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Xia Q, Kuang X, Meng W, Yin F, Ma C, Yang Y. Sex-specific alterations in visual properties induced by single prolonged stress model. Neuropharmacology 2024; 258:110066. [PMID: 38986806 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2024.110066] [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: 02/21/2024] [Revised: 04/23/2024] [Accepted: 07/06/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024]
Abstract
Patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) exhibit sex differences in symptomology, with women more likely to report higher rates of intrusive and avoidance symptoms than men, underscoring the need for sex-informed approaches to research and treatment. Our study delved into the sex-specific aspects of stress-induced visual impairments using the single prolonged stress (SPS) model, a partially validated rodent model for PTSD. Male SPS mice exhibit heightened optimal spatial frequency (SF) of primary visual cortex (V1) neurons, while female counterparts exhibit decreased optimal temporal frequency (TF) of V1 neurons. This phenomenon persisted until the 29th day after SPS modeling, and it may be the physiological basis for the observed increase in visual acuity in male SPS mice in visual water task. Furthermore, our study found that corticotropin-releasing factor receptor 1 regulated optimal TF and optimal SF of V1 in mice, but did not exhibit sex differences. These findings indicated that severe stress induces sex-specific effects on visual function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qianhui Xia
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Diseases, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230027, China
| | - Xi Kuang
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Diseases, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230027, China
| | - Wei Meng
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Diseases, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230027, China
| | - Fei Yin
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Diseases, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230027, China
| | - Chenchen Ma
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Diseases, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230027, China
| | - Yupeng Yang
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Diseases, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230027, China.
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2
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Nipper MA, Helms ML, Finn DA, Ryabinin AE. Stress-enhanced ethanol drinking does not increase sensitivity to the effects of a CRF-R1 antagonist on ethanol intake in male and female mice. Alcohol 2024; 120:73-83. [PMID: 38185336 PMCID: PMC11326135 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2024.01.001] [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: 10/27/2023] [Revised: 12/28/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
Research confirms that stress is associated with alcohol drinking and relapse in males and females and that there are sex differences in the alcohol-related adaptations of stress pathways. The predator stress (PS) model of traumatic stress produces an increase in alcohol drinking or self-administration in a subpopulation of rodents, so it is utilized as an animal model of comorbid alcohol use disorder (AUD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Previous work determined that sensitivity to PS-enhanced drinking produced sex differences in proteins related to stress-regulating systems in the medial prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. The present studies examined whether male and female C57BL/6J mice differ in sensitivity to the ability of the corticotropin releasing factor receptor 1 antagonist CP-376395 to decrease PS-enhanced drinking. In control studies, CP-376395 doses of 5, 10, and 20 mg/kg dose-dependently decreased 4-h ethanol drinking. Next, CP-376395 doses of 5 and 10 mg/kg were tested for effects on ethanol drinking in mice with differential sensitivity to PS-enhanced drinking. Subgroups of "Sensitive" and "Resilient" male and female mice were identified based on changes in ethanol intake in an unrestricted-access ethanol-drinking procedure following four exposures to PS (dirty rat bedding). During the first 2 h post-injection of CP-376395, both doses significantly decreased ethanol licks versus vehicle in the females, with no significant interaction between subgroups, whereas the 10 mg/kg dose significantly decreased ethanol licks versus vehicle in the "Resilient" males. Thus, sensitivity to the suppressive effect of CP-376395 on stress-induced ethanol intake was greater in females versus males, whereas sensitivity and resilience to PS-enhanced drinking produced differential sensitivity to the ability of CP-376395 to decrease ethanol drinking only in male mice. Our results argue against greater efficacy of CRF-R1's ability to decrease ethanol intake in subjects with traumatic stress-enhanced ethanol drinking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle A Nipper
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, United States
| | - Melinda L Helms
- Department of Research, VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR 97239, United States
| | - Deborah A Finn
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, United States; Department of Research, VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR 97239, United States
| | - Andrey E Ryabinin
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, United States.
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3
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Lannon AS, Brocka M, Collins JM, Fitzgerald P, O'Mahony SM, Cryan JF, Moloney RD. A novel animal model for understanding secondary traumatic stress and visceral pain in male rats. Eur J Neurosci 2024; 60:3544-3556. [PMID: 38695253 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16353] [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: 06/02/2023] [Revised: 03/15/2024] [Accepted: 03/30/2024] [Indexed: 07/06/2024]
Abstract
Empathetic relationships and the social transference of behaviours have been shown to occur in humans, and more recently through the development of rodent models, where both fear and pain phenotypes develop in observer animals. Clinically, observing traumatic events can induce 'trauma and stressor-related disorders' as defined in the DSM 5. These disorders are often comorbid with pain and gastrointestinal disturbances; however, our understanding of how gastrointestinal - or visceral - pain can be vicariously transmitted is lacking. Visceral pain originates from the internal organs, and despite its widespread prevalence, remains poorly understood. We established an observation paradigm to assess the impact of witnessing visceral pain. We utilised colorectal distension (CRD) to induce visceral pain behaviours in a stimulus rodent while the observer rodent observed. Twenty four hours post-observation, the observer rodent's visceral sensitivity was assessed using CRD. The observer rodents were found to have significant hyperalgesia as determined by lower visceral pain threshold and higher number of total pain behaviours compared with controls. The behaviours of the observer animals during the observation were found to be correlated with the behaviours of the stimulus animal employed. We found that observer animals had hypoactivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, highlighted by reduced corticosterone at 90 minutes post-CRD. Using c-Fos immunohistochemistry we showed that observer animals also had increased activation of the anterior cingulate cortex, and decreased activation of the paraventricular nucleus, compared with controls. These results suggest that witnessing another animal in pain produces a behavioural phenotype and impacts the brain-gut axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam S Lannon
- School of Pharmacy, University College Cork, Ireland
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University College Cork, Ireland
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Ireland
| | - Marta Brocka
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Ireland
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Ireland
| | - James M Collins
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Ireland
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Ireland
| | | | - Siobhain M O'Mahony
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Ireland
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Ireland
| | - John F Cryan
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Ireland
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Ireland
| | - Rachel D Moloney
- School of Pharmacy, University College Cork, Ireland
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University College Cork, Ireland
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Ireland
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4
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Gozen O, Aypar B, Ozturk Bintepe M, Tuzcu F, Balkan B, Koylu EO, Kanit L, Keser A. Chronic Nicotine Consumption and Withdrawal Regulate Melanocortin Receptor, CRF, and CRF Receptor mRNA Levels in the Rat Brain. Brain Sci 2024; 14:63. [PMID: 38248278 PMCID: PMC10813117 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci14010063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2023] [Revised: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Alterations in the various neuropeptide systems in the mesocorticolimbic circuitry have been implicated in negative effects associated with drug withdrawal. The corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) and α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone are two peptides that may be involved. This study investigated the regulatory effects of chronic nicotine exposure and withdrawal on the mRNA levels of melanocortin receptors (MC3R, MC4R), CRF, and CRF receptors (CRFR1 and CRFR2) expressed in the mesocorticolimbic system. Rats were given drinking water with nicotine or without nicotine (control group) for 12 weeks, after which they continued receiving nicotine (chronic exposure) or were withdrawn from nicotine for 24 or 48 h. The animals were decapitated following behavioral testing for withdrawal signs. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis demonstrated that nicotine exposure (with or without withdrawal) increased levels of CRF and CRFR1 mRNA in the amygdala, CRF mRNA in the medial prefrontal cortex, and CRFR1 mRNA in the septum. Nicotine withdrawal also enhanced MC3R and MC4R mRNA levels in different brain regions, while chronic nicotine exposure was associated with increased MC4R mRNA levels in the nucleus accumbens. These results suggest that chronic nicotine exposure and withdrawal regulate CRF and melanocortin signaling in the mesocorticolimbic system, possibly contributing to negative affective state and nicotine addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oguz Gozen
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Ege University, 35100 Izmir, Turkey; (O.G.)
- Center for Brain Research, Ege University, 35100 Izmir, Turkey
| | - Buket Aypar
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Ege University, 35100 Izmir, Turkey; (O.G.)
| | - Meliha Ozturk Bintepe
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Ege University, 35100 Izmir, Turkey; (O.G.)
| | - Fulya Tuzcu
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Ege University, 35100 Izmir, Turkey; (O.G.)
| | - Burcu Balkan
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Ege University, 35100 Izmir, Turkey; (O.G.)
- Center for Brain Research, Ege University, 35100 Izmir, Turkey
| | - Ersin O. Koylu
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Ege University, 35100 Izmir, Turkey; (O.G.)
- Center for Brain Research, Ege University, 35100 Izmir, Turkey
| | - Lutfiye Kanit
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Ege University, 35100 Izmir, Turkey; (O.G.)
- Center for Brain Research, Ege University, 35100 Izmir, Turkey
| | - Aysegul Keser
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Ege University, 35100 Izmir, Turkey; (O.G.)
