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Al-Omari A, Gaszner B, Zelena D, Gecse K, Berta G, Biró-Sütő T, Szocsics P, Maglóczky Z, Gombás P, Pintér E, Juhász G, Kormos V. Neuroanatomical evidence and a mouse calcitonin gene-related peptide model in line with human functional magnetic resonance imaging data support the involvement of peptidergic Edinger-Westphal nucleus in migraine. Pain 2024:00006396-990000000-00627. [PMID: 38875125 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 06/16/2024]
Abstract
ABSTRACT The urocortin 1 (UCN1)-expressing centrally projecting Edinger-Westphal (EWcp) nucleus is influenced by circadian rhythms, hormones, stress, and pain, all known migraine triggers. Our study investigated EWcp's potential involvement in migraine. Using RNAscope in situ hybridization and immunostaining, we examined the expression of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) receptor components in both mouse and human EWcp and dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN). Tracing study examined connection between EWcp and the spinal trigeminal nucleus (STN). The intraperitoneal CGRP injection model of migraine was applied and validated by light-dark box, and von Frey assays in mice, in situ hybridization combined with immunostaining, were used to assess the functional-morphological changes. The functional connectivity matrix of EW was examined using functional magnetic resonance imaging in control humans and interictal migraineurs. We proved the expression of CGRP receptor components in both murine and human DRN and EWcp. We identified a direct urocortinergic projection from EWcp to the STN. Photophobic behavior, periorbital hyperalgesia, increased c-fos gene-encoded protein immunoreactivity in the lateral periaqueductal gray matter and trigeminal ganglia, and phosphorylated c-AMP-responsive element binding protein in the STN supported the efficacy of CGRP-induced migraine-like state. Calcitonin gene-related peptide administration also increased c-fos gene-encoded protein expression, Ucn1 mRNA, and peptide content in EWcp/UCN1 neurons while reducing serotonin and tryptophan hydroxylase-2 levels in the DRN. Targeted ablation of EWcp/UCN1 neurons induced hyperalgesia. A positive functional connectivity between EW and STN as well as DRN has been identified by functional magnetic resonance imaging. The presented data strongly suggest the regulatory role of EWcp/UCN1 neurons in migraine through the STN and DRN with high translational value.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ammar Al-Omari
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Balázs Gaszner
- Department of Anatomy, Medical School and Research Group for Mood Disorders, Centre for Neuroscience, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Dóra Zelena
- Institute of Physiology, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Kinga Gecse
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
- NAP3.0-SE Neuropsychopharmacology Research Group, Hungarian Brain Research Program, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Gergely Berta
- Department of Medical Biology, Medical School, University of Pécs, Hungary
| | - Tünde Biró-Sütő
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Péter Szocsics
- Human Brain Research Laboratory, HUN-REN Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
- Szentágothai János Doctoral School of Neuroscience, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Zsófia Maglóczky
- Human Brain Research Laboratory, HUN-REN Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
- Szentágothai János Doctoral School of Neuroscience, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Péter Gombás
- Department of Pathology, St. Borbála Hospital, Tatabánya, Hungary
| | - Erika Pintér
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Gabriella Juhász
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
- NAP3.0-SE Neuropsychopharmacology Research Group, Hungarian Brain Research Program, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Viktória Kormos
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
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Zhao W, Yu YM, Wang XY, Xia SH, Ma Y, Tang H, Tao M, Li H, Xu Z, Yang JX, Wu P, Zhang H, Ding HL, Cao JL. CRF regulates pain sensation by enhancement of corticoaccumbal excitatory synaptic transmission. Mol Psychiatry 2024:10.1038/s41380-024-02488-7. [PMID: 38454083 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-024-02488-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Revised: 02/08/2024] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
Both peripheral and central corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) systems have been implicated in regulating pain sensation. However, compared with the peripheral, the mechanisms underlying central CRF system in pain modulation have not yet been elucidated, especially at the neural circuit level. The corticoaccumbal circuit, a structure rich in CRF receptors and CRF-positive neurons, plays an important role in behavioral responses to stressors including nociceptive stimuli. The present study was designed to investigate whether and how CRF signaling in this circuit regulated pain sensation under physiological and pathological pain conditions. Our studies employed the viral tracing and circuit-, and cell-specific electrophysiological methods to label the CRF-containing circuit from the medial prefrontal cortex to the nucleus accumbens shell (mPFCCRF-NAcS) and record its neuronal propriety. Combining optogenetic and chemogenetic manipulation, neuropharmacological methods, and behavioral tests, we were able to precisely manipulate this circuit and depict its role in regulation of pain sensation. The current study found that the CRF signaling in the NAc shell (NAcS), but not NAc core, was necessary and sufficient for the regulation of pain sensation under physiological and pathological pain conditions. This process was involved in the CRF-mediated enhancement of excitatory synaptic transmission in the NAcS. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the mPFCCRF neurons monosynaptically connected with the NAcS neurons. Chronic pain increased the protein level of CRF in NAcS, and then maintained the persistent NAcS neuronal hyperactivity through enhancement of this monosynaptic excitatory connection, and thus sustained chronic pain behavior. These findings reveal a novel cell- and circuit-based mechanistic link between chronic pain and the mPFCCRF → NAcS circuit and provide a potential new therapeutic target for chronic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weinan Zhao
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu, China
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu, China
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yu-Mei Yu
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu, China
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu, China
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xiao-Yi Wang
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu, China
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu, China
- Department of Anesthesiology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Clinical College of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210008, Jiangsu, China
| | - Sun-Hui Xia
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu, China
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu, China
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yu Ma
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu, China
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu, China
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu, China
| | - Huimei Tang
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu, China
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu, China
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu, China
| | - Mingshu Tao
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu, China
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu, China
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu, China
| | - He Li
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu, China
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu, China
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu, China
| | - Zheng Xu
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu, China
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu, China
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jun-Xia Yang
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu, China
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu, China
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu, China
| | - Peng Wu
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu, China
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu, China
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu, China
| | - Hongxing Zhang
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu, China
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu, China
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu, China
| | - Hai-Lei Ding
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu, China.
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu, China.
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Jun-Li Cao
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu, China.
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu, China.
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu, China.
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221002, Jiangsu, China.
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Vigorito M, Chang SL. Alcohol use and the pain system. ADVANCES IN DRUG AND ALCOHOL RESEARCH 2024; 4:12005. [PMID: 38389900 PMCID: PMC10880763 DOI: 10.3389/adar.2024.12005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
The World Health Organization's epidemiological data from 2016 revealed that while 57% of the global population aged 15 years or older had abstained from drinking alcohol in the previous year, more than half of the population in the Americas, Europe, and Western Pacific consumed alcohol. The spectrum of alcohol use behavior is broad: low-risk use (sensible and in moderation), at-risk use (e.g., binge drinking), harmful use (misuse) and dependence (alcoholism; addiction; alcohol use disorder). The at-risk use and misuse of alcohol is associated with the transition to dependence, as well as many damaging health outcomes and preventable causes of premature death. Recent conceptualizations of alcohol dependence posit that the subjective experience of pain may be a significant contributing factor in the transition across the spectrum of alcohol use behavior. This narrative review summarizes the effects of alcohol at all levels of the pain system. The pain system includes nociceptors as sensory indicators of potentially dangerous stimuli and tissue damage (nociception), spinal circuits mediating defensive reflexes, and most importantly, the supraspinal circuits mediating nocifensive behaviors and the perception of pain. Although the functional importance of pain is to protect from injury and further or future damage, chronic pain may emerge despite the recovery from, and absence of, biological damage (i.e., in the absence of nociception). Like other biological perceptual systems, pain is a construction contingent on sensory information and a history of individual experiences (i.e., learning and memory). Neuroadaptations and brain plasticity underlying learning and memory and other basic physiological functions can also result in pathological conditions such as chronic pain and addiction. Moreover, the negative affective/emotional aspect of pain perception provides embodied and motivational components that may play a substantial role in the transition from alcohol use to dependence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Vigorito
- Institute of NeuroImmune Pharmacology, Seton Hall University, South Orange, NJ, United States
| | - Sulie L Chang
- Institute of NeuroImmune Pharmacology, Seton Hall University, South Orange, NJ, United States
- Department of Biological Sciences, Seton Hall University, South Orange, NJ, United States
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Al-Omari A, Kecskés M, Gaszner B, Biró-Sütő T, Fazekas B, Berta G, Kuzma M, Pintér E, Kormos V. Functionally active TRPA1 ion channel is downregulated in peptidergic neurons of the Edinger-Westphal nucleus upon acute alcohol exposure. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 10:1046559. [PMID: 36704197 PMCID: PMC9872022 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.1046559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: The centrally projecting Edinger-Westphal nucleus (EWcp) contributes to the control of alcohol consumption by its urocortin 1 (UCN1) and cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART) co-expressing peptidergic neurons. Our group recently showed that the urocortinergic centrally projecting EWcp is the primary seat of central nervous system transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1) cation channel mRNA expression. Here, we hypothesized that alcohol and its metabolites, that pass through the blood-brain barrier, may influence the function of urocortinergic cells in centrally projecting EWcp by activating TRPA1 ion channels. We aimed to examine the functional activity of TRPA1 in centrally projecting EWcp and its possible role in a mouse model of acute alcohol exposure. Methods: Electrophysiological measurements were performed on acute brain slices of C57BL/6J male mice containing the centrally projecting EWcp to prove the functional activity of TRPA1 using a selective, potent, covalent agonist JT010. Male TRPA1 knockout (KO) and wildtype (WT) mice were compared with each other in the morphological studies upon acute alcohol treatment. In both genotypes, half of the animals was treated intraperitoneally with 1 g/kg 6% ethanol vs. physiological saline-injected controls. Transcardial perfusion was performed 2 h after the treatment. In the centrally projecting EWcp area, FOS immunohistochemistry was performed to assess neuronal activation. TRPA1, CART, and urocortin 1 mRNA expression as well as urocortin 1 and CART peptide content was semi-quantified by RNAscope in situ hybridization combined with immunofluorescence. Results: JT010 activated TRPA1 channels of the urocortinergic cells in acute brain slices. Alcohol treatment resulted in a significant FOS activation in both genotypes. Alcohol decreased the Trpa1 mRNA expression in WT mice. The assessment of urocortin 1 peptide immunoreactivity revealed lower basal urocortin 1 in KO mice compared to WTs. The urocortin 1 peptide content was affected genotype-dependently by alcohol: the peptide content decreased in WTs while it increased in KO mice. Alcohol exposure influenced neither CART and urocortin 1 mRNA expression nor the centrally projecting EWcp/CART peptide content. Conclusion: We proved the presence of functional TRPA1 receptors on urocortin 1 neurons of the centrally projecting EWcp. Decreased Trpa1 mRNA expression upon acute alcohol treatment, associated with reduced neuronal urocortin 1 peptide content suggesting that this cation channel may contribute to the regulation of the urocortin 1 release.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ammar Al-Omari
