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Wang Y, Xu H, Chen S, Chen J, Zheng Q, Ma Y, Zhao X, Shi Y, Xiao L. Oxytocin Protects Nigrostriatal Dopamine Signal via Activating GABAergic Circuit in the MPTP-Induced Parkinson's Disease Model. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024:e2310244. [PMID: 39099429 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202310244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2023] [Revised: 07/23/2024] [Indexed: 08/06/2024]
Abstract
The most pronounced neuropathological feature of Parkinson's disease (PD) is the loss of dopamine (DA) neurons in the substantia nigra compacta (SNc), which depletes striatal DA. Hypothalamic oxytocin is found to be reduced in PD patients and closely interacts with the DA system, but the role of oxytocin in PD remains unclear. Here, the disturbances of endogenous oxytocin level and the substantia nigra (SN) oxytocin receptor expression in the 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-induced PD mouse model is observed, correlated with the striatal tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) expression reduction. Killing/silencing hypothalamic oxytocin neurons aggravates the vulnerability of nigrostriatal DA signal to MPTP, whereas elevating oxytocin level by intranasal delivery or microinjecting into the SN promotes the resistance. In addition, knocking out SN oxytocin receptors induces the time-dependent reductions of SNc DA neurons, striatal TH expression, and striatal DA level by increasing neuronal excitotoxicity. These results further uncover that oxytocin dampens the excitatory synaptic inputs onto DA neurons via activating oxytocin receptor-expressed SN GABA neurons, which target GABA(B) receptors expressed in SNc DA neuron-projecting glutamatergic axons, to reduce excitotoxicity. Thus, besides the well-known prosocial effect, oxytocin acts as a key endogenous factor in protecting the nigrostriatal DA system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yurong Wang
- Shanghai Stomatological Hospital & School of Stomatology, The State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, and the Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Hao Xu
- Shanghai Stomatological Hospital & School of Stomatology, The State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, and the Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Saiyong Chen
- Shanghai Stomatological Hospital & School of Stomatology, The State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, and the Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Junhao Chen
- Shanghai Stomatological Hospital & School of Stomatology, The State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, and the Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Qimeng Zheng
- Shanghai Stomatological Hospital & School of Stomatology, The State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, and the Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Yuanyuan Ma
- Shanghai Stomatological Hospital & School of Stomatology, The State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, and the Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Xinru Zhao
- Shanghai Stomatological Hospital & School of Stomatology, The State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, and the Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Ying Shi
- Shanghai Stomatological Hospital & School of Stomatology, The State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, and the Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Lei Xiao
- Shanghai Stomatological Hospital & School of Stomatology, The State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, and the Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
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2
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Blum K, Bowirrat A, Sunder K, Thanos PK, Hanna C, Gold MS, Dennen CA, Elman I, Murphy KT, Makale MT. Dopamine Dysregulation in Reward and Autism Spectrum Disorder. Brain Sci 2024; 14:733. [PMID: 39061473 PMCID: PMC11274922 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci14070733] [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: 05/31/2024] [Revised: 07/09/2024] [Accepted: 07/12/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is primarily characterized by core deficits in social skills, communication, and cognition and by repetitive stereotyped behaviors. These manifestations are variable between individuals, and ASD pathogenesis is complex, with over a thousand implicated genes, many epigenetic factors, and multiple environmental influences. The mesolimbic dopamine (DA) mediated brain reward system is held to play a key role, but the rapidly expanding literature reveals intricate, nuanced signaling involving a wide array of mesolimbic loci, neurotransmitters and receptor subtypes, and neuronal variants. How altered DA signaling may constitute a downstream convergence of the manifold causal origins of ASD is not well understood. A clear working framework of ASD pathogenesis may help delineate common stages and potential diagnostic and interventional opportunities. Hence, we summarize the known natural history of ASD in the context of emerging data and perspectives to update ASD reward signaling. Then, against this backdrop, we proffer a provisional framework that organizes ASD pathogenesis into successive levels, including (1) genetic and epigenetic changes, (2) disrupted mesolimbic reward signaling pathways, (3) dysregulated neurotransmitter/DA signaling, and finally, (4) altered neurocognitive and social behavior and possible antagonist/agonist based ASD interventions. This subdivision of ASD into a logical progression of potentially addressable parts may help facilitate the rational formulation of diagnostics and targeted treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth Blum
- Division of Addiction Research & Education, Center for Exercise Sports, Mental Health, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, CA 91766, USA
- Sunder Foundation, Palm Springs, CA 92264, USA
- Division of Personalized Neuromodulations, PeakLogic, LLC, Del Mar, CA 92130, USA
| | - Abdalla Bowirrat
- Department of Molecular Biology, Adelson School of Medicine, Ariel University, Ariel 40700, Israel
| | | | - Panayotis K. Thanos
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, State University of New York, SUNY, Buffalo, NY 14215, USA
| | - Colin Hanna
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, State University of New York, SUNY, Buffalo, NY 14215, USA
| | - Mark S. Gold
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Catherine A. Dennen
- Department of Family Medicine, Jefferson Health Northeast, Philadelphia, PA 19145, USA
| | - Igor Elman
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard University School of Medicine, Cambridge, MA 02215, USA
| | - Kevin T. Murphy
- Division of Personalized Neuromodulations, PeakLogic, LLC, Del Mar, CA 92130, USA
| | - Milan T. Makale
- Department of Radiation Medicine and Applied Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
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3
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Rogers JF, Vandendoren M, Prather JF, Landen JG, Bedford NL, Nelson AC. Neural cell-types and circuits linking thermoregulation and social behavior. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 161:105667. [PMID: 38599356 PMCID: PMC11163828 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105667] [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: 01/03/2024] [Revised: 04/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024]
Abstract
Understanding how social and affective behavioral states are controlled by neural circuits is a fundamental challenge in neurobiology. Despite increasing understanding of central circuits governing prosocial and agonistic interactions, how bodily autonomic processes regulate these behaviors is less resolved. Thermoregulation is vital for maintaining homeostasis, but also associated with cognitive, physical, affective, and behavioral states. Here, we posit that adjusting body temperature may be integral to the appropriate expression of social behavior and argue that understanding neural links between behavior and thermoregulation is timely. First, changes in behavioral states-including social interaction-often accompany changes in body temperature. Second, recent work has uncovered neural populations controlling both thermoregulatory and social behavioral pathways. We identify additional neural populations that, in separate studies, control social behavior and thermoregulation, and highlight their relevance to human and animal studies. Third, dysregulation of body temperature is linked to human neuropsychiatric disorders. Although body temperature is a "hidden state" in many neurobiological studies, it likely plays an underappreciated role in regulating social and affective states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph F Rogers
- Department of Zoology & Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA; University of Wyoming Sensory Biology Center, USA
| | - Morgane Vandendoren
- Department of Zoology & Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA; University of Wyoming Sensory Biology Center, USA
| | - Jonathan F Prather
- Department of Zoology & Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
| | - Jason G Landen
- Department of Zoology & Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA; University of Wyoming Sensory Biology Center, USA
| | - Nicole L Bedford
- Department of Zoology & Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
| | - Adam C Nelson
- Department of Zoology & Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA; University of Wyoming Sensory Biology Center, USA.
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4
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Li H, Jiang T, An S, Xu M, Gou L, Ren B, Shi X, Wang X, Yan J, Yuan J, Xu X, Wu QF, Luo Q, Gong H, Bian WJ, Li A, Yu X. Single-neuron projectomes of mouse paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus oxytocin neurons reveal mutually exclusive projection patterns. Neuron 2024; 112:1081-1099.e7. [PMID: 38290516 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.12.022] [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: 04/07/2023] [Revised: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
Oxytocin (OXT) plays important roles in autonomic control and behavioral modulation. However, it is unknown how the projection patterns of OXT neurons align with underlying physiological functions. Here, we present the reconstructed single-neuron, whole-brain projectomes of 264 OXT neurons of the mouse paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus (PVH) at submicron resolution. These neurons hierarchically clustered into two groups, with distinct morphological and transcriptional characteristics and mutually exclusive projection patterns. Cluster 1 (177 neurons) axons terminated exclusively in the median eminence (ME) and have few collaterals terminating within hypothalamic regions. By contrast, cluster 2 (87 neurons) sent wide-spread axons to multiple brain regions, but excluding ME. Dendritic arbors of OXT neurons also extended outside of the PVH, suggesting capability to sense signals and modulate target regions. These single-neuron resolution observations reveal distinct OXT subpopulations, provide comprehensive analysis of their morphology, and lay the structural foundation for better understanding the functional heterogeneity of OXT neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Humingzhu Li
- Institute of Neuroscience and State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China; School of Life Sciences, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, and Peking University McGovern Institute, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Tao Jiang
- HUST-Suzhou Institute for Brainsmatics, JITRI, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Sile An
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Mingrui Xu
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Lingfeng Gou
- Institute of Neuroscience and State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Biyu Ren
- Institute of Neuroscience and State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Xiaoxue Shi
- Institute of Neuroscience and State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Xiaofei Wang
- Institute of Neuroscience and State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Jun Yan
- Institute of Neuroscience and State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jing Yuan
- HUST-Suzhou Institute for Brainsmatics, JITRI, Suzhou 215123, China; Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Xiaohong Xu
- Institute of Neuroscience and State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Qing-Feng Wu
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Qingming Luo
- HUST-Suzhou Institute for Brainsmatics, JITRI, Suzhou 215123, China; Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Hui Gong
- HUST-Suzhou Institute for Brainsmatics, JITRI, Suzhou 215123, China; Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Wen-Jie Bian
- Institute of Neuroscience and State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China; Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou 310024, China; School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou 310024, China.
| | - Anan Li
- HUST-Suzhou Institute for Brainsmatics, JITRI, Suzhou 215123, China; Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China.
| | - Xiang Yu
- Institute of Neuroscience and State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China; School of Life Sciences, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, and Peking University McGovern Institute, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 102206, China.
