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Han M, Zeng D, Tan W, Chen X, Bai S, Wu Q, Chen Y, Wei Z, Mei Y, Zeng Y. Brain region-specific roles of brain-derived neurotrophic factor in social stress-induced depressive-like behavior. Neural Regen Res 2025; 20:159-173. [PMID: 38767484 PMCID: PMC11246125 DOI: 10.4103/nrr.nrr-d-23-01419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor is a key factor in stress adaptation and avoidance of a social stress behavioral response. Recent studies have shown that brain-derived neurotrophic factor expression in stressed mice is brain region-specific, particularly involving the corticolimbic system, including the ventral tegmental area, nucleus accumbens, prefrontal cortex, amygdala, and hippocampus. Determining how brain-derived neurotrophic factor participates in stress processing in different brain regions will deepen our understanding of social stress psychopathology. In this review, we discuss the expression and regulation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor in stress-sensitive brain regions closely related to the pathophysiology of depression. We focused on associated molecular pathways and neural circuits, with special attention to the brain-derived neurotrophic factor-tropomyosin receptor kinase B signaling pathway and the ventral tegmental area-nucleus accumbens dopamine circuit. We determined that stress-induced alterations in brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels are likely related to the nature, severity, and duration of stress, especially in the above-mentioned brain regions of the corticolimbic system. Therefore, BDNF might be a biological indicator regulating stress-related processes in various brain regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Man Han
- Brain Science and Advanced Technology Institute, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
- Geriatric Hospital Affiliated to Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
- School of Public Health, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
| | - Deyang Zeng
- Brain Science and Advanced Technology Institute, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
- Geriatric Hospital Affiliated to Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
- School of Public Health, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
| | - Wei Tan
- Geriatric Hospital Affiliated to Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
| | - Xingxing Chen
- Brain Science and Advanced Technology Institute, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
- Geriatric Hospital Affiliated to Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
- School of Public Health, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
| | - Shuyuan Bai
- Brain Science and Advanced Technology Institute, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
- Geriatric Hospital Affiliated to Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
- School of Public Health, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
| | - Qiong Wu
- Brain Science and Advanced Technology Institute, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
- Geriatric Hospital Affiliated to Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
- School of Public Health, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
| | - Yushan Chen
- Brain Science and Advanced Technology Institute, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
- Geriatric Hospital Affiliated to Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
- School of Public Health, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
| | - Zhen Wei
- Brain Science and Advanced Technology Institute, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
- Geriatric Hospital Affiliated to Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
- School of Public Health, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
| | - Yufei Mei
- Brain Science and Advanced Technology Institute, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
- Geriatric Hospital Affiliated to Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
- School of Public Health, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
| | - Yan Zeng
- Brain Science and Advanced Technology Institute, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
- Geriatric Hospital Affiliated to Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
- School of Public Health, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
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2
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Borland JM. The effects of different types of social interactions on the electrophysiology of neurons in the nucleus accumbens in rodents. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 164:105809. [PMID: 39004323 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105809] [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: 04/23/2024] [Revised: 07/05/2024] [Accepted: 07/08/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024]
Abstract
BORLAND, J.M., The effects of different types of social interactions on the electrophysiology of neurons in the nucleus accumbens in rodents, NEUROSCI BIOBEH REV 21(1) XXX-XXX, 2024.-Sociality shapes an organisms' life. The nucleus accumbens is a critical brain region for mental health. In the following review, the effects of different types of social interactions on the physiology of neurons in the nucleus accumbens is synthesized. More specifically, the effects of sex behavior, aggression, social defeat, pair-bonding, play behavior, affiliative interactions, parental behaviors, the isolation from social interactions and maternal separation on measures of excitatory synaptic transmission, intracellular signaling and factors of transcription and translation in neurons in the nucleus accumbens in rodent models are reviewed. Similarities and differences in effects depending on the type of social interaction is then discussed. This review improves the understanding of the molecular and synaptic mechanisms of sociality.
