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Borba JV, Canzian J, Resmim CM, Silva RM, Duarte MCF, Mohammed KA, Schoenau W, Adedara IA, Rosemberg DB. Towards zebrafish models to unravel translational insights of obsessive-compulsive disorder: A neurobehavioral perspective. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 162:105715. [PMID: 38734195 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105715] [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: 01/30/2024] [Revised: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 05/04/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024]
Abstract
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a chronic and debilitating illness that has been considered a polygenic and multifactorial disorder, challenging effective therapeutic interventions. Although invaluable advances have been obtained from human and rodent studies, several molecular and mechanistic aspects of OCD etiology are still obscure. Thus, the use of non-traditional animal models may foster innovative approaches in this field, aiming to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of disease from an evolutionary perspective. The zebrafish (Danio rerio) has been increasingly considered a powerful organism in translational neuroscience research, especially due to the intrinsic features of the species. Here, we outline target mechanisms of OCD for translational research, and discuss how zebrafish-based models can contribute to explore neurobehavioral aspects resembling those found in OCD. We also identify possible advantages and limitations of potential zebrafish-based models, as well as highlight future directions in both etiological and therapeutic research. Lastly, we reinforce the use of zebrafish as a promising tool to unravel the biological basis of OCD, as well as novel pharmacological therapies in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- João V Borba
- Laboratory of Experimental Neuropsychobiology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Natural and Exact Sciences Center, Federal University of Santa Maria, 1000 Roraima Avenue, Santa Maria, RS 97105-900, Brazil; Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Toxicological Biochemistry, Federal University of Santa Maria, 1000 Roraima Avenue, Santa Maria, RS 97105-900, Brazil.
| | - Julia Canzian
- Laboratory of Experimental Neuropsychobiology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Natural and Exact Sciences Center, Federal University of Santa Maria, 1000 Roraima Avenue, Santa Maria, RS 97105-900, Brazil; Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Toxicological Biochemistry, Federal University of Santa Maria, 1000 Roraima Avenue, Santa Maria, RS 97105-900, Brazil
| | - Cássio M Resmim
- Laboratory of Experimental Neuropsychobiology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Natural and Exact Sciences Center, Federal University of Santa Maria, 1000 Roraima Avenue, Santa Maria, RS 97105-900, Brazil; Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Toxicological Biochemistry, Federal University of Santa Maria, 1000 Roraima Avenue, Santa Maria, RS 97105-900, Brazil
| | - Rossano M Silva
- Laboratory of Experimental Neuropsychobiology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Natural and Exact Sciences Center, Federal University of Santa Maria, 1000 Roraima Avenue, Santa Maria, RS 97105-900, Brazil
| | - Maria C F Duarte
- Laboratory of Experimental Neuropsychobiology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Natural and Exact Sciences Center, Federal University of Santa Maria, 1000 Roraima Avenue, Santa Maria, RS 97105-900, Brazil
| | - Khadija A Mohammed
- Laboratory of Experimental Neuropsychobiology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Natural and Exact Sciences Center, Federal University of Santa Maria, 1000 Roraima Avenue, Santa Maria, RS 97105-900, Brazil; Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Toxicological Biochemistry, Federal University of Santa Maria, 1000 Roraima Avenue, Santa Maria, RS 97105-900, Brazil
| | - William Schoenau
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Health Sciences Center, Federal University of Santa Maria, 1000 Roraima Avenue, Santa Maria, RS 97105-900, Brazil
| | - Isaac A Adedara
- Laboratory of Experimental Neuropsychobiology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Natural and Exact Sciences Center, Federal University of Santa Maria, 1000 Roraima Avenue, Santa Maria, RS 97105-900, Brazil; Drug Metabolism and Toxicology Research Laboratories, Department of Biochemistry, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | - Denis B Rosemberg
- Laboratory of Experimental Neuropsychobiology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Natural and Exact Sciences Center, Federal University of Santa Maria, 1000 Roraima Avenue, Santa Maria, RS 97105-900, Brazil; Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Toxicological Biochemistry, Federal University of Santa Maria, 1000 Roraima Avenue, Santa Maria, RS 97105-900, Brazil; The International Zebrafish Neuroscience Research Consortium (ZNRC), 309 Palmer Court, Slidell, LA 70458, USA.
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Robbins TW, Banca P, Belin D. From compulsivity to compulsion: the neural basis of compulsive disorders. Nat Rev Neurosci 2024; 25:313-333. [PMID: 38594324 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-024-00807-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
Compulsive behaviour, an apparently irrational perseveration in often maladaptive acts, is a potential transdiagnostic symptom of several neuropsychiatric disorders, including obsessive-compulsive disorder and addiction, and may reflect the severe manifestation of a dimensional trait termed compulsivity. In this Review, we examine the psychological basis of compulsions and compulsivity and their underlying neural circuitry using evidence from human neuroimaging and animal models. Several main elements of this circuitry are identified, focused on fronto-striatal systems implicated in goal-directed behaviour and habits. These systems include the orbitofrontal, prefrontal, anterior cingulate and insular cortices and their connections with the basal ganglia as well as sensoriomotor and parietal cortices and cerebellum. We also consider the implications for future classification of impulsive-compulsive disorders and their treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trevor W Robbins
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Paula Banca
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - David Belin