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Centre for Neuroscience, Szentágothai Research Centre, Medical School and Molecular Pharmacology Research Group, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Miklós Kecskés
- Medical School, Institute of Physiology, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Balázs Gaszner
- Department of Anatomy, Centre for Neuroscience, Medical School and Research Group for Mood Disorders, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Tünde Biró-Sütő
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Centre for Neuroscience, Szentágothai Research Centre, Medical School and Molecular Pharmacology Research Group, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Balázs Fazekas
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Centre for Neuroscience, Szentágothai Research Centre, Medical School and Molecular Pharmacology Research Group, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Gergely Berta
- Department of Medical Biology, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Mónika Kuzma
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Erika Pintér
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Centre for Neuroscience, Szentágothai Research Centre, Medical School and Molecular Pharmacology Research Group, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Viktória Kormos
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Centre for Neuroscience, Szentágothai Research Centre, Medical School and Molecular Pharmacology Research Group, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
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Konkoly J, Kormos V, Gaszner B, Correia P, Berta G, Biró-Sütő T, Zelena D, Pintér E. Transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 ion channel expressed by the Edinger-Westphal nucleus contributes to stress adaptation in murine model of posttraumatic stress disorder. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:1059073. [PMID: 36561364 PMCID: PMC9763580 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.1059073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The centrally projecting Edinger-Westphal nucleus (EWcp) is involved in stress adaptation. Transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1) mRNA was previously shown to be expressed abundantly in mouse and human EWcp urocortin 1 (UCN1) positive neurons and reacted to chronic stress. Since UCN1 neurons are deeply implicated in stress-related disorders, we hypothesized that TRPA1/UCN1 neurons are also affected in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We examined male Trpa1 wild type (WT) and gene-deficient (KO) mice in the single prolonged stress (SPS) model of PTSD. Two weeks later the behavioral changes were monitored by forced swim test (FST) and restraint. The Trpa1 and Ucn1 mRNA expression and the UCN1 peptide content were assessed by RNAscope in situ hybridization technique combined with immunofluorescence labeling in the EWcp. SPS-induced immobility was lower in Trpa1 KO compared to WT animals, both in the FST and restraint, corresponding to diminished depression-like behavior. The copy number of Trpa1 mRNA decreased significantly in EWcp of WT animals in response to SPS. Higher basal Ucn1 mRNA expression was observed in the EWcp of KO animals, that was not affected by SPS exposure. EWcp neurons of WT animals responded to SPS with substantially increased amount of UCN1 peptide content compared to control animals, whereas such changes were not observable in KO mice. The decreased Trpa1 mRNA expression in the SPS model of PTSD associated with increased neuronal UCN1 peptide content suggests that this cation channel might be involved in the regulation of stress adaptation and may contribute to the pathomechanism of PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- János Konkoly
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, University of Pécs, Medical School, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Viktória Kormos
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, University of Pécs, Medical School, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Balázs Gaszner
- Department of Anatomy, University of Pécs, Medical School, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Pedro Correia
- Department of Physiology, University of Pécs, Medical School, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Gergely Berta
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Pécs, Medical School, Pécs, Hungary
- Signal Transduction Research Group, János Szentágothai Research Centre, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Tünde Biró-Sütő
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, University of Pécs, Medical School, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Dóra Zelena
- Department of Physiology, University of Pécs, Medical School, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Erika Pintér
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, University of Pécs, Medical School, Pécs, Hungary
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Kovács LÁ, Füredi N, Ujvári B, Golgol A, Gaszner B. Age-Dependent FOSB/ΔFOSB Response to Acute and Chronic Stress in the Extended Amygdala, Hypothalamic Paraventricular, Habenular, Centrally-Projecting Edinger-Westphal, and Dorsal Raphe Nuclei in Male Rats. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:862098. [PMID: 35592695 PMCID: PMC9110804 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.862098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
FOS proteins are early-responding gene products that contribute to the formation of activator protein-1. Several acute and chronic stimuli lead to Fos gene expression, accompanied by an increase of nuclear FOS, which appears to decline with aging. FOSB is another marker to detect acute cellular response, while ΔFOSB mirrors long-lasting changes in neuronal activity upon chronic stress. The notion that the occurrence of stress-related mood disorders shows some age dependence suggests that the brain's stress sensitivity is also a function of age. To study age-dependent stress vulnerability at the immediate-early gene level, we aimed to describe how the course of aging affects the neural responses of FOSB/ΔFOSB in the acute restraint stress (ARS), and chronic variable mild stress (CVMS) in male rats. Fourteen brain areas [central, medial, basolateral (BLA) amygdala; dorsolateral- (BNSTdl), oval- (BNSTov), dorsomedial-, ventral- (BNSTv), and fusiform- (BNSTfu) divisions of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis; medial and lateral habenula, hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN), centrally-projecting Edinger-Westphal nucleus, dorsal raphe nucleus, barrel field of somatosensory cortex (S1)] were examined in the course of aging. Eight age groups [1-month-old (M), 1.5 M, 2 M, 3 M, 6 M, 12 M, 18 M, and 24 M] of rats were exposed to a single ARS vs. controls. In addition, rats in six age groups (2, 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 M) were subjected to CVMS. The FOSB/ΔFOSB immunoreactivity (IR) was a function of age in both controls, ARS- and CVMS-exposed rats. ARS increased the FOSB/ΔFOSB in all nuclei (except in BLA), but only BNSTfu, BNSTv, and PVN reacted throughout the examined lifespan. The CVMS did not increase the FOSB/ΔFOSB in BLA, BNSTov, BNSTdl, and S1. PVN showed a constantly maintained FOSB/ΔFOSB IR during the examined life period. The maximum stress-evoked FOSB/ΔFOSB signal was detected at 2-3 M periods in the ARS- and at 6 M, 18 M in CVMS- model. Corresponding to our previous observations on FOS, the FOSB/ΔFOSB response to stress decreased with age in most of the examined nuclei. Only the PVN exerted a sustained age-independent FOSB/ΔFOSB, which may reflect the long-lasting adaptation response and plasticity of neurons that maintain the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis response throughout the lifespan.
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Affiliation(s)
- László Ákos Kovács
- Department of Anatomy, Research Group for Mood Disorders, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
- Center for Neuroscience & Szentagothai Research Center, Pécs University, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Nóra Füredi
- Department of Anatomy, Research Group for Mood Disorders, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
- Center for Neuroscience & Szentagothai Research Center, Pécs University, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Balázs Ujvári
- Department of Anatomy, Research Group for Mood Disorders, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Abolfazl Golgol
- Department of Anatomy, Research Group for Mood Disorders, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Balázs Gaszner
- Department of Anatomy, Research Group for Mood Disorders, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
- Center for Neuroscience & Szentagothai Research Center, Pécs University, Pécs, Hungary
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7
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Xu L, Füredi N, Lutter C, Geenen B, Pétervári E, Balaskó M, Dénes Á, Kovács KJ, Gaszner B, Kozicz T. Leptin coordinates efferent sympathetic outflow to the white adipose tissue through the midbrain centrally-projecting Edinger-Westphal nucleus in male rats. Neuropharmacology 2021; 205:108898. [PMID: 34861283 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2021.108898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Revised: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The centrally-projecting Edinger-Westphal nucleus (EWcp) hosts a large population of neurons expressing urocortin 1 (Ucn1) and about half of these neurons also express the leptin receptor (LepRb). Previously, we have shown that the peripheral adiposity hormone leptin signaling energy surfeit modulates EWcp neurons' activity. Here, we hypothesized that Ucn1/LepRb neurons in the EWcp would act as a crucial neuronal node in the brain-white adipose tissue (WAT) axis modulating efferent sympathetic outflow to the WAT. We showed that leptin bound to neurons of the EWcp stimulated STAT3 phosphorylation, and increased Ucn1-production in a time-dependent manner. Besides, retrograde transneuronal tract-tracing using pseudorabies virus (PRV) identified EWcp Ucn1 neurons connected to WAT. Interestingly, reducing EWcp Ucn1 contents by ablating EWcp LepRb-positive neurons with leptin-saporin, did not affect food intake and body weight gain, but substantially (+26%) increased WAT weight accompanied by a higher plasma leptin level and changed plasma lipid profile. We also found that ablation of EWcp Ucn1/LepRb neurons resulted in lower respiratory quotient and oxygen consumption one week after surgery, but was comparable to sham values after 3 and 5 weeks of surgery. Taken together, we report that EWcp/LepRb/Ucn1 neurons not only respond to leptin signaling but also control WAT size and fat metabolism without altering food intake. These data suggest the existence of a EWcp-WAT circuitry allowing an organism to recruit fuels without being able to eat in situations such as the fight-or-flight response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Xu
- Department of Anatomy Medical Imaging, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Department of Structural and Cellular Biology, School of Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Nóra Füredi
- Department of Anatomy and Center for Neuroscience, Medical School, Pécs University, Pécs, Hungary; Department of Translational Medicine, Medical School, Pécs University, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Christoph Lutter
- Department of Anatomy and Center for Neuroscience, Medical School, Pécs University, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Bram Geenen
- Department of Anatomy Medical Imaging, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Erika Pétervári
- Department of Translational Medicine, Medical School, Pécs University, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Márta Balaskó
- Department of Translational Medicine, Medical School, Pécs University, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Ádám Dénes
- "Momentum" Laboratory of Neuroimmunology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Krisztina J Kovács
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, Eötvös Loránd Research Network, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Balázs Gaszner
- Department of Anatomy and Center for Neuroscience, Medical School, Pécs University, Pécs, Hungary.
| | - Tamás Kozicz
- Department of Anatomy Medical Imaging, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Department of Clinical Genomics, Mayo Clinic, MN, USA; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, MN, USA; Center for Individualized Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
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8
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Cano G, Hernan SL, Sved AF. Centrally Projecting Edinger-Westphal Nucleus in the Control of Sympathetic Outflow and Energy Homeostasis. Brain Sci 2021; 11:1005. [PMID: 34439626 PMCID: PMC8392615 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11081005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2021] [Revised: 07/13/2021] [Accepted: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The centrally projecting Edinger-Westphal nucleus (EWcp) is a midbrain neuronal group, adjacent but segregated from the preganglionic Edinger-Westphal nucleus that projects to the ciliary ganglion. The EWcp plays a crucial role in stress responses and in maintaining energy homeostasis under conditions that require an adjustment of energy expenditure, by virtue of modulating heart rate and blood pressure, thermogenesis, food intake, and fat and glucose metabolism. This modulation is ultimately mediated by changes in the sympathetic outflow to several effector organs, including the adrenal gland, heart, kidneys, brown and white adipose tissues and pancreas, in response to environmental conditions and the animal's energy state, providing for appropriate energy utilization. Classic neuroanatomical studies have shown that the EWcp receives inputs from forebrain regions involved in these functions and projects to presympathetic neuronal populations in the brainstem. Transneuronal tracing with pseudorabies virus has demonstrated that the EWcp is connected polysynaptically with central circuits that provide sympathetic innervation to all these effector organs that are critical for stress responses and energy homeostasis. We propose that EWcp integrates multimodal signals (stress, thermal, metabolic, endocrine, etc.) and modulates the sympathetic output simultaneously to multiple effector organs to maintain energy homeostasis under different conditions that require adjustments of energy demands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgina Cano
- Department of Neuroscience, A210 Langley Hall, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA; (S.L.H.); (A.F.S.)
