1
|
Iqbal J, Huang GD, Xue YX, Yang M, Jia XJ. Role of estrogen in sex differences in memory, emotion and neuropsychiatric disorders. Mol Biol Rep 2024; 51:415. [PMID: 38472517 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-024-09374-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
Estrogen regulates a wide range of neuronal functions in the brain, such as dendritic spine formation, remodeling of synaptic plasticity, cognition, neurotransmission, and neurodevelopment. Estrogen interacts with intracellular estrogen receptors (ERs) and membrane-bound ERs to produce its effect via genomic and non-genomic pathways. Any alterations in these pathways affect the number, size, and shape of dendritic spines in neurons associated with psychiatric diseases. Increasing evidence suggests that estrogen fluctuation causes changes in dendritic spine density, morphology, and synapse numbers of excitatory and inhibitory neurons differently in males and females. In this review, we discuss the role of estrogen hormone in rodents and humans based on sex differences. First, we explain estrogen role in learning and memory and show that a high estrogen level alleviates the deficits in learning and memory. Secondly, we point out that estrogen produces a striking difference in emotional memories in men and women, which leads them to display sex-specific differences in underlying neuronal signaling. Lastly, we discuss that fluctuations in estrogen levels in men and women are related to neuropsychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), bipolar disorder (BPD), major depressive disorder (MDD), substance use disorder (SUD), and anxiety disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Javed Iqbal
- Department of Addiction Medicine, Shenzhen Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Shenzhen Kangning Hospital & Shenzhen Mental Health Center, No. 77 Zhenbi Road, Pingshan District, Shenzhen, 518118, Guangdong, China
| | - Geng-Di Huang
- Department of Addiction Medicine, Shenzhen Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Shenzhen Kangning Hospital & Shenzhen Mental Health Center, No. 77 Zhenbi Road, Pingshan District, Shenzhen, 518118, Guangdong, China
| | - Yan-Xue Xue
- National Institute on Drug Dependence and Beijing Key Laboratory of Drug Dependence, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Mei Yang
- Department of Addiction Medicine, Shenzhen Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Shenzhen Kangning Hospital & Shenzhen Mental Health Center, No. 77 Zhenbi Road, Pingshan District, Shenzhen, 518118, Guangdong, China.
- Clinical College of Mental Health, Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen, China.
- Affiliated Mental Health Center, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China.
| | - Xiao-Jian Jia
- Department of Addiction Medicine, Shenzhen Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Shenzhen Kangning Hospital & Shenzhen Mental Health Center, No. 77 Zhenbi Road, Pingshan District, Shenzhen, 518118, Guangdong, China.
- Clinical College of Mental Health, Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen, China.
- Affiliated Mental Health Center, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Iqbal J, Bibi M, Huang GD, Xue YX, Khatttak JZK, Yang M, Jia XJ. Differential regulation of hippocampal transcriptome by circulating estrogen. Funct Integr Genomics 2023; 23:309. [PMID: 37735249 DOI: 10.1007/s10142-023-01234-6] [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: 07/01/2023] [Revised: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023]
Abstract
Estrogen (E2) modulates the synaptic structure and plasticity in the hippocampus. Previous studies showed that E2 fluctuations during various phases of the menstrual cycle produce subtle neurosynaptic changes that impact women's behavior, emotion, and cognitive functions. In this study, we explored the transcriptome of the hippocampus via RNA-seq (RNA-sequencing) between proestrus (PE) and diestrus (DE) stages in young female rats to determine the effect of E2 of PE and DE stages on hippocampal gene expression. We identified 238 genes (at 1.5-fold-change selection criteria, FDR adjusted p-value < 0.05) as differentially expressed genes (DEGs) that responded to E2 between PE and DE stages. Functional analysis based on Gene Ontology (GO) revealed that a higher E2 level corresponded to an increase in gene transcription among most of the DEGs, suggesting biological mechanisms operating differentially in the hippocampus of female rats between PE and DE stages in the estrus cycle; while analysis with Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes database (KEGG) found that the DEGs involving neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction, antigen processing, cell adhesion molecules, and presentation were upregulated in PE stage, whereas DEGs in pathways relating to bile secretion, coagulation cascades, osteoclast differentiation, cysteine and methionine metabolism were upregulated in DE stage of the estrus cycle. The high-fold expression of DEGs was confirmed by a follow-up quantitative real-time PCR. Our findings in this current study have provided fundamental information for further dissection of neuro-molecular mechanisms in the hippocampus in response to E2 fluctuation and its relationship with disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Javed Iqbal
- Shenzhen Graduate School, Peking University, Shenzhen, China
- Department of Addiction Medicine, Shenzhen Engineering Research Center for Precision Psychiatric Technology, Shenzhen Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Shenzhen Kangning Hospital & Shenzhen Mental Health Center, No.77 Zhenbi Road, Pingshan District, Shenzhen, 518118, Guangdong, China
| | - Maryam Bibi
- Department of Biological Sciences, International Islamic University, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Geng-Di Huang
- Shenzhen Graduate School, Peking University, Shenzhen, China
- Department of Addiction Medicine, Shenzhen Engineering Research Center for Precision Psychiatric Technology, Shenzhen Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Shenzhen Kangning Hospital & Shenzhen Mental Health Center, No.77 Zhenbi Road, Pingshan District, Shenzhen, 518118, Guangdong, China
| | - Yan-Xue Xue
- National Institute on Drug Dependence and Beijing Key Laboratory of Drug Dependence, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | | | - Mei Yang
- Department of Addiction Medicine, Shenzhen Engineering Research Center for Precision Psychiatric Technology, Shenzhen Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Shenzhen Kangning Hospital & Shenzhen Mental Health Center, No.77 Zhenbi Road, Pingshan District, Shenzhen, 518118, Guangdong, China.
- Clinical College of Mental Health, Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen, China.
- Affiliated Mental Health Center, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China.
| | - Xiao-Jian Jia
- Department of Addiction Medicine, Shenzhen Engineering Research Center for Precision Psychiatric Technology, Shenzhen Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Shenzhen Kangning Hospital & Shenzhen Mental Health Center, No.77 Zhenbi Road, Pingshan District, Shenzhen, 518118, Guangdong, China.
- Clinical College of Mental Health, Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen, China.
- Affiliated Mental Health Center, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Daniel JM, Lindsey SH, Mostany R, Schrader LA, Zsombok A. Cardiometabolic health, menopausal estrogen therapy and the brain: How effects of estrogens diverge in healthy and unhealthy preclinical models of aging. Front Neuroendocrinol 2023; 70:101068. [PMID: 37061205 PMCID: PMC10725785 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2023.101068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Revised: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 04/17/2023]
Abstract
Research in preclinical models indicates that estrogens are neuroprotective and positively impact cognitive aging. However, clinical data are equivocal as to the benefits of menopausal estrogen therapy to the brain and cognition. Pre-existing cardiometabolic disease may modulate mechanisms by which estrogens act, potentially reducing or reversing protections they provide against cognitive decline. In the current review we propose mechanisms by which cardiometabolic disease may alter estrogen effects, including both alterations in actions directly on brain memory systems and actions on cardiometabolic systems, which in turn impact brain memory systems. Consideration of mechanisms by which estrogen administration can exert differential effects dependent upon health phenotype is consistent with the move towards precision or personalized medicine, which aims to determine which treatment interventions will work for which individuals. Understanding effects of estrogens in both healthy and unhealthy models of aging is critical to optimizing the translational link between preclinical and clinical research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jill M Daniel
- Department of Psychology and Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, United States.
| | - Sarah H Lindsey
- Department of Pharmacology and Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, United States
| | - Ricardo Mostany
- Department of Pharmacology and Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, United States
| | - Laura A Schrader
- Department of Cell & Molecular Biology and Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, United States
| | - Andrea Zsombok
- Department of Physiology and Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, United States
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Muellerleile J, Vnencak M, Sethi MVA, Jungenitz T, Schwarzacher SW, Jedlicka P. Increased Network Inhibition in the Dentate Gyrus of Adult Neuroligin-4 Knock-Out Mice. eNeuro 2023; 10:10/4/ENEURO.0471-22.2023. [PMID: 37080762 PMCID: PMC10121080 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0471-22.2023] [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: 11/18/2022] [Revised: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 03/12/2023] [Indexed: 04/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Loss-of-function mutations in neuroligin-4 (Nlgn4), a member of the neuroligin family of postsynaptic adhesion proteins, cause autism spectrum disorder in humans. Nlgn4 knockout (KO) in mice leads to social behavior deficits and complex alterations of synaptic inhibition or excitation, depending on the brain region. In the present work, we comprehensively analyzed synaptic function and plasticity at the cellular and network levels in hippocampal dentate gyrus of Nlgn4 KO mice. Compared with wild-type littermates, adult Nlgn4 KO mice exhibited increased paired-pulse inhibition of dentate granule cell population spikes, but no impairments in excitatory synaptic transmission or short-term and long-term plasticity in vivo In vitro patch-clamp recordings in neonatal organotypic entorhino-hippocampal slice cultures from Nlgn4 KO and wild-type littermates revealed no significant differences in excitatory or inhibitory synaptic transmission, homeostatic synaptic plasticity, and passive electrotonic properties in dentate granule cells, suggesting that the increased inhibition in vivo is the result of altered network activity in the adult Nlgn4 KO. A comparison with prior studies on Nlgn 1-3 knock-out mice reveals that each of the four neuroligins exerts a characteristic effect on both intrinsic cellular and network activity in the dentate gyrus in vivo.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Julia Muellerleile
- Institute of Clinical Neuroanatomy, Neuroscience Center, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Faculty of Biosciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60439 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Matej Vnencak
- Institute of Clinical Neuroanatomy, Neuroscience Center, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Mohammad Valeed Ahmed Sethi
- Institute of Clinical Neuroanatomy, Neuroscience Center, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Tassilo Jungenitz
- Institute of Clinical Neuroanatomy, Neuroscience Center, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Stephan W Schwarzacher
- Institute of Clinical Neuroanatomy, Neuroscience Center, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Peter Jedlicka
- Institute of Clinical Neuroanatomy, Neuroscience Center, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Faculty of Medicine, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, 35392 Giessen, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Vieira ADC, Medeiros EB, Zabot GC, Pereira NDS, do Nascimento NB, Lidio AV, Scheffer ÂK, Rempel LCT, Macarini BMN, Costa MDA, Gonçalves CL, Kucharska E, Rodrigues MS, Moreira JCF, de Oliveira J, Budni J. Neuroprotective effects of combined therapy with memantine, donepezil, and vitamin D in ovariectomized female mice subjected to dementia model. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2023; 122:110653. [PMID: 36195205 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2022.110653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Revised: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Women older than 60 have a higher risk of dementia, aging-related cognitive decline, and Alzheimer's Disease (AD) than the rest of the population. The main reason is hormonal senescence after menopause, a period characterized by a decline in estrogen levels. Since the effectiveness of drugs currently approved for the treatment of AD is limited, it is necessary to seek the development of new therapeutic strategies. Vitamin D deficiency is prevalent in AD patients and individuals with dementia in general. The supplementation of this vitamin in dementia patients might be an interesting approach for increasing the effectiveness of pre-existing medications for dementia treatment. Thus, the present study aims to investigate the effect of vitamin D treatment associated with memantine and donepezil in female mice submitted to ovariectomy (OVX) for five months and subjected to a dementia animal model induced by intracerebroventricular injection of aggregated amyloid βeta (Aβ1-42). For this purpose, Balb/c mice were divided into five experimental groups, which received 17 days of combined therapy with vitamin D, donepezil, and memantine. Then, animals were subjected to behavioral tests. OVX groups exhibited reduced levels of estradiol (E2) in serum, which was not altered by the combined therapy. Higher levels of vitamin D3 were found in the OVX animals submitted to the triple-association treatment. Mice exposed to both OVX and the dementia animal model presented impairment in short and long-term spatial and habituation memories. Also, female mice exposed to Aβ and OVX exhibited a reduction in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and interleukin-4 (IL-4) levels, and an increase in tumor necrose factor-α (TNFα) levels in the hippocampus. Besides, increased levels of IL-1β in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex were observed, as well as a significant increase in immunoreactivity for glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), an astrocytes marker, in the hippocampus. Notably, triple-association treatment reversed the effects of the exposition of mice to Aβ and OVX in the long-term spatial and habituation memories impairment, as well as reversed changes in TNFα, IL-1β, IL-4, and GFAP immunoreactivity levels in the hippocampus of treated animals. Our results indicate that the therapeutic association of vitamin D, memantine, and donepezil has beneficial effects on memory performance and attenuated the neuroinflammatory response in female mice subjected to OVX associated with a dementia animal model.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ana Daniela Coutinho Vieira
- Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Academic Unit of Health Sciences, University of Southern Santa Catarina, Criciúma, SC, Brazil
| | - Eduarda Behenck Medeiros
- Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Academic Unit of Health Sciences, University of Southern Santa Catarina, Criciúma, SC, Brazil
| | - Gabriel Casagrande Zabot
- Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Academic Unit of Health Sciences, University of Southern Santa Catarina, Criciúma, SC, Brazil
| | - Nathalia de Souza Pereira
- Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Academic Unit of Health Sciences, University of Southern Santa Catarina, Criciúma, SC, Brazil
| | - Natália Baltazar do Nascimento
- Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Academic Unit of Health Sciences, University of Southern Santa Catarina, Criciúma, SC, Brazil
| | - Adrielly Vargas Lidio
- Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Academic Unit of Health Sciences, University of Southern Santa Catarina, Criciúma, SC, Brazil
| | - Ândrea Kohlrausch Scheffer
- Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Academic Unit of Health Sciences, University of Southern Santa Catarina, Criciúma, SC, Brazil
| | - Lisienny Campoli Tono Rempel
- Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Academic Unit of Health Sciences, University of Southern Santa Catarina, Criciúma, SC, Brazil
| | | | - Maiara de Aguiar Costa
- Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Academic Unit of Health Sciences, University of Southern Santa Catarina, Criciúma, SC, Brazil
| | - Cinara Ludvig Gonçalves
- Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Academic Unit of Health Sciences, University of Southern Santa Catarina, Criciúma, SC, Brazil
| | - Ewa Kucharska
- Akademia Ignatianum w Krakowie Wydział Pedagogiczny Instytut Nauk o Wychowaniu, Krakow, Poland
| | - Matheus Scarpatto Rodrigues
- Postgraduate Program in Biological Sciences: Biochemistry, Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Basic Health Sciences, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - José Cláudio Fonseca Moreira
- Postgraduate Program in Biological Sciences: Biochemistry, Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Basic Health Sciences, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Jade de Oliveira
- Postgraduate Program in Biological Sciences: Biochemistry, Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Basic Health Sciences, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Josiane Budni
- Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Academic Unit of Health Sciences, University of Southern Santa Catarina, Criciúma, SC, Brazil.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Kumar R, Fatima F, Yadav G, Singh S, Haldar S, Alexiou A, Ashraf GM. Epigenetic Modifications by Estrogen and Androgen in Alzheimer's Disease. CNS & NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS DRUG TARGETS 2023; 22:6-17. [PMID: 35232367 DOI: 10.2174/1871527321666220225110501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2021] [Revised: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
For the development and maintenance of neuron networks in the brain, epigenetic mechanisms are necessary, as indicated by recent findings. This includes some of the high-order brain processes, such as behavior and cognitive functions. Epigenetic mechanisms could influence the pathophysiology or etiology of some neuronal diseases, altering disease susceptibility and therapy responses. Recent studies support epigenetic dysfunctions in neurodegenerative and psychiatric conditions, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). These dysfunctions in epigenetic mechanisms also play crucial roles in the transgenerational effects of the environment on the brain and subsequently in the inheritance of pathologies. The possible role of gonadal steroids in the etiology and progression of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, has become the subject of a growing body of research over the last 20 years. Recent scientific findings suggest that epigenetic changes, driven by estrogen and androgens, play a vital role in brain functioning. Therefore, exploring the role of estrogen and androgen-based epigenetic changes in the brain is critical for the deeper understanding of AD. This review highlights the epigenetic modifications caused by these two gonadal steroids and the possible therapeutic strategies for AD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rajnish Kumar
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow Campus, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Faiza Fatima
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow Campus, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Garima Yadav
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow Campus, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Simran Singh
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow Campus, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Subhagata Haldar
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow Campus, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Athanasios Alexiou
- Novel Global Community Educational Foundation, Hebersham, 2770 NSW, Australia, and AFNP Med Austria, 1010 Wien, Austria
| | - Ghulam Md Ashraf
- Pre-Clinical Research Unit, King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Saito ER, Warren CE, Hanegan CM, Larsen JG, du Randt JD, Cannon M, Saito JY, Campbell RJ, Kemberling CM, Miller GS, Edwards JG, Bikman BT. A Novel Ketone-Supplemented Diet Improves Recognition Memory and Hippocampal Mitochondrial Efficiency in Healthy Adult Mice. Metabolites 2022; 12:1019. [PMID: 36355101 PMCID: PMC9693360 DOI: 10.3390/metabo12111019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Revised: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 09/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Mitochondrial dysfunction and cognitive impairment are common symptoms in many neurologic and psychiatric disorders, as well as nonpathological aging. Ketones have been suggested as therapeutic for their efficacy in epilepsy and other brain pathologies such as Alzheimer's disease and major depressive disorder. However, their effects on cognitive function in healthy individuals is less established. Here, we explored the mitochondrial and performative outcomes of a novel eight-week ketone-supplemented ketogenic (KETO) diet in healthy adult male and female mice. In a novel object recognition test, KETO mice spent more time with the novel, compared to familiar, object, indicating an improvement in recognition memory. High-resolution respirometry on permeabilized hippocampal tissue returned significant reductions in mitochondrial O2 consumption. No changes in ATP production were observed, yielding a significantly higher ATP:O2 ratio, a measure of mitochondrial efficiency. Together, these findings demonstrate the KETO diet improves hippocampal mitochondrial efficiency. They add to a growing body of evidence that suggests ketones and ketogenic diets are neuroprotective and metabolically and cognitively relevant, even in healthy adults. They also suggest that ketogenic lifestyle changes may be effective strategies for protecting against cognitive decline associated with aging and disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Benjamin T. Bikman
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Automated classification of estrous stage in rodents using deep learning. Sci Rep 2022; 12:17685. [PMID: 36271290 PMCID: PMC9587051 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-22392-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The rodent estrous cycle modulates a range of biological functions, from gene expression to behavior. The cycle is typically divided into four stages, each characterized by distinct hormone concentration profiles. Given the difficulty of repeatedly sampling plasma steroid hormones from rodents, the primary method for classifying estrous stage is by identifying vaginal epithelial cell types. However, manual classification of epithelial cell samples is time-intensive and variable, even amongst expert investigators. Here, we use a deep learning approach to achieve classification accuracy at expert level. Due to the heterogeneity and breadth of our input dataset, our deep learning approach ("EstrousNet") is highly generalizable across rodent species, stains, and subjects. The EstrousNet algorithm exploits the temporal dimension of the hormonal cycle by fitting classifications to an archetypal cycle, highlighting possible misclassifications and flagging anestrus phases (e.g., pseudopregnancy). EstrousNet allows for rapid estrous cycle staging, improving the ability of investigators to consider endocrine state in their rodent studies.
Collapse
|
9
|
Olave FA, Aguayo FI, Román-Albasini L, Corrales WA, Silva JP, González PI, Lagos S, García MA, Alarcón-Mardones M, Rojas PS, Xu X, Cidlowski JA, Aliaga E, Fiedler J. Chronic restraint stress produces sex-specific behavioral and molecular outcomes in the dorsal and ventral rat hippocampus. Neurobiol Stress 2022; 17:100440. [PMID: 35252485 PMCID: PMC8894263 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2022.100440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Revised: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Stress-related disorders display differences at multiple levels according to sex. While most studies have been conducted in male rodents, less is known about comparable outcomes in females. In this study, we found that the chronic restraint stress model (2.5 h/day for 14 days) triggers different somatic responses in male and female adult rats. Chronic restraint produced a loss in sucrose preference and novel location preference in male rats. However, chronic restraint failed to produce loss of sucrose preference in females, while it improved spatial performance. We then characterized the molecular responses associated with these behaviors in the hippocampus, comparing the dorsal and ventral poles. Notably, sex- and hippocampal pole-specific transcriptional signatures were observed, along with a significant concordance between the female ventral and male dorsal profiles. Functional enrichment analysis revealed both shared and specific terms associated with each pole and sex. By looking into signaling pathways that were associated with these terms, we found an ample array of sex differences in the dorsal and, to a lesser extent, in the ventral hippocampus. These differences were mainly present in synaptic TrkB signaling, Akt pathway, and glutamatergic receptors. Unexpectedly, the effects of stress on these pathways were rather minimal and mostly dissociated from the sex-specific behavioral outcomes. Our study suggests that female rats are resilient and males susceptible to the restraint stress exposure in the sucrose preference and object location tests, while the activity of canonical signaling pathways is primarily determined by sex rather than stress in the dorsal and ventral hippocampus.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Felipe A. Olave
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neurogenetics. Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Universidad de Chile, Independencia, 8380492, Santiago, Chile
| | - Felipe I. Aguayo
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neurogenetics. Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Universidad de Chile, Independencia, 8380492, Santiago, Chile
| | - Luciano Román-Albasini
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neurogenetics. Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Universidad de Chile, Independencia, 8380492, Santiago, Chile
| | - Wladimir A. Corrales
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neurogenetics. Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Universidad de Chile, Independencia, 8380492, Santiago, Chile
| | - Juan P. Silva
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neurogenetics. Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Universidad de Chile, Independencia, 8380492, Santiago, Chile
| | - Pablo I. González
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neurogenetics. Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Universidad de Chile, Independencia, 8380492, Santiago, Chile
| | - Sara Lagos
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neurogenetics. Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Universidad de Chile, Independencia, 8380492, Santiago, Chile
| | - María A. García
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neurogenetics. Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Universidad de Chile, Independencia, 8380492, Santiago, Chile
| | - Matías Alarcón-Mardones
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neurogenetics. Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Universidad de Chile, Independencia, 8380492, Santiago, Chile
| | - Paulina S. Rojas
- Escuela de Química y Farmacia, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Xiaojiang Xu
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709, USA
| | - John A. Cidlowski
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709, USA
| | - Esteban Aliaga
- Medical Technology School and the Neuropsychology and Cognitive Neurosciences Research Center (CINPSI-Neurocog), Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca, Chile
- Corresponding author. Medical Technology School, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca, Chile.
| | - Jenny Fiedler
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neurogenetics. Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Universidad de Chile, Independencia, 8380492, Santiago, Chile
- Corresponding author. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universidad de Chile, Santiago. Chile.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
LIM-Kinases in Synaptic Plasticity, Memory, and Brain Diseases. Cells 2021; 10:cells10082079. [PMID: 34440848 PMCID: PMC8391678 DOI: 10.3390/cells10082079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2021] [Revised: 07/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Learning and memory require structural and functional modifications of synaptic connections, and synaptic deficits are believed to underlie many brain disorders. The LIM-domain-containing protein kinases (LIMK1 and LIMK2) are key regulators of the actin cytoskeleton by affecting the actin-binding protein, cofilin. In addition, LIMK1 is implicated in the regulation of gene expression by interacting with the cAMP-response element-binding protein. Accumulating evidence indicates that LIMKs are critically involved in brain function and dysfunction. In this paper, we will review studies on the roles and underlying mechanisms of LIMKs in the regulation of long-term potentiation (LTP) and depression (LTD), the most extensively studied forms of long-lasting synaptic plasticity widely regarded as cellular mechanisms underlying learning and memory. We will also discuss the involvement of LIMKs in the regulation of the dendritic spine, the structural basis of synaptic plasticity, and memory formation. Finally, we will discuss recent progress on investigations of LIMKs in neurological and mental disorders, including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Williams–Beuren syndrome, schizophrenia, and autism spectrum disorders.
