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Cattani A, Arnold DB, McCarthy M, Kopell N. Basolateral amygdala oscillations enable fear learning in a biophysical model. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.04.28.538604. [PMID: 37163011 PMCID: PMC10168360 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.28.538604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
The basolateral amygdala (BLA) is a key site where fear learning takes place through synaptic plasticity. Rodent research shows prominent low theta (~3-6 Hz), high theta (~6-12 Hz), and gamma (>30 Hz) rhythms in the BLA local field potential recordings. However, it is not understood what role these rhythms play in supporting the plasticity. Here, we create a biophysically detailed model of the BLA circuit to show that several classes of interneurons (PV, SOM, and VIP) in the BLA can be critically involved in producing the rhythms; these rhythms promote the formation of a dedicated fear circuit shaped through spike-timing-dependent plasticity. Each class of interneurons is necessary for the plasticity. We find that the low theta rhythm is a biomarker of successful fear conditioning. The model makes use of interneurons commonly found in the cortex and, hence, may apply to a wide variety of associative learning situations.
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Feng J, Wang X, Pan M, Li CX, Zhang Z, Sun M, Liao T, Wang Z, Luo J, Shi L, Chen YJ, Li HF, Xu J. The Medial Prefrontal Cortex-Basolateral Amygdala Circuit Mediates Anxiety in Shank3 InsG3680 Knock-in Mice. Neurosci Bull 2024:10.1007/s12264-024-01280-5. [PMID: 39207622 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-024-01280-5] [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: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Anxiety disorder is a major symptom of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) with a comorbidity rate of ~40%. However, the neural mechanisms of the emergence of anxiety in ASD remain unclear. In our study, we found that hyperactivity of basolateral amygdala (BLA) pyramidal neurons (PNs) in Shank3 InsG3680 knock-in (InsG3680+/+) mice is involved in the development of anxiety. Electrophysiological results also showed increased excitatory input and decreased inhibitory input in BLA PNs. Chemogenetic inhibition of the excitability of PNs in the BLA rescued the anxiety phenotype of InsG3680+/+ mice. Further study found that the diminished control of the BLA by medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and optogenetic activation of the mPFC-BLA pathway also had a rescue effect, which increased the feedforward inhibition of the BLA. Taken together, our results suggest that hyperactivity of the BLA and alteration of the mPFC-BLA circuitry are involved in anxiety in InsG3680+/+ mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiabin Feng
- Department of Rehabilitation of Children's Hospital and School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Hangzhou, 310003, China
- Liangzhu Laboratory, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, State Key Laboratory of Brain-machine Intelligence, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 311121, China
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Xiaojun Wang
- Department of Rehabilitation of Children's Hospital and School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Hangzhou, 310003, China
- Liangzhu Laboratory, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, State Key Laboratory of Brain-machine Intelligence, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 311121, China
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Meidie Pan
- Liangzhu Laboratory, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, State Key Laboratory of Brain-machine Intelligence, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 311121, China
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Chen-Xi Li
- Department of Rehabilitation of Children's Hospital and School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Hangzhou, 310003, China
| | - Zhe Zhang
- Department of Rehabilitation of Children's Hospital and School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Hangzhou, 310003, China
- Liangzhu Laboratory, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, State Key Laboratory of Brain-machine Intelligence, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 311121, China
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Meng Sun
- Department of Rehabilitation of Children's Hospital and School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Hangzhou, 310003, China
- Liangzhu Laboratory, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, State Key Laboratory of Brain-machine Intelligence, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 311121, China
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Tailin Liao
- Liangzhu Laboratory, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, State Key Laboratory of Brain-machine Intelligence, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 311121, China
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Ziyi Wang
- Innovative Institute of Basic Medical Sciences of Zhejiang University (Yuhang), Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Jianhong Luo
- Department of Rehabilitation of Children's Hospital and School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Hangzhou, 310003, China
- Liangzhu Laboratory, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, State Key Laboratory of Brain-machine Intelligence, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 311121, China
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Lei Shi
- JNU-HKUST Joint Laboratory for Neuroscience and Innovative Drug Research, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Yu-Jing Chen
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Xuanwu Hospital of Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China.
| | - Hai-Feng Li
- Department of Rehabilitation of Children's Hospital and School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Hangzhou, 310003, China.
| | - Junyu Xu
- Department of Rehabilitation of Children's Hospital and School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Hangzhou, 310003, China.
- Liangzhu Laboratory, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, State Key Laboratory of Brain-machine Intelligence, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 311121, China.
- Pillar of STEM Education, College of Education Sciences, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, 511453, China.
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Salamanca G, Tagliavia C, Grandis A, Graïc JM, Cozzi B, Bombardi C. Distribution of vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) immunoreactivity in the rat pallial and subpallial amygdala and colocalization with γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA). Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2024; 307:2891-2911. [PMID: 38263752 DOI: 10.1002/ar.25390] [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: 09/21/2023] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 01/25/2024]
Abstract
The amygdaloid complex, also known as the amygdala, is a heterogeneous group of distinct nuclear and cortical pallial and subpallial structures. The amygdala plays an important role in several complex functions including emotional behavior and learning. The expression of calcium-binding proteins and peptides in GABAergic neurons located in the pallial and subpallial amygdala is not uniform and is sometimes restricted to specific groups of cells. Vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) is present in specific subpopulations of GABAergic cells in the amygdala. VIP immunoreactivity has been observed in somatodendritic and axonal profiles of the rat basolateral and central amygdala. However, a comprehensive analysis of the distribution of VIP immunoreactivity in the various pallial and subpallial structures is currently lacking. The present study used immunohistochemical and morphometric techniques to analyze the distribution and the neuronal localization of VIP immunoreactivity in the rat pallial and subpallial amygdala. In the pallial amygdala, VIP-IR neurons are local inhibitory interneurons that presumably directly and indirectly regulate the activity of excitatory pyramidal neurons. In the subpallial amygdala, VIP immunoreactivity is expressed in several inhibitory cell types, presumably acting as projection or local interneurons. The distribution of VIP immunoreactivity is non-homogeneous throughout the different areas of the amygdaloid complex, suggesting a distinct influence of this neuropeptide on local neuronal circuits and, consequently, on the cognitive, emotional, behavioral and endocrine activities mediated by the amygdala.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Salamanca
- Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - C Tagliavia
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Teramo, Teramo, Italy
| | - A Grandis
- Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - J M Graïc
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padova, Legnaro, Italy
| | - B Cozzi
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padova, Legnaro, Italy
| | - C Bombardi
- Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
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Han RW, Zhang ZY, Jiao C, Hu ZY, Pan BX. Synergism between two BLA-to-BNST pathways for appropriate expression of anxiety-like behaviors in male mice. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3455. [PMID: 38658548 PMCID: PMC11043328 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47966-2] [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: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Understanding how distinct functional circuits are coordinated to fine-tune mood and behavior is of fundamental importance. Here, we observe that within the dense projections from basolateral amygdala (BLA) to bed nucleus of stria terminalis (BNST), there are two functionally opposing pathways orchestrated to enable contextually appropriate expression of anxiety-like behaviors in male mice. Specifically, the anterior BLA neurons predominantly innervate the anterodorsal BNST (adBNST), while their posterior counterparts send massive fibers to oval BNST (ovBNST) with moderate to adBNST. Optogenetic activation of the anterior and posterior BLA inputs oppositely regulated the activity of adBNST neurons and anxiety-like behaviors, via disengaging and engaging the inhibitory ovBNST-to-adBNST microcircuit, respectively. Importantly, the two pathways exhibited synchronized but opposite responses to both anxiolytic and anxiogenic stimuli, partially due to their mutual inhibition within BLA and the different inputs they receive. These findings reveal synergistic interactions between two BLA-to-BNST pathways for appropriate anxiety expression with ongoing environmental demands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ren-Wen Han
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institute of Biomedical Innovation, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China.
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China.
| | - Zi-Yi Zhang
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institute of Biomedical Innovation, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
- College of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
| | - Chen Jiao
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institute of Biomedical Innovation, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
- College of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
| | - Ze-Yu Hu
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institute of Biomedical Innovation, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
- College of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
| | - Bing-Xing Pan
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institute of Biomedical Innovation, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China.
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China.
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Amaya KA, Teboul E, Weiss GL, Antonoudiou P, Maguire JL. Basolateral amygdala parvalbumin interneurons coordinate oscillations to drive reward behaviors. Curr Biol 2024; 34:1561-1568.e4. [PMID: 38479389 PMCID: PMC11003843 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.02.041] [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: 10/04/2023] [Revised: 12/26/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
The basolateral amygdala (BLA) mediates both fear and reward learning.1,2 Previous work has shown that parvalbumin (PV) interneurons in the BLA contribute to BLA oscillatory states integral to fear expression.3,4,5,6,7 However, despite it being critical to our understanding of reward behaviors, it is unknown whether BLA oscillatory states and PV interneurons similarly contribute to reward processing. Local field potentials in the BLA were collected as male and female mice consumed sucrose reward, where prominent changes in the beta band (15-30 Hz) emerged with reward experience. During consumption of one water bottle during a two-water-bottle choice test, rhythmic optogenetic stimulation of BLA PVs produced a robust bottle preference, showing that PVs can sufficiently drive reward seeking. Finally, to demonstrate that PV activity is necessary for reward value use, PVs were chemogenetically inhibited following outcome devaluation, rendering mice incapable of using updated reward representations to guide their behavior. Taken together, these experiments provide novel information about the physiological signatures of reward while highlighting BLA PV interneuron contributions to behaviors that are BLA dependent. This work builds upon established knowledge of PV involvement in fear expression and provides evidence that PV orchestration of unique BLA network states is involved in both learning types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth A Amaya
- Department of Neuroscience, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02111, USA.