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9
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Yu W, Caira CM, Del R Rivera Sanchez N, Moseley GA, Kash TL. Corticotropin-releasing factor neurons in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis exhibit sex-specific pain encoding in mice. Sci Rep 2021; 11:12500. [PMID: 34127705 PMCID: PMC8203647 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-91672-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) plays an emerging role in pain regulation. Pharmacological studies have found that inhibiting corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) signaling in the BNST can selectively mitigate the sensory and affective-motivational components of pain. However, mechanistic insight on the source of CRF that drives BNST responses to these harmful experiences remains unknown. In the present study, we used a series of genetic approaches to show that CRF in the BNST is engaged in the processing and modulation of pain. We conducted cell-type specific in vivo calcium imaging in CRF-Cre mice and found robust and synchronized recruitment of BNSTCRF neurons during acute exposures to noxious heat. Distinct patterns of recruitment were observed by sex, as the magnitude and timing of heat responsive activity in BNSTCRF neurons differed for male and female mice. We then used a viral approach in Floxed-CRF mice to selectively reduce CRF expression in the BNST and found it decreased nociceptive sensitivity for both sexes and increased paw attending for females. Together, these findings reveal that CRF in the BNST influences multiple facets of the pain experience to impact the sex-specific expression of pain-related behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Waylin Yu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina At Chapel Hill, CB 7178 Thurston Bowles Building, 104 Manning Drive, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina At Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
- Curriculum in Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina At Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Christina M Caira
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina At Chapel Hill, CB 7178 Thurston Bowles Building, 104 Manning Drive, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina At Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Natalia Del R Rivera Sanchez
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina At Chapel Hill, CB 7178 Thurston Bowles Building, 104 Manning Drive, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina At Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Garrett A Moseley
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina At Chapel Hill, CB 7178 Thurston Bowles Building, 104 Manning Drive, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina At Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Thomas L Kash
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina At Chapel Hill, CB 7178 Thurston Bowles Building, 104 Manning Drive, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA.
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina At Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA.
- Curriculum in Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina At Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA.
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10
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Genomics for conservation: a case study of behavioral genes in the Tasmanian devil. CONSERV GENET 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10592-021-01354-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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11
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Kovács LÁ, Berta G, Csernus V, Ujvári B, Füredi N, Gaszner B. Corticotropin-Releasing Factor-Producing Cells in the Paraventricular Nucleus of the Hypothalamus and Extended Amygdala Show Age-Dependent FOS and FOSB/DeltaFOSB Immunoreactivity in Acute and Chronic Stress Models in the Rat. Front Aging Neurosci 2019; 11:274. [PMID: 31649527 PMCID: PMC6794369 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2019.00274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2019] [Accepted: 09/24/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) immunoreactive (ir) neurons of the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN) play pivotal role in the coordination of stress response. CRF-producing cells in the central nucleus of amygdala (CeA) and oval division of the bed nucleus of stria terminalis (BNSTov) are also involved in stress adaptation and mood control. Immediate early gene products, subunits of the transcription factor activator protein 1 (AP1) are commonly used as acute (FOS) and/or chronic (FOSB/deltaFOSB) markers for the neuronal activity in stress research. It is well known that the course of aging affects stress adaptation, but little is known about the aging-related stress sensitivity of CRF neurons. To the best of our knowledge, the stress-induced neuronal activity of CRF neurons in the course of aging in acute and chronic stress models was not studied systematically yet. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to quantify the acute restraint stress (ARS) and chronic variable mild stress (CVMS) evoked neuronal activity in CRF cells of the PVN, CeA, and BNSTov using triple-label immunofluorescence throughout the whole lifespan in the rat. We hypothesized that the FOS and FOSB content of CRF cells upon ARS or CVMS decreases with age. Our results showed that the FOS and FOSB response to ARS declined with age in the PVN-CRF cells. BNSTov and CeA CRF cells did not show remarkable stress-induced elevation of these markers neither in ARS, nor in CVMS. Exposure to CVMS resulted in an age-independent significant increase of FOSB/delta FOSB immunosignal in PVN-CRF neurons. Unexpectedly, we detected a remarkable stress-independent FOSB/deltaFOSB signal in CeA- and BNSTov-CRF cells that declined with the course of aging. In summary, PVN-CRF cells show decreasing acute stress sensitivity (i.e., FOS and FOSB immunoreactivity) with the course of aging, while their (FOSB/deltaFOSB) responsivity to chronic challenge is maintained till senescence. Stress exposure does not affect the occurrence of the examined Fos gene products in CeA- and BNSTov-CRF cells remarkably suggesting that their contribution to stress adaptation response does not require AP1-controlled transcriptional changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- László Á Kovács
- Department of Anatomy, University of Pécs Medical School, Pécs, Hungary.,Centre for Neuroscience, Pécs University, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Gergely Berta
- Department of Medical Biology and Central Electron Microscope Laboratory, University of Pécs Medical School, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Valér Csernus
- Department of Anatomy, University of Pécs Medical School, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Balázs Ujvári
- Department of Anatomy, University of Pécs Medical School, Pécs, Hungary.,Centre for Neuroscience, Pécs University, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Nóra Füredi
- Department of Anatomy, University of Pécs Medical School, Pécs, Hungary.,Centre for Neuroscience, Pécs University, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Balázs Gaszner
- Department of Anatomy, University of Pécs Medical School, Pécs, Hungary.,Centre for Neuroscience, Pécs University, Pécs, Hungary
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12
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Gołyszny M, Obuchowicz E. Are neuropeptides relevant for the mechanism of action of SSRIs? Neuropeptides 2019; 75:1-17. [PMID: 30824124 DOI: 10.1016/j.npep.2019.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2018] [Revised: 01/08/2019] [Accepted: 02/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are drugs of first choice in the therapy of moderate to severe depression and anxiety disorders. Their primary mechanism of action is via influence of the serotonergic (5-HT) system, but a growing amount of data provides evidence for other non-monoaminergic players in SSRI effects. It is assumed that neuropeptides, which play a role as neuromodulators in the CNS, are involved in their mechanism of action. In this review we focus on six neuropeptides: corticotropin-releasing factor - CRF, galanin - GAL, oxytocin - OT, vasopressin - AVP, neuropeptide Y - NPY, and orexins - OXs. First, information about their roles in depression and anxiety disorders are presented. Then, findings describing their interactions with the 5-HT system are summarized. These data provide background for analysis of the results of published preclinical and clinical studies related to SSRI effects on the neuropeptide systems. We also report findings showing how modulation of neuropeptide transmission influences behavioral and neurochemical effects of SSRIs. Finally, future research necessary for enriching our knowledge of SSRI mechanisms of action is proposed. Recognition of new molecular targets for antidepressants will have a significant effect on the development of novel therapeutic strategies for mood-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miłosz Gołyszny
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, Poniatowskiego 15, 40-055 Katowice, Poland
| | - Ewa Obuchowicz
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, Poniatowskiego 15, 40-055 Katowice, Poland.
