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McDonnell-Dowling K, Miczek KA. Alcohol, psychomotor-stimulants and behaviour: methodological considerations in preclinical models of early-life stress. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2018; 235:909-933. [PMID: 29511806 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-018-4852-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2017] [Accepted: 02/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In order to assess the risk associated with early-life stress, there has been an increase in the amount of preclinical studies investigating early-life stress. There are many challenges associated with investigating early-life stress in animal models and ensuring that such models are appropriate and clinically relevant. OBJECTIVES The purpose of this review is to highlight the methodological considerations in the design of preclinical studies investigating the effects of early-life stress on alcohol and psychomotor-stimulant intake and behaviour. METHODS The protocols employed for exploring early-life stress were investigated and summarised. Experimental variables include animals, stress models, and endpoints employed. RESULTS The findings in this paper suggest that there is little consistency among these studies and so the interpretation of these results may not be as clinically relevant as previously thought. CONCLUSION The standardisation of these simple stress procedures means that results will be more comparable between studies and that results generated will give us a more robust understanding of what can and may be happening in the human and veterinary clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Klaus A Miczek
- Department of Psychology, Tufts University, 530 Boston Avenue, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
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2
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Diamantopoulou A, Kalpachidou T, Aspiotis G, Gampierakis I, Stylianopoulou F, Stamatakis A. An early experience of mild adversity involving temporary denial of maternal contact affects the serotonergic system of adult male rats and leads to a depressive-like phenotype and inability to adapt to a chronic social stress. Physiol Behav 2018; 184:46-54. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2017.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2017] [Revised: 10/09/2017] [Accepted: 11/06/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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3
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Pollano A, Trujillo V, Suárez MM. How does early maternal separation and chronic stress in adult rats affect the immunoreactivity of serotonergic neurons within the dorsal raphe nucleus? Stress 2018; 21:59-68. [PMID: 29157077 DOI: 10.1080/10253890.2017.1401062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Vulnerability to emotional disorders like depression derives from interactions between early and late environments, including stressful conditions. The serotonin (5HT) system is strongly affected by stress and chronic unpredictable stress can alter the 5HT system. We evaluated the distribution of active serotonergic neurons in the dorsal raphe nucleus (DR) through immunohistochemistry in maternally separated and chronically stressed rats treated with an antidepressant, tianeptine, whose mechanism of action is still under review. Male Wistar rats were subjected to daily maternal separation (MS) for 4.5 h between postnatal days (PND) 1-21, or to animal facility rearing (AFR). Between (PND) days 50-74, rats were exposed to chronic unpredictable stress and were treated daily with tianeptine (10 mg/kg) or vehicle. We found an interaction between the effects of MS and chronic unpredictable stress on Fos-5HT immunoreactive cells at mid-caudal level of the DR. MS-chronically stressed rats showed an increase of Fos-5HT immunoreactive cells compared with AFR-chronically stressed rats. The ventrolateral (DRL/VLPAG) and dorsal (DRD) subdivisions of the DR were significantly more active than the ventral part (DRV). At the rostral level of the DR, tianeptine decreased the number of Fos-5HT cells in DR in the AFR groups, both unstressed and stressed. Overall, our results support the idea of a match in phenotype exhibited when the early and the adult environment correspond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonella Pollano
- a Laboratorio de Fisiología Animal , Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba , Córdoba , Argentina
| | - Verónica Trujillo
- a Laboratorio de Fisiología Animal , Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba , Córdoba , Argentina
| | - Marta M Suárez
- a Laboratorio de Fisiología Animal , Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba , Córdoba , Argentina
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4
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Rojas P, Aguayo F, Neira D, Tejos M, Aliaga E, Muñoz J, Parra C, Fiedler J. Dual effect of serotonin on the dendritic growth of cultured hippocampal neurons: Involvement of 5-HT1A and 5-HT7 receptors. Mol Cell Neurosci 2017; 85:148-161. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mcn.2017.09.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2017] [Revised: 09/04/2017] [Accepted: 09/29/2017] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