| | - Eric Teboul
- Department of Neuroscience, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02111, USA
| | - Grant L Weiss
- Department of Neuroscience, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02111, USA
| | - Pantelis Antonoudiou
- Department of Neuroscience, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02111, USA
| | - Jamie L Maguire
- Department of Neuroscience, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02111, USA
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McDonald AJ. Functional neuroanatomy of basal forebrain projections to the basolateral amygdala: Transmitters, receptors, and neuronal subpopulations. J Neurosci Res 2024; 102:e25318. [PMID: 38491847 PMCID: PMC10948038 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.25318] [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: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 01/20/2024] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024]
Abstract
The projections of the basal forebrain (BF) to the hippocampus and neocortex have been extensively studied and shown to be important for higher cognitive functions, including attention, learning, and memory. Much less is known about the BF projections to the basolateral nuclear complex of the amygdala (BNC), although the cholinergic innervation of this region by the BF is actually far more robust than that of cortical areas. This review will focus on light and electron microscopic tract-tracing and immunohistochemical (IHC) studies, many of which were published in the last decade, that have analyzed the relationship of BF inputs and their receptors to specific neuronal subtypes in the BNC in order to better understand the anatomical substrates of BF-BNC circuitry. The results indicate that BF inputs to the BNC mainly target the basolateral nucleus of the BNC (BL) and arise from cholinergic, GABAergic, and perhaps glutamatergic BF neurons. Cholinergic inputs mainly target dendrites and spines of pyramidal neurons (PNs) that express muscarinic receptors (MRs). MRs are also expressed by cholinergic axons, as well as cortical and thalamic axons that synapse with PN dendrites and spines. BF GABAergic axons to the BL also express MRs and mainly target BL interneurons that contain parvalbumin. It is suggested that BF-BL circuitry could be very important for generating rhythmic oscillations known to be critical for emotional learning. BF cholinergic inputs to the BNC might also contribute to memory formation by activating M1 receptors located on PN dendritic shafts and spines that also express NMDA receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Joseph McDonald
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, South Carolina, USA
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Asim M, Wang H, Chen X, He J. Potentiated GABAergic neuronal activities in the basolateral amygdala alleviate stress-induced depressive behaviors. CNS Neurosci Ther 2024; 30:e14422. [PMID: 37715582 PMCID: PMC10915993 DOI: 10.1111/cns.14422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2022] [Revised: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/17/2023] Open
Abstract
AIMS Major depressive disorder is a severe psychiatric disorder that afflicts ~17% of the world population. Neuroimaging investigations of depressed patients have consistently reported the dysfunction of the basolateral amygdala in the pathophysiology of depression. However, how the BLA and related circuits are implicated in the pathogenesis of depression is poorly understood. METHODS Here, we combined fiber photometry, immediate early gene expression (c-fos), optogenetics, chemogenetics, behavioral analysis, and viral tracing techniques to provide multiple lines of evidence of how the BLA neurons mediate depressive-like behavior. RESULTS We demonstrated that the aversive stimuli elevated the neuronal activity of the excitatory BLA neurons (BLACAMKII neurons). Optogenetic activation of CAMKII neurons facilitates the induction of depressive-like behavior while inhibition of these neurons alleviates the depressive-like behavior. Next, we found that the chemogenetic inhibition of GABAergic neurons in the BLA (BLAGABA ) increased the firing frequency of CAMKII neurons and mediates the depressive-like phenotypes. Finally, through fiber photometry recording and chemogenetic manipulation, we proved that the activation of BLAGABA neurons inhibits BLACAMKII neuronal activity and alleviates depressive-like behavior in the mice. CONCLUSION Thus, through evaluating BLAGABA and BLACAMKII neurons by distinct interaction, the BLA regulates depressive-like behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Asim
- Department of NeuroscienceCity University of Hong KongKowloon TongPeople's Republic of China
- Department of Biomedical ScienceCity University of Hong KongKowloon TongPeople's Republic of China
| | - Huajie Wang
- Department of NeuroscienceCity University of Hong KongKowloon TongPeople's Republic of China
- Department of Biomedical ScienceCity University of Hong KongKowloon TongPeople's Republic of China
| | - Xi Chen
- Department of NeuroscienceCity University of Hong KongKowloon TongPeople's Republic of China
- City University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Research InstituteShenzhenPeople's Republic of China
| | - Jufang He
- Department of NeuroscienceCity University of Hong KongKowloon TongPeople's Republic of China
- City University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Research InstituteShenzhenPeople's Republic of China
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Pereira PA, Tavares M, Laires M, Mota B, Madeira MD, Paula-Barbosa MM, Cardoso A. Effects of Aging and Nerve Growth Factor on Neuropeptide Expression and Cholinergic Innervation of the Rat Basolateral Amygdala. BIOLOGY 2024; 13:155. [PMID: 38534426 DOI: 10.3390/biology13030155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2024] [Revised: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024]
Abstract
The basolateral amygdala (BLA) contains interneurons that express neuropeptide Y (NPY) and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP), both of which are involved in the regulation of functions and behaviors that undergo deterioration with aging. There is considerable evidence that, in some brain areas, the expression of NPY and VIP might be modulated by acetylcholine. Importantly, the BLA is one of the brain regions that has one of the densest cholinergic innervations, which arise mainly from the basal forebrain cholinergic neurons. These cholinergic neurons depend on nerve growth factor (NGF) for their survival, connectivity, and function. Thus, in this study, we sought to determine if aging alters the densities of NPY- and VIP-positive neurons and cholinergic varicosities in the BLA and, in the affirmative, if those changes might rely on insufficient trophic support provided by NGF. The number of NPY-positive neurons was significantly reduced in aged rats, whereas the number of VIP-immunoreactive neurons was unaltered. The decreased NPY expression was fully reversed by the infusion of NGF in the lateral ventricle. The density of cholinergic varicosities was similar in adult and old rats. On the other hand, the density of cholinergic varicosities is significantly higher in old rats treated with NGF than in adult and old rats. Our results indicate a dissimilar resistance of different populations of BLA interneurons to aging. Furthermore, the present data also show that the BLA cholinergic innervation is particularly resistant to aging effects. Finally, our results also show that the reduced NPY expression in the BLA of aged rats can be related to changes in the NGF neurotrophic support.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro A Pereira
- Unit of Anatomy, Department of Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Alameda Professor Hernâni Monteiro, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
- NeuroGen Research Group, Center for Health Technology and Services Research (CINTESIS), Rua Dr. Plácido da Costa, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal
- CINTESIS@RISE, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Alameda Professor Hernâni Monteiro, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
| | - Marta Tavares
- Unit of Anatomy, Department of Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Alameda Professor Hernâni Monteiro, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
| | - Miguel Laires
- Unit of Anatomy, Department of Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Alameda Professor Hernâni Monteiro, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
| | - Bárbara Mota
- Unit of Anatomy, Department of Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Alameda Professor Hernâni Monteiro, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
| | - Maria Dulce Madeira
- Unit of Anatomy, Department of Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Alameda Professor Hernâni Monteiro, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
- NeuroGen Research Group, Center for Health Technology and Services Research (CINTESIS), Rua Dr. Plácido da Costa, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal
- CINTESIS@RISE, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Alameda Professor Hernâni Monteiro, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
| | - Manuel M Paula-Barbosa
- Unit of Anatomy, Department of Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Alameda Professor Hernâni Monteiro, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
| | - Armando Cardoso
- Unit of Anatomy, Department of Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Alameda Professor Hernâni Monteiro, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
- NeuroGen Research Group, Center for Health Technology and Services Research (CINTESIS), Rua Dr. Plácido da Costa, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal
- CINTESIS@RISE, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Alameda Professor Hernâni Monteiro, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
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Kang SJ, Kim JH, Kim DI, Roberts BZ, Han S. A pontomesencephalic PACAPergic pathway underlying panic-like behavioral and somatic symptoms in mice. Nat Neurosci 2024; 27:90-101. [PMID: 38177337 PMCID: PMC11195305 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-023-01504-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
Panic disorder is characterized by uncontrollable fear accompanied by somatic symptoms that distinguish it from other anxiety disorders. Neural mechanisms underlying these unique symptoms are not completely understood. Here, we report that the pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP)-expressing neurons in the lateral parabrachial nucleus projecting to the dorsal raphe are crucial for panic-like behavioral and physiological alterations. These neurons are activated by panicogenic stimuli but inhibited in conditioned fear and anxiogenic conditions. Activating these neurons elicits strong defensive behaviors and rapid cardiorespiratory increase without creating aversive memory, whereas inhibiting them attenuates panic-associated symptoms. Chemogenetic or pharmacological inhibition of downstream PACAP receptor-expressing dorsal raphe neurons abolishes panic-like symptoms. The pontomesencephalic PACAPergic pathway is therefore a likely mediator of panicogenesis, and may be a promising therapeutic target for treating panic disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sukjae J Kang
- Peptide Biology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Jong-Hyun Kim
- Peptide Biology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Center for Cognition and Sociality, Institute for Basic Science, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Dong-Il Kim
- Peptide Biology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Benjamin Z Roberts
- Peptide Biology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Sung Han
- Peptide Biology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA.
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
- Center for Neuroscience Imaging Research, Institute for Basic Science, Suwon, Republic of Korea.
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Republic of Korea.
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Kalinowski D, Bogus-Nowakowska K, Kozłowska A, Równiak M. The Co-Expression Pattern of Calcium-Binding Proteins with γ-Aminobutyric Acid and Glutamate Transporters in the Amygdala of the Guinea Pig: Evidence for Glutamatergic Subpopulations. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:15025. [PMID: 37834473 PMCID: PMC10573686 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241915025] [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: 08/04/2023] [Revised: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The amygdala has large populations of neurons utilizing specific calcium-binding proteins such as parvalbumin (PV), calbindin (CB), or calretinin (CR). They are considered specialized subsets of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) interneurons; however, many of these cells are devoid of GABA or glutamate decarboxylase. The neurotransmitters used by GABA-immunonegative cells are still unknown, but it is suggested that a part may use glutamate. Thus, this study investigates in the amygdala of the guinea pig relationships between PV, CB, or CR-containing cells and GABA transporter (VGAT) or glutamate transporter type 2 (VGLUT2), markers of GABAergic and glutamatergic neurons, respectively. The results show that although most neurons using PV, CB, and CR co-expressed VGAT, each of these populations also had a fraction of VGLUT2 co-expressing cells. For almost all neurons using PV (~90%) co-expressed VGAT, while ~1.5% of them had VGLUT2. The proportion of neurons using CB and VGAT was smaller than that for PV (~80%), while the percentage of cells with VGLUT2 was larger (~4.5%). Finally, only half of the neurons using CR (~53%) co-expressed VGAT, while ~3.5% of them had VGLUT2. In conclusion, the populations of neurons co-expressing PV, CB, and CR are in the amygdala, primarily GABAergic. However, at least a fraction of neurons in each of them co-express VGLUT2, suggesting that these cells may use glutamate. Moreover, the number of PV-, CB-, and CR-containing neurons that may use glutamate is probably larger as they can utilize VGLUT1 or VGLUT3, which are also present in the amygdala.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Kalinowski
- Department of Animal Anatomy and Physiology, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, pl. Łódzki 3, 10-727 Olsztyn, Poland; (K.B.-N.); (M.R.)
| | - Krystyna Bogus-Nowakowska
- Department of Animal Anatomy and Physiology, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, pl. Łódzki 3, 10-727 Olsztyn, Poland; (K.B.-N.); (M.R.)
| | - Anna Kozłowska
- Department of Human Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Warszawska 30, 10-082 Olsztyn, Poland;
| | - Maciej Równiak
- Department of Animal Anatomy and Physiology, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, pl. Łódzki 3, 10-727 Olsztyn, Poland; (K.B.-N.); (M.R.)
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McDonald AJ. Functional neuroanatomy of monoaminergic systems in the basolateral nuclear complex of the amygdala: Neuronal targets, receptors, and circuits. J Neurosci Res 2023; 101:1409-1432. [PMID: 37166098 PMCID: PMC10524224 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.25201] [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: 01/03/2023] [Revised: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/21/2023] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
This review discusses neuroanatomical aspects of the three main monoaminergic systems innervating the basolateral nuclear complex (BNC) of the amygdala (serotonergic, noradrenergic, and dopaminergic systems). It mainly focuses on immunohistochemical (IHC) and in situ hybridization (ISH) studies that have analyzed the relationship of specific monoaminergic inputs and their receptors to specific neuronal subtypes in the BNC in order to better understand the anatomical substrates of the monoaminergic modulation of BNC circuitry. First, light and electron microscopic IHC investigations identifying the main BNC neuronal subpopulations and characterizing their local circuitry, including connections with discrete PN compartments and other INs, are reviewed. Then, the relationships of each of the three monoaminergic systems to distinct PN and IN cell types, are examined in detail. For each system, the neuronal targets and their receptor expression are discussed. In addition, pertinent electrophysiological investigations are discussed. The last section of the review compares and contrasts various aspects of each of the three monoaminergic systems. It is concluded that the large number of different receptors, each with a distinct mode of action, expressed by distinct cell types with different connections and functions, should offer innumerable ways to subtlety regulate the activity of the BNC by therapeutic drugs in psychiatric diseases in which there are alterations of BNC monoaminergic modulatory systems, such as in anxiety disorders, depression, and drug addiction. It is suggested that an important area for future studies is to investigate how the three systems interact in concert at the neuronal and neuronal network levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Joseph McDonald
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, South Carolina, USA
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12
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Senba E, Kami K. Exercise therapy for chronic pain: How does exercise change the limbic brain function? NEUROBIOLOGY OF PAIN (CAMBRIDGE, MASS.) 2023; 14:100143. [PMID: 38099274 PMCID: PMC10719519 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynpai.2023.100143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
We are exposed to various external and internal threats which might hurt us. The role of taking flexible and appropriate actions against threats is played by "the limbic system" and at the heart of it there is the ventral tegmental area and nucleus accumbens (brain reward system). Pain-related fear causes excessive excitation of amygdala, which in turn causes the suppression of medial prefrontal cortex, leading to chronification of pain. Since the limbic system of chronic pain patients is functionally impaired, they are maladaptive to their situations, unable to take goal-directed behavior and are easily caught by fear-avoidance thinking. We describe the neural mechanisms how exercise activates the brain reward system and enables chronic pain patients to take goal-directed behavior and overcome fear-avoidance thinking. A key to getting out from chronic pain state is to take advantage of the behavioral switching function of the basal nucleus of amygdala. We show that exercise activates positive neurons in this nucleus which project to the nucleus accumbens and promote reward behavior. We also describe fear conditioning and extinction are affected by exercise. In chronic pain patients, the fear response to pain is enhanced and the extinction of fear memories is impaired, so it is difficult to get out of "fear-avoidance thinking". Prolonged avoidance of movement and physical inactivity exacerbate pain and have detrimental effects on the musculoskeletal and cardiovascular systems. Based on the recent findings on multiple bran networks, we propose a well-balanced exercise prescription considering the adherence and pacing of exercise practice. We conclude that therapies targeting the mesocortico-limbic system, such as exercise therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy, may become promising tools in the fight against chronic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emiko Senba
- Department of Physical Therapy, Osaka Yukioka College of Health Science, 1-1-41 Sojiji, Ibaraki-City, Osaka 567-0801, Japan
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Wakayama Medical University, 811-1 Kimiidera, Wakayama City, Wakayama 641-8509, Japan
| | - Katsuya Kami
- Department of Rehabilitation, Wakayama Faculty of Health Care Sciences, Takarazuka University of Medical and Health Care, 2252 Nakanoshima, Wakayama City, Wakayama 640-8392, Japan
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Wakayama Medical University, 811-1 Kimiidera, Wakayama City, Wakayama 641-8509, Japan
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13
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Joyce MKP, Wang J, Barbas H. Subgenual and Hippocampal Pathways in Amygdala Are Set to Balance Affect and Context Processing. J Neurosci 2023; 43:3061-3080. [PMID: 36977583 PMCID: PMC10146557 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2066-22.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2022] [Revised: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The amygdala, hippocampus, and subgenual cortex area 25 (A25) are engaged in complex cognitive-emotional processes. Yet pathway interactions from hippocampus and A25 with postsynaptic sites in amygdala remain largely unknown. In rhesus monkeys of both sexes, we studied with neural tracers how pathways from A25 and hippocampus interface with excitatory and inhibitory microcircuits in amygdala at multiple scales. We found that both hippocampus and A25 innervate distinct as well as overlapping sites of the basolateral (BL) amygdalar nucleus. Unique hippocampal pathways heavily innervated the intrinsic paralaminar basolateral nucleus, which is associated with plasticity. In contrast, orbital A25 preferentially innervated another intrinsic network, the intercalated masses, an inhibitory reticulum that gates amygdalar autonomic output and inhibits fear-related behaviors. Finally, using high-resolution confocal and electron microscopy (EM), we found that among inhibitory postsynaptic targets in BL, both hippocampal and A25 pathways preferentially formed synapses with calretinin (CR) neurons, which are known for disinhibition and may enhance excitatory drive in the amygdala. Among other inhibitory postsynaptic sites, A25 pathways innervated the powerful parvalbumin (PV) neurons which may flexibly regulate the gain of neuronal assemblies in the BL that affect the internal state. In contrast, hippocampal pathways innervated calbindin (CB) inhibitory neurons, which modulate specific excitatory inputs for processing context and learning correct associations. Common and unique patterns of innervation in amygdala by hippocampus and A25 have implications for how complex cognitive and emotional processes may be selectively disrupted in psychiatric disorders.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The hippocampus, subgenual A25, and amygdala are associated with learning, memory, and emotions. We found that A25 is poised to affect diverse amygdalar processes, from emotional expression to fear learning by innervating the basal complex and the intrinsic intercalated masses. Hippocampal pathways uniquely interacted with another intrinsic amygdalar nucleus which is associated with plasticity, suggesting flexible processing of signals in context for learning. In the basolateral (BL) amygdala, which has a role in fear learning, both hippocampal and A25 interacted preferentially with disinhibitory neurons, suggesting a boost in excitation. The two pathways diverged in innervating other classes of inhibitory neurons, suggesting circuit specificities that could become perturbed in psychiatric diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Kate P Joyce
- Neural Systems Laboratory, Department of Health Sciences, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 022152
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Boston University and School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02118
| | - Jingyi Wang
- Neural Systems Laboratory, Department of Health Sciences, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 022152
| | - Helen Barbas
- Neural Systems Laboratory, Department of Health Sciences, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 022152
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Boston University and School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02118
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02118
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14
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Asim M, Wang H, Waris A. Altered neurotransmission in stress-induced depressive disorders: The underlying role of the amygdala in depression. Neuropeptides 2023; 98:102322. [PMID: 36702033 DOI: 10.1016/j.npep.2023.102322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2022] [Revised: 12/30/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Depression is the second leading cause of disability in the world population, for which currently available pharmacological therapies either have poor efficacy or have some adverse effects. Accumulating evidence from clinical and preclinical studies demonstrates that the amygdala is critically implicated in depressive disorders, though the underlying pathogenesis mechanism needs further investigation. In this literature review, we overviewed depression and the key role of Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and Glutamate neurotransmission in depression. Notably, we discussed a new cholecystokinin-dependent plastic changes mechanism under stress and a possible antidepressant response of cholecystokinin B receptor (CCKBR) antagonist. Moreover, we discussed the fundamental role of the amygdala in depression, to discuss and understand the pathophysiology of depression and the inclusive role of the amygdala in this devastating disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Asim
- Department of Biomedical science, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong 0000, Hong Kong; City University of Hong Kong Shenzhen research institute, Shenzhen 518507, PR China; Department of Neuroscience, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong 0000, Hong Kong.
