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Johny A, Janczak AM, Nordgreen J, Toscano MJ, Stratmann A. Mind the ramp: Association between early life ramp use and spatial cognition in laying hen pullets. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0302454. [PMID: 38669289 PMCID: PMC11051627 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0302454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Ramps facilitate earlier access to complex environments and increase early life voluntary exercise, which may positively affect the cognitive development of chickens. This study focused on quantifying individual differences in ramp use and its impact on spatial cognition of laying hen pullets. Sixteen identical pens were housed with Lohmann Selected Leghorn (LSL) chicks of which eight chicks from each pen were colour marked from one day of age (DoA) to serve as focal birds. We quantified overall ramp use (walk/run, wing-assisted incline running, and jump/fly to and from ramps) by scan sampling recorded videos for 6, 10, 12, 20, 27, 41, and 55 DoA for all focal birds. From 56 to 95 DoA, long and short-term spatial memory of three focal birds per pen were assessed in a holeboard test in three consecutive phases: cued, uncued and reversal. Mixed model analysis showed that the spatial cognitive abilities of the birds were linked to differences in ramp use frequency averaged across all observation days. Birds with higher ramp use made fewer reference (Estimate ± Confidence Interval = 0.94 [0.88, 0.99], p = 0.08) and working memory errors (Est ± CI = 0.77 [0.59, 1.00], p = 0.06) in the cued phase than birds with lower ramp use. In contrast, birds with higher ramp use made more reference memory errors (Est ± CI = 1.10 [1.01, 1.20], p = 0.05) in the reversal phase. Birds with higher ramp use also made more reference memory errors compared to birds with lower ramp use as the phases changed from cued to uncued (p = 0.001). Our results indicate that there might be a relationship between early life ramp use and spatial cognition of laying hens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex Johny
- VPHI Institute, Centre for Proper Housing of Poultry and Rabbits, University of Bern, Zollikofen, Switzerland
- Graduate school of Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Andrew M. Janczak
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Production Animal Clinical Science, Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Ås, Norway
| | - Janicke Nordgreen
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Paraclinical Sciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
| | - Michael J. Toscano
- VPHI Institute, Centre for Proper Housing of Poultry and Rabbits, University of Bern, Zollikofen, Switzerland
| | - Ariane Stratmann
- VPHI Institute, Centre for Proper Housing of Poultry and Rabbits, University of Bern, Zollikofen, Switzerland
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2
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Casarrubea M, Di Giovanni G, Aiello S, Crescimanno G. The hole-board apparatus in the study of anxiety. Physiol Behav 2023; 271:114346. [PMID: 37690695 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2023.114346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2023] [Revised: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
Abstract
Anxiety disorders pose a significant challenge in contemporary society, and their impact in terms of social and economic burden is overwhelming. Behavioral research conducted on animal subjects is crucial for comprehending these disorders and, from a translational standpoint, for introducing innovative therapeutic approaches. In this context, the Hole-Board apparatus has emerged as a widely utilized test for studying anxiety-related behaviors in rodents. Although a substantial body of literature underscores the utility and reliability of the Hole-Board in anxiety research, recent decades have witnessed a range of studies that have led to uncertainties and misinterpretations regarding the validity of this behavioral assay. The objective of this review is twofold: firstly, to underscore the utility and reliability of the Hole-Board assay, and concurrently, to examine the underlying factors contributing to potential misconceptions surrounding its utilization in the study of anxiety and anxiety-related behaviors. We will present results from both conventional quantitative analyses and multivariate approaches, while referencing a comprehensive collection of studies conducted using the Hole-Board.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maurizio Casarrubea
- Laboratory of Behavioural Physiology, Department of Biomedicine, Neuroscience and Advanced Diagnostics (Bi.N.D.), Human Physiology Section "Giuseppe Pagano", University of Palermo, Corso Tukory n.129, Palermo 90134, Italy.
| | - Giuseppe Di Giovanni
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Department of Physiology and Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of Malta, Msida, Malta; Neuroscience Division, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Stefania Aiello
- Laboratory of Behavioural Physiology, Department of Biomedicine, Neuroscience and Advanced Diagnostics (Bi.N.D.), Human Physiology Section "Giuseppe Pagano", University of Palermo, Corso Tukory n.129, Palermo 90134, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Crescimanno
- Laboratory of Behavioural Physiology, Department of Biomedicine, Neuroscience and Advanced Diagnostics (Bi.N.D.), Human Physiology Section "Giuseppe Pagano", University of Palermo, Corso Tukory n.129, Palermo 90134, Italy
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3
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Shelafoe C, Thompson FJ, Mwanguhya F, Kyabulima S, Businge R, Mwesige K, Sanderson JL, Cant MA, Marshall HH, Vitikainen EIK. Caregiver's cognitive traits are associated with pup fitness in a cooperatively breeding mammal. Sci Rep 2023; 13:17713. [PMID: 37853079 PMCID: PMC10584902 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-44950-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Studies across diverse taxa have revealed the importance of early life environment and parenting on characteristics later in life. While some have shown how early life experiences can impact cognitive abilities, very few have turned this around and looked at how the cognitive skills of parents or other carers during early life affect the fitness of young. In this study, we investigate how the characteristics of carers may affect proxies of fitness of pups in the cooperatively breeding banded mongoose (Mungos mungo). We gave adult mongooses a spatial memory test and compared the results to the success of the pups those individuals cared for. Our results show a tradeoff between speed and accuracy in the spatial memory task, with those individuals which were faster to move between cups in the test arena making more erroneous re-visits to cups that they had already checked for food. Furthermore, the accuracy of their carer predicted future survival, but not weight gain of the pups and the effect was contrary to expected, with pups that were cared for by less accurate individuals being more likely to survive to adulthood. Our research also provides evidence that while younger carers were less accurate during the test, the age of the carer did not have an impact on the chance of raising young that live to sexual maturity. Our findings suggest that banded mongoose carers' cognitive traits have fitness consequences for the young they care for, affecting the chance that these young live to maturity.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Shelafoe
- Centre for Research in Ecology, Evolution, and Behaviour, University of Roehampton, London, SW15 5PJ, UK.
| | - F J Thompson
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9FE, UK
| | - F Mwanguhya
- Banded Mongoose Research Project, Queen Elizabeth National Park, PO box 66, Lake Katwe, Kasese District, Uganda
| | - S Kyabulima
- Banded Mongoose Research Project, Queen Elizabeth National Park, PO box 66, Lake Katwe, Kasese District, Uganda
| | - R Businge
- Banded Mongoose Research Project, Queen Elizabeth National Park, PO box 66, Lake Katwe, Kasese District, Uganda
| | - K Mwesige
- Banded Mongoose Research Project, Queen Elizabeth National Park, PO box 66, Lake Katwe, Kasese District, Uganda
| | - J L Sanderson
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9FE, UK
| | - M A Cant
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9FE, UK
| | - H H Marshall
- Centre for Research in Ecology, Evolution, and Behaviour, University of Roehampton, London, SW15 5PJ, UK
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9FE, UK
- Centre for Conservation Science, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Cambridge, UK
| | - E I K Vitikainen
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9FE, UK.
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology, University of Helsinki, PO Box 65, 00014, Helsinki, Finland.
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4
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Dumontier L, Janczak AM, Smulders TV, Nordgreen J. Effects of the rearing environment complexity on laying hens’ spatial cognition: A holeboard test approach. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2023.105878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/07/2023]
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5
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Lecorps B, Woodroffe RE, von Keyserlingk MA, Weary DM. Hunger affects cognitive performance of dairy calves. Biol Lett 2023; 19:20220475. [PMID: 36651027 PMCID: PMC9845969 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2022.0475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Hunger remains a significant animal welfare concern as restricted feeding practices are common on farms. Studies to date have focused on negative effects on health and productivity but little research has addressed the feeling of hunger, mostly due to methodological difficulties in assessing animals' subjective experiences. Here, we explored the use of a cognitive approach to disentangle motivational hunger (a normal state that is of limited welfare concern) from distressful hunger (a state associated with intense negative emotions). Cognitive performance in a foraging task is expected to follow an inverted U relationship with hunger levels, providing an opportunity to make inferences about different hunger states. We assessed the effect of milk restriction on calf cognition in two experiments using a modified hole-board test. Experiment 1 showed that reducing milk allowance from 12 to 6 l d-1 impaired all measures of cognitive performance. Experiment 2 showed that the same type of feed restriction also disrupted calves' capacity to re-learn. We conclude that hunger associated with reduced milk allowance can disrupt cognitive performance of dairy calves, a result consistent with the experience of distressful hunger.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Lecorps
- Bristol Veterinary School, University of Bristol, Langford House, Langford, Bristol BS40 5DU, UK
- Animal Welfare Program, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, 2357 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z6, Canada
| | - Raphaela E. Woodroffe
- Animal Welfare Program, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, 2357 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z6, Canada
| | - Marina A.G. von Keyserlingk
- Animal Welfare Program, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, 2357 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z6, Canada
| | - Daniel M. Weary
- Animal Welfare Program, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, 2357 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z6, Canada
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6
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Jones CT, Pullin AN, Blatchford RA, Makagon MM, Horback K. Effects of rearing with vertical structures on the ontogeny of depth perception in laying hens. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2023.105837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
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7
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Shenoy A, Banerjee M, Upadhya A, Bagwe-Parab S, Kaur G. The Brilliance of the Zebrafish Model: Perception on Behavior and Alzheimer's Disease. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:861155. [PMID: 35769627 PMCID: PMC9234549 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.861155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) has become increasingly prevalent in the elderly population across the world. It's pathophysiological markers such as overproduction along with the accumulation of amyloid beta (Aβ) plaques and neurofibrillary tangles (NFT) are posing a serious challenge to novel drug development processes. A model which simulates the human neurodegenerative mechanism will be beneficial for rapid screening of potential drug candidates. Due to the comparable neurological network with humans, zebrafish has emerged as a promising AD model. This model has been thoroughly validated through research in aspects of neuronal pathways analogous to the human brain. The cholinergic, glutamatergic, and GABAergic pathways, which play a role in the manifested behavior of the zebrafish, are well defined. There are several behavioral models in both adult zebrafish and larvae to establish various aspects of cognitive impairment including spatial memory, associative memory, anxiety, and other such features that are manifested in AD. The zebrafish model eliminates the shortcomings of previously recognized mammalian models, in terms of expense, extensive assessment durations, and the complexity of imaging the brain to test the efficacy of therapeutic interventions. This review highlights the various models that analyze the changes in the normal behavioral patterns of the zebrafish when exposed to AD inducing agents. The mechanistic pathway adopted by drugs and novel therapeutic strategies can be explored via these behavioral models and their efficacy to slow the progression of AD can be evaluated.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Ginpreet Kaur
- Shobhaben Pratapbhai Patel School of Pharmacy & Technology Management, SVKM’s Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai, India
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8
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Dzhivelikian E, Latyshev A, Kuderov P, Panov AI. Hierarchical intrinsically motivated agent planning behavior with dreaming in grid environments. Brain Inform 2022; 9:8. [PMID: 35366128 PMCID: PMC8976870 DOI: 10.1186/s40708-022-00156-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Biologically plausible models of learning may provide a crucial insight for building autonomous intelligent agents capable of performing a wide range of tasks. In this work, we propose a hierarchical model of an agent operating in an unfamiliar environment driven by a reinforcement signal. We use temporal memory to learn sparse distributed representation of state–actions and the basal ganglia model to learn effective action policy on different levels of abstraction. The learned model of the environment is utilized to generate an intrinsic motivation signal, which drives the agent in the absence of the extrinsic signal, and through acting in imagination, which we call dreaming. We demonstrate that the proposed architecture enables an agent to effectively reach goals in grid environments.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Artem Latyshev
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudny, Russia
| | - Petr Kuderov
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudny, Russia. .,Federal Research Center "Computer Science and Control" of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia. .,Artificial Intelligence Research Institute (AIRI), Moscow, Russia.