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McCormick CM, Green MR, Simone JJ. Translational relevance of rodent models of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal function and stressors in adolescence. Neurobiol Stress 2017; 6:31-43. [PMID: 28229107 PMCID: PMC5314422 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2016.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2016] [Revised: 08/18/2016] [Accepted: 08/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Elevations in glucocorticoids that result from environmental stressors can have programming effects on brain structure and function when the exposure occurs during sensitive periods that involve heightened neural development. In recent years, adolescence has gained increasing attention as another sensitive period of development, a period in which pubertal transitions may increase the vulnerability to stressors. There are similarities in physical and behavioural development between humans and rats, and rats have been used effectively as an animal model of adolescence and the unique plasticity of this period of ontogeny. This review focuses on benefits and challenges of rats as a model for translational research on hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) function and stressors in adolescence, highlighting important parallels and contrasts between adolescent rats and humans, and we review the main stress procedures that are used in investigating HPA stress responses and their consequences in adolescence in rats. We conclude that a greater focus on timing of puberty as a factor in research in adolescent rats may increase the translational relevance of the findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheryl M. McCormick
- Department of Psychology, Brock University, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, St. Catharines, ON, L2S 3A1, Canada
- Department of Biological Sciences, Brock University, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, St. Catharines, ON, L2S 3A1, Canada
| | - Matthew R. Green
- Department of Psychology, Brock University, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, St. Catharines, ON, L2S 3A1, Canada
| | - Jonathan J. Simone
- Department of Biological Sciences, Brock University, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, St. Catharines, ON, L2S 3A1, Canada
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Harding KM, Lonstein JS. Extensive juvenile “babysitting” facilitates later adult maternal responsiveness, decreases anxiety, and increases dorsal raphe tryptophan hydroxylase-2 expression in female laboratory rats. Dev Psychobiol 2016; 58:492-508. [DOI: 10.1002/dev.21392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2015] [Accepted: 12/03/2015] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kaitlyn M. Harding
- Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology; Michigan State University; East Lansing MI 48824
| | - Joseph S. Lonstein
- Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology; Michigan State University; East Lansing MI 48824
- Neuroscience Program; Michigan State University; East Lansing MI 48824
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7
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The levels of the GluN2A NMDA receptor subunit are modified in both the neonatal and adult rat brain by an early experience involving denial of maternal contact. Neurosci Lett 2015; 612:98-103. [PMID: 26679226 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2015.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2015] [Revised: 10/27/2015] [Accepted: 12/04/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The composition of the N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor receptor in GluN2A/GluN2B subunits is important in determining its characteristics and its role in plasticity, a property of the brain which is known to be critically affected by early experiences. In the present work we employed an early experience model involving either receipt (RER) or denial (DER) of the expected reward of maternal contact within the context of learning by the pups of a T-maze on postnatal days (PND) 10-13. We investigated the effects of the RER and DER early experiences on GluN1, GluN2A and GluN2B levels in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), hippocampus and amygdala of the rat. We show that on PND13 the DER animals had lower GluN2A levels in the PFC. In adulthood DER males had higher GluN2A levels in the hippocampus, both under basal conditions and after exposure to a novel environment. The early experiences did not affect the response to the novelty. After exposure to a novel environment animals of all three groups (DER, RER, Control) responded with an increase in GluN2A levels in the brain areas examined. We did not detect any effects on GluN1 or GluN2B levels. The alterations in GluN2A levels observed in the DER animals could in part be responsible for their behavioral phenotype, described previously, which includes an increased susceptibility for the expression of depressive-like behavior.