| | - Huajie Wang
- City University of Hong Kong Shenzhen research institute, Shenzhen 518507, PR China; Department of Neuroscience, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong 0000, Hong Kong
| | - Abdul Waris
- Department of Biomedical science, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong 0000, Hong Kong; City University of Hong Kong Shenzhen research institute, Shenzhen 518507, PR China
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15
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Ahmed N, Paré D. The Basolateral Amygdala Sends a Mixed (GABAergic and Glutamatergic) Projection to the Mediodorsal Thalamic Nucleus. J Neurosci 2023; 43:2104-2115. [PMID: 36788026 PMCID: PMC10039751 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1924-22.2022] [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: 10/11/2022] [Revised: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 02/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The medial prefrontal cortex receives converging inputs from the mediodorsal thalamic nucleus (MD) and basolateral amygdala (BLA). Although many studies reported that the BLA also projects to MD, there is conflicting evidence regarding this projection, with some data suggesting that it originates from GABAergic or glutamatergic neurons. Therefore, the present study aimed to determine the neurotransmitter used by MD-projecting BLA cells in male and female rats. We first examined whether BLA cells retrogradely labeled by Fast Blue infusions in MD are immunopositive for multiple established markers of BLA interneurons. A minority of MD-projecting BLA cells expressed somatostatin (∼22%) or calretinin (∼11%) but not other interneuronal markers, suggesting that BLA neurons projecting to MD not only include glutamatergic cells, but also long-range GABAergic neurons. Second, we examined the responses of MD cells to optogenetic activation of BLA axons using whole-cell recordings in vitro Consistent with our immunohistochemical findings, among responsive MD cells, light stimuli typically elicited isolated EPSPs (73%) or IPSPs (27%) as well as coincident EPSPs and IPSPs (11%). Indicating that these IPSPs were monosynaptic, light-evoked EPSPs and IPSPs had the same latency and the IPSPs persisted in the presence of ionotropic glutamate receptor antagonists. Overall, our results indicate that the BLA sends a mixed, glutamatergic-GABAergic projection to MD, which likely influences coordination of activity between BLA, MD, and medial prefrontal cortex. An important challenge for future studies will be to examine the connections formed by MD-projecting glutamatergic and GABAergic BLA cells with each other and other populations of BLA cells.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The mediodorsal thalamic nucleus (MD) and basolateral amygdala (BLA) send convergent projections to the medial prefrontal cortex. Although many studies reported that the BLA also projects to MD, there is conflicting evidence as to whether this projection is glutamatergic or GABAergic. By combining tract tracing, immunohistochemistry, optogenetics, and patch clamp recordings in vitro, we found that BLA neurons projecting to MD not only include glutamatergic cells, but also long-range GABAergic neurons. Differential recruitment of these two contingents of cells likely influences coordination of activity between the BLA, MD, and medial prefrontal cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nowrin Ahmed
- Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Newark, New Jersey 07102
| | - Denis Paré
- Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Newark, New Jersey 07102
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16
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Ferrara NC, Kwapis JL, Trask S. Memory retrieval, reconsolidation, and extinction: Exploring the boundary conditions of post-conditioning cue exposure. Front Synaptic Neurosci 2023; 15:1146665. [PMID: 36937567 PMCID: PMC10017482 DOI: 10.3389/fnsyn.2023.1146665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Following fear conditioning, behavior can be reduced by giving many CS-alone presentations in a process known as extinction or by presenting a few CS-alone presentations and interfering with subsequent memory reconsolidation. While the two share procedural similarities, both the behavioral outcomes and the neurobiological underpinnings are distinct. Here we review the neural and behavioral mechanisms that produce these separate behavioral reductions, as well as some factors that determine whether or not a retrieval-dependent reconsolidation process or an extinction process will be in effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole C. Ferrara
- Discipline of Physiology and Biophysics, Rosalind Franklin University, North Chicago, IL, United States
- Center for Neurobiology of Stress Resilience and Psychiatric Disorders, Rosalind Franklin University, North Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Janine L. Kwapis
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
| | - Sydney Trask
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
- Purdue Institute for Integrative Neuroscience, West Lafayette, IN, United States
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17
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Makowka S, Mory LN, Mouthon M, Mancini C, Guggisberg AG, Chabwine JN. EEG Beta functional connectivity decrease in the left amygdala correlates with the affective pain in fibromyalgia: A pilot study. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0281986. [PMID: 36802404 PMCID: PMC9943002 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0281986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Fibromyalgia (FM) is a major chronic pain disease with prominent affective disturbances, and pain-associated changes in neurotransmitters activity and in brain connectivity. However, correlates of affective pain dimension lack. The primary goal of this correlational cross-sectional case-control pilot study was to find electrophysiological correlates of the affective pain component in FM. We examined the resting-state EEG spectral power and imaginary coherence in the beta (β) band (supposedly indexing the GABAergic neurotransmission) in 16 female patients with FM and 11 age-adjusted female controls. FM patients displayed lower functional connectivity in the High β (Hβ, 20-30 Hz) sub-band than controls (p = 0.039) in the left basolateral complex of the amygdala (p = 0.039) within the left mesiotemporal area, in particular, in correlation with a higher affective pain component level (r = 0.50, p = 0.049). Patients showed higher Low β (Lβ, 13-20 Hz) relative power than controls in the left prefrontal cortex (p = 0.001), correlated with ongoing pain intensity (r = 0.54, p = 0.032). For the first time, GABA-related connectivity changes correlated with the affective pain component are shown in the amygdala, a region highly involved in the affective regulation of pain. The β power increase in the prefrontal cortex could be compensatory to pain-related GABAergic dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soline Makowka
- Faculty of Science and Medicine, Department of Neuroscience and Movement Science, Laboratory for Neurorehabilitation Science, Medicine Section, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Lliure-Naima Mory
- Faculty of Science and Medicine, Department of Neuroscience and Movement Science, Laboratory for Neurorehabilitation Science, Medicine Section, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
- Neurorehabilitation Division, Fribourg Hospital Meyriez/Murten, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Michael Mouthon
- Faculty of Science and Medicine, Department of Neuroscience and Movement Science, Laboratory for Neurorehabilitation Science, Medicine Section, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Christian Mancini
- Faculty of Science and Medicine, Department of Neuroscience and Movement Science, Laboratory for Neurorehabilitation Science, Medicine Section, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Adrian G. Guggisberg
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Division of Neurorehabilitation, Geneva University Hospital, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Joelle Nsimire Chabwine
- Faculty of Science and Medicine, Department of Neuroscience and Movement Science, Laboratory for Neurorehabilitation Science, Medicine Section, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
- Neurorehabilitation Division, Fribourg Hospital Meyriez/Murten, Fribourg, Switzerland
- * E-mail:
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18
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Singh S, Topolnik L. Inhibitory circuits in fear memory and fear-related disorders. Front Neural Circuits 2023; 17:1122314. [PMID: 37035504 PMCID: PMC10076544 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2023.1122314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Fear learning and memory rely on dynamic interactions between the excitatory and inhibitory neuronal populations that make up the prefrontal cortical, amygdala, and hippocampal circuits. Whereas inhibition of excitatory principal cells (PCs) by GABAergic neurons restrains their excitation, inhibition of GABAergic neurons promotes the excitation of PCs through a process called disinhibition. Specifically, GABAergic interneurons that express parvalbumin (PV+) and somatostatin (SOM+) provide inhibition to different subcellular domains of PCs, whereas those that express the vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP+) facilitate disinhibition of PCs by inhibiting PV+ and SOM+ interneurons. Importantly, although the main connectivity motifs and the underlying network functions of PV+, SOM+, and VIP+ interneurons are replicated across cortical and limbic areas, these inhibitory populations play region-specific roles in fear learning and memory. Here, we provide an overview of the fear processing in the amygdala, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex based on the evidence obtained in human and animal studies. Moreover, focusing on recent findings obtained using genetically defined imaging and intervention strategies, we discuss the population-specific functions of PV+, SOM+, and VIP+ interneurons in fear circuits. Last, we review current insights that integrate the region-specific inhibitory and disinhibitory network patterns into fear memory acquisition and fear-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanjay Singh
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Bio-informatics, Laval University, Quebec City, QC, Canada
- Neuroscience Axis, CRCHUQ, Laval University, Quebec City, QC, Canada
| | - Lisa Topolnik
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Bio-informatics, Laval University, Quebec City, QC, Canada
- Neuroscience Axis, CRCHUQ, Laval University, Quebec City, QC, Canada
- *Correspondence: Lisa Topolnik
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19
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Linhares SSG, Meurer YDSR, de Aquino ACQ, Câmara DDA, Brandão LEM, Fiuza FP, Lima RH, Engelberth RCJG, Cavalcante JS. Prenatal exposure to fluoxetine modulates emotionality and aversive memory in male and female rat offspring. Behav Pharmacol 2022; 33:575-588. [PMID: 36256730 DOI: 10.1097/fbp.0000000000000705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
During pregnancy, women are prone to depression, for which selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), such as fluoxetine, are usually the first-line treatment. However, fluoxetine can cross the placental barrier and affect fetuses, causing changes in serotonin levels early in life. Long-term effects in the brain circuits that control cognitive and emotional behavior are related to early fluoxetine exposure during development. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether fluoxetine exposure (10 mg/kg/day) from the 13th gestational day (GD13) to GD21 may lead to behavioral emotional-cognitive changes in male and female rat offspring approximately 90 days postnatally (~PN90). We have analyzed the performance of individuals in the open field and in the plus-maze discriminative avoidance task, which assesses anxiety and learning/memory processing behaviors. We have found that prenatal (GD13-GD21) exposure to fluoxetine strengthened aversive memory and induced higher anxiety levels in males, and quick extinction of aversive memory in females. Taken together, these results suggest that early exposure to fluoxetine impairs the basal state of anxiety and the cognitive functions of rats during adulthood, which may be in a sex-specific manner because males appear more susceptible than females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Sophia G Linhares
- Laboratory of Neurochemical Studies, Department of Physiology, Bioscience Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil
| | - Ywlliane da Silva R Meurer
- Laboratory of Neurochemical Studies, Department of Physiology, Bioscience Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil
| | - Antônio Carlos Queiroz de Aquino
- Laboratory of Neurochemical Studies, Department of Physiology, Bioscience Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil
| | - Diego de Aquino Câmara
- Laboratory of Neurochemical Studies, Department of Physiology, Bioscience Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil
| | | | - Felipe Porto Fiuza
- Graduate Program in Neuroengineering, Edmond and Lily Safra International Institute of Neuroscience, Santos Dumont Institute, Macaíba, Brazil
| | - Ramón Hypolito Lima
- Graduate Program in Neuroengineering, Edmond and Lily Safra International Institute of Neuroscience, Santos Dumont Institute, Macaíba, Brazil