- Center for Brain Research, Ege University, 35100 Izmir, Turkey
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5
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Weera MM, Webster DA, Shackett RS, Benvenuti F, Middleton JW, Gilpin NW. Traumatic Stress-Induced Increases in Anxiety-like Behavior and Alcohol Self-Administration Are Mediated by Central Amygdala CRF1 Neurons That Project to the Lateral Hypothalamus. J Neurosci 2023; 43:8690-8699. [PMID: 37932105 PMCID: PMC10727175 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1414-23.2023] [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: 07/26/2023] [Revised: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Avoidance stress coping, defined as persistent internal and/or external avoidance of stress-related stimuli, is a key feature of anxiety- and stress-related disorders, and contributes to increases in alcohol misuse after stress exposure. Previous work using a rat model of predator odor stress avoidance identified corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) signaling via CRF Type 1 receptors (CRF1) in the CeA, as well as CeA projections to the lateral hypothalamus (LH) as key mediators of conditioned avoidance of stress-paired contexts and/or increased alcohol drinking after stress. Here, we report that CRF1-expressing CeA cells that project to the LH are preferentially activated in male and female rats that show persistent avoidance of predator odor stress-paired contexts (termed Avoider rats), and that chemogenetic inhibition of these cells rescues stress-induced increases in anxiety-like behavior and alcohol self-administration in male and female Avoider rats. Using slice electrophysiology, we found that prior predator odor stress exposure blunts inhibitory synaptic transmission and increases synaptic drive in CRF1 CeA-LH cells. In addition, we found that CRF bath application reduces synaptic drive in CRF1 CeA-LH cells in Non-Avoiders only. Collectively, these data show that CRF1 CeA-LH cells contribute to stress-induced increases in anxiety-like behavior and alcohol self-administration in male and female Avoider rats.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Stress may lead to a variety of behavioral and physiological negative consequences, and better understanding of the neurobiological mechanisms that contribute to negative stress effects may lead to improved prevention and treatment strategies. This study, performed in laboratory rats, shows that animals that exhibit avoidance stress coping go on to develop heightened anxiety-like behavior and alcohol self-administration, and that these behaviors can be rescued by inhibiting the activity of a specific population of neurons in the central amygdala. This study also describes stress-induced physiological changes in these neurons that may contribute to their role in promoting increased anxiety and alcohol self-administration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcus M Weera
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, Louisiana 70112
| | - Daniel A Webster
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, Louisiana 70112
| | - Rosetta S Shackett
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, Louisiana 70112
| | - Federica Benvenuti
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, Louisiana 70112
| | - Jason W Middleton
- Department of Cell Biology, School of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, Louisiana 70112
- Neuroscience Center of Excellence, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, Louisiana 70112
| | - Nicholas W Gilpin
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, Louisiana 70112
- Neuroscience Center of Excellence, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, Louisiana 70112
- Southeast Louisiana VA Healthcare System, New Orleans, Louisiana 70119
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Templeton TJ, Diarra S, Gilpin NW. Sex differences in cocaine self-administration by Wistar rats after predator odor exposure. ADVANCES IN DRUG AND ALCOHOL RESEARCH 2023; 3:11245. [PMID: 37842228 PMCID: PMC10571484 DOI: 10.3389/adar.2023.11245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2023]
Abstract
Traumatic stress disorders are defined in part by persistent avoidance of trauma-related contexts. Our lab uses a preclinical model of traumatic stress using predator odor (i.e., bobcat urine) in which some but not all rats exhibit persistent avoidance of odor-paired stimuli, similar to what is seen in humans. Bobcat urine exposure increases alcohol consumption in male Avoider rats, but it has not been tested for its effects on intake of other drugs. Here, we tested the effect of bobcat urine exposure on cocaine self-administration in adult male and female Wistar rats. We did not observe any effect of bobcat urine exposure on cocaine self-administration in male or female rats. We observed that (1) female rats with long access (6 hours) to cocaine self-administer more cocaine than long-access males, (2) long-access males and females exhibit escalation of cocaine intake over time, (3) stressed rats gain less weight than unstressed rats following acute predator odor exposure, (4) baseline cocaine self-administration is predictive of subsequent cocaine self-administration. The results of this study may inform future work on predator odor effects on cocaine self-administration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taylor J Templeton
- Department of Physiology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA 70112
| | - Siga Diarra
- Department of Physiology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA 70112
| | - Nicholas W Gilpin
- Department of Physiology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA 70112
- Neuroscience Center of Excellence, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA 70112
- Alcohol and Drug Abuse Center of Excellence, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA 70112
- Southeast Louisiana VA Healthcare System, New Orleans, LA 70119
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7
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Templeton TJ, Diarra S, Gilpin NW. Sex differences in cocaine self-administration by Wistar rats after predator odor exposure. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.02.26.530127. [PMID: 36909634 PMCID: PMC10002624 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.26.530127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/03/2023]
Abstract
Traumatic stress disorders are defined in part by persistent avoidance of trauma-related contexts. Our lab uses a preclinical model of traumatic stress using predator odor (i.e., bobcat urine) in which some but not all rats exhibit persistent avoidance of odor-paired stimuli, similar to what is seen in humans. Bobcat urine exposure increases alcohol consumption in male Avoider rats, but it has not been tested for its effects on intake of other drugs. Here, we tested the effect of bobcat urine exposure on cocaine self-administration in adult male and female Wistar rats. We did not observe any effect of bobcat urine exposure on cocaine self-administration in male or female rats. We observed that (1) female rats with long access (6 hours) to cocaine self-administer more cocaine than long-access males, (2) long-access males and females exhibit escalation of cocaine intake over time, (3) stressed rats gain less weight than unstressed rats following acute predator odor exposure, (4) baseline cocaine self-administration is predictive of subsequent cocaine self-administration. The results of this study may inform future work on predator odor effects on cocaine self-administration.
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Alizamini MM, Fattahi M, Sayehmiri F, Haghparast A, Liang J. Regulatory Role of PFC Corticotropin-Releasing Factor System in Stress-Associated Depression Disorders: A Systematic Review. Cell Mol Neurobiol 2022:10.1007/s10571-022-01289-2. [PMID: 36227396 DOI: 10.1007/s10571-022-01289-2] [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: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Stress has a substantial role in formation of psychiatric disorders especially depression. Meanwhile, impairment of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) is connected to the executive and cognitive deficits induced by the stress. Given the involvement of the corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) in stress-related processes and knowing the fact that PFC hosts a lot of CRF receptors and CRF neurotransmissions, it can worth to look at the CRF as a potential treatment for the regulation of depression disorders induced by stress within PFC region. Here, for the first time we aimed to systematically review the effectiveness of intra-PFC CRF system in the modulation of depression dysfunction caused by the stress in clinical and preclinical models/studies. Qualified researches were combined utilizing a comprehensive search of six databases including Scopus, Pubmed, Web of Science, Sciencedirect, APA PsycNet, and Embase in April 2021 and were evaluated through proper methodological quality assessment tools. Results indicate that PFC has a remarkable role in the modulation for stress-induced depression and intra-PFC CRF receptors agonist and antagonist are very considerable for regulating these types of impairments. Specifically, elevation of both CRF immunoreactivity and gene expression were observed in human studies. In the animal studies, mostly immunoreactivity or excitatory/inhibitory currents of CRF within the PFC regulated depression dysfunction. In conclusion, reviewed studies show a positive attitude toward the CRF system in regulation of the stress-induced depression; however, obviously further investigations are required to get closer to the best treatment. Prefrontal cortex corticotropin-releasing factor system regulates stress-induced depression. CRFR1, Corticotropin-releasing factor receptor of type1; PFC, Prefrontal cortex; Minus (-) and Plus (+) signs, dysregulation and upregulation, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirmohammadali Mirramezani Alizamini
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zip Code 100101, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Mojdeh Fattahi
- Student Research Committee, Neuroscience Research Center, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Sayehmiri
- Student Research Committee, Neuroscience Research Center, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Abbas Haghparast
- Neuroscience Research Center, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, P.O.Box 19615-1178, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Jing Liang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zip Code 100101, Beijing, China. .,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
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López-Moraga A, Beckers T, Luyten L. The effects of stress on avoidance in rodents: An unresolved matter. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:983026. [PMID: 36275848 PMCID: PMC9580497 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.983026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