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8
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Kalpachidou T, Raftogianni A, Melissa P, Kollia AM, Stylianopoulou F, Stamatakis A. Effects of a Neonatal Experience Involving Reward Through Maternal Contact on the Noradrenergic System of the Rat Prefrontal Cortex. Cereb Cortex 2015; 26:3866-3877. [PMID: 26315690 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhv192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The noradrenergic system plays an important role in prefrontal cortex (PFC) function. Since early life experiences play a crucial role in programming brain function, we investigated the effects of a neonatal experience involving reward through maternal contact on the noradrenergic system of the rat PFC. Rat pups were exposed during Postnatal days (PNDs) 10-13, to a T-maze in which contact with the mother was used as a reward (RER). RER males had higher norepinephrine levels in the PFC both on PND 13 and in adulthood. The RER experience resulted in adulthood in increased levels of the active demethylase GADD45b, hypomethylation of the β1 adrenergic receptor (ADRB1) gene promoter, and consequent enhanced expression of its mRNA in the PFC. In addition, protein and binding levels of the ADRB1, as well as those of its downstream effector phosphorylated cAMP response element-binding protein were elevated in RER males. The higher activity of the PFC noradrenergic system of the RER males was reflected in their superior performance in the olfactory discrimination and the contextual fear extinction, 2 PFC noradrenergic system-dependent behavioral tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theodora Kalpachidou
- Biology-Biochemistry Laboratory, School of Health Sciences, University of Athens, Athens 11527, Greece
| | - Androniki Raftogianni
- Biology-Biochemistry Laboratory, School of Health Sciences, University of Athens, Athens 11527, Greece
| | - Pelagia Melissa
- Biology-Biochemistry Laboratory, School of Health Sciences, University of Athens, Athens 11527, Greece
| | - Anna-Maria Kollia
- Biology-Biochemistry Laboratory, School of Health Sciences, University of Athens, Athens 11527, Greece
| | - Fotini Stylianopoulou
- Biology-Biochemistry Laboratory, School of Health Sciences, University of Athens, Athens 11527, Greece
| | - Antonios Stamatakis
- Biology-Biochemistry Laboratory, School of Health Sciences, University of Athens, Athens 11527, Greece
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9
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Bodden C, Richter SH, Schreiber RS, Kloke V, Gerß J, Palme R, Lesch KP, Lewejohann L, Kaiser S, Sachser N. Benefits of adversity?! How life history affects the behavioral profile of mice varying in serotonin transporter genotype. Front Behav Neurosci 2015; 9:47. [PMID: 25784864 PMCID: PMC4347490 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2015.00047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2014] [Accepted: 02/09/2015] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Behavioral profiles are influenced by both positive and negative experiences as well as the genetic disposition. Traditionally, accumulating adversity over lifetime is considered to predict increased anxiety-like behavior (“allostatic load”). The alternative “mismatch hypothesis” suggests increased levels of anxiety if the early environment differs from the later-life environment. Thus, there is a need for a whole-life history approach to gain a deeper understanding of how behavioral profiles are shaped. The aim of this study was to elucidate the effects of life history on the behavioral profile of mice varying in serotonin transporter (5-HTT) genotype, an established mouse model of increased anxiety-like behavior. For this purpose, mice grew up under either adverse or beneficial conditions during early phases of life. In adulthood, they were further subdivided so as to face a situation that either matched or mismatched the condition experienced so far, resulting in four different life histories. Subsequently, mice were tested for their anxiety-like and exploratory behavior. The main results were: (1) Life history profoundly modulated the behavioral profile. Surprisingly, mice that experienced early beneficial and later escapable adverse conditions showed less anxiety-like and more exploratory behavior compared to mice of other life histories. (2) Genotype significantly influenced the behavioral profile, with homozygous 5-HTT knockout mice displaying highest levels of anxiety-like and lowest levels of exploratory behavior. Our findings concerning life history indicate that the absence of adversity does not necessarily cause lower levels of anxiety than accumulating adversity. Rather, some adversity may be beneficial, particularly when following positive events. Altogether, we conclude that for an understanding of behavioral profiles, it is not sufficient to look at experiences during single phases of life, but the whole life history has to be considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carina Bodden
- Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Muenster Muenster, Germany ; Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Muenster Muenster, Germany
| | - S Helene Richter
- Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Muenster Muenster, Germany
| | - Rebecca S Schreiber
- Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Muenster Muenster, Germany ; Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Muenster Muenster, Germany
| | - Vanessa Kloke
- Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Muenster Muenster, Germany ; Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Muenster Muenster, Germany