| | - Rovena Clara J G Engelberth
- Laboratory of Neurochemical Studies, Department of Physiology, Bioscience Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil
| | - Jeferson Souza Cavalcante
- Laboratory of Neurochemical Studies, Department of Physiology, Bioscience Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil
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20
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Dirven BCJ, Botan A, van der Geugten D, Kraakman B, van Melis L, Merjenburgh S, van Rijn R, Waajen L, Homberg JR, Kozicz T, Henckens MJAG. Longitudinal assessment of amygdala activity in mice susceptible to trauma. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2022; 145:105912. [PMID: 36113379 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2022.105912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Revised: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
Abstract
Resilience to consequences of trauma exposure contains relevant information about the processes that contribute to the maintenance of mental health in the face of adversity; information that is essential to improve treatment success of stress-related mental diseases. Prior literature has implicated aberrant amygdala (re)activity as potential factor contributing to trauma susceptibility. However, it remains to be resolved which amygdalar subregions and neuronal subclasses are involved, and when - i.e., pre-, peri- or post-trauma exposure - and under what conditions changes in amygdala (re)activity manifest themselves. Here, we implemented a preclinical rodent model for PTSD that entailed exposure to a traumatic event (severe, unpredictable foot shock) followed by a trigger (mild, predictable foot shock). Using behavioral phenotyping, trauma susceptible vs. resilient mice were identified and pre-, peri- or post-trauma amygdala activity was compared. Neuronal activity was tagged in living mice by the use of the ArcTRAP transgenic mouse line, labeling all activated (i.e., Arc-expressing) neurons by a systemic injection of tamoxifen. Furthermore, we assessed amygdala responses during fear memory recall, induced by either (re-)exposure to the trauma, trigger, or a novel, yet similar context, and analyzed behavioral fear responses under these conditions, as well as basal anxiety in the mice. Results revealed no major differences dissociating susceptible vs. resilient mice prior to trauma exposure, but exaggerated activity in specifically the basolateral amygdala (BLA) peri-trauma that predicted susceptibility to later PTSD-like symptoms. Post-trauma, susceptible mice did not display altered basal amygdala activity, but BLA hyperreactivity in response to trigger context re-exposure, and BLA hyporesponsivity in response to the trauma context. Exposure to the novel, similar context evoked a differential temporal pattern of freezing behavior in susceptible mice and an increased activity of amygdalar somatostatin-expressing neurons specifically. As such, these results for the first time show that deviant BLA activity during fear learning predicts susceptibility to its long-term consequences and that aberrant subsequent BLA responses to stressful contexts depend on the exact context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bart C J Dirven
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen 6500 HB, the Netherlands; Department of Medical Imaging, Anatomy, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen 6500 HB, the Netherlands
| | - Andriana Botan
- Department of Medical Imaging, Anatomy, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen 6500 HB, the Netherlands
| | - Dewi van der Geugten
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen 6500 HB, the Netherlands
| | - Blom Kraakman
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen 6500 HB, the Netherlands
| | - Lennart van Melis
- Department of Medical Imaging, Anatomy, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen 6500 HB, the Netherlands
| | - Sanne Merjenburgh
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen 6500 HB, the Netherlands
| | - Rebecca van Rijn
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen 6500 HB, the Netherlands
| | - Liz Waajen
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen 6500 HB, the Netherlands
| | - Judith R Homberg
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen 6500 HB, the Netherlands
| | - Tamas Kozicz
- Department of Medical Imaging, Anatomy, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen 6500 HB, the Netherlands; Department of Clinical Genomics, and Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Marloes J A G Henckens
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen 6500 HB, the Netherlands.
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21
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Nishimura KJ, Poulos A, Drew MR, Rajbhandari AK. Know thy SEFL: Fear sensitization and its relevance to stressor-related disorders. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 142:104884. [PMID: 36174795 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Revised: 09/07/2022] [Accepted: 09/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Extreme stress can cause long-lasting changes in affective behavior manifesting in conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Understanding the biological mechanisms that govern trauma-induced behavioral dysregulation requires reliable and rigorous pre-clinical models that recapitulate multiple facets of this complex disease. For decades, Pavlovian fear conditioning has been a dominant paradigm for studying the effects of trauma through an associative learning framework. However, severe stress also causes long-lasting nonassociative fear sensitization, which is often overlooked in Pavlovian fear conditioning studies. This paper synthesizes recent research on the stress-enhanced fear learning (SEFL) paradigm, a valuable rodent model that can dissociate associative and nonassociative effects of stress. We discuss evidence that the SEFL paradigm produces nonassociative fear sensitization that is distinguishable from Pavlovian fear conditioning. We also discuss key biological variables, such as age and sex, neural circuit mechanisms, and crucial gaps in knowledge. We argue that nonassociative fear sensitization deserves more attention within current PTSD models and that SEFL provides a valuable complement to Pavlovian conditioning research on trauma-related pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenji J Nishimura
- Center for Learning and Memory, Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA, 78712
| | - Andrew Poulos
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience Research, State University of New York at Albany, Albany, USA, 12222
| | - Michael R Drew
- Center for Learning and Memory, Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA, 78712
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5-HT and α-m-5-HT attenuate excitatory synaptic transmissions onto the lateral amygdala principal neurons via presynaptic 5-HT1B receptors. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2022; 624:28-34. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2022.07.076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2022] [Revised: 06/27/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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23
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Mineur YS, Garcia-Rivas V, Thomas MA, Soares AR, McKee SA, Picciotto MR. Sex differences in stress-induced alcohol intake: a review of preclinical studies focused on amygdala and inflammatory pathways. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2022; 239:2041-2061. [PMID: 35359158 PMCID: PMC9704113 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-022-06120-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Clinical studies suggest that women are more likely than men to relapse to alcohol drinking in response to stress; however, the mechanisms underlying this sex difference are not well understood. A number of preclinical behavioral models have been used to study stress-induced alcohol intake. Here, we review paradigms used to study effects of stress on alcohol intake in rodents, focusing on findings relevant to sex differences. To date, studies of sex differences in stress-induced alcohol drinking have been somewhat limited; however, there is evidence that amygdala-centered circuits contribute to effects of stress on alcohol seeking. In addition, we present an overview of inflammatory pathways leading to microglial activation that may contribute to alcohol-dependent behaviors. We propose that sex differences in neuronal function and inflammatory signaling in circuits centered on the amygdala are involved in sex-dependent effects on stress-induced alcohol seeking and suggest that this is an important area for future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yann S Mineur
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, 34 Park Street, 3Rd Floor Research, New Haven, CT, 06508, USA
| | - Vernon Garcia-Rivas
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, 34 Park Street, 3Rd Floor Research, New Haven, CT, 06508, USA
| | - Merrilee A Thomas
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, 34 Park Street, 3Rd Floor Research, New Haven, CT, 06508, USA
| | - Alexa R Soares
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, 34 Park Street, 3Rd Floor Research, New Haven, CT, 06508, USA
- Yale Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Sherry A McKee
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, 34 Park Street, 3Rd Floor Research, New Haven, CT, 06508, USA
| | - Marina R Picciotto
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, 34 Park Street, 3Rd Floor Research, New Haven, CT, 06508, USA.
- Yale Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, New Haven, CT, USA.
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24
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Differential and long-lasting changes in neurotransmission in the amygdala of male Wistar rats during extended amphetamine abstinence. Neuropharmacology 2022; 210:109041. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2021] [Revised: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
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25
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Pesarico AP, Carceller H, Guirado R, Coviello S, Nacher J. Long term effects of 24-h-restraint stress on the connectivity and structure of interneurons in the basolateral amygdala. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2022; 115:110512. [PMID: 35066055 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2022.110512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Revised: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The effects of intense stressors can last a long time and may lead to the development of psychiatric disorders, including posttraumatic stress disorder. The basolateral amygdala (BLA) plays a critical role in these diseases and is extremely sensitive to stress. Here, we explored in male and female mice the long-term (35 days) impact of a 24-h restraint stress on BLA circuitry. We used Thy1-YFP mice to discriminate 2 subpopulations of excitatory neurons, which participate in "Fear-On" (Thy1-) and "Fear-Off" (Thy1+) circuits. The stress decreased the density of parvalbumin (PV) + inhibitory neurons in both sexes but did not alter their dendritic complexity. We also analyzed the perisomatic input of basket interneurons on Thy1+ and Thy1- neurons, finding sex dependent effects. In males, we did not find alterations in the density of PV+ puncta or in that of cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1R) + puncta from cholecystokinin+ basket cells. By contrast, in females we found increased the density of PV+ puncta on Thy1+ neurons and reduced on the Thy1- neurons. This adverse experience also reduced in the long term the density of CB1R+ puncta both on Thy1+ and Thy1- cells in females. The expression of the activity marker FosB was not altered in PV+ interneurons and in Thy1+ neurons of stressed animals. The density of perineuronal nets, a specialized region of the extracellular matrix, which covers particularly PV+ interneurons and regulates their connectivity, was increased by stress in male mice. Our findings indicate that a single stressful event can produce long-term alterations in the inhibitory circuits of the BLA, especially on PV+ neurons and their plasticity, and that there is a differential impact depending on the sex and the fear-related circuits involved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Paula Pesarico
- Neurobiology Unit, Program in Neurosciences and Institute of Biotechnology and Biomedicine (BIOTECMED), Universitat de València, Burjassot, Spain
| | - Hector Carceller
- Neurobiology Unit, Program in Neurosciences and Institute of Biotechnology and Biomedicine (BIOTECMED), Universitat de València, Burjassot, Spain; Spanish National Network for Research in Mental Health, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain.
| | - Ramón Guirado
- Neurobiology Unit, Program in Neurosciences and Institute of Biotechnology and Biomedicine (BIOTECMED), Universitat de València, Burjassot, Spain
| | - Simona Coviello
- Neurobiology Unit, Program in Neurosciences and Institute of Biotechnology and Biomedicine (BIOTECMED), Universitat de València, Burjassot, Spain
| | - Juan Nacher
- Neurobiology Unit, Program in Neurosciences and Institute of Biotechnology and Biomedicine (BIOTECMED), Universitat de València, Burjassot, Spain; Spanish National Network for Research in Mental Health, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain; Fundación Investigación Hospital Clínico de Valencia, INCLIVA, Valencia, Spain.