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Rudolph M, Kopruszinski C, Wu C, Navratilova E, Schwedt TJ, Dodick DW, Porreca F, Anderson T. Identification of brain areas in mice with peak neural activity across the acute and persistent phases of post-traumatic headache. Cephalalgia 2023; 43:3331024231217469. [PMID: 38016977 PMCID: PMC11149587 DOI: 10.1177/03331024231217469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Post-traumatic headache is very common after a mild traumatic brain injury. Post-traumatic headache may persist for months to years after an injury in a substantial proportion of people. The pathophysiology underlying post-traumatic headache remains unknown but is likely distinct from other headache disorders. Identification of brain areas activated in acute and persistent phases of post-traumatic headache can provide insights into the underlying circuits mediating headache pain. We used an animal model of mild traumatic brain injury-induced post-traumatic headache and c-fos immunohistochemistry to identify brain regions with peak activity levels across the acute and persistent phases of post-traumatic headache. METHODS Male and female C57BL/6 J mice were briefly anesthetized and subjected to a sham procedure or a weight drop closed-head mild traumatic brain injury . Cutaneous allodynia was assessed in the periorbital and hindpaw regions using von Frey filaments. Immunohistochemical c-fos based neural activity mapping was then performed on sections from whole brain across the development of post-traumatic headache (i.e. peak of the acute phase at 2 days post- mild traumatic brain injury), start of the persistent phase (i.e. >14 days post-mild traumatic brain injury) or after provocation with stress (bright light). Brain areas with consistent and peak levels of c-fos expression across mild traumatic brain injury induced post-traumatic headache were identified and included for further analysis. RESULTS Following mild traumatic brain injury, periorbital and hindpaw allodynia was observed in both male and female mice. This allodynia was transient and subsided within the first 14 days post-mild traumatic brain injury and is representative of acute post-traumatic headache. After this acute post-traumatic headache phase, exposure of mild traumatic brain injury mice to a bright light stress reinstated periorbital and hindpaw allodynia for several hours - indicative of the development of persistent post-traumatic headache. Acute post-traumatic headache was coincident with an increase in neuronal c-fos labeling in the spinal nucleus of the trigeminal caudalis, primary somatosensory cortex, and the nucleus accumbens. Neuronal activation returned to baseline levels by the persistent post-traumatic headache phase in the spinal nucleus of the trigeminal caudalis and primary somatosensory cortex but remained elevated in the nucleus accumbens. In the persistent post-traumatic headache phase, coincident with allodynia observed following bright light stress, we observed bright light stress-induced c-fos neural activation in the spinal nucleus of the trigeminal caudalis, primary somatosensory cortex, and nucleus accumbens. CONCLUSION Examination of mild traumatic brain injury-induced changes in peak c-fos expression revealed brain regions with significantly increased neural activity across the acute and persistent phases of post-traumatic headache. Our findings suggest mild traumatic brain injury-induced post-traumatic headache produces neural activation along pain relevant pathways at time-points matching post-traumatic headache-like pain behaviors. These observations suggest that the spinal nucleus of the trigeminal caudalis, primary somatosensory cortex, and nucleus accumbens may contribute to both the induction and maintenance of post-traumatic headache.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan Rudolph
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Arizona, Phoenix, Arizona, USA
| | - Caroline Kopruszinski
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
| | - Chen Wu
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Arizona, Phoenix, Arizona, USA
| | - Edita Navratilova
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Phoenix, USA
| | | | - David W Dodick
- Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Scottsdale, Arizona, USA
- Atria Academy of Science and Medicine, New York City, New York, USA
| | - Frank Porreca
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
| | - Trent Anderson
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Arizona, Phoenix, Arizona, USA
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Piriyaprasath K, Hasegawa M, Kakihara Y, Iwamoto Y, Kamimura R, Saito I, Fujii N, Yamamura K, Okamoto K. Effects of stress contagion on anxiogenic- and orofacial inflammatory pain-like behaviors with brain activation in mice. Eur J Oral Sci 2023:e12942. [PMID: 37377104 DOI: 10.1111/eos.12942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 06/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
Abstract