Collapse
|
11
|
Adu-Nti F, Gao X, Wu JM, Li J, Iqbal J, Ahmad R, Ma XM. Osthole Ameliorates Estrogen Deficiency-Induced Cognitive Impairment in Female Mice. Front Pharmacol 2021; 12:641909. [PMID: 34025413 PMCID: PMC8134730 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.641909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Loss of endogenous estrogen and dysregulation of the estrogen receptor signaling pathways are associated with an increase in risk for cognitive deficit and depression in women after menopause. Estrogen therapy for menopause increases the risk of breast and ovarian cancers, and stroke. Therefore, it is critical to find an alternate treatment for menopausal women. Osthole (OST), a coumarin, has been reported to have neuroprotective effects. This study examined whether OST improves ovariectomy (OVX)-induced cognitive impairment, and alleviates anxiety- and depression-like behaviors induced by OVX in mice. Adult female C57BL/6J mice were ovariectomized and then treated with OST at a dose of 30 mg/kg for 14 days. At the end of the treatment period, behavioral tests were used to evaluate spatial learning and memory, recognition memory, anxiety- and depression-like behaviors. A cohort of the mice were sacrificed after 14 days of OST treatment and their hippocampi were collected for measurement of the proteins of interest using western blot. OVX-induced alteration in the levels of proteins was accompanied by cognitive deficit, anxiety- and depression-like behaviors. OST treatment improved cognitive deficit, alleviated anxiety- and depression-like behaviors induced by OVX, and reversed OVX-induced alterations in the levels of synaptic proteins and ERα, BDNF, TrKB, p-CREB, p-Akt and Rac1 in the hippocampus. Therefore, reversal of OVX-induced decrease in the levels of hippocampal proteins by OST might contribute to the effects of OST on improving cognitive deficit and alleviating anxiety- and depression-like behaviors induced by OVX.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Frank Adu-Nti
- Department of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Medicinal Resources and Natural Pharmaceutical Chemistry, National Engineering Laboratory for Resource Development of Endangered Chinese Crude Drugs in Northwest China, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Xu Gao
- Department of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Medicinal Resources and Natural Pharmaceutical Chemistry, National Engineering Laboratory for Resource Development of Endangered Chinese Crude Drugs in Northwest China, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Jia-Min Wu
- Department of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Medicinal Resources and Natural Pharmaceutical Chemistry, National Engineering Laboratory for Resource Development of Endangered Chinese Crude Drugs in Northwest China, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Jing Li
- Department of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Medicinal Resources and Natural Pharmaceutical Chemistry, National Engineering Laboratory for Resource Development of Endangered Chinese Crude Drugs in Northwest China, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Javed Iqbal
- Department of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Medicinal Resources and Natural Pharmaceutical Chemistry, National Engineering Laboratory for Resource Development of Endangered Chinese Crude Drugs in Northwest China, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Riaz Ahmad
- Department of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Medicinal Resources and Natural Pharmaceutical Chemistry, National Engineering Laboratory for Resource Development of Endangered Chinese Crude Drugs in Northwest China, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Xin-Ming Ma
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut Health, Farmington, CT, United States
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Gross KS, Alf RL, Polzin TR, Frick KM. 17β-estradiol activation of dorsal hippocampal TrkB is independent of increased mature BDNF expression and is required for enhanced memory consolidation in female mice. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2021; 125:105110. [PMID: 33352471 PMCID: PMC7904635 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2020.105110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2020] [Revised: 10/06/2020] [Accepted: 12/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
The potent estrogen 17β-estradiol (E2) is known to enhance hippocampal memory and plasticity, however the molecular mechanisms underlying these effects remain unclear. Brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and its receptor tropomyosin receptor kinase B (TrkB) are regulated by E2, but the potential mechanistic roles of neurotrophic signaling in E2-induced enhancement of memory are not well understood. Here, we examined the effects of hippocampal TrkB signaling on E2-induced enhancement of memory consolidation in the object placement and recognition tasks. Bilateral infusion of the TrkB antagonist ANA-12 into the dorsal hippocampus of ovariectomized female mice blocked E2-induced enhancement of memory consolidation, supporting a role for TrkB-mediated signaling in estrogenic regulation of memory. Although dorsal hippocampal E2 infusion increased levels of phospho-TrkB and mature BDNF (mBDNF) in the dorsal hippocampus within 4-6 h, E2-induced increases in hippocampal mBDNF expression were not required for hippocampal TrkB activation and were not inhibited by TrkB antagonism. Thus, E2 regulates TrkB signaling to facilitate memory consolidation in a manner independent of mBDNF expression. Together these results provide the first direct evidence that E2 modulation of hippocampal TrkB signaling is required for its beneficial effects on memory consolidation and provide additional characterization of the ways in which TrkB/BDNF signaling is regulated by E2 in the hippocampus.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Karyn M. Frick
- Corresponding author: Karyn M. Frick, Ph.D., Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 2441 E. Hartford Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53211, Phone: 414-229-6615, Fax: 414-229-5219,
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Taxier LR, Gross KS, Frick KM. Oestradiol as a neuromodulator of learning and memory. Nat Rev Neurosci 2020; 21:535-550. [PMID: 32879508 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-020-0362-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Although hormones such as glucocorticoids have been broadly accepted in recent decades as general neuromodulators of memory processes, sex steroid hormones such as the potent oestrogen 17β-oestradiol have been less well recognized by the scientific community in this capacity. The predominance of females in studies of oestradiol and memory and the general (but erroneous) perception that oestrogens are 'female' hormones have probably prevented oestradiol from being more widely considered as a key memory modulator in both sexes. Indeed, although considerable evidence supports a crucial role for oestradiol in regulating learning and memory in females, a growing body of literature indicates a similar role in males. This Review discusses the mechanisms of oestradiol signalling and provides an overview of the effects of oestradiol on spatial, object recognition, social and fear memories. Although the primary focus is on data collected in females, effects of oestradiol on memory in males will be discussed, as will sex differences in the molecular mechanisms that regulate oestrogenic modulation of memory, which may have important implications for the development of future cognitive therapeutics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lisa R Taxier
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Kellie S Gross
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Karyn M Frick
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Brandt N, Löffler T, Fester L, Rune GM. Sex-specific features of spine densities in the hippocampus. Sci Rep 2020; 10:11405. [PMID: 32647191 PMCID: PMC7347548 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-68371-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2018] [Accepted: 06/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Previously, we found that in dissociated hippocampal cultures the proportion of large spines (head diameter ≥ 0.6 μm) was larger in cultures from female than from male animals. In order to rule out that this result is an in vitro phenomenon, we analyzed the density of large spines in fixed hippocampal vibratome sections of Thy1-GFP mice, in which GFP is expressed only in subpopulations of neurons. We compared spine numbers of the four estrus cycle stages in females with those of male mice. Remarkably, total spine numbers did not vary during the estrus cycle, while estrus cyclicity was evident regarding the number of large spines and was highest during diestrus, when estradiol levels start to rise. The average total spine number in females was identical with the spine number in male animals. The density of large spines, however, was significantly lower in male than in female animals in each stage of the estrus cycle. Interestingly, the number of spine apparatuses, a typical feature of large spines, did not differ between the sexes. Accordingly, NMDA-R1 and NMDA-R2A/B expression were lower in the hippocampus and in postsynaptic density fractions of adult male animals than in those of female animals. This difference could already be observed at birth for NMDA-R1, but not for NMDA-R2A/B expression. In dissociated embryonic hippocampal cultures, no difference was seen after 21 days in culture, while the difference was evident in postnatal cultures. Our data indicate that hippocampal neurons are differentiated in a sex-dependent manner, this differentiation being likely to develop during the perinatal period.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Brandt
- Institute of Neuroanatomy, Center for Experimental Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany.,Department of Human Medicine, Division of Anatomy, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Carl Von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Carl-von-Ossietzky Str. 9-11, 26129, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Tobias Löffler
- Institute of Neuroanatomy, Center for Experimental Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Lars Fester
- Institute of Neuroanatomy, Center for Experimental Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany.,Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität (FAU) Erlangen-Nürnberg, Krankenhausstr. 9, 91054, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Gabriele M Rune
- Institute of Neuroanatomy, Center for Experimental Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Abstract
17β-Estradiol (E2) is a potent steroid hormone of both gonadal and neuronal origin that exerts profound effects on neuroplasticity in several brain regions. Dendritic spine and synapse formation and rearrangements are modulated and mediated by estrogens. In this chapter, we highlighted the essential background concerning the effects of E2 on synaptic rearrangements accompanied by synaptic plasticity in E2-sensitive brain regions that mediate learning and memory, i.e., cortex and hippocampus. We also address details of the molecular mechanisms underlying E2 regulation of spine dynamics. The proposed models of action of E2 overlaps with that for well-established synaptic modulators, such as adenosine. Thus, the possible synergistic effects of those two molecules in respect to synaptic rearrangement and plasticity were presented.
Collapse
|
16
|
Bohm-Levine N, Goldberg AR, Mariani M, Frankfurt M, Thornton J. Reducing luteinizing hormone levels after ovariectomy improves spatial memory: Possible role of brain-derived neurotrophic factor. Horm Behav 2020; 118:104590. [PMID: 31593698 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2019.104590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2019] [Revised: 08/25/2019] [Accepted: 09/13/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease and other forms of cognitive decline are significantly more prevalent in post-menopausal women. Decreased estrogen levels, due to menopause or ovariectomy, may contribute to memory impairments and neurodegeneration. Another result of decreased estrogen levels is elevated luteinizing hormone (LH). Elevated LH after menopause/ovariectomy has been shown to impair cognition in both human and animal studies. Lowering LH levels rescues spatial memory in ovariectomized (ovx) rodents, yet the mechanisms of these effects are still unclear. Estrogens appear to exert some of their effects on memory by increasing levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the hippocampus. In these studies, we explored whether lowering LH may act by increasing BDNF. Ovx rats were treated with Antide, a gonadotropin releasing hormone receptor antagonist that lowers LH levels, or with estradiol. Both Antide and estradiol treatment enhanced spatial memory in ovx females. Both were found to be ineffective when a BDNF receptor antagonist was administered. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that both Antide and estradiol increased BDNF expression in the hippocampus. Dendritic spine density on pyramidal cells in CA1 was unchanged by any treatment. These results provide evidence for a relationship between LH and BDNF in the hippocampus and demonstrate that estrogen-increasing and LH-lowering treatments may both require BDNF signaling in order to improve spatial memory.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nathaniel Bohm-Levine
- Department of Neuroscience, Oberlin College, 119 Woodland St, Oberlin, OH 44074, USA
| | - Alexander R Goldberg
- Department of Neuroscience, Oberlin College, 119 Woodland St, Oberlin, OH 44074, USA
| | - Monica Mariani
- Department of Neuroscience, Oberlin College, 119 Woodland St, Oberlin, OH 44074, USA
| | - Maya Frankfurt
- Department of Science Education, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Hempstead, NY 11549, USA
| | - Janice Thornton
- Department of Neuroscience, Oberlin College, 119 Woodland St, Oberlin, OH 44074, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Abstract
Estrogen (E2) modulates a wide range of neural functions such as spine formation, synaptic plasticity, and neurotransmission in the hippocampus. Dendritic spines and synapse numbers in hippocampal neurons of female rats cyclically fluctuate across the estrous cycle, but the key genes responsible for these fluctuations are still unknown. In order to address this question, we explore the hippocampal transcriptome via RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) at the proestrus (PE) and estrus (ES) stages in female rats. At standard fold-change selection criteria, 37 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were found in PE vs. ES groups (FDR adjusted p-value (q)<0.05). The transcriptional changes identified by RNA-seq were confirmed by quantitative real-time PCR. To gain insight into the function of the DEGs, the E2-regulated genes were annotated by Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes database (KEGG). Based on GO and KEGG pathways, the identified DEGs of PE vs. ES stages are involved in extracellular matrix formation, regulation of actin cytoskeleton, oxidative stress, neuroprotection, immune system, oligodendrocyte maturation and myelination, signal transduction pathways, growth factor signaling, retinoid signaling, aging, cellular process, metabolism and transport. The profiles of the gene expression in the hippocampus identified at the PE vs. ES stages were compared with the gene expression profiles in ovariectomized (OVX) rats receiving E2 replacement via RNA-seq and qPCR. The profiles of gene expression between the OVX+E2 and the estrous cycle were different and the possible causes were discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Javed Iqbal
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Zhi-Nei Tan
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Min-Xing Li
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Hui-Bin Chen
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Boyu Ma
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT, USA
| | - Xin Zhou
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT, USA
| | - Xin-Ming Ma
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT, USA
