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Giona L, Musillo C, De Cristofaro G, Ristow M, Zarse K, Siems K, Tait S, Cirulli F, Berry A. Western diet-induced cognitive and metabolic dysfunctions in aged mice are prevented by rosmarinic acid in a sex-dependent fashion. Clin Nutr 2024; 43:2236-2248. [PMID: 39182436 DOI: 10.1016/j.clnu.2024.08.012] [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: 05/06/2024] [Revised: 07/23/2024] [Accepted: 08/14/2024] [Indexed: 08/27/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Unhealthy lifestyles, such as chronic consumption of a Western Diet (WD), have been associated with increased systemic inflammation and oxidative stress (OS), a condition that may favour cognitive dysfunctions during aging. Polyphenols, such as rosmarinic acid (RA) may buffer low-grade inflammation and OS, characterizing the aging brain that is sustained by WD, promoting healthspan. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of RA to prevent cognitive decline in a mouse model of WD-driven unhealthy aging and to gain knowledge on the specific molecular pathways modulated within the brain. METHODS Aged male and female C57Bl/6N mice were supplemented either with RA or vehicle for 6 weeks. Following 2 weeks on RA they started being administered either with WD or control diet (CD). Successively all mice were tested for cognitive abilities in the Morris water maze (MWM) and emotionality in the elevated plus maze (EPM). Glucose and lipid homeostasis were assessed in trunk blood while the hippocampus was dissected out for RNAseq transcriptomic analysis. RESULTS RA prevented insulin resistance in males while protecting both males and females from WD-dependent memory impairment. In the hippocampus, RA modulated OS pathways in males and immune- and sex hormones-related signalling cascades (Lhb and Lhcgr genes) in females. Moreover, RA overall resulted in an upregulation of Glp1r, recently identified as a promising target to prevent metabolic derangements. In addition, we also found an RA-dependent enrichment in nuclear transcription factors, such as NF-κB, GR and STAT3, that have been recently suggested to promote healthspan and longevity by modulating inflammatory and cell survival pathways. CONCLUSIONS Oral RA supplementation may promote brain and metabolic plasticity during aging through antioxidant and immune-modulating properties possibly affecting the post-reproductive hormonal milieu in a sex-dependent fashion. Thus, its supplementation should be considered in the context of precision medicine as a possible strategy to preserve cognitive functions and to counteract metabolic derangements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Letizia Giona
- Center for Behavioural Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, Italy; Program in Science of Nutrition, Metabolism, Ageing and Gender-Related Diseases, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Largo Francesco Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy.
| | - Chiara Musillo
- Center for Behavioural Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, Italy.
| | - Gaia De Cristofaro
- Center for Behavioural Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, Italy.
| | - Michael Ristow
- Institute of Experimental Endocrinology and Diabetology, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin D-10117, Germany.
| | - Kim Zarse
- Institute of Experimental Endocrinology and Diabetology, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin D-10117, Germany.
| | | | - Sabrina Tait
- Center for Gender-Specific Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, Italy.
| | - Francesca Cirulli
- Center for Behavioural Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, Italy.
| | - Alessandra Berry
- Center for Behavioural Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, Italy.