In the face of a possible threat, a range of physiological (e.g., increased heart rate) and behavioral (e.g., avoidance or escape) responses are recruited. Here, we will focus on avoidance, in its persistent form one of the core symptoms of anxiety disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorder. The initial goal of fear and avoidance responses is to increase survival, but if they become persistent or overgeneralize, they can disrupt normal daily functioning, and ultimately even result in anxiety-related disorders. Relatedly, acute stress responses promote adaptation and survival, while chronic stress has been found to aggravate pathophysiology. Thus, stress might trigger the transition from adaptive to maladaptive responses, e.g., from goal-directed to persistent avoidance. Animal models are prime tools to unravel if and how stress influences avoidance. This is typically done by performing stress inductions prior to the assessment of (passive or active) avoidance behavior. Despite its clinical relevance, the current literature on this topic is fragmented, and an overall conclusion is lacking. In this Review, we first recapitulate the state of the art regarding stress and active as well as passive avoidance procedures. We then summarize the behavioral effects of acute and chronic stress on active and passive avoidance, and discuss the main neurobiological findings of the field. Finally, we highlight possible reasons for the largely contradictory findings in the literature and we propose strategies to further unravel the effect of stress on avoidance behavior. A deeper understanding of this currently unresolved matter may provide further insights in the etiology and treatment of anxiety-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alba López-Moraga
- Center for the Psychology of Learning and Experimental Psychopathology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Tom Beckers
- Center for the Psychology of Learning and Experimental Psychopathology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- *Correspondence: Tom Beckers,
| | - Laura Luyten
- Center for the Psychology of Learning and Experimental Psychopathology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Laura Luyten,
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Cheng Z, Su J, Zhang K, Jiang H, Li B. Epigenetic Mechanism of Early Life Stress-Induced Depression: Focus on the Neurotransmitter Systems. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:929732. [PMID: 35865627 PMCID: PMC9294154 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.929732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Depression has an alarmingly high prevalence worldwide. A growing body of evidence indicates that environmental factors significantly affect the neural development and function of the central nervous system and then induce psychiatric disorders. Early life stress (ELS) affects brain development and has been identified as a major cause of depression. It could promote susceptibility to stress in adulthood. Recent studies have found that ELS induces epigenetic changes that subsequently affect transcriptional rates of differentially expressed genes. The epigenetic modifications involved in ELS include histone modifications, DNA methylation, and non-coding RNA. Understanding of these genetic modifications may identify mechanisms that may lead to new interventions for the treatment of depression. Many reports indicate that different types of ELS induce epigenetic modifications of genes involved in the neurotransmitter systems, such as the dopaminergic system, the serotonergic system, the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-ergic system, and the glutamatergic system, which further regulate gene expression and ultimately induce depression-like behaviors. In this article, we review the effects of epigenetic modifications on the neurotransmitter systems in depression-like outcomes produced by different types of ELS in recent years, aiming to provide new therapeutic targets for patients who suffer from depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziqian Cheng
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory on Molecular and Chemical Genetic, Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
- Engineering Lab on Screening of Antidepressant Drugs, Jilin Province Development and Reform Commission, Changchun, China
| | - Jingyun Su
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory on Molecular and Chemical Genetic, Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
- Engineering Lab on Screening of Antidepressant Drugs, Jilin Province Development and Reform Commission, Changchun, China
| | - Kai Zhang
- Central Laboratory, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Huiyi Jiang
- Department of Pediatrics, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
- *Correspondence: Huiyi Jiang, ; Bingjin Li,
| | - Bingjin Li
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory on Molecular and Chemical Genetic, Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
- Engineering Lab on Screening of Antidepressant Drugs, Jilin Province Development and Reform Commission, Changchun, China
- *Correspondence: Huiyi Jiang, ; Bingjin Li,
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Alavi M, Ryabinin AE, Helms ML, Nipper MA, Devaud LL, Finn DA. Sensitivity and Resilience to Predator Stress-Enhanced Ethanol Drinking Is Associated With Sex-Dependent Differences in Stress-Regulating Systems. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:834880. [PMID: 35645747 PMCID: PMC9132579 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.834880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Stress can increase ethanol drinking, and evidence confirms an association between post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and the development of alcohol use disorder (AUD). Exposure to predator odor is considered a traumatic stressor, and predator stress (PS) has been used extensively as an animal model of PTSD. Our prior work determined that repeated exposure to intermittent PS significantly increased anxiety-related behavior, corticosterone levels, and neuronal activation in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex in naïve male and female C57BL/6J mice. Intermittent PS exposure also increased subsequent ethanol drinking in a subgroup of animals, with heterogeneity of responses as seen with comorbid PTSD and AUD. The present studies built upon this prior work and began to characterize “sensitivity” and “resilience” to PS-enhanced drinking. Ethanol drinking was measured during baseline, intermittent PS exposure, and post-stress; mice were euthanized after 24-h abstinence. Calculation of median and interquartile ranges identified “sensitive” (>20% increase in drinking over baseline) and “resilient” (no change or decrease in drinking from baseline) subgroups. Intermittent PS significantly increased subsequent ethanol intake in 24% of male (↑60%) and in 20% of female (↑71%) C57BL/6J mice in the “sensitive” subgroup. Plasma corticosterone levels were increased significantly after PS in both sexes, but levels were lower in the “sensitive” vs. “resilient” subgroups. In representative mice from “sensitive” and “resilient” subgroups, prefrontal cortex and hippocampus were analyzed by Western Blotting for levels of corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) receptor 1, CRF receptor 2, CRF binding protein, and glucocorticoid receptor, vs. separate naïve age-matched mice. In prefrontal cortex, CRF receptor 1, CRF receptor 2, CRF binding protein, and glucocorticoid receptor levels were significantly higher in “sensitive” vs. naïve and “resilient” mice only in females. In hippocampus, CRF receptor 1, CRF receptor 2 and glucocorticoid receptor levels were significantly lower in “resilient” vs. naïve and “sensitive” mice across both sexes. These results indicate that sex strongly influences the effects of ethanol drinking and stress on proteins regulating stress and anxiety responses. They further suggest that targeting the CRF system and glucocorticoid receptors in AUD needs to consider the comorbidity of PTSD with AUD and sex of treated individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehrdad Alavi
- School of Pharmacy, Pacific University, Hillsboro, OR, United States
| | - Andrey E. Ryabinin
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Melinda L. Helms
- Department of Research, VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Michelle A. Nipper
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Leslie L. Devaud
- School of Pharmacy, Pacific University, Hillsboro, OR, United States
| | - Deborah A. Finn
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, United States
- Department of Research, VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR, United States
- *Correspondence: Deborah A. Finn,
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12
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Jiang H, Liu JP, Xi K, Liu LY, Kong LY, Cai J, Cai SQ, Han XY, Song JG, Yang XM, Wan Y, Xing GG. Contribution of AMPA Receptor-Mediated LTD in LA/BLA-CeA Pathway to Comorbid Aversive and Depressive Symptoms in Neuropathic Pain. J Neurosci 2021; 41:7278-7299. [PMID: 34272314 PMCID: PMC8387122 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2678-20.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2020] [Revised: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 07/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Comorbid anxiety and depressive symptoms in chronic pain are a common health problem, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Previously, we have demonstrated that sensitization of the CeA neurons via decreased GABAergic inhibition contributes to anxiety-like behaviors in neuropathic pain rats. In this study, by using male Sprague Dawley rats, we reported that the CeA plays a key role in processing both sensory and negative emotional-affective components of neuropathic pain. Bilateral electrolytic lesions of CeA, but not lateral/basolateral nucleus of the amygdala (LA/BLA), abrogated both pain hypersensitivity and aversive and depressive symptoms of neuropathic rats induced by spinal nerve ligation (SNL). Moreover, SNL rats showed structural and functional neuroplasticity manifested as reduced dendritic spines on the CeA neurons and enhanced LTD at the LA/BLA-CeA synapse. Disruption of GluA2-containing AMPAR trafficking and endocytosis from synapses using synthetic peptides, either pep2-EVKI or Tat-GluA2(3Y), restored the enhanced LTD at the LA/BLA-CeA synapse, and alleviated the mechanical allodynia and comorbid aversive and depressive symptoms in neuropathic rats, indicating that the endocytosis of GluA2-containing AMPARs from synapses is probably involved in the LTD at the LA/BLA-CeA synapse and the comorbid aversive and depressive symptoms in neuropathic pain in SNL-operated rats. These data provide a novel mechanism for elucidating comorbid aversive and depressive symptoms in neuropathic pain and highlight that structural and functional neuroplasticity in the amygdala may be important as a promising therapeutic target for comorbid negative emotional-affective disorders in chronic pain.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Several studies have demonstrated the high comorbidity of negative affective disorders in patients with chronic pain. Understanding the affective aspects related to chronic pain may facilitate the development of novel therapies for more effective management. Here, we unravel that the CeA plays a key role in processing both sensory and negative emotional-affective components of neuropathic pain, and LTD at the amygdaloid LA/BLA-CeA synapse mediated by GluA2-containing AMPAR endocytosis underlies the comorbid aversive and depressive symptoms in neuropathic pain. This study provides a novel mechanism for elucidating comorbid aversive and depressive symptoms in neuropathic pain and highlights that structural and functional neuroplasticity in the amygdala may be important as a promising therapeutic target for comorbid negative emotional-affective disorders in chronic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong Jiang