| | - Aleksandr I Panov
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudny, Russia.,Federal Research Center "Computer Science and Control" of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia.,Artificial Intelligence Research Institute (AIRI), Moscow, Russia
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9
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Assessing cognitive performance in dairy calves using a modified hole-board test. Anim Cogn 2022; 25:1365-1370. [DOI: 10.1007/s10071-022-01617-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2021] [Revised: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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10
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Shen L, Zhang GW, Tao C, Seo MB, Zhang NK, Huang JJ, Zhang LI, Tao HW. A bottom-up reward pathway mediated by somatostatin neurons in the medial septum complex underlying appetitive learning. Nat Commun 2022; 13:1194. [PMID: 35256596 PMCID: PMC8901785 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28854-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2021] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Valence detection and processing are essential for the survival of animals and their life quality in complex environments. Neural circuits underlying the transformation of external sensory signals into positive valence coding to generate appropriate behavioral responses remain not well-studied. Here, we report that somatostatin (SOM) subtype of GABAergic neurons in the mouse medial septum complex (MS), but not parvalbumin subtype or glutamatergic neurons, specifically encode reward signals and positive valence. Through an ascending pathway from the nucleus of solitary tract and then parabrachial nucleus, the MS SOM neurons receive rewarding taste signals and suppress the lateral habenula. They contribute essentially to appetitive associative learning via their projections to the lateral habenula: learning enhances their responses to reward-predictive sensory cues, and suppressing their responses to either conditioned or unconditioned stimulus impairs acquisition of reward learning. Thus, MS serves as a critical hub for transforming bottom-up sensory signals to mediate appetitive behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Shen
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, 1501 San Pablo Street, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA
| | - Guang-Wei Zhang
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, 1501 San Pablo Street, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA
| | - Can Tao
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, 1501 San Pablo Street, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA
| | - Michelle B Seo
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, 1501 San Pablo Street, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA.,Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | - Nicole K Zhang
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, 1501 San Pablo Street, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA
| | - Junxiang J Huang
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, 1501 San Pablo Street, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA.,Graduate Programs in Biomedical and Biological Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA
| | - Li I Zhang
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, 1501 San Pablo Street, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA. .,Department of Physiology & Neuroscience, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, 1501 San Pablo Street, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA.
| | - Huizhong W Tao
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, 1501 San Pablo Street, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA. .,Department of Physiology & Neuroscience, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, 1501 San Pablo Street, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA.
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11
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Clouard C, Reimert I, Fleming SA, Koopmans SJ, Schuurman T, Hauser J. Dietary sialylated oligosaccharides in early-life may promote cognitive flexibility during development in context of obesogenic dietary intake. Nutr Neurosci 2021; 25:2461-2478. [PMID: 34565309 DOI: 10.1080/1028415x.2021.1975877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Introduction: Oligosaccharides found in mammalian milk have shown the potential to alter brain development across multiple species. The diversity and concentration of these oligosaccharides is species-specific and varies greatly between individuals, thus understanding their role in cognitive development is warranted. We investigated the impact of early life dietary fucosylated/neutral or sialylated human milk oligosaccharides (HMO) on behaviours in tasks assessing anxiety, motivation, appetite, learning, and memory.Methods: Sixty-four female Göttingen minipigs were artificially reared from 2 weeks postnatal and provided milk replacers. The study used four groups: no additional oligosaccharides (Con), fucosylated and neutral oligosaccharides (FN, 4 g/L), sialylated oligosaccharides (SL, 0.68 g/L), or both FN and SL (FN + SL, 4 g/L) from 2 to 11 weeks postnatal. One reference group was sow-reared. Weaning occurred between 10 and 11 weeks postnatal, and thereafter an obesogenic diet was provided. Behavioral tasks were conducted over three periods: 1) 0-11 weeks; 2) 16-29 weeks; 3) 39-45 weeks. Tasks included a spatial holeboard task, open field task, exposure to a novel object, runway task, single-feed task, and home pen behaviour observation.Results: In the holeboard, the SL group demonstrated improved reference memory during reversal trials between 16-29 weeks. All groups demonstrated equivalent behavior in open field, novel object, runway, and single-feed tasks, as well as in their home pens (Ps > 0.05).Discussion: These results suggest that early life dietary intake of sialylated oligosaccharides may provide an improvement to cognition during the equivalent developmental stage of adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Clouard
- Department of Animal Sciences, Adaptation Physiology Group, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, Netherlands.,PEGASE, INRAE, Institut Agro, Saint-Gilles, France
| | - Inonge Reimert
- Department of Animal Sciences, Adaptation Physiology Group, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | | | - Sietse-Jan Koopmans
- Wageningen Livestock Research, Wageningen University & Research, Netherlands
| | - Teun Schuurman
- Department of Animal Sciences, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Jonas Hauser
- Brain Health, Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences, Nestlé Research, Société des Produits Nestlé S.A., 1005 Lausanne, Switzerland
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12
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Pisula W, Modlinska K, Goncikowska K, Chrzanowska A. Can the Hole-Board Test Predict a Rat's Exploratory Behavior in a Free-Exploration Test? Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11041068. [PMID: 33918826 PMCID: PMC8070412 DOI: 10.3390/ani11041068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2021] [Revised: 04/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
This study focuses on the rat activity in a hole-board setting that we considered a type of exploratory behavior. The general hypothesis is based on the claim that a motivational mechanism is central to both the response to novelty in a highly familiarized environment and the activity in the hole-board apparatus. Our sample consisted of 80 experimentally naive Lister Hooded rats. All rats were tested in the hole-board apparatus. Twenty individuals with the highest hole-board scores and twenty subjects with the lowest hole-board scores subsequently underwent an established free-exploration test. In our study, the scores obtained in the hole-board test had little predictive value for the rats' activity in the free-exploration test. Based on our previous experience in studying exploratory behavior in the free-exploration test and the data presented in this paper, we suggest that the hole-board test is not an appropriate tool for measuring exploratory behavior in laboratory rodents.
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13
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Smith M, Murrell JC, Mendl M. Two assays of working memory in companion dogs: The holeboard and disappearing object tasks. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2020.105179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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14
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Intranasal insulin ameliorates cognitive impairment in a rat model of Parkinson's disease through Akt/GSK3β signaling pathway. Life Sci 2020; 259:118159. [PMID: 32763288 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2020.118159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2020] [Revised: 07/24/2020] [Accepted: 07/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
AIMS Parkinson's disease dementia (PDD) is one of the most common non-motor symptoms of advanced Parkinson's disease (PD). This study aimed to determine whether intranasal insulin has protective effects on cognition in the rat PD model induced by 6-hydroxylase dopamine (6-OHDA) through the insulin signaling pathway. MATERIALS AND METHODS The rats were given intranasal insulin administration for six weeks after unilateral medial forebrain bundle (MFB) injection of 6-OHDA. Then a series of cognitive-behavioral tests, immunofluorescence, and immunoblotting was performed on the rats. KEY FINDINGS The results demonstrated that the injection of 6-OHDA in the unilateral MFB damaged working memory and long-term habituation of rats in the T-maze rewarded alternation test and hole-board test. Besides, rats with unilateral 6-OHDA injury performed poorly in terms of escape latency and average speed during the hidden platform training phase rather than in the probe trial of the Morris Water Maze (MWM) test. Immunofluorescence results showed that unilateral 6-OHDA injury in MFB led to the massive death of ipsilateral-substantia nigra (SN) tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-positive neurons. Western blot results further indicated that 6-OHDA-induced necrosis of ipsilateral-SN dopaminergic neurons reduced the levels of p-Akt (Ser473) and p-GSK3β (Ser9) in the ipsilateral-hippocampus. SIGNIFICANCE These findings provide a solid evidence base for the relationship between PD cognitive impairment and insulin signaling pathways.