The conditions of stress contagion are induced in bystanders without direct experiences of stressful events. This study determined the effects of stress contagion on masseter muscle nociception in mice. Stress contagion was developed in the bystanders after cohabitating with a conspecific mouse subjected to social defeat stress for 10 days. On Day 11, stress contagion increased anxiety- and orofacial inflammatory pain-like behaviors. The c-Fos and FosB immunoreactivities evoked by masseter muscle stimulation were increased in the upper cervical spinal cord, while c-Fos expressions were increased in the rostral ventromedial medulla, including the lateral paragigantocellular reticular nucleus and nucleus raphe magnus in stress contagion mice. The level of serotonin in the rostral ventromedial medulla was increased under stress contagion, while the number of serotonin positive cells was increased in the lateral paragigantocellular reticular nucleus. Stress contagion increased c-Fos and FosB expressions in the anterior cingulate cortex and insular cortex, both of which were positively correlated with orofacial inflammatory pain-like behaviors. The level of brain-derived neurotrophic factor was increased in the insular cortex under stress contagion. These results indicate that stress contagion can cause neural changes in the brain, resulting in increased masseter muscle nociception, as seen in social defeat stress mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kajita Piriyaprasath
- Division of Oral Physiology, Faculty of Dentistry and Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata University, Niigata City, Japan
- Department of Restorative Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Naresuan University, Phitsanulok, Thailand
| | - Mana Hasegawa
- Division of Oral Physiology, Faculty of Dentistry and Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata University, Niigata City, Japan
- Division of General Dentistry and Dental Clinical Education Unit, Faculty of Dentistry and Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata University, Niigata City, Japan
| | - Yoshito Kakihara
- Division of Dental Pharmacology, Faculty of Dentistry and Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata University, Niigata City, Japan
| | - Yuya Iwamoto
- Division of Oral Physiology, Faculty of Dentistry and Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata University, Niigata City, Japan
- Division of General Dentistry and Dental Clinical Education Unit, Faculty of Dentistry and Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata University, Niigata City, Japan
| | - Rantaro Kamimura
- Division of Orthodontics, Faculty of Dentistry and Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata University, Niigata City, Japan
| | - Isao Saito
- Division of Orthodontics, Faculty of Dentistry and Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata University, Niigata City, Japan
| | - Noritaka Fujii
- Division of General Dentistry and Dental Clinical Education Unit, Faculty of Dentistry and Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata University, Niigata City, Japan
| | - Kensuke Yamamura
- Division of Oral Physiology, Faculty of Dentistry and Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata University, Niigata City, Japan
| | - Keiichiro Okamoto
- Division of Oral Physiology, Faculty of Dentistry and Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata University, Niigata City, Japan
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Pan Y, Mou Q, Huang Z, Chen S, Shi Y, Ye M, Shao M, Wang Z. Chronic social defeat alters behaviors and neuronal activation in the brain of female Mongolian gerbils. Behav Brain Res 2023; 448:114456. [PMID: 37116662 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2023.114456] [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: 10/15/2022] [Revised: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 04/30/2023]
Abstract
Chronic social defeat has been found to be stressful and to affect many aspects of the brain and behaviors in males. However, relatively little is known about its effects on females. In the present study, we examined the effects of repeated social defeat on social approach and anxiety-like behaviors as well as the neuronal activation in the brain of sexually naïve female Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus). Our data indicate that repeated social defeats for 20 days reduced social approach and social investigation, but increased risk assessment or vigilance to an unfamiliar conspecific. Such social defeat experience also increased anxiety-like behavior and reduced locomotor activity. Using ΔFosB-immunoreactive (ΔFosB-ir) staining as a marker of neuronal activation in the brain, we found significant elevations by social defeat experience in the density of ΔFosB-ir stained neurons in several brain regions, including the prelimbic (PL) and infralimbic (IL) subnuclei of the prefrontal cortex (PFC), CA1 subfields (CA1) of the hippocampus, central subnuclei of the amygdala (CeA), the paraventricular nucleus (PVN), dorsomedial nucleus (DMH), and ventrolateral subdivision of the ventromedial nucleus (VMHvl) of the hypothalamus. As these brain regions have been implicated in social behaviors and stress responses, our data suggest that the specific patterns of neuronal activation in the brain may relate to the altered social and anxiety-like behaviors following chronic social defeat in female Mongolian gerbils.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongliang Pan
- Key Laboratory of Vector Biology and Pathogen Control of Zhejiang Province, Huzhou Central Hospital, Huzhou University, Huzhou 313000, China.