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13
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Tache Y, Larauche M, Yuan PQ, Million M. Brain and Gut CRF Signaling: Biological Actions and Role in the Gastrointestinal Tract. Curr Mol Pharmacol 2018; 11:51-71. [PMID: 28240194 DOI: 10.2174/1874467210666170224095741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2015] [Revised: 02/16/2016] [Accepted: 08/03/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) pathways coordinate behavioral, endocrine, autonomic and visceral responses to stress. Convergent anatomical, molecular, pharmacological and functional experimental evidence supports a key role of brain CRF receptor (CRF-R) signaling in stress-related alterations of gastrointestinal functions. These include the inhibition of gastric acid secretion and gastric-small intestinal transit, stimulation of colonic enteric nervous system and secretorymotor function, increase intestinal permeability, and visceral hypersensitivity. Brain sites of CRF actions to alter gut motility encompass the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus, locus coeruleus complex and the dorsal motor nucleus while those modulating visceral pain are localized in the hippocampus and central amygdala. Brain CRF actions are mediated through the autonomic nervous system (decreased gastric vagal and increased sacral parasympathetic and sympathetic activities). The activation of brain CRF-R2 subtype inhibits gastric motor function while CRF-R1 stimulates colonic secretomotor function and induces visceral hypersensitivity. CRF signaling is also located within the gut where CRF-R1 activates colonic myenteric neurons, mucosal cells secreting serotonin, mucus, prostaglandin E2, induces mast cell degranulation, enhances mucosal permeability and propulsive motor functions and induces visceral hyperalgesia in animals and humans. CRF-R1 antagonists prevent CRF- and stressrelated gut alterations in rodents while not influencing basal state. DISCUSSION These preclinical studies contrast with the limited clinical positive outcome of CRF-R1 antagonists to alleviate stress-sensitive functional bowel diseases such as irritable bowel syndrome. CONCLUSION The translational potential of CRF-R1 antagonists in gut diseases will require additional studies directed to novel anti-CRF therapies and the neurobiology of brain-gut interactions under chronic stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yvette Tache
- CURE/Digestive Diseases Research Center, G Oppenheimer Center for Neurobiology of Stress and Resilience, Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Digestive Diseases Division, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA 90073. United States
| | - Muriel Larauche
- CURE/Digestive Diseases Research Center, G Oppenheimer Center for Neurobiology of Stress and Resilience, Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Digestive Diseases Division, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA 90073. United States
| | - Pu-Qing Yuan
- CURE/Digestive Diseases Research Center, G Oppenheimer Center for Neurobiology of Stress and Resilience, Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Digestive Diseases Division, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA 90073. United States
| | - Mulugeta Million
- CURE/Digestive Diseases Research Center, G Oppenheimer Center for Neurobiology of Stress and Resilience, Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Digestive Diseases Division, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA 90073. United States
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14
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Kovács LÁ, Schiessl JA, Nafz AE, Csernus V, Gaszner B. Both Basal and Acute Restraint Stress-Induced c-Fos Expression Is Influenced by Age in the Extended Amygdala and Brainstem Stress Centers in Male Rats. Front Aging Neurosci 2018; 10:248. [PMID: 30186150 PMCID: PMC6113579 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2018.00248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2018] [Accepted: 07/30/2018] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) is the main regulator of the stress response. The key of the HPA is the parvocellular paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (pPVN) controlled by higher-order limbic stress centers. The reactivity of the HPA axis is considered to be a function of age, but to date, little is known about the background of this age-dependency. Sporadic literature data suggest that the stress sensitivity as assessed by semi-quantitation of the neuronal activity marker c-Fos may also be influenced by age. Here, we aimed at investigating the HPA activity and c-Fos immunoreactivity 2 h after the beginning of a single 60 min acute restraint stress in eight age groups of male Wistar rats. We hypothesized that the function of the HPA axis (i.e., pPVN c-Fos and blood corticosterone (CORT) level), the neuronal activity of nine stress-related limbic areas (i.e., magnocellular PVN (mPVN), medial (MeA), central (CeA), basolateral nuclei of the amygdala, the oval (ovBNST), dorsolateral (dlBNST), dorsomedial (dmBNST), ventral and fusiform (fuBNST) divisions of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST)), and two brainstem stress centers such as the centrally projecting Edinger-Westphal nucleus (cpEW) and dorsal raphe nucleus (DR) show age dependency in their c-Fos response. The somatosensory barrel cortex area (S1) was evaluated to test whether the age dependency is specific for stress-centers. Our results indicate that the stress-induced rise in blood CORT titer was lower in young age reflecting relatively low HPA activity. All 12 stress-related brain areas showed c-Fos response that peaked at 2 months of age. The magnitude of c-Fos immunoreactivity correlated negatively with age in seven regions (MeA, CeA, ovBNST, dlBNST, dmBNST, fuBNST and pPVN). Unexpectedly, the CeA, ovBNST and cpEW showed a considerable basal c-Fos expression in 1-month-old rats which decreased with age. The S1 showed a U-shaped age-related dynamics in contrast to the decline observed in stress centers. We conclude that the age- and brain area dependent dynamics in stress-induced neuronal activity pattern may contribute to the age dependance of the stress reactivity. Further studies are in progress to determine the neurochemical identity of neurons showing age-dependent basal and/or stress-induced c-Fos expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- László Ákos Kovács
- Department of Anatomy, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.,Center for Neuroscience, Pécs University, Pécs, Hungary
| | | | | | - Valér Csernus
- Department of Anatomy, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Balázs Gaszner
- Department of Anatomy, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.,Center for Neuroscience, Pécs University, Pécs, Hungary
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15
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Martinon D, Dabrowska J. Corticotropin-Releasing Factor Receptors Modulate Oxytocin Release in the Dorsolateral Bed Nucleus of the Stria Terminalis (BNST) in Male Rats. Front Neurosci 2018; 12:183. [PMID: 29618970 PMCID: PMC5871712 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2018.00183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2017] [Accepted: 03/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The neuropeptide oxytocin (OT) plays an important role in the regulation of social and anxiety-like behavior. Our previous studies have shown that OT neurons send projections from the hypothalamus to the dorsolateral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNSTdl), a forebrain region critically involved in the modulation of anxiety-like behavior. Importantly, these OT terminals in the BNSTdl express presynaptic corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) receptor type 2 (CRFR2). This suggests that CRFR2 might be involved in the modulation of OT release. To test this hypothesis, we measured OT content in microdialysates collected from the BNSTdl of freely-moving male Sprague-Dawley rats following the administration of a selective CRFR2 agonist (Urocortin 3) or antagonist (Astressin 2B, As2B). To determine if type 1 CRF receptors (CRFR1) are also involved, we used selective CRFR1 antagonist (NBI35965) as well as CRF, a putative ligand of both CRFR1 and CRFR2. All compounds were delivered directly into the BNSTdl via reverse dialysis. OT content in the microdialysates was measured with highly sensitive and selective radioimmunoassay. Blocking CRFR2 with As2B caused an increase in OT content in BNSTdl microdialysates, whereas CRFR2 activation by Urocortin 3 did not have an effect. The As2B-induced increase in OT release was blocked by application of the CRFR1 antagonist demonstrating that the effect was dependent on CRFR1 transmission. Interestingly, CRF alone caused a delayed increase in OT content in BNSTdl microdialysates, which was dependent on CRF2 but not CRF1 receptors. Our results suggest that members of the CRF peptide family modulate OT release in the BNSTdl via a fine-tuned mechanism that involves both CRFR1 and CRFR2. Further exploration of mechanisms by which endogenous OT system is modulated by CRF peptide family is needed to better understand the role of these neuropeptides in the regulation of anxiety and the stress response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daisy Martinon
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Joanna Dabrowska
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, United States.,Department of Neuroscience, Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, United States
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16
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Koenig S, Bredehöft J, Perniss A, Fuchs F, Roth J, Rummel C. Age Dependent Hypothalamic and Pituitary Responses to Novel Environment Stress or Lipopolysaccharide in Rats. Front Behav Neurosci 2018; 12:55. [PMID: 29615881 PMCID: PMC5868128 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2017] [Accepted: 03/01/2018] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Previously, we have shown that the transcription factor nuclear factor interleukin (NF-IL)6 can be used as an activation marker for inflammatory lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced and psychological novel environment stress (NES) in the rat brain. Here, we aimed to investigate age dependent changes of hypothalamic and pituitary responses to NES (cage switch) or LPS (100 μg/kg) in 2 and 24 months old rats. Animals were sacrificed at specific time points, blood and brains withdrawn and analyzed using immunohistochemistry, RT-PCR and bioassays. In the old rats, telemetric recording revealed that NES-induced hyperthermia was enhanced and prolonged compared to the young group. Plasma IL-6 levels remained unchanged and hypothalamic IL-6 mRNA expression was increased in the old rats. Interestingly, this response was accompanied by a significant upregulation of corticotropin-releasing hormone mRNA expression only in young rats after NES and overall higher plasma corticosterone levels in all aged animals. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed a significant upregulation of NF-IL6-positive cells in the pituitary after NES or LPS-injection. In another important brain structure implicated in immune-to-brain communication, namely, in the median eminence (ME), NF-IL6-immunoreactivity was increased in aged animals, while the young group showed just minor activation after LPS-stimulation. Interestingly, we found a higher amount of NF-IL6-CD68-positive cells in the posterior pituitary of old rats compared to the young counterparts. Moreover, aging affected the regulation of cytokine interaction in the anterior pituitary lobe. LPS-treatment significantly enhanced the secretion of the cytokines IL-6 and TNFα into supernatants of primary cell cultures of the anterior pituitary. Furthermore, in the young rats, incubation with IL-6 and IL-10 antibodies before LPS-stimulation led to a robust decrease of IL-6 production and an increase of TNFα production by the pituitary cells. In the old rats, this specific cytokine interaction could not be detected. Overall, the present results revealed strong differences in the activation patterns and pathways between old and young rats after both stressors. The prolonged hyperthermic and inflammatory response seen in aged animals seems to be linked to dysregulated pituitary cytokine interactions and brain cell activation (NF-IL6) in the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandy Koenig
- Institute of Veterinary Physiology and Biochemistry, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Janne Bredehöft
- Institute of Veterinary Physiology and Biochemistry, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Alexander Perniss
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Franziska Fuchs
- Institute of Veterinary Physiology and Biochemistry, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Joachim Roth
- Institute of Veterinary Physiology and Biochemistry, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Christoph Rummel
- Institute of Veterinary Physiology and Biochemistry, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany.,Marburg Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior-MCMBB, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
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17
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Andreoli M, Marketkar T, Dimitrov E. Contribution of amygdala CRF neurons to chronic pain. Exp Neurol 2017; 298:1-12. [PMID: 28830762 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2017.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2017] [Revised: 08/03/2017] [Accepted: 08/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
We investigated the role of amygdala corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) neurons in the perturbations of descending pain inhibition caused by neuropathic pain. Forced swim increased the tail-flick response latency in uninjured mice, a phenomenon known as stress-induced analgesia (SIA) but did not change the tail-flick response latency in mice with neuropathic pain caused by sciatic nerve constriction. Neuropathic pain also increased the expression of CRF in the central amygdala (CeAmy) and ΔFosB in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord. Next, we injected the CeAmy of CRF-cre mice with cre activated AAV-DREADD (Designer Receptors Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs) vectors. Activation of CRF neurons by DREADD/Gq did not affect the impaired SIA but inhibition of CRF neurons by DREADD/Gi restored SIA and decreased allodynia in mice with neuropathic pain. The possible downstream circuitry involved in the regulation of SIA was investigated by combined injections of retrograde cre-virus (CAV2-cre) into the locus ceruleus (LC) and cre activated AAV-diphtheria toxin (AAV-FLEX-DTX) virus into the CeAmy. The viral injections were followed by a sciatic nerve constriction ipsilateral or contralateral to the injections. Ablation of amygdala projections to the LC on the side of injury but not on the opposite side, completely restored SIA, decreased allodynia and decreased ΔFosB expression in the spinal cord in mice with neuropathic pain. The possible lateralization of SIA impairment to the side of injury was confirmed by an experiment in which unilateral inhibition of the LC decreased SIA even in uninjured mice. The current view in the field of pain research attributes the process of pain chronification to abnormal functioning of descending pain inhibition. Our results demonstrate that the continuous activity of CRF neurons brought about by persistent pain leads to impaired SIA, which is a symptom of dysregulation of descending pain inhibition. Therefore, an over-activation of amygdala CRF neurons is very likely an important contributing factor for pain chronification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Andreoli
- Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, 3333 Green Bay Road, North Chicago, IL 60064, Unites States.
| | - Tanvi Marketkar
- Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, 3333 Green Bay Road, North Chicago, IL 60064, Unites States.
| | - Eugene Dimitrov
- Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, 3333 Green Bay Road, North Chicago, IL 60064, Unites States.