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15
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Kokras N, Dioli C, Paravatou R, Sotiropoulos MG, Delis F, Antoniou K, Calogeropoulou T, Charalampopoulos I, Gravanis A, Dalla C. Psychoactive properties of BNN27, a novel neurosteroid derivate, in male and female rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2020; 237:2435-2449. [PMID: 32506234 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-020-05545-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2020] [Accepted: 04/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Νeurosteroids, like dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), play an important role in neurodegeneration and neural protection, but they are metabolized in androgens, estrogens, or other active metabolites. A newly developed synthetic DHEA analog, BNN27 ((20R)-3β,21-dihydroxy-17R,20-epoxy-5-pregnene), exerts neurotrophic and neuroprotective actions without estrogenic or androgenic effects. OBJECTIVES This study aimed to investigate potential anxiolytic or antidepressant properties of BNN27. METHODS Male and female adult Wistar rats were treated with BNN27 (10, 30, or 90 mg/kg, i.p.) and subjected to behavioral tests measuring locomotion, exploration, and "depressive-like" behavior (open field, light/dark box, hole-board, and forced swim tests). The hippocampus and prefrontal cortex were collected for glutamate and GABA measurements, and trunk blood was collected for gonadal hormone analysis. RESULTS Acute high-dose BNN27 reduced locomotion and exploratory behavior in both sexes. Intermediate acute doses (30 mg/kg) of BNN27 reduced exploration and testosterone levels only in males, and enhanced progesterone levels in both sexes. Notably, with the present design, BNN27 had neither anxiolytic nor antidepressant effects and did not affect estrogen levels. Interestingly, acute administration of a low BNN27 dose (10 mg/kg) increased glutamate turnover, GABA, and glutamine levels in the hippocampus. The same dose also enhanced glutamate levels in the prefrontal cortex of males only. Sex differences were apparent in the basal levels of behavioral, hormonal, and neurochemical parameters, as expected. CONCLUSIONS BNN27 affects locomotion, progesterone, and testosterone levels, as well as the glutamatergic and GABAergic systems of the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex in a sex-dependent way.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikolaos Kokras
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 75 Mikras Asias Street, 11527, Athens, Greece.,First Department of Psychiatry, Eginition Hospital, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Chrysoula Dioli
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 75 Mikras Asias Street, 11527, Athens, Greece
| | - Rafaella Paravatou
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 75 Mikras Asias Street, 11527, Athens, Greece
| | - Marinos G Sotiropoulos
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 75 Mikras Asias Street, 11527, Athens, Greece.,Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Hale ΒΤΜ 9002AA, 60 Fenwood Road, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Foteini Delis
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Ioannina, 45110, Ioannina, Greece
| | - Katerina Antoniou
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Ioannina, 45110, Ioannina, Greece
| | - Theodora Calogeropoulou
- Institute of Chemical Biology, National Hellenic Research Foundation, 48 Vassileos Constantinou Ave, 11635, Athens, Greece
| | - Ioannis Charalampopoulos
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Crete, 71110, Heraklion, Greece.,Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation of Research and Technology Hellas (FORTH), Heraklion, Greece
| | - Achille Gravanis
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Crete, 71110, Heraklion, Greece.,Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation of Research and Technology Hellas (FORTH), Heraklion, Greece
| | - Christina Dalla
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 75 Mikras Asias Street, 11527, Athens, Greece.
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16
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Pandey S, Barson JR. Heightened Exploratory Behavior Following Chronic Excessive Ethanol Drinking: Mediation by Neurotensin Receptor Type 2 in the Anterior Paraventricular Thalamus. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2020; 44:1747-1759. [PMID: 32623746 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2020] [Accepted: 06/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chronic, excessive alcohol drinkers, even without dependence, can exhibit changes in behavior and neurochemical systems. Identifying these changes and their relationship with one another could provide novel avenues for the prevention and treatment of alcohol use disorder. We recently demonstrated, in rats, that neurotensin (NTS) in the paraventricular thalamus (PVT) regulates excessive ethanol (EtOH) drinking. Here, we investigate the effects of chronic EtOH drinking on the PVT-NTS system and its contribution to EtOH-induced behavioral changes. METHODS We gave adult male Long-Evans rats 20% EtOH under the intermittent access 2-bottle-choice paradigm or maintained them on chow and water for up to 11 weeks. Prior to EtOH exposure and following several weeks of access, during acute abstinence, we tested these groups for multiple behaviors. In the 12th week, during acute abstinence, we examined gene expression and peptide levels of NTS and its receptors in the anterior and posterior subregions of the PVT. Finally, in chronic EtOH drinkers, during acute abstinence, we microinjected the NTS receptor type 2 (NTS2R) agonist, JMV-431, in the anterior PVT (aPVT) and examined subsequent EtOH intake and behavior. RESULTS Following chronic intermittent EtOH access, rats were classified by cluster analysis as high or low EtOH drinkers. High EtOH drinkers spent more time in the light chamber of a light-dark box and open arms of an elevated plus maze and entered fewer familiar holes in a hole-board apparatus. These differences were absent prior to EtOH exposure but were detectable as early as 4 weeks into drinking. Time in the light chamber following chronic drinking also predicted level of subsequent drinking. High EtOH drinkers also showed elevated protein levels of NTS2R in the aPVT, and pharmacological stimulation of aPVT NTS2R in low drinkers mimicked the increased time spent in the light chamber that was observed in high drinkers. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that chronic, excessive, but not lower level, EtOH drinking induces heightened or flexible exploratory behavior, which predicts future EtOH drinking and is partly mediated by elevated NTS2R signaling in the aPVT. These EtOH-induced alterations represent adaptations that could perpetuate excessive drinking and lead to the development of EtOH dependence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Surya Pandey
- From the, Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Jessica R Barson
- From the, Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
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17
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Meléndez DM, Nordquist RE, Vanderschuren LJMJ, van der Staay FJ. Spatial memory deficits after vincristine-induced lesions to the dorsal hippocampus. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0231941. [PMID: 32315349 PMCID: PMC7173870 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0231941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2019] [Accepted: 04/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Vincristine is a commonly used cytostatic drug for the treatment of leukemia, neuroblastoma and lung cancer, which is known to have neurotoxic properties. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of vincristine, injected directly into the dorsal hippocampus, in spatial memory using the spatial cone field discrimination task. Long Evans rats were trained in the cone field, and after reaching training criterion received bilateral vincristine infusions into the dorsal hippocampus. Vincristine-treated animals presented unilateral or bilateral hippocampal lesions. Animals with bilateral lesions showed lower spatial working and reference memory performance than control animals, but task motivation was unaffected by the lesions. Working and reference memory of animals with unilateral lesions did not differ from animals with bilateral lesions and control animals. In sum, intrahippocampal injection of vincristine caused profound tissue damage in the dorsal hippocampus, associated with substantial cognitive deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela M. Meléndez
- Division of Farm Animal Health, Department of Population Health Sciences, Behaviour and Welfare Group, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Rebecca E. Nordquist
- Division of Farm Animal Health, Department of Population Health Sciences, Behaviour and Welfare Group, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Animals in Science and Society, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- * E-mail:
| | - Louk J. M. J. Vanderschuren
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Animals in Science and Society, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Franz-Josef van der Staay
- Division of Farm Animal Health, Department of Population Health Sciences, Behaviour and Welfare Group, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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18
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Liu Y, Liu J, Jiao SR, Liu X, Guo Y, Zhang J, Yang J, Xie W, Wang HS, Zhang L. Serotonin1A receptors in the dorsal hippocampus regulate working memory and long-term habituation in the hemiparkinsonian rats. Behav Brain Res 2019; 376:112207. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2019.112207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2019] [Revised: 08/30/2019] [Accepted: 08/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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19
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Pittet F, Van Caenegem N, Hicks-Nelson AR, Santos HP, Bradburn S, Murgatroyd C, Nephew BC. Maternal social environment affects offspring cognition through behavioural and immune pathways in rats. J Neuroendocrinol 2019; 31:e12711. [PMID: 30887654 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2018] [Revised: 02/14/2019] [Accepted: 03/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The social environment of lactation is a key etiological factor for the occurrence of postpartum disorders affecting women and their children. Postpartum depression and anxiety disorders are highly prevalent in new mothers and negatively affect offspring's cognitive development through mechanisms which are still unclear. Here, using a rat model, we manipulated the maternal social environment during lactation and explored the pathways through which social isolation (vs. the opportunity for limited social interaction with another lactating female, from 1 day before parturition to postpartum day 16) and chronic social conflict (daily exposure to a male intruder from postpartum day 2 to day 16) affect offspring learning and memory, measured at 40 to 60 days of age. We specifically explored the consequences of these social treatments on two main hypothesized mediators likely to affect offspring neurophysiological development: the quality of maternal care and maternal inflammation factors (brain-derived neurotrophic factor, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, intercellular adhesion molecule 1, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases 1 and vascular endothelial growth factor) likely to influence offspring development through lactation. Maternal rats which had the opportunity to interact with another lactating female spent more time with their pups which, in turn, displayed improved working and reference memory. Social stress affected maternal plasma levels of cytokines that were associated with cognitive deficits in their offspring. However, females subjected to social stress were protected from these stress-induced immune changes and associated offspring cognitive impairment by increased social affiliation. These results underscore the effects of social interaction for new mothers and their offspring and can be used to inform the development of clinical preventative measures and interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florent Pittet
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, North Grafton, Massachusetts
- Neuroscience and Behavior Unit, California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, California
- School for Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona
| | - Nicolas Van Caenegem
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, North Grafton, Massachusetts
| | - Alexandria R Hicks-Nelson
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, North Grafton, Massachusetts
- Department of comparative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California
| | - Hudson P Santos
- School of Nursing, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
- Institute for Environmental Health Solutions, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Steven Bradburn
- Bioscience Research Centre, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK
| | | | - Benjamin C Nephew
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, North Grafton, Massachusetts
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, Massachusetts
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts
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20
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Hewlett SE, Nordquist RE. Effects of Maternal Care During Rearing in White Leghorn and Brown Nick Layer Hens on Cognition, Sociality and Fear. Animals (Basel) 2019; 9:ani9070454. [PMID: 31323729 PMCID: PMC6680883 DOI: 10.3390/ani9070454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2019] [Accepted: 07/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Both genetic background and maternal care can have a strong influence on cognitive and emotional development. To investigate these effects and their possible interaction, White Leghorn (LH) and Brown Nick (BN) chicks, two hybrid lines of layer hen commonly used commercially, were housed either with or without a mother hen in their first five weeks of life. From three weeks of age, the chicks were tested in a series of experiments to deduce the effects of breed and maternal care on their fear response, foraging and social motivation, and cognitive abilities. The LH were found to explore more and showed more attempts to reinstate social contact than BN. The BN were less active in all tests and less motivated than LH by social contact or by foraging opportunity. No hybrid differences were found in cognitive performance in the holeboard task. In general, the presence of a mother hen had unexpectedly little effect on behavior in both LH and BN chicks. It is hypothesized that hens from commercially used genetic backgrounds may have been inadvertently selected to be less responsive to maternal care than ancestral or non-commercial breeds. The consistent and strong behavioral differences between genetic strains highlights the importance of breed-specific welfare management processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susie E Hewlett
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Rebecca E Nordquist
- Behavior and Welfare in Farm Animals Research Group, Department of Farm Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, 3584CL Utrecht, The Netherlands.