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Martin M, Boulaire M, Lucas C, Peltier A, Pourtau L, Gaudout D, Layé S, Pallet V, Joffre C, Dinel AL. Plant Extracts and ω-3 Improve Short-Term Memory and Modulate the Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis in D-galactose Model Mice. J Nutr 2024:S0022-3166(24)01032-0. [PMID: 39332773 DOI: 10.1016/j.tjnut.2024.09.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2024] [Revised: 09/05/2024] [Accepted: 09/16/2024] [Indexed: 09/29/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Aging, characterized by a slow and progressive alteration of cognitive functions, is associated with gut microbiota dysbiosis, low-grade chronic inflammation, as well as increased oxidative stress and neurofunctional alterations. Some nutrients, such as polyphenols, carotenoids, and omega (ω)-3 (n-3), are good candidates to prevent age-related cognitive decline, because of their immunomodulatory, antioxidant, and neuroprotective properties. OBJECTIVES The objective of this study was to demonstrate the preventive effect of a combination of plant extracts (PE) containing Memophenol™ (grapes and blueberries polyphenols) and a patented saffron extract (saffron carotenoids and safranal) and ω-3 on cognitive function in a mouse model of accelerated aging and to understand the biological mechanisms involved. METHODS We used an accelerated-aging model by injecting 3-mo-old male C57Bl6/J mice with D-galactose for 8 wk, during which they were fed with a balanced control diet and supplemented or not with PE and/or ω-3 (n = 15-16/group). Short-term memory was evaluated by Y-maze test, following analyses of hippocampal and intestinal RNA expressions, brain fatty acid and oxylipin amounts, and gut microbiota composition (16S rRNA gene sequencing). Statistical analyses were performed (t test, analysis of variance, and Pearson correlation). RESULTS Our results showed that oral administration of PE, ω-3, or both (mix) prevented hippocampus-dependent short-term memory deficits induced by D-galactose (P < 0.05). This effect was accompanied by the modulation of gut microbiota, altered by the treatment. PE and the mix increased the expression of antioxidative and neurogenesis markers, such as catalase and doublecortin, in hippocampus (P < 0.05 for both). Moreover, ω-3 and the mix showed a higher ω-3 amounts (P < 0.05) and EPA-derived 18- hydroxyeicosapentaenoic acid (P < 0.001) in prefrontal cortex. These changes may contribute to the improvement in memory. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that the mix of PE and ω-3 could be more efficient at attenuating age-related cognitive decline than individual supplementations because it targeted, in mice, the different pathways impaired with aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Martin
- Université Bordeaux, INRAE, Bordeaux INP, Nutrineuro, Bordeaux, France; Activ'Inside, 12 route de Beroy, ZA du Grand Cazeau, Beychac-et-Caillau
| | - Milan Boulaire
- Université Bordeaux, INRAE, Bordeaux INP, Nutrineuro, Bordeaux, France
| | - Céline Lucas
- Université Bordeaux, INRAE, Bordeaux INP, Nutrineuro, Bordeaux, France; NutriBrain Research and Technology Transfer, NutriNeuro, Bordeaux, France
| | - Adrien Peltier
- Université Bordeaux, INRAE, Bordeaux INP, Nutrineuro, Bordeaux, France; NutriBrain Research and Technology Transfer, NutriNeuro, Bordeaux, France
| | - Line Pourtau
- Activ'Inside, 12 route de Beroy, ZA du Grand Cazeau, Beychac-et-Caillau
| | - David Gaudout
- Activ'Inside, 12 route de Beroy, ZA du Grand Cazeau, Beychac-et-Caillau
| | - Sophie Layé
- Université Bordeaux, INRAE, Bordeaux INP, Nutrineuro, Bordeaux, France
| | - Véronique Pallet
- Université Bordeaux, INRAE, Bordeaux INP, Nutrineuro, Bordeaux, France
| | - Corinne Joffre
- Université Bordeaux, INRAE, Bordeaux INP, Nutrineuro, Bordeaux, France
| | - Anne-Laure Dinel
- Université Bordeaux, INRAE, Bordeaux INP, Nutrineuro, Bordeaux, France; NutriBrain Research and Technology Transfer, NutriNeuro, Bordeaux, France.