- Neuroscience Research Institute, Peking University, Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center; Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education of China & National Health Commission of China, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Jiang-Ping Liu
- Neuroscience Research Institute, Peking University, Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center; Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education of China & National Health Commission of China, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Ke Xi
- Neuroscience Research Institute, Peking University, Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center; Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education of China & National Health Commission of China, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Ling-Yu Liu
- Neuroscience Research Institute, Peking University, Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center; Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education of China & National Health Commission of China, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Ling-Yu Kong
- Neuroscience Research Institute, Peking University, Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center; Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education of China & National Health Commission of China, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Jie Cai
- Neuroscience Research Institute, Peking University, Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center; Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education of China & National Health Commission of China, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Si-Qing Cai
- Neuroscience Research Institute, Peking University, Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center; Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education of China & National Health Commission of China, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Xi-Yuan Han
- Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, Henan, Xinxiang 453002, China
| | - Jing-Gui Song
- Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, Henan, Xinxiang 453002, China
| | - Xiao-Mei Yang
- Department of Human anatomy and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - You Wan
- Neuroscience Research Institute, Peking University, Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center; Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education of China & National Health Commission of China, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Guo-Gang Xing
- Neuroscience Research Institute, Peking University, Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center; Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education of China & National Health Commission of China, Beijing, 100191, China
- Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, Henan, Xinxiang 453002, China
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13
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Steinman MQ, Kirson D, Wolfe SA, Khom S, D'Ambrosio SR, Spierling Bagsic SR, Bajo M, Vlkolinský R, Hoang NK, Singhal A, Sureshchandra S, Oleata CS, Messaoudi I, Zorrilla EP, Roberto M. Importance of sex and trauma context on circulating cytokines and amygdalar GABAergic signaling in a comorbid model of posttraumatic stress and alcohol use disorders. Mol Psychiatry 2021; 26:3093-3107. [PMID: 33087855 PMCID: PMC8058115 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-020-00920-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2019] [Revised: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 10/06/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) and anxiety disorders are frequently comorbid and share mechanisms that could be therapeutic targets. To facilitate mechanistic studies, we adapted an inhibitory avoidance-based "2-hit" rat model of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and identified predictors and biomarkers of comorbid alcohol (ethanol)/PTSD-like symptoms in these animals. Stressed Wistar rats received a single footshock on two occasions. The first footshock occurred when rats crossed into the dark chamber of a shuttle box. Forty-eight hours later, rats received the second footshock in a familiar (FAM) or novel (NOV) context. Rats then received 4 weeks of two-bottle choice (2BC) ethanol access. During subsequent abstinence, PTSD-like behavior responses, GABAergic synaptic transmission in the central amygdala (CeA), and circulating cytokine levels were measured. FAM and NOV stress more effectively increased 2BC drinking in males and females, respectively. Stressed male rats, especially drinking-vulnerable individuals (≥0.8 g/kg average 2-h ethanol intake with >50% ethanol preference), showed higher fear overgeneralization in novel contexts, increased GABAergic transmission in the CeA, and a profile of increased G-CSF, GM-CSF, IL-13, IL-6, IL-17a, leptin, and IL-4 that discriminated between stress context (NOV > FAM > Control). However, drinking-resilient males showed the highest G-CSF, IL-13, and leptin levels. Stressed females showed increased acoustic startle and decreased sleep maintenance, indicative of hyperarousal, with increased CeA GABAergic transmission in NOV females. This paradigm promotes key features of PTSD, including hyperarousal, fear generalization, avoidance, and sleep disturbance, with comorbid ethanol intake, in a sex-specific fashion that approximates clinical comorbidities better than existing models, and identifies increased CeA GABAergic signaling and a distinct pro-hematopoietic, proinflammatory, and pro-atopic cytokine profile that may aid in treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Q Steinman
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Dean Kirson
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Sarah A Wolfe
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Sophia Khom
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Shannon R D'Ambrosio
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | | | - Michal Bajo
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Roman Vlkolinský
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Noah K Hoang
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Anshita Singhal
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Suhas Sureshchandra
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Christopher S Oleata
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Ilhem Messaoudi
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Eric P Zorrilla
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA.
| | - Marisa Roberto
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA.
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14
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Hupalo S, Spencer RC, Berridge CW. Prefrontal corticotropin-releasing factor neurons impair sustained attention via distal transmitter release. Eur J Neurosci 2021; 54:10.1111/ejn.15260. [PMID: 33949025 PMCID: PMC9215710 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2020] [Revised: 03/18/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
The prefrontal cortex (PFC) supports cognitive processes critical for goal-directed behavior. Although the PFC contains a high density of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) neurons, their role in cognition has been largely unexplored. We recently demonstrated that CRF neurons in the caudal dorsomedial PFC (dmPFC) of rats act to impair working memory via activation of local CRF receptors. However, there is heterogeneity in the neural mechanisms that support the diversity of PFC-dependent cognitive processes. Currently, the degree to which PFC CRF neurons impact other forms of PFC-dependent cognition is unknown. To address this issue, the current studies examined the effects of chemogenetic manipulations of PFC CRF neurons on sustained attention in male rats. Similar to working memory, activation of caudal dmPFC CRF neurons impaired, while inhibition of these neurons or global CRF receptor antagonism improved, sustained attention. However, unlike working memory, the sustained attention-impairing effect of PFC CRF neurons was not dependent on local CRF receptors. Moreover, CRF infusion into the caudal dmPFC or other medial PFC subregions had no effect on task performance. Together, these observations demonstrate that while caudal dmPFC CRF neurons impair both working memory and sustained attention, these actions involve distinct neural circuits (local CRF release for working memory and extra-PFC release for sustained attention). Nonetheless, the procognitive actions of systemically administered CRF antagonists across both tasks are similar to those seen with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder-related treatments. Thus, CRF antagonists may have potential for use in the treatment of PFC cognitive dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Robert C. Spencer
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706
| | - Craig W. Berridge
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706
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15
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PTEN in prefrontal cortex is essential in regulating depression-like behaviors in mice. Transl Psychiatry 2021; 11:185. [PMID: 33771972 PMCID: PMC7998021 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-021-01312-y] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2020] [Revised: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic stress is an environmental risk factor for depression and causes neuronal atrophy in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and other brain regions. It is still unclear about the molecular mechanism underlying the behavioral alterations and neuronal atrophy induced by chronic stress. We here report that phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome ten (PTEN) is a mediator for chronic stress-induced depression-like behaviors and neuronal atrophy in mice. One-month chronic restraint stress (CRS) up-regulated PTEN signaling pathway in the PFC of mice as indicated by increasing levels of PTEN, p-MEK, and p-ERK but decreasing levels of p-AKT. Over-expression of Pten in the PFC led to an increase of depression-like behaviors, whereas genetic inactivation or knockdown of Pten in the PFC prevented the CRS-induced depression-like behaviors. In addition, systemic administration of PTEN inhibitor was also able to prevent these behaviors. Cellular examination showed that Pten over-expression or the CRS treatment resulted in PFC neuron atrophy, and this atrophy was blocked by genetic inactivation of Pten or systemic administration of PTEN inhibitor. Furthermore, possible causal link between Pten and glucocorticoids was examined. In chronic dexamethasone (Dex, a glucocorticoid agonist) treatment-induced depression model, increased PTEN levels were observed, and depression-like behaviors and PFC neuron atrophy were attenuated by the administration of PTEN inhibitor. Our results indicate that PTEN serves as a key mediator in chronic stress-induced neuron atrophy as well as depression-like behaviors, providing molecular evidence supporting the synaptic plasticity theory of depression.