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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Prados-Pardo Á, Martín-González E, Mora S, Martín C, Olmedo-Córdoba M, Pérez-Fernandez C, Sánchez-Santed F, Moreno-Montoya M. Reduced Expression of the Htr2a, Grin1, and Bdnf Genes and Cognitive Inflexibility in a Model of High Compulsive Rats. Mol Neurobiol 2023; 60:6975-6991. [PMID: 37523044 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-023-03506-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
Compulsivity is a core symptom in different psychopathological disorders, characterized by excessive behaviors and behavioral inflexibility. The selection of high drinker (HD) versus low drinker (LD) rats by schedule-induced polydipsia (SIP) is a valid model for studying the compulsive phenotype. The compulsive HD rats showed cognitive inflexibility and reduced serotonin 2A (5-HT2A) receptor binding levels in the frontal cortex (FC). According to that, we hypothesize that compulsive HD rats might have an alteration in the cognitive control domain regarding inflexibility, assessed by spatial memory on the Morris Water Maze (MWM), working and reference memory by the Radial Arm Maze, and behavioral deficits in stimulus processing by the Novel Object Recognition test. The possible underlying mechanisms might be linked to the brain gene expression of 5HT2A, 5HT2C, glutamate NMDA receptors, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in FC, hippocampus, and amygdala. HD rats confirmed a cognitive inflexibility profile on the reversal condition in the MWM compared to LD rats, while no differences were observed on stimulus processing, spatial, and working memory. Moreover, HD rats showed a reduced expression of the Htr2a, Grin1, and Bdnf genes in FC. Furthermore, there was a negative correlation between the relative expression of the Htr2a, Grin1, and Bdnf genes in FC and the level of compulsive water intake in HD rats on SIP. These data reveal that cognitive inflexibility may not be associated with a memory or stimulus processing deficit in compulsive individuals but may result by a region-specific alteration of the Htr2a, Grin1, and Bdnf gene expression in FC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ángeles Prados-Pardo
- Department of Psychology and Health Research Center CEINSA, University of Almería, Ctra. Sacramento, s/n, 04120, Almería, Spain
| | - Elena Martín-González
- Department of Psychology and Health Research Center CEINSA, University of Almería, Ctra. Sacramento, s/n, 04120, Almería, Spain
| | - Santiago Mora
- Department of Neuroscience and Panum Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Carlos Martín
- Department of Psychology and Health Research Center CEINSA, University of Almería, Ctra. Sacramento, s/n, 04120, Almería, Spain
| | - Manuela Olmedo-Córdoba
- Department of Psychology and Health Research Center CEINSA, University of Almería, Ctra. Sacramento, s/n, 04120, Almería, Spain
| | - Cristian Pérez-Fernandez
- Department of Psychology and Health Research Center CEINSA, University of Almería, Ctra. Sacramento, s/n, 04120, Almería, Spain
| | - Fernando Sánchez-Santed
- Department of Psychology and Health Research Center CEINSA, University of Almería, Ctra. Sacramento, s/n, 04120, Almería, Spain
| | - Margarita Moreno-Montoya
- Department of Psychology and Health Research Center CEINSA, University of Almería, Ctra. Sacramento, s/n, 04120, Almería, Spain.
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Martín-González E, Prados-Pardo Á, Sawiak SJ, Dalley JW, Padro D, Ramos-Cabrer P, Mora S, Moreno-Montoya M. Mapping the neuroanatomical abnormalities in a phenotype of male compulsive rats. BEHAVIORAL AND BRAIN FUNCTIONS : BBF 2023; 19:19. [PMID: 37932782 PMCID: PMC10626819 DOI: 10.1186/s12993-023-00221-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 10/28/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023]
Abstract
Compulsivity is considered a transdiagnostic dimension in obsessive-compulsive and related disorders, characterized by heterogeneous cognitive and behavioral phenotypes associated with abnormalities in cortico-striatal-thalamic-cortical circuitry. The present study investigated the structural morphology of white and gray matter in rats selected for low- (LD) and high- (HD) compulsive drinking behavior on a schedule-induced polydipsia (SIP) task. Regional brain morphology was assessed using ex-vivo high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Voxel-based morphometry of segmented MRI images revealed larger white matter volumes in anterior commissure and corpus callosum of HD rats compared with LD rats. HD rats also showed significantly larger regional volumes of dorsolateral orbitofrontal cortex, striatum, amygdala, hippocampus, midbrain, sub-thalamic nucleus, and cerebellum. By contrast, the medial prefrontal cortex was significantly smaller in HD rats compared with LD rats with no significant group differences in whole brain, ventricular, or cerebrospinal fluid volumes. These findings show that limbic cortico-basal ganglia structures implicated in impulse control disorders are distinct in rats that are vulnerable to develop compulsive behavior. Such abnormalities may be relevant to the etiology of compulsive disorders in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Martín-González
- Department of Psychology and Health Research Centre (CEINSA), University of Almería, Carretera de Sacramento s/n, 04120, Almería, Spain
| | - Ángeles Prados-Pardo
- Department of Psychology and Health Research Centre (CEINSA), University of Almería, Carretera de Sacramento s/n, 04120, Almería, Spain
| | - Stephen J Sawiak
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Jeffrey W Dalley
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Daniel Padro
- Center for Cooperative Research in Biomaterials (CIC biomaGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Paseo Miramón 182, 20014, Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain
| | - Pedro Ramos-Cabrer
- Center for Cooperative Research in Biomaterials (CIC biomaGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Paseo Miramón 182, 20014, Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain
- Ikerbasque, Basque Foundation for Science, 48013, Bilbao, Spain
| | - Santiago Mora
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen Panum Institute, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Margarita Moreno-Montoya
- Department of Psychology and Health Research Centre (CEINSA), University of Almería, Carretera de Sacramento s/n, 04120, Almería, Spain.