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5
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Lake AA, Trainor BC. Leveraging the unique social organization of California mice to study circuit-specific effects of oxytocin on behavior. Horm Behav 2024; 160:105487. [PMID: 38281444 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2024.105487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
Oxytocin is a versatile neuropeptide that modulates many different forms of social behavior. Recent hypotheses pose that oxytocin enhances the salience of rewarding and aversive social experiences, and the field has been working to identify mechanisms that allow oxytocin to have diverse effects on behavior. Here we review studies conducted on the California mouse (Peromyscus californicus) that shed light on how oxytocin modulates social behavior following stressful experiences. In this species, both males and females exhibit high levels of aggression, which has facilitated the study of how social stress impacts both sexes. We review findings of short- and long-term effects of social stress on the reactivity of oxytocin neurons. We also consider the results of pharmacological studies which show that oxytocin receptors in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and nucleus accumbens have distinct but overlapping effects on social approach behaviors. These findings help explain how social stress can have different behavioral effects in males and females, and how oxytocin can have such divergent effects on behavior. Finally, we consider how new technological developments and innovative research programs take advantage of the unique social organization of California mice to address questions that can be difficult to study in conventional rodent model species. These new methods and questions have opened new avenues for studying the neurobiology of social behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyssa A Lake
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, United States of America
| | - Brian C Trainor
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, United States of America.
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6
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Soumier A, Lio G, Demily C. Current and future applications of light-sheet imaging for identifying molecular and developmental processes in autism spectrum disorders. Mol Psychiatry 2024:10.1038/s41380-024-02487-8. [PMID: 38443634 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-024-02487-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Revised: 02/09/2024] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is identified by a set of neurodevelopmental divergences that typically affect the social communication domain. ASD is also characterized by heterogeneous cognitive impairments and is associated with cooccurring physical and medical conditions. As behaviors emerge as the brain matures, it is particularly essential to identify any gaps in neurodevelopmental trajectories during early perinatal life. Here, we introduce the potential of light-sheet imaging for studying developmental biology and cross-scale interactions among genetic, cellular, molecular and macroscale levels of circuitry and connectivity. We first report the core principles of light-sheet imaging and the recent progress in studying brain development in preclinical animal models and human organoids. We also present studies using light-sheet imaging to understand the development and function of other organs, such as the skin and gastrointestinal tract. We also provide information on the potential of light-sheet imaging in preclinical drug development. Finally, we speculate on the translational benefits of light-sheet imaging for studying individual brain-body interactions in advancing ASD research and creating personalized interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amelie Soumier
- Le Vinatier Hospital Center, 95 boulevard Pinel, 69675, Bron cedex, France.
- iMIND, Center of Excellence for Autism, 95 boulevard Pinel, 69675, Bron cedex, France.
- Institute of Cognitive Science Marc Jeannerod, CNRS, UMR 5229, 67 boulevard Pinel, 69675, Bron cedex, France.
- University Claude Bernard Lyon 1, 43 boulevard du 11 Novembre 1918, 69622, Villeurbanne cedex, France.
| | - Guillaume Lio
- Le Vinatier Hospital Center, 95 boulevard Pinel, 69675, Bron cedex, France
- iMIND, Center of Excellence for Autism, 95 boulevard Pinel, 69675, Bron cedex, France
- Institute of Cognitive Science Marc Jeannerod, CNRS, UMR 5229, 67 boulevard Pinel, 69675, Bron cedex, France
| | - Caroline Demily
- Le Vinatier Hospital Center, 95 boulevard Pinel, 69675, Bron cedex, France
- iMIND, Center of Excellence for Autism, 95 boulevard Pinel, 69675, Bron cedex, France
- Institute of Cognitive Science Marc Jeannerod, CNRS, UMR 5229, 67 boulevard Pinel, 69675, Bron cedex, France
- University Claude Bernard Lyon 1, 43 boulevard du 11 Novembre 1918, 69622, Villeurbanne cedex, France
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7
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Berkhout JB, Poormoghadam D, Yi C, Kalsbeek A, Meijer OC, Mahfouz A. An integrated single-cell RNA-seq atlas of the mouse hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus links transcriptomic and functional types. J Neuroendocrinol 2024; 36:e13367. [PMID: 38281730 DOI: 10.1111/jne.13367] [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: 07/19/2023] [Revised: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/30/2023] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
The hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) is a highly complex brain region that is crucial for homeostatic regulation through neuroendocrine signaling, outflow of the autonomic nervous system, and projections to other brain areas. In the past years, single-cell datasets of the hypothalamus have contributed immensely to the current understanding of the diverse hypothalamic cellular composition. While the PVN has been adequately classified functionally, its molecular classification is currently still insufficient. To address this, we created a detailed atlas of PVN transcriptomic cell types by integrating various PVN single-cell datasets into a recently published hypothalamus single-cell transcriptome atlas. Furthermore, we functionally profiled transcriptomic cell types, based on relevant literature, existing retrograde tracing data, and existing single-cell data of a PVN-projection target region. Finally, we validated our findings with immunofluorescent stainings. In our PVN atlas dataset, we identify the well-known different neuropeptide types, each composed of multiple novel subtypes. We identify Avp-Tac1, Avp-Th, Oxt-Foxp1, Crh-Nr3c1, and Trh-Nfib as the most important neuroendocrine subtypes based on markers described in literature. To characterize the preautonomic functional population, we integrated a single-cell retrograde tracing study of spinally projecting preautonomic neurons into our PVN atlas. We identify these (presympathetic) neurons to cocluster with the Adarb2+ clusters in our dataset. Further, we identify the expression of receptors for Crh, Oxt, Penk, Sst, and Trh in the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus, a key region that the pre-parasympathetic PVN neurons project to. Finally, we identify Trh-Ucn3 and Brs3-Adarb2 as some centrally projecting populations. In conclusion, our study presents a detailed overview of the transcriptomic cell types of the murine PVN and provides a first attempt to resolve functionality for the identified populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- J B Berkhout
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - D Poormoghadam
- Laboratory of Endocrinology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - C Yi
- Laboratory of Endocrinology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - A Kalsbeek
- Laboratory of Endocrinology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - O C Meijer
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - A Mahfouz
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Division of Pattern Recognition and Bioinformatics, Department of Intelligent Systems, Technical University Delft, Delft, The Netherlands
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8
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Gruber T, Lechner F, Murat C, Contreras RE, Sanchez-Quant E, Miok V, Makris K, Le Thuc O, González-García I, García-Clave E, Althammer F, Krabichler Q, DeCamp LM, Jones RG, Lutter D, Williams RH, Pfluger PT, Müller TD, Woods SC, Pospisilik JA, Martinez-Jimenez CP, Tschöp MH, Grinevich V, García-Cáceres C. High-calorie diets uncouple hypothalamic oxytocin neurons from a gut-to-brain satiation pathway via κ-opioid signaling. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113305. [PMID: 37864798 PMCID: PMC10636643 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2022] [Revised: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Oxytocin-expressing paraventricular hypothalamic neurons (PVNOT neurons) integrate afferent signals from the gut, including cholecystokinin (CCK), to adjust whole-body energy homeostasis. However, the molecular underpinnings by which PVNOT neurons orchestrate gut-to-brain feeding control remain unclear. Here, we show that mice undergoing selective ablation of PVNOT neurons fail to reduce food intake in response to CCK and develop hyperphagic obesity on a chow diet. Notably, exposing wild-type mice to a high-fat/high-sugar (HFHS) diet recapitulates this insensitivity toward CCK, which is linked to diet-induced transcriptional and electrophysiological aberrations specifically in PVNOT neurons. Restoring OT pathways in diet-induced obese (DIO) mice via chemogenetics or polypharmacology sufficiently re-establishes CCK's anorexigenic effects. Last, by single-cell profiling, we identify a specialized PVNOT neuronal subpopulation with increased κ-opioid signaling under an HFHS diet, which restrains their CCK-evoked activation. In sum, we document a (patho)mechanism by which PVNOT signaling uncouples a gut-brain satiation pathway under obesogenic conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim Gruber
- Institute for Diabetes and Obesity, Helmholtz Diabetes Center, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; Department of Metabolism and Nutritional Programming, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI 49506, USA; Department of Epigenetics, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI 49506, USA.
| | - Franziska Lechner
- Institute for Diabetes and Obesity, Helmholtz Diabetes Center, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Cahuê Murat
- Institute for Diabetes and Obesity, Helmholtz Diabetes Center, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Raian E Contreras
- Institute for Diabetes and Obesity, Helmholtz Diabetes Center, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Eva Sanchez-Quant
- Helmholtz Pioneer Campus (HPC), Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Viktorian Miok
- Institute for Diabetes and Obesity, Helmholtz Diabetes Center, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Konstantinos Makris
- Institute for Diabetes and Obesity, Helmholtz Diabetes Center, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; Computational Discovery Research, Institute for Diabetes and Obesity (IDO), Helmholtz Diabetes Center (HDC), Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Ophélia Le Thuc
- Institute for Diabetes and Obesity, Helmholtz Diabetes Center, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Ismael González-García
- Institute for Diabetes and Obesity, Helmholtz Diabetes Center, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Elena García-Clave
- Institute for Diabetes and Obesity, Helmholtz Diabetes Center, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | | | - Quirin Krabichler
- Department of Neuropeptide Research in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Lisa M DeCamp
- Department of Metabolism and Nutritional Programming, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI 49506, USA
| | - Russell G Jones
- Department of Metabolism and Nutritional Programming, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI 49506, USA
| | - Dominik Lutter
- Institute for Diabetes and Obesity, Helmholtz Diabetes Center, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; Computational Discovery Research, Institute for Diabetes and Obesity (IDO), Helmholtz Diabetes Center (HDC), Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Rhiannan H Williams
- Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Institute for Neurogenomics, Ingolstädter Landstraße 1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Paul T Pfluger
- Institute for Diabetes and Obesity, Helmholtz Diabetes Center, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; Research Unit NeuroBiology of Diabetes, Helmholtz Zentrum München, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; Neurobiology of Diabetes, TUM School of Medicine, Technical University Munich, 80333 Munich, Germany
| | - Timo D Müller
- Institute for Diabetes and Obesity, Helmholtz Diabetes Center, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapy, Institute for Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Eberhard Karls Hospitals and Clinics, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Stephen C Woods
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - John Andrew Pospisilik
- Department of Metabolism and Nutritional Programming, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI 49506, USA; Department of Epigenetics, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI 49506, USA
| | - Celia P Martinez-Jimenez
- Department of Epigenetics, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI 49506, USA; TUM School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Matthias H Tschöp
- Institute for Diabetes and Obesity, Helmholtz Diabetes Center, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; Division of Metabolic Diseases, Department of Medicine, Technische Universität, Munich, Germany
| | - Valery Grinevich
- Department of Neuropeptide Research in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany; Center for Neuroinflammation and Cardiometabolic Diseases, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
| | - Cristina García-Cáceres
- Institute for Diabetes and Obesity, Helmholtz Diabetes Center, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik IV, Klinikum der Universität, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 80336 Munich, Germany.