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18
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Khirazova EE, Motorykina ES, Maslova MV, Maklakova AS, Graf AV, Sokolova NA, Kamenskii AA. Effect of Chronic Administration of Obestatin and Its Fragment FNAP-NH 2 on Behavioral Activity and Nociceptive Threshold in Rats with Normal and Excess Body Weight. Bull Exp Biol Med 2017; 163:293-295. [PMID: 28744641 DOI: 10.1007/s10517-017-3787-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The effects of chronic intranasal administration of 300 nmol/kg obestatin and its fragment FNAP-NH2 on behavioral activity and nociceptive threshold were examined in male Wistar rats with normal body weight or alimentary obesity. In normal rats, obestatin produced no effect on behavior and nociception, whereas FNAP-NH2 fragment enhanced risk-taking behavior. Rats with excess body weight demonstrated less pronounced risk-taking behavior and elevated nociceptive threshold in comparison with normal animals, but these differences were abolished by chronic administration of FNAP-NH2.
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Affiliation(s)
- E E Khirazova
- Department of Human and Animal Physiology, Faculty of Biology, M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia.
| | - E S Motorykina
- Department of Human and Animal Physiology, Faculty of Biology, M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
| | - M V Maslova
- Department of Human and Animal Physiology, Faculty of Biology, M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
| | - A S Maklakova
- Department of Human and Animal Physiology, Faculty of Biology, M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
| | - A V Graf
- Department of Human and Animal Physiology, Faculty of Biology, M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia.,Department of Nano-, Bio-, Information Technology, and Cognitive Science, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT), Moscow, Russia
| | - N A Sokolova
- Department of Human and Animal Physiology, Faculty of Biology, M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
| | - A A Kamenskii
- Department of Human and Animal Physiology, Faculty of Biology, M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
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van der Doelen RHA, Robroch B, Arnoldussen IA, Schulpen M, Homberg JR, Kozicz T. Serotonin and urocortin 1 in the dorsal raphe and Edinger-Westphal nuclei after early life stress in serotonin transporter knockout rats. Neuroscience 2016; 340:345-358. [PMID: 27826101 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2016.10.072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2016] [Revised: 10/29/2016] [Accepted: 10/31/2016] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
The interaction of early life stress (ELS) and the serotonin transporter (5-HTT) gene-linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR) has been associated with increased risk to develop depression in later life. We have used the maternal separation paradigm as a model for ELS exposure in homozygous and heterozygous 5-HTT knockout rats and measured urocortin 1 (Ucn1) mRNA and/or protein levels, Ucn1 DNA methylation, as well as 5-HT innervation in the centrally projecting Edinger-Westphal (EWcp) and dorsal raphe (DR) nuclei, both implicated in the regulation of stress response. We found that ELS and 5-HTT genotype increased the number of 5-HT neurons in specific DR subdivisions, and that 5-HTT knockout rats showed decreased 5-HT innervation of EWcp-Ucn1 neurons. Furthermore, ELS was associated with increased DNA methylation of the promoter region of the Ucn1 gene and increased expression of 5-HT receptor 1A in the EWcp. In contrast, 5-HTT deficiency was associated with site-specific alterations in DNA methylation of the Ucn1 promoter, and heterozygous 5-HTT knockout rats showed decreased expression of CRF receptor 1 in the EWcp. Together, our findings extend the existing literature on the relationship between EWcp-Ucn1 and DR-5-HT neurons. These observations will further our understanding on their potential contribution to mediate affect as a function of ELS interacting with 5-HTTLPR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rick H A van der Doelen
- Department of Anatomy, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Berit Robroch
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Ilse A Arnoldussen
- Department of Anatomy, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Maya Schulpen
- Department of Anatomy, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Judith R Homberg
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Tamás Kozicz
- Department of Anatomy, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Department of Pediatrics, Hayward Genetics Center, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA.
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Changes in Behavior and Blood Corticosterone Level in Male and Female Rats after Single Administration of Obestatin Fragment 1-4. Bull Exp Biol Med 2016; 161:218-20. [DOI: 10.1007/s10517-016-3379-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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21
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Early life adversity and serotonin transporter gene variation interact to affect DNA methylation of the corticotropin-releasing factor gene promoter region in the adult rat brain. Dev Psychopathol 2016; 27:123-35. [PMID: 25640835 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579414001345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The interaction between childhood maltreatment and the serotonin transporter (5-HTT) gene linked polymorphic region has been associated with increased risk to develop major depression. This Gene × Environment interaction has furthermore been linked with increased levels of anxiety and glucocorticoid release upon exposure to stress. Both endophenotypes are regulated by the neuropeptide corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) or hormone, which is expressed by the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus, the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, and the central amygdala (CeA). Therefore, we hypothesized that altered regulation of the expression of CRF in these areas represents a major neurobiological mechanism underlying the interaction of early life stress and 5-HTT gene variation. The programming of gene transcription by Gene × Environment interactions has been proposed to involve epigenetic mechanisms such as DNA methylation. In this study, we report that early life stress and 5-HTT genotype interact to affect DNA methylation of the Crf gene promoter in the CeA of adult male rats. Furthermore, we found that DNA methylation of a specific site in the Crf promoter significantly correlated with CRF mRNA levels in the CeA. Moreover, CeA CRF mRNA levels correlated with stress coping behavior in a learned helplessness paradigm. Together, our findings warrant further investigation of the link of Crf promoter methylation and CRF expression in the CeA with behavioral changes that are relevant for psychopathology.
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Abstract
OBJECTIVES Animal models are essential to understand the pathogenesis of acute pancreatitis (AP) and to develop new therapeutic strategies. Although it has been shown that cerulein-induced AP is associated with pain in experimental animals, most experiments are carried out without any pain-relieving treatment because researchers are apprehensive of an interference of the analgetic agent with AP-associated inflammation. In light of the growing ethical concerns and the legal tightening regarding animal welfare during experiments, this attitude should be changed. METHODS Acute pancreatitis was induced by cerulein in the C57BL/6J and FVB/N mouse inbred strains. One group received vehicle only, and the other was treated with metamizol as analgetic agent. Pain sensation and parameters of AP were analyzed as well as the effect of metamizol in the pancreas and its actions in the brain. RESULTS We report that oral administration of metamizol protects cerulein-treated mice from abdominal pain without influencing the clinical and histopathological course of the disease. In addition, it could be shown that metamizol reduces the central pain response. CONCLUSIONS This study reveals that oral administered metamizol has no influence on the cerulein-induced AP and can be given as an analgesic to increase animal welfare in experiments with induced AP.
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LeBlanc DM, McGinn MA, Itoga CA, Edwards S. The affective dimension of pain as a risk factor for drug and alcohol addiction. Alcohol 2015; 49:803-9. [PMID: 26008713 PMCID: PMC4628900 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2015.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2014] [Revised: 04/11/2015] [Accepted: 04/18/2015] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Addiction, or substance use disorder (SUD), is a devastating psychiatric disease composed of multiple elemental features. As a biobehavioral disorder, escalation of drug and/or alcohol intake is both a cause and consequence of molecular neuroadaptations in central brain reinforcement circuitry. Multiple mesolimbic areas mediate a host of negative affective and motivational symptoms that appear to be central to the addiction process. Brain stress- and reinforcement-related regions such as the central amygdala (CeA), prefrontal cortex (PFC), and nucleus accumbens (NAc) also serve as central processors of ascending nociceptive input. We hypothesize that a sensitization of brain mechanisms underlying the processing of persistent and maladaptive pain contributes to a composite negative affective state to drive the enduring, relapsing nature of addiction, particularly in the case of alcohol and opioid use disorder. At the neurochemical level, pain activates central stress-related neuropeptide signaling, including the dynorphin and corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) systems, and by this process may facilitate negative affect and escalated drug and alcohol use over time. Importantly, the widespread prevalence of unresolved pain and associated affective dysregulation in clinical populations highlights the need for more effective analgesic medications with reduced potential for tolerance and dependence. The burgeoning epidemic of prescription opioid abuse also demands a closer investigation into the neurobiological mechanisms of how pain treatment could potentially represent a significant risk factor for addiction in vulnerable populations. Finally, the continuing convergence of sensory and affective neuroscience fields is expected to generate insight into the critical balance between pain relief and addiction liability, as well as provide more effective therapeutic strategies for chronic pain and addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dana M LeBlanc
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - M Adrienne McGinn
- Department of Physiology, Alcohol and Drug Abuse Center of Excellence, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Christy A Itoga
- Department of Physiology, Alcohol and Drug Abuse Center of Excellence, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Scott Edwards
- Department of Physiology, Alcohol and Drug Abuse Center of Excellence, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, USA.