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Botterill JJ, Khlaifia A, Appings R, Wilkin J, Violi F, Premachandran H, Cruz-Sanchez A, Canella AE, Patel A, Zaidi SD, Arruda-Carvalho M. Dorsal peduncular cortex activity modulates affective behavior and fear extinction in mice. Neuropsychopharmacology 2024; 49:993-1006. [PMID: 38233571 PMCID: PMC11039686 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-024-01795-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Revised: 12/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is critical to cognitive and emotional function and underlies many neuropsychiatric disorders, including mood, fear and anxiety disorders. In rodents, disruption of mPFC activity affects anxiety- and depression-like behavior, with specialized contributions from its subdivisions. The rodent mPFC is divided into the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC), spanning the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and dorsal prelimbic cortex (PL), and the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), which includes the ventral PL, infralimbic cortex (IL), and in some studies the dorsal peduncular cortex (DP) and dorsal tenia tecta (DTT). The DP/DTT have recently been implicated in the regulation of stress-induced sympathetic responses via projections to the hypothalamus. While many studies implicate the PL and IL in anxiety-, depression-like and fear behavior, the contribution of the DP/DTT to affective and emotional behavior remains unknown. Here, we used chemogenetics and optogenetics to bidirectionally modulate DP/DTT activity and examine its effects on affective behaviors, fear and stress responses in C57BL/6J mice. Acute chemogenetic activation of DP/DTT significantly increased anxiety-like behavior in the open field and elevated plus maze tests, as well as passive coping in the tail suspension test. DP/DTT activation also led to an increase in serum corticosterone levels and facilitated auditory fear extinction learning and retrieval. Activation of DP/DTT projections to the dorsomedial hypothalamus (DMH) acutely decreased freezing at baseline and during extinction learning, but did not alter affective behavior. These findings point to the DP/DTT as a new regulator of affective behavior and fear extinction in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin J Botterill
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON, M1C1A4, Canada
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology, and Pharmacology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5E5, Canada
| | - Abdessattar Khlaifia
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON, M1C1A4, Canada
| | - Ryan Appings
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON, M1C1A4, Canada
| | - Jennifer Wilkin
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON, M1C1A4, Canada
| | - Francesca Violi
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON, M1C1A4, Canada
| | - Hanista Premachandran
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON, M1C1A4, Canada
| | - Arely Cruz-Sanchez
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON, M1C1A4, Canada
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S3G5, Canada
| | - Anna Elisabete Canella
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON, M1C1A4, Canada
| | - Ashutosh Patel
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON, M1C1A4, Canada
| | - S Danyal Zaidi
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON, M1C1A4, Canada
| | - Maithe Arruda-Carvalho
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON, M1C1A4, Canada.
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S3G5, Canada.
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Febo M, Mahar R, Rodriguez NA, Buraima J, Pompilus M, Pinto AM, Grudny MM, Bruijnzeel AW, Merritt ME. Age-related differences in affective behaviors in mice: possible role of prefrontal cortical-hippocampal functional connectivity and metabolomic profiles. Front Aging Neurosci 2024; 16:1356086. [PMID: 38524115 PMCID: PMC10957556 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2024.1356086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction The differential expression of emotional reactivity from early to late adulthood may involve maturation of prefrontal cortical responses to negative valence stimuli. In mice, age-related changes in affective behaviors have been reported, but the functional neural circuitry warrants further investigation. Methods We assessed age variations in affective behaviors and functional connectivity in male and female C57BL6/J mice. Mice aged 10, 30 and 60 weeks (wo) were tested over 8 weeks for open field activity, sucrose preference, social interactions, fear conditioning, and functional neuroimaging. Prefrontal cortical and hippocampal tissues were excised for metabolomics. Results Our results indicate that young and old mice differ significantly in affective behavioral, functional connectome and prefrontal cortical-hippocampal metabolome. Young mice show a greater responsivity to novel environmental and social stimuli compared to older mice. Conversely, late middle-aged mice (60wo group) display variable patterns of fear conditioning and during re-testing in a modified context. Functional connectivity between a temporal cortical/auditory cortex network and subregions of the anterior cingulate cortex and ventral hippocampus, and a greater network modularity and assortative mixing of nodes was stronger in young versus older adult mice. Metabolome analyses identified differences in several essential amino acids between 10wo mice and the other age groups. Discussion The results support differential expression of 'emotionality' across distinct stages of the mouse lifespan involving greater prefrontal-hippocampal connectivity and neurochemistry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcelo Febo
- Department of Psychiatry, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Rohit Mahar
- Department of Chemistry, Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University (A Central University), Srinagar Garhwal, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Nicholas A. Rodriguez
- Department of Psychiatry, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Joy Buraima
- Department of Psychiatry, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Marjory Pompilus
- Department of Psychiatry, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Aeja M. Pinto
- Department of Psychiatry, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Matteo M. Grudny
- Department of Psychiatry, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Adriaan W. Bruijnzeel
- Department of Psychiatry, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Matthew E. Merritt
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL, United States
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Febo M, Mahar R, Rodriguez NA, Buraima J, Pompilus M, Pinto AM, Grudny MM, Bruijnzeel AW, Merritt ME. Age-Related Differences in Affective Behaviors in Mice: Possible Role of Prefrontal Cortical-Hippocampal Functional Connectivity and Metabolomic Profiles. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.11.13.566691. [PMID: 38014219 PMCID: PMC10680600 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.13.566691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
The differential expression of emotional reactivity from early to late adulthood may involve maturation of prefrontal cortical responses to negative valence stimuli. In mice, age-related changes in affective behaviors have been reported, but the functional neural circuitry warrants further investigation. We assessed age variations in affective behaviors and functional connectivity in male and female C57BL6/J mice. Mice aged 10, 30 and 60 weeks (wo) were tested over 8 weeks for open field activity, sucrose preference, social interactions, fear conditioning, and functional neuroimaging. Prefrontal cortical and hippocampal tissues were excised for metabolomics. Our results indicate that young and old mice differ significantly in affective behavioral, functional connectome and prefrontal cortical-hippocampal metabolome. Young mice show a greater responsivity to novel environmental and social stimuli compared to older mice. Conversely, late middle-aged mice (60wo group) display variable patterns of fear conditioning and with re-testing with a modified context. Functional connectivity between a temporal cortical/auditory cortex network and subregions of the anterior cingulate cortex and ventral hippocampus, and a greater network modularity and assortative mixing of nodes was stronger in young versus older adult mice. Metabolome analyses identified differences in several essential amino acids between 10wo mice and the other age groups. The results support differential expression of 'emotionality' across distinct stages of the mouse lifespan involving greater prefrontal-hippocampal connectivity and neurochemistry.