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16
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Brockway DF, Crowley NA. Turning the 'Tides on Neuropsychiatric Diseases: The Role of Peptides in the Prefrontal Cortex. Front Behav Neurosci 2020; 14:588400. [PMID: 33192369 PMCID: PMC7606924 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2020.588400] [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: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 09/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent advancements in technology have enabled researchers to probe the brain with the greater region, cell, and receptor specificity. These developments have allowed for a more thorough understanding of how regulation of the neurophysiology within a region is essential for maintaining healthy brain function. Stress has been shown to alter the prefrontal cortex (PFC) functioning, and evidence links functional impairments in PFC brain activity with neuropsychiatric disorders. Moreover, a growing body of literature highlights the importance of neuropeptides in the PFC to modulate neural signaling and to influence behavior. The converging evidence outlined in this review indicates that neuropeptides in the PFC are specifically impacted by stress, and are found to be dysregulated in numerous stress-related neuropsychiatric disorders including substance use disorder, major depressive disorder (MDD), posttraumatic stress disorder, and schizophrenia. This review explores how neuropeptides in the PFC function to regulate the neural activity, and how genetic and environmental factors, such as stress, lead to dysregulation in neuropeptide systems, which may ultimately contribute to the pathology of neuropsychiatric diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dakota F Brockway
- Neuroscience Curriculum, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
| | - Nicole A Crowley
- Neuroscience Curriculum, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States.,The Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
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17
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Stielper ZF, Fucich EA, Middleton JW, Hillard CJ, Edwards S, Molina PE, Gilpin NW. Traumatic Brain Injury and Alcohol Drinking Alter Basolateral Amygdala Endocannabinoids in Female Rats. J Neurotrauma 2020; 38:422-434. [PMID: 32838651 DOI: 10.1089/neu.2020.7175] [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] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) affects approximately 3 million Americans yearly and increases vulnerability to developing psychiatric comorbidities. Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is the most prevalent psychiatric diagnosis preceding injury and TBI may increase subsequent alcohol use. The basolateral amygdala (BLA) is a limbic structure commonly affected by TBI that is implicated in anxiety and AUD. Endocannabinoids (eCBs) regulate synaptic activity in the BLA, and BLA eCB modulation alters anxiety-like behavior and stress reactivity. Previous work from our laboratories showed that systemic eCB degradation inhibition ameliorates TBI-induced increases in anxiety-like behavior and motivation to respond for alcohol in male rats. Here, we used a lateral fluid percussion model to test moderate TBI effects on anxiety-like behavior, alcohol drinking, and eCB levels and cell signaling in BLA, as well as the effect of alcohol drinking on anxiety-like behavior and the BLA eCB system, in female rats. Our results show that TBI does not promote escalation of operant alcohol self-administration or increase anxiety-like behavior in female rats. In the BLA, TBI and alcohol drinking alter tissue amounts of 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) and N-arachidonoylethanolamine (anandamide; AEA) 1 h post-injury, and 2-AG levels remain low 11 days post-injury. Eleven days after injury, BLA pyramidal neurons were hyperexcitable, but measures of synaptic transmission and eCB signaling were unchanged. These data show that TBI impacts BLA 2-AG tissue levels, that this effect is modified by alcohol drinking, and also that TBI increases BLA cell excitability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary F Stielper
- Department of Physiology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.,Alcohol and Drug Abuse Center of Excellence, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
| | - Elizabeth A Fucich
- Department of Physiology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.,Alcohol and Drug Abuse Center of Excellence, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.,Neuroscience Program, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
| | - Jason W Middleton
- Alcohol and Drug Abuse Center of Excellence, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.,Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
| | - Cecilia J Hillard
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Scott Edwards
- Department of Physiology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.,Alcohol and Drug Abuse Center of Excellence, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
| | - Patricia E Molina
- Department of Physiology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.,Alcohol and Drug Abuse Center of Excellence, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
| | - Nicholas W Gilpin
- Department of Physiology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.,Alcohol and Drug Abuse Center of Excellence, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.,Southeast Louisiana VA Healthcare System, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
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18
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Albrechet-Souza L, Schratz CL, Gilpin NW. Sex differences in traumatic stress reactivity in rats with and without a history of alcohol drinking. Biol Sex Differ 2020; 11:27. [PMID: 32393336 PMCID: PMC7216391 DOI: 10.1186/s13293-020-00303-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2019] [Accepted: 04/24/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alcohol misuse and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are highly comorbid, and treatment outcomes are worse in individuals with both conditions. Although more men report experiencing traumatic events than women, the lifetime prevalence of PTSD is twice as high in females. Despite these data trends in humans, preclinical studies of traumatic stress reactivity have been performed almost exclusively in male animals. METHODS This study was designed to examine sex differences in traumatic stress reactivity in alcohol-naive rats (experiment 1) and rats given intermittent access to 20% ethanol in a 2-bottle choice paradigm for 5 weeks (experiment 2). Animals were exposed to predator odor (bobcat urine) and tested for contextual avoidance 24 h later; unstressed controls were never exposed to predator odor. We evaluated changes in physiological arousal using the acoustic startle response (ASR) test at day 2 post-stress and anxiety-like behavior measured in the elevated plus-maze (EPM) at day 17 post-stress. In experiment 3, time course of corticosterone response was examined in male and female rats following exposure to predator odor stress. RESULTS Alcohol-naive males and females exposed to predator odor displayed blunted weight gain 24 h post-stress, but only a subset of stressed animals exhibited avoidance behavior. In alcohol-drinking animals, the proportion of avoiders was higher in males than females, and predator odor exposure increased ASR in males only. Stressed females exhibited blunted ASR relative to unstressed females and stressed males, regardless of alcohol drinking history. Alcohol-experienced females presented lower anxiety-like behavior and higher general activity in the EPM in comparison with alcohol-experienced males. Plasma corticosterone levels were higher in females immediately after predator odor exposure until 60 min post-stress relative to males. CONCLUSIONS We report robust sex differences in behavioral and endocrine responses to bobcat urine exposure in adult Wistar rats. Also, males with a history of chronic moderate alcohol drinking exhibited increased traumatic stress reactivity relative to alcohol-drinking females. Our findings emphasize the importance of considering sex as a biological variable in the investigation of traumatic stress effects on physiology and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Albrechet-Souza
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, USA. .,Alcohol & Drug Center of Excellence, School of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, USA.
| | - Connor L Schratz
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Nicholas W Gilpin
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, USA.,Alcohol & Drug Center of Excellence, School of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, USA.,Neuroscience Center of Excellence, School of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, USA.,Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System (SLVHCS), New Orleans, LA, USA
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19
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Prater CM, Harris BN, Carr JA. Tectal CRFR1 receptor involvement in avoidance and approach behaviors in the South African clawed frog, Xenopus laevis. Horm Behav 2020; 120:104707. [PMID: 32001211 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2020.104707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2019] [Revised: 01/21/2020] [Accepted: 01/23/2020] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Animals in the wild must balance food intake with vigilance for predators in order to survive. The optic tectum plays an important role in the integration of external (predators) and internal (energy status) cues related to predator defense and prey capture. However, the role of neuromodulators involved in tectal sensorimotor processing is poorly studied. Recently we showed that tectal CRFR1 receptor activation decreases food intake in the South African clawed frog, Xenopus laevis, suggesting that CRF may modulate food intake/predator avoidance tradeoffs. Here we use a behavioral assay modeling food intake and predator avoidance to test the role of CRFR1 receptors and energy status in this tradeoff. We tested the predictions that 1) administering the CRFR1 antagonist NBI-27914 via the optic tecta will increase food intake and feeding-related behaviors in the presence of a predator, and 2) that prior food deprivation, which lowers tectal CRF content, will increase food intake and feeding-related behaviors in the presence of a predator. Pre-treatment with NBI-27914 did not prevent predator-induced reductions in food intake. Predator exposure altered feeding-related behaviors in a predictable manner. Pretreatment with NBI-27914 reduced the response of certain behaviors to a predator but also altered behaviors irrelevant of predator presence. Although 1-wk of food deprivation altered some non-feeding behaviors related to energy conservation strategy, food intake in the presence of a predator was not altered by prior food deprivation. Collectively, our data support a role for tectal CRFR1 in modulating discrete behavioral responses during predator avoidance/foraging tradeoffs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine M Prater
- Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409-3131, United States of America.
| | - Breanna N Harris
- Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409-3131, United States of America
| | - James A Carr
- Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409-3131, United States of America
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20
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Devaud LL, Alavi M, Jensen JP, Helms ML, Nipper MA, Finn DA. Sexually divergent changes in select brain proteins and neurosteroid levels after a history of ethanol drinking and intermittent PTSD-like stress exposure in adult C57BL/6J mice. Alcohol 2020; 83:115-125. [PMID: 30529168 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2018.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2018] [Revised: 11/30/2018] [Accepted: 12/03/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Human studies reported that the number of past-year stressors was positively related to current drinking patterns, including binge drinking. In animal models, exposure to predator odor stress (PS), considered a model of traumatic stress, consistently increased ethanol intake. Recently, we reported that repeated PS significantly increased ethanol intake and had a synergistic interaction with prior binge drinking (binge group) in male but not in female C57BL/6J mice, when compared to mice without prior binge exposure (control group). The current studies utilized plasma and dissected prefrontal cortex (PFC) and hippocampal tissue from these animals and from age-matched naïve mice (naïve group). Western blots assessed relative protein levels of P450scc (an enzyme involved in the first step of steroidogenesis), of GABAA receptor α2 and α4 subunits, and of two proteins involved in synaptic plasticity - ARC (activity-regulated cytoskeletal protein) and synaptophysin. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry simultaneously quantified 10 neurosteroid levels in plasma. A history of ethanol drinking and PS exposure produced brain regional and sex differences in the changes in proteins examined as well as in the pattern of neurosteroid levels versus (vs.) values in naïve mice. For instance, P450scc levels were significantly increased only in binge and control female PFC and hippocampus vs. naïve mice. Some neurosteroid levels were significantly altered by binge treatment in both males and females, whereas others were only significantly altered in males. These sexually divergent changes in neurosteroid and protein levels add to evidence for sex differences in the neurochemical systems influenced by traumatic stress and a history of ethanol drinking.