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21
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Daba Feyissa D, Sialana FJ, Keimpema E, Kalaba P, Paunkov A, Engidawork E, Höger H, Lubec G, Korz V. Dopamine type 1- and 2-like signaling in the modulation of spatial reference learning and memory. Behav Brain Res 2019; 362:173-180. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2019.01.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2018] [Revised: 01/01/2019] [Accepted: 01/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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22
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Sampedro-Piquero P, Mañas-Padilla MC, Ávila-Gámiz F, Gil-Rodríguez S, Santín LJ, Castilla-Ortega E. Where to place the rewards? Exploration bias in mice influences performance in the classic hole-board spatial memory test. Anim Cogn 2019; 22:433-443. [PMID: 30852738 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-019-01256-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2018] [Revised: 02/28/2019] [Accepted: 03/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The classic hole-board paradigm (a square arena with 16 holes arranged equidistantly in a 4 × 4 pattern) assesses both exploration and spatial memory in rodents. For spatial memory training, food rewards are hidden in a fixed set of holes. The animal must not visit (i.e. nose-poke) the holes that are never baited (reference memory; RM) nor re-visit a baited hole within a session (working memory; WM). However, previous exploratory bias may affect performance during reward searching. During habituation sessions with either all holes rewarded or all holes empty, mice intrinsically preferred poking peripheral holes (especially those located in the maze's corners) over centre holes. During spatial memory training, mice progressively shifted their hole pokes and staying time to the central area that contained hidden rewards, while mice exposed to the empty apparatus still preferred the periphery. A group of pseudotrained mice, for whom rewards were located randomly throughout the maze, also increased their central preference. Furthermore, reward location influenced memory measures. Most repeated pokes (WM-errors) were scored in the locations that were most intrinsically appealing to mice (i.e. the corner and wall-baited holes), supporting a strong influence of previous exploratory bias. Regarding RM, finding rewards located in the centre holes, which were initially less preferred, entailed more difficulty and required more trials to learn. This outcome was confirmed by a second experiment that varied the pattern of rewarded holes, as well as the starting positions. Therefore, reward location is a relevant aspect to consider when designing a hole-board memory task.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia Sampedro-Piquero
- Insituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga-IBIMA, Malaga, Spain.
- Departamento de Psicobiología y Metodología de las CC, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad de Málaga, Campus de Teatinos S/N, 29071, Malaga, Spain.
| | - M Carmen Mañas-Padilla
- Insituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga-IBIMA, Malaga, Spain
- Departamento de Psicobiología y Metodología de las CC, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad de Málaga, Campus de Teatinos S/N, 29071, Malaga, Spain
| | - Fabiola Ávila-Gámiz
- Insituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga-IBIMA, Malaga, Spain
- Departamento de Psicobiología y Metodología de las CC, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad de Málaga, Campus de Teatinos S/N, 29071, Malaga, Spain
| | - Sara Gil-Rodríguez
- Insituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga-IBIMA, Malaga, Spain
- Departamento de Psicobiología y Metodología de las CC, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad de Málaga, Campus de Teatinos S/N, 29071, Malaga, Spain
| | - Luis J Santín
- Insituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga-IBIMA, Malaga, Spain.
- Departamento de Psicobiología y Metodología de las CC, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad de Málaga, Campus de Teatinos S/N, 29071, Malaga, Spain.
| | - Estela Castilla-Ortega
- Insituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga-IBIMA, Malaga, Spain.
- Unidad de Gestión Clínica de Salud Mental, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga (IBIMA), Hospital Regional Universitario de Málaga, Avenida Carlos Haya 82, 29010, Malaga, Spain.
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23
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Maximino C, van der Staay FJ. Behavioral models in psychopathology: epistemic and semantic considerations. Behav Brain Funct 2019; 15:1. [PMID: 30823933 PMCID: PMC6397463 DOI: 10.1186/s12993-019-0152-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2018] [Accepted: 02/14/2019] [Indexed: 03/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The use of animals in neurosciences has a long history. It is considered indispensable in areas in which “translational” research is deemed invaluable, such as behavioral pharmacology and comparative psychology. Animal models are being used in pharmacology and genetics to screen for treatment targets, and in the field of experimental psychopathology to understand the neurobehavioral underpinnings of a disorder and of its putative treatment. The centrality of behavioral models betrays the complexity of the epistemic and semantic considerations which are needed to understand what a model is. In this review, such considerations are made, and the breadth of model building and evaluation approaches is extended to include theoretical considerations on the etiology of mental disorders. This expansion is expected to help improve the validity of behavioral models and to increase their translational value. Moreover, the role of theory in improving construct validity creates the need for behavioral scientists to fully engage this process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caio Maximino
- Laboratório de Neurociências e Comportamento, Grupo de Pesquisas em Neurofarmacologia e Psicopatologia Experimental, Instituto de Estudos em Saúde e Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Sul e Sudeste do Pará, Unidade III - Av. dos Ipês, S/N, Marabá, Brazil
| | - Franz Josef van der Staay
- Behavior and Welfare Group, Department of Farm Animal Health, Veterinary Faculty, University Utrecht, P.O.Box 80.151, 3508 TD, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
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24
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Roelofs S, van Bommel I, Melis S, van der Staay FJ, Nordquist RE. Low Birth Weight Impairs Acquisition of Spatial Memory Task in Pigs. Front Vet Sci 2018; 5:142. [PMID: 29998130 PMCID: PMC6028702 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2018.00142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2018] [Accepted: 06/08/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In commercial pig farming, an increasing number of low birth weight (LBW) piglets are born, due to selection for large litter sizes. While LBW piglets have a higher risk of pre-weaning mortality, a considerable number of these piglets survive to slaughter age. In humans, LBW is a risk factor for long-term cognitive impairments. In pigs, studies examining the post-weaning effects of LBW on cognition have reported contradictory results. Therefore, the current study aimed to assess the effects of LBW on cognitive development in pigs using an improved study design, by (1) testing a larger sample size than previous studies, (2) assessing acute and chronic stress responses to account for a potential altered stress response in LBW pigs, and (3) testing both female and male pigs to account for potential confounding effects of sex. Learning and memory of 20 LBW pigs and 20 normal birth weight (NBW) pigs, both groups consisting of 10 females and 10 males, were compared using a spatial holeboard task. In this task, pigs had to learn and remember the locations of hidden food rewards. After a pig had successfully acquired the task, it was presented with two successive reversal phases during which it was presented with a new configuration of reward locations. The holeboard allows for simultaneous assessment of working and reference memory, as well as measures of motivation, exploration, and behavioral flexibility. Mixed model ANOVAs revealed a transiently impaired reference memory performance of LBW pigs, implying they had more difficulty learning their reward configuration in the holeboard. Also, LBW piglets showed increased pre-weaning hair cortisol concentrations compared to their NBW siblings. No other effects of LBW were found. Sex had no direct or interaction effects on any measures of holeboard performance or stress. It is possible that the enriched housing conditions applied during our study had an ameliorating effect on our pigs' cognitive development. Overall, our results suggest LBW has a negative effect on post-weaning cognitive performance in pigs. This could have welfare consequences as cognitive skills are required for pigs to learn how to correctly respond to their environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanne Roelofs
- Behavior and Welfare Group, Department of Farm Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands.,Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Ilse van Bommel
- Behavior and Welfare Group, Department of Farm Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands.,Graduate School of Life Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Stephanie Melis
- Behavior and Welfare Group, Department of Farm Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands.,Study Programme Applied Biology, HAS University of Applied Sciences, Den Bosch, Netherlands
| | - Franz J van der Staay
- Behavior and Welfare Group, Department of Farm Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands.,Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Rebecca E Nordquist
- Behavior and Welfare Group, Department of Farm Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands.,Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
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25
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A milk formula containing maltodextrin, vs. lactose, as main carbohydrate source, improves cognitive performance of piglets in a spatial task. Sci Rep 2018; 8:9433. [PMID: 29930401 PMCID: PMC6013478 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-27796-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2018] [Accepted: 05/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years, lactose-free and low-lactose infant formulas have been increasingly used. The impact of using different carbohydrates than lactose on later cognition of formula-fed infants remains, however, unknown. We examined the effects of providing formulas containing either digestible maltodextrin or lactose as main carbohydrate source (28% of total nutrient composition) on cognitive performance of piglets. Piglets received the formulas from 1 to 9 weeks of age and, starting at 12 weeks, were individually tested in a spatial holeboard task (n = 8 pens/formula), in which they had to learn and memorize a configuration of baited buckets. After 28 acquisition trials, piglets were subjected to 16 reversal trials in which the location of the baited buckets was changed. Piglets fed the maltodextrin-based formula had higher reference memory (RM) scores than piglets fed the lactose-based formula towards the end of acquisition. During the switch of configuration, piglets offered the maltodextrin-based formula tended to have higher RM scores and make fewer RM errors than piglets offered the lactose-based formula. Working (short-term) memory was not affected by the formulas. Compared to lactose, the use of maltodextrin in milk formulas improved long-term spatial memory of piglets, even weeks after the end of the intervention.