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9
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Wright EC, Luo PX, Zakharenkov HC, Serna Godoy A, Lake AA, Prince ZD, Sekar S, Culkin HI, Ramirez AV, Dwyer T, Kapoor A, Corbett C, Tian L, Fox AS, Trainor BC. Sexual differentiation of neural mechanisms of stress sensitivity during puberty. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2306475120. [PMID: 37847733 PMCID: PMC10614610 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2306475120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Anxiety disorders are a major public health concern and current treatments are inadequate for many individuals. Anxiety is more common in women than men and this difference arises during puberty. Sex differences in physiological stress responses may contribute to this variability. During puberty, gonadal hormones shape brain structure and function, but the extent to which these changes affect stress sensitivity is unknown. We examined how pubertal androgens shape behavioral and neural responses to social stress in California mice (Peromyscus californicus), a model species for studying sex differences in stress responses. In adults, social defeat reduces social approach and increases social vigilance in females but not males. We show this sex difference is absent in juveniles, and that prepubertal castration sensitizes adult males to social defeat. Adult gonadectomy does not alter behavioral responses to defeat, indicating that gonadal hormones act during puberty to program behavioral responses to stress in adulthood. Calcium imaging in the medioventral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) showed that social threats increased neural activity and that prepubertal castration generalized these responses to less threatening social contexts. These results support recent hypotheses that the BNST responds to immediate threats. Prepubertal treatment with the nonaromatizable androgen dihydrotestosterone acts in males and females to reduce the effects of defeat on social approach and vigilance in adults. These data indicate that activation of androgen receptors during puberty is critical for programming behavioral responses to stress in adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily C. Wright
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA95616
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA95616
| | - Pei X. Luo
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA95616
| | | | | | - Alyssa A. Lake
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA95616
| | - Zhana D. Prince
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA95616
| | - Shwetha Sekar
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA95616
| | - Hannah I. Culkin
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA95616
| | | | - Tjien Dwyer
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA95616
| | - Amita Kapoor
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI53715
| | - Cody Corbett
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI53715
| | - Lin Tian
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA95616
| | - Andrew S. Fox
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA95616
- California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, CA95616
| | - Brian C. Trainor
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA95616
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10
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Althammer F. Heralding a new era of oxytocinergic research: New tools, new problems? J Neuroendocrinol 2023; 35:e13333. [PMID: 37621199 DOI: 10.1111/jne.13333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023]
Abstract
According to classic neuroendocrinology, hypothalamic oxytocin cells can be categorized into parvo- and magnocellular neurons. However, research in the last decade provided ample evidence that this black-and-white model of oxytocin neurons is most likely oversimplified. Novel genetic, functional and morphological studies indicate that oxytocin neurons might be organized in functional modules and suggest the existence of five or more distinct oxytocinergic subpopulations. However, many of these novel, automated high-throughput techniques might be inherently biased and interpretation of acquired data needs to be approached with caution to enable drawing sound and reliable conclusions. In addition, the recent finding that astrocytes in various brain regions express functional oxytocin receptors represents a paradigm shift and challenges the view that oxytocin primarily acts as a direct peptidergic neurotransmitter. This review highlights the latest technical advances in oxytocinergic research, puts recent studies on the oxytocin system into context and formulates various provocative ideas based on novel findings that challenges various prevailing hypotheses and dogmas about oxytocinergic modulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ferdinand Althammer
- Institute of Human Genetics, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
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11
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Kong XJ, Kang J, Liu K. Probiotic and intra-nasal oxytocin combination therapy on autonomic function and gut-brain axis signaling in young children and teens with autism spectrum disorder. J Psychiatr Res 2023; 166:1-9. [PMID: 37639877 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2023.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Revised: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
Autonomic dysfunction has been widely studied in individuals with autism spectral disorder (ASD); however, the autonomic response to probiotic and oxytocin (OT) combination intervention has not yet been explored. We conducted the present study that includes 35 individuals with ASD aged 3-20 years to explore autonomic responses to daily Lactobacillus plantarum probiotic supplementation and OT nasal spray treatment both alone and in combination. We identified significant improvements in autonomic indices from subjects receiving combination treatment relative to those receiving placebo. Parameters that were observed to improve following combination treatment are time domain metrics of heart rate variability (HRV), including the root mean square of successive differences between normal heartbeats (RMSSD), standard deviation of normal-to-normal R-R intervals (SDNN), and proportion of the number of pairs of adjacent NN intervals that differ by more than 50ms (pNN50, p < 0.05). Furthermore, individuals that received either probiotics or OT alone demonstrated fewer changes in RMSSD, pNN50, and SDNN. Several parameters that demonstrated significant improvements in combination therapy were found to be correlated with baseline levels of OT (LF power: r = -0.86, p = 0.024; mean HR: r = 0.89, p = 0.012). Additionally, Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) raw total scores (mean HR, r = 0.86, p = 0.024) and Aberrant Behavior Checklist (ABC) raw total scores (mean HR r = 0.94, p = 0.017) were correlated with mean heart rate (HR) and HRV-derived parameters. These results provide further evidence of synergy of probiotic and OT combination and help us gain a better understanding of the role of the gut-brain axis in ASD phenotypes and pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue-Jun Kong
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Jiayi Kang
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Kevin Liu
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
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12
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Fernandez G, De Francesco PN, Cornejo MP, Cabral A, Aguggia JP, Duque VJ, Sayar N, Cantel S, Burgos JI, Fehrentz JA, Rorato R, Atasoy D, Mecawi AS, Perello M. Ghrelin Action in the PVH of Male Mice: Accessibility, Neuronal Targets, and CRH Neurons Activation. Endocrinology 2023; 164:bqad154. [PMID: 37823477 DOI: 10.1210/endocr/bqad154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2023] [Revised: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
The hormone ghrelin displays several well-characterized functions, including some with pharmaceutical interest. The receptor for ghrelin, the growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHSR), is expressed in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVH), a critical hub for the integration of metabolic, neuroendocrine, autonomic, and behavioral functions. Here, we performed a neuroanatomical and functional characterization of the neuronal types mediating ghrelin actions in the PVH of male mice. We found that fluorescent ghrelin mainly labels PVH neurons immunoreactive for nitric oxide synthase 1 (NOS1), which catalyze the production of nitric oxide [NO]). Centrally injected ghrelin increases c-Fos in NOS1 PVH neurons and NOS1 phosphorylation in the PVH. We also found that a high dose of systemically injected ghrelin increases the ghrelin level in the cerebrospinal fluid and in the periventricular PVH, and induces c-Fos in NOS1 PVH neurons. Such a high dose of systemically injected ghrelin activates a subset of NOS1 PVH neurons, which do not express oxytocin, via an arcuate nucleus-independent mechanism. Finally, we found that pharmacological inhibition of NO production fully abrogates ghrelin-induced increase of calcium concentration in corticotropin-releasing hormone neurons of the PVH whereas it partially impairs ghrelin-induced increase of plasma glucocorticoid levels. Thus, plasma ghrelin can directly target a subset of NO-producing neurons of the PVH that is involved in ghrelin-induced activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal neuroendocrine axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gimena Fernandez
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Multidisciplinary Institute of Cell Biology [IMBICE, Argentine Research Council (CONICET) and Scientific Research Commission, Province of Buenos Aires (CIC-PBA), National University of La Plata], La Plata, Buenos Aires 1900, Argentina
| | - Pablo N De Francesco
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Multidisciplinary Institute of Cell Biology [IMBICE, Argentine Research Council (CONICET) and Scientific Research Commission, Province of Buenos Aires (CIC-PBA), National University of La Plata], La Plata, Buenos Aires 1900, Argentina
| | - María P Cornejo
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Multidisciplinary Institute of Cell Biology [IMBICE, Argentine Research Council (CONICET) and Scientific Research Commission, Province of Buenos Aires (CIC-PBA), National University of La Plata], La Plata, Buenos Aires 1900, Argentina
| | - Agustina Cabral
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Multidisciplinary Institute of Cell Biology [IMBICE, Argentine Research Council (CONICET) and Scientific Research Commission, Province of Buenos Aires (CIC-PBA), National University of La Plata], La Plata, Buenos Aires 1900, Argentina
| | - Julieta P Aguggia
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Multidisciplinary Institute of Cell Biology [IMBICE, Argentine Research Council (CONICET) and Scientific Research Commission, Province of Buenos Aires (CIC-PBA), National University of La Plata], La Plata, Buenos Aires 1900, Argentina
| | - Victor J Duque
- Department of Biophysics, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, CEP: 04023-062, Brazil
| | - Nilufer Sayar
- Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Carver College of Medicine, Iowa Neuroscience Institute and Fraternal Order of Eagles Diabetes Research Center (FOEDRC), University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Sonia Cantel
- Institut des Biomolécules Max Mousseron, University of Montpellier, CNRS, ENSCM, Montpellier cedex 5 34293, France
| | - Juan I Burgos
- Centro de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares "Dr. Horacio Eugenio Cingolani" (CONICET and National University of La Plata), La Plata 1900, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Jean-Alain Fehrentz
- Institut des Biomolécules Max Mousseron, University of Montpellier, CNRS, ENSCM, Montpellier cedex 5 34293, France
| | - Rodrigo Rorato
- Department of Biophysics, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, CEP: 04023-062, Brazil
| | - Deniz Atasoy
- Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Carver College of Medicine, Iowa Neuroscience Institute and Fraternal Order of Eagles Diabetes Research Center (FOEDRC), University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - André S Mecawi
- Department of Biophysics, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, CEP: 04023-062, Brazil
| | - Mario Perello
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Multidisciplinary Institute of Cell Biology [IMBICE, Argentine Research Council (CONICET) and Scientific Research Commission, Province of Buenos Aires (CIC-PBA), National University of La Plata], La Plata, Buenos Aires 1900, Argentina
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Functional Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Uppsala, Uppsala 751 05, Sweden
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13
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Pavăl D. The dopamine hypothesis of autism spectrum disorder: A comprehensive analysis of the evidence. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2023; 173:1-42. [PMID: 37993174 DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2023.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2023]
Abstract
Despite intensive research into the etiopathogenesis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), limited progress has been achieved so far. Among the plethora of models seeking to clarify how ASD arises, a coherent dopaminergic model was lacking until recently. In 2017, we provided a theoretical framework that we designated "the dopamine hypothesis of ASD". In the meantime, numerous studies yielded empirical evidence for this model. 4 years later, we provided a second version encompassing a refined and reconceptualized framework that accounted for these novel findings. In this chapter, we will review the evidence backing the previous versions of our model and add the most recent developments to the picture. Along these lines, we intend to lay out a comprehensive analysis of the supporting evidence for the dopamine hypothesis of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denis Pavăl
- The Romanian Association for Autoimmune Encephalitis, Cluj-Napoca, Romania; Department of Psychiatry, "Iuliu Hațieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
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14
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Powell SB, Swerdlow NR. The Relevance of Animal Models of Social Isolation and Social Motivation for Understanding Schizophrenia: Review and Future Directions. Schizophr Bull 2023; 49:1112-1126. [PMID: 37527471 PMCID: PMC10483472 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbad098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND HYPOTHESES Social dysfunction in schizophrenia includes symptoms of withdrawal and deficits in social skills, social cognition, and social motivation. Based on the course of illness, with social withdrawal occurring prior to psychosis onset, it is likely that the severity of social withdrawal/isolation contributes to schizophrenia neuropathology. STUDY DESIGN We review the current literature on social isolation in rodent models and provide a conceptual framework for its relationship to social withdrawal and neural circuit dysfunction in schizophrenia. We next review preclinical tasks of social behavior used in schizophrenia-relevant models and discuss strengths and limitations of existing approaches. Lastly, we consider new effort-based tasks of social motivation and their potential for translational studies in schizophrenia. STUDY RESULTS Social isolation rearing in rats produces profound differences in behavior, pharmacologic sensitivity, and neurochemistry compared to socially reared rats. Rodent models relevant to schizophrenia exhibit deficits in social behavior as measured by social interaction and social preference tests. Newer tasks of effort-based social motivation are being developed in rodents to better model social motivation deficits in neuropsychiatric disorders. CONCLUSIONS While experimenter-imposed social isolation provides a viable experimental model for understanding some biological mechanisms linking social dysfunction to clinical and neural pathology in schizophrenia, it bypasses critical antecedents to social isolation in schizophrenia, notably deficits in social reward and social motivation. Recent efforts at modeling social motivation using effort-based tasks in rodents have the potential to quantify these antecedents, identify models (eg, developmental, genetic) that produce deficits, and advance pharmacological treatments for social motivation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan B Powell
- Research Service, VA San Diego Healthcare System, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Veterans Affairs VISN22 Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Neal R Swerdlow
- Research Service, VA San Diego Healthcare System, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Veterans Affairs VISN22 Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center, La Jolla, CA, USA
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15
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Sato M, Nakai N, Fujima S, Choe KY, Takumi T. Social circuits and their dysfunction in autism spectrum disorder. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:3194-3206. [PMID: 37612363 PMCID: PMC10618103 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02201-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023]
Abstract
Social behaviors, how individuals act cooperatively and competitively with conspecifics, are widely seen across species. Rodents display various social behaviors, and many different behavioral paradigms have been used for investigating their neural circuit bases. Social behavior is highly vulnerable to brain network dysfunction caused by neurological and neuropsychiatric conditions such as autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Studying mouse models of ASD provides a promising avenue toward elucidating mechanisms of abnormal social behavior and potential therapeutic targets for treatment. In this review, we outline recent progress and key findings on neural circuit mechanisms underlying social behavior, with particular emphasis on rodent studies that monitor and manipulate the activity of specific circuits using modern systems neuroscience approaches. Social behavior is mediated by a distributed brain-wide network among major cortical (e.g., medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), anterior cingulate cortex, and insular cortex (IC)) and subcortical (e.g., nucleus accumbens, basolateral amygdala (BLA), and ventral tegmental area) structures, influenced by multiple neuromodulatory systems (e.g., oxytocin, dopamine, and serotonin). We particularly draw special attention to IC as a unique cortical area that mediates multisensory integration, encoding of ongoing social interaction, social decision-making, emotion, and empathy. Additionally, a synthesis of studies investigating ASD mouse models demonstrates that dysfunctions in mPFC-BLA circuitry and neuromodulation are prominent. Pharmacological rescues by local or systemic (e.g., oral) administration of various drugs have provided valuable clues for developing new therapeutic agents for ASD. Future efforts and technological advances will push forward the next frontiers in this field, such as the elucidation of brain-wide network activity and inter-brain neural dynamics during real and virtual social interactions, and the establishment of circuit-based therapy for disorders affecting social functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masaaki Sato
- Department of Neuropharmacology, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Kita, Sapporo, 060-8638, Japan
| | - Nobuhiro Nakai
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Kobe University School of Medicine, Chuo, Kobe, 650-0017, Japan
| | - Shuhei Fujima
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Kobe University School of Medicine, Chuo, Kobe, 650-0017, Japan
| | - Katrina Y Choe
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Toru Takumi
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Kobe University School of Medicine, Chuo, Kobe, 650-0017, Japan.
- RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Chuo, Kobe, 650-0047, Japan.
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16
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Qian T, Wang H, Wang P, Geng L, Mei L, Osakada T, Wang L, Tang Y, Kania A, Grinevich V, Stoop R, Lin D, Luo M, Li Y. A genetically encoded sensor measures temporal oxytocin release from different neuronal compartments. Nat Biotechnol 2023; 41:944-957. [PMID: 36593404 PMCID: PMC11182738 DOI: 10.1038/s41587-022-01561-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Oxytocin (OT), a peptide hormone and neuromodulator, is involved in diverse physiological and pathophysiological processes in the central nervous system and the periphery. However, the regulation and functional sequences of spatial OT release in the brain remain poorly understood. We describe a genetically encoded G-protein-coupled receptor activation-based (GRAB) OT sensor called GRABOT1.0. In contrast to previous methods, GRABOT1.0 enables imaging of OT release ex vivo and in vivo with suitable sensitivity, specificity and spatiotemporal resolution. Using this sensor, we visualize stimulation-induced OT release from specific neuronal compartments in mouse brain slices and discover that N-type calcium channels predominantly mediate axonal OT release, whereas L-type calcium channels mediate somatodendritic OT release. We identify differences in the fusion machinery of OT release for axon terminals versus somata and dendrites. Finally, we measure OT dynamics in various brain regions in mice during male courtship behavior. Thus, GRABOT1.0 provides insights into the role of compartmental OT release in physiological and behavioral functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tongrui Qian
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Peking University School of Life Sciences, Beijing, China
- PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China
| | - Huan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Peking University School of Life Sciences, Beijing, China
- PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China
| | - Peng Wang
- Medical Center for Human Reproduction, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Lan Geng
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Peking University School of Life Sciences, Beijing, China
- PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China
| | - Long Mei
- Neuroscience Institute, Department of Psychiatry, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Takuya Osakada
- Neuroscience Institute, Department of Psychiatry, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Lei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Peking University School of Life Sciences, Beijing, China
- PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China
- Peking University-Tsinghua University-National Institute of Biological Sciences Joint Graduate Program, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Yan Tang
- Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Lausanne University Hospital Center (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Alan Kania
- Department of Neuropeptide Research in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Valery Grinevich
- Department of Neuropeptide Research in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Ron Stoop
- Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Lausanne University Hospital Center (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Dayu Lin
- Neuroscience Institute, Department of Psychiatry, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Minmin Luo
- National Institute of Biological Sciences (NIBS), Beijing, China
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China
- Tsinghua Institute of Multidisciplinary Biomedical Research (TIMBR), Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Yulong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Peking University School of Life Sciences, Beijing, China.
- PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China.
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China.
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China.
- National Biomedical Imaging Center, Peking University, Beijing, China.