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Morland RH, Novejarque A, Huang W, Wodarski R, Denk F, Dawes JD, Pheby T, McMahon SB, Rice AS. Short-term effect of acute and repeated urinary bladder inflammation on thigmotactic behaviour in the laboratory rat. F1000Res 2015; 4:109. [PMID: 27158443 PMCID: PMC4850861 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.6255.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/28/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the non-sensory components of the pain experience is crucial to developing effective treatments for pain conditions. Chronic pain is associated with increased incidence of anxio-depressive disorders, and patients often report feelings of vulnerability which can decrease quality of life. In animal models of pain, observation of behaviours such as thigmotaxis can be used to detect such affective disturbances by exploiting the influence of nociceptive stimuli on the innate behavioural conflict between exploration of a novel space and predator avoidance behaviour. This study investigates whether acute and repeated bladder inflammation in adult female Wistar rats increases thigmotactic behaviour in the open field paradigm, and aims to determine whether this correlates with activation in the central amygdala, as measured by c-Fos immunoreactivity. Additionally, up-regulation of inflammatory mediators in the urinary bladder was measured using RT-qPCR array featuring 92 transcripts to examine how local mediators change under experimental conditions. We found acute but not repeated turpentine inflammation of the bladder increased thigmotactic behaviour (decreased frequency of entry to the inner zone) in the open field paradigm, a result that was also observed in the catheter-only instrumentation group. Decreases in locomotor activity were also observed in both models in turpentine and instrumentation groups. No differences were observed in c-Fos activation, although a general increased in activation along the rostro-caudal axis was seen. Inflammatory mediator up-regulation was greatest following acute inflammation, with CCL12, CCL7, and IL-1β significantly up-regulated in both conditions when compared to naïve tissue. These results suggest that acute catheterisation, with or without turpentine inflammation, induces affective alterations detectable in the open field paradigm accompanied by up-regulation of multiple inflammatory mediators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosemary H Morland
- Pain Research Group, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College , London, UK
| | - Amparo Novejarque
- Pain Research Group, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College , London, UK
| | - Wenlong Huang
- Pain Research Group, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College , London, UK
| | - Rachel Wodarski
- Pain Research Group, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College , London, UK
| | - Franziska Denk
- Wolfson Centre for Age Related Disease, King's College London, London, UK
| | - John D Dawes
- The Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Medical Sciences Division, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Tim Pheby
- Pain Research Group, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College , London, UK
| | - Stephen B McMahon
- Wolfson Centre for Age Related Disease, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Andrew Sc Rice
- Pain Research Group, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College , London, UK
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25
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Taché Y, Million M. Role of Corticotropin-releasing Factor Signaling in Stress-related Alterations of Colonic Motility and Hyperalgesia. J Neurogastroenterol Motil 2015; 21:8-24. [PMID: 25611064 PMCID: PMC4288101 DOI: 10.5056/jnm14162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2014] [Accepted: 12/28/2014] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) signaling systems encompass CRF and the structurally related peptide urocortin (Ucn) 1, 2, and 3 along with 2 G-protein coupled receptors, CRF1 and CRF2. CRF binds with high and moderate affinity to CRF1 and CRF2 receptors, respectively while Ucn1 is a high-affinity agonist at both receptors, and Ucn2 and Ucn3 are selective CRF2 agonists. The CRF systems are expressed in both the brain and the colon at the gene and protein levels. Experimental studies established that the activation of CRF1 pathway in the brain or the colon recaptures cardinal features of diarrhea predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) (stimulation of colonic motility, activation of mast cells and serotonin, defecation/watery diarrhea, and visceral hyperalgesia). Conversely, selective CRF1 antagonists or CRF1/CRF2 antagonists, abolished or reduced exogenous CRF and stress-induced stimulation of colonic motility, defecation, diarrhea and colonic mast cell activation and visceral hyperalgesia to colorectal distention. By contrast, the CRF2 signaling in the colon dampened the CRF1 mediated stimulation of colonic motor function and visceral hyperalgesia. These data provide a conceptual framework that sustained activation of the CRF1 system at central and/or peripheral sites may be one of the underlying basis of IBS-diarrhea symptoms. While targeting these mechanisms by CRF1 antagonists provided a relevant novel therapeutic venue, so far these promising preclinical data have not translated into therapeutic use of CRF1 antagonists. Whether the existing or newly developed CRF1 antagonists will progress to therapeutic benefits for stress-sensitive diseases including IBS for a subset of patients is still a work in progress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yvette Taché
- CURE/Digestive Diseases Research Center, and Center for the Neurobiology of Stress, Department of Medicine, Division of Digestive Diseases, University of California Los Angeles, and VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Mulugeta Million
- CURE/Digestive Diseases Research Center, and Center for the Neurobiology of Stress, Department of Medicine, Division of Digestive Diseases, University of California Los Angeles, and VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, California, USA
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TACHÉ Y. Corticotrophin-releasing factor 1 activation in the central amygdale and visceral hyperalgesia. Neurogastroenterol Motil 2015; 27:1-6. [PMID: 25557223 PMCID: PMC4389773 DOI: 10.1111/nmo.12495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2014] [Accepted: 11/24/2014] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF)-CRF1 receptor in the brain plays a key role in stress-related alterations of behavior including anxiety/depression, and autonomic and visceral functions. In particular, CRF1 signaling mediates hypersensitivity to colorectal distension (CRD) in various models (early life adverse events, repeated psychological stress, chronic high anxiety, postcolonic inflammation, or repeated nociceptive CRD). So far, knowledge of brain sites involved is limited. A recent article demonstrates in rats that CRF microinjected into the central amygdala (CeA) induces a hyperalgesic response to CRD and enhances the noradrenaline and dopamine levels at this site. The visceral and noradrenaline, unlike dopamine, responses were blocked by a CRF1 antagonist injected into the CeA. Here, we review the emerging role that CRF-CRF1 signaling plays in the CeA to induce visceral hypersensitivity. In the somatic pain field, CRF in the CeA was shown to induce pain sensitization. This is mediated by the activation of postsynaptic CRF1 receptors and protein kinase A signaling that increases N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor neurotransmission. In addition, the activation of tetraethylamonium-sensitive ion channels such as Kv3 accelerates repolarization and firing rate. Whether facilitation of pain transmission underlies CRF action in the CeA-induced visceral hypersensitivity will need to be delineated. CRF1 signaling in the CeA is also an important component of the neuronal circuitry inducing anxiety-like behavior and positioned at the interphase of the reciprocal relationship between pain and affective state. The hyperactivity of this system may represent the neuroanatomical and biochemical substrate contributing to the coexpression of hypersensitivity to CRD and mood disorders in subsets of irritable bowel syndrome patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y. TACHÉ
- Center for Neurobiology of Stress & Women’s Health and CURE: Digestive Diseases Research Center, Digestive Diseases Division, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine and VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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27
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Xu L. Leptin action in the midbrain: From reward to stress. J Chem Neuroanat 2014; 61-62:256-65. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jchemneu.2014.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2014] [Revised: 06/13/2014] [Accepted: 06/25/2014] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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Janitzky K, Peine A, Kröber A, Yanagawa Y, Schwegler H, Roskoden T. Increased CRF mRNA expression in the sexually dimorphic BNST of male but not female GAD67 mice and TMT predator odor stress effects upon spatial memory retrieval. Behav Brain Res 2014; 272:141-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2014.06.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2014] [Revised: 06/05/2014] [Accepted: 06/09/2014] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
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de Andrade JS, Viana MB, Abrão RO, Bittencourt JC, Céspedes IC. CRF family peptides are differently altered by acute restraint stress and chronic unpredictable stress. Behav Brain Res 2014; 271:302-8. [PMID: 24933190 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2014.06.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2014] [Revised: 06/06/2014] [Accepted: 06/08/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) acts to promote stress-like physiological and behavioral responses and is mainly expressed in the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus (PVN). Urocortin 1 (Ucn1) is also a ligand to CRF type 1 and 2 receptors that has been associated with the stress response. Ucn1 neurons are primarily found in the Edinger-Westphal (EW) nucleus. It has been previously proposed that CRF and Ucn1 differently modulate stress responses to distinct types of stressors. The present study used male Wistar rats to compare the effects of acute restraint stress and unpredictable chronic stress (UCS) through Fos-immunoreactivity (Fos-ir) on CRF-containing neurons of PVN and Ucn1-containing EW centrally projecting neurons. Results showed that PVN neurons responded to both acute restraint and UCS. Also for the PVN, unspecific variables, dependent on the time animals remained in the laboratory, do not seem to alter Fos-ir, since no significant differences between acute and chronic control groups were found. On the other hand, EW neurons were only activated in response to acute restraint stress. Also, for this nucleus a significant difference was found between acute and chronic control groups, suggesting that unspecific variables, dependent on the time animals remain in the laboratory, interfere with the nucleus activation. These results suggest that CRF/Ucn1 neuronal circuits encompass two interconnected systems, which are coordinated to respond to acute stressors, but are differentially activated during chronic unpredictable stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- José S de Andrade
- Department of Biosciences, Federal University of São Paulo, Av. Ana Costa 95, UNIFESP, 11060-001 Santos, SP, Brazil
| | - Milena B Viana
- Department of Biosciences, Federal University of São Paulo, Av. Ana Costa 95, UNIFESP, 11060-001 Santos, SP, Brazil
| | - Renata O Abrão
- Department of Biosciences, Federal University of São Paulo, Av. Ana Costa 95, UNIFESP, 11060-001 Santos, SP, Brazil
| | - Jackson C Bittencourt
- Laboratory of Chemical Neuroanatomy, Department of Anatomy, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, USP, 05508-000 São Paulo, SP, Brazil; Center of Neuroscience and Behavior, Institute of Psychology, University of São Paulo, Av. Prof. Mello Moraes, 1721, Bloco C, 05508-030, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Isabel C Céspedes
- Department of Biosciences, Federal University of São Paulo, Av. Ana Costa 95, UNIFESP, 11060-001 Santos, SP, Brazil.
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Xu L, Janssen D, van der Knaap N, Roubos EW, Leshan RL, Myers MG, Gaszner B, Kozicz T. Integration of stress and leptin signaling by CART producing neurons in the rodent midbrain centrally projecting Edinger-Westphal nucleus. Front Neuroanat 2014; 8:8. [PMID: 24624061 PMCID: PMC3939672 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2014.00008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2013] [Accepted: 02/14/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Leptin targets the brain to regulate feeding, neuroendocrine function and metabolism. The leptin receptor is present in hypothalamic centers controlling energy metabolism as well as in the centrally projecting Edinger–Westphal nucleus (EWcp), a region implicated in the stress response and in various aspects of stress-related behaviors. We hypothesized that the stress response by cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART)-producing EWcp-neurons would depend on the animal’s energy state. To test this hypothesis, we investigated the effects of changes in energy state (mimicked by low, normal and high leptin levels, which were achieved by 24 h fasting, normal chow and leptin injection, respectively) on the response of CART neurons in the EWcp of rats subjected or not to acute restraint stress. Our data show that leptin treatment alone significantly increases CART mRNA expression in the rat EWcp and that in leptin receptor deficient (db/db) mice, the number of CART producing neurons in this nucleus is reduced. This suggests that leptin has a stimulatory effect on the production of CART in the EWcp under non-stressed condition. Under stressed condition, however, leptin blunts stress-induced activation of EWcp neurons and decreases their CART mRNA expression. Interestingly, fasting, does not influence the stress-induced activation of EWcp-neurons, and specifically EWcp-CART neurons are not activated. These results suggest that the stress response by the EWcp depends to some degree on the animal’s energy state, a mechanism that may contribute to a better understanding of the complex interplay between obesity and stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Xu
- Department of Anatomy, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Donny Janssen
- Department of Anatomy, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Noortje van der Knaap
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Eric W Roubos
- Department of Anatomy, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Rebecca L Leshan
- Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology and Diabetes - Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor MI, USA
| | - Martin G Myers
- Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology and Diabetes - Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor MI, USA
| | | | - Tamás Kozicz
- Department of Anatomy, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre Nijmegen, Netherlands
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da Silva AV, Torres KR, Haemmerle CA, Céspedes IC, Bittencourt JC. The Edinger–Westphal nucleus II: Hypothalamic afferents in the rat. J Chem Neuroanat 2013; 54:5-19. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jchemneu.2013.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2013] [Revised: 04/04/2013] [Accepted: 04/05/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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Immunohistochemical demonstration of urocortin 1 in Edinger–Westphal nucleus of the human neonate: Colocalization with tyrosine hydroxylase under acute perinatal hypoxia. Neurosci Lett 2013; 554:47-52. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2013.08.054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2013] [Revised: 08/12/2013] [Accepted: 08/25/2013] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Morava É, Kozicz T. Mitochondria and the economy of stress (mal)adaptation. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2013; 37:668-80. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2013.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2012] [Revised: 01/20/2013] [Accepted: 02/05/2013] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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Inflammatory pain and corticosterone response in infant rats: effect of 5-HT1A agonist buspirone prior to gestational stress. Mediators Inflamm 2013; 2013:915189. [PMID: 23606797 PMCID: PMC3628187 DOI: 10.1155/2013/915189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2013] [Accepted: 03/06/2013] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Our researches have shown that gestational stress causes exacerbation of inflammatory pain in the offspring; the maternal 5-HT1A agonist buspirone before the stress prevents the adverse effect. The serotonergic system and hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis are closely interrelated. However, interrelations between inflammatory pain and the HPA axis during the hyporeactive period of the latter have not been studied. The present research demonstrates that formalin-induced pain causes a gradual and prolonged increase in plasma corticosterone level in 7-day-old male rats; twenty-four hours after injection of formalin, the basal corticosterone level still exceeds the initial basal corticosterone value. Chronic treatments of rat dams with buspirone before restraint stress during gestation normalize in the offspring pain-like behavior and induce during the acute phase in the formalin test the stronger corticosterone increase as compared to the stress hormonal elevation in animals with other prenatal treatments. Negative correlation between plasma corticosterone level and the number of flexes+shakes is revealed in buspirone+stress rats. The new data enhance the idea about relativity of the HPA axis hyporeactive period and suggest that maternal buspirone prior to stress during gestation may enhance an adaptive mechanism of the inflammatory nociceptive system in the infant male offspring through activation of the HPA axis peripheral link.