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21
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Weera MM, Schreiber AL, Avegno EM, Gilpin NW. The role of central amygdala corticotropin-releasing factor in predator odor stress-induced avoidance behavior and escalated alcohol drinking in rats. Neuropharmacology 2020; 166:107979. [PMID: 32028150 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2020.107979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2019] [Revised: 01/22/2020] [Accepted: 01/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is characterized by avoidance of trauma-associated stimuli and amygdala hyperreactivity, and is highly co-morbid with alcohol use disorder (AUD). Our lab uses a predator odor (bobcat urine) stress model that produces conditioned avoidance of an odor-paired context in a subset of rats, mirroring avoidance symptoms that manifest in some but not all humans exposed to trauma. We previously showed that after predator odor stress, Avoiders exhibit escalated operant alcohol self-administration (SA), higher aversion-resistant operant alcohol responding, hyperalgesia, and greater anxiety-like behavior compared to unstressed Controls. We also showed previously that systemic antagonism of corticotropin-releasing factor-1 receptors (CRFR1) reduced escalation of operant alcohol SA in rats not indexed for avoidance, that corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) infusions into the central amygdala (CeA) produced conditioned place avoidance in stress-naïve rats, and that intra-CeA infusion of a CRFR1 antagonist reduced hyperalgesia in Avoiders. Here, we show that avoidance behavior is persistent after repeated predator odor exposure. In addition, Avoiders showed lower weight gain than Controls after predator odor re-exposure. In the brain, higher avoidance was correlated with higher number of c-Fos + cells and CRF immunoreactivity in the CeA. Finally, we show that intra-CeA CRFR1 antagonism reversed post-stress escalation of alcohol SA and reduced avoidance behavior in Avoiders. Collectively, these findings suggest that elucidation of the mechanisms by which CRFR1-gated CeA circuits regulate avoidance behavior and alcohol SA may lead to better understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying co-morbid PTSD and AUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcus M Weera
- Department of Physiology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA.
| | - Allyson L Schreiber
- Department of Physiology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA
| | - Elizabeth M Avegno
- Department of Physiology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA
| | - Nicholas W Gilpin
- Department of Physiology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA; Southeast Louisiana VA Healthcare System, New Orleans, LA, 70119, USA
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22
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Abstract
Individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder avoid trauma-related stimuli and exhibit blunted hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis response at the time of trauma. Our laboratory uses predator odor (i.e. bobcat urine) stress to divide adult Wistar rats into groups that exhibit high (avoiders) or low (nonavoiders) avoidance of a predator odor-paired context, modeling the fact that not all humans exposed to traumatic events develop psychiatric conditions. Male avoiders exhibit lower body weight gain after stress, as well as extinction-resistant avoidance that persists after a second stress exposure. These animals also show attenuated hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis response to predator odor that predicts subsequent avoidance of the odor-paired context. Avoiders exhibit unique brain activation profiles relative to nonavoiders and controls (as measured by Fos immunoreactivity), and higher corticotropin-releasing factor levels in multiple brain regions. Furthermore, avoider rats exhibit escalated and compulsive-like alcohol self-administration after traumatic stress. Here, we review the predator odor avoidance model of post-traumatic stress disorder and its utility for tracking behavior and measuring biological outcomes predicted by avoidance. The major strengths of this model are (i) etiological validity with exposure to a single intense stressor, (ii) established approach distinguishing individual differences in stress reactivity, and (iii) robust behavioral and biological phenotypes during and after trauma.
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23
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Dedic N, Kühne C, Gomes KS, Hartmann J, Ressler KJ, Schmidt MV, Deussing JM. Deletion of CRH From GABAergic Forebrain Neurons Promotes Stress Resilience and Dampens Stress-Induced Changes in Neuronal Activity. Front Neurosci 2019; 13:986. [PMID: 31619956 PMCID: PMC6763571 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2019.00986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2019] [Accepted: 09/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Dysregulation of the corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) system has been implicated in stress-related psychopathologies such as depression and anxiety. Although most studies have linked CRH/CRH receptor 1 signaling to aversive, stress-like behavior, recent work has revealed a crucial role for distinct CRH circuits in maintaining positive emotional valence and appetitive responses under baseline conditions. Here we addressed whether deletion of CRH, specifically from GABAergic forebrain neurons (Crh CKO-GABA mice) differentially affects general behavior under baseline and chronic stress conditions. Expression mapping in Crh CK O-GABA mice revealed absence of Crh in GABAergic neurons of the cortex and limbic regions including the hippocampus, central nucleus of the amygdala and the bed nucleus of the stria terminals, but not in the paraventricular nucleus of hypothalamus. Consequently, conditional CRH knockout animals exhibited no alterations in circadian and stress-induced corticosterone release compared to controls. Under baseline conditions, absence of Crh from forebrain GABAergic neurons resulted in social interaction deficits but had no effect on other behavioral measures including locomotion, anxiety, immobility in the forced swim test, acoustic startle response and fear conditioning. Interestingly, following exposure to chronic social defeat stress, Crh CKO-GABA mice displayed a resilient phenotype, which was accompanied by a dampened, stress-induced expression of immediate early genes c-fos and zif268 in several brain regions. Collectively our data reveals the requirement of GABAergic CRH circuits in maintaining appropriate social behavior in naïve animals and further supports the ability of CRH to promote divergent behavioral states under baseline and severe stress conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Dedic
- Molecular Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School and McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, United States
| | - Claudia Kühne
- Molecular Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Karina S Gomes
- Molecular Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany.,Laboratory of Neuropsychopharmacology, Paulista State University, Araraquara, Brazil
| | - Jakob Hartmann
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School and McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, United States.,Stress Resilience, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Kerry J Ressler
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School and McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, United States
| | - Mathias V Schmidt
- Stress Resilience, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Jan M Deussing
- Molecular Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
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Corticotropin Releasing Factor Type 1 and 2 Receptor Signaling in the Medial Prefrontal Cortex Modulates Binge-Like Ethanol Consumption in C57BL/6J Mice. Brain Sci 2019; 9:brainsci9070171. [PMID: 31330967 PMCID: PMC6680756 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci9070171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2019] [Revised: 07/15/2019] [Accepted: 07/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) signaling via limbic CRF1 and 2 receptors (CRF1R and CRF2R, respectively) is known to modulate binge-like ethanol consumption in rodents. Though CRF signaling in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) has been shown to modulate anxiety-like behavior and ethanol seeking, its role in binge ethanol intake is unknown. Here, we used “drinking-in-the-dark” (DID) procedures in male and female C57BL/6J mice to address this gap in the literature. First, the role of CRF1R and CRF2R signaling in the mPFC on ethanol consumption was evaluated through site-directed pharmacology. Next, we evaluated if CRF1R antagonist reduction of binge-intake was modulated in part through CRF2R activation by co-administration of a CRF1R and CRF2R antagonist. Intra-mPFC inhibition of CRF1R and activation of CRF2R resulted in decreased binge-like ethanol intake. Further, the inhibitory effect of the CRF1R antagonist was attenuated by co-administration of a CRF2R antagonist. We provide novel evidence that (1) inhibition of CRF1R or activation of CRF2R in the mPFC reduces binge-like ethanol intake; and (2) the effect of CRF1R antagonism may be mediated via enhanced CRF2R activation. These observations provide the first direct behavioral pharmacological evidence that CRF receptor activity in the mPFC modulates binge-like ethanol consumption.
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25
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Modelling posttraumatic stress disorders in animals. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2019; 90:117-133. [PMID: 30468906 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2018.11.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2018] [Revised: 11/19/2018] [Accepted: 11/19/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Animal models of posttraumatic stress disorder are useful tools to reveal the neurobiological basis of the vulnerability to traumatic events, and to develop new treatment strategies, as well as predicting treatment response contributing to personalized medicine approach. Different models have different construct, face and predictive validity and they model different symptoms of the disease. The most prevalent models are the single prolonged stress, electric foot-shock and predator odor. Freezing as 're-experiencing' in cluster B and startle as 'arousal' in cluster E according to DSM-5 are the most frequently studied parameters; however, several other symptoms related to mood, cognitive and social skills are part of the examinations. Beside behavioral characteristics, symptoms of exaggerated sympathetic activity and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis as well as signs of sleep disturbances are also warranted. Test battery rather than a single test is required to describe a model properly and the results should be interpreted in a comprehensive way, e.g. creating a z-score. Research is shifting to study larger populations and identifying the features of the resilient and vulnerable individuals, which cannot be easily done in humans. Incorporation of the "three hit theory" in animal models may lead to a better animal model of vulnerability and resilience. As women are twice as vulnerable as men, more emphasize should be taken to include female animals. Moreover, hypothesis free testing and big data analysis may help to identify an array of biomarkers instead of a single variable for identification of vulnerability and for the purpose of personalized medicine.