| | - Qiuyue Mou
- Key Laboratory of Vector Biology and Pathogen Control of Zhejiang Province, Huzhou Central Hospital, Huzhou University, Huzhou 313000, China
| | - Zhexue Huang
- Key Laboratory of Vector Biology and Pathogen Control of Zhejiang Province, Huzhou Central Hospital, Huzhou University, Huzhou 313000, China
| | - Senyao Chen
- Key Laboratory of Vector Biology and Pathogen Control of Zhejiang Province, Huzhou Central Hospital, Huzhou University, Huzhou 313000, China
| | - Yilei Shi
- Key Laboratory of Vector Biology and Pathogen Control of Zhejiang Province, Huzhou Central Hospital, Huzhou University, Huzhou 313000, China
| | - Mengfan Ye
- Key Laboratory of Vector Biology and Pathogen Control of Zhejiang Province, Huzhou Central Hospital, Huzhou University, Huzhou 313000, China
| | - Mingqin Shao
- College of Life Science, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, 330022, China
| | - Zuoxin Wang
- Department of Psychology and Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA
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Carneiro de Oliveira PE, Carmona IM, Casarotto M, Silveira LM, Oliveira ACB, Canto-de-Souza A. Mice Cohabiting With Familiar Conspecific in Chronic Stress Condition Exhibit Methamphetamine-Induced Locomotor Sensitization and Augmented Consolation Behavior. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:835717. [PMID: 35517576 PMCID: PMC9062221 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.835717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Recognizing and sharing emotions are essential for species survival, but in some cases, living with a conspecific in distress condition may induce negative emotional states through empathy-like processes. Studies have reported that stressors promote psychiatric disorders in both, those who suffer directly and who witness these aversive episodes, principally whether social proximity is involved. However, the mechanisms underlying the harmful outcomes of emotional contagion need more studies, mainly in the drug addiction-related behaviors. Here, we investigated the relevance of familiarity and the effects of cohabitation with a partner submitted to chronic stress in the anxiety-like, locomotor sensitization, and consolation behaviors. Male Swiss mice were housed in pairs during different periods to test the establishment of familiarity and the stress-induced anxiety behavior in the elevated plus maze. Another cohort was housed with a conspecific subjected to repeated restraint stress (1 h/day) for 14 days. During chronic restraint the allogrooming was measured and after the stress period mice were tested in the open field for evaluation of anxiety and locomotor cross-sensitization induced by methamphetamine. We found that familiarity was established after 14 days of cohabitation and the anxiogenic behavior appeared after 14 days of stress. Repeated restraint stress also increased anxiety in the open field test and induced locomotor cross-sensitization in the stressed mice and their cagemates. Cagemates also exhibited an increase in the consolation behavior after stress sessions when compared to control mice. These results indicate that changes in drug abuse-related, consolation, and affective behaviors may be precipitated through emotional contagion in familiar conspecifics.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Isabela Miranda Carmona
- Psychobiology Group/Department of Psychology/CECH - Federal University of São Carlos, São Carlos, Brazil.,Joint Graduate Program in Physiological Sciences UFSCar/UNESP, Federal University of São Carlos, São Carlos, Brazil
| | - Mariana Casarotto
- Psychobiology Group/Department of Psychology/CECH - Federal University of São Carlos, São Carlos, Brazil
| | - Lara Maria Silveira
- Psychobiology Group/Department of Psychology/CECH - Federal University of São Carlos, São Carlos, Brazil.,Graduate Program in Psychology, Federal University of São Carlos, São Carlos, Brazil
| | - Anna Cecília Bezerra Oliveira
- Psychobiology Group/Department of Psychology/CECH - Federal University of São Carlos, São Carlos, Brazil.,Joint Graduate Program in Physiological Sciences UFSCar/UNESP, Federal University of São Carlos, São Carlos, Brazil
| | - Azair Canto-de-Souza
- Psychobiology Group/Department of Psychology/CECH - Federal University of São Carlos, São Carlos, Brazil.,Joint Graduate Program in Physiological Sciences UFSCar/UNESP, Federal University of São Carlos, São Carlos, Brazil.,Graduate Program in Psychology, Federal University of São Carlos, São Carlos, Brazil.,Neuroscience and Behavioral Institute, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
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Chakraborty P, Chattarji S, Jeanneteau F. A salience hypothesis of stress in PTSD. Eur J Neurosci 2021; 54:8029-8051. [PMID: 34766390 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2021] [Revised: 09/13/2021] [Accepted: 10/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Attention to key features of contexts and things is a necessary tool for all organisms. Detecting these salient features of cues, or simply, salience, can also be affected by exposure to traumatic stress, as has been widely reported in individuals suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Interestingly, similar observations have been robustly replicated across many animal models of stress as well. By using evidence from such rodent stress paradigms, in the present review, we explore PTSD through the lens of salience processing. In this context, we propose that interaction between the neurotrophin brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and glucocorticoids determines the long lasting cellular and behavioural consequences of stress salience. We also describe the dual effect of glucocorticoid therapy in the amelioration of PTSD symptoms. Finally, by integrating in vivo observations at multiple scales of plasticity, we propose a unifying hypothesis that pivots on a crucial role of glucocorticoid signalling in dynamically orchestrating stress salience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prabahan Chakraborty
- Institut de Genomique Fonctionnelle, University of Montpellier, Inserm, CNRS, Montpellier, 34090, France.,Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bellary Road, Bangalore, 560065, India