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17
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Muscatelli F. [As early as birth, oxytocin plays a key role in both food and social behavior]. Biol Aujourdhui 2023; 216:131-143. [PMID: 36744979 DOI: 10.1051/jbio/2022017] [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: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Oxytocin (OT) is a neurohormone that regulates the so-called "social brain" and is mainly studied in adulthood. During postnatal development, the mechanisms by which the OT system structures various behaviors are little studied. Here we present the dynamic process of postnatal development of the OT system as well as the OT functions in the perinatal period that are essential for shaping social behaviors. Specifically, we discuss the role of OT, in the newborn, in integrating and adapting responses to early sensory stimuli and in stimulating suckling activity. Sensory dialogue and suckling are involved in mother-infant bonds and structure future social interactions. In rodents and humans, neurodevelopmental diseases with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), such as Prader-Willi and Schaaf-Yang syndromes, are associated with sensory, feeding and behavioral deficits in infancy. We propose that in early postnatal life, OT plays a key role in stimulating the maturation of neural networks controlling feeding behavior and early social interactions from birth. Administration of OT at birth improves sensory integration of environmental factors and the relationship with the mother as well as sucking activity as we have shown in mouse models and in babies with Prader-Willi syndrome. Long-term effects have also been observed on social and cognitive behavior. Therefore, early feeding difficulties might be an early predictive marker of ASD, and OT treatment a promising option to improve feeding behavior and, in the longer term, social behavioral problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Françoise Muscatelli
- INMED (Institut de Neurobiologie de la Méditerranée), INSERM, Aix Marseille Univ, Marseille, France
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18
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Xing Y, Zan C, Liu L. Recent advances in understanding neuronal diversity and neural circuit complexity across different brain regions using single-cell sequencing. Front Neural Circuits 2023; 17:1007755. [PMID: 37063385 PMCID: PMC10097998 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2023.1007755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2022] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 04/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Neural circuits are characterized as interconnecting neuron networks connected by synapses. Some kinds of gene expression and/or functional changes of neurons and synaptic connections may result in aberrant neural circuits, which has been recognized as one crucial pathological mechanism for the onset of many neurological diseases. Gradual advances in single-cell sequencing approaches with strong technological advantages, as exemplified by high throughput and increased resolution for live cells, have enabled it to assist us in understanding neuronal diversity across diverse brain regions and further transformed our knowledge of cellular building blocks of neural circuits through revealing numerous molecular signatures. Currently published transcriptomic studies have elucidated various neuronal subpopulations as well as their distribution across prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, hypothalamus, and dorsal root ganglion, etc. Better characterization of brain region-specific circuits may shed light on new pathological mechanisms involved and assist in selecting potential targets for the prevention and treatment of specific neurological disorders based on their established roles. Given diverse neuronal populations across different brain regions, we aim to give a brief sketch of current progress in understanding neuronal diversity and neural circuit complexity according to their locations. With the special focus on the application of single-cell sequencing, we thereby summarize relevant region-specific findings. Considering the importance of spatial context and connectivity in neural circuits, we also discuss a few published results obtained by spatial transcriptomics. Taken together, these single-cell sequencing data may lay a mechanistic basis for functional identification of brain circuit components, which links their molecular signatures to anatomical regions, connectivity, morphology, and physiology. Furthermore, the comprehensive characterization of neuron subtypes, their distributions, and connectivity patterns via single-cell sequencing is critical for understanding neural circuit properties and how they generate region-dependent interactions in different context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Xing
- Department of Neurology, Beidahuang Industry Group General Hospital, Harbin, China
| | - Chunfang Zan
- Institute for Stroke and Dementia Research (ISD), LMU Klinikum, Ludwig-Maximilian-University (LMU), Munich, Germany
| | - Lu Liu
- Munich Medical Research School (MMRS), LMU Klinikum, Ludwig-Maximilian-University (LMU), Munich, Germany
- *Correspondence: Lu Liu, ,
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19
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Muscatelli F, Matarazzo V, Chini B. Neonatal oxytocin gives the tempo of social and feeding behaviors. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:1071719. [PMID: 36583080 PMCID: PMC9792990 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.1071719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2022] [Accepted: 11/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The nonapeptide oxytocin (OT) is a master regulator of the social brain in early infancy, adolescence, and adult life. Here, we review the postnatal dynamic development of OT-system as well as early-life OT functions that are essential for shaping social behaviors. We specifically address the role of OT in neonates, focusing on its role in modulating/adapting sensory input and feeding behavior; both processes are involved in the establishing mother-infant bond, a crucial event for structuring all future social interactions. In patients and rodent models of Prader-Willi and Schaaf-Yang syndromes, two neurodevelopmental diseases characterized by autism-related features, sensory impairments, and feeding difficulties in early infancy are linked to an alteration of OT-system. Successful preclinical studies in mice and a phase I/II clinical trial in Prader-Willi babies constitute a proof of concept that OT-treatment in early life not only improves suckling deficit but has also a positive long-term effect on learning and social behavior. We propose that in early postnatal life, OT plays a pivotal role in stimulating and coordinating the maturation of neuronal networks controlling feeding behavior and the first social interactions. Consequently, OT therapy might be considered to improve feeding behavior and, all over the life, social cognition, and learning capabilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Françoise Muscatelli
- Institut de Neurobiologie de la Méditerranée (INMED), INSERM, Aix Marseille Université, Marseille, France,*Correspondence: Françoise Muscatelli,
| | - Valery Matarazzo
- Institut de Neurobiologie de la Méditerranée (INMED), INSERM, Aix Marseille Université, Marseille, France
| | - Bice Chini
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council (CNR), Vedano al Lambro, Italy and NeuroMI Milan Center for Neuroscience, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
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20
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Althammer F, Wimmer MC, Krabichler Q, Küppers S, Schimmer J, Fröhlich H, Dötsch L, Gruber T, Wunsch S, Schubert T, Kirchner MK, Stern JE, Charlet A, Grinevich V, Schaaf CP. Analysis of the hypothalamic oxytocin system and oxytocin receptor-expressing astrocytes in a mouse model of Prader-Willi syndrome. J Neuroendocrinol 2022; 34:e13217. [PMID: 36458331 DOI: 10.1111/jne.13217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2022] [Revised: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by hyperphagia, obesity, developmental delay and intellectual disability. Studies suggest dysfunctional signaling of the neuropeptide oxytocin as one of the key mechanisms in PWS, and administration of oxytocin via intranasal or systemic routes yielded promising results in both humans and mouse models. However, a detailed assessment of the oxytocin system in mouse models of PWS such as the Magel2-deficient Magel2tm1.Stw mouse, is lacking. In the present study, we performed an automated counting of oxytocin cells in the entire paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus of Magel2tm1.Stw and wild-type control mice and found a significant reduction in the caudal part, which represents the parvocellular subdivision. In addition, based on the recent discovery that some astrocytes express the oxytocin receptor (OTR), we performed detailed analysis of astrocyte numbers and morphology in various brain regions, and assessed expression levels of the astrocyte marker glial fibrillary acidic protein, which was significantly decreased in the hypothalamus, but not other brain regions in Magel2tm1.Stw mice. Finally, we analyzed the number of OTR-expressing astrocytes in various brain regions and found a significant reduction in the nucleus accumbens of Magel2tm1.Stw mice, as well as a sex-specific difference in the lateral septum. This study suggests a role for caudal paraventricular nucleus oxytocin neurons as well as OTR-expressing astrocytes in a mouse model of PWS, provides novel information about sex-specific expression of astrocytic OTRs, and presents several new brain regions containing OTR-expressing astrocytes in the mouse brain.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Quirin Krabichler
- Department of Neuropeptide Research in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Stephanie Küppers
- Department of Neuropeptide Research in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Jonas Schimmer
- Department of Neuropeptide Research in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Henning Fröhlich
- Institute of Human Genetics, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Laura Dötsch
- Institute of Human Genetics, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Tim Gruber
- Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - Selina Wunsch
- Institute of Human Genetics, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Tim Schubert
- Institute of Human Genetics, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Matthew K Kirchner
- Center for Neuroinflammation and Cardiometabolic Diseases, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Javier E Stern
- Center for Neuroinflammation and Cardiometabolic Diseases, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Alexandre Charlet
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique and University of Strasbourg, Institute of Cellular and Integrative Neuroscience, Strasbourg, France
| | - Valery Grinevich
- Department of Neuropeptide Research in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
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21
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Sánchez-Lafuente CL, Romay-Tallon R, Allen J, Johnston JN, Kalynchuk LE, Caruncho HJ. Sex differences in basal reelin levels in the paraventricular hypothalamus and in response to chronic stress induced by repeated corticosterone in rats. Horm Behav 2022; 146:105267. [PMID: 36274499 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2022.105267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Revised: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Repeated exposure to the stress hormone corticosterone results in depressive-like behaviours paralleled by the downregulation of hippocampal reelin expression. Reelin is expressed in key neural populations involved in the stress response, but whether its hypothalamic expression is sex-specific or involved in sex-specific vulnerability to stress is unknown. Female and male rats were treated with either daily vehicle or corticosterone injections (40 mg/kg) for 21 days. Thereafter, they were subjected to several behavioural tasks before being sacrificed to allow the analysis of reelin expression in hypothalamic nuclei. The basal density of reelin-positive cells in males was significantly higher in the paraventricular nucleus (19 %) and in the medial preoptic area (51 %) compared to females. Chronic corticosterone injections increased the immobility time in the forced swim test in males (107 %) and females (108 %) and decreased the exploration of the elevated plus maze in males (34 %). Corticosterone also caused a significant decrease in the density of reelin-positive cells in males, in both ventrodorsal (37 %) and ventrolateral (32 %) subdivisions of the paraventricular nucleus, while not affecting females. Moreover, in the paraventricular nucleus of males, 30 % of the basal reelin-positive cells co-expressed oxytocin while only 17.5 % did in females, showing a positive correlation between reelin and oxytocin levels. Chronic corticosterone did not significantly affect co-localization levels. For the first time, this study shows that there is a sexually dimorphic subpopulation of reelin-positive neurons in the paraventricular nucleus that can be differentially affected by chronic stress.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Josh Allen
- Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
| | - Jenessa N Johnston
- Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
| | - Lisa E Kalynchuk
- Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
| | - Hector J Caruncho
- Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada.