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26
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Training memory without aversion: Appetitive hole-board spatial learning increases adult hippocampal neurogenesis. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2018; 151:35-42. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2018.03.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2017] [Revised: 03/10/2018] [Accepted: 03/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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27
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van Nieuwamerongen SE, Mendl M, Held S, Soede NM, Bolhuis JE. Post-weaning social and cognitive performance of piglets raised pre-weaning either in a complex multi-suckling group housing system or in a conventional system with a crated sow. Anim Cogn 2017; 20:907-921. [PMID: 28681226 PMCID: PMC5559564 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-017-1110-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2017] [Revised: 06/23/2017] [Accepted: 06/26/2017] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
We studied the social and cognitive performance of piglets raised pre-weaning either in a conventional system with a sow in a farrowing crate (FC) or in a multi-suckling (MS) system in which 5 sows and their piglets could interact in a more physically enriched and spacious environment. After weaning at 4 weeks of age, 8 groups of 4 litter-mates per pre-weaning housing treatment were studied under equal and enriched post-weaning housing conditions. From each pen, one pair consisting of a dominant and a submissive pig was selected, based on a feed competition test (FCT) 2 weeks post-weaning. This pair was used in an informed forager test (IFT) which measured aspects of spatial learning and foraging strategies in a competitive context. During individual training, submissive (informed) pigs learned to remember a bait location in a testing arena with 8 buckets (the same bucket was baited in a search visit and a subsequent relocation visit), whereas dominant (non-informed) pigs always found the bait in a random bucket (search visits only). After learning their task, the informed pigs' individual search visit was followed by a pairwise relocation visit in which they were accompanied by the non-informed pig. Effects of pre-weaning housing treatment were not distinctly present regarding the occurrence of aggression in the FCT and the learning performance during individual training in the IFT. During paired visits, informed and non-informed pigs changed their behaviour in response to being tested pairwise instead of individually, but MS and FC pigs showed few distinct behavioural differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- S E van Nieuwamerongen
- Adaptation Physiology Group, Department of Animal Sciences, Wageningen University and Research, PO Box 338, 6700 AH, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - M Mendl
- Animal Welfare and Behaviour Group, School of Veterinary Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - S Held
- Animal Welfare and Behaviour Group, School of Veterinary Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - N M Soede
- Adaptation Physiology Group, Department of Animal Sciences, Wageningen University and Research, PO Box 338, 6700 AH, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - J E Bolhuis
- Adaptation Physiology Group, Department of Animal Sciences, Wageningen University and Research, PO Box 338, 6700 AH, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
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28
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Roelofs S, Murphy E, Ni H, Gieling E, Nordquist RE, van der Staay FJ. Judgement bias in pigs is independent of performance in a spatial holeboard task and conditional discrimination learning. Anim Cogn 2017; 20:739-753. [PMID: 28508125 PMCID: PMC5486501 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-017-1095-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2016] [Revised: 04/22/2017] [Accepted: 04/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Biases in judgement of ambiguous stimuli, as measured in a judgement bias task, have been proposed as a measure of the valence of affective states in animals. We recently suggested a list of criteria for behavioural tests of emotion, one of them stating that responses on the task used to assess emotionality should not be confounded by, among others, differences in learning capacity, i.e. must not simply reflect the cognitive capacity of an animal. We performed three independent studies in which pigs acquired a spatial holeboard task, a free choice maze which simultaneously assesses working memory and reference memory. Next, pigs learned a conditional discrimination between auditory stimuli predicting a large or small reward, a prerequisite for assessment of judgement bias. Once pigs had acquired the conditional discrimination task, optimistic responses to previously unheard ambiguous stimuli were measured in the judgement bias task as choices indicating expectation of the large reward. We found that optimism in the judgement bias task was independent of all three measures of learning and memory indicating that the performance is not dependent on the pig's cognitive abilities. These results support the use of biases in judgement as proxy indicators of emotional valence in animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanne Roelofs
- Behaviour and Welfare Group (Formerly: Emotion and Cognition Group), Department of Farm Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 7, 3584 CL, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
- Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Utrecht University, Stratenum Building, Room STR5.203, Universiteitsweg 100, 3584 CG, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| | - Eimear Murphy
- Behaviour and Welfare Group (Formerly: Emotion and Cognition Group), Department of Farm Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 7, 3584 CL, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Utrecht University, Stratenum Building, Room STR5.203, Universiteitsweg 100, 3584 CG, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Division of Animal Welfare, VPHI Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Länggassstrasse 120, 3012, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Haifang Ni
- Behaviour and Welfare Group (Formerly: Emotion and Cognition Group), Department of Farm Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 7, 3584 CL, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Department of Methodology and Statistics, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Utrecht University, Padualaan 14, 3584 CH, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Elise Gieling
- Behaviour and Welfare Group (Formerly: Emotion and Cognition Group), Department of Farm Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 7, 3584 CL, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Utrecht University, Stratenum Building, Room STR5.203, Universiteitsweg 100, 3584 CG, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Rebecca E Nordquist
- Behaviour and Welfare Group (Formerly: Emotion and Cognition Group), Department of Farm Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 7, 3584 CL, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Utrecht University, Stratenum Building, Room STR5.203, Universiteitsweg 100, 3584 CG, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - F Josef van der Staay
- Behaviour and Welfare Group (Formerly: Emotion and Cognition Group), Department of Farm Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 7, 3584 CL, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Utrecht University, Stratenum Building, Room STR5.203, Universiteitsweg 100, 3584 CG, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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Roelofs S, Nordquist RE, van der Staay FJ. Female and male pigs’ performance in a spatial holeboard and judgment bias task. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2017.01.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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Val-Laillet D, Besson M, Guérin S, Coquery N, Randuineau G, Kanzari A, Quesnel H, Bonhomme N, Bolhuis JE, Kemp B, Blat S, Le Huërou-Luron I, Clouard C. A maternal Western diet during gestation and lactation modifies offspring's microbiota activity, blood lipid levels, cognitive responses, and hippocampal neurogenesis in Yucatan pigs. FASEB J 2017; 31:2037-2049. [DOI: 10.1096/fj.201601015r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2016] [Accepted: 01/17/2017] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- David Val-Laillet
- Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)Unité de Recherche 1341Alimentation et Adaptations DigestivesNerveuses et Comportementales (ADNC)Saint‐GillesFrance
| | - Marie Besson
- Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)Unité de Recherche 1341Alimentation et Adaptations DigestivesNerveuses et Comportementales (ADNC)Saint‐GillesFrance
| | - Sylvie Guérin
- Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)Unité de Recherche 1341Alimentation et Adaptations DigestivesNerveuses et Comportementales (ADNC)Saint‐GillesFrance
| | - Nicolas Coquery
- Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)Unité de Recherche 1341Alimentation et Adaptations DigestivesNerveuses et Comportementales (ADNC)Saint‐GillesFrance
| | - Gwénaëlle Randuineau
- Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)Unité de Recherche 1341Alimentation et Adaptations DigestivesNerveuses et Comportementales (ADNC)Saint‐GillesFrance
| | - Ameni Kanzari
- Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)Unité de Recherche 1341Alimentation et Adaptations DigestivesNerveuses et Comportementales (ADNC)Saint‐GillesFrance
| | - Hélène Quesnel
- INRAUnité Mixte de Recherche (UMR) 1348Physiologie Environnement et Génétique pour l'Animal et les Systèmes d’Élevage (PEGASE)Saint‐GillesFrance
- Agrocampus OuestUMR 1348 PEGASERennesFrance
| | - Nathalie Bonhomme
- INRAUnité Mixte de Recherche (UMR) 1348Physiologie Environnement et Génétique pour l'Animal et les Systèmes d’Élevage (PEGASE)Saint‐GillesFrance
- Agrocampus OuestUMR 1348 PEGASERennesFrance
| | - J. Elizabeth Bolhuis
- Adaptation Physiology GroupDepartment of Animal SciencesWageningen University ResearchWageningenThe Netherlands
| | - Bas Kemp
- Adaptation Physiology GroupDepartment of Animal SciencesWageningen University ResearchWageningenThe Netherlands
| | - Sophie Blat
- Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)Unité de Recherche 1341Alimentation et Adaptations DigestivesNerveuses et Comportementales (ADNC)Saint‐GillesFrance
| | - Isabelle Le Huërou-Luron
- Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)Unité de Recherche 1341Alimentation et Adaptations DigestivesNerveuses et Comportementales (ADNC)Saint‐GillesFrance
| | - Caroline Clouard
- Adaptation Physiology GroupDepartment of Animal SciencesWageningen University ResearchWageningenThe Netherlands
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Horvath G, Liszli P, Kekesi G, Büki A, Benedek G. Characterization of exploratory activity and learning ability of healthy and “schizophrenia-like” rats in a square corridor system (AMBITUS). Physiol Behav 2017; 169:155-164. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2016.11.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2016] [Revised: 11/30/2016] [Accepted: 11/30/2016] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
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Mudd AT, Dilger RN. Early-Life Nutrition and Neurodevelopment: Use of the Piglet as a Translational Model. Adv Nutr 2017; 8:92-104. [PMID: 28096130 PMCID: PMC5227977 DOI: 10.3945/an.116.013243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Optimal nutrition early in life is critical to ensure proper structural and functional development of infant organ systems. Although pediatric nutrition historically has emphasized research on the relation between nutrition, growth rates, and gastrointestinal maturation, efforts increasingly have focused on how nutrition influences neurodevelopment. The provision of human milk is considered the gold standard in pediatric nutrition; thus, there is interest in understanding how functional nutrients and bioactive components in milk may modulate developmental processes. The piglet has emerged as an important translational model for studying neurodevelopmental outcomes influenced by pediatric nutrition. Given the comparable nutritional requirements and strikingly similar brain developmental patterns between young pigs and humans, the piglet is being used increasingly in developmental nutritional neuroscience studies. The piglet primarily has been used to assess the effects of dietary fatty acids and their accretion in the brain throughout neurodevelopment. However, recent research indicates that other dietary components, including choline, iron, cholesterol, gangliosides, and sialic acid, among other compounds, also affect neurodevelopment in the pig model. Moreover, novel analytical techniques, including but not limited to MRI, behavioral assessments, and molecular quantification, allow for a more holistic understanding of how nutrition affects neurodevelopmental patterns. By combining early-life nutritional interventions with innovative analytical approaches, opportunities abound to quantify factors affecting neurodevelopmental trajectories in the neonate. This review discusses research using the translational pig model with primary emphasis on early-life nutrition interventions assessing neurodevelopment outcomes, while also discussing nutritionally-sensitive methods to characterize brain maturation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Austin T Mudd