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26
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Hwa LS, Neira S, Pina MM, Pati D, Calloway R, Kash TL. Predator odor increases avoidance and glutamatergic synaptic transmission in the prelimbic cortex via corticotropin-releasing factor receptor 1 signaling. Neuropsychopharmacology 2019; 44:766-775. [PMID: 30470839 PMCID: PMC6372588 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-018-0279-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2018] [Revised: 10/31/2018] [Accepted: 11/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Acute exposure to a salient stressor, such as in post-traumatic stress disorder, can have lasting impacts upon an individual and society. To study stress in rodents, some naturalistic methods have included acute exposure to a predator odor, such as the synthetic fox odor 2,4,5, trimethyl-3-thiazoline (TMT). These experiments explore the stress-related behaviors and cortical activity induced by TMT exposure in adult male C57BL/6J mice and the influence of the stress neuropeptide corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) on these responses. Compared to H2O and a novel odorant, vanilla, mice exposed to TMT in the home cage showed increased avoidance and defensive burying indicative of evident stress responses. Consistent with stress-induced activation of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), we found that the prelimbic (PL) and infralimbic (IL) subregions of the mPFC had elevated c-Fos immunolabeling after TMT and vanilla compared to H2O. Slice physiology recordings were performed in layers 2/3 and 5 of the PL and IL, following TMT, vanilla, or H2O exposure. In TMT mice, but not vanilla or H2O mice, PL layers 2/3 showed heightened spontaneous excitatory post-synaptic currents and synaptic drive, suggesting TMT enhanced excitatory transmission. Synaptic drive in PL was increased in both TMT and H2O mice following bath application of 300 nM CRF, but only H2O mice increased excitatory currents with 100 nM CRF, suggesting dose-effect curve shifts in TMT mice. Further, systemic pretreatment with the CRF-R1 antagonist CP154526 and bath application with the CRF-R1 antagonist NBI27914 reduced excitatory transmission in TMT mice, but not H2O mice. CP154526 also reduced stress-reactive behaviors induced by TMT. Taken together, these findings suggest that exposure to TMT leads to CRF-R1 driven changes in behavior and changes in synaptic function in layer 2/3 neurons in the PL, which are consistent with previous findings that CRF-R1 in the mPFC plays an important role in predator odor-related behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara S Hwa
- Departments of Pharmacology, Neuroscience, and the Bowles Alcohol Research Center, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, 104 Manning Drive, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Sofia Neira
- Departments of Pharmacology, Neuroscience, and the Bowles Alcohol Research Center, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, 104 Manning Drive, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Melanie M Pina
- Departments of Pharmacology, Neuroscience, and the Bowles Alcohol Research Center, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, 104 Manning Drive, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Dipanwita Pati
- Departments of Pharmacology, Neuroscience, and the Bowles Alcohol Research Center, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, 104 Manning Drive, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Rachel Calloway
- Departments of Pharmacology, Neuroscience, and the Bowles Alcohol Research Center, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, 104 Manning Drive, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Thomas L Kash
- Departments of Pharmacology, Neuroscience, and the Bowles Alcohol Research Center, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, 104 Manning Drive, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA.
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27
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Malikowska-Racia N, Salat K. Recent advances in the neurobiology of posttraumatic stress disorder: A review of possible mechanisms underlying an effective pharmacotherapy. Pharmacol Res 2019; 142:30-49. [PMID: 30742899 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2019.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2018] [Revised: 01/24/2019] [Accepted: 02/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Recent progress in the field of neurobiology supported by clinical evidence gradually reveals the mystery of human brain functioning. So far, many psychiatric disorders have been described in great detail, although there are still plenty of cases that are misunderstood. These include posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which is a unique disease that combines a wide range of neurobiological changes, which involve disturbances of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal gland axis, hyperactivation of the amygdala complex, and attenuation of some hippocampal and cortical functions. Such multiplicity results in differential symptomatology, including elevated anxiety, nightmares, fear retrieval episodes that may trigger delusions and hallucinations, sleep disturbances, and many others that strongly interfere with the quality of the patient's life. Because of widespread neurological changes and the disease manifestation, the pharmacotherapy of PTSD remains unclear and requires a multidimensional approach and involvement of polypharmacotherapy. Hopefully, more and more neuroscientists and clinicians will study PTSD, which will provide us with new information that would possibly accelerate establishment of well-tolerated and effective pharmacotherapy. In this review, we have focused on neurobiological changes regarding PTSD, addressing the most disturbed brain structures and neurotransmissions, as well as discussing in detail the recently taken and novel therapeutic paths.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Malikowska-Racia
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, Chair of Pharmacodynamics, Jagiellonian University Medical College, 9 Medyczna St., 30-688 Krakow, Poland.
| | - Kinga Salat
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, Chair of Pharmacodynamics, Jagiellonian University Medical College, 9 Medyczna St., 30-688 Krakow, Poland
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28
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Viola TW, Wearick-Silva LE, Creutzberg KC, Kestering-Ferreira É, Orso R, Centeno-Silva A, Albrechet-Souza L, Marshall PR, Li X, Bredy TW, Riva MA, Grassi-Oliveira R. Postnatal impoverished housing impairs adolescent risk-assessment and increases risk-taking: A sex-specific effect associated with histone epigenetic regulation of Crfr1 in the medial prefrontal cortex. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2019; 99:8-19. [PMID: 30172072 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2018.08.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2018] [Revised: 07/21/2018] [Accepted: 08/24/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
While increasing evidence posits poor decision-making as a central feature of mental disorders, very few studies investigated the effects of early-life stress (ELS) on specific components of reward-related choice behaviors. Risk-taking (RT) involves the exposure to some danger, or negative consequences, in order to achieve a goal-directed behavior. Such behaviors are likely to be preceded by risk-assessment (RA), which is a dynamic cognitive process involving the acquisition of information in potentially dangerous situations. Here, we investigated the effects of being raised in impoverished housing conditions during early life (P2-P9) on RT, RA and dopaminergic and corticotrophinergic gene expression of adolescent male and female mice. Phenotypes were assessed by two protocols: the elevated plus-maze (EPM) and the predator-odor risk-taking (PORT). We found decreased RA in mice exposed to impoverished housing in the absence of a reward (EPM), with a more pronounced effect among females. Moreover, when exposed to a predatory olfactory cue, increased RT was observed in these females in a reward-related task (PORT), as well as decreased HPA axis responsivity. This sex-specific behavioral effect was associated with increased Crfr1 mRNA expression in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and higher levels of the histone mark H3R2me2s, a histone modification known to be involved in transcriptional activation, within the promoter of the Crfr1 gene. These findings revealed that ELS exposure can impair the acquisition of environmental information in dangerous situations and increase RT in reward-related scenarios among females, with an important role regarding epigenetic regulation of the Crfr1 gene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thiago Wendt Viola
- Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Brain Institute (InsCer), Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Luis Eduardo Wearick-Silva
- Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Brain Institute (InsCer), Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Kerstin C Creutzberg
- Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Brain Institute (InsCer), Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Érika Kestering-Ferreira
- Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Brain Institute (InsCer), Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo Orso
- Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Brain Institute (InsCer), Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Anderson Centeno-Silva
- Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Brain Institute (InsCer), Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Lucas Albrechet-Souza
- Louisiana State University, Health Sciences Center, Department of Physiology, New Orleans, United States
| | - Paul R Marshall
- University of Queensland, Queensland Brain Institute, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Xiang Li
- University of Queensland, Queensland Brain Institute, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Timothy W Bredy
- University of Queensland, Queensland Brain Institute, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Marco A Riva
- Università degli Studi di Milano, Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, Milan, Italy
| | - Rodrigo Grassi-Oliveira
- Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Brain Institute (InsCer), Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
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29
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Finn DA, Helms ML, Nipper MA, Cohen A, Jensen JP, Devaud LL. Sex differences in the synergistic effect of prior binge drinking and traumatic stress on subsequent ethanol intake and neurochemical responses in adult C57BL/6J mice. Alcohol 2018; 71:33-45. [PMID: 29966824 PMCID: PMC10957143 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2018.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2017] [Revised: 01/26/2018] [Accepted: 02/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Alcohol-use disorders (AUDs) are characterized by repeated episodes of binge drinking. Based on reports that exposure to predator odor stress (PS) consistently increases ethanol intake, the present studies examined whether prior binge drinking differentially altered responsivity to PS and subsequent ethanol intake in male and female mice, when compared to mice without prior binge exposure. Initial studies in naïve male and female C57BL/6J mice confirmed that 30-min exposure to dirty rat bedding significantly increased plasma corticosterone (CORT) levels and anxiety-related behavior, justifying the use of dirty rat bedding as PS in the subsequent drinking studies. Next, separate groups of male and female C57BL/6J mice received seven binge ethanol sessions (binge) or drank water (controls), followed by a 1-month period of abstinence. Then, 2-bottle choice ethanol intake (10% or 10E vs. water, 23 h/day) was measured in lickometer chambers for 4 weeks. After baseline intake stabilized, exposure to intermittent PS (2×/week × 2 weeks) significantly enhanced ethanol intake after the 2nd PS in male, but not female, binge mice vs. baseline and vs. the increase in controls. However, in a subgroup of females (with low baselines), PS produced a similar increase in 10E intake in control and binge mice vs. baseline. Analysis of lick behavior determined that the enhanced 10E intake in binge male mice and in the female low baseline subgroup was associated with a significant increase in 10E bout frequency and 10E licks throughout the circadian dark phase. Thus, PS significantly increased 10E intake and had a synergistic interaction with prior binge drinking in males, whereas PS produced a similar significant increase in 10E intake in the low baseline subgroup of binge and control females. Plasma CORT levels were increased significantly in both binge and control animals after PS. CORT levels at 24-h withdrawal from daily 10E intake were highest in the groups with elevated 10E licks (i.e., binge males and control females). At 24-h withdrawal, protein levels of GABAA receptor α1 subunit, corticotropin releasing factor receptor 1, and glucocorticoid receptor in prefrontal cortex (PFC) and hippocampus (HC) were differentially altered in the male and female mice vs. levels in separate groups of age-matched naïve mice, with more changes in HC than in PFC and in females than in males. Importantly, the sexually divergent changes in protein levels in PFC and HC add to evidence for sex differences in the neurochemical systems influenced by stress and binge drinking, and argue for sex-specific pharmacological strategies to treat AUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deborah A Finn
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Sciences University, Portland, OR, United States; VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR, United States.