| | - Joachim Gerß
- Institute of Biostatistics and Clinical Research, University of Muenster Muenster, Germany
| | - Rupert Palme
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Austria
| | - Klaus-Peter Lesch
- Division of Molecular Psychiatry, Laboratory of Translational Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, University of Wuerzburg Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Lars Lewejohann
- Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Muenster Muenster, Germany ; Department of Behavioral Biology, University of Osnabrueck Germany
| | - Sylvia Kaiser
- Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Muenster Muenster, Germany ; Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Muenster Muenster, Germany
| | - Norbert Sachser
- Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Muenster Muenster, Germany ; Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Muenster Muenster, Germany
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Monoamine-sensitive developmental periods impacting adult emotional and cognitive behaviors. Neuropsychopharmacology 2015; 40:88-112. [PMID: 25178408 PMCID: PMC4262911 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2014.231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 115] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2014] [Revised: 07/30/2014] [Accepted: 08/20/2014] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Development passes through sensitive periods, during which plasticity allows for genetic and environmental factors to exert indelible influence on the maturation of the organism. In the context of central nervous system development, such sensitive periods shape the formation of neurocircuits that mediate, regulate, and control behavior. This general mechanism allows for development to be guided by both the genetic blueprint as well as the environmental context. While allowing for adaptation, such sensitive periods are also vulnerability windows during which external and internal factors can confer risk to disorders by derailing otherwise resilient developmental programs. Here we review developmental periods that are sensitive to monoamine signaling and impact adult behaviors of relevance to psychiatry. Specifically, we review (1) a serotonin-sensitive period that impacts sensory system development, (2) a serotonin-sensitive period that impacts cognition, anxiety- and depression-related behaviors, and (3) a dopamine- and serotonin-sensitive period affecting aggression, impulsivity and behavioral response to psychostimulants. We discuss preclinical data to provide mechanistic insight, as well as epidemiological and clinical data to point out translational relevance. The field of translational developmental neuroscience has progressed exponentially providing solid conceptual advances and unprecedented mechanistic insight. With such knowledge at hand and important methodological innovation ongoing, the field is poised for breakthroughs elucidating the developmental origins of neuropsychiatric disorders, and thus understanding pathophysiology. Such knowledge of sensitive periods that determine the developmental trajectory of complex behaviors is a necessary step towards improving prevention and treatment approaches for neuropsychiatric disorders.
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11
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Puglisi-Allegra S, Andolina D. Serotonin and stress coping. Behav Brain Res 2014; 277:58-67. [PMID: 25108244 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2014.07.052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2014] [Revised: 07/28/2014] [Accepted: 07/29/2014] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Coping is the necessary outcome of any stressful situation and the major determinant of stress resilience. Coping strategies can be divided into two broad categories, based on the presence (active) or absence (passive) of attempts to act upon the stressor. The role of brain serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) in coping behavior that is emerging from studies in animals and humans is the subject of this article. We have focused attention on studies that consider the coping behavior exhibited when the individual is faced with a new stressful experience. Coping styles characterize different species with different evolutionary histories, from fishes to mammals, and evidence shows that serotonin transmission in the central nervous system, with differences in transporter, receptor types and hormone or neurotransmitter influences is critical in determining coping behavior. Moreover, a major role of environmental challenges throughout the lifespan affects brain systems that control coping outcomes through 5-HT transmission. In particular early experiences, for their long-term effects in adulthood, and social experiences throughout the life span, for the effects on serotonin functioning, received attention in preclinical research because of their parallelism in humans and animals. Based on growing evidence pointing to a medial prefrontal cortex-amygdala system in mediating adaptive and maladaptive stress responses, we propose a brain circuit in which serotonin neurons in the dorsal raphe depending on the CRF (corticotropin releasing factor) regulatory action engage a prefrontal cortical-amygdala pathway through 5-HT1A receptors, GABA and Glutamate to moderate coping behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Puglisi-Allegra
- Dipartimento di Psicologia and Centro "Daniel Bovet," Sapienza Università di Roma, via dei Marsi 78, 00185 Rome, Italy; Fondazione Santa Lucia, IRCCS, via del Fosso di Fiorano 65, 00143 Rome, Italy.