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Marrocco J, Einhorn NR, Petty GH, Li H, Dubey N, Hoffman J, Berman KF, Goldman D, Lee FS, Schmidt PJ, McEwen BS. Epigenetic intersection of BDNF Val66Met genotype with premenstrual dysphoric disorder transcriptome in a cross-species model of estradiol add-back. Mol Psychiatry 2020; 25:572-583. [PMID: 30356121 PMCID: PMC7042769 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-018-0274-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2018] [Accepted: 09/11/2018] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) affects over 5% of women, with symptoms similar to anxiety and major depression, and is associated with differential sensitivity to circulating ovarian hormones. Little is known about the genetic and epigenetic factors that increase the risk to develop PMDD. We report that 17β-estradiol (E2) affects the behavior and the epigenome in a mouse model carrying a single-nucleotide polymorphism of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor gene (BDNF Val66Met), in a way that recapitulates the hallmarks of PMDD. Ovariectomized mice heterozygous for the BDNF Met allele (Het-Met) and their matched wild-type (WT) mice were administered estradiol or vehicle in drinking water for 6 weeks. Using the open field and the splash test, we show that E2 add-back induces anxiety-like and depression-like behavior in Het-Met mice, but not in WT mice. RNA-seq of the ventral hippocampus (vHpc) highlights that E2-dependent gene expression is markedly different between WT mice and Het-Met mice. Through a comparative whole-genome RNA-seq analysis between mouse vHpc and lymphoblastoid cell line cultures from control women and women with PMDD, we discovered common epigenetic biomarkers that transcend species and cell types. Those genes include epigenetic modifiers of the ESC/E(Z) complex, an effector of response to ovarian steroids. Although the BDNF Met genotype intersects the behavioral and transcriptional traits of women with PMDD, we suggest that these similarities speak to the epigenetic factors by which ovarian steroids produce negative behavioral effects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jordan Marrocco
- 0000 0001 2166 1519grid.134907.8Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY USA
| | - Nathan R. Einhorn
- 0000 0001 2166 1519grid.134907.8Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY USA
| | - Gordon H. Petty
- 0000 0001 2166 1519grid.134907.8Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY USA
| | - Howard Li
- 0000 0004 0464 0574grid.416868.5Behavioral Endocrinology Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD USA
| | - Neelima Dubey
- grid.440681.fDr. D. Y. Patil Biotechnology & Bioinformatics Institute, Pune, India
| | - Jessica Hoffman
- 0000 0001 0421 5525grid.265436.0Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD USA
| | - Karen F. Berman
- 0000 0004 0464 0574grid.416868.5Section on Integrative Neuroimaging, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD USA
| | - David Goldman
- 0000 0004 0481 4802grid.420085.bLaboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD USA
| | - Francis S. Lee
- 000000041936877Xgrid.5386.8Department of Psychiatry, Sackler Institute for Developmental Psychobiology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY USA
| | - Peter J. Schmidt
- 0000 0004 0464 0574grid.416868.5Behavioral Endocrinology Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD USA
| | - Bruce S. McEwen
- 0000 0001 2166 1519grid.134907.8Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY USA
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Konishi K, Cherkerzian S, Aroner S, Jacobs EG, Rentz DM, Remington A, Aizley H, Hornig M, Klibanski A, Goldstein JM. Impact of BDNF and sex on maintaining intact memory function in early midlife. Neurobiol Aging 2019; 88:137-149. [PMID: 31948671 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2019.12.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2019] [Revised: 10/30/2019] [Accepted: 12/14/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Sex steroid hormones and neurotrophic factors, such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), play a significant neuroprotective role in memory circuitry aging. Here, we present findings characterizing the neuroprotective effects of BDNF on memory performance, as a function of sex and reproductive status in women. Participants (N = 191; mean age = 50.03 ± 2.10) underwent clinical and cognitive testing, fMRI scanning, and hormonal assessments of menopausal staging. Memory performance was assessed with the 6-Trial Selective Reminding Test and the Face-Name Associative Memory Exam. Participants also performed a working memory (WM) N-back task during fMRI scanning. Results revealed significant interactions between menopausal status and BDNF levels. Only in postmenopausal women, lower plasma BDNF levels were associated with significantly worse memory performance and altered function in the WM circuitry. BDNF had no significant impact on memory performance or WM function in pre/perimenopausal women or men. These results suggest that in postmenopausal women, BDNF is associated with memory performance and memory circuitry function, thus providing evidence of potential sex-dependent factors of risk and resilience for early intervention.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kyoko Konishi
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sara Cherkerzian
- Department of Pediatric Newborn Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sarah Aroner
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Emily G Jacobs
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Dorene M Rentz
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Anne Remington
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Harlyn Aizley
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Mady Hornig
- Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY, USA
| | - Anne Klibanski
- Neuroendocrine Unit, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jill M Goldstein
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Division of Women's Health, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Zancan M, Moura DJ, Morás AM, Steffens L, de Moura AC, Giovenardi M, Rasia-Filho AA. Neurotrophic factors in the posterodorsal medial amygdala of male and cycling female rats. Brain Res Bull 2019; 155:92-101. [PMID: 31812781 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2019.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2019] [Revised: 11/01/2019] [Accepted: 12/03/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
The posterodorsal medial amygdala (MePD) has a high concentration of receptors for gonadal hormones, is a sexually dimorphic region and dynamically controls the reproductive behavior of both males and females. Neurotrophic factors can promote dendritic spine remodeling and change synaptic input strength in a region-specific manner. Here, we analyzed the gene and protein expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-1), polysialylated neural cell adhesion molecule (PSA-NCAM) and Ephrin-A4 in the MePD of adult males and females in diestrus, proestrus and estrus using real-time qPCR and fluorescent immunohistochemistry. The first approach showed their amplification except for Igf1 and the latter revealed that BDNF, IGF-1, PSA-NCAM and Ephrin-A4 are expressed in the MePD of the adult rats. Protein expression of these neurotrophic factors showed no differences between groups. However, proestrus females displayed a higher number of labelled puncta than males for BDNF expression and diestrus females for IGF-1 expression. In conjunction, results indicate that IGF-1 might be released rather than synthetized in the MePD, and the expression of specific neurotrophic factors varies specifically during proestrus. The dynamic modulation of BDNF and IGF-1 during this cyclic phase is coincident with synaptic changes and spine density remodeling in the MePD, the disinhibition of gonadotrophin secretion for ovulation and the display of sexual behavior.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Zancan
- Federal University of Health Sciences/DCBS-Physiology, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul/Graduate Program in Neurosciences, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Dinara J Moura
- Federal University of Health Sciences/Graduate Program in Biosciences, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Ana Moira Morás
- Federal University of Health Sciences/Graduate Program in Biosciences, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Luiza Steffens
- Federal University of Health Sciences/Graduate Program in Biosciences, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Ana Carolina de Moura
- Federal University of Health Sciences/ Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Márcia Giovenardi
- Federal University of Health Sciences/ Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Alberto A Rasia-Filho
- Federal University of Health Sciences/DCBS-Physiology, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul/Graduate Program in Neurosciences, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; Federal University of Health Sciences/Graduate Program in Biosciences, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Rashidy-Pour A, Bavarsad K, Miladi-Gorji H, Seraj Z, Vafaei AA. Voluntary exercise and estradiol reverse ovariectomy-induced spatial learning and memory deficits and reduction in hippocampal brain-derived neurotrophic factor in rats. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2019; 187:172819. [PMID: 31697961 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2019.172819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2019] [Revised: 10/28/2019] [Accepted: 11/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Ample evidences have demonstrated the beneficial effects of physical exercise on cognitive functions such as learning and memory. It is well established that female sex hormones have an important role in regulating learning and memory. This study was designed to investigate the effects of voluntary exercise and estrogen replacement on learning and memory deficits and reduction in hippocampal brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels induced by ovariectomy. Ovariectomized rats were given daily vehicle or 17 β-estradiol (20 μg/kg) and allowed to freely exercise in a running wheel over the course of 2 weeks. After this period, they were trained and tested on a water-maze spatial task for 5 consecutive days, followed by a probe test one day later. At the end of the behavioral tests, all animals were decapitated and their hippocampal levels of BDNF were measured. Ovariectomy impaired spatial learning and memory and reduced hippocampal BDNF levels. Exercise significantly improved performance during both training and the retention of the water-maze task and increased hippocampal BDNF. Exercise, 17 β-estradiol and their combination recovered the impairing effects of ovariectomy on learning and memory performance. The combined treatment did not produce stronger effect than either exercise or 17 β-estradiol alone. Our findings provide an important evidence about positive influences of regular exercise and estrogen treatment against cognitive and BDNF deficits induced in ovariectomized rats, an experimental model of menopause.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ali Rashidy-Pour
- Laboratory of Learning and Memory, Research Center of Physiology, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran; Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran
| | - Kowsar Bavarsad
- Student Research Committee, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran; Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
| | - Hossein Miladi-Gorji
- Laboratory of Learning and Memory, Research Center of Physiology, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran; Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran
| | - Zahra Seraj
- Student Research Committee, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran
| | - Abbas Ali Vafaei
- Laboratory of Learning and Memory, Research Center of Physiology, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran; Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran.
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Gölz C, Kirchhoff FP, Westerhorstmann J, Schmidt M, Hirnet T, Rune GM, Bender RA, Schäfer MKE. Sex hormones modulate pathogenic processes in experimental traumatic brain injury. J Neurochem 2019; 150:173-187. [PMID: 30790293 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.14678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2018] [Revised: 01/28/2019] [Accepted: 01/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Clinical and animal studies have revealed sex-specific differences in histopathological and neurological outcome after traumatic brain injury (TBI). The impact of perioperative administration of sex steroid inhibitors on TBI is still elusive. Here, we subjected male and female C57Bl/6N mice to the controlled cortical impact (CCI) model of TBI and applied pharmacological inhibitors of steroid hormone synthesis, that is, letrozole (LET, inhibiting estradiol synthesis by aromatase) and finasteride (FIN, inhibiting dihydrotestosterone synthesis by 5α-reductase), respectively, starting 72 h prior CCI, and continuing for a further 48 h after CCI. Initial gene expression analyses showed that androgen (Ar) and estrogen receptors (Esr1) were sex-specifically altered 72 h after CCI. When examining brain lesion size, we found larger lesions in male than in female mice, but did not observe effects of FIN or LET treatment. However, LET treatment exacerbated neurological deficits 24 and 72 h after CCI. On the molecular level, FIN administration reduced calpain-dependent spectrin breakdown products, a proxy of excitotoxicity and disturbed Ca2+ homeostasis, specifically in males, whereas LET increased the reactive astrocyte marker glial fibrillary acid protein specifically in females. Examination of neurotrophins (brain-derived neurotrophic factor, neuronal growth factor, NT-3) and their receptors (p75NTR , TrkA, TrkB, TrkC) revealed CCI-induced down-regulation of TrkB and TrkC protein expression, which was reduced by LET in both sexes. Interestingly, FIN decreased neuronal growth factor mRNA expression and protein levels of its receptor TrkA only in males. Taken together, our data suggest a sex-specific impact on pathogenic processes in the injured brain after TBI. Sex hormones may thus modulate pathogenic processes in experimental TBI.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christina Gölz
- Department of Anesthesiology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Florian Paul Kirchhoff
- Department of Anesthesiology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany
| | | | - Matthias Schmidt
- Department of Anesthesiology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Tobias Hirnet
- Department of Anesthesiology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Gabriele M Rune
- Institute of Neuroanatomy, University Medical Center, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Roland A Bender
- Institute of Neuroanatomy, University Medical Center, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Michael K E Schäfer
- Department of Anesthesiology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany.,Focus Program Translational Neurosciences, Mainz, Germany.,Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI), Mainz, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Sircar R. Estrogen Modulates Ethanol‐Induced Memory Deficit in Postpubertal Adolescent Rats. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2018; 43:61-68. [DOI: 10.1111/acer.13921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2018] [Accepted: 10/31/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Ratna Sircar
- Department of Psychology (RS) The City College of New York City University of New York New York New York
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (RS) Albert Einstein College of Medicine Bronx New York
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Bundy JL, Vied C, Badger C, Nowakowski RS. Sex-biased hippocampal pathology in the 5XFAD mouse model of Alzheimer's disease: A multi-omic analysis. J Comp Neurol 2018; 527:462-475. [PMID: 30291623 DOI: 10.1002/cne.24551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2018] [Revised: 08/16/2018] [Accepted: 09/25/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder and the most common form of dementia. Like many neurological disorders, Alzheimer's disease has a sex-biased epidemiological profile, affecting approximately twice as many women as men. The cause of this sex difference has yet to be elucidated. To identify molecular correlates of this sex bias, we investigated molecular pathology in females and males using the 5XFamilial Alzheimer's disease mutations (5XFAD) genetic mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. We profiled the transcriptome and proteome of the mouse hippocampus during early stages of disease development (1, 2, and 4 months of age). Our analysis reveals 42 genes that are differentially expressed between disease and wild-type animals at 2 months of age, prior to observable plaque deposition. In 4-month-old animals, we detect 1,316 differentially expressed transcripts between transgenic and control 5XFAD mice, many of which are associated with immune function. Additionally, we find that some of these transcriptional perturbations are correlated with altered protein levels in 4-month-old transgenic animals. Importantly, our data indicate that female 5XFAD mouse exhibit more profound pathology than their male counterparts as measured by differences in gene expression. We also find that the 5XFAD transgenes are more highly expressed in female 5XFAD mice than their male counterparts, which could partially account for the sex-biased molecular pathology observed in this dataset.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joseph L Bundy