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Dresp-Langley B. From Reward to Anhedonia-Dopamine Function in the Global Mental Health Context. Biomedicines 2023; 11:2469. [PMID: 37760910 PMCID: PMC10525914 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11092469] [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: 07/29/2023] [Revised: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
When "hijacked" by compulsive behaviors that affect the reward and stress centers of the brain, functional changes in the dopamine circuitry occur as the consequence of pathological brain adaptation. As a brain correlate of mental health, dopamine has a central functional role in behavioral regulation from healthy reward-seeking to pathological adaptation to stress in response to adversity. This narrative review offers a spotlight view of the transition from healthy reward function, under the control of dopamine, to the progressive deregulation of this function in interactions with other brain centers and circuits, producing what may be called an anti-reward brain state. How such deregulation is linked to specific health-relevant behaviors is then explained and linked to pandemic-related adversities and the stresses they engendered. The long lockdown periods where people in social isolation had to rely on drink, food, and digital rewards via the internet may be seen as the major triggers of changes in motivation and reward-seeking behavior worldwide. The pathological adaptation of dopamine-mediated reward circuitry in the brain is discussed. It is argued that, when pushed by fate and circumstance into a physiological brain state of anti-reward, human behavior changes and mental health is affected, depending on individual vulnerabilities. A unified conceptual account that places dopamine function at the centre of the current global mental health context is proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Birgitta Dresp-Langley
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR 7357 ICube CNRS, Université de Strasbourg Hôpitaux Universitaires Faculté de Médecine, Pavillon Clovis Vincent, 4 Rue Kirschleger, CEDEX, 67085 Strasbourg, France
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Martín-González E, Olmedo-Córdoba M, Prados-Pardo Á, Cruz-Garzón DJ, Flores P, Mora S, Moreno-Montoya M. Behavioral domains in compulsive rats: implications for understanding compulsive spectrum disorders. Front Behav Neurosci 2023; 17:1175137. [PMID: 37273281 PMCID: PMC10234153 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1175137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 04/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Compulsive behavior has been proposed as a transdiagnostic trait observed in different neuropsychiatric disorders, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder, autism, and schizophrenia. Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) strategy could help to disentangle the neuropsychological basis of compulsivity for developing new therapeutic and preventive approaches. In preclinical research, the selection of high-drinker (HD) vs. low-drinker (LD) animals by schedule-induced polydipsia (SIP) is considered a putative model of compulsivity, which includes a well-differentiated behavioral pattern. Methods The purpose of this research was to assess the cognitive control and the negative valence system domains in a phenotype of compulsive HD rats. After the selection of animals as HD or LD, we assessed behavioral inflexibility by probabilistic spatial reversal learning (PSRL), motor and cognitive impulsivity by variable delay-to-signal (VDS), and risky decision-making by rodent gambling task (rGT). Results HD rats performed fewer reversals and showed less probability of pressing the same lever that was previously reinforced on PSRL, more premature responses after the exposure to longer delays on VDS, and more disadvantageous risky choices on rGT. Moreover, HD animals performed more perseverative responses under the punishment period on rGT. Discussion These results highlight that HD compulsive phenotype exhibits behavioral inflexibility, insensitivity to positive feedback, waiting impulsivity, risky decision-making, and frustrative non-reward responsiveness. Moreover, these findings demonstrate the importance of mapping different behavioral domains to prevent, treat, and diagnose compulsive spectrum disorders correctly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Martín-González
- Department of Psychology and Health Research Centre (CEINSA), University of Almería, Almería, Spain
| | - Manuela Olmedo-Córdoba
- Department of Psychology and Health Research Centre (CEINSA), University of Almería, Almería, Spain
| | - Ángeles Prados-Pardo
- Department of Psychology and Health Research Centre (CEINSA), University of Almería, Almería, Spain
| | - Daniel J. Cruz-Garzón
- Department of Psychology and Health Research Centre (CEINSA), University of Almería, Almería, Spain
| | - Pilar Flores
- Department of Psychology and Health Research Centre (CEINSA), University of Almería, Almería, Spain
| | - Santiago Mora
- Department of Neuroscience and Panum Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Margarita Moreno-Montoya
- Department of Psychology and Health Research Centre (CEINSA), University of Almería, Almería, Spain
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Velazquez-Sanchez C, Muresan L, Marti-Prats L, Belin D. The development of compulsive coping behaviour is associated with a downregulation of Arc in a Locus Coeruleus neuronal ensemble. Neuropsychopharmacology 2023; 48:653-663. [PMID: 36635597 PMCID: PMC9938202 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-022-01522-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2022] [Revised: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Some compulsive disorders have been considered to stem from the loss of control over coping strategies, such as displacement. However, the cellular mechanisms involved in the acquisition of coping behaviours and their subsequent compulsive manifestation in vulnerable individuals have not been elucidated. Considering the role of the locus coeruleus (LC) noradrenaline-dependent system in stress and related excessive behaviours, we hypothesised that neuroplastic changes in the LC may be associated with the acquisition of an adjunctive polydipsic water drinking, a prototypical displacement behaviour, and the ensuing development of compulsion in vulnerable individuals. Thus, male Sprague Dawley rats were characterised for their tendency, or not, to develop compulsive polydipsic drinking in a schedule-induced polydipsia (SIP) procedure before their fresh brains were harvested. A new quantification tool for RNAscope assays revealed that the development of compulsive adjunctive behaviour was associated with a low mRNA copy number of the plasticity marker Arc in the LC which appeared to be driven by specific adaptations in an ensemble of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)+, zif268- neurons. This ensemble was specifically engaged by the expression of compulsive adjunctive behaviour, not by stress, because its functional recruitment was not observed in individuals that no longer had access to the water bottle before sacrifice, while it consistently correlated with the levels of polydipsic water drinking only when it had become compulsive. Together these findings suggest that downregulation of Arc mRNA levels in a population of a TH+/zif268- LC neurons represents a signature of the tendency to develop compulsive coping behaviours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clara Velazquez-Sanchez
- CLIC (Cambridge Laboratory for research on Impulsive/Compulsive disorders), Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK
| | - Leila Muresan
- Cambridge Advanced Imaging Centre, Department of Physiology Development and Neuroscience of the University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3DY, UK
| | - Lucia Marti-Prats
- CLIC (Cambridge Laboratory for research on Impulsive/Compulsive disorders), Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK
| | - David Belin
- CLIC (Cambridge Laboratory for research on Impulsive/Compulsive disorders), Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK.
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TCB-2, a 5-hydroxytryptamine 2A receptor agonist, disrupts prepulse inhibition in the ventral pallidum and nucleus accumbens. Behav Brain Res 2023; 437:114127. [PMID: 36174843 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2022.114127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2022] [Revised: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The 5-hydroxytryptamine 2A (5-HT2A) receptor plays an important role in schizophrenia. The 5-HT2A receptor is also involved in the regulation of prepulse inhibition (PPI) in rodents. The aim of this study was to determine whether selective 5-HT2A receptor agonizts or antagonists may alter PPI in rats and to identify the critical brain regions in which the activity of 5-HT2A receptors regulates PPI. The results showed that infusion of the 5-HT2A receptor agonist TCB-2 into the lateral ventricle disrupted PPI, but the 5-HT2A receptor antagonist M100907 had no such effect. In addition, local infusion of TCB-2 into the nucleus accumbens and ventral pallidum disrupted PPI, whereas the same manipulation in the medial prefrontal cortex, ventral hippocampus, and ventral tegmental area did not disrupt PPI. In conclusion, agonism of 5-HT2A receptors in the ventral pallidum and nucleus accumbens can disrupt PPI. The ventral pallidum and nucleus accumbens are critical brain regions responsible for the regulation of PPI by serotonin. These findings contribute to the extensive exploration of the molecular and neural mechanisms underlying the regulatory effect of 5-HT2A receptor activity on PPI, especially the neural circuits modulated by 5-HT2A receptor activity.