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26
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McDonald AJ, Duque A. Specific neuronal subpopulations in the amygdala of macaque monkeys express high levels of nonphosphorylated neurofilaments. Brain Res 2022; 1777:147767. [PMID: 34958755 PMCID: PMC8792357 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2021.147767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Revised: 11/14/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Pyramidal neurons in the neocortex that express nonphosphorylated neurofilaments (NPNFs) are especially vulnerable to degeneration in Alzheimer's disease. Since the basolateral nuclear complex of the amygdala (BNC) and cortical nuclear complex of the amygdala (CNC) are cortex-like structures, containing both pyramidal (PNs) and nonpyramidal neurons (NPNs), it is of interest to determine which cell types in the primate BNC and CNC are NPNF+. We also studied NPNF expression in the non-cortex-like nuclei of the amygdala (central and medial nuclei). Digitized images of sections through fetal, newborn, infant, and adult macaque brains stained for NPNFs, obtained from the Macaque Brain Resource (MacBrainResource, MBR), were analyzed. The pattern of NPNF immunoreactivity (NPNF-ir) in the BNC, CNC, and medial nucleus was essentially identical in all four age groups, but there were some age-dependent differences in the central nucleus. All BNC and CNC nuclei contained a moderate density of NPNF+ NPNs. Both the somata and the entire dendritic arborizations of these NPNs were stained. PNs with robust NPNF-ir in their somata and proximal dendrites were only seen in the basal magnocellular nucleus, where it appeared that virtually every PN was NPNF+. This pattern of NPNF expression is distinct from that seen in the mammalian neocortex, where NPNF+ neurons are almost entirely PNs, but is very similar to that seen in a recent study of the rat BNC. These findings, in conjunction with the cortical data, suggest the possibility that NPNF+ neuronal subpopulations in the BNC and CNC might be especially vulnerable in Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Joseph McDonald
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC 29208, USA.
| | - Alvaro Duque
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, SHM C317B, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
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27
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Price ME, McCool BA. Structural, functional, and behavioral significance of sex and gonadal hormones in the basolateral amygdala: A review of preclinical literature. Alcohol 2022; 98:25-41. [PMID: 34371120 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2021.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Revised: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The basolateral amygdala (BLA) is intimately involved in the development of neuropsychiatric disorders such as anxiety and alcohol use disorder (AUD). These disorders have clear sex biases, with women more likely to develop an anxiety disorder and men more likely to develop AUD. Preclinical models have largely confirmed these sex-specific vulnerabilities and emphasize the effects of sex hormones on behaviors influenced by the BLA. This review will discuss sex differences in BLA-related behaviors and highlight potential mechanisms mediated by altered BLA structure and function, including the composition of GABAergic interneuron subpopulations, glutamatergic pyramidal neuron morphology, glutamate/GABA neurotransmission, and neuromodulators. Further, sex hormones differentially organize dimorphic circuits during sensitive developmental periods (organizational effects) and initiate more transient effects throughout adulthood (activational effects). Current literature indicates that estradiol and allopregnanolone, a neuroactive progestogen, generally reduce BLA-related behaviors through a variety of mechanisms, including activation of estrogen receptors or facilitation of GABAA-mediated inhibition, respectively. This enhanced GABAergic inhibition may protect BLA pyramidal neurons from the excitability associated with anxiety and alcohol withdrawal. Understanding sex differences and the effects of sex hormones on BLA structure and function may help explain sex-specific vulnerabilities in BLA-related behaviors and ultimately improve treatments for anxiety and AUD.
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28
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Chiba S, Okawara T, Kawakami K, Ohta R, Kawaguchi M. Alterations between high and low-avoidance lines of Hatano rats in learning behaviors, ultrasonic vocalizations, and histological characteristics in hippocampus and amygdala. Physiol Behav 2021; 245:113670. [PMID: 34890592 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2021.113670] [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: 07/05/2021] [Revised: 11/27/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Growing evidence supports interactions between anxiety and cognitive function. The primary object of this study was to elucidate whether high-avoidance (HAA) and low-avoidance (LAA) strains of Hatano rats are suitable for the analysis of interactions between the formation of long-term memory and emotional reactivity. The learning/memory ability of Hatano rats and their Sprague-Dawley (SD) ancestors was evaluated using contextual fear conditioning, Y-maze, and Barnes maze tests from 8 weeks of age. Ultrasonic vocalizations were recorded and analyzed during contextual fear conditioning. In a separate experiment, rat brains were sampled 90 min after the first context test and subjected to Nissl staining and c-fos immunostaining. The duration of freezing and number of 22 kHz ultrasonic vocalizations were decreased in LAA compared with HAA and SD rats during the first and second context tests of contextual fear conditioning. The HAA rats did not show preferences for quadrants during the Barnes maze probe test, whereas the SD and LAA rats spent significantly more time in the quadrant where the goals had been placed. There was no difference among the strains in short-term spatial memory as shown by the Y-maze test. Decreases were found in the number of c-fos+ cells as well as the volume of some hippocampal regions in the HAA rats compared to SD and LAA rats. By contrast, the volume of the basolateral amygdala was bigger in the HAA than the other strains. On the basis of the 22 kHz ultrasonic calls and literature regarding Syracuse rats, the possibility that emotional reactivity influences contextual memory in Hatano strains was discussed. This emotional difference may be derived from structural and/or functional divergence in the hippocampus and amygdala between the strains. The cause of strain-related differences in long-term spatial learning was difficult to elucidate because there are several possible explanations, including differences in memory and/or the interference of hyperactivity during the Barnes maze test.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuichi Chiba
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Okayama University of Science, 1-3 Ikoino-Oka, Imabari, Ehime 794-8555, Japan
| | - Toru Okawara
- School of Agriculture, Meiji University, 1-1-1 Higashimita, Tama-ku, Kawasaki, Kanagawa 214-8571, Japan
| | - Kotaro Kawakami
- School of Agriculture, Meiji University, 1-1-1 Higashimita, Tama-ku, Kawasaki, Kanagawa 214-8571, Japan
| | - Ryo Ohta
- Hatano Research Institute, Food and Drug Safety Center, 729-5 Ochiai, Hadano,Kanagawa 257-8523, Japan
| | - Maiko Kawaguchi
- School of Agriculture, Meiji University, 1-1-1 Higashimita, Tama-ku, Kawasaki, Kanagawa 214-8571, Japan.
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29
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Roseboom PH, Mueller SAL, Oler JA, Fox AS, Riedel MK, Elam VR, Olsen ME, Gomez JL, Boehm MA, DiFilippo AH, Christian BT, Michaelides M, Kalin NH. Evidence in primates supporting the use of chemogenetics for the treatment of human refractory neuropsychiatric disorders. Mol Ther 2021; 29:3484-3497. [PMID: 33895327 PMCID: PMC8636156 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2021.04.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2021] [Revised: 04/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/16/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Non-human primate (NHP) models are essential for developing and translating new treatments that target neural circuit dysfunction underlying human psychopathology. As a proof-of-concept for treating neuropsychiatric disorders, we used a NHP model of pathological anxiety to investigate the feasibility of decreasing anxiety by chemogenetically (DREADDs [designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs]) reducing amygdala neuronal activity. Intraoperative MRI surgery was used to infect dorsal amygdala neurons with AAV5-hSyn-HA-hM4Di in young rhesus monkeys. In vivo microPET studies with [11C]-deschloroclozapine and postmortem autoradiography with [3H]-clozapine demonstrated selective hM4Di binding in the amygdala, and neuronal expression of hM4Di was confirmed with immunohistochemistry. Additionally, because of its high affinity for DREADDs, and its approved use in humans, we developed an individualized, low-dose clozapine administration strategy to induce DREADD-mediated amygdala inhibition. Compared to controls, clozapine selectively decreased anxiety-related freezing behavior in the human intruder paradigm in hM4Di-expressing monkeys, while coo vocalizations and locomotion were unaffected. These results are an important step in establishing chemogenetic strategies for patients with refractory neuropsychiatric disorders in which amygdala alterations are central to disease pathophysiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick H Roseboom
- Department of Psychiatry and the HealthEmotions Research Institute, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI 53719, USA.
| | - Sascha A L Mueller
- Department of Psychiatry and the HealthEmotions Research Institute, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI 53719, USA
| | - Jonathan A Oler
- Department of Psychiatry and the HealthEmotions Research Institute, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI 53719, USA
| | - Andrew S Fox
- Department of Psychology and the California National Primate Research Center, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Marissa K Riedel
- Department of Psychiatry and the HealthEmotions Research Institute, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI 53719, USA
| | - Victoria R Elam
- Department of Psychiatry and the HealthEmotions Research Institute, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI 53719, USA
| | - Miles E Olsen
- Department of Psychiatry and the HealthEmotions Research Institute, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI 53719, USA
| | - Juan L Gomez
- Biobehavioral Imaging and Molecular Neuropsychopharmacology Unit, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Matthew A Boehm
- Biobehavioral Imaging and Molecular Neuropsychopharmacology Unit, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Alexandra H DiFilippo
- Department of Medical Physics, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI 53705, USA
| | - Bradley T Christian
- Department of Psychiatry and the HealthEmotions Research Institute, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI 53719, USA; Department of Medical Physics, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI 53705, USA
| | - Michael Michaelides
- Biobehavioral Imaging and Molecular Neuropsychopharmacology Unit, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Ned H Kalin
- Department of Psychiatry and the HealthEmotions Research Institute, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI 53719, USA
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30
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Kusek M, Siwiec M, Sowa JE, Bobula B, Bilecki W, Ciurej I, Kaczmarczyk M, Kowalczyk T, Maćkowiak M, Hess G, Tokarski K. 5-HT 7 receptors enhance inhibitory synaptic input to principal neurons in the mouse basal amygdala. Neuropharmacology 2021; 198:108779. [PMID: 34481835 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2021.108779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2021] [Revised: 08/06/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The basal amygdala (BA) has been implicated in encoding fear and its extinction. The level of serotonin (5-HT) in the BA increases due to arousal and stress related to aversive stimuli. The effects of 5-HT7 receptor (5-HT7R) activation and blockade on the activity of BA neurons have not yet been investigated. In the present study, a transgenic mouse line carrying green fluorescent protein (GFP) reporter gene was used to identify neurons that express the 5-HT7R. GFP immunoreactivity was present mainly in cells that also expressed GAD67 or parvalbumin (PV), the phenotypic markers for GABAergic interneurons. Most cells showing GFP fluorescence demonstrated firing patterns characteristic of BA inhibitory interneurons. Activation of 5-HT7Rs resulted in a depolarization and/or occurrence of spontaneous spiking activity of BA interneurons that was accompanied by an increase in the mean frequency and mean amplitude of spontaneous inhibitory postsynaptic currents (sIPSCs) recorded from BA principal neurons. These effects were blocked by a specific 5-HT7R antagonist, SB269970 and were absent in slices from 5-HT7R knockout mice. Activation of 5-HT7Rs also decreased the mean frequency of spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents (sEPSCs) recorded from BA principal neurons, which was blocked by the GABAA receptor antagonist picrotoxin. Neither inhibitory nor excitatory miniature postsynaptic currents (mIPSCs/mEPSCs) were affected by 5-HT7R activation. These results show that in the BA 5-HT7Rs stimulate an activity-dependent enhancement of inhibitory input from local interneurons to BA principal neurons and provide insights about the possible involvement of BA serotonergic receptors in neuronal mechanisms underlying fear memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Kusek
- Department of Physiology, Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Smętna 12 Str., 31-343, Kraków, Poland
| | - Marcin Siwiec
- Department of Physiology, Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Smętna 12 Str., 31-343, Kraków, Poland
| | - Joanna Ewa Sowa
- Department of Physiology, Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Smętna 12 Str., 31-343, Kraków, Poland
| | - Bartosz Bobula
- Department of Physiology, Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Smętna 12 Str., 31-343, Kraków, Poland
| | - Wiktor Bilecki
- Laboratory of Pharmacology and Brain Biostructure, Department of Pharmacology, Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Smętna 12 Str., 31-343, Kraków, Poland
| | - Izabela Ciurej
- Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 9 Str., 30-387, Kraków, Poland
| | - Maria Kaczmarczyk
- Department of Physiology, Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Smętna 12 Str., 31-343, Kraków, Poland
| | - Tomasz Kowalczyk
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Łódź, Pomorska Str. No 141/143, 91-236, Łódź, Poland
| | - Marzena Maćkowiak
- Laboratory of Pharmacology and Brain Biostructure, Department of Pharmacology, Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Smętna 12 Str., 31-343, Kraków, Poland
| | - Grzegorz Hess
- Department of Physiology, Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Smętna 12 Str., 31-343, Kraków, Poland.
| | - Krzysztof Tokarski
- Department of Physiology, Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Smętna 12 Str., 31-343, Kraków, Poland.