| | - Sumantra Chattarji
- Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bellary Road, Bangalore, 560065, India.,Centre for Brain Development and Repair, Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Bangalore, India.,Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, Deanery of Biomedical Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Freddy Jeanneteau
- Institut de Genomique Fonctionnelle, University of Montpellier, Inserm, CNRS, Montpellier, 34090, France
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8
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Korzan WJ, Summers CH. Evolution of stress responses refine mechanisms of social rank. Neurobiol Stress 2021; 14:100328. [PMID: 33997153 PMCID: PMC8105687 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2021.100328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Revised: 04/07/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Social rank functions to facilitate coping responses to socially stressful situations and conditions. The evolution of social status appears to be inseparably connected to the evolution of stress. Stress, aggression, reward, and decision-making neurocircuitries overlap and interact to produce status-linked relationships, which are common among both male and female populations. Behavioral consequences stemming from social status and rank relationships are molded by aggressive interactions, which are inherently stressful. It seems likely that the balance of regulatory elements in pro- and anti-stress neurocircuitries results in rapid but brief stress responses that are advantageous to social dominance. These systems further produce, in coordination with reward and aggression circuitries, rapid adaptive responding during opportunities that arise to acquire food, mates, perch sites, territorial space, shelter and other resources. Rapid acquisition of resources and aggressive postures produces dominant individuals, who temporarily have distinct fitness advantages. For these reasons also, change in social status can occur rapidly. Social subordination results in slower and more chronic neural and endocrine reactions, a suite of unique defensive behaviors, and an increased propensity for anxious and depressive behavior and affect. These two behavioral phenotypes are but distinct ends of a spectrum, however, they may give us insights into the troubling mechanisms underlying the myriad of stress-related disorders to which they appear to be evolutionarily linked.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Cliff H Summers
- Department of Biology, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD 57069 USA.,Neuroscience Group, Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD 57069, USA.,Veterans Affairs Research Service, Sioux Falls VA Health Care System, Sioux Falls, SD 57105 USA
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9
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Rudolph ML, Neve RL, Hammer RP, Nikulina EM. Enhanced psychostimulant response, but not social avoidance, depends on GluA1 AMPA receptors in VTA dopamine neurons following intermittent social defeat stress in rats. Eur J Neurosci 2020; 55:2154-2169. [PMID: 32594591 PMCID: PMC9292348 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2020] [Revised: 06/18/2020] [Accepted: 06/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Evidence from both human and animal studies demonstrates the importance of social stress in the development of addiction‐related behaviour. In rats, intermittent social defeat stress causes long‐lasting psychostimulant cross‐sensitization. Our recent data reveal heightened expression of AMPA receptor (AMPAR) GluA1 subunit in rat ventral tegmental area (VTA), which occurs concurrently with social stress‐induced amphetamine (AMPH) cross‐sensitization. In addition, social stress in rats induced social avoidance behaviour. The present study evaluated the effects of intermittent social defeat stress on GluA1 expression in VTA dopamine (DA) neurons, then utilized Cre‐dependent virus‐mediated gene transfer to determine the functional role of homomeric GluA1‐AMPARs in these neurons. Social defeat stress exposure induced GluA1 expression in VTA DA neurons, as demonstrated by a greater density of GluA1/tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) double‐labelling in VTA neurons in stressed rats. Additionally, functional inactivation of VTA GluA1 AMPARs in DA neurons prevented stress‐induced cross‐sensitization, or augmented locomotor response to low dose AMPH challenge (1.0 mg/kg, i.p.), but had no effect on social stress‐induced social avoidance behaviour. Furthermore, wild‐type overexpression of GluA1 in VTA DA neurons had the opposite effect; locomotor‐activating effects of AMPH were significantly augmented, even in the absence of stress. Taken together, these results suggest that stress‐induced GluA1 expression in VTA DA neurons is necessary for psychostimulant cross‐sensitization, but not for social avoidance. This differential effect suggests that different neural pathways are implicated in these behaviours. These findings could lead to novel pharmacotherapies to help prevent stress‐induced susceptibility to substance abuse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan L Rudolph
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix, AZ, USA.,Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Racheal L Neve
- Gene Delivery Technology Core, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ronald P Hammer
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix, AZ, USA.,Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix, AZ, USA.,Department of Pharmacology, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Ella M Nikulina
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix, AZ, USA
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10