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, Florida
| | - Cynthia Vied
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, Florida.,Translational Science Laboratory, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, Florida
| | - Crystal Badger
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, Florida
| | - Richard S Nowakowski
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, Florida
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Newell AJ, Lalitsasivimol D, Willing J, Gonzales K, Waters EM, Milner TA, McEwen BS, Wagner CK. Progesterone receptor expression in cajal-retzius cells of the developing rat dentate gyrus: Potential role in hippocampus-dependent memory. J Comp Neurol 2018; 526:2285-2300. [PMID: 30069875 PMCID: PMC6193812 DOI: 10.1002/cne.24485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2017] [Revised: 05/03/2018] [Accepted: 05/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The development of medial temporal lobe circuits is critical for subsequent learning and memory functions later in life. The present study reports the expression of progesterone receptor (PR), a powerful transcription factor of the nuclear steroid receptor superfamily, in Cajal-Retzius cells of the molecular layer of the dentate gyrus of rats. PR was transiently expressed from the day of birth through postnatal day 21, but was absent thereafter. Although PR immunoreactive (PR-ir) cells did not clearly express typical markers of mature neurons, they possessed an ultrastructural morphology consistent with neurons. PRir cells did not express markers for GABAergic neurons, neuronal precursor cells, nor radial glia. However, virtually all PR cells co-expressed the calcium binding protein, calretinin, and the glycoprotein, reelin, both reliable markers for Cajal-Retzius neurons, a transient population of developmentally critical pioneer neurons that guide synaptogenesis of perforant path afferents and histogenesis of the dentate gyrus. Indeed, inhibition of PR activity during the first two weeks of life impaired adult performance on both the novel object recognition and object placement memory tasks, two behavioral tasks hypothesized to describe facets of episodic-like memory in rodents. These findings suggest that PR plays an unexplored and important role in the development of hippocampal circuitry and adult memory function.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew J. Newell
- Department of Psychology, Center for Neuroscience Research’, 1400 Washington Ave., University at Albany, Albany, NY 12222
| | - Diana Lalitsasivimol
- Department of Psychology, Center for Neuroscience Research’, 1400 Washington Ave., University at Albany, Albany, NY 12222
| | - Jari Willing
- Department of Psychology, Behavioral Neuroscience Program, 603 E Daniel St., University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL 61820
| | - Keith Gonzales
- Department of Psychology, Center for Neuroscience Research’, 1400 Washington Ave., University at Albany, Albany, NY 12222
| | - Elizabeth M. Waters
- Harold and Margaret Milliken Hatch Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065
| | - Teresa A. Milner
- Harold and Margaret Milliken Hatch Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, 407 East 61, St New York, NY 1006521
| | - Bruce S. McEwen
- Harold and Margaret Milliken Hatch Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065
| | - Christine K. Wagner
- Department of Psychology, Center for Neuroscience Research’, 1400 Washington Ave., University at Albany, Albany, NY 12222
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Wang L, Zhang Y, Wang H, Li H, Zhao Z, Wang N, He B, Shi C, Zhang S, Wang J. Repeated abortion in adulthood induces cognition impairment in aged mice. Sci Rep 2018; 8:11396. [PMID: 30061639 PMCID: PMC6065382 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-29827-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2017] [Accepted: 07/18/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Age-related cognitive decline is one of the major aspects that impede successful aging in humans. Repeated abortion in adulthood can accelerate or aggravate cognitive deficiency during aging. Here we used repeated abortion in female mice adulthood and investigated the consequences of this treatment on cognitive performance during aging. We observed a substantial impairment of learning memory in 15 months old. This cognitive dysfunction was supported by Aβ elevation in CA region. Repeated abortion mice have uniform estrous cycles and decreased ERα expression in hypothalamus and hippocampus. Furthermore, repeated abortion not only significantly increased the HMGB1 expression in hippocampus but also increased the plasma and hippocampal protein levels of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α. Finally, we identified that MPP-induced cell apoptosis and increased HMGB1 expression as well as IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α expression as following Aβ elevation. Taken together, our results identify possible molecular mechanisms underlying cognitive impairment during aging, and demonstrated the repeated abortion in adulthood on cognitive function in aged mice.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lili Wang
- Graduate School of Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.,Department of Cell Biology, National Research Institute for Family Planning, Beijing, China
| | - Ying Zhang
- Department of Cell Biology, National Research Institute for Family Planning, Beijing, China
| | - Haofeng Wang
- Department of Neurology, The Fifth People's Hospital of Jinan, Jinan, China
| | - Hui Li
- Department of Anatomy, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Ziying Zhao
- Department of Chinese Medicine, Air Force General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Ning Wang
- Department of Cell Biology, National Research Institute for Family Planning, Beijing, China
| | - Bin He
- Department of Cell Biology, National Research Institute for Family Planning, Beijing, China
| | - Cuige Shi
- Department of Cell Biology, National Research Institute for Family Planning, Beijing, China.
| | - Shucheng Zhang
- Department of Cell Biology, National Research Institute for Family Planning, Beijing, China.
| | - Jiedong Wang
- Graduate School of Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China. .,Department of Cell Biology, National Research Institute for Family Planning, Beijing, China.
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Hojo Y, Kawato S. Neurosteroids in Adult Hippocampus of Male and Female Rodents: Biosynthesis and Actions of Sex Steroids. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2018; 9:183. [PMID: 29740398 PMCID: PMC5925962 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2018.00183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2018] [Accepted: 04/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The brain is not only the target of steroid hormones but also is able to locally synthesize steroids de novo. Evidence of the local production of steroids in the brain has been accumulating in various vertebrates, including teleost fish, amphibia, birds, rodents, non-human primates, and humans. In this review, we mainly focus on the local production of sex steroids in the hippocampal neurons of adult rodents (rats and mice), a center for learning and memory. From the data of the hippocampus of adult male rats, hippocampal principal neurons [pyramidal cells in CA1-CA3 and granule cells in dentate gyrus (DG)] have a complete system for biosynthesis of sex steroids. Liquid chromatography with tandem-mass-spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) enabled us to accurately determine the levels of hippocampal sex steroids including 17β-estradiol (17β-E2), testosterone (T), and dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which are much higher than those in blood. Next, we review the steroid synthesis in the hippocampus of female rats, since previous knowledge had been biased toward the data from males. Recently, we clarified that the levels of hippocampal steroids fluctuate in adult female rats across the estrous cycle. Accurate determination of hippocampal steroids at each stage of the estrous cycle is of importance for providing the account for the fluctuation of female hippocampal functions, including spine density, long-term potentiation (LTP) and long-term depression (LTD), and learning and memory. These functional fluctuations in female had been attributed to the level of circulation-derived steroids. LC-MS/MS analysis revealed that the dendritic spine density in CA1 of adult female hippocampus correlates with the levels of hippocampal progesterone and 17β-E2. Finally, we introduce the direct evidence of the role of hippocampus-synthesized steroids in hippocampal function including neurogenesis, LTP, and memory consolidation. Mild exercise (2 week of treadmill running) elevated synthesis of DHT in the hippocampus, but not in the testis, of male rats, resulting in enhancement of neurogenesis in DG. Concerning synaptic plasticity, hippocampus-synthesized E2 is required for LTP induction, whereas hippocampus-synthesized DHT is required for LTD induction. Furthermore, hippocampus-synthesized E2 is involved in memory consolidation tested by object recognition and object placement tasks, both of which are hippocampus-dependent.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yasushi Hojo
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Saitama Medical University, Moroyama, Saitama, Japan
- *Correspondence: Yasushi Hojo,
| | - Suguru Kawato
- Department of Biophysics and Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Urology, Graduate School of Medicine, Juntendo University, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Pharma-Science, Teikyo University, Tokyo, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Chan CB, Ye K. Sex differences in brain-derived neurotrophic factor signaling and functions. J Neurosci Res 2017; 95:328-335. [PMID: 27870419 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.23863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2016] [Revised: 05/27/2016] [Accepted: 07/11/2016] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a member of the neurotrophin family that plays a critical role in numerous neuronal activities. Recent studies have indicated that some functions or action mechanisms of BDNF vary in a sex-dependent manner. In particular, BDNF content in some brain parts and the tendency to develop BDNF deficiency-related diseases such as depression are greater in female animals. With the support of relevant studies, it has been suggested that sex hormones or steroids can modulate the activities of BDNF, which may account for its functional discrepancy in different sexes. Indeed, the cross-talk between BDNF and sex steroids has been detected for decades, and some sex steroids, such as estrogen, have a positive regulatory effect on BDNF expression and signaling. Thus, the sex of animal models that are used in studying the functions of BDNF is critical. This Mini-Review summarizes our current findings on the differences in expression, signaling, and functions of BDNF between sexes. We also discuss the potential mechanisms for mediating these differential responses, with a specific emphasis on sex steroids. By presenting and discussing these findings, we seek to encourage researchers to take sex influences into consideration when designing experiments, interpreting results, and drawing conclusions. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chi Bun Chan
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Keqiang Ye
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, USA
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Johnson KW, Herold KF, Milner TA, Hemmings HC, Platholi J. Sodium channel subtypes are differentially localized to pre- and post-synaptic sites in rat hippocampus. J Comp Neurol 2017; 525:3563-3578. [PMID: 28758202 PMCID: PMC5927368 DOI: 10.1002/cne.24291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2017] [Revised: 07/24/2017] [Accepted: 07/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Voltage-gated Na+ channels (Nav ) modulate neuronal excitability, but the roles of the various Nav subtypes in specific neuronal functions such as synaptic transmission are unclear. We investigated expression of the three major brain Nav subtypes (Nav 1.1, Nav 1.2, Nav 1.6) in area CA1 and dentate gyrus of rat hippocampus. Using light and electron microscopy, we found labeling for all three Nav subtypes on dendrites, dendritic spines, and axon terminals, but the proportion of pre- and post-synaptic labeling for each subtype varied within and between subregions of CA1 and dentate gyrus. In the central hilus (CH) of the dentate gyrus, Nav 1.1 immunoreactivity was selectively expressed in presynaptic profiles, while Nav 1.2 and Nav 1.6 were expressed both pre- and post-synaptically. In contrast, in the stratum radiatum (SR) of CA1, Nav 1.1, Nav 1.2, and Nav 1.6 were selectively expressed in postsynaptic profiles. We next compared differences in Nav subtype expression between CH and SR axon terminals and between CH and SR dendrites and spines. Nav 1.1 and Nav 1.2 immunoreactivity was preferentially localized to CH axon terminals compared to SR, and in SR dendrites and spines compared to CH. No differences in Nav 1.6 immunoreactivity were found between axon terminals of CH and SR or between dendrites and spines of CH and SR. All Nav subtypes in both CH and SR were preferentially associated with asymmetric synapses rather than symmetric synapses. These findings indicate selective presynaptic and postsynaptic Nav expression in glutamatergic synapses of CH and SR supporting neurotransmitter release and synaptic plasticity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Karl F. Herold
- Department of Anesthesiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY
| | - Teresa A. Milner
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY
- Harold and Milliken Hatch Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, The Rockefeller University, NY NY
| | - Hugh C. Hemmings
- Department of Anesthesiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY
| | - Jimcy Platholi
- Department of Anesthesiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
A sexually dimorphic pre-stressed translational signature in CA3 pyramidal neurons of BDNF Val66Met mice. Nat Commun 2017; 8:808. [PMID: 28993643 PMCID: PMC5634406 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-01014-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2017] [Accepted: 08/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Males and females use distinct brain circuits to cope with similar challenges. Using RNA sequencing of ribosome-bound mRNA from hippocampal CA3 neurons, we found remarkable sex differences and discovered that female mice displayed greater gene expression activation after acute stress than males. Stress-sensitive BDNF Val66Met mice of both sexes show a pre-stressed translational phenotype in which the same genes that are activated without applied stress are also induced in wild-type mice by an acute stressor. Behaviourally, only heterozygous BDNF Val66Met females exhibit spatial memory impairment, regardless of acute stress. Interestingly, this effect is not observed in ovariectomized heterozygous BDNF Val66Met females, suggesting that circulating ovarian hormones induce cognitive impairment in Met carriers. Cognitive deficits are not observed in males of either genotype. Thus, in a brain region not normally associated with sex differences, this work sheds light on ways that genes, environment and sex interact to affect the transcriptome’s response to a stressor. Animals’ response to acute stress is known to be influenced by sex and genetics. Here the authors performed RNA-seq on actively translated mRNAs in hippocampal CA3 neurons in mice, and document the effects of sex and genotype (i.e., BDNF Val66Met) on acute stress-induced gene expression.