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Effect of acute stressor and serotonin transporter genotype on amygdala first wave transcriptome in mice. PLoS One 2013; 8:e58880. [PMID: 23536833 PMCID: PMC3594195 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0058880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2012] [Accepted: 02/07/2013] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The most prominent brain region evaluating the significance of external stimuli immediately after their onset is the amygdala. Stimuli evaluated as being stressful actuate a number of physiological processes as an immediate stress response. Variation in the serotonin transporter gene has been associated with increased anxiety- and depression-like behavior, altered stress reactivity and adaptation, and pathophysiology of stress-related disorders. In this study the instant reactions to an acute stressor were measured in a serotonin transporter knockout mouse model. Mice lacking the serotonin transporter were verified to be more anxious than their wild-type conspecifics. Genome-wide gene expression changes in the amygdala were measured after the mice were subjected to control condition or to an acute stressor of one minute exposure to water. The dissection of amygdalae and stabilization of RNA was conducted within nine minutes after the onset of the stressor. This extremely short protocol allowed for analysis of first wave primary response genes, typically induced within five to ten minutes of stimulation, and was performed using Affymetrix GeneChip Mouse Gene 1.0 ST Arrays. RNA profiling revealed a largely new set of differentially expressed primary response genes between the conditions acute stress and control that differed distinctly between wild-type and knockout mice. Consequently, functional categorization and pathway analysis indicated genes related to neuroplasticity and adaptation in wild-types whereas knockouts were characterized by impaired plasticity and genes more related to chronic stress and pathophysiology. Our study therefore disclosed different coping styles dependent on serotonin transporter genotype even directly after the onset of stress and accentuates the role of the serotonergic system in processing stressors and threat in the amygdala. Moreover, several of the first wave primary response genes that we found might provide promising targets for future therapeutic interventions of stress-related disorders also in humans.
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Derks NM, Pintér O, Zuure W, Ledent C, Watanabe M, Molnár CS, Wei Y, Roubos EW, Wu S, Hrabovszky E, Zelena D, Kozicz T. Cannabinoid modulation of midbrain urocortin 1 neurones during acute and chronic stress. J Neuroendocrinol 2012; 24:1447-61. [PMID: 22734681 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2826.2012.02355.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Neurones in the centrally projecting Edinger-Westphal nucleus (EWcp) are the main site of urocortin 1 (Ucn1) synthesis in the mammalian brain, and are assumed to play a role in the stress response of the animal. Because endocannabinoid signalling has also been strongly implicated in stress, we hypothesised that endocannabinoids may modulate the functioning of the urocortinergic EWcp. First, using in situ hybridisation, we demonstrated cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1R) mRNA expression in mouse EWcp-neurones that were Ucn1-negative. Dual- and triple-label immunocytochemistry revealed the presence of CB1R in several GABA-immunopositive fibres juxtaposed to EWcp-Ucn1 neurones. To test functional aspects of such an anatomical constellation, we compared acute (1 h of restraint) and chronic (14 days of chronic mild stress) stress-induced changes in wild-type (WT) and CB1R knockout (CB1R-KO) mice. Acute and especially chronic stress resulted in an increase in Ucn1 content of the EWcp, which was attenuated in CB1R-KO mice. CB1R-KO mice had higher basal and chronic stress-induced adrenocorticotrophin and corticosterone levels and were more anxious on the elevated plus-maze versus WT. Collectively, our results show for the first time EWcp-Ucn1 neurones are putatively innervated by endocannabinoid sensitive, inhibitory, GABAergic afferents. In addition, we provide novel evidence that the absence of the CB1 receptor alters the Ucn1 mRNA and peptide levels in EWcp neurones, concomitant with an augmented stress response and increased anxiety-like behaviour.
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MESH Headings
- Acute Disease
- Animals
- Anxiety/etiology
- Anxiety/genetics
- Anxiety/metabolism
- Behavior, Animal/drug effects
- Behavior, Animal/physiology
- Chronic Disease
- Endocannabinoids/pharmacology
- Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System/drug effects
- Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System/metabolism
- Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System/physiology
- Male
- Mesencephalon/drug effects
- Mesencephalon/metabolism
- Mesencephalon/pathology
- Mice
- Mice, Knockout
- Neurons/drug effects
- Neurons/metabolism
- Neurons/physiology
- Pituitary-Adrenal System/drug effects
- Pituitary-Adrenal System/metabolism
- Pituitary-Adrenal System/physiology
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1/genetics
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1/metabolism
- Stress, Psychological/genetics
- Stress, Psychological/metabolism
- Stress, Psychological/pathology
- Urocortins/genetics
- Urocortins/metabolism
- gamma-Aminobutyric Acid/genetics
- gamma-Aminobutyric Acid/metabolism
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Affiliation(s)
- N M Derks
- Department of Cellular Animal Physiology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Neuroscience, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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37
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Ghrelin regulates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and restricts anxiety after acute stress. Biol Psychiatry 2012; 72:457-65. [PMID: 22521145 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2012.03.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 169] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2011] [Revised: 03/05/2012] [Accepted: 03/05/2012] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ghrelin plays important roles in glucose metabolism, appetite, and body weight regulation, and recent evidence suggests ghrelin prevents excessive anxiety under conditions of chronic stress. METHODS We used ghrelin knockout (ghr-/-) mice to examine the role of endogenous ghrelin in anxious behavior and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) responses to acute stress. RESULTS Ghr-/- mice are more anxious after acute restraint stress, compared with wild-type (WT) mice, with three independent behavioral tests. Acute restraint stress exacerbated neuronal activation in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus and medial nucleus of the amygdala in ghr-/- mice compared with WT, and exogenous ghrelin reversed this effect. Acute stress increased neuronal activation in the centrally projecting Edinger-Westphal nucleus in WT but not ghr-/- mice. Ghr-/- mice exhibited a lower corticosterone response after stress, suggesting dysfunctional glucocorticoid negative feedback in the absence of ghrelin. We found no differences in dexamethasone-induced Fos expression between ghr-/- and WT mice, suggesting central feedback was not impaired. Adrenocorticotropic hormone replacement elevated plasma corticosterone in ghr-/-, compared with WT mice, indicating increased adrenal sensitivity. The adrenocorticotropic hormone response to acute stress was significantly reduced in ghr-/- mice, compared with control subjects. Pro-opiomelanocortin anterior pituitary cells express significant growth hormone secretagogue receptor. CONCLUSIONS Ghrelin reduces anxiety after acute stress by stimulating the HPA axis at the level of the anterior pituitary. A novel neuronal growth hormone secretagogue receptor circuit involving urocortin 1 neurons in the centrally projecting Edinger-Westphal nucleus promotes an appropriate stress response. Thus, ghrelin regulates acute stress and offers potential therapeutic efficacy in human mood and stress disorders.