| | - Melinda L Helms
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Sciences University, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Michelle A Nipper
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Sciences University, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Allison Cohen
- VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Jeremiah P Jensen
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Sciences University, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Leslie L Devaud
- School of Pharmacy, Pacific University, Hillsboro, OR, United States
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30
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Deslauriers J, Toth M, Der-Avakian A, Risbrough VB. Current Status of Animal Models of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Behavioral and Biological Phenotypes, and Future Challenges in Improving Translation. Biol Psychiatry 2018; 83:895-907. [PMID: 29338843 PMCID: PMC6085893 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2017.11.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 162] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2017] [Revised: 10/05/2017] [Accepted: 11/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Increasing predictability of animal models of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has required active collaboration between clinical and preclinical scientists. Modeling PTSD is challenging, as it is a heterogeneous disorder with ≥20 symptoms. Clinical research increasingly utilizes objective biological measures (e.g., imaging, peripheral biomarkers) or nonverbal behaviors and/or physiological responses to complement verbally reported symptoms. This shift toward more-objectively measurable phenotypes enables refinement of current animal models of PTSD, and it supports the incorporation of homologous measures across species. We reviewed >600 articles to examine the ability of current rodent models to probe biological phenotypes of PTSD (e.g., sleep disturbances, hippocampal and fear-circuit dysfunction, inflammation, glucocorticoid receptor hypersensitivity) in addition to behavioral phenotypes. Most models reliably produced enduring generalized anxiety-like or depression-like behaviors, as well as hyperactive fear circuits, glucocorticoid receptor hypersensitivity, and response to long-term selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Although a few paradigms probed fear conditioning/extinction or utilized peripheral immune, sleep, and noninvasive imaging measures, we argue that these should be incorporated more to enhance translation. Data on female subjects, on subjects at different ages across the life span, or on temporal trajectories of phenotypes after stress that can inform model validity and treatment study design are needed. Overall, preclinical (and clinical) PTSD researchers are increasingly incorporating homologous biological measures to assess markers of risk, response, and treatment outcome. This shift is exciting, as we and many others hope it not only will support translation of drug efficacy from animal models to clinical trials but also will potentially improve predictability of stage II for stage III clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Deslauriers
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California; Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, Veterans Affairs Hospital, La Jolla, California
| | - Mate Toth
- Department of Behavioural Neurobiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Andre Der-Avakian
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Victoria B Risbrough
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California; Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, Veterans Affairs Hospital, La Jolla, California.
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31
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Corticotropin-Releasing Factor (CRF) Neurocircuitry and Neuropharmacology in Alcohol Drinking. Handb Exp Pharmacol 2018; 248:435-471. [PMID: 29374836 DOI: 10.1007/164_2017_86] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Alcohol use is pervasive in the United States. In the transition from nonhazardous drinking to hazardous drinking and alcohol use disorder, neuroadaptations occur within brain reward and brain stress systems. One brain signaling system that has received much attention in animal models of excessive alcohol drinking and alcohol dependence is corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF). The CRF system is composed of CRF, the urocortins, CRF-binding protein, and two receptors - CRF type 1 and CRF type 2. This review summarizes how acute, binge, and chronic alcohol dysregulates CRF signaling in hypothalamic and extra-hypothalamic brain regions and how this dysregulation may contribute to changes in alcohol reinforcement, excessive alcohol consumption, symptoms of negative affect during withdrawal, and alcohol relapse. In addition, it summarizes clinical work examining CRF type 1 receptor antagonists in humans and discusses why the brain CRF system is still relevant in alcohol research.
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Stress Hormone Cortisol Enhances Bcl2 Like-12 Expression to Inhibit p53 in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells. Dig Dis Sci 2017; 62:3495-3500. [PMID: 29043595 DOI: 10.1007/s10620-017-4798-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2017] [Accepted: 07/10/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS The pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HC) is unclear. It is suggested that psychological stress associates with the pathogenesis of liver cancer. Bcl2-like protein 12 (Bcl2L12) suppresses p53 protein. This study tests a hypothesis that the major stress hormone, cortisol, inhibits the expression of p53 in HC cells (HCC) via up regulating the expression of Bcl2L12. METHODS Peripheral blood samples were collected from patients with HC to be analyzed for the levels of cortisol. HCC were cultured to assess the role of cortisol in the regulation of the expression of Bcl2L12 and p53 in HCC. RESULTS We observed that the serum cortisol levels were higher in HC patients. Expression of Bcl2L12 in HCC was correlated with serum cortisol. Cortisol enhanced the Bcl2L12 expression in HCC. Bcl2L12 binding to the TP53 promoter was correlated with p53 expression in HCC. Cortisol increased the Bcl2L12 expression in HCC to inhibit p53 expression. CONCLUSIONS Stress hormone cortisol suppresses p53 in HCC via enhancing Bcl2L12 expression in HCC. The results suggest that cortisol may be a therapeutic target for the treatment of HC.
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Neurobiological Correlates of Pain Avoidance-Like Behavior in Morphine-Dependent and Non-Dependent Rats. Neuroscience 2017; 366:1-14. [PMID: 29024786 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2017.09.055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2017] [Revised: 09/26/2017] [Accepted: 09/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Repeated use of opioids can lead to the development of analgesic tolerance and dependence. Additionally, chronic opioid exposure can cause a paradoxical emergence of heightened pain sensitivity to noxious stimuli, termed hyperalgesia, which may drive continued or escalated use of opioids to manage worsening pain symptoms. Opioid-induced hyperalgesia has traditionally been measured in rodents via reflex-based assays, including the von Frey method. To better model the cognitive/motivational dimension of pain in a state of opioid dependence and withdrawal, we employed a recently developed non-reflex-based method for measuring pain avoidance-like behavior in animals (mechanical conflict avoidance test). Adult male Wistar rats were administered an escalating dose regimen of morphine (opioid-dependent group) or repeated saline (control group). Morphine-dependent rats exhibited significantly greater avoidance of noxious stimuli during withdrawal. We next investigated individual relationships between pain avoidance-like behavior and alterations in protein phosphorylation in central motivation-related brain areas. We discovered that pain avoidance-like behavior was significantly correlated with alterations in phosphorylation status of protein kinases (ERK, CaMKII), transcription factors (CREB), presynaptic markers of neurotransmitter release (Synapsin), and the rate-limiting enzyme for dopamine synthesis (TH) across specific brain regions. Our findings suggest that alterations in phosphorylation events in specific brain centers may support cognitive/motivational responses to avoid pain.
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Gilpin NW, Weiner JL. Neurobiology of comorbid post-traumatic stress disorder and alcohol-use disorder. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2016; 16:15-43. [PMID: 27749004 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2016] [Revised: 10/03/2016] [Accepted: 10/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol-use disorder (AUD) are highly comorbid in humans. Although we have some understanding of the structural and functional brain changes that define each of these disorders, and how those changes contribute to the behavioral symptoms that define them, little is known about the neurobiology of comorbid PTSD and AUD, which may be due in part to a scarcity of adequate animal models for examining this research question. The goal of this review is to summarize the current state-of-the-science on comorbid PTSD and AUD. We summarize epidemiological data documenting the prevalence of this comorbidity, review what is known about the potential neurobiological basis for the frequent co-occurrence of PTSD and AUD and discuss successes and failures of past and current treatment strategies. We also review animal models that aim to examine comorbid PTSD and AUD, highlighting where the models parallel the human condition, and we discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each model. We conclude by discussing key gaps in our knowledge and strategies for addressing them: in particular, we (1) highlight the need for better animal models of the comorbid condition and better clinical trial design, (2) emphasize the need for examination of subpopulation effects and individual differences and (3) urge cross-talk between basic and clinical researchers that is reflected in collaborative work with forward and reverse translational impact.
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Affiliation(s)
- N W Gilpin
- Department of Physiology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA.,Neuroscience Center of Excellence, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA
| | - J L Weiner
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
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