Collapse
|
31
|
Bundy JL, Vied C, Nowakowski RS. Sex differences in the molecular signature of the developing mouse hippocampus. BMC Genomics 2017; 18:237. [PMID: 28302071 PMCID: PMC5356301 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-017-3608-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2016] [Accepted: 03/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND A variety of neurological disorders, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, major depressive disorder, dyslexia and autism, are differentially prevalent between females and males. To better understand the possible molecular basis for the sex-biased nature of neurological disorders, we used a developmental series of female and male mice at 1, 2, and 4 months of age to assess both mRNA and protein in the hippocampus with RNA-sequencing and mass-spectrometry, respectively. RESULTS The transcriptomic analysis identifies 2699 genes that are differentially expressed between animals of different ages. The bulk of these differentially expressed genes are changed in both sexes at one or more ages, but a total of 198 transcripts are differentially expressed between females and males at one or more ages. The number of transcripts that are differentially expressed between females and males is greater in adult animals than in younger animals. Additionally, we identify 69 transcripts that show complex and sex-specific patterns of temporal regulation through postnatal development, 8 of which are heat-shock proteins. We also find a modest correlation between levels of mRNA and protein in the mouse hippocampus (Rho = 0.53). CONCLUSION This study adds to the substantial body of evidence for transcriptomic regulation in the hippocampus during postnatal development. Additionally, this analysis reveals sex differences in the transcriptome of the developing mouse hippocampus, and further clarifies the need to include both female and male mice in longitudinal studies involving molecular changes in the hippocampus.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joseph L Bundy
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University College of Medicine, 1115 West Call Street, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
| | - Cynthia Vied
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University College of Medicine, 1115 West Call Street, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA.,Translational Science Laboratory, Florida State University College of Medicine, 1115 West Call Street, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
| | - Richard S Nowakowski
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University College of Medicine, 1115 West Call Street, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Li Y, Sanchez C, Gulinello M. Distinct Antidepressant-Like and Cognitive Effects of Antidepressants with Different Mechanisms of Action in Middle-Aged Female Mice. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2017; 20:510-515. [PMID: 28158336 PMCID: PMC5458342 DOI: 10.1093/ijnp/pyx004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2016] [Accepted: 01/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cognitive dysfunction is among the key symptoms of major depressive disorder and can be affected by antidepressants. Cognitive decline also occurs in normal aging. The effects of different antidepressants on affective and cognitive domains in older subjects are seldom assessed simultaneously. METHODS Healthy middle-aged female mice received vehicle or antidepressant (vortioxetine, vilazodone, duloxetine, or fluoxetine) at therapeutic doses. After 1 month treatment, mice were accessed for visuospatial memory and depression-like behavior. A separate cohort of mice received 3 months of treatment and was test for recognition memory and depression-like behavior. RESULTS After 1 month treatment, vortioxetine improved visuospatial memory and reduced depression-like behavior. Vilazodone reduced depression-like behavior. Duloxetine and fluoxetine were ineffective in both tests. After 3 months treatment, vortioxetine reduced depression-like behavior without affecting recognition memory, while fluoxetine impaired recognition memory. Duloxetine and vilazodone had no effect in both tests. CONCLUSION Different antidepressants have distinct effects in middle-aged female mice.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yan Li
- Lundbeck Research USA, Paramus, New Jersey (Drs Li and Sanchez); Behavioral Core Facility, Neuroscience Dept., Albert Einstein College of Medicine (Dr Gulinello)
| | - Connie Sanchez
- Lundbeck Research USA, Paramus, New Jersey (Drs Li and Sanchez); Behavioral Core Facility, Neuroscience Dept., Albert Einstein College of Medicine (Dr Gulinello)
| | - Maria Gulinello
- Lundbeck Research USA, Paramus, New Jersey (Drs Li and Sanchez); Behavioral Core Facility, Neuroscience Dept., Albert Einstein College of Medicine (Dr Gulinello)
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Fester L, Brandt N, Windhorst S, Pröls F, Bläute C, Rune GM. Control of aromatase in hippocampal neurons. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 2016; 160:9-14. [PMID: 26472556 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsbmb.2015.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2015] [Revised: 10/01/2015] [Accepted: 10/08/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Our knowledge on estradiol-induced modulation of synaptic function in the hippocampus is widely based on results following the application of the steroid hormone to either cell cultures, or after the treatment of gonadectomized animals, thus ignoring local neuronal estrogen synthesis. We and others, however, have shown that hippocampus-derived estradiol also controls synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus. Estradiol synthesis in the hippocampus is regulated by several mechanisms, which are reviewed in this report. The regulation of the activity of aromatase, the final enzyme of estrogen biosynthesis, by Ca(2+) transients, is of particular interest. Aromatase becomes inactivated as soon as it is phosphorylated by Ca(2+)-dependent kinases upon calcium release from internal stores. Accordingly, thapsigargin dephosphorylates aromatase and stimulates estradiol synthesis by depletion of internal Ca(2+) stores. Vice versa, letrozole, an aromatase inhibitor, phosphorylates aromatase and reduces estradiol synthesis. Treatment of the cultures with 17β-estradiol results in phosphorylation of the enzyme and increased aromatase protein expression, which suggests that estradiol synthesis in hippocampal neurons is regulated in an autocrine manner.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lars Fester
- University Medical Center Hamburg Eppendorf, Institute of Neuroanatomy, Martinistr. 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Nicola Brandt
- University Medical Center Hamburg Eppendorf, Institute of Neuroanatomy, Martinistr. 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Sabine Windhorst
- Department of Biochemistry and Signal Transduction, Martinistr. 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Felicitas Pröls
- University Medical Center Hamburg Eppendorf, Institute of Neuroanatomy, Martinistr. 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Corinna Bläute
- University Medical Center Hamburg Eppendorf, Institute of Neuroanatomy, Martinistr. 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Gabriele M Rune
- University Medical Center Hamburg Eppendorf, Institute of Neuroanatomy, Martinistr. 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Abstract
UNLABELLED A decline in estradiol (E2)-mediated cognitive benefits denotes a critical window for the therapeutic effects of E2, but the mechanism for closing of the critical window is unknown. We hypothesized that upregulating the expression of estrogen receptor α (ERα) or estrogen receptor β (ERβ) in the hippocampus of aged animals would restore the therapeutic potential of E2 treatments and rejuvenate E2-induced hippocampal plasticity. Female rats (15 months) were ovariectomized, and, 14 weeks later, adeno-associated viral vectors were used to express ERα, ERβ, or green fluorescent protein (GFP) in the CA1 region of the dorsal hippocampus. Animals were subsequently treated for 5 weeks with cyclic injections of 17β-estradiol-3-benzoate (EB, 10 μg) or oil vehicle. Spatial memory was examined 48 h after EB/oil treatment. EB treatment in the GFP (GFP + EB) and ERβ (ERβ + EB) groups failed to improve episodic spatial memory relative to oil-treated animals, indicating closing of the critical window. Expression of ERβ failed to improve cognition and was associated with a modest learning impairment. Cognitive benefits were specific to animals expressing ERα that received EB treatment (ERα + EB), such that memory was improved relative to ERα + oil and GFP + EB. Similarly, ERα + EB animals exhibited enhanced NMDAR-mediated synaptic transmission compared with the ERα + oil and GFP + EB groups. This is the first demonstration that the window for E2-mediated benefits on cognition and hippocampal E2 responsiveness can be reinstated by increased expression of ERα. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Estradiol is neuroprotective, promotes synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus, and protects against cognitive decline associated with aging and neurodegenerative diseases. However, animal models and clinical studies indicate a critical window for the therapeutic treatment such that the beneficial effects are lost with advanced age and/or with extended hormone deprivation. We used gene therapy to upregulate expression of the estrogen receptors ERα and ERβ and demonstrate that the window for estradiol's beneficial effects on memory and hippocampal synaptic function can be reinstated by enhancing the expression of ERα. Our findings suggest that the activity of ERα controls the therapeutic window by regulating synaptic plasticity mechanisms involved in memory.
Collapse
|
35
|
Liu W, Wang LY, Xing XX, Fan GW. Conditions and possible mechanisms of VCD-induced ovarian failure. Altern Lab Anim 2016; 43:385-92. [PMID: 26753941 DOI: 10.1177/026119291504300606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Perimenopause is an important period in women's lives, in which they experience a series of physiological changes. Current animal models of perimenopause fail to adequately replicate this particular stage in female life, while current in vitro models are too simplistic and cannot account for systemic effects. Neither the naturally-ageing animal model, nor the ovariectomised animal model, mimic the natural transitional process that is the menopause. In vivo and in vitro studies have confirmed that the occupational chemical, 4-vinylcyclohexene diepoxide (VCD), can cause selective destruction of the ovarian primordial and primary follicles of rats and mice by accelerating the apoptotic process, which successfully mimics the perimenopausal state in women. However, it is the in vivo VCD-induced rodent perimenopausal models that are currently the most widely used in research, rather than any of the available in vitro models. Studies on the mechanisms involved have found that VCD induces ovotoxicity via interference with the c-kit/kit ligand and apoptotic signalling pathways, among others. Overall, the VCD-induced perimenopausal animal models have provided some insight into female perimenopause, but they are far from ideal models of the human situation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wei Liu
- Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Ling-Yan Wang
- Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Xiao-Xue Xing
- Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Guan-Wei Fan
- Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Dimatelis JJ, Vermeulen IM, Bugarith K, Stein DJ, Russell VA. Female rats are resistant to developing the depressive phenotype induced by maternal separation stress. Metab Brain Dis 2016; 31:109-19. [PMID: 26344502 DOI: 10.1007/s11011-015-9723-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2015] [Accepted: 08/24/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Many stress-related psychiatric disorders are more common in women than in men. We aimed to determine how female rats respond to maternal separation (MS; removal of the dam from the litter for 3 h/day from postnatal day (P) 2-14)). A subset of MS females were also exposed to chronic constant light for 3 weeks during adolescence (P42-63) to investigate whether the antidepressant effect of light treatment, previously observed in male rats, could be seen in female rats. Ultrasonic vocalizations (22 kHz) were recorded and the forced swim test was conducted immediately after light exposure (P65-67) and 33 days later (P98-99) to determine depressive-like behaviour. Key proteins in the MAPK signal transduction pathway (MKP-1, phospho-ERK, total ERK) and a synaptosomal marker (synaptophysin) were measured in the ventral hippocampus. We found that MS decreased the duration of 22 kHz vocalizations at P65 which was reversed by subsequent light. Light exposure increased time spent in the inner zone of the open field and the number of 22 kHz calls in response to novelty at P98. MS decreased the time females spent immobile and increased time actively swimming in the forced swim test at P67 but not at P99. MKP-1 and synaptophysin levels remained unchanged while MS decreased phospho-ERK levels in the ventral hippocampus. In contrast to clinical findings, the results suggest that female rats may be resistant to MS-induced depression-like behaviour. The behavioural effects of MS and light treatment in female rats may involve the MAPK/ERK signal transduction pathway.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J J Dimatelis
- Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Anzio Road, Observatory, Cape Town, South Africa, 7925.
| | - I M Vermeulen
- Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Anzio Road, Observatory, Cape Town, South Africa, 7925.
| | - K Bugarith
- Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Anzio Road, Observatory, Cape Town, South Africa, 7925.
| | - D J Stein
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Groote Schuur Hospital, MRC Unit on Anxiety & Stress Disorders, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Observatory, Cape Town, 7925, South Africa.
| | - V A Russell
- Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Anzio Road, Observatory, Cape Town, South Africa, 7925.
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Wang C, Li Z, Han H, Luo G, Zhou B, Wang S, Wang J. Impairment of object recognition memory by maternal bisphenol A exposure is associated with inhibition of Akt and ERK/CREB/BDNF pathway in the male offspring hippocampus. Toxicology 2016; 341-343:56-64. [PMID: 26827910 DOI: 10.1016/j.tox.2016.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2015] [Revised: 01/23/2016] [Accepted: 01/25/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Bisphenol A (BPA) is a commonly used endocrine-disrupting chemical used as a component of polycarbonates plastics that has potential adverse effects on human health. Exposure to BPA during development has been implicated in memory deficits, but the mechanism of action underlying the effect is not fully understood. In this study, we investigated the effect of maternal exposure to BPA on object recognition memory and the expressions of proteins important for memory, especially focusing on the ERK/CREB/BDNF pathway. Pregnant Sprague-Dawley female rats were orally treated with either vehicle or BPA (0.05, 0.5, 5 or 50 mg/kg BW/day) during days 9-20 of gestation. Male offspring were tested on postnatal day 21 with the object recognition task. Recognition memory was assessed using the object recognition index (index=the time spent exploring the novel object/(the time spent exploring the novel object+the time spent exploring the familiar object)). In the test session performed 90 min after the training session, BPA-exposed male offspring not only spent more time in exploring the familiar object at the highest dose than the control, but also displayed a significantly decreased the object recognition index at the doses of 0.5, 5 and 50 mg/kg BW/day. During the test session performed 24h after the training session, BPA-treated males did not change the time spent exploring the familiar object, but had a decreased object recognition index at 5 and 50 mg/kg BW/day, when compared to control group. These findings indicate that object recognition memory was susceptible to maternal BPA exposure. Western blot analysis of hippocampi from BPA-treated male offspring revealed a decrease in Akt, phospho-Akt, p44/42 MAPK and phospho-p44/42 MAPK protein levels, compared to controls. In addition, BPA significantly inhibited the levels of phosphorylation of CREB and BDNF in the hippocampus. Our results show that maternal BPA exposure may full impair object recognition memory, and that impairment may be related to a decrease in Akt activation and an inhibition of the ERK/CREB/BDNF pathway in the hippocampus. This study also adds new evidence that suggests BPA has an antagonistic effect on the action of estrogen in the brain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chong Wang
- Shanxi Key Laboratory of Ecological Animal Science and Environmental Veterinary Medicine, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, Shanxi 030801, PR China; Medical Experiment Center, Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Xianyang, Shaanxi 712046, PR China
| | - Zhihui Li
- Shanxi Key Laboratory of Ecological Animal Science and Environmental Veterinary Medicine, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, Shanxi 030801, PR China
| | - Haijun Han
- Shanxi Key Laboratory of Ecological Animal Science and Environmental Veterinary Medicine, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, Shanxi 030801, PR China; The First Affiliated Hospital of College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310003, PR China
| | - Guangying Luo
- Shanxi Key Laboratory of Ecological Animal Science and Environmental Veterinary Medicine, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, Shanxi 030801, PR China; School of Optometry and Ophthalmology and Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325027, PR China
| | - Bingrui Zhou
- Shanxi Key Laboratory of Ecological Animal Science and Environmental Veterinary Medicine, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, Shanxi 030801, PR China
| | - Shaolin Wang
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Food Nutrition and Human Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agriculture University, Beijing 100193, PR China.
| | - Jundong Wang
- Shanxi Key Laboratory of Ecological Animal Science and Environmental Veterinary Medicine, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, Shanxi 030801, PR China.