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38
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Babygirija R, Cerjak D, Yoshimoto S, Gribovskaja-Rupp I, Bülbül M, Ludwig K, Takahashi T. Affiliative behavior attenuates stress responses of GI tract via up-regulating hypothalamic oxytocin expression. Auton Neurosci 2012; 169:28-33. [DOI: 10.1016/j.autneu.2012.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2012] [Revised: 02/23/2012] [Accepted: 03/01/2012] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
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Xu L, Scheenen WJJM, Roubos EW, Kozicz T. Peptidergic Edinger-Westphal neurons and the energy-dependent stress response. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2012; 177:296-304. [PMID: 22166814 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2011.11.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2011] [Revised: 11/22/2011] [Accepted: 11/23/2011] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The continuously changing environment demands for adequate stress responses to maintain the internal dynamic equilibrium of body and mind. A successful stress response requires energy, in an amount matching the severity of the stressor and the type of response ('fight, flight or freeze'). The stress response is generated by the central nervous system, which needs to be informed about both the threatening stressor and the availability of energy. In this review, evidence is considered for a role of the midbrain Edinger-Westphal centrally projecting neuron population (EWcp; synonym: non-preganglionic Edinger-Westphal nucleus) in the energy-dependent stress adaptation response. It deals with studies on the neurochemical organization of the EWcp with particular reference to the neuropeptides urocortin-1 and cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript peptide, on the EWcp responses to different types of stressor (e.g., acute and chronic) and a changed energy state (e.g., fasting and leptin change), and on the sex-specificity of these responses. Finally, a model is presented for the way the EWcp might contribute to the coordination of the energy-dependent stress adaptation response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Xu
- Department of Cellular Animal Physiology, Faculty of Science, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen, P.O. Box 9010, 6500 GL Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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40
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Rouwette T, Vanelderen P, de Reus M, Loohuis NO, Giele J, van Egmond J, Scheenen W, Scheffer GJ, Roubos E, Vissers K, Kozicz T. Experimental neuropathy increases limbic forebrain CRF. Eur J Pain 2012; 16:61-71. [PMID: 21684787 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpain.2011.05.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Neuropathic pain is often accompanied by stress, anxiety and depression. Although there is evidence for involvement of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), the detailed neuronal basis of these pain-related mood alterations is unknown. This study shows that peripheral mononeuropathy was accompanied by changes in limbic forebrain CRF, but did not lead to changes in the functioning of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis and the midbrain Edinger-Westphal centrally projecting (EWcp) neuron population, which play main roles in the organism's response to acute pain. Twenty-four days after chronic constriction injury (CCI) of the rat sciatic nerve, the oval bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BSTov) contained substantially more Crf mRNA as did the central amygdala (CeA), which, in addition, possessed more CRF. In contrast, Crf mRNA and CRF contents of the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) were unaffected by CCI. Similarly, EWcp neurons, producing the CRF family member urocortin 1 (Ucn1) and constitutively activated by various stressors including acute pain, did not show an effect of CCI on Ucn1 mRNA or Ucn1. Also, the immediate early gene products cFos and deltaFosB in the EWcp were unaffected by CCI. These results indicate that neuropathic pain does not act via the HPA-axis or the EWcp, but includes a main role of Crf in the limbic system, which is in clear contrast to stressors like acute and chronic pain, which primarily act on the PVN and the EWcp.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Rouwette
- Department of Cellular Animal Physiology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Neuroscience, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
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Ryabinin AE, Tsoory MM, Kozicz T, Thiele TE, Neufeld-Cohen A, Chen A, Lowery-Gionta EG, Giardino WJ, Kaur S. Urocortins: CRF's siblings and their potential role in anxiety, depression and alcohol drinking behavior. Alcohol 2012; 46:349-57. [PMID: 22444954 PMCID: PMC3358480 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2011.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2011] [Revised: 10/10/2011] [Accepted: 10/10/2011] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
It is widely accepted that stress, anxiety, depression and alcohol abuse-related disorders are in large part controlled by corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) receptors. However, evidence is accumulating that some of the actions on these receptors are mediated not by CRF, but by a family of related Urocortin (Ucn) peptides Ucn1, Ucn2 and Ucn3. The initial narrow focus on CRF as the potential main player acting on CRF receptors appears outdated. Instead it is suggested that CRF and the individual Ucns act in a complementary and brain region-specific fashion to regulate anxiety-related behaviors and alcohol consumption. This review, based on a symposium held in 2011 at the research meeting on "Alcoholism and Stress" in Volterra, Italy, highlights recent evidence for regulation of these behaviors by Ucns. In studies on stress and anxiety, the roles of Ucns, and in particular Ucn1, appear more visible in experiments analyzing adaptation to stressors rather than testing basal anxiety states. Based on these studies, we propose that the contribution of Ucn1 to regulating mood follows a U-like pattern with both high and low activity of Ucn1 contributing to high anxiety states. In studies on alcohol use disorders, the CRF system appears to regulate not only dependence-induced drinking, but also binge drinking and even basal consumption of alcohol. While dependence-induced and binge drinking rely on the actions of CRF on CRFR1 receptors, alcohol consumption in models of these behaviors is inhibited by actions of Ucns on CRFR2. In contrast, alcohol preference is positively influenced by actions of Ucn1, which is capable of acting on both CRFR1 and CRFR2. Because of complex distribution of Ucns in the nervous system, advances in this field will critically depend on development of new tools allowing site-specific analyses of the roles of Ucns and CRF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrey E Ryabinin
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, L470, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR 97239, USA.
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Bülbül M, Babygirija R, Cerjak D, Yoshimoto S, Ludwig K, Takahashi T. Impaired adaptation of gastrointestinal motility following chronic stress in maternally separated rats. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol 2012; 302:G702-11. [PMID: 22241856 DOI: 10.1152/ajpgi.00447.2011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to early life stress causes increased stress responsiveness and permanent changes in the central nervous system. We recently showed that delayed gastric emptying (GE) and accelerated colonic transit (CT) in response to acute restraint stress (ARS) were completely restored following chronic homotypic stress (CHS) in rats via upregulation of hypothalamic oxytocin (OXT) expression. However, it is unknown whether early life stress affects hypothalamic OXT circuits and gastrointestinal motor function. Neonatal rats were subjected to maternal separation (MS) for 180 min/day for 2 wk. Anxiety-like behaviors were evaluated by the elevated-plus-maze test. GE and CT were measured under nonstressed (NS), ARS, and CHS conditions. Expression of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) and OXT in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus was evaluated by real time RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry. MS increased anxiety-like behaviors. ARS delayed GE and accelerated CT in control and MS rats. After CHS, delayed GE and accelerated CT were restored in control, but not MS, rats. CRF mRNA expression was significantly increased in response to ARS in control and MS rats. Increased CRF mRNA expression was still observed following CHS in MS, but not control, rats. In response to CHS, OXT mRNA expression was significantly increased in control, but not MS, rats. The number of OXT-immunoreactive cells was increased following CHS in the magnocellular part of the PVN in control, but not MS, rats. MS impairs the adaptation response of gastrointestinal motility following CHS. The mechanism of the impaired adaptation involves downregulation of OXT and upregulation of CRF in the hypothalamus in MS rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehmet Bülbül
- Zablocki VA Medical Center, Milwaukee, WI 53295, USA
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43
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Giardino WJ, Cote DM, Li J, Ryabinin AE. Characterization of Genetic Differences within the Centrally Projecting Edinger-Westphal Nucleus of C57BL/6J and DBA/2J Mice by Expression Profiling. Front Neuroanat 2012; 6:22. [PMID: 22347848 PMCID: PMC3278674 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2012.00005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2012] [Accepted: 06/05/2012] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Detailed examination of the midbrain Edinger–Westphal (EW) nucleus revealed the existence of two distinct nuclei. One population of EW preganglionic (EWpg) neurons was found to control oculomotor functions, and a separate population of EW centrally projecting (EWcp) neurons was found to contain stress- and feeding-related neuropeptides. Although it has been shown that EWcp neurons are highly responsive to drugs of abuse and behavioral stress, a genetic characterization of the EWcp was needed. To identify genetic differences in the EWcp of inbred mouse strains that differ in behaviors relevant to EWcp function, we used publicly available tools from the Allen Brain Atlas to identify 68 transcripts that were selectively expressed in the EWcp, and examined their expression within tissue punch microdissection samples containing the EWcp of adult male C57BL/6J (B6) and DBA/2J (D2) mice. Using 96-well quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) arrays that included the EWcp-specific genes, several other genes of interest, and five housekeeping genes, we identified strain differences in expression of 11 EWcp-specific genes (BC023892, Btg3, Bves, Cart, Cck, Ghsr, Neto1, Postn, Ptprn, Rcn1, and Ucn), two immediate early genes (Egr1 and Fos), and one dopamine-related gene (Drd5). All significant expression differences were greater in B6 vs. D2 mice, and several of these were verified either at the protein level using immunohistochemistry (IHC) or in silico using microarray data sets from whole brain and other brain areas. These results demonstrate a significant advance in our understanding of the EWcp on three levels. First, we generated a list of EWcp-specific genes (most of which had not yet been reported within the EWcp in the literature) that will be informative for future studies of EWcp function. Second, due to similarity in results from qPCR and IHC, we revealed that strain differences in basal EWcp neuropeptide content are accounted for by differential transcription and number of peptidergic neurons, rather than by differential rates of peptide release. And third, our identification of differentially expressed EWcp-specific genes between B6 and D2 mice may hold powerful insight into the neurogenetic contributions of the EWcp to stress- and addiction-related behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- William J Giardino
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University Portland, OR, USA
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44
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Rouwette T, Vanelderen P, Roubos E, Kozicz T, Vissers K. The amygdala, a relay station for switching on and off pain. Eur J Pain 2011; 16:782-92. [DOI: 10.1002/j.1532-2149.2011.00071.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/31/2011] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - E.W. Roubos
- Department of Cellular Animal Physiology; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour; Centre for Neuroscience; Radboud University Nijmegen; Nijmegen; The Netherlands
| | - T. Kozicz
- Department of Cellular Animal Physiology; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour; Centre for Neuroscience; Radboud University Nijmegen; Nijmegen; The Netherlands
| | - K. Vissers
- Department of Anesthesiology; Pain and Palliative Medicine; Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre; Nijmegen; The Netherlands
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Gaszner B, Kormos V, Kozicz T, Hashimoto H, Reglodi D, Helyes Z. The behavioral phenotype of pituitary adenylate-cyclase activating polypeptide-deficient mice in anxiety and depression tests is accompanied by blunted c-Fos expression in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, central projecting Edinger-Westphal nucleus, ventral lateral septum, and dorsal raphe nucleus. Neuroscience 2011; 202:283-99. [PMID: 22178610 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2011.11.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2011] [Revised: 11/18/2011] [Accepted: 11/22/2011] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Pituitary adenylate-cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP) has been implicated in the (patho)physiology of stress-adaptation. PACAP deficient (PACAP(-/-)) mice show altered anxiety levels and depression-like behavior, but little is known about the underlying mechanisms in stress-related brain areas. Therefore, we aimed at investigating PACAP(-/-) mice in light-dark box, marble burying, open field, and forced swim paradigms. We also analyzed whether the forced swim test-induced c-Fos expression would be affected by PACAP deficiency in the following stress-related brain areas: magno- and parvocellular paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN); basolateral (BLA), medial (MeA), and central (CeA) amygdaloid nuclei; ventral (BSTv), dorsolateral (BSTdl), dorsomedial (BSTdm), and oval (BSTov) nuclei of the bed nucleus of stria terminalis; dorsal (dLS) and ventral parts (vLS) of lateral septal nucleus, central projecting Edinger-Westphal nucleus (EWcp), dorsal (dPAG) and lateral (lPAG) periaqueductal gray matter, dorsal raphe nucleus (DR). Our results revealed that PACAP(-/-) mice showed greatly reduced anxiety and increased locomotor activity compared with wildtypes. In forced swim test PACAP(-/-) mice showed increased depression-like behavior. Forced swim exposure increased c-Fos expression in all examined brain areas in wildtypes, whereas this was markedly blunted in the DR, EWcp, BSTov, BSTdl, BSTv, PVN, vLS, dPAG, and in the lPAG of PACAP(-/-) mice vs. wildtypes, strongly suggesting their involvement in the behavioral phenotype of PACAP(-/-) mice. PACAP deficiency did not influence the c-Fos response in the CeA, MeA, BSTdm, and dLS. Therefore, we propose that PACAP exerts a brain area-specific effect on stress-induced neuronal activation and it might contribute to stress-related mood disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Gaszner
- Department of Anatomy, PTE-MTA Lendület PACAP Research Team, University of Pécs, Faculty of Medicine, H-7624, Pécs, Szigeti u. 12., Hungary.
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Bourbia N, Pertovaara A. Is finding the common biological link(s) between pain and affect an infinity quest? Scand J Pain 2011; 2:137-138. [DOI: 10.1016/j.sjpain.2011.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nora Bourbia
- Institute of Biomedicine/Physiology , POB 63, University of Helsinki , FI-00014 Helsinki , Finland
| | - Antti Pertovaara
- Institute of Biomedicine/Physiology , POB 63, University of Helsinki , FI-00014 Helsinki , Finland
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