- Piglet Nutrition and Cognition Laboratory
- Neuroscience Program
| | - Ryan N Dilger
- Piglet Nutrition and Cognition Laboratory,
- Neuroscience Program
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, and
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL
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Antonides A, van Laarhoven S, van der Staay FJ, Nordquist RE. Non-anemic Iron Deficiency from Birth to Weaning Does Not Impair Growth or Memory in Piglets. Front Behav Neurosci 2016; 10:112. [PMID: 27378867 PMCID: PMC4905972 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2016.00112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2016] [Accepted: 05/23/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Early iron deficiency is associated with impaired (cognitive) development, the severity of which depends on the timing and duration of the under-supply of iron. To design effective treatment and prevention strategies for iron deficiency in humans, suited animal models are needed. In an earlier study (Antonides et al., 2015b) we separated 10 pairs of piglets from their mothers within a few days after birth and reared one sibling with artificial iron-deficient (ID) and the other with balanced control milk until weaning. ID piglets grew slower and showed poorer reference memory (RM) performance than their controls in a spatial holeboard task, even weeks after iron repletion. One putative intervening factor in that study was pre-weaning maternal deprivation. In an attempt to refine the piglet iron-deficiency model, we assessed whether piglets reared by sows, but withheld iron supplementation, can serve as animal model of iron deficiency. As sow milk is inherently ID, piglets normally receive a prophylactic iron injection. Ten pairs of piglets were housed with foster sows until weaning (4 weeks). One sibling per pair was randomly assigned to the control group (receiving iron dextran injections: 40 mg iron per kilogram body mass on days 3 and 10), the other to the ID group. From weaning, all pigs were fed a balanced commercial diet. Blood samples were taken in week 1, 3.5, 6, and 12. Pre-weaning blood iron values of ID piglets were lower than those of controls, but recovered to normal values after weaning. Hemoglobin of ID piglets did not reach anemic values. Hematocrit and hemoglobin of ID animals did not decrease, and serum iron even increased pre-weaning, suggesting that the piglets had access to an external source of iron, e.g., spilled feed or feces of the foster sows. Growth, and spatial memory assessed in the holeboard from 10 to 16 weeks of age, was unaffected in ID pigs. We conclude that sow-raised piglets are not a suitable model for iron-deficiency induced cognitive deficits in humans. Based on our previous and the present study, we conclude that growth and memory are only impaired in piglets that suffered from pre-weaning anemia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Antonides
- Behaviour and Welfare Group (Formerly Emotion and Cognition Group), Department of Farm Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht UniversityUtrecht, Netherlands; Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Utrecht UniversityUtrecht, Netherlands
| | - Serana van Laarhoven
- Adaptation Physiology Group, Institute of Animal Sciences, Wageningen University Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Franz J van der Staay
- Behaviour and Welfare Group (Formerly Emotion and Cognition Group), Department of Farm Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht UniversityUtrecht, Netherlands; Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Utrecht UniversityUtrecht, Netherlands
| | - Rebecca E Nordquist
- Behaviour and Welfare Group (Formerly Emotion and Cognition Group), Department of Farm Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht UniversityUtrecht, Netherlands; Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Utrecht UniversityUtrecht, Netherlands
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Olver TD, Klakotskaia D, Ferguson BS, Hiemstra JA, Schachtman TR, Laughlin MH, Emter CA. Carotid Artery Vascular Mechanics Serve as Biomarkers of Cognitive Dysfunction in Aortic-Banded Miniature Swine That Can Be Treated With an Exercise Intervention. J Am Heart Assoc 2016; 5:JAHA.116.003248. [PMID: 27207966 PMCID: PMC4889197 DOI: 10.1161/jaha.116.003248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Background Cognitive impairment in the setting of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction remains poorly understood. Using aortic‐banded miniature swine displaying pathological features of human heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, we tested the hypothesis that increased carotid artery stiffness and altered carotid blood flow control are associated with impaired memory independent of decreased cardiac output. Furthermore, we hypothesized that chronic exercise prevents carotid artery vascular restructuring and preserves normal blood flow control and cognition in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. Methods and Results Yucatan pigs aged 8 months were divided into 3 groups: control (n=7), aortic‐banded sedentary (n=7), and aortic‐banded exercise trained (n=7). At 6 months following aortic‐banded or control conditions, memory was evaluated using a spatial hole‐board task. Carotid artery vascular mechanics and blood flow were assessed at rest, and blood flow control was examined during transient vena cava occlusion. Independent of decreased cardiac output, the aortic‐banded group exhibited impaired memory that was associated with carotid artery vascular stiffening, elevated carotid artery vascular resistance, and exaggerated reductions in carotid artery blood flow during vena cava occlusion. Chronic exercise augmented memory scores, normalized blood flow control, and improved indices of carotid artery vascular stiffening. Indices of vascular stiffening were significantly correlated with average memory score. Conclusions Carotid artery stiffness and altered vasomotor control correlate with impaired cognition independent of cardiac systolic dysfunction. Carotid artery vascular mechanics may serve as a biomarker for vascular cognitive impairment in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. Chronic low‐intensity exercise reduces vascular stiffening and improves cognition, highlighting the utility of exercise therapy for treating vascular cognitive impairment in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Dylan Olver
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO
| | - Diana Klakotskaia
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO
| | - Brian S Ferguson
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO
| | | | - Todd R Schachtman
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO
| | - M Harold Laughlin
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO Department of Medical Pharmacology and Physiology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO Dalton Cardiovascular Research Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO
| | - Craig A Emter
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO
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Fijn L, Antonides A, Aalderink D, Nordquist RE, van der Staay FJ. Does litter size affect emotionality, spatial learning and memory in piglets? Appl Anim Behav Sci 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2016.02.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
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Clouard C, Kemp B, Val‐Laillet D, Gerrits WJJ, Bartels AC, Bolhuis JE. Prenatal, but not early postnatal, exposure to a Western diet improves spatial memory of pigs later in life and is paired with changes in maternal prepartum blood lipid levels. FASEB J 2016; 30:2466-75. [DOI: 10.1096/fj.201500208r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2016] [Accepted: 03/02/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Clouard
- Department of Animal SciencesAdaptation Physiology GroupWageningen UniversityWageningenThe Netherlands
| | - Bas Kemp
- Department of Animal SciencesAdaptation Physiology GroupWageningen UniversityWageningenThe Netherlands
| | - David Val‐Laillet
- Department of Animal SciencesAnimal Nutrition GroupWageningen UniversityWageningenThe Netherlands
| | - Walter J. J. Gerrits
- Unité de Recherche 1341, Alimentation et Adaptations Digestives, Nerveuses et ComportementalesInstitut National de la Recherche AgronomiqueSaint GillesFrance
| | - Andrea C. Bartels
- Department of Animal SciencesAdaptation Physiology GroupWageningen UniversityWageningenThe Netherlands
| | - J. Elizabeth Bolhuis
- Department of Animal SciencesAdaptation Physiology GroupWageningen UniversityWageningenThe Netherlands
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van der Staay FJ, Schoonderwoerd AJ, Stadhouders B, Nordquist RE. Overnight Social Isolation in Pigs Decreases Salivary Cortisol but Does Not Impair Spatial Learning and Memory or Performance in a Decision-Making Task. Front Vet Sci 2016; 2:81. [PMID: 26793715 PMCID: PMC4707236 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2015.00081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2015] [Accepted: 12/15/2015] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Pigs in modern farming practice may be exposed to a number of stressors, including social stressors such as mixing or isolation. This may potentially affect both cognitive abilities and stress physiology of the animals. We tested the hypothesis that overnight social isolation in pigs impairs performance in a cognitive holeboard (HB) task (Experiment 1) and the Pig Gambling Task (PGT) (Experiment 2), a decision-making task inspired by the Iowa Gambling Task. In addition, we tested the effect of overnight social isolation on salivary cortisol levels. A within-subjects approach was used in which performance in the two behavioral tasks and cortisol levels were first determined during normal social housing, followed by performance and cortisol levels after experiencing stress induced by overnight social isolation. A total of 19 female pigs with a birth weight closest to their respective litter average was selected from 10 different litters and placed in two pens after weaning. Following habituation, pigs were trained in the HB task, starting at 10 weeks of age. Then, the pigs were isolated overnight, five individuals per night, at 15, 16, and 17 weeks of age. Between these three isolations, social housing and training in the HB continued. Starting 6 weeks after the end of the HB experiment, at approximately 23 weeks of age, the pigs were trained in the PGT. The effects of overnight social isolation on performance in this task were assessed once, when the pigs were 25 weeks old. Salivary cortisol was measured from samples collected 15 min after the start of isolation and at the end of the isolation period and compared to baseline values collected before the start of social isolation. Our results did not confirm the hypothesis that isolation impaired HB performance and decision-making in the PGT. Unexpectedly, overnight social isolation decreased cortisol levels below baseline values, an effect that was not associated with changes in performance of the behavioral tasks. We hypothesized that the housing and testing conditions may have prepared the animals to cope efficiently with stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Josef van der Staay
- Emotion and Cognition Group, Department of Farm Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands; Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | | | - Bo Stadhouders
- Applied Biology, HAS University of Applied Sciences , Den Bosch , Netherlands