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Hara Y, Waters EM, McEwen BS, Morrison JH. Estrogen Effects on Cognitive and Synaptic Health Over the Lifecourse. Physiol Rev 2015; 95:785-807. [PMID: 26109339 PMCID: PMC4491541 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00036.2014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 250] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Estrogen facilitates higher cognitive functions by exerting effects on brain regions such as the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. Estrogen induces spinogenesis and synaptogenesis in these two brain regions and also initiates a complex set of signal transduction pathways via estrogen receptors (ERs). Along with the classical genomic effects mediated by activation of ER α and ER β, there are membrane-bound ER α, ER β, and G protein-coupled estrogen receptor 1 (GPER1) that can mediate rapid nongenomic effects. All key ERs present throughout the body are also present in synapses of the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. This review summarizes estrogen actions in the brain from the standpoint of their effects on synapse structure and function, noting also the synergistic role of progesterone. We first begin with a review of ER subtypes in the brain and how their abundance and distributions are altered with aging and estrogen loss (e.g., ovariectomy or menopause) in the rodent, monkey, and human brain. As there is much evidence that estrogen loss induced by menopause can exacerbate the effects of aging on cognitive functions, we then review the clinical trials of hormone replacement therapies and their effectiveness on cognitive symptoms experienced by women. Finally, we summarize studies carried out in nonhuman primate models of age- and menopause-related cognitive decline that are highly relevant for developing effective interventions for menopausal women. Together, we highlight a new understanding of how estrogen affects higher cognitive functions and synaptic health that go well beyond its effects on reproduction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuko Hara
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience and Kastor Neurobiology of Aging Laboratories, Friedman Brain Institute, Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York; and Harold and Margaret Milliken Hatch Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York
| | - Elizabeth M Waters
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience and Kastor Neurobiology of Aging Laboratories, Friedman Brain Institute, Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York; and Harold and Margaret Milliken Hatch Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York
| | - Bruce S McEwen
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience and Kastor Neurobiology of Aging Laboratories, Friedman Brain Institute, Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York; and Harold and Margaret Milliken Hatch Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York
| | - John H Morrison
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience and Kastor Neurobiology of Aging Laboratories, Friedman Brain Institute, Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York; and Harold and Margaret Milliken Hatch Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
G-protein-coupled estrogen receptor 1 is anatomically positioned to modulate synaptic plasticity in the mouse hippocampus. J Neurosci 2015; 35:2384-97. [PMID: 25673833 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1298-14.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Both estrous cycle and sex affect the numbers and types of neuronal and glial profiles containing the classical estrogen receptors α and β, and synaptic levels in the rodent dorsal hippocampus. Here, we examined whether the membrane estrogen receptor, G-protein-coupled estrogen receptor 1 (GPER1), is anatomically positioned in the dorsal hippocampus of mice to regulate synaptic plasticity. By light microscopy, GPER1-immunoreactivity (IR) was most noticeable in the pyramidal cell layer and interspersed interneurons, especially those in the hilus of the dentate gyrus. Diffuse GPER1-IR was found in all lamina but was most dense in stratum lucidum of CA3. Ultrastructural analysis revealed discrete extranuclear GPER1-IR affiliated with the plasma membrane and endoplasmic reticulum of neuronal perikarya and dendritic shafts, synaptic specializations in dendritic spines, and clusters of vesicles in axon terminals. Moreover, GPER1-IR was found in unmyelinated axons and glial profiles. Overall, the types and amounts of GPER1-labeled profiles were similar between males and females; however, in females elevated estrogen levels generally increased axonal labeling. Some estradiol-induced changes observed in previous studies were replicated by the GPER agonist G1: G1 increased PSD95-IR in strata oriens, lucidum, and radiatum of CA3 in ovariectomized mice 6 h after administration. In contrast, estradiol but not G1 increased Akt phosphorylation levels. Instead, GPER1 actions in the synapse may be due to interactions with synaptic scaffolding proteins, such as SAP97. These results suggest that although estrogen's actions via GPER1 may converge on the same synaptic elements, different pathways are used to achieve these actions.
Collapse
|
40
|
Chan CB, Tse MCL, Liu X, Zhang S, Schmidt R, Otten R, Liu L, Ye K. Activation of muscular TrkB by its small molecular agonist 7,8-dihydroxyflavone sex-dependently regulates energy metabolism in diet-induced obese mice. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015; 22:355-68. [PMID: 25754472 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2015.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2014] [Revised: 01/30/2015] [Accepted: 02/05/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Chronic activation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) receptor TrkB is a potential method to prevent development of obesity, but the short half-life and nonbioavailable nature of BDNF hampers validation of the hypothesis. We report here that activation of muscular TrkB by the BDNF mimetic, 7,8-dihydroxyflavone (7,8-DHF), is sufficient to protect the development of diet-induced obesity in female mice. Using in vitro and in vivo models, we found that 7,8-DHF treatment enhanced the expression of uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) and AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activity in skeletal muscle, which resulted in increased systemic energy expenditure, reduced adiposity, and improved insulin sensitivity in female mice fed a high-fat diet. This antiobesity activity of 7,8-DHF is muscular TrkB-dependent as 7,8-DHF cannot mitigate diet-induced obesity in female muscle-specific TrkB knockout mice. Hence, our data reveal that chronic activation of muscular TrkB is useful in alleviating obesity and its complications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chi Bun Chan
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, 615 Michael Street, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Department of Physiology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 940 Stanton L. Young Boulevard, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
| | - Margaret Chui Ling Tse
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, 615 Michael Street, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Department of Physiology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 940 Stanton L. Young Boulevard, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
| | - Xia Liu
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, 615 Michael Street, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Shuai Zhang
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, 615 Michael Street, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Robin Schmidt
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, 615 Michael Street, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Reed Otten
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, 615 Michael Street, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Liegang Liu
- Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, Hubei Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, 13 Hangkong Road, Wuhan, 430030, P.R. China
| | - Keqiang Ye
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, 615 Michael Street, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Wessels JM, Leyland NA, Agarwal SK, Foster WG. Estrogen induced changes in uterine brain-derived neurotrophic factor and its receptors. Hum Reprod 2015; 30:925-36. [DOI: 10.1093/humrep/dev018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
|
42
|
Moreno-Piovano GS, Varayoud J, Luque EH, Ramos JG. Long-term ovariectomy increases BDNF gene methylation status in mouse hippocampus. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 2014; 144 Pt B:243-52. [PMID: 25102255 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsbmb.2014.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2014] [Revised: 07/28/2014] [Accepted: 08/01/2014] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Estradiol (E) has been suggested to have a neuroprotective effect in young animals but has neutral or harmful effects when it is administered to aged animals. In the present study, we determined whether the post-ovariectomy (post-OVX) timeframe elapsed before the initiation of chronic E treatment is critical for the estrogenic induction of neurotrophins (brain-derived neurotrophic factor, BDNF, and synaptophysin, SYN) in the rodent hippocampus. Adult mice were OVX and, a short period (short-term E (STE) animals) or a long period (long-term E (LTE) animals) after the OVX, were daily treated with E. Control animals were treated with sesame oil (short-term control (STC) and long-term control (LTC) animals). Protein expression was determined using an immunohistochemical approach. Transcriptional activity in the hippocampus of individual BDNF promoters was assessed by real-time quantitative RT-PCR, and the methylation levels of regulatory regions were analyzed by methylation-specific PCR and combined bisulfite restriction analysis. STE animals showed increased BDNF and SYN protein expression and a higher activity of BDNF II, IV, and V promoters. In contrast, LTE animals did not show E induction of neurotrophins. In these animals, the methylation levels of regulatory sequences of the BDNF were higher than in the STE animals in a CpG island of promoter V and in the CRE regulatory site located in promoter IV. With this experiment, we determined that a prolonged period of hypoestrogenicity disrupts the E-induction of neurotrophins, and we postulated that DNA methylation is one of the epigenetic mechanisms that could explain the E-insensitivity of the BDNF after a long period post-OVX.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Guillermo S Moreno-Piovano
- Laboratorio de Endocrinología y Tumores Hormonodependientes, Facultad de Bioquímica y Cs. Biológicas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Casilla de Correo 242, 3000 Santa Fe, Argentina.
| | - Jorgelina Varayoud
- Laboratorio de Endocrinología y Tumores Hormonodependientes, Facultad de Bioquímica y Cs. Biológicas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Casilla de Correo 242, 3000 Santa Fe, Argentina.
| | - Enrique H Luque
- Laboratorio de Endocrinología y Tumores Hormonodependientes, Facultad de Bioquímica y Cs. Biológicas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Casilla de Correo 242, 3000 Santa Fe, Argentina.
| | - Jorge G Ramos
- Laboratorio de Endocrinología y Tumores Hormonodependientes, Facultad de Bioquímica y Cs. Biológicas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Casilla de Correo 242, 3000 Santa Fe, Argentina; Departamento de Bioquímica Clínica, Facultad de Bioquímica y Cs. Biológicas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Casilla de Correo 242, 3000 Santa Fe, Argentina.