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22
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Manjila SB, Betty R, Kim Y. Missing pieces in decoding the brain oxytocin puzzle: Functional insights from mouse brain wiring diagrams. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:1044736. [PMID: 36389241 PMCID: PMC9643707 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.1044736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 10/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The hypothalamic neuropeptide, oxytocin (Oxt), has been the focus of research for decades due to its effects on body physiology, neural circuits, and various behaviors. Oxt elicits a multitude of actions mainly through its receptor, the Oxt receptor (OxtR). Despite past research to understand the central projections of Oxt neurons and OxtR- coupled signaling pathways in different brain areas, it remains unclear how this nonapeptide exhibits such pleiotropic effects while integrating external and internal information. Most reviews in the field either focus on neuroanatomy of the Oxt-OxtR system, or on the functional effects of Oxt in specific brain areas. Here, we provide a review by integrating brain wide connectivity of Oxt neurons and their downstream circuits with OxtR expression in mice. We categorize Oxt connected brain regions into three functional modules that regulate the internal state, somatic visceral, and cognitive response. Each module contains three neural circuits that process distinct behavioral effects. Broad innervations on functional circuits (e.g., basal ganglia for motor behavior) enable Oxt signaling to exert coordinated modulation in functionally inter-connected circuits. Moreover, Oxt acts as a neuromodulator of neuromodulations to broadly control the overall state of the brain. Lastly, we discuss the mismatch between Oxt projections and OxtR expression across various regions of the mouse brain. In summary, this review brings forth functional circuit-based analysis of Oxt connectivity across the whole brain in light of Oxt release and OxtR expression and provides a perspective guide to future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Yongsoo Kim
- Department of Neural and Behavioral Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, Hershey, PA, United States
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23
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Rigney N, de Vries GJ, Petrulis A, Young LJ. Oxytocin, Vasopressin, and Social Behavior: From Neural Circuits to Clinical Opportunities. Endocrinology 2022; 163:6648172. [PMID: 35863332 PMCID: PMC9337272 DOI: 10.1210/endocr/bqac111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Oxytocin and vasopressin are peptide hormones secreted from the pituitary that are well known for their peripheral endocrine effects on childbirth/nursing and blood pressure/urine concentration, respectively. However, both peptides are also released in the brain, where they modulate several aspects of social behaviors. Oxytocin promotes maternal nurturing and bonding, enhances social reward, and increases the salience of social stimuli. Vasopressin modulates social communication, social investigation, territorial behavior, and aggression, predominantly in males. Both peptides facilitate social memory and pair bonding behaviors in monogamous species. Here we review the latest research delineating the neural circuitry of the brain oxytocin and vasopressin systems and summarize recent investigations into the circuit-based mechanisms modulating social behaviors. We highlight research using modern molecular genetic technologies to map, monitor activity of, or manipulate neuropeptide circuits. Species diversity in oxytocin and vasopressin effects on social behaviors are also discussed. We conclude with a discussion of the translational implications of oxytocin and vasopressin for improving social functioning in disorders with social impairments, such as autism spectrum disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Rigney
- Neuroscience Institute and Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia 30303, USA
| | - Geert J de Vries
- Neuroscience Institute and Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia 30303, USA
- Department of Biology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia 30303, USA
| | - Aras Petrulis
- Neuroscience Institute and Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia 30303, USA
| | - Larry J Young
- Correspondence: Larry J. Young, PhD, Emory National Primate Center, Emory University, 954 Gatewood Rd, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA.
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24
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Oxytocin-based therapies for treatment of Prader-Willi and Schaaf-Yang syndromes: evidence, disappointments, and future research strategies. Transl Psychiatry 2022; 12:318. [PMID: 35941105 PMCID: PMC9360032 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-022-02054-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Revised: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 07/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The prosocial neuropeptide oxytocin is being developed as a potential treatment for various neuropsychiatric disorders including autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Early studies using intranasal oxytocin in patients with ASD yielded encouraging results and for some time, scientists and affected families placed high hopes on the use of intranasal oxytocin for behavioral therapy in ASD. However, a recent Phase III trial obtained negative results using intranasal oxytocin for the treatment of behavioral symptoms in children with ASD. Given the frequently observed autism-like behavioral phenotypes in Prader-Willi and Schaaf-Yang syndromes, it is unclear whether oxytocin treatment represents a viable option to treat behavioral symptoms in these diseases. Here we review the latest findings on intranasal OT treatment, Prader-Willi and Schaaf-Yang syndromes, and propose novel research strategies for tailored oxytocin-based therapies for affected individuals. Finally, we propose the critical period theory, which could explain why oxytocin-based treatment seems to be most efficient in infants, but not adolescents.
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25
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Zhao F, Zhang H, Wang P, Cui W, Xu K, Chen D, Hu M, Li Z, Geng X, Wei S. Oxytocin and serotonin in the modulation of neural function: Neurobiological underpinnings of autism-related behavior. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:919890. [PMID: 35937893 PMCID: PMC9354980 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.919890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is a group of generalized neurodevelopmental disorders. Its main clinical features are social communication disorder and repetitive stereotyped behavioral interest. The abnormal structure and function of brain network is the basis of social dysfunction and stereotyped performance in patients with autism spectrum disorder. The number of patients diagnosed with ASD has increased year by year, but there is a lack of effective intervention and treatment. Oxytocin has been revealed to effectively improve social cognitive function and significantly improve the social information processing ability, empathy ability and social communication ability of ASD patients. The change of serotonin level also been reported affecting the development of brain and causes ASD-like behavioral abnormalities, such as anxiety, depression like behavior, stereotyped behavior. Present review will focus on the research progress of serotonin and oxytocin in the pathogenesis, brain circuit changes and treatment of autism. Revealing the regulatory effect and neural mechanism of serotonin and oxytocin on patients with ASD is not only conducive to a deeper comprehension of the pathogenesis of ASD, but also has vital clinical significance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Zhao
- Experimental Center, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
- Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Classical Theory, Ministry of Education, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
- TAIYUE Postdoctoral Innovation and Practice Base, Jinan, China
- Chinese Medicine and Brain Science Core Facility, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Hao Zhang
- Experimental Center, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
- Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Classical Theory, Ministry of Education, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
- TAIYUE Postdoctoral Innovation and Practice Base, Jinan, China
- Chinese Medicine and Brain Science Core Facility, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Peng Wang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wenjie Cui
- Department of Biology, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Kaiyong Xu
- Experimental Center, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
- Chinese Medicine and Brain Science Core Facility, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Dan Chen
- Experimental Center, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
- Chinese Medicine and Brain Science Core Facility, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Minghui Hu
- Experimental Center, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
- TAIYUE Postdoctoral Innovation and Practice Base, Jinan, China
- Chinese Medicine and Brain Science Core Facility, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Zifa Li
- Experimental Center, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
- Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Classical Theory, Ministry of Education, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
- TAIYUE Postdoctoral Innovation and Practice Base, Jinan, China
- Chinese Medicine and Brain Science Core Facility, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
- Zifa Li,
| | - Xiwen Geng
- Experimental Center, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
- Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Classical Theory, Ministry of Education, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
- TAIYUE Postdoctoral Innovation and Practice Base, Jinan, China
- Chinese Medicine and Brain Science Core Facility, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
- Xiwen Geng,
| | - Sheng Wei
- Experimental Center, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
- Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Classical Theory, Ministry of Education, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
- TAIYUE Postdoctoral Innovation and Practice Base, Jinan, China
- Chinese Medicine and Brain Science Core Facility, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
- *Correspondence: Sheng Wei,
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26
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Yukinaga H, Hagihara M, Tsujimoto K, Chiang HL, Kato S, Kobayashi K, Miyamichi K. Recording and manipulation of the maternal oxytocin neural activities in mice. Curr Biol 2022; 32:3821-3829.e6. [PMID: 35868323 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.06.083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2021] [Revised: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Pulsatile release of the hormone oxytocin (OT) mediates uterine contraction during parturition and milk ejection during lactation.1-3 These pulses are generated by the unique activity patterns of the central neuroendocrine OT neurons located in the paraventricular and supraoptic hypothalamus. Classical studies have characterized putative OT neurons by in vivo extracellular recording techniques in rats and rabbits.1,4-10 Due to technical limitations, however, the identity of OT neurons in these previous studies was speculative based on their electrophysiological characteristics and axonal projection to the posterior pituitary, not on OT gene expression. To pinpoint OT neural activities among other hypothalamic neurons that project to the pituitary11,12 and make better use of cell-type-specific neuroscience toolkits,13 a mouse model needs to be developed for the studies of parturition and lactation. We herein introduce viral genetic approaches in mice to characterize the maternal activities of OT neurons by fiber photometry. A sharp photometric peak of OT neurons appeared at approximately 520 s following simultaneous suckling stimuli from three pups. The amplitude of the peaks increased as the mother mice experienced lactation, irrespective of the age of the pups, suggesting the intrinsic plasticity of maternal OT neurons. Based on a mono-synaptic input map to OT neurons, we pharmacogenetically activated the inhibitory neurons in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and found the suppression of the activities of OT neurons. Collectively, our study illuminates temporal dynamics in the maternal neural activities of OT neurons and identifies one of its modulatory inputs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroko Yukinaga
- Laboratory for Comparative Connectomics, Riken Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan
| | - Mitsue Hagihara
- Laboratory for Comparative Connectomics, Riken Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan
| | - Kazuko Tsujimoto
- Laboratory for Comparative Connectomics, Riken Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan
| | - Hsiao-Ling Chiang
- Laboratory for Comparative Connectomics, Riken Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan
| | - Shigeki Kato
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan
| | - Kazuto Kobayashi
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan
| | - Kazunari Miyamichi
- Laboratory for Comparative Connectomics, Riken Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan; PRESTO, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Kawaguchi, Saitama 332-0012, Japan.
