinical models of depression: sensitizing dorsal PAG arousal leads to sustained suppression of positive affect in rats. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2011; 35:1902-15. [PMID: 21871918 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2011.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2011] [Revised: 07/23/2011] [Accepted: 08/03/2011] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Little is known about why clinical depression feels so bad, perhaps because optimal neural circuit-based animal models of depression do not yet exist. Our goal here was to develop a strategy of inducing and measuring depressive-like states in the rat using neural circuits as both the independent and major dependent variables. We hypothesized that repeated electrical stimulation of the brain (ESB) within the dorsal periaqueductal gray (dPAG) aversion circuits would lead to a long-lasting suppression of 50kHz ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs), a validated measure of positive social affect. Fifteen consecutive daily 10min sessions of intermittent PAG-ESB reduced systematically evoked 50kHz USVs for up to 29 days following termination of ESB treatment, along with altering traditional measures of negative affect, including behavioral agitation, sucrose intake, and decreased exploratory behavior. These findings suggest a new affective circuit-based preclinical model of depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason S Wright
- Center for the Study of Animal Well-being, Department of Veterinary & Comparative Anatomy, Pharmacology and Physiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-6520, USA.
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