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Van Kempen TA, Gorecka J, Gonzalez AD, Soeda F, Milner TA, Waters EM. Characterization of neural estrogen signaling and neurotrophic changes in the accelerated ovarian failure mouse model of menopause. Endocrinology 2014; 155:3610-23. [PMID: 24926825 PMCID: PMC4138565 DOI: 10.1210/en.2014-1190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Accelerated ovarian failure (AOF) can be induced in young mice with low doses of 4-vinylcyclohexene diepoxide (VCD), modeling the hormone changes observed across menopause. We assessed markers of synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus, anxiety-like behavior, and spatial learning longitudinally at 4 time points across the AOF model: premenopause, early perimenopause, late perimenopause, and postmenopause (POST). As others have shown, VCD administration decreased ovarian follicle counts and increased acyclicity as the model progressed to POST but with no impact on organ or body weights. The morphology of Iba1 immunoreactive microglia did not differ between vehicle- and VCD-administered mice. Hippocampal postsynaptic density 95 levels were minimally altered across the AOF model but decreased at POST in CA3b 24 hours after exogenous estradiol benzoate (EB). In contrast, hippocampal phosphorylated AKT levels transiently decreased in premenopause but increased at POST after 24 hours of EB in select subregions. Electron microscopy revealed fewer estrogen receptor α containing dendritic spines and terminals in CA1 stratum radiatum at POST. mRNA levels of most brain-derived neurotrophic factor exons (except V and VI) were lower in POST compared with ovariectomized mice. Exon V was sensitive to 24 hours of EB administration in POST-VCD. Anxiety-like behavior was unaffected at any menopause phase. Spatial learning was unaffected in all groups, but POST-VCD mice performed below chance. Our results suggest that the AOF model is suitable for longitudinal studies of neurobiological changes across the menopause transition in mice. Our findings also point to complex interactions between estrogen receptors and pathways involved in synaptic plasticity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tracey A Van Kempen
- Brain and Mind Research Institute (T.A.V.K., T.A.M.) and Graduate Program in Neuroscience (T.A.V.K., A.D.G.), Weill Cornell Medical College, and Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology (J.G., T.A.M., E.M.W.), The Rockefeller University, New York, New York 10065; and Department of Environmental and Molecular Health Sciences (F.S.), Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto 862-0973, Japan
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
44
|
Fortress AM, Kim J, Poole RL, Gould TJ, Frick KM. 17β-Estradiol regulates histone alterations associated with memory consolidation and increases Bdnf promoter acetylation in middle-aged female mice. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014; 21:457-67. [PMID: 25128537 PMCID: PMC4138358 DOI: 10.1101/lm.034033.113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Histone acetylation is essential for hippocampal memory formation in young adult rodents. Although dysfunctional histone acetylation has been associated with age-related memory decline in male rodents, little is known about whether histone acetylation is altered by aging in female rodents. In young female mice, the ability of 17β-estradiol (E2) to enhance object recognition memory consolidation requires histone H3 acetylation in the dorsal hippocampus. However, the extent to which histone acetylation is regulated by E2 in middle-aged females is unknown. The mnemonic benefits of E2 in aging females appear to be greatest in middle age, and so pinpointing the molecular mechanisms through which E2 enhances memory at this age could lead to the development of safer and more effective treatments for maintaining memory function without the side effects of current therapies. Here, we show that dorsal hippocampal infusion of E2 rapidly enhanced object recognition and spatial memory, and increased histone H3 acetylation in the dorsal hippocampus, while also significantly reducing levels of histone deacetylase (HDAC2 and HDAC3) proteins. E2 specifically increased histone H3 acetylation at Bdnf promoters pII and pIV in the dorsal hippocampus of both young and middle-aged mice, despite age-related decreases in pI and pIV acetylation. Furthermore, levels of mature BDNF and pro-BDNF proteins in the dorsal hippocampus were increased by E2 in middle-aged females. Together, these data suggest that the middle-aged female dorsal hippocampus remains epigenetically responsive to E2, and that E2 may enhance memory in middle-aged females via epigenetic regulation of Bdnf.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ashley M Fortress
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53211, USA
| | - Jaekyoon Kim
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53211, USA
| | - Rachel L Poole
- Department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19122, USA
| | - Thomas J Gould
- Department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19122, USA
| | - Karyn M Frick
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53211, USA
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Gal A, Lin PC, Barger AM, MacNeill AL, Ko C. Vaginal fold histology reduces the variability introduced by vaginal exfoliative cytology in the classification of mouse estrous cycle stages. Toxicol Pathol 2014; 42:1212-20. [PMID: 24705880 DOI: 10.1177/0192623314526321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Vaginal exfoliative cytology is commonly used in biomedical and toxicological research to classify the stages of the rodent estrous cycle. However, mouse vaginal exfoliative cytology is commonly used as a stand-alone tool and has not been evaluated in reference to vaginal histology and serum sex hormone levels. In this study, the direct and Giemsa-stained methods of vaginal exfoliative cytology were compared in reference to vaginal fold histology and serum sex hormone levels. Both methods predicted the estrous stages similarly with mean discordance rates of 55%, 77%, 46%, and 31%, for diestrus, proestrus, estrus, and metestrus, respectively. From these results, we conclude that vaginal exfoliative cytology may be used as a general guide to determine the desired estrous stage end point and that a definitive confirmation of the estrous stage should be obtained from evaluation of vaginal fold histology. Confirmation of the stage of the estrous cycle by vaginal fold histology will decrease the variability otherwise introduced by misclassification of estrous cycle stages with vaginal exfoliative cytology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Arnon Gal
- Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| | - Po-Ching Lin
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| | - Anne M Barger
- Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| | - Amy L MacNeill
- Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| | - CheMyong Ko
- Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA Department of Comparative Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Kato A, Hojo Y, Higo S, Komatsuzaki Y, Murakami G, Yoshino H, Uebayashi M, Kawato S. Female hippocampal estrogens have a significant correlation with cyclic fluctuation of hippocampal spines. Front Neural Circuits 2013; 7:149. [PMID: 24151456 PMCID: PMC3798982 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2013.00149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 114] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2013] [Accepted: 09/03/2013] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Synaptic plasticity of the female hippocampus may cyclically fluctuate across the estrous cycle. The spine density fluctuation had been explained by fluctuation of plasma estradiol (E2) and progesterone (PROG), with the assumption that these steroids penetrate into the hippocampus. Recently, however, we demonstrated that male hippocampal levels of sex steroids are much higher than those in plasma, suggesting a weak contribution of plasma steroids to the spine density. By combination of mass-spectrometric analysis with HPLC-purification and picolinoyl-derivatization of hippocampal sex steroids, we determined the accurate concentration of E2 and PROG at four stages of plasma estrous cycle including Proestrus (Pro), Estrus (Est), Diestrus 1 (D1), and Diestrus 2 (D2). Hippocampal levels of E2 and PROG showed cyclic fluctuation with a peak at Pro for E2 and at D1 for PROG, having a positive correlation with the plasma estrous cycle. All these sex steroid levels are much higher in the hippocampus than in plasma. Even after ovariectomy a significant levels of E2 and PROG were observed in the hippocampus. The total spine density showed higher values at Pro and D1, and lower values at Est and D2, having a good correlation with the peak levels of hippocampal E2 or PROG. We also examined fluctuation of the head diameter of spines. Interestingly, mRNA expression level of steroidogenic enzymes (P450arom and 17β-HSD, etc.) and sex-steroid receptors did not significantly change across the estrous cycle. Therefore, the fluctuation of total hippocampal PROG (equal to sum of hippocampus-synthesized PROG and plasma PROG) may be originated from the contribution of cyclic change in plasma PROG, which can induce the fluctuation of total hippocampal E2, since steroid conversion activity of hippocampus might be nearly the same across the estrus cycle.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Asami Kato
- Department of Biophysics and Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo Tokyo, Japan
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
47
|
Sickmann HM, Patten AR, Morch K, Sawchuk S, Zhang C, Parton R, Szlavik L, Christie BR. Prenatal ethanol exposure has sex-specific effects on hippocampal long-term potentiation. Hippocampus 2013; 24:54-64. [PMID: 23996604 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.22203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/22/2013] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Alcohol consumption during pregnancy is deleterious to the developing brain of the fetus and leads to persistent deficits in adulthood. Long-term potentiation (LTP) is a biological model for learning and memory processes and previous evidence has shown that prenatal ethanol exposure (PNEE) affects LTP in a sex specific manner during adolescence. The objective of this study was to determine if there are sex specific differences in adult animals and to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms that contribute to these differences. Pregnant Sprague-Dawley dams were assigned to either; liquid ethanol, pair-fed or standard chow diet. In vivo electrophysiology was performed in the hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG) of adult offspring. LTP was induced by administering 400 Hz stimuli. Western blot analysis for glutamine synthetase (GS) and glutamate decarboxylase from tissue of the DG indicated that GS expression was increased following PNEE. Surprisingly, adult females did not show any deficit in N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-dependent LTP after PNEE. In contrast, males showed a 40% reduction in LTP. It was indicated that glutamine synthetase expression was increased in PNEE females, suggesting that altered excitatory neurotransmitter replenishment may serve as a compensatory mechanism. Ovariectomizing females did not influence LTP in control or PNEE animals, suggesting that circulating estradiol levels do not play a major role in maintaining LTP levels in PNEE females. These results demonstrate the sexually dimorphic effects of PNEE on the ability for the adult brain to elicit LTP in the DG. The mechanisms for these effects are not fully understood, but an increase in glutamine synthetase in females may underlie this phenomenon.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- H M Sickmann
- Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada; Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
48
|
Patten AR, Brocardo PS, Sakiyama C, Wortman RC, Noonan A, Gil-Mohapel J, Christie BR. Impairments in hippocampal synaptic plasticity following prenatal ethanol exposure are dependent on glutathione levels. Hippocampus 2013; 23:1463-75. [PMID: 23996467 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.22199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/22/2013] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Previous studies from our laboratory have shown that prenatal ethanol exposure (PNEE) causes a significant deficit in synaptic plasticity, namely long-term potentiation (LTP), in the dentate gyrus (DG) region of the hippocampus of male rats. PNEE has also been shown to induce an increase in oxidative stress and a reduction in antioxidant capacity in the brains of both male and female animals. In this study the interaction between LTP and the major antioxidant in the brain, glutathione (GSH), is examined. We show that depletion of the intracellular reserves of GSH with diethyl maleate (DEM) reduces LTP in control male, but not female animals, mirroring the effects of PNEE. Furthermore, treatment of PNEE animals with N-acetyl cysteine (NAC), a cysteine donor for the synthesis of GSH, increases GSH levels in the hippocampus and completely restores the deficits in LTP in PNEE males. These results indicate that in males GSH plays a major role in regulating LTP, and that PNEE may cause reductions in LTP by reducing the intracellular pool of this endogenous antioxidant.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anna R Patten
- Division of Medical Sciences, Island Medical Program, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Biology, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
49
|
Srivastava DP, Woolfrey KM, Penzes P. Insights into rapid modulation of neuroplasticity by brain estrogens. Pharmacol Rev 2013; 65:1318-50. [PMID: 24076546 PMCID: PMC3799233 DOI: 10.1124/pr.111.005272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Converging evidence from cellular, electrophysiological, anatomic, and behavioral studies suggests that the remodeling of synapse structure and function is a critical component of cognition. This modulation of neuroplasticity can be achieved through the actions of numerous extracellular signals. Moreover, it is thought that it is the integration of different extracellular signals regulation of neuroplasticity that greatly influences cognitive function. One group of signals that exerts powerful effects on multiple neurologic processes is estrogens. Classically, estrogens have been described to exert their effects over a period of hours to days. However, there is now increasing evidence that estrogens can rapidly influence multiple behaviors, including those that require forebrain neural circuitry. Moreover, these effects are found in both sexes. Critically, it is now emerging that the modulation of cognition by rapid estrogenic signaling is achieved by activation of specific signaling cascades and regulation of synapse structure and function, cumulating in the rewiring of neural circuits. The importance of understanding the rapid effects of estrogens on forebrain function and circuitry is further emphasized as investigations continue to consider the potential of estrogenic-based therapies for neuropathologies. This review focuses on how estrogens can rapidly influence cognition and the emerging mechanisms that underlie these effects. We discuss the potential sources and the biosynthesis of estrogens within the brain and the consequences of rapid estrogenic-signaling on the remodeling of neural circuits. Furthermore, we argue that estrogens act via distinct signaling pathways to modulate synapse structure and function in a manner that may vary with cell type, developmental stage, and sex. Finally, we present a model in which the coordination of rapid estrogenic-signaling and activity-dependent stimuli can result in long-lasting changes in neural circuits, contributing to cognition, with potential relevance for the development of novel estrogenic-based therapies for neurodevelopmental or neurodegenerative disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Deepak P Srivastava
- Department of Neuroscience & Centre for the Cellular Basis of Behaviour, 125 Coldharbour Lane, The James Black Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, SE5 9NU, UK.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
50
|
Rivera HM, Bethea CL. Ovarian steroids increase PSD-95 expression and dendritic spines in the dorsal raphe of ovariectomized macaques. Synapse 2013; 67:897-908. [PMID: 23959764 DOI: 10.1002/syn.21702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2013] [Revised: 07/30/2013] [Accepted: 08/10/2013] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Estradiol (E) and progesterone (P) promote spinogenesis in several brain areas. Intracellular signaling cascades that promote spinogenesis involve RhoGTPases, glutamate signaling and synapse assembly. We found that in serotonin neurons, E ± P administration increases (a) gene and protein expression of RhoGTPases, (b) gene expression of glutamate receptors, and (c) gene expression of pivotal synapse assembly proteins. Therefore, in this study we determined whether structural changes in dendritic spines in the dorsal raphe follow the observed changes in gene and protein expression. Dendritic spines were examined with immunogold silver staining of a spine marker protein, postsynaptic density-95 (PSD-95) and with Golgi staining. In the PSD-95 study, adult Ovx monkeys received placebo, E, P, or E + P for 1 month (n = 3/group). Sections were immunostained for PSD-95 and the number of PSD-95-positive puncta was determined with stereology. E, P, and E + P treatment significantly increased the total number of PSD-95-positive puncta (ANOVA, P = 0.04). In the golgi study, adult Ovx monkeys received placebo, E or E + P for 1 month (n = 3-4) and the midbrain was golgi-stained. A total of 80 neurons were analyzed with Neurolucida software. There was a significant difference in spine density that depended on branch order (two-way ANOVA). E + P treatment significantly increased spine density in higher-order (3°-5°) dendritic branches relative to Ovx group (Bonferroni, P < 0.05). In summary, E + P leads to the elaboration of dendritic spines on dorsal raphe neurons. The ability of E to induce PSD-95, but not actual spines, suggests either a sampling or time lag issue. Increased spinogenesis on serotonin dendrites would facilitate excitatory glutamatergic input and, in turn, increase serotonin neurotransmission throughout the brain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Heidi M Rivera
- Division of Reproductive Sciences, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Beaverton, Oregon, 97006
| | | |
Collapse
|