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31
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Ahmed N, Headley DB, Paré D. Optogenetic study of central medial and paraventricular thalamic projections to the basolateral amygdala. J Neurophysiol 2021; 126:1234-1247. [PMID: 34469705 PMCID: PMC8560422 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00253.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2021] [Revised: 08/27/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The central medial (CMT) and paraventricular (PVT) thalamic nuclei project strongly to the basolateral amygdala (BL). Similarities between the responsiveness of CMT, PVT, and BL neurons suggest that these nuclei strongly influence BL activity. Supporting this possibility, an electron microscopic study reported that, in contrast with other extrinsic afferents, CMT and PVT axon terminals form very few synapses with BL interneurons. However, since limited sampling is a concern in electron microscopic studies, the present investigation was undertaken to compare the impact of CMT and PVT thalamic inputs on principal and local-circuit BL neurons with optogenetic methods and whole cell recordings in vitro. Optogenetic stimulation of CMT and PVT axons elicited glutamatergic excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) or excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) in principal cells and interneurons, but they generally had a longer latency in interneurons. Moreover, after blockade of polysynaptic interactions with tetrodotoxin (TTX), a lower proportion of interneurons (50%) than principal cells (90%) remained responsive to CMT and PVT inputs. Although the presence of TTX-resistant responses in some interneurons indicates that CMT and PVT inputs directly contact some local-circuit cells, their lower incidence and amplitude after TTX suggest that CMT and PVT inputs form fewer synapses with them than with principal BL cells. Together, these results indicate that CMT and PVT inputs mainly contact principal BL neurons such that when CMT or PVT neurons fire, limited feedforward inhibition counters their excitatory influence over principal BL cells. However, CMT and PVT axons can also recruit interneurons indirectly, via the activation of principal cells, thereby generating feedback inhibition.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Midline thalamic (MTh) nuclei contribute major projections to the basolateral amygdala (BL). Similarities between the responsiveness of MTh and BL neurons suggest that MTh neurons exert a significant influence over BL activity. Using optogenetic techniques, we show that MTh inputs mainly contact principal BL neurons such that when MTh neurons fire, little feedforward inhibition counters their excitatory influence over principal cells. Thus, MTh inputs may be major determinants of BL activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nowrin Ahmed
- Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Rutgers University-Newark, Newark, New Jersey
| | - Drew B Headley
- Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Rutgers University-Newark, Newark, New Jersey
| | - Denis Paré
- Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Rutgers University-Newark, Newark, New Jersey
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32
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Guadagno A, Belliveau C, Mechawar N, Walker CD. Effects of Early Life Stress on the Developing Basolateral Amygdala-Prefrontal Cortex Circuit: The Emerging Role of Local Inhibition and Perineuronal Nets. Front Hum Neurosci 2021; 15:669120. [PMID: 34512291 PMCID: PMC8426628 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2021.669120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The links between early life stress (ELS) and the emergence of psychopathology such as increased anxiety and depression are now well established, although the specific neurobiological and developmental mechanisms that translate ELS into poor health outcomes are still unclear. The consequences of ELS are complex because they depend on the form and severity of early stress, duration, and age of exposure as well as co-occurrence with other forms of physical or psychological trauma. The long term effects of ELS on the corticolimbic circuit underlying emotional and social behavior are particularly salient because ELS occurs during critical developmental periods in the establishment of this circuit, its local balance of inhibition:excitation and its connections with other neuronal pathways. Using examples drawn from the human and rodent literature, we review some of the consequences of ELS on the development of the corticolimbic circuit and how it might impact fear regulation in a sex- and hemispheric-dependent manner in both humans and rodents. We explore the effects of ELS on local inhibitory neurons and the formation of perineuronal nets (PNNs) that terminate critical periods of plasticity and promote the formation of stable local networks. Overall, the bulk of ELS studies report transient and/or long lasting alterations in both glutamatergic circuits and local inhibitory interneurons (INs) and their associated PNNs. Since the activity of INs plays a key role in the maturation of cortical regions and the formation of local field potentials, alterations in these INs triggered by ELS might critically participate in the development of psychiatric disorders in adulthood, including impaired fear extinction and anxiety behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Guadagno
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Claudia Belliveau
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Naguib Mechawar
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Claire-Dominique Walker
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
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33
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Kami K, Tajima F, Senba E. Plastic changes in amygdala subregions by voluntary running contribute to exercise-induced hypoalgesia in neuropathic pain model mice. Mol Pain 2021; 16:1744806920971377. [PMID: 33297861 PMCID: PMC7734490 DOI: 10.1177/1744806920971377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Physical exercise has been established as a low-cost, safe, and effective way to manage chronic pain, but exact mechanisms underlying such exercise-induced hypoalgesia (EIH) are not fully understood. Since a growing body of evidence implicated the amygdala (Amyg) as a critical node in emotional affective aspects of chronic pain, we hypothesized that the Amyg may play important roles to produce EIH effects. Here, using partial sciatic nerve ligation (PSL) model mice, we investigated the effects of voluntary running (VR) on the basal amygdala (BA) and the central nuclei of amygdala (CeA). The present study indicated that VR significantly improved heat hyperalgesia which was exacerbated in PSL-Sedentary mice, and that a significant positive correlation was detected between total running distances after PSL-surgery and thermal withdrawal latency. The number of activated glutamate (Glu) neurons in the medal BA (medBA) was significantly increased in PSL-Runner mice, while those were increased in the lateral BA in sedentary mice. Furthermore, in all subdivisions of the CeA, the number of activated gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) neurons was dramatically increased in PSL-Sedentary mice, but these numbers were significantly decreased in PSL-Runner mice. In addition, a tracer experiment demonstrated a marked increase in activated Glu neurons in the medBA projecting into the nucleus accumbens lateral shell in runner mice. Thus, our results suggest that VR may not only produce suppression of the negative emotion such as fear and anxiety closely related with pain chronification, but also promote pleasant emotion and hypoalgesia. Therefore, we conclude that EIH effects may be produced, at least in part, via such plastic changes in the Amyg.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katsuya Kami
- Department of Rehabilitation, Wakayama Faculty of Health Care Sciences, Takarazuka University of Medical and Health Care, Wakayama, Japan.,Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama, Japan
| | - Fumihiro Tajima
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama, Japan
| | - Emiko Senba
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama, Japan.,Department of Physical Therapy, Osaka Yukioka College of Health Science, Ibaraki, Japan
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Šimić G, Tkalčić M, Vukić V, Mulc D, Španić E, Šagud M, Olucha-Bordonau FE, Vukšić M, R. Hof P. Understanding Emotions: Origins and Roles of the Amygdala. Biomolecules 2021; 11:biom11060823. [PMID: 34072960 PMCID: PMC8228195 DOI: 10.3390/biom11060823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2021] [Revised: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Emotions arise from activations of specialized neuronal populations in several parts of the cerebral cortex, notably the anterior cingulate, insula, ventromedial prefrontal, and subcortical structures, such as the amygdala, ventral striatum, putamen, caudate nucleus, and ventral tegmental area. Feelings are conscious, emotional experiences of these activations that contribute to neuronal networks mediating thoughts, language, and behavior, thus enhancing the ability to predict, learn, and reappraise stimuli and situations in the environment based on previous experiences. Contemporary theories of emotion converge around the key role of the amygdala as the central subcortical emotional brain structure that constantly evaluates and integrates a variety of sensory information from the surroundings and assigns them appropriate values of emotional dimensions, such as valence, intensity, and approachability. The amygdala participates in the regulation of autonomic and endocrine functions, decision-making and adaptations of instinctive and motivational behaviors to changes in the environment through implicit associative learning, changes in short- and long-term synaptic plasticity, and activation of the fight-or-flight response via efferent projections from its central nucleus to cortical and subcortical structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Goran Šimić
- Department of Neuroscience, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, University of Zagreb Medical School, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia; (V.V.); (E.Š.); (M.V.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Mladenka Tkalčić
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Rijeka, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia;
| | - Vana Vukić
- Department of Neuroscience, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, University of Zagreb Medical School, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia; (V.V.); (E.Š.); (M.V.)
| | - Damir Mulc
- University Psychiatric Hospital Vrapče, 10090 Zagreb, Croatia;
| | - Ena Španić
- Department of Neuroscience, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, University of Zagreb Medical School, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia; (V.V.); (E.Š.); (M.V.)
| | - Marina Šagud
- Department of Psychiatry, Clinical Hospital Center Zagreb and University of Zagreb School of Medicine, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia;
| | | | - Mario Vukšić
- Department of Neuroscience, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, University of Zagreb Medical School, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia; (V.V.); (E.Š.); (M.V.)
| | - Patrick R. Hof
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 07305, USA;
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35
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McDonald AJ, Mascagni F. Specific neuronal subpopulations in the rat basolateral amygdala express high levels of nonphosphorylated neurofilaments. J Comp Neurol 2021; 529:3292-3312. [PMID: 33960421 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2021] [Revised: 05/02/2021] [Accepted: 05/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Cortical pyramidal neurons (PNs) containing nonphosphorylated neurofilaments (NNFs) localized with the SMI-32 monoclonal antibody have been shown to be especially vulnerable to degeneration in Alzheimer's disease (AD). The present investigation is the first to study the expression of SMI-32+ NNFs in neurons of the basolateral nuclear complex of the amygdala (BNC), which contains cortex-like PNs and nonpyramidal neurons (NPNs). We observed that PNs in the rat basolateral nucleus (BL), but not in the lateral (LAT) or basomedial (BM) nuclei, have significant levels of SMI-32-ir in their somata with antibody diluents that did not contain Triton X-100, but staining in these cells was greatly attenuated when the antibody diluent contained 0.3% Triton. Using Triton-containing diluents, we found that all SMI-32+ neurons in all three of the BNC nuclei were NPNs. Using a dual-labeling immunoperoxidase technique, we demonstrated that most of these SMI-32+ NPNs were parvalbumin-positive (PV+) or somatostatin-positive NPNs but not vasoactive intestinal peptide-positive or neuropeptide Y-positive NPNs. Using a technique that combines retrograde tracing with SMI-32 immunohistochemistry using intermediate levels of Triton in the diluent, we found that all BNC neurons projecting to the mediodorsal thalamic nucleus (MD) were large NPNs, and most were SMI-32+. In contrast, BNC neurons projecting to the ventral striatum or cerebral cortex were PNs that expressed low levels of SMI-32 immunoreactivity (SMI-32-ir) in the BL, and no SMI-32-ir in the LAT or BM. These data suggest that the main neuronal subpopulations in the BNC that degenerate in AD may be PV+ and MD-projecting NPNs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Joseph McDonald
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, South Carolina, USA
| | - Franco Mascagni
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, South Carolina, USA
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36
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Spool JA, Macedo-Lima M, Scarpa G, Morohashi Y, Yazaki-Sugiyama Y, Remage-Healey L. Genetically identified neurons in avian auditory pallium mirror core principles of their mammalian counterparts. Curr Biol 2021; 31:2831-2843.e6. [PMID: 33989528 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.04.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2020] [Revised: 02/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
In vertebrates, advanced cognitive abilities are typically associated with the telencephalic pallium. In mammals, the pallium is a layered mixture of excitatory and inhibitory neuronal populations with distinct molecular, physiological, and network phenotypes. This cortical architecture is proposed to support efficient, high-level information processing. Comparative perspectives across vertebrates provide a lens to understand the common features of pallium that are important for advanced cognition. Studies in songbirds have established strikingly parallel features of neuronal types between mammalian and avian pallium. However, lack of genetic access to defined pallial cell types in non-mammalian vertebrates has hindered progress in resolving connections between molecular and physiological phenotypes. A definitive mapping of the physiology of pallial cells onto their molecular identities in birds is critical for understanding how synaptic and computational properties depend on underlying molecular phenotypes. Using viral tools to target excitatory versus inhibitory neurons in the zebra finch auditory association pallium (calmodulin-dependent kinase alpha [CaMKIIα] and glutamate decarboxylase 1 [GAD1] promoters, respectively), we systematically tested predictions derived from mammalian pallium. We identified two genetically distinct neuronal populations that exhibit profound physiological and computational similarities with mammalian excitatory and inhibitory pallial cells, definitively aligning putative cell types in avian caudal nidopallium with these molecular identities. Specifically, genetically identified CaMKIIα and GAD1 cell types in avian auditory association pallium exhibit distinct intrinsic physiological parameters, distinct auditory coding principles, and inhibitory-dependent pallial synchrony, gamma oscillations, and local suppression. The retention, or convergence, of these molecular and physiological features in both birds and mammals clarifies the characteristics of pallial circuits for advanced cognitive abilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy A Spool
- Neuroscience and Behavior, Center for Neuroendocrine Studies, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Matheus Macedo-Lima
- Neuroscience and Behavior, Center for Neuroendocrine Studies, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA; CAPES Foundation, Ministry of Education of Brazil, Brasília 70040-020, Brazil
| | - Garrett Scarpa
- Neuroscience and Behavior, Center for Neuroendocrine Studies, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Yuichi Morohashi
- Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Yoko Yazaki-Sugiyama
- Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Luke Remage-Healey
- Neuroscience and Behavior, Center for Neuroendocrine Studies, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA.