| | - Rebecca E Nordquist
- Emotion and Cognition Group, Department of Farm Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands; Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Utrecht, Netherlands
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Grimberg-Henrici CGE, Vermaak P, Bolhuis JE, Nordquist RE, van der Staay FJ. Effects of environmental enrichment on cognitive performance of pigs in a spatial holeboard discrimination task. Anim Cogn 2015; 19:271-83. [PMID: 26520648 PMCID: PMC4751158 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-015-0932-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2015] [Revised: 08/27/2015] [Accepted: 08/31/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
This study investigated the effects of environmental enrichment on the cognitive performance of female conventional farm (growing) pigs in a spatial holeboard task. Ten pairs of littermates matched for weight were used. From each litter, one piglet was randomly assigned to a barren environment; the other was assigned to an enriched environment from 4 weeks of age. The enriched environment was double the size of the barren environment, had a floor covered with straw, a rooting area filled with peat, and one of the four different enrichment toys which were exchanged daily. Starting at 11 weeks of age, all pigs were tested in a spatial holeboard discrimination task in which 4 out of 16 holes were baited. Furthermore, basal salivary cortisol levels of all pigs were determined after the end of all testing. All pigs were able to acquire the pattern of baited holes (acquisition phase, 40 trials) and the diagonally mirrored pattern (reversal phase, 20 trials). During the acquisition phase, the reference memory performance of the enriched-housed pigs was better than that of their barren-housed littermates, i.e. they reduced visits to the unbaited set of holes. During the reversal phase, enriched-housed pigs had a better general working memory performance than the barren-housed pigs as indicated by reduced revisits to holes already visited during a trial, irrespective of whether they were of the baited or the unbaited set. The enriched-housed pigs also searched for the hidden bait faster during both phases. The environments did not affect basal salivary cortisol levels. In conclusion, environmental enrichment slightly improved the cognitive performance of pigs in a spatial learning task. We hypothesise that the long period of habituation to and testing in the holeboard acted as enrichment that partially reduced the effects of barren housing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte G E Grimberg-Henrici
- Emotion and Cognition Group, Department of Farm Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands. .,Adaptation Physiology Group, Department of Animal Sciences, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands. .,Institute of Animal Breeding and Husbandry, Christian-Albrechts-University, Kiel, Germany.
| | - Paul Vermaak
- Applied Biology, HAS, University of Applied Sciences, Den Bosch, The Netherlands
| | - J Elizabeth Bolhuis
- Adaptation Physiology Group, Department of Animal Sciences, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Rebecca E Nordquist
- Emotion and Cognition Group, Department of Farm Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - F Josef van der Staay
- Emotion and Cognition Group, Department of Farm Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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Antonides A, Schoonderwoerd AC, Scholz G, Berg BM, Nordquist RE, van der Staay FJ. Pre-weaning dietary iron deficiency impairs spatial learning and memory in the cognitive holeboard task in piglets. Front Behav Neurosci 2015; 9:291. [PMID: 26578919 PMCID: PMC4626557 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2015.00291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2015] [Accepted: 10/13/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Iron deficiency is the most common nutritional deficiency in humans, affecting more than two billion people worldwide. Early-life iron deficiency can lead to irreversible deficits in learning and memory. The pig represents a promising model animal for studying such deficits, because of its similarities to humans during early development. We investigated the effects of pre-weaning dietary iron deficiency in piglets on growth, blood parameters, cognitive performance, and brain histology later in life. Four to six days after birth, 10 male sibling pairs of piglets were taken from 10 different sows. One piglet of each pair was given a 200 mg iron dextran injection and fed a control milk diet for 28 days (88 mg Fe/kg), whereas the other sibling was given a saline injection and fed an iron deficient (ID) milk diet (21 mg Fe/kg). Due to severely retarded growth of two of the ID piglets, only eight ID piglets were tested behaviorally. After dietary treatment, all piglets were fed a balanced commercial pig diet (190-240 mg Fe/kg). Starting at 7.5 weeks of age, piglets were tested in a spatial cognitive holeboard task. In this task, 4 of 16 holes contain a hidden food reward, allowing measurement of working (short-term) memory and reference (long-term) memory (RM) simultaneously. All piglets received 40-60 acquisition trials, followed by a 16-trial reversal phase. ID piglets showed permanently retarded growth and a strong decrease in blood iron parameters during dietary treatment. After treatment, ID piglets' blood iron values restored to normal levels. In the holeboard task, ID piglets showed impaired RM learning during acquisition and reversal. Iron staining at necropsy at 12 weeks of age showed that ID piglets had fewer iron-containing cells in hippocampal regions CA1 and dentate gyrus (DG). The number of iron-containing cells in CA3 correlated positively with the average RM score during acquisition across all animals. Our results support the hypothesis that early-life iron deficiency leads to lasting cognitive deficits. The piglet as a model animal, tested in the holeboard, can be useful in future research for assessing long-term cognitive effects of early-life diets or diet-induced deficiencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Antonides
- Emotion and Cognition Group, Department of Farm Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University Utrecht, Netherlands ; Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Utrecht University Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Anne C Schoonderwoerd
- Emotion and Cognition Group, Department of Farm Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University Utrecht, Netherlands ; Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Utrecht University Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Gabi Scholz
- Faculty of Technique and Life Sciences, Institute of Applied Sciences, Professional University HAN (Hogeschool Arnhem & Nijmegen) Arnhem, Netherlands
| | - Brian M Berg
- Department of Global Discovery, Mead Johnson Pediatric Nutrition Institute Evansville, IN, USA ; Division of Nutritional Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Rebecca E Nordquist
- Emotion and Cognition Group, Department of Farm Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University Utrecht, Netherlands ; Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Utrecht University Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Franz Josef van der Staay
- Emotion and Cognition Group, Department of Farm Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University Utrecht, Netherlands ; Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Utrecht University Utrecht, Netherlands
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Seeing the forest before the trees–spatial orientation in freshwater stingrays (Potamotrygon motoro) in a hole-board task. Behav Processes 2015; 119:105-15. [DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2015.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2015] [Revised: 07/29/2015] [Accepted: 08/02/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Sex-specific alterations in behavioral and cognitive functions in a “three hit” animal model of schizophrenia. Behav Brain Res 2015; 284:85-93. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2015.02.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2015] [Revised: 02/04/2015] [Accepted: 02/06/2015] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
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Labots M, Van Lith HA, Ohl F, Arndt SS. The modified hole board--measuring behavior, cognition and social interaction in mice and rats. J Vis Exp 2015:52529. [PMID: 25938188 PMCID: PMC4541485 DOI: 10.3791/52529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
This protocol describes the modified hole board (mHB), which combines features from a traditional hole board and open field and is designed to measure multiple dimensions of unconditioned behavior in small laboratory mammals (e.g., mice, rats, tree shrews and small primates). This paradigm is a valuable alternative for the use of a behavioral test battery, since a broad behavioral spectrum of an animal's behavioral profile can be investigated in one single test. The apparatus consists of a box, representing the 'protected' area, separated from a group compartment. A board, on which small cylinders are staggered in three lines, is placed in the center of the box, representing the 'unprotected' area of the set-up. The cognitive abilities of the animals can be measured by baiting some cylinders on the board and measuring the working and reference memory. Other unconditioned behavior, such as activity-related-, anxiety-related- and social behavior, can be observed using this paradigm. Behavioral flexibility and the ability to habituate to a novel environment can additionally be observed by subjecting the animals to multiple trials in the mHB, revealing insight into the animals' adaptive capacities. Due to testing order effects in a behavioral test battery, naïve animals should be used for each individual experiment. By testing multiple behavioral dimensions in a single paradigm and thereby circumventing this issue, the number of experimental animals used is reduced. Furthermore, by avoiding social isolation during testing and without the need to food deprive the animals, the mHB represents a behavioral test system, inducing if any, very low amount of stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maaike Labots
- Department of Animals in Science and Society, Utrecht University; Brain Center Rudolf Magnus;
| | - Hein A Van Lith
- Department of Animals in Science and Society, Utrecht University; Brain Center Rudolf Magnus
| | - Frauke Ohl
- Department of Animals in Science and Society, Utrecht University; Brain Center Rudolf Magnus
| | - Saskia S Arndt
- Department of Animals in Science and Society, Utrecht University; Brain Center Rudolf Magnus
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Tahamtani FM, Nordgreen J, Nordquist RE, Janczak AM. Early Life in a Barren Environment Adversely Affects Spatial Cognition in Laying Hens (Gallus gallus domesticus). Front Vet Sci 2015; 2:3. [PMID: 26664932 PMCID: PMC4672168 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2015.00003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2014] [Accepted: 03/04/2015] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Spatial cognition in vertebrates is adversely affected by a lack of environmental complexity during early life. However, to our knowledge, no previous studies have tested the effect of early exposure to varying degrees of environmental complexity on specific components of spatial cognition in chickens. There are two main rearing systems for laying hens in the EU: aviaries and cages. These two systems differ from one another in environmental complexity. The aim of the present study was to test the hypothesis that rearing in a barren cage environment relative to a complex aviary environment causes long-lasting deficits in the ability to perform spatial tasks. For this purpose, 24 white Dekalb laying hens, half of which had been reared in an aviary system and the other half in a conventional cage system, were tested in a holeboard task. Birds from both treatment groups learnt the task; however, the cage-reared hens required more time to locate rewards and had poorer levels of working memory. The latter finding supports the hypothesis that rearing in a barren environment causes long-term impairment of short-term memory in chickens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernanda M Tahamtani
- Animal Welfare Research Group, Department of Production Animal Clinical Science, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Biosciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) , Oslo , Norway