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Reed EG, Keller-Norrell PR. Minding the Gap: Exploring Neuroinflammatory and Microglial Sex Differences in Alzheimer's Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:17377. [PMID: 38139206 PMCID: PMC10743742 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242417377] [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: 11/20/2023] [Revised: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Research into Alzheimer's Disease (AD) describes a link between AD and the resident immune cells of the brain, the microglia. Further, this suspected link is thought to have underlying sex effects, although the mechanisms of these effects are only just beginning to be understood. Many of these insights are the result of policies put in place by funding agencies such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to consider sex as a biological variable (SABV) and the move towards precision medicine due to continued lackluster therapeutic options. The purpose of this review is to provide an updated assessment of the current research that summarizes sex differences and the research pertaining to microglia and their varied responses in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin G. Reed
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Rootstown, OH 44242, USA
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Ryherd GL, Bunce AL, Edwards HA, Baumgartner NE, Lucas EK. Sex differences in avoidance behavior and cued threat memory dynamics in mice: Interactions between estrous cycle and genetic background. Horm Behav 2023; 156:105439. [PMID: 37813043 PMCID: PMC10810684 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2023.105439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2023] [Revised: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023]
Abstract
Anxiety disorders are the most prevalent mental illnesses worldwide, exhibit high heritability, and affect twice as many women as men. To evaluate potential interactions between genetic background and cycling ovarian hormones on sex differences in susceptibility to negative valence behaviors relevant to anxiety disorders, we assayed avoidance behavior and cued threat memory dynamics in gonadally-intact adult male and female mice across four common inbred mouse strains: C57Bl/6J, 129S1/SVlmJ, DBA/2J, and BALB/cJ. Independent of sex, C57Bl/6J mice exhibited low avoidance but high threat memory, 129S1/SvlmJ mice high avoidance and high threat memory, DBA/2J mice low avoidance and low threat memory, and BALB/cJ mice high avoidance but low threat memory. Within-strain comparisons revealed reduced avoidance behavior in the high hormone phase of the estrous cycle (proestrus) compared to all other estrous phases in all strains except DBA/2J, which did not exhibit cycle-dependent behavioral fluctuations. Robust and opposing sex differences in threat conditioning and extinction training were found in the C57Bl/6J and 129S1/SvlmJ lines, whereas no sex differences were observed in the DBA/2J or BALB/cJ lines. C57Bl/6J males exhibited enhanced acute threat memory, whereas 129S1/SvlmJ females exhibited enhanced sustained threat memory, compared to their sex-matched littermates. These effects were not mediated by estrous cycle stage or sex differences in active versus passive defensive behavioral responses. Our data demonstrate that core features of behavioral endophenotypes relevant to anxiety disorders, such as avoidance and threat memory, are genetically driven yet dissociable and can be influenced further by cycling ovarian hormones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Garret L Ryherd
- Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Averie L Bunce
- Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Haley A Edwards
- Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Nina E Baumgartner
- Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA; Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neurobiology, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Elizabeth K Lucas
- Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA; Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neurobiology, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.
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