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37
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Perumal MB, Latimer B, Xu L, Stratton P, Nair S, Sah P. Microcircuit mechanisms for the generation of sharp-wave ripples in the basolateral amygdala: A role for chandelier interneurons. Cell Rep 2021; 35:109106. [PMID: 33979609 PMCID: PMC9136954 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2020] [Revised: 02/22/2021] [Accepted: 04/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Synchronized activity in neural circuits, detected as oscillations in the extracellular field potential, has been associated with learning and memory. Neural circuits in the basolateral amygdala (BLA), a mid-temporal lobe structure, generate oscillations in specific frequency bands to mediate emotional memory functions. However, how BLA circuits generate oscillations in distinct frequency bands is not known. Of these, sharp-waves (SWs) are repetitive, brief transitions that contain a low-frequency (<20 Hz) envelope, often coupled with ripples (100–300 Hz), have been associated with memory consolidation. Here, we show that SWs are retained in the BLA ex vivo and generated by local circuits. We demonstrate that an action potential in a chandelier interneuron is sufficient to initiate SWs through local circuits. Using a physiologically constrained model, we show that microcircuits organized as chandelier-interneuron-driven modules reproduce SWs and associated cellular events, revealing a functional role for chandelier interneurons and microcircuits for SW generation. Perumal et al. investigate circuits that generate network oscillations called sharp waves (SWs) in the basolateral amygdala. They show that discharge in a chandelier interneuron can initiate SW oscillations—a network activity associated with memory consolidation. They develop a network model with chandelier-interneuron-driven modular microcircuits for SW generation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Benjamin Latimer
- Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211 USA
| | - Li Xu
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Peter Stratton
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Satish Nair
- Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211 USA
| | - Pankaj Sah
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia; Joint Center for Neuroscience and Neural Engineering and Department of Biology, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province 518055, P.R. China.
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38
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Perumal MB, Sah P. Inhibitory Circuits in the Basolateral Amygdala in Aversive Learning and Memory. Front Neural Circuits 2021; 15:633235. [PMID: 33994955 PMCID: PMC8120102 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2021.633235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2020] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Neural circuits in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) play a pivotal role in the learning and memory formation, and processing of emotionally salient experiences, particularly aversive ones. A diverse population of GABAergic neurons present in the BLA orchestrate local circuits to mediate emotional memory functions. Targeted manipulation of GABAergic neuronal subtypes has shed light on cell-type specific functional roles in the fear learning and memory, revealing organizing principles for the operation of inhibitory circuit motifs in the BLA.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Pankaj Sah
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Joint Center for Neuroscience and Neural Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China.,Department of Biology, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
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39
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Mosher CP, Wei Y, Kamiński J, Nandi A, Mamelak AN, Anastassiou CA, Rutishauser U. Cellular Classes in the Human Brain Revealed In Vivo by Heartbeat-Related Modulation of the Extracellular Action Potential Waveform. Cell Rep 2021; 30:3536-3551.e6. [PMID: 32160555 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.02.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2019] [Revised: 12/23/2019] [Accepted: 02/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Determining cell types is critical for understanding neural circuits but remains elusive in the living human brain. Current approaches discriminate units into putative cell classes using features of the extracellular action potential (EAP); in absence of ground truth data, this remains a problematic procedure. We find that EAPs in deep structures of the brain exhibit robust and systematic variability during the cardiac cycle. These cardiac-related features refine neural classification. We use these features to link bio-realistic models generated from in vitro human whole-cell recordings of morphologically classified neurons to in vivo recordings. We differentiate aspiny inhibitory and spiny excitatory human hippocampal neurons and, in a second stage, demonstrate that cardiac-motion features reveal two types of spiny neurons with distinct intrinsic electrophysiological properties and phase-locking characteristics to endogenous oscillations. This multi-modal approach markedly improves cell classification in humans, offers interpretable cell classes, and is applicable to other brain areas and species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clayton P Mosher
- Department of Neurosurgery, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
| | - Yina Wei
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Jan Kamiński
- Department of Neurosurgery, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA; Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, Caltech, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Anirban Nandi
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Adam N Mamelak
- Department of Neurosurgery, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
| | - Costas A Anastassiou
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA; Division of Neurology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada.
| | - Ueli Rutishauser
- Department of Neurosurgery, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA; Center for Neural Science and Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA; Department of Neurology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA; Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, Caltech, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.
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40
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McDonald AJ. Immunohistochemical Identification of Interneuronal Subpopulations in the Basolateral Amygdala of the Rhesus Monkey (Macaca mulatta). Neuroscience 2021; 455:113-127. [PMID: 33359654 PMCID: PMC7855802 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2020.12.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2020] [Revised: 12/02/2020] [Accepted: 12/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Inhibitory circuits in the basolateral nuclear complex of the amygdala (BNC) critical for controlling the acquisition, expression, and extinction of emotional responses are mediated by GABAergic interneurons (INs). Studies in rodents have demonstrated that separate IN subpopulations, identified by their expression of calcium-binding proteins and neuropeptides, play discrete roles in the intrinsic circuitry of the BNC. Far less is known about IN subpopulations in primates. In order to fill in this gap in our understanding of primate INs, the present investigation used dual-labeling immunohistochemistry for IN markers to identify subpopulations expressing cholecystokinin (CCK), calbindin (CB), calretinin (CR), and somatostatin (SOM) in somata and axon terminals in the monkey BNC. In general, colocalization patterns seen in somata and axon terminals were similar. It was found that there was virtually no colocalization of CB and CR, the two calcium-binding proteins investigated. Three subtypes of CCK-immunoreactive (CCK+) INs were identified on the basis of their expression of CR or CB: (1) CCK+/CR+; (2) CCK+/CB+); and (3) CCK+/CR-/CB-. Almost no colocalization of CCK with SOM was observed, but there was extensive colocalization of SOM and CB. CCK+, CR+, and CCK+/CR+ double-labeled axon terminals were seen surrounding pyramidal cell somata in basket-like plexuses, as well as in the neuropil. CB+, SOM+, and CB+/SOM+ terminals did not form baskets, suggesting that these IN subpopulations are mainly dendrite-targeting neurons. In general, the IN subpopulations in the monkey are not dissimilar to those seen in rodents but, unlike rodents, CB+ INs in the monkey are not basket cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander J McDonald
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC 29208, USA.
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41
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McDonald AJ. Expression of the type 1 cannabinoid receptor (CB1R) in CCK-immunoreactive axon terminals in the basolateral amygdala of the rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta). Neurosci Lett 2021; 745:135503. [PMID: 33352287 PMCID: PMC7870532 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2020.135503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2020] [Revised: 11/08/2020] [Accepted: 11/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Studies in rodents have shown that interactions between cholecystokinin (CCK) and the endogenous cannabinoid system in the basolateral nuclear complex of the amygdala (BNC) modulate anxiety-like behavior and fear learning/expression. One of the main cell types implicated is a CCK-immunoreactive (CCK+) basket cell that innervates the somata of pyramidal projection neurons (PNs) and expresses the type 1 cannabinoid receptor (CB1R) in its axon terminals. Although numerous studies have elucidated the anatomy and physiology of these CCK+/CB1R + interneurons in rodents, it has not been determined if they exist in primates. The present investigation used immunohistochemical techniques in the monkey to answer this question. It was found that the monkey BNC, as in rodents, has a very high density of CB1R + axons, including CB1R + axon terminals that form basket-like plexuses contacting somata of PNs. These axons, as well as axons in the neuropil, exhibit extensive colocalization of CCK and CB1R. These findings suggest that the same synaptic mechanisms involved in CCK-CB1R interactions in rodents may also apply to primates, and that therapies that target the cannabinoid system in the BNC may be useful for treating fear and anxiety in human patients.
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42
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Wang GH, Chou P, Hsueh SW, Yang YC, Kuo CC. Glutamate transmission rather than cellular pacemaking propels excitatory-inhibitory resonance for ictogenesis in amygdala. Neurobiol Dis 2020; 148:105188. [PMID: 33221531 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2020.105188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2020] [Revised: 10/20/2020] [Accepted: 11/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Epileptic seizures are automatic, excessive, and synchronized neuronal activities originating from many brain regions especially the amygdala, the allocortices and neocortices. This may reflect a shared principle for network organization and signaling in these telencephalic structures. In theory, the automaticity of epileptic discharges may stem from spontaneously active "oscillator" neurons equipped with intrinsic pacemaking conductances, or from a group of synaptically-connected collaborating "resonator" neurons. In the basolateral amygdalar (BLA) network of pyramidal-inhibitory (PN-IN) neuronal resonators, we demonstrated that rhythmogenic currents are provided by glutamatergic rather than the classic intrinsic or cellular pacemaking conductances (namely the h currents). The excitatory output of glutamatergic neurons such as PNs presumably propels a novel network-based "relay burst mode" of discharges especially in INs, which precondition PNs into a state prone to burst discharges and thus further glutamate release. Also, selective activation of unilateral PNs, but never INs, readily drives bilateral BLA networks into reverberating discharges which are fully synchronized with the behavioral manifestations of seizures (e.g. muscle contractions). Seizures originating in BLA and/or the other structures with similar PN-IN networks thus could be viewed as glutamate-triggered erroneous network oscillations that are normally responsible for information relay.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guan-Hsun Wang
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan; School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan; Department of Medical Education, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou Medical Center, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan
| | - Ping Chou
- Department of Physiology, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Shu-Wei Hsueh
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan
| | - Ya-Chin Yang
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan; Neuroscience Research Center, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou Medical Center, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan.
| | - Chung-Chin Kuo
- Department of Physiology, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Neurology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
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43
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Chou P, Wang GH, Hsueh SW, Yang YC, Kuo CC. Delta-Frequency Augmentation and Synchronization in Seizure Discharges and Telencephalic Transmission. iScience 2020; 23:101666. [PMID: 33134896 PMCID: PMC7586134 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2020.101666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2020] [Revised: 09/09/2020] [Accepted: 10/07/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Epileptic seizures constitute a common neurological disease primarily diagnosed by characteristic rhythms or waves in the local field potentials (LFPs) of cerebral cortices or electroencephalograms. With a basolateral amygdala (BLA) kindling model, we found that the dominant frequency of BLA oscillations is in the delta range (1-5 Hz) in both normal and seizure conditions. Multi-unit discharges are increased with higher seizure staging but remain phase-locked to the delta waves in LFPs. Also, the change in synchrony precedes and outlasts the changes in discharging units as well as behavioral seizures. One short train of stimuli readily drives the pyramidal-inhibitory neuronal networks in BLA slices into prolonged reverberating activities, where the burst and interburst intervals may concurrently set a "natural wavelength" for delta frequencies. Seizures thus could be viewed as erroneous temporospatial continuums to normal oscillations in a system with a built-in synchronizing and resonating nature for information relay.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ping Chou
- Department of Physiology, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, 1 Jen-Ai Road, 1st Section, Taipei 100, Taiwan
| | - Guan-Hsun Wang
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, 259 Wen-Hwa 1st Road, Kwei-Shan, Tao-Yuan 333, Taiwan
- School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan
- Department of Medical Education, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou Medical Center, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan
| | - Shu-Wei Hsueh
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan
| | - Ya-Chin Yang
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, 259 Wen-Hwa 1st Road, Kwei-Shan, Tao-Yuan 333, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan
- Neuroscience Research Center, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou Medical Center, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan
| | - Chung-Chin Kuo
- Department of Physiology, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, 1 Jen-Ai Road, 1st Section, Taipei 100, Taiwan
- Department of Neurology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
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44
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Klenowski PM, Fogarty MJ, Drieberg-Thompson JR, Bellingham MC, Bartlett SE. Reduced Inhibitory Inputs On Basolateral Amygdala Principal Neurons Following Long-Term Alcohol Consumption. Neuroscience 2020; 452:219-227. [PMID: 33212222 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2020.10.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2020] [Revised: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Recent studies have shown that manipulating basolateral amygdala (BLA) activity can affect alcohol consumption, particularly following chronic and/or long-term intake. Although the mechanisms underlying these effects remain unclear, the BLA is highly sensitive to emotional stimuli including stress and anxiety. Negative emotional states facilitate alcohol craving and relapse in patients with alcohol use disorders. Consequently, the aim of this study was to determine the effect of long-term (10 weeks) alcohol drinking on synaptic activity in BLA principal neurons. We utilized an intermittent drinking paradigm in rats, which facilitated escalating, binge-like alcohol intake over the 10 week drinking period. We then recorded spontaneous excitatory and inhibitory postsynaptic currents of BLA principal neurons from long-term alcohol drinking rats and aged-matched water drinking controls. Excitatory postsynaptic current properties from long-term alcohol drinking rats were unchanged compared to those from age-matched water drinking controls. Conversely, we observed significant reductions of inhibitory postsynaptic current amplitude and frequency in long-term ethanol drinking rats compared to age-matched water drinking controls. These results highlight substantive decreases in basal inhibitory synaptic activity of BLA principal neurons following long-term alcohol consumption. A loss of inhibitory control in the BLA could explain the high incidence of compulsive drinking and stress- or anxiety-induced relapse in patients with alcohol use disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul M Klenowski
- Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA.
| | - Matthew J Fogarty
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA; School of Biomedical Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Joy R Drieberg-Thompson
- School of Biomedical Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Mark C Bellingham
- School of Biomedical Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Selena E Bartlett
- Translational Research Institute, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane 4102, Australia.