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9
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Martín-González E, Olmedo-Córdoba M, Flores P, Moreno-Montoya M. Differential Neurobiological Markers in Phenotype-stratified Rats Modeling High or Low Vulnerability to Compulsive Behavior: A Narrative Review. Curr Neuropharmacol 2023; 21:1924-1933. [PMID: 36411566 PMCID: PMC10514532 DOI: 10.2174/1570159x21666221121091454] [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: 06/23/2022] [Revised: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Compulsivity is a key manifestation of inhibitory control deficit and a cardinal symptom in different neuropsychopathological disorders such as obsessive-compulsive disorder, schizophrenia, addiction, and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Schedule-induced polydipsia (SIP), is an animal model to study compulsivity. In this procedure, rodents develop excessive and persistent drinking behavior under different food-reinforcement schedules, that are not related to homeostatic or regulatory requirements. However, there are important individual differences that support the role of high-drinker HD rats as a compulsive phenotype, characterized in different paradigms by inhibitory response deficit, cognitive inflexibility, and resistant to extinction behavior; with significant differences in response to pharmacological challenges, and relevant neurobiological alterations in comparison with the control group, the non-compulsive low drinker LD group on SIP. The purpose of this review is to collate and update the main findings on the neurobiological bases of compulsivity using the SIP model. Specifically, we reviewed preclinical studies on SIP, that have assessed the effects of serotonergic, dopaminergic, and glutamatergic drugs; leading to the description of the neurobiological markers, such as the key role of the serotonin 5-HT2A receptor and glutamatergic signaling in a phenotype vulnerable to compulsivity as high drinker HD rats selected by SIP. The review of the main findings of HD rats on SIP helps in the characterization of the preclinical compulsive phenotype, disentangles the underlying neurobiological, and points toward genetic hallmarks concerning the vulnerability to compulsivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Martín-González
- Department of Psychology and Health Research Center (CEINSA), University of Almería, Almeria, Spain
| | - Manuela Olmedo-Córdoba
- Department of Psychology and Health Research Center (CEINSA), University of Almería, Almeria, Spain
| | - Pilar Flores
- Department of Psychology and Health Research Center (CEINSA), University of Almería, Almeria, Spain
| | - Margarita Moreno-Montoya
- Department of Psychology and Health Research Center (CEINSA), University of Almería, Almeria, Spain
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Odland AU, Kristensen JL, Andreasen JT. Animal Behavior in Psychedelic Research. Pharmacol Rev 2022; 74:1176-1205. [PMID: 36180111 DOI: 10.1124/pharmrev.122.000590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy holds great promise in the treatment of mental health disorders. Research into 5-hydroxytryptamine 2A receptor (5-HT2AR) agonist psychedelic compounds has increased dramatically over the past two decades. In humans, these compounds produce drastic effects on consciousness, and their therapeutic potential relates to changes in the processing of emotional, social, and self-referential information. The use of animal behavior to study psychedelics is under debate, and this review provides a critical perspective on the translational value of animal behavior studies in psychedelic research. Acute activation of 5-HT2ARs produces head twitches and unique discriminative cues, disrupts sensorimotor gating, and stimulates motor activity while inhibiting exploration in rodents. The acute treatment with psychedelics shows discrepant results in conventional rodent tests of depression-like behaviors but generally induces anxiolytic-like effects and inhibits repetitive behavior in rodents. Psychedelics impair waiting impulsivity but show discrepant effects in other tests of cognitive function. Tests of social interaction also show conflicting results. Effects on measures of time perception depend on the experimental schedule. Lasting or delayed effects of psychedelics in rodent tests related to different behavioral domains appear to be rather sensitive to changes in experimental protocols. Studying the effects of psychedelics on animal behaviors of relevance to effects on psychiatric symptoms in humans, assessing lasting effects, publishing negative findings, and relating behaviors in rodents and humans to other more translatable readouts, such as neuroplastic changes, will improve the translational value of animal behavioral studies in psychedelic research. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Psychedelics like LSD and psilocybin have received immense interest as potential new treatments of psychiatric disorders. Psychedelics change high-order consciousness in humans, and there is debate about the use of animal behavior studies to investigate these compounds. This review provides an overview of the behavioral effects of 5-HT2AR agonist psychedelics in laboratory animals and discusses the translatability of the effects in animals to effects in humans. Possible ways to improve the utility of animal behavior in psychedelic research are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna U Odland
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, 2100, Denmark
| | - Jesper L Kristensen
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, 2100, Denmark
| | - Jesper T Andreasen
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, 2100, Denmark
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Martín-González E, Olmedo-Córdoba M, Prados-Pardo Á, Cruz-Garzón DJ, Flores P, Mora S, Moreno M. Socioemotional deficit and HPA axis time response in high compulsive rats selected by schedule-induced polydipsia. Horm Behav 2022; 142:105170. [PMID: 35367739 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2022.105170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Revised: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Compulsivity is a failure to stop an ongoing behavior that has become inappropriate to the situation and is recognized as a transdiagnostic trait present in different neuropsychiatric disorders. The implication of motivation and emotion, as well as the stress response in compulsive population has not been fully understood. We assessed the motivation to reward and cues, the emotional response in different contexts and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis response in rats selected by a preclinical model of compulsive behavior. Firstly, high (HD) or low (LD) drinkers were selected according to their drinking behavior on schedule-induced polydipsia (SIP). Then, we assessed motivation by the propensity to attribute incentive salience to rewards on Pavlovian Conditioned Approach (PavCA) and motivation to gain reward on Progressive Ratio Schedule of Reinforcement (PRSR). Emotion was measured by Social Dominance on the Tube Test (SDTT) and emotional memory on Passive Avoidance (PA). Plasma corticosterone (CORT) levels in response to SIP were assessed. HD rats showed a socioemotional deficit by fewer victories on the SDTT, and an increased latency to enter the dark compartment on the PA. No differences were found between groups regarding to motivational assessment. Moreover, HD rats revealed a blunted time response in the increase of CORT levels at 45 min after SIP compared to LD rats. The findings show that the compulsive phenotype of HD rats exhibit less social dominance, more resistance to extinction and a differential CORT time response to SIP. These findings may contribute to highlight the relevance of assessing socioemotional behaviors and stress response for a better characterization of the vulnerability to compulsive spectrum disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Martín-González
- Department of Psychology and Health Research Center (CEINSA), University of Almería, Spain
| | - Manuela Olmedo-Córdoba
- Department of Psychology and Health Research Center (CEINSA), University of Almería, Spain
| | - Ángeles Prados-Pardo
- Department of Psychology and Health Research Center (CEINSA), University of Almería, Spain
| | - Daniel J Cruz-Garzón
- Department of Psychology and Health Research Center (CEINSA), University of Almería, Spain
| | - Pilar Flores
- Department of Psychology and Health Research Center (CEINSA), University of Almería, Spain
| | - Santiago Mora
- Department of Psychology and Health Research Center (CEINSA), University of Almería, Spain
| | - Margarita Moreno
- Department of Psychology and Health Research Center (CEINSA), University of Almería, Spain.