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Miao Z, Wang Y, Sun Z. The Relationships Between Stress, Mental Disorders, and Epigenetic Regulation of BDNF. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21041375. [PMID: 32085670 PMCID: PMC7073021 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21041375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2019] [Revised: 02/01/2020] [Accepted: 02/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a critical member of the neurotrophic family, plays an important role in multiple stress-related mental disorders. Although alterations in BDNF in multiple brain regions of individuals experiencing stress have been demonstrated in previous studies, it appears that a set of elements are involved in the complex regulation. In this review, we summarize the specific brain regions with altered BDNF expression during stress exposure. How various environmental factors, including both physical and psychological stress, affect the expression of BDNF in specific brain regions are further summarized. Moreover, epigenetic regulation of BDNF, including DNA methylation, histone modification, and noncoding RNA, in response to diverse types of stress, as well as sex differences in the sensitivity of BDNF to the stress response, is also summarized. Clarification of the underlying role of BDNF in the stress process will promote our understanding of the pathology of stress-linked mental disorders and provide a potent target for the future treatment of stress-related illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuang Miao
- Institute of Genomic Medicine, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325000, China;
- Beijing Institutes of Life Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China;
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Yan Wang
- Beijing Institutes of Life Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China;
- School of Life Sciences, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Zhongsheng Sun
- Institute of Genomic Medicine, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325000, China;
- Beijing Institutes of Life Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China;
- School of Life Sciences, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Correspondence:
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A potential role for microglia in stress- and drug-induced plasticity in the nucleus accumbens: A mechanism for stress-induced vulnerability to substance use disorder. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2019; 107:360-369. [PMID: 31550452 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2019] [Revised: 07/16/2019] [Accepted: 09/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Stress is an important risk factor for the development of substance use disorder (SUD). Exposure to both stress and drugs abuse lead to changes in synaptic plasticity and stress-induced alterations in synaptic plasticity may contribute to later vulnerability to SUD. Recent developmental neuroscience studies have identified microglia as regulators of synaptic plasticity. As both stress and drugs of abuse lead to microglial activation, we propose this as a potential mechanism underlying their ability to change synaptic plasticity. This review focuses on three components of synaptic plasticity: spine density, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptor expression. Their roles in addiction, stress, and development will be reviewed, as well as possible mechanisms by which microglia could regulate their function. Potential links between stress, vulnerability to addiction, and microglial activity will be explored.
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12
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Sullivan L, Shaffer H, Hill C, Del Arco A. Time-dependent changes in cognitive flexibility performance during intermittent social stress: Relevance for motivation and reward-seeking behavior. Behav Brain Res 2019; 370:111972. [PMID: 31128165 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2019.111972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2019] [Revised: 05/06/2019] [Accepted: 05/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Repeated exposure to stress produces cognitive impairments that can lead to psychiatric disorders. How and when these cognitive impairments occur during repeated exposure to stress is not well understood. The present study investigates the time course effects of the exposure to intermittent episodes of social stress on cognitive flexibility performance. Male rats were trained to perform a cognitive flexibility (set-shifting) task. Then they were submitted to intermittent social defeat stress, which consisted of exposing animals to social defeat once every three days for ten days (four stress episodes). Set-shifting performance was evaluated before and in between social stress episodes, and up to ten days after the end of the stress protocol. Plasma levels of corticosterone after tail-pinch were also measured after the last set-shifting session. Intermittent exposure to social stress did not impair cognitive flexibility but produced short-and long-term changes in set-shifting performance. After the third social defeat episode, stressed animals required significantly more time to respond to cues (instrumental action) and to poke in the food-trough when no food pellet was delivered. These effects were reversed ten days after stress and suggest a decrease in motivation to pursue rewards. In contrast, stressed animals responded more accurately to light cues that predicted rewards. This effect, which emerged ten days after stress, suggests an increase in the reactivity to salient cues in the long-term. These time-dependent behavioral changes might help to understand the transition from social stress to stress-related disorders including drug abuse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Sullivan
- HSERM, School of Applied Sciences, University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS, USA
| | - Hannah Shaffer
- HSERM, School of Applied Sciences, University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS, USA
| | - Christopher Hill
- HSERM, School of Applied Sciences, University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS, USA
| | - Alberto Del Arco
- HSERM, School of Applied Sciences, University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS, USA; Department of Neurobiology and Anatomical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA; Department of Biomolecular Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS, USA.