| | - Janicke Nordgreen
- Animal Welfare Research Group, Department of Production Animal Clinical Science, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Biosciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) , Oslo , Norway
| | - Rebecca E Nordquist
- Emotion and Cognition Group, Department of Farm Animal Health, Utrecht University , Utrecht , Netherlands
| | - Andrew M Janczak
- Animal Welfare Research Group, Department of Production Animal Clinical Science, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Biosciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) , Oslo , Norway
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Bailey JM, Oliveri AN, Levin ED. Pharmacological analyses of learning and memory in zebrafish (Danio rerio). Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2015; 139 Pt B:103-11. [PMID: 25792292 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2015.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2015] [Revised: 02/25/2015] [Accepted: 03/09/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Over the last decade, zebrafish (Danio rerio) have become valuable as a complementary model in behavioral pharmacology, opening a new avenue for understanding the relationships between drug action and behavior. This species offers a useful intermediate approach bridging the gap between in vitro studies and traditional mammalian models. Zebrafish offer great advantages of economy compared to their rodent counterparts, their complex brains and behavioral repertoire offer great translational potential relative to in vitro models. The development and validation of a variety of tests to measure behavior, including cognition, in zebrafish have set the stage for the use of this animal for behavioral pharmacology studies. This has led to research into the basic mechanisms of cognitive function as well as screening for potential cognition-improving drug therapies, among other lines of research. As with all models, zebrafish have limitations, which span pharmacokinetic challenges to difficulties quantifying behavior. The use, efficacy and limitations associated with a zebrafish model of cognitive function are discussed in this review, within the context of behavioral pharmacology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan M Bailey
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Anthony N Oliveri
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Edward D Levin
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA; Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
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Antonides A, Schoonderwoerd AC, Nordquist RE, van der Staay FJ. Very low birth weight piglets show improved cognitive performance in the spatial cognitive holeboard task. Front Behav Neurosci 2015; 9:43. [PMID: 25774127 PMCID: PMC4343021 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2015.00043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2014] [Accepted: 02/06/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Low birth weight (LBW) is common in humans and has been found to cause lasting cognitive and developmental deficits later in life. It is thought that the primary cause is intra-uterine growth restriction (IUGR) due to a shortage of oxygen and supply of nutrients to the fetus. Pigs appear to be a good model animal to investigate long-term cognitive effects of LBW, as LBW is common in commercially farmed breeds of pigs. Moreover, pigs are developmentally similar to humans and can be trained to perform complex tasks. In this study, we trained ten very low birth weight (vLBW) piglets and their ten normal birth weight (NBW) siblings in a spatial cognitive holeboard task in order to investigate long-term cognitive effects of LBW. In this task, four out of sixteen holes contain a hidden food reward, which allows measuring working memory (WM) (short-term memory) and reference memory (RM) (long-term memory) in parallel. Piglets were trained for 46-54 trials during the acquisition phase, followed by a 20-trial reversal phase in which a different set of four holes was baited. Both groups acquired the task and improved their performance over time. A mixed model repeated measures ANOVA revealed that vLBW piglets showed better RM performance than NBW piglets in both the acquisition and reversal phase. Additionally, WM scores in the vLBW were less disrupted than in the NBW animals when switched to the reversal phase. These findings are contrary to findings in humans. Moreover, vLBW pigs had lower hair cortisol concentrations (HCCs) than NBW pigs in flank hair at 12 weeks of age. These results could indicate that restricted intra-uterine growth causes compensatory mechanisms to arise in early development that result in beneficial effects for vLBW piglets, increasing their low survival chances in early-life competition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Antonides
- Emotion and Cognition Group, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Farm Animal Health, University Utrecht Netherlands ; Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Utrecht Netherlands
| | - Anne C Schoonderwoerd
- Emotion and Cognition Group, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Farm Animal Health, University Utrecht Netherlands ; Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Utrecht Netherlands
| | - Rebecca E Nordquist
- Emotion and Cognition Group, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Farm Animal Health, University Utrecht Netherlands ; Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Utrecht Netherlands
| | - Franz Josef van der Staay
- Emotion and Cognition Group, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Farm Animal Health, University Utrecht Netherlands ; Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Utrecht Netherlands
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Conrad MS, Johnson RW. The domestic piglet: an important model for investigating the neurodevelopmental consequences of early life insults. Annu Rev Anim Biosci 2014; 3:245-64. [PMID: 25387115 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-animal-022114-111049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Insults in the prenatal and early postnatal period increase the risk for behavioral problems later in life. One hypothesis is that pre- and postnatal stressors influence structural and functional brain plasticity. Understanding the mechanisms is important, but progress has lagged because certain studies in human infants are impossible, while others are extremely difficult. Furthermore, results from popular rodent models are difficult to translate to human infants owing to the substantial differences in brain development and morphology. Because it overcomes some of these obstacles, the domestic piglet has emerged as an important model. Piglets have a gyrencephalic brain that develops similar to the human brain and that can be assessed in vivo by using clinical-grade neuroimaging instruments. Furthermore, owing to their precocial nature, piglets can be weaned at birth and used in behavioral testing paradigms to assess cognitive behavior at an early age. Thus, the domestic piglet represents an important translational model for investigating the neurodevelopmental consequences of early life insults.
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Szczodry O, van der Staay FJ, Arndt SS. Modelling Alzheimer-like cognitive deficits in rats using biperiden as putative cognition impairer. Behav Brain Res 2014; 274:307-11. [PMID: 25160769 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2014.08.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2014] [Revised: 08/12/2014] [Accepted: 08/19/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
To enable the development of effective treatments for dementias such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), it is important to establish valid animal models of cognitive impairments. Scopolamine is widely used to induce cognitive deficits in animal models of AD, but also causes non-cognitive side effects. We assessed whether biperiden, a selective antagonist of M1 muscarinic receptors, which are predominantly expressed in brain areas involved in cognitive processes, causes cognitive deficits without inducing peripheral side-effects. Two different doses of biperiden (3 or 10mgkg(-1)) on the acquisition of a spatial cone field task were assessed in male Lister Hooded rats. This task measures, among others, spatial working (WM) - and reference memory (RM) simultaneously. Biperiden did not impair learning of the task. The animals reached asymptotic levels for all variables except reference memory and the number of rewards collected. However, the 10mgkg(-1) dose decreased the tendency of rats to use searching strategies to solve the task and made them slower to start searching and completing the task. In conclusion, though no effects on WM and RM performance were seen, the present study cannot conclude that biperiden acts as a more selective cognition impairer than scopolamine in other rats strains and/or other doses than those tested.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga Szczodry
- Division of Animal Welfare & Laboratory Animal Science, Department of Animals in Science and Society, Veterinary Faculty, Utrecht University, P.O. Box 80166, 3508TD Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Franz Josef van der Staay
- Emotion and Cognition Group, Department of Farm Animal Health, Veterinary Faculty, Utrecht University, P.O. Box 80151, 3508 TD Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Saskia S Arndt
- Division of Animal Welfare & Laboratory Animal Science, Department of Animals in Science and Society, Veterinary Faculty, Utrecht University, P.O. Box 80166, 3508TD Utrecht, The Netherlands.
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Increase of glucocorticoid receptor expression after environmental enrichment: Relations to spatial memory, exploration and anxiety-related behaviors. Physiol Behav 2014; 129:118-29. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2014.02.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2013] [Revised: 01/26/2014] [Accepted: 02/19/2014] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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Chronic allopurinol treatment during the last trimester of pregnancy in sows: effects on low and normal birth weight offspring. PLoS One 2014; 9:e86396. [PMID: 24466072 PMCID: PMC3899238 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0086396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2013] [Accepted: 12/10/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Low-birth-weight (LBW) children are born with several risk factors for disease, morbidity and neonatal mortality, even if carried to term. Placental insufficiency leading to hypoxemia and reduced nutritional supply is the main cause for LBW. Brain damage and poor neurological outcome can be the consequence. LBW after being carried to term gives better chances for survival, but these children are still at risk for poor health and the development of cognitive impairments. Preventive therapies are not yet available. We studied the risk/efficacy of chronic prenatal treatment with the anti-oxidative drug allopurinol, as putative preventive treatment in piglets. LBW piglets served as a natural model for LBW. A cognitive holeboard test was applied to study the learning and memory abilities of these allopurinol treated piglets after weaning. Preliminary analysis of the plasma concentrations in sows and their piglets suggested that a daily dose of 15 mg.kg(-1) resulted in effective plasma concentration of allopurinol in piglets. No adverse effects of chronic allopurinol treatment were found on farrowing, birth weight, open field behavior, learning abilities, relative brain, hippocampus and spleen weights. LBW piglets showed increased anxiety levels in an open field test, but cognitive performance was not affected by allopurinol treatment. LBW animals treated with allopurinol showed the largest postnatal compensatory body weight gain. In contrast to a previous study, no differences in learning abilities were found between LBW and normal-birth-weight piglets. This discrepancy might be attributable to experimental differences. Our results indicate that chronic prenatal allopurinol treatment during the third trimester of pregnancy is safe, as no adverse side effects were observed. Compensatory weight gain of treated piglets is a positive indication for the chronic prenatal use of allopurinol in these animals. Further studies are needed to assess the possible preventive effects of allopurinol on brain functions in LBW piglets.
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