| | - Diego Andolina
- Fondazione Santa Lucia, IRCCS, via del Fosso di Fiorano 65, 00143 Rome, Italy; Dipartimento di scienze cliniche applicate e biotecnologie Università degli Studi dell'Aquila, via Vetoio, 67010 Coppito, L'Aquila, Italy
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Fuentes S, Daviu N, Gagliano H, Garrido P, Zelena D, Monasterio N, Armario A, Nadal R. Sex-dependent effects of an early life treatment in rats that increases maternal care: vulnerability or resilience? Front Behav Neurosci 2014; 8:56. [PMID: 24616673 PMCID: PMC3934416 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2014.00056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2013] [Accepted: 02/05/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Early life stress (ELS) in rodents has profound long-term effects that are partially mediated by changes in maternal care. ELS not only induces “detrimental” effects in adulthood, increasing psychopathology, but also promotes resilience to further stressors. In Long-Evans rats, we evaluated a combination of two procedures as a model of ELS: restriction of bedding during the first post-natal days and exposure to a “substitute” mother. The maternal care of biological and “substitute” mothers was measured. The male and female offspring were evaluated during adulthood in several contexts. Anxiety was measured by the elevated plus-maze (EPM), acoustic startle response (ASR) and forced swim test (FST). In other group of animals, novelty-seeking was measured (activity in an inescapable novel environment, preference for novel environments and exploration of novel objects). Plasmatic ACTH and corticosterone in basal conditions and in response to stress were also measured. Cognitive impulsivity was assessed by a delay-discounting paradigm, and impulsive action, attention and compulsive-like behavior by a five choice serial reaction time task (5CSRTT). ELS decreased pup body weight and increased the care of the biological mother; however, the “substitute” mother did not exhibit overt maltreatment. A mixture of “detrimental” and “beneficial” effects was shown. In the 5CSRTT, attention was impaired in both genders, and in females, ELS increased compulsive-like behavior. Novel object exploration was only increased by ELS in males, but the preference for novel spaces decreased in both genders. Baseline anxiety (EPM and ASR) and recognition memory were not affected. Unexpectedly, ELS decreased the ACTH response to novelty and swim stress and increased active coping in the FST in both genders. Cognitive impulsivity was decreased only in females, but impulsive action was not affected. The enhancement in maternal care may “buffer” the effects of ELS in a context-dependent manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sílvia Fuentes
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Barcelona, Spain
| | - Núria Daviu
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Barcelona, Spain ; Animal Physiology Unit, School of Biosciences, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Barcelona, Spain
| | - Humberto Gagliano
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Barcelona, Spain ; Animal Physiology Unit, School of Biosciences, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Barcelona, Spain
| | - Pedro Garrido
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Barcelona, Spain
| | - Dóra Zelena
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hungarian Academy of Science Budapest, Hungary
| | - Nela Monasterio
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Barcelona, Spain ; Psychobiology Unit, School of Psychology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Barcelona, Spain
| | - Antonio Armario
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Barcelona, Spain ; Animal Physiology Unit, School of Biosciences, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Barcelona, Spain
| | - Roser Nadal
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Barcelona, Spain ; Psychobiology Unit, School of Psychology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Barcelona, Spain
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Huang HY, Lee IH, Chen KC, Lin SH, Yeh TL, Chen PS, Chiu NT, Yao WJ, Chen CC, Liao MH, Yang YK. Serotonin transporter availability in the midbrain and perceived social support in healthy volunteers. J Psychosom Res 2013; 75:577-81. [PMID: 24290049 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2013.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2012] [Revised: 09/17/2013] [Accepted: 09/17/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Serotonin modulates human behavior and emotion. Recent evidence implies that a higher level of serotonergic activity could be associated with a higher level of perceived social support. This study aimed to examine the correlation between serotonin transporter (SERT) availability and perceived social support scores in healthy volunteers. METHODS 111 healthy participants, 50 males and 61 females, were enrolled from the community and completed the Measurement of Support Function questionnaire. Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) with [(123)I] ADAM was performed to examine SERT availability. RESULTS Perceived social support was positively correlated with SERT availability (Spearman's ρ=0.29, p<0.01; χ(2)=7.57, p<0.01), particularly in males (Spearman's ρ=0.37, p<0 .01; χ(2)=11.77, p<0.01). Censored regressions indicated that these associations are not influenced by a ceiling effect and remained significant after controlling the effect of age. CONCLUSIONS This result confirmed the correlation between perceived social support and central serotonergic activity. However, this correlation was present only in males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hsiang Yu Huang