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Guadagno A, Verlezza S, Long H, Wong TP, Walker CD. It Is All in the Right Amygdala: Increased Synaptic Plasticity and Perineuronal Nets in Male, But Not Female, Juvenile Rat Pups after Exposure to Early-Life Stress. J Neurosci 2020; 40:8276-8291. [PMID: 32978287 PMCID: PMC7577595 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1029-20.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2020] [Revised: 09/13/2020] [Accepted: 09/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Early-life stress (ELS) is associated with increased vulnerability to mental disorders. The basolateral amygdala (BLA) plays a critical role in fear conditioning and is extremely sensitive to ELS. Using a naturalistic rodent model of ELS, the limited bedding paradigm (LB) between postnatal days 1-10, we previously documented that LB male, but not female preweaning rat pups display increased BLA neuron spine density paralleled with enhanced evoked synaptic responses and altered BLA functional connectivity. Since ELS effects are often sexually dimorphic and amygdala processes exhibit hemispheric asymmetry, we investigated changes in synaptic plasticity and neuronal excitability of BLA neurons in vitro in the left and right amygdala of postnatal days 22-28 male and female offspring from normal bedding or LB mothers. We report that LB conditions enhanced synaptic plasticity in the right, but not the left BLA of males exclusively. LB males also showed increased perineuronal net density, particularly around parvalbumin (PV) cells, and impaired fear-induced activity of PV interneurons only in the right BLA. Action potentials fired from right BLA neurons of LB females displayed slower maximal depolarization rates and decreased amplitudes compared with normal bedding females, concomitant with reduced NMDAR GluN1 subunit expression in the right BLA. In LB males, reduced GluA2 expression in the right BLA might contribute to the enhanced LTP. These findings suggest that LB differentially programs synaptic plasticity and PV/perineuronal net development in the left and right BLA. Furthermore, our study demonstrates that the effects of ELS exposure on BLA synaptic function are sexually dimorphic and possibly recruiting different mechanisms.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Early-life stress (ELS) induces long-lasting consequences on stress responses and emotional regulation in humans, increasing vulnerability to the development of psychopathologies. The effects of ELS in a number of brain regions, including the amygdala, are often sexually dimorphic, and have been reproduced using the rodent limited bedding paradigm of early adversity. The present study examines sex differences in synaptic plasticity and cellular activation occurring in the developing left and right amygdala after limited bedding exposure, a phenomenon that could shape long-term emotional behavioral outcomes. Studying how ELS selectively produces effects in one amygdala hemisphere during a critical period of brain development could guide further investigation into sex-dependent mechanisms and allow for more targeted and improved treatment of stress-and emotionality-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Guadagno
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, Quebec, H4H 1R3, Canada
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, H3A 0G4, Canada
| | - Silvanna Verlezza
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, Quebec, H4H 1R3, Canada
| | - Hong Long
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, Quebec, H4H 1R3, Canada
| | - Tak Pan Wong
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, Quebec, H4H 1R3, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, H3A 0G4, Canada
| | - Claire-Dominique Walker
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, Quebec, H4H 1R3, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, H3A 0G4, Canada
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Ikawa F, Tanaka S, Harada K, Hide I, Maruyama H, Sakai N. Detailed neuronal distribution of GPR3 and its co-expression with EF-hand calcium-binding proteins in the mouse central nervous system. Brain Res 2020; 1750:147166. [PMID: 33075309 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2020.147166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2020] [Revised: 10/07/2020] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The G-protein coupled receptor 3 (GPR3), a member of the class A rhodopsin-type GPR family, constitutively activates Gαs proteins without any ligands. Although there have been several reports concerning the functions of GPR3 in neurons, the physiological roles of GPR3 have not been fully elucidated. To address this issue, we analyzed GPR3 distribution in detail using fluorescence-based X-gal staining in heterozygous GPR3 knockout/LacZ knock-in mice, and further investigated the types of GPR3-expressing neurons using fluorescent double labeling with various EF-hand Ca2+-binding proteins. In addition to the previously reported GPR3-expressing areas, we identified GPR3 expression in the basal ganglia and in many nuclei of the cranial nerves, in regions related to olfactory, auditory, emotional, and motor functions. In addition, GPR3 was not only observed in excitatory neurons in layer V of the cerebral cortex, the CA2 region of the hippocampus, and the lateral nucleus of the thalamus, but also in γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-ergic interneurons in the cortex, hippocampus, thalamus, striatum, and cerebellum. GPR3 was frequently co-expressed with neuronal Ca2+-binding protein 2 (NECAB2) in neurons in various regions of the central nervous system, especially in the hippocampal CA2, medial habenular nucleus, lateral thalamic nucleus, dorsolateral striatum, brainstem, and spinal cord anterior horn. Furthermore, GPR3 also co-localized with NECAB2 at the tips of neurites in differentiated PC12 cells. These results suggest that GPR3 and NECAB2 are highly co-expressed in specific neurons, and that GPR3 may modulate Ca2+ signaling by interacting with NECAB2 in specific areas of the central nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fumiaki Ikawa
- Department of Molecular and Pharmacological Neuroscience, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan; Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Shigeru Tanaka
- Department of Molecular and Pharmacological Neuroscience, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan.
| | - Kana Harada
- Department of Molecular and Pharmacological Neuroscience, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Izumi Hide
- Department of Molecular and Pharmacological Neuroscience, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Hirofumi Maruyama
- Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Norio Sakai
- Department of Molecular and Pharmacological Neuroscience, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
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Yang YC, Wang GH, Chuang AY, Hsueh SW. Perampanel reduces paroxysmal depolarizing shift and inhibitory synaptic input in excitatory neurons to inhibit epileptic network oscillations. Br J Pharmacol 2020; 177:5177-5194. [PMID: 32901915 DOI: 10.1111/bph.15253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2020] [Revised: 08/10/2020] [Accepted: 08/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Perampanel is a newly approved anticonvulsant uniquely targeting AMPA receptors, which mediate the most abundant form of excitatory synaptic transmission in the brain. However, the network mechanism underlying the anti-epileptic effect of the AMPAergic inhibition remains to be explored. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH The mechanism of perampanel action was studied with the basolateral amygdala network containing pyramidal-inhibitory neuronal resonators in seizure models of 4-aminopyridine (4-AP) and electrical kindling. KEY RESULTS Application of either 4-AP or electrical kindling to the basolateral amygdala readily induces AMPAergic transmission-dependent reverberating activities between pyramidal-inhibitory neuronal resonators, which are chiefly characterized by burst discharges in inhibitory neurons and corresponding recurrent inhibitory postsynaptic potentials in pyramidal neurons. Perampanel reduces post-kindling "paroxysmal depolarizing shift" especially in pyramidal neurons and, counterintuitively, eliminates burst activities in inhibitory neurons and inhibitory synaptic inputs onto excitatory pyramidal neurons to result in prevention of epileptiform discharges and seizure behaviours. Intriguingly, similar effects can be obtained with not only the AMPA receptor antagonist CNQX but also the GABAA receptor antagonist bicuculline, which is usually considered as a proconvulsant. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS Ictogenesis depends on the AMPA receptor-dependent recruitment of pyramidal-inhibitory neuronal network oscillations tuned by dynamic glutamatergic and GABAergic transmission. The anticonvulsant effect of perampanel then stems from disruption of the coordinated network activities rather than simply decreased neuronal excitability or excitatory transmission. Positive or negative modulation of epileptic network reverberations may be pro-ictogenic or anti-ictogenic, respectively, constituting a more applicable rationale for the therapy against seizures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya-Chin Yang
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan.,Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan.,Neuroscience Research Center, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou Medical Center, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Guan-Hsun Wang
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan.,School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan.,Department of Medical Education, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou Medical Center, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Ai-Yu Chuang
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Shu-Wei Hsueh
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
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Rho GTPases in the Amygdala-A Switch for Fears? Cells 2020; 9:cells9091972. [PMID: 32858950 PMCID: PMC7563696 DOI: 10.3390/cells9091972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Revised: 08/22/2020] [Accepted: 08/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Fear is a fundamental evolutionary process for survival. However, excess or irrational fear hampers normal activity and leads to phobia. The amygdala is the primary brain region associated with fear learning and conditioning. There, Rho GTPases are molecular switches that act as signaling molecules for further downstream processes that modulate, among others, dendritic spine morphogenesis and thereby play a role in fear conditioning. The three main Rho GTPases—RhoA, Rac1, and Cdc42, together with their modulators, are known to be involved in many psychiatric disorders that affect the amygdala′s fear conditioning mechanism. Rich2, a RhoGAP mainly for Rac1 and Cdc42, has been studied extensively in such regard. Here, we will discuss these effectors, along with Rich2, as a molecular switch for fears, especially in the amygdala. Understanding the role of Rho GTPases in fear controlling could be beneficial for the development of therapeutic strategies targeting conditions with abnormal fear/anxiety-like behaviors.
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Fu JY, Yu XD, Zhu Y, Xie SZ, Tang MY, Yu B, Li XM. Whole-Brain Map of Long-Range Monosynaptic Inputs to Different Cell Types in the Amygdala of the Mouse. Neurosci Bull 2020; 36:1381-1394. [PMID: 32691225 PMCID: PMC7674542 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-020-00545-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2019] [Accepted: 05/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The amygdala, which is involved in various behaviors and emotions, is reported to connect with the whole brain. However, the long-range inputs of distinct cell types have not yet been defined. Here, we used a retrograde trans-synaptic rabies virus to generate a whole-brain map of inputs to the main cell types in the mouse amygdala. We identified 37 individual regions that projected to neurons expressing vesicular glutamate transporter 2, 78 regions to parvalbumin-expressing neurons, 104 regions to neurons expressing protein kinase C-δ, and 89 regions to somatostatin-expressing neurons. The amygdala received massive projections from the isocortex and striatum. Several nuclei, such as the caudate-putamen and the CA1 field of the hippocampus, exhibited input preferences to different cell types in the amygdala. Notably, we identified several novel input areas, including the substantia innominata and zona incerta. These findings provide anatomical evidence to help understand the precise connections and diverse functions of the amygdala.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia-Yu Fu
- Center for Neuroscience and Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Xiao-Dan Yu
- Center for Neuroscience and Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Yi Zhu
- Center for Neuroscience and Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Shi-Ze Xie
- Center for Neuroscience and Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Meng-Yu Tang
- Center for Neuroscience and Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Bin Yu
- Center for Neuroscience and Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Xiao-Ming Li
- Center for Neuroscience and Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, China. .,NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Joint Institute for Genetics and Genome Medicine between Zhejiang University and University of Toronto, Hangzhou, 310058, China.
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50
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Yu W, Wang L, Yang L, Li YJ, Wang M, Qiu C, Yang Q, Li XB, Huang YL, Liu R, Wu YM. Activation of LXRβ Signaling in the Amygdala Confers Anxiolytic Effects Through Rebalancing Excitatory and Inhibitory Neurotransmission upon Acute Stress. Neurotherapeutics 2020; 17:1253-1270. [PMID: 32297184 PMCID: PMC7609627 DOI: 10.1007/s13311-020-00857-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The balance of major excitatory (glutamate, Glu) and inhibitory (γ-aminobutyric acid, GABA), named as E/I neurotransmission, is critical for proper information processing. Anxiety-like responses upon stress are accompanied by abnormal alterations in the formation and function of synapses, resulting in the imbalance of E/I neurotransmission in the amygdala. Liver X receptors (LXRs), including LXRα and LXRβ isoforms, are nuclear receptors responsible for regulating central nervous system (CNS) functions besides maintaining metabolic homeostasis. However, little is known about the contribution of LXRs in E/I balance in regulating anxiety-related behaviors induced by stress. In this study, we found stress-induced anxiety led to the expression reduction of LXRβ not LXRα in mice amygdala. GW3965, a dual agonist for both LXRα and LXRβ, alleviated anxiety-like behaviors of stressed mice through activation of LXRβ, confirmed by the knockdown of LXRβ mediated by lentiviral shRNAs in the basolateral amygdala (BLA). This was paralleled by correcting the disequilibrium of E/I neurotransmission in the stressed BLA. Importantly, GW3965 exerted anxiolytic effects by correcting the promoted amplitude and frequency of miniature excitatory postsynaptic current (mEPSC), and augmenting the decreased that of miniature inhibitory postsynaptic current (mIPSC) in the stressed BLA. This suggests that stress-induced anxiety-like behaviors can largely be ascribed to the deficit of LXRβ signaling in E/I neurotransmission in BLA. These findings highlight the deficiency of LXRβ signaling in the amygdala linked to anxiety disorder, and LXRβ activation may represent a potential novel target for anxiety treatment with an alteration in synaptic transmission in the amygdala.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen Yu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, Shaanxi Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Lu Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, Shaanxi Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Le Yang
- Department of Pharmacy, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710038, Shaanxi Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Yan-Jiao Li
- Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Xi'an Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Xi'an, 710021, Shaanxi Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Min Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, Shaanxi Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Chen Qiu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, Shaanxi Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Qi Yang
- Department of Pharmacy, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710038, Shaanxi Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Xu-Bo Li
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, Shaanxi Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Yun-Long Huang
- Department of Pharmacology & Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198, USA
| | - Rui Liu
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, Shaanxi Province, People's Republic of China.
| | - Yu-Mei Wu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, Shaanxi Province, People's Republic of China.
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