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27
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Itskovich E, Bowling DL, Garner JP, Parker KJ. Oxytocin and the social facilitation of placebo effects. Mol Psychiatry 2022; 27:2640-2649. [PMID: 35338314 PMCID: PMC9167259 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01515-9] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Revised: 02/16/2022] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Significant clinical improvement is often observed in patients who receive placebo treatment in randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trials. While a proportion of this "improvement" reflects experimental design limitations (e.g., reliance on subjective outcomes, unbalanced groups, reporting biases), some of it reflects genuine improvement corroborated by physiological change. Converging evidence across diverse medical conditions suggests that clinically-relevant benefits from placebo treatment are associated with the activation of brain reward circuits. In parallel, evidence has accumulated showing that such benefits are facilitated by clinicians that demonstrate warmth and proficiency during interactions with patients. Here, we integrate research on these neural and social aspects of placebo effects with evidence linking oxytocin and social reward to advance a neurobiological account for the social facilitation of placebo effects. This account frames oxytocin as a key mediator of treatment success across a wide-spectrum of interventions that increase social connectedness, thereby providing a biological basis for assessing this fundamental non-specific element of medical care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Itskovich
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Daniel L. Bowling
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Joseph P. Garner
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305.,Department of Comparative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Karen J. Parker
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305.,Department of Comparative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305
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28
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Inada K, Hagihara M, Tsujimoto K, Abe T, Konno A, Hirai H, Kiyonari H, Miyamichi K. Plasticity of neural connections underlying oxytocin-mediated parental behaviors of male mice. Neuron 2022; 110:2009-2023.e5. [PMID: 35443152 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2022.03.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2021] [Revised: 03/04/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The adult brain can flexibly adapt behaviors to specific life-stage demands. For example, while sexually naive male mice are aggressive to the conspecific young, they start to provide caregiving to infants around the time when their own young are expected. How such behavioral plasticity is implemented at the level of neural connections remains poorly understood. Here, using viral-genetic approaches, we establish hypothalamic oxytocin neurons as the key regulators of the parental caregiving behaviors of male mice. We then use rabies-virus-mediated unbiased screening to identify excitatory neural connections originating from the lateral hypothalamus to the oxytocin neurons to be drastically strengthened when male mice become fathers. These connections are functionally relevant, as their activation suppresses pup-directed aggression in virgin males. These results demonstrate the life-stage associated, long-distance, and cell-type-specific plasticity of neural connections in the hypothalamus, the brain region that is classically assumed to be hard-wired.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kengo Inada
- Laboratory for Comparative Connectomics, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan.
| | - Mitsue Hagihara
- Laboratory for Comparative Connectomics, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan
| | - Kazuko Tsujimoto
- Laboratory for Comparative Connectomics, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan
| | - Takaya Abe
- Laboratory for Animal Resources and Genetic Engineering, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan
| | - Ayumu Konno
- Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8511, Japan; Viral Vector Core, Gunma University Initiative for Advanced Research (GIAR), Maebashi, Gunma 371-8511, Japan
| | - Hirokazu Hirai
- Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8511, Japan; Viral Vector Core, Gunma University Initiative for Advanced Research (GIAR), Maebashi, Gunma 371-8511, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Kiyonari
- Laboratory for Animal Resources and Genetic Engineering, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan
| | - Kazunari Miyamichi
- Laboratory for Comparative Connectomics, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan; Japan Science and Technology Agency, PRESTO, Kawaguchi, Saitama 332-0012, Japan.
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29
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Choe KY, Bethlehem RAI, Safrin M, Dong H, Salman E, Li Y, Grinevich V, Golshani P, DeNardo LA, Peñagarikano O, Harris NG, Geschwind DH. Oxytocin normalizes altered circuit connectivity for social rescue of the Cntnap2 knockout mouse. Neuron 2022; 110:795-808.e6. [PMID: 34932941 PMCID: PMC8944915 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.11.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2020] [Revised: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The neural basis of abnormal social behavior in autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) remains incompletely understood. Here we used two complementary but independent brain-wide mapping approaches, mouse resting-state fMRI and c-Fos-iDISCO+ imaging, to construct brain-wide activity and connectivity maps of the Cntnap2 knockout (KO) mouse model of ASD. At the macroscale level, we detected reduced functional coupling across social brain regions despite general patterns of hyperconnectivity across major brain structures. Oxytocin administration, which rescues social deficits in KO mice, strongly stimulated many brain areas and normalized connectivity patterns. Notably, chemogenetically triggered release of endogenous oxytocin strongly stimulated the nucleus accumbens (NAc), a forebrain nucleus implicated in social reward. Furthermore, NAc-targeted approaches to activate local oxytocin receptors sufficiently rescued their social deficits. Our findings establish circuit- and systems-level mechanisms of social deficits in Cntnap2 KO mice and reveal the NAc as a region that can be modulated by oxytocin to promote social interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrina Y Choe
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Center for Autism Research and Treatment, Semel Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada.
| | - Richard A I Bethlehem
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0SZ, UK
| | - Martin Safrin
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Hongmei Dong
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Elena Salman
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Ying Li
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Valery Grinevich
- Department of Neuropeptide Research for Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim 68159, Germany
| | - Peyman Golshani
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Center for Autism Research and Treatment, Semel Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Laura A DeNardo
- Department of Physiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Olga Peñagarikano
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Vizcaya 48940, Spain
| | - Neil G Harris
- Department of Neurosurgery, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Daniel H Geschwind
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Center for Autism Research and Treatment, Semel Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
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30
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Bowling DL, Gahr J, Ancochea PG, Hoeschele M, Canoine V, Fusani L, Fitch WT. Endogenous oxytocin, cortisol, and testosterone in response to group singing. Horm Behav 2022; 139:105105. [PMID: 34999566 PMCID: PMC8915780 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2021.105105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2021] [Revised: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Humans have sung together for thousands of years. Today, regular participation in group singing is associated with benefits across psychological and biological dimensions of human health. Here we examine the hypothesis that a portion of these benefits stem from changes in endocrine activity associated with affiliation and social bonding. Working with a young adult choir (n = 71), we measured changes salivary concentrations of oxytocin, cortisol, and testosterone from before and after four experimental conditions crossing two factors: vocal production mode (singing vs. speaking) and social context (together vs. alone). Salivary oxytocin and cortisol decreased from before to after the experimental manipulations. For oxytocin the magnitude of this decrease was significantly smaller after singing compared to speaking, resulting in concentrations that were significantly elevated after singing together compared to speaking together, after controlling for baseline differences. In contrast, the magnitude of the salivary cortisol decreases was the same across experimental manipulations, and although large, could not be separated from diurnal cycling. No significant effects were found in a low-powered exploratory evaluation of testosterone (tested only in males). At a psychological level, we found that singing stimulates greater positive shifts in self-perceived affect compared to speaking-particularly when performed together-and that singing together enhances feelings of social connection more than speaking together. Finally, measurements of heart rate made for a subset of participants provide preliminary evidence regarding physical exertion levels across conditions. These results are discussed in the context of a growing multidisciplinary literature on the endocrinological correlates of musical behavior. We conclude that singing together can have biological and psychological effects associated with affiliation and social bonding, and that these effects extend beyond comparable but non-musical group activities. However, we also note that these effects appear heavily influenced by broader contextual factors that shape social dynamics, such as stress levels, the intimacy of interactions, and the status of existing relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- D L Bowling
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, United States of America; Department of Behavioral & Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Austria.
| | - J Gahr
- Department of Behavioral & Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Austria
| | - P Graf Ancochea
- Department of Behavioral & Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Austria
| | - M Hoeschele
- Department of Behavioral & Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Austria; Acoustics Research Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Austria
| | - V Canoine
- Department of Behavioral & Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Austria
| | - L Fusani
- Department of Behavioral & Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Austria; Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | - W T Fitch
- Department of Behavioral & Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Austria; CogSci Hub University of Vienna, Austria
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31
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Royo M, Escolano BA, Madrigal MP, Jurado S. AMPA Receptor Function in Hypothalamic Synapses. Front Synaptic Neurosci 2022; 14:833449. [PMID: 35173598 PMCID: PMC8842481 DOI: 10.3389/fnsyn.2022.833449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2021] [Accepted: 01/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
AMPA receptors (AMPARs) are critical for mediating glutamatergic synaptic transmission and plasticity, thus playing a major role in the molecular machinery underlying cellular substrates of memory and learning. Their expression pattern, transport and regulatory mechanisms have been extensively studied in the hippocampus, but their functional properties in other brain regions remain poorly understood. Interestingly, electrophysiological and molecular evidence has confirmed a prominent role of AMPARs in the regulation of hypothalamic function. This review summarizes the existing evidence on AMPAR-mediated transmission in the hypothalamus, where they are believed to orchestrate the role of glutamatergic transmission in autonomous, neuroendocrine function, body homeostasis, and social behavior.
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32
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Wei F, Zhang L, Ma B, Li W, Deng X, Zheng T, Wang X, Jing Y. Oxytocin system driven by experiences modifies social recognition and neuron morphology in female BALB/c mice. Peptides 2021; 146:170659. [PMID: 34571057 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2021.170659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Revised: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The oxytocin (OT) system, affected by life experiences, modulates neuron morphology in a sex-specific manner, leading to sex differences in social interactions. To date, few studies have focused on the OT system and social interactions of female mice. In this study, we used maternal deprivation (MD) and its possible treatment, environmental enrichment (EE), to affect social recognition in female BALB/c mice. We checked neuron morphology, synaptic connections, oxytocinergic (OTergic) neurons in the hypothalamus paraventricular nucleus (PVH), and OT receptor (OTR) in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) and layer II/III of the prelimbic cortex (PL). Our results showed that MD induced social recognition impairments, increased OTR levels in the BLA, and, meanwhile, reduced OTergic neurons in the magnocellular region of the PVH (mPVH). Decreased Nissl bodies, increased cell nuclei, and increased dendrites of projection neurons paralleled the increased OTR levels in the BLA of MD mice. EE restored MD-induced the impairments of novel object recognition and sociability; this effect paralleled a decrease in cell density in the PL and an increase in OTergic neurons in the parvocellular regions of the PVH and synaptic connections in the BLA and layer II/III of the PL. Our findings indicate that early life stress such as MD impairs social recognition, and meanwhile, remodels neuron morphology region-specifically in the female brain, apparently in the BLA but slightly in the PL; and EE could partially restore the deficits induced by MD. The results provide new insights into sex differences in the prevalence of psychological development disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fengmei Wei
- Department of Physiology and Psychology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu Province, 730000, PR China; Institute of Anatomy and Histology & Embryology, Neuroscience, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730000, PR China
| | - Lang Zhang
- Institute of Anatomy and Histology & Embryology, Neuroscience, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730000, PR China
| | - Bo Ma
- Institute of Anatomy and Histology & Embryology, Neuroscience, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730000, PR China
| | - Wenhao Li
- Institute of Anatomy and Histology & Embryology, Neuroscience, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730000, PR China
| | - Xiao Deng
- Institute of Anatomy and Histology & Embryology, Neuroscience, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730000, PR China
| | - Tingjuan Zheng
- Institute of Anatomy and Histology & Embryology, Neuroscience, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730000, PR China
| | - Xiaohui Wang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, Gansu Province, 730000, PR China
| | - Yuhong Jing
- Institute of Anatomy and Histology & Embryology, Neuroscience, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730000, PR China; Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730000, PR China.