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13
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Interactions of Glutamatergic Neurotransmission and Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor in the Regulation of Behaviors after Nicotine Administration. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20122943. [PMID: 31208140 PMCID: PMC6627482 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20122943] [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: 05/07/2019] [Revised: 06/08/2019] [Accepted: 06/14/2019] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Nicotine causes tobacco dependence, which may result in fatal respiratory diseases. The striatum is a key structure of forebrain basal nuclei associated with nicotine dependence. In the striatum, glutamate release is increased when α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors expressed in the glutamatergic terminals are exposed to nicotine, and over-stimulates glutamate receptors in gamma amino-butyric acid (GABA)ergic neurons. These receptor over-stimulations in turn potentiate GABAergic outputs to forebrain basal nuclei and contribute to the increase in psychomotor behaviors associated with nicotine dependence. In parallel with glutamate increases, nicotine exposure elevates brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) release through anterograde and retrograde targeting of the synapses of glutamatergic terminals and GABAergic neurons. This article reviews nicotine-exposure induced elevations of glutamatergic neurotransmission, the bidirectional targeting of BDNF in the striatum, and the potential regulatory role played by BDNF in behavioral responses to nicotine exposure.
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14
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Bambico FR, Li Z, Oliveira C, McNeill S, Diwan M, Raymond R, Nobrega JN. Rostrocaudal subregions of the ventral tegmental area are differentially impacted by chronic stress. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2019; 236:1917-1929. [PMID: 30796492 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-019-5177-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2018] [Accepted: 01/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE The ventral tegmental area (VTA) is implicated in the pathophysiology of depression and addictive disorders and is subject to the detrimental effects of stress. Chronic stress may differentially alter the activity pattern of its different subregions along the rostrocaudal and dorsoventral axes, which may relate to the variable behavioral sensitivity to stress mediated by these subregions. OBJECTIVES Here, chronic stress-exposed rats were tested for depressive-like reactivity. In situ hybridization for zif268 as a marker of neuronal activation was combined with in vivo single-unit recording of dopaminergic neurons to assess modifications in the activity of the rostral VTA (rVTA) and caudal VTA (cVTA). Changes in the expression of stress-responsive glucocorticoid receptors (GR) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) were also assessed. RESULTS Stress-induced anhedonia-like, hyper-anxious, and passive-like responding were associated with reductions in dopaminergic burst activity in the cVTA and an increase in local GABAergic activity, particularly in GABAA receptor sensitivity. On the other hand, stress increased single-spiking activity, burst activity, and zif268 mRNA levels in the rVTA, which were associated with increased glutamatergic tonus and enhanced GR and AMPA receptor (AMPAR) expression. rVTA and cVTA activity differentially correlated with sucrose preference and passivity measures. CONCLUSIONS These data demonstrate that the rVTA and cVTA respond differently to stress and suggest that while cVTA activity may be related to passivity-like states, the activity of both subregions appears to be related to anhedonia and the processing of incentive value. These region-dependent abnormalities indicate the multi-modular composition of the VTA, which could provide multiple substrates for different symptom features.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francis Rodriguez Bambico
- Behavioural Neurobiology Laboratory, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute and Research Imaging Center, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, M5T 1R82, Canada. .,Department of Psychology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St John's, NL, A1B 3X9, Canada.