- Department of Psychiatry, Tainan Municipal Hospital, Tainan, Taiwan
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Shanmugan S, Epperson CN. Estrogen and the prefrontal cortex: towards a new understanding of estrogen's effects on executive functions in the menopause transition. Hum Brain Mapp 2012; 35:847-65. [PMID: 23238908 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.22218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 128] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2012] [Revised: 09/25/2012] [Accepted: 10/03/2012] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Midlife decline in cognition, specifically in areas of executive functioning, is a frequent concern for which menopausal women seek clinical intervention. The dependence of executive processes on prefrontal cortex function suggests estrogen effects on this brain region may be key in identifying the sources of this decline. Recent evidence from rodent, nonhuman primate, and human subject studies indicates the importance of considering interactions of estrogen with neurotransmitter systems, stress, genotype, and individual life events when determining the cognitive effects of menopause and estrogen therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheila Shanmugan
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Penn Center for Women's Behavioral Wellness, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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Raftogianni A, Stamatakis A, Papadopoulou A, Vougas K, Anagnostopoulos AK, Stylianopoulou F, Tsangaris GT. Effects of an early experience of reward through maternal contact or its denial on laterality of protein expression in the developing rat hippocampus. PLoS One 2012; 7:e48337. [PMID: 23118990 PMCID: PMC3485191 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0048337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2012] [Accepted: 09/24/2012] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Laterality is a basic characteristic of the brain which is detectable early in life. Although early experiences affect laterality of the mature brain, there are no reports on their immediate neurochemical effects during neonatal life, which could provide evidence as to the mechanisms leading to the lateralized brain. In order to address this issue, we determined the differential protein expression profile of the left and right hippocampus of 13-day-old rat control (CTR) pups, as well as following exposure to an early experience involving either receipt (RER) or denial (DER) of the expected reward of maternal contact. Proteomic analysis was performed by 2-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) followed by mass spectroscopy. The majority of proteins found to be differentially expressed either between the three experimental groups (DER, RER, CTR) or between the left and right hemisphere were cytoskeletal (34%), enzymes of energy metabolism (32%), and heat shock proteins (17%). In all three groups more proteins were up-regulated in the left compared to the right hippocampus. Tubulins were found to be most often up-regulated, always in the left hippocampus. The differential expression of β-tubulin, β-actin, dihydropyrimidinase like protein 1, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and Heat Shock protein 70 revealed by the proteomic analysis was in general confirmed by Western blots. Exposure to the early experience affected brain asymmetry: In the RER pups the ratio of proteins up-regulated in the left hippocampus to those in the right was 1.8, while the respective ratio was 3.6 in the CTR and 3.4 in the DER. Our results could contribute to the elucidation of the cellular mechanisms mediating the effects of early experiences on the vulnerability for psychopathology, since proteins shown in our study to be differentially expressed (e.g. tubulins, dihydropyrimidinase like proteins, 14-3-3 protein, GFAP, ATP synthase, α-internexin) have also been identified in proteomic analyses of post-mortem brains from psychiatric patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Androniki Raftogianni
- Laboratory of Biology-Biochemistry, Department of Basic Sciences, School of Health Sciences, University of Athens, Athens, Greece
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