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33
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Bertoni A, Schaller F, Tyzio R, Gaillard S, Santini F, Xolin M, Diabira D, Vaidyanathan R, Matarazzo V, Medina I, Hammock E, Zhang J, Chini B, Gaiarsa JL, Muscatelli F. Oxytocin administration in neonates shapes hippocampal circuitry and restores social behavior in a mouse model of autism. Mol Psychiatry 2021; 26:7582-7595. [PMID: 34290367 PMCID: PMC8872977 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-021-01227-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Revised: 06/28/2021] [Accepted: 07/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Oxytocin is an important regulator of the social brain. In some animal models of autism, notably in Magel2tm1.1Mus-deficient mice, peripheral administration of oxytocin in infancy improves social behaviors until adulthood. However, neither the mechanisms responsible for social deficits nor the mechanisms by which such oxytocin administration has long-term effects are known. Here, we aimed to clarify these oxytocin-dependent mechanisms, focusing on social memory performance. Using in situ hybridization (RNAscope), we have established that Magel2 and oxytocin receptor are co-expressed in the dentate gyrus and CA2/CA3 hippocampal regions involved in the circuitry underlying social memory. Then, we have shown that Magel2tm1.1Mus-deficient mice, evaluated in a three-chamber test, present a deficit in social memory. Next, in hippocampus, we conducted neuroanatomical and functional studies using immunostaining, oxytocin-binding experiments, ex vivo electrophysiological recordings, calcium imaging and biochemical studies. We demonstrated: an increase of the GABAergic activity of CA3-pyramidal cells associated with an increase in the quantity of oxytocin receptors and of somatostatin interneurons in both DG and CA2/CA3 regions. We also revealed a delay in the GABAergic development sequence in Magel2tm1.1Mus-deficient pups, linked to phosphorylation modifications of KCC2. Above all, we demonstrated the positive effects of subcutaneous administration of oxytocin in the mutant neonates, restoring hippocampal alterations and social memory at adulthood. Although clinical trials are debated, this study highlights the mechanisms by which peripheral oxytocin administration in neonates impacts the brain and demonstrates the therapeutic value of oxytocin to treat infants with autism spectrum disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Bertoni
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM) UMR 1249, Institut de Neurobiologie de la Méditerranée (INMED), Institut Marseille Maladies Rares (MarMaRa), Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France
| | - Fabienne Schaller
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM) UMR 1249, Institut de Neurobiologie de la Méditerranée (INMED), Institut Marseille Maladies Rares (MarMaRa), Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France
| | - Roman Tyzio
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM) UMR 1249, Institut de Neurobiologie de la Méditerranée (INMED), Institut Marseille Maladies Rares (MarMaRa), Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France
| | | | - Francesca Santini
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council (CNR), Vedano al Lambro, Italy. Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Marion Xolin
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM) UMR 1249, Institut de Neurobiologie de la Méditerranée (INMED), Institut Marseille Maladies Rares (MarMaRa), Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France
| | - Diabé Diabira
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM) UMR 1249, Institut de Neurobiologie de la Méditerranée (INMED), Institut Marseille Maladies Rares (MarMaRa), Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France
| | | | - Valery Matarazzo
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM) UMR 1249, Institut de Neurobiologie de la Méditerranée (INMED), Institut Marseille Maladies Rares (MarMaRa), Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France
| | - Igor Medina
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM) UMR 1249, Institut de Neurobiologie de la Méditerranée (INMED), Institut Marseille Maladies Rares (MarMaRa), Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France
| | | | - Jinwei Zhang
- Institute of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine and Health, Hatherly Laboratories, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Bice Chini
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council (CNR), Vedano al Lambro, Italy. NeuroMI Center for Neuroscience, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Jean-Luc Gaiarsa
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM) UMR 1249, Institut de Neurobiologie de la Méditerranée (INMED), Institut Marseille Maladies Rares (MarMaRa), Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France
| | - Françoise Muscatelli
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM) UMR 1249, Institut de Neurobiologie de la Méditerranée (INMED), Institut Marseille Maladies Rares (MarMaRa), Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France.
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34
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Grinevich V, Ludwig M. The multiple faces of the oxytocin and vasopressin systems in the brain. J Neuroendocrinol 2021; 33:e13004. [PMID: 34218479 DOI: 10.1111/jne.13004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Revised: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Classically, hypothalamic neuroendocrine cells that synthesise oxytocin and vasopressin were categorised in two major cell types: the magnocellular and parvocellular neurones. It was assumed that magnocellular neurones project exclusively to the pituitary gland where they release oxytocin and vasopressin into the systemic circulation. The parvocellular neurones, on the other hand, project within the brain to regulate discrete brain circuitries and behaviours. Within the last few years, it has become evident that the classical view of these projections is outdated. It is now clear that oxytocin and vasopressin in the brain are released extrasynaptically from dendrites and from varicosities in distant axons. The peptides act principally to modulate information transfer through conventional synapses (such as glutamate synapses) by actions at respective receptors that may be preferentially localised to synaptic regions (on either side of the synapse) to alter the 'gain' of conventional synapses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valery Grinevich
- Department of Neuropeptide Research in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
- Centre for Neuroinflammation and Cardiometabolic Diseases, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Mike Ludwig
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Centre for Neuroendocrinology, Department of Immunology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
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Pavăl D, Micluția IV. The Dopamine Hypothesis of Autism Spectrum Disorder Revisited: Current Status and Future Prospects. Dev Neurosci 2021; 43:73-83. [PMID: 34010842 DOI: 10.1159/000515751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) comprises a group of neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by social deficits and stereotyped behaviors. Despite intensive research, its etiopathogenesis remains largely unclear. Although studies consistently reported dopaminergic anomalies, a coherent dopaminergic model of ASD was lacking until recently. In 2017, we provided a theoretical framework for a "dopamine hypothesis of ASD" which proposed that autistic behavior arises from a dysfunctional midbrain dopaminergic system. Namely, we hypothesized that malfunction of 2 critical circuits originating in the midbrain, that is, the mesocorticolimbic and nigrostriatal pathways, generates the core behavioral features of ASD. Moreover, we provided key predictions of our model along with testing means. Since then, a notable number of studies referenced our work and numerous others provided support for our model. To account for these developments, we review all these recent data and discuss their implications. Furthermore, in the light of these new insights, we further refine and reconceptualize our model, debating on the possibility that various etiologies of ASD converge upon a dysfunctional midbrain dopaminergic system. In addition, we discuss future prospects, providing new means of testing our hypothesis, as well as its limitations. Along these lines, we aimed to provide a model which, if confirmed, could provide a better understanding of the etiopathogenesis of ASD along with new therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denis Pavăl
- Psychiatry Clinic, Emergency County Hospital, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Ioana Valentina Micluția
- Department of Psychiatry, "Iuliu Hațieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
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36
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Abstract
Oxytocin regulates parturition, lactation, parental nurturing, and many other social behaviors in both sexes. The circuit mechanisms by which oxytocin modulates social behavior are receiving increasing attention. Here, we review recent studies on oxytocin modulation of neural circuit function and social behavior, largely enabled by new methods of monitoring and manipulating oxytocin or oxytocin receptor neurons in vivo. These studies indicate that oxytocin can enhance the salience of social stimuli and increase signal-to-noise ratios by modulating spiking and synaptic plasticity in the context of circuits and networks. We highlight oxytocin effects on social behavior in nontraditional organisms such as prairie voles and discuss opportunities to enhance the utility of these organisms for studying circuit-level modulation of social behaviors. We then discuss recent insights into oxytocin neuron activity during social interactions. We conclude by discussing some of the major questions and opportunities in the field ahead.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert C Froemke
- Skirball Institute, Neuroscience Institute, and Departments of Otolaryngology and Neuroscience and Physiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; .,Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Larry J Young
- Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, and Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30329, USA.,Center for Social Neural Networks, Faculty of Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8577, Japan.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA
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37
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Sundaram SM, Schwaninger M. Parvocellular Oxytocin Neurons and Autism Spectrum Disorders. Trends Endocrinol Metab 2021; 32:195-197. [PMID: 33546964 DOI: 10.1016/j.tem.2021.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The underlying mechanism of oxytocin (OT) neurons in the development of social interaction remains unclear. In a recent study, Lewis et al. characterized OT neuronal subtypes and provided evidence that expression of the autism spectrum disorder (ASD) gene Fmr1 in parvocellular OT neurons is essential for peer-peer but not filial social interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sivaraj Mohana Sundaram
- University of Luebeck, Institute for Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Ratzeburger Allee 160, 23562 Luebeck, Germany.
| | - Markus Schwaninger
- University of Luebeck, Institute for Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Ratzeburger Allee 160, 23562 Luebeck, Germany.
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38
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Arakawa H. Dynamic regulation of oxytocin neuronal circuits in the sequential processes of prosocial behavior in rodent models. CURRENT RESEARCH IN NEUROBIOLOGY 2021; 2:100011. [PMID: 36246512 PMCID: PMC9559098 DOI: 10.1016/j.crneur.2021.100011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2021] [Revised: 03/08/2021] [Accepted: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
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