| | - Zhuoliang Li
- Behavioural Neurobiology Laboratory, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute and Research Imaging Center, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, M5T 1R82, Canada
| | - Caio Oliveira
- Behavioural Neurobiology Laboratory, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute and Research Imaging Center, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, M5T 1R82, Canada
| | - Sean McNeill
- Behavioural Neurobiology Laboratory, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute and Research Imaging Center, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, M5T 1R82, Canada
| | - Mustansir Diwan
- Behavioural Neurobiology Laboratory, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute and Research Imaging Center, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, M5T 1R82, Canada
| | - Roger Raymond
- Behavioural Neurobiology Laboratory, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute and Research Imaging Center, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, M5T 1R82, Canada
| | - José N Nobrega
- Behavioural Neurobiology Laboratory, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute and Research Imaging Center, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, M5T 1R82, Canada
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15
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Wscieklica T, Le Sueur-Maluf L, Prearo L, Conte R, Viana MDB, Céspedes IC. Chronic intermittent ethanol administration differentially alters DeltaFosB immunoreactivity in cortical-limbic structures of rats with high and low alcohol preference. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE 2019; 45:264-275. [DOI: 10.1080/00952990.2019.1569667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana Wscieklica
- Departamento de Biociências, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Santos, SP, Brazil
| | - Luciana Le Sueur-Maluf
- Departamento de Biociências, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Santos, SP, Brazil
| | - Leandro Prearo
- Pró-Reitor de Graduação, Universidade Municipal de São Caetano do Sul (USCS), São Caetano do Sul, SP, Brazil
| | - Rafael Conte
- Departamento de Neurociências e Neurocirurgia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Milena de Barros Viana
- Departamento de Biociências, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Santos, SP, Brazil
| | - Isabel Cristina Céspedes
- Departamento de Morfologia e Genética, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil
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16
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Strathearn L, Mertens CE, Mayes L, Rutherford H, Rajhans P, Xu G, Potenza MN, Kim S. Pathways Relating the Neurobiology of Attachment to Drug Addiction. Front Psychiatry 2019; 10:737. [PMID: 31780957 PMCID: PMC6857543 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2019] [Accepted: 09/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Substance use disorders constitute a significant public health problem in North America and worldwide. Specifically, substance addictions in women during pregnancy or in the postpartum period have adverse effects not only on the mother, but also on mother-infant attachment and the child's subsequent development. Additionally, there is growing evidence suggesting that parental addiction may be transmitted intergenerationally, where the child of parents with addiction problems is more likely to experience addiction as an adult. The current review takes a developmental perspective and draws from animal and human studies to examine how compromised early experience, including insecure attachment, early abuse/neglect, and unresolved trauma, may influence the development of neurobiological pathways associated with addictions, ultimately increasing one's susceptibility to addictions later in life. We approach this from three different levels: molecular, neuroendocrine and behavioral; and examine the oxytocin affiliation system, dopamine reward system, and glucocorticoid stress response system in this regard. Increased understanding of these underlying mechanisms may help identify key targets for early prevention efforts and inform needed intervention strategies related to both insecure attachment and addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lane Strathearn
- Attachment and Neurodevelopment Laboratory, Stead Family Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, United States.,Center for Disabilities and Development, University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital, Iowa City, IA, United States
| | - Carol E Mertens
- Attachment and Neurodevelopment Laboratory, Stead Family Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, United States.,Center for Disabilities and Development, University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital, Iowa City, IA, United States
| | - Linda Mayes
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Helena Rutherford
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Purva Rajhans
- Attachment and Neurodevelopment Laboratory, Stead Family Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, United States.,Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Guifeng Xu
- Attachment and Neurodevelopment Laboratory, Stead Family Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, United States.,Center for Disabilities and Development, University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital, Iowa City, IA, United States.,Department of Epidemiology, College of Public Health, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States
| | - Marc N Potenza
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States.,Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience and the National Connecticut Mental Health Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Sohye Kim
- Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States.,Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
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17
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Ferrer-Pérez C, Castro-Zavala A, Luján MÁ, Filarowska J, Ballestín R, Miñarro J, Valverde O, Rodríguez-Arias M. Oxytocin prevents the increase of cocaine-related responses produced by social defeat. Neuropharmacology 2018; 146:50-64. [PMID: 30448423 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2018.11.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2018] [Revised: 11/08/2018] [Accepted: 11/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The neuropeptide oxytocin (OXT) plays a critical role in the regulation of social and emotional behaviors. OXT plays a role in stress response and in drug reward, but to date no studies have evaluated its implication in the long-lasting increase of the motivational effects of cocaine induced by repeated social defeat (RSD). During the social defeat procedure, 1 mg/kg of OXT was administered 30 min before each episode of RSD. Three weeks after the last defeat, the effects of cocaine on the conditioned place preference (CPP), locomotor sensitization and the self-administration (SA) paradigms were evaluated. The influence of OXT on the levels of BDNF in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), striatum and hippocampus was also measured. Our results confirm that raising the levels of OXT during social defeat stress can block the long-lasting effects of this type of stress. OXT counteracts the anxiety induced by social defeat and modifies BDNF levels in all the structures we have studied. Moreover, OXT prevents RSD-induced increases in the motivational effects of cocaine. Administration of OXT before each social defeat blocked the social defeat-induced increment in the conditioned rewarding effects of cocaine in the CPP, favored the extinction of cocaine-associated memories in both the CPP and SA, and decreased reinstatement of cocaine-seeking behavior in the SA. In conclusion, the long-lasting effects of RSD are counteracted by administering OXT prior