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12
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Abreu AC, Mora S, Tristán AI, Martín-González E, Prados-Pardo Á, Moreno M, Fernández I. NMR-based Metabolomics and Fatty Acid Profiles to Unravel Biomarkers in Preclinical Animal Models of Compulsive Behavior. J Proteome Res 2022; 21:612-622. [PMID: 35142515 PMCID: PMC8902800 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.1c00857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
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Compulsivity is a
key manifestation of inhibitory control deficit
and a cardinal symptom of psychopathological conditions such as obsessive-compulsive
and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorders, in which metabolic
alterations have raised attention as putative biomarkers for early
identification. The present study assessed the metabolic profile in
a preclinical model of a compulsive phenotype of rats. We used the
schedule-induced polydipsia (SIP) method to classify male Wistar rats
into high drinkers (HDs) or low drinkers (LDs) according to their
compulsive drinking rate developed by exposure to a fixed-time 60
s (FT-60) schedule of reinforcement with water available ad
libitum during 20 sessions. Before and after SIP, blood samples
were collected for subsequent serum analysis by nuclear magnetic resonance
spectroscopy coupled to multivariate analysis. Although no differences
existed in the pre-SIP set, the compulsive drinking behavior induced
remarkable metabolic alterations: HD rats selected by SIP exhibited
a hyperlipidemic, hypoglycemic, and hyperglutaminergic profile compared
with their low-compulsive counterparts. Interestingly, these alterations
were not attributable to the mere exposure to reward pellets because
a control experiment did not show differences between HDs and LDs
after 20 sessions of pellet consumption without intermittent reinforcement.
Our results shed light toward the implication of dietary and metabolic
factors underpinning the vulnerability to compulsive behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana C Abreu
- Department of Chemistry and Physics, Research Centre CIAIMBITAL, University of Almería, Ctra. Sacramento, s/n, 04120 Almería, Spain
| | - Santiago Mora
- Department of Psychology and Health Research Center CEINSA, University of Almería, Ctra. Sacramento, s/n, 04120 Almería, Spain
| | - Ana Isabel Tristán
- Department of Chemistry and Physics, Research Centre CIAIMBITAL, University of Almería, Ctra. Sacramento, s/n, 04120 Almería, Spain
| | - Elena Martín-González
- Department of Psychology and Health Research Center CEINSA, University of Almería, Ctra. Sacramento, s/n, 04120 Almería, Spain
| | - Ángeles Prados-Pardo
- Department of Psychology and Health Research Center CEINSA, University of Almería, Ctra. Sacramento, s/n, 04120 Almería, Spain
| | - Margarita Moreno
- Department of Psychology and Health Research Center CEINSA, University of Almería, Ctra. Sacramento, s/n, 04120 Almería, Spain
| | - Ignacio Fernández
- Department of Chemistry and Physics, Research Centre CIAIMBITAL, University of Almería, Ctra. Sacramento, s/n, 04120 Almería, Spain
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13
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Li B, Jiang J, Zhou L, Tao X, Sun Q, Liu J, Liu Y, Pang G. Blockade of 5-Hydroxytryptamine 2A Receptor Attenuates Precipitation of Naloxone-Induced Withdrawal Symptoms in Opioid-Exposed Mice. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 15:797217. [PMID: 35221941 PMCID: PMC8864093 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.797217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 12/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Heroin dependency has become a global problem and has caused significant clinical and socioeconomic burdens along with devastating medical consequences. Chronic drug exposure alters the expression and functional activity of 5-hydroxytryptamine (serotonin) 2A receptors (5-HT2ARs) in the brain. Furthermore, pharmacological blockade of 5-HT2ARs reduces cue-induced cocaine craving behaviors. In this study, we explored the influence of 5-HT2ARs on heroin-withdrawal behaviors in mice. Black C57BL/6J mice were given gradually increasing (10–50 mg/kg over 4.5 days) doses of heroin to induce heroin dependency, after which naloxone was given to precipitate withdrawal symptoms. MDL100907, a selective and potent 5-HT2AR antagonist, attenuated naloxone-precipitated withdrawal symptoms in these mice. In addition, 5-HT2AR protein levels increased significantly in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), while phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (p-ERK) decreased in the mPFC after heroin exposure. In conclusion, these results suggest that 5-HT2ARs might be involved in the development of opioid dependency and that pharmacological blocking of 5-HT2ARs might be a new therapeutic strategy for heroin dependency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bing Li
- Center for Medical Research, School of Medicine, Anhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan, China
| | - Junyu Jiang
- Center for Medical Research, School of Medicine, Anhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan, China
| | - Li Zhou
- Center for Medical Research, School of Medicine, Anhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan, China
| | - Xinrong Tao
- Center for Medical Research, School of Medicine, Anhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan, China
| | - Qixian Sun
- Center for Medical Research, School of Medicine, Anhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan, China
| | - Jiaxin Liu
- Center for Medical Research, School of Medicine, Anhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan, China
| | - Yang Liu
- Center for Medical Research, School of Medicine, Anhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan, China
| | - Gang Pang
- College of Basic Medical Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
- *Correspondence: Gang Pang,
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14
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Jones JA, Zuhlsdorff K, Dalley JW. Neurochemical substrates linked to impulsive and compulsive phenotypes in addiction: A preclinical perspective. J Neurochem 2021; 157:1525-1546. [PMID: 33931861 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2021] [Revised: 04/24/2021] [Accepted: 04/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Drug compulsion manifests in some but not all individuals and implicates multifaceted processes including failures in top-down cognitive control as drivers for the hazardous pursuit of drug use in some individuals. As a closely related construct, impulsivity encompasses rash or risky behaviour without foresight and underlies most forms of drug taking behaviour, including drug use during adverse emotional states (i.e., negative urgency). While impulsive behavioural dimensions emerge from drug-induced brain plasticity, burgeoning evidence suggests that impulsivity also predates the emergence of compulsive drug use. Although the neural substrates underlying the apparently causal relationship between trait impulsivity and drug compulsion are poorly understood, significant advances have come from the interrogation of defined limbic cortico-striatal circuits involved in motivated behaviour and response inhibition, together with chemical neuromodulatory influences from the ascending neurotransmitter systems. We review what is presently known about the neurochemical mediation of impulsivity, in its various forms, and ask whether commonalities exist in the neurochemistry of compulsive drug-motivated behaviours that might explain individual risk for addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jolyon A Jones
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Jeffrey W Dalley
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,Department of Psychiatry, Hershel Smith Building for Brain and Mind Sciences, Cambridge, UK
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15
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Merchán A, Pérez-Fernández C, López MJ, Moreno J, Moreno M, Sánchez-Santed F, Flores P. Dietary tryptophan depletion alters the faecal bacterial community structure of compulsive drinker rats in schedule-induced polydipsia. Physiol Behav 2021; 233:113356. [PMID: 33577871 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2021.113356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2020] [Revised: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Compulsive behaviour, present in different psychiatric disorders such as obsessive-compulsive disorder, schizophrenia and drug abuse, is associated with altered levels of serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT). The gut microbiota regulates tryptophan (TRP) metabolism and may affect global 5-H synthesis in the enteric and central nervous systems, suggesting a possible involvement of gut microbiota in compulsive spectrum disorders. OBJECTIVES The present study investigated whether chronic TRP depletion by diet alters the faecal bacterial community profiles of compulsive versus non-compulsive rats in schedule-induced polydipsia (SIP). Peripheral plasma 5-HT and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels were evaluated. METHODS Wistar rats were selected as High Drinkers (HD) or Low Drinkers (LD) according to their SIP behaviour and were fed for 14 days with either a TRP-free diet (T-) or a TRP-supplemented diet (T+). The faecal bacterial community structure was investigated with 16S rRNA gene-targeted denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) fingerprinting analysis. RESULTS Compulsive HD rats showed a lower bacterial diversity than LD rats, irrespectively of the diet. The TRP-depleted HD rats, the only group increasing compulsive licking in SIP, showed a reduction of bacterial evenness and a highly functionally organized community compared with the other groups, indicating that this bacterial community is more fragile to external changes due to the dominance of a low number of species. The chronic TRP depletion by diet effectively reduced peripheral plasma 5-HT levels in both HD and LD rats, while plasma BDNF levels were not altered. CONCLUSIONS These results highlight the possible implication of reduced microbial diversity in compulsive behaviour and the involvement of the serotonergic system in modulating the gut brain-axis in compulsive spectrum disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Merchán
- Department of Psychology and Health Research Center (CEINSA), University of Almería, Ctra. Sacramento s/n, 04120 Almería, Spain
| | - C Pérez-Fernández
- Department of Psychology and Health Research Center (CEINSA), University of Almería, Ctra. Sacramento s/n, 04120 Almería, Spain
| | - M J López
- Department of Biology and Geology and CIAMBITAL, University of Almería & CeiA3, Ctra. Sacramento s/n, 04120, Almería, Spain
| | - J Moreno
- Department of Biology and Geology and CIAMBITAL, University of Almería & CeiA3, Ctra. Sacramento s/n, 04120, Almería, Spain
| | - M Moreno
- Department of Psychology and Health Research Center (CEINSA), University of Almería, Ctra. Sacramento s/n, 04120 Almería, Spain
| | - F Sánchez-Santed
- Department of Psychology and Health Research Center (CEINSA), University of Almería, Ctra. Sacramento s/n, 04120 Almería, Spain
| | - P Flores
- Department of Psychology and Health Research Center (CEINSA), University of Almería, Ctra. Sacramento s/n, 04120 Almería, Spain.
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16
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Bajagai YS, Steel JC, Radovanovic A, Stanley D. Prolonged continual consumption of oregano herb interferes with the action of steroid hormones and several drugs, and effects signaling across the brain-gut axis. Food Funct 2020; 12:726-738. [PMID: 33349823 DOI: 10.1039/d0fo02988b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Herbs and spices have been used throughout human history for their medicinal qualities. The advent of cheap and readily available medicines have lessened the need for herbs and spices as traditional medicines, however, they are rapidly regaining popularity with rising interest of the general population in health, natural products and nutrition. The need for alternative medicines with antimicrobial properties, such as herbs and spices, has also come to the forefront in light of the recent bans of antibiotic use in the livestock industry, including the poultry industry. This large scale use presents an opportunity to observe nutrigenomic effects of prolonged use of herbs on a substantial number of birds fed high concentrations of these products throughout the production cycle. In this manuscript, we investigated the transcriptional effect of continual prolonged oregano supplementation on chicken ileum gene expression. Based on ileum transcriptomics, we report that continual supplementation with 2% oregano altered microbiota-gut-brain axis signalling, rearranged cancer susceptibility towards reduced steroid hormone-related cancers and altered expression of genes targeted by many registered drugs, thus likely affecting their efficiency and side effects. Transcriptional toxicology analysis indicated significant activation of Ventricular Septal Defect and Congenital Heart Disease categories. Our results, counter the notion that natural products such as oregano have the potential for little to no side-effects as they are "natural". The nutrigenomic approach of understanding benefits and side effects of the food we eat, can revolutionize disease management and therapy and have special significance in designing the diets for individuals or livestock with known disease predispositions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yadav S Bajagai
- Central Queensland University, Institute for Future Farming Systems, Rockhampton, Queensland 4702, Australia.
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17
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Mora S, Merchán A, Aznar S, Flores P, Moreno M. Increased amygdala and decreased hippocampus volume after schedule-induced polydipsia in high drinker compulsive rats. Behav Brain Res 2020; 390:112592. [PMID: 32417273 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2020.112592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2019] [Revised: 02/04/2020] [Accepted: 02/25/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Fronto-limbic structures and serotonin 2A receptors (5-HT2A) have been implicated in the pathophysiology and treatment of compulsive spectrum disorders. Schedule-Induced Polydipsia (SIP), characterized by the development of excessive drinking under intermittent food reinforcement schedules, is a valid preclinical model for studying the compulsive phenotype. In the present study, we explored the individual differences and effect of SIP in brain volume and 5-HT2A receptor binding in fronto-limbic structures in rats selected according to their compulsive drinking behavior. Rats were divided into high (HD) and low drinkers (LD) by SIP (20 sessions); later, we analyzed the brains of HD and LD selected rats, in two different conditions: non-re-exposure (NRE) or re-exposure to SIP (RE), with four groups: LD-NRE, LD-RE, HD-NRE and HD-RE. Histological analyses were carried out for volumetric (stereology) and receptor binding (autoradiography) in the prelimbic and infralimbic cortex, dorsal hippocampus and basolateral amygdala. After SIP re-exposure, HD-RE showed an increased basolateral amygdala and a reduced hippocampus volume compared to HD-NRE rats, and also compared to LD-RE rats. No differences were found between HD and LD in NRE condition. Moreover, HD rats exhibit a lower 5-HT2A receptor binding in the basolateral amygdala, independently of SIP re-exposure, compared to LD rats. However, LD-RE showed a decreased 5-HT2A receptor binding in basolateral amygdala compared to LD-NRE. No differences were found in the remaining structures. These findings suggest that SIP might be differentially impacting HD and LD brains, pointing towards a possible explanation of how the latent vulnerability to compulsivity is triggered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Santiago Mora
- Department of Psychology & Health Research Centre (CEINSA), University of Almería, Almería, Spain
| | - Ana Merchán
- Department of Psychology & Health Research Centre (CEINSA), University of Almería, Almería, Spain
| | - Susana Aznar
- Research Laboratory for Stereology and Neuroscience, Bispebjerg-Frederiksberg University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Pilar Flores
- Department of Psychology & Health Research Centre (CEINSA), University of Almería, Almería, Spain
| | - Margarita Moreno
- Department of Psychology & Health Research Centre (CEINSA), University of Almería, Almería, Spain.
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18
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Hervig ME, Piilgaard L, Božič T, Alsiö J, Robbins TW. Glutamatergic and Serotonergic Modulation of Rat Medial and Lateral Orbitofrontal Cortex in Visual Serial Reversal Learning. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020; 13:438-458. [PMID: 33613854 PMCID: PMC7872199 DOI: 10.1037/pne0000221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2019] [Revised: 04/21/2020] [Accepted: 04/27/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Adapting behavior to a dynamic environment requires both steadiness when the environment is stable and behavioral flexibility in response to changes. Much evidence suggests that cognitive flexibility, which can be operationalized in reversal learning tasks, is mediated by cortico-striatal circuitries, with the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) playing a prominent role. The OFC is a functionally heterogeneous region, and we have previously reported differential roles of lateral (lOFC) and medial (mOFC) regions in a touchscreen serial visual reversal learning task for rats using pharmacological inactivation. Here, we investigated the effects of pharmacological overactivation of these regions using a glutamate transporter 1 (GLT-1) inhibitor, dihydrokainate (DHK), which increases extracellular glutamate by blocking its reuptake. We also tested the impact of antagonism of the serotonin 2A receptor (5-HT2AR), which modulates glutamate action, in the mOFC and lOFC on the same task. Overactivation induced by DHK produced dissociable effects in the mOFC and lOFC, with more prominent effects in the mOFC, specifically improving performance in the early, perseveration phase. Intra-lOFC DHK increased the number of omitted responses without affecting errors. In contrast, blocking the 5-HT2AR in the lOFC impaired reversal learning overall, while mOFC 5-HT2AR blockade had no effect. These results further support dissociable roles of the rodent mOFC and lOFC in deterministic visual reversal learning and indicate that modulating glutamate transmission through blocking the GLT-1 and the 5-HT2AR have different roles in these two structures. This study further supports dissociable roles of specific orbitofrontal subregions, as well as glutamatergic and serotonergic transmission in these subregions, in cognitive flexibility. This knowledge will add to the understanding of specific neural mechanisms underlying inflexible behaviour across psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mona E Hervig
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, and Department of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen
| | - Louise Piilgaard
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, and Behavioral and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge
| | - Tadej Božič
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, and Behavioral and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge
| | - Johan Alsiö
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, and Behavioral and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge
| | - Trevor W Robbins
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, and Behavioral and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge
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19
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Banasikowski TJ, Hawken ER. The Bed Nucleus of the Stria Terminalis, Homeostatic Satiety, and Compulsions: What Can We Learn From Polydipsia? Front Behav Neurosci 2019; 13:170. [PMID: 31417376 PMCID: PMC6686835 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2019] [Accepted: 07/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
A compulsive phenotype characterizes several neuropsychiatric illnesses - including but not limited to - schizophrenia and obsessive compulsive disorder. Because of its perceived etiological heterogeneity, it is challenging to disentangle the specific neurophysiology that precipitates compulsive behaving. Using polydipsia (or non-regulatory water drinking), we describe candidate neural substrates of compulsivity. We further postulate that aberrant neuroplasticity within cortically projecting structures [i.e., the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST)] and circuits that encode homeostatic emotions (thirst, hunger, satiety, etc.) underlie compulsive drinking. By transducing an inaccurate signal that fails to represent true homeostatic state, cortical structures cannot select appropriate and adaptive actions. Additionally, augmented dopamine (DA) reactivity in striatal projections to and from the frontal cortex contribute to aberrant homeostatic signal propagation that ultimately biases cortex-dependent behavioral selection. Responding becomes rigid and corresponds with both erroneous, inflexible encoding in both bottom-up structures and in top-down pathways. How aberrant neuroplasticity in circuits that encode homeostatic emotion result in the genesis and maintenance of compulsive behaviors needs further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomek J Banasikowski
- Department of Psychiatry, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.,Providence Care Hospital, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Emily R Hawken
- Department of Psychiatry, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.,Providence Care Hospital, Kingston, ON, Canada
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20
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Perez-Fernandez C, Flores P, Sánchez-Santed F. A Systematic Review on the Influences of Neurotoxicological Xenobiotic Compounds on Inhibitory Control. Front Behav Neurosci 2019; 13:139. [PMID: 31333425 PMCID: PMC6620897 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2019] [Accepted: 06/06/2019] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Impulsive and compulsive traits represent a variety of maladaptive behaviors defined by the difficulties to stop an improper response and the control of a repeated behavioral pattern without sensitivity to changing contingencies, respectively. Otherwise, human beings are continuously exposed to plenty neurotoxicological agents which have been systematically linked to attentional, learning, and memory dysfunctions, both preclinical and clinical studies. Interestingly, the link between both impulsive and compulsive behaviors and the exposure to the most important xenobiotic compounds have been extensively developed; although the information has been rarely summarized. For this, the present systematic review schedule and analyze in depth the most important works relating different subtypes of the above-mentioned behaviors with 4 of the most important xenobiotic compounds: Lead (Pb), Methylmercury (MeHg), Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), and Organophosphates (OP) in both preclinical and clinical models. Methods: Systematic search strategy on PubMed databases was developed, and the most important information was structured both in text and in separate tables based on rigorous methodological quality assessment. Results: For Lead, Methylmercury, Polychlorinated biphenyls and organophosphates, a total of 44 (31 preclinical), 34 (21), 38 (23), and 30 (17) studies were accepted for systematic synthesis, respectively. All the compounds showed an important empirical support on their role in the modulation of impulsive and, in lesser degree, compulsive traits, stronger and more solid in animal models with inconclusive results in humans in some cases (i.e., MeHg). However, preclinical and clinical studies have systematically focused on different subtypes of the above-mentioned behaviors, as well as impulsive choice or habit conformations have been rarely studied. Discussion: The strong empirical support in preclinical studies contrasts with the lack of connection between preclinical and clinical models, as well as the different methodologies used. Further research should be focused on dissipate these differences as well as deeply study impulsive choice, decision making, risk taking, and cognitive flexibility, both in experimental animals and humans.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Pilar Flores
- Department of Psychology and Health Research Center, University of Almería, Almería, Spain
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21
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Prados-Pardo Á, Martín-González E, Mora S, Merchán A, Flores P, Moreno M. Increased Fear Memory and Glutamatergic Modulation in Compulsive Drinker Rats Selected by Schedule-Induced Polydipsia. Front Behav Neurosci 2019; 13:100. [PMID: 31133835 PMCID: PMC6514533 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2019] [Accepted: 04/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Compulsive behavior is observed in several neuropsychiatric disorders such as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), anxiety, depression, phobia, and schizophrenia. Thus, compulsivity has been proposed as a transdiagnostic symptom with a highly variable pharmacological treatment. Recent evidence shows that glutamate pharmacotherapy may be of benefit in impaired inhibitory control. The purpose of the present study was: first, to test the comorbidity between compulsivity and other neuropsychiatric symptoms on different preclinical behavioral models; second, to assess the therapeutic potential of different glutamate modulators in a preclinical model of compulsivity. Long Evans rats were selected as either high (HD) or low (LD) drinkers corresponding with their water intake in schedule-induced polydipsia (SIP). We assessed compulsivity in LD and HD rats by marble burying test (MBT), depression by forced swimming test (FST), anxiety by elevated plus maze (EPM) and fear behavior by fear conditioning (FC) test. After that, we measured the effects of acute administration (i.p.) of glutamatergic drugs: N-Acetylcysteine (NAC; 25, 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg), memantine (3.1 and 6.2 mg/kg) and lamotrigine (15 and 30 mg/kg) on compulsive drinking on SIP. The results obtained showed a relation between high compulsive drinking on SIP and a higher number of marbles partially buried in MBT, as well as a higher percentage of freezing on the retrieval day of FC test. We did not detect any significant differences between LD and HD rats in FST, nor in EPM. The psychopharmacological study of glutamatergic drugs revealed that memantine and lamotrigine, at all doses tested, decreased compulsive water consumption in HD rats compared to LD rats on SIP. NAC did not produce any significant effect on SIP. These results indicate that the symptom clusters of different forms of compulsivity and phobia might be found in the compulsive phenotype of HD rats selected by SIP. The effects of memantine and lamotrigine in HD rats point towards a dysregulation in the glutamatergic signaling as a possible underlying mechanism in the vulnerability to compulsive behavior on SIP. Further studies on SIP, could help to elucidate the therapeutic role of glutamatergic drugs as a pharmacological strategy on compulsive spectrum disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ángeles Prados-Pardo
- Department of Psychology, Health Research Center, University of Almería, Campus de Excelencia Internacional Agroalimentario CeiA3, Almería, Spain
| | - Elena Martín-González
- Department of Psychology, Health Research Center, University of Almería, Campus de Excelencia Internacional Agroalimentario CeiA3, Almería, Spain
| | - Santiago Mora
- Department of Psychology, Health Research Center, University of Almería, Campus de Excelencia Internacional Agroalimentario CeiA3, Almería, Spain
| | - Ana Merchán
- Department of Psychology, Health Research Center, University of Almería, Campus de Excelencia Internacional Agroalimentario CeiA3, Almería, Spain
| | - Pilar Flores
- Department of Psychology, Health Research Center, University of Almería, Campus de Excelencia Internacional Agroalimentario CeiA3, Almería, Spain
| | - Margarita Moreno
- Department of Psychology, Health Research Center, University of Almería, Campus de Excelencia Internacional Agroalimentario CeiA3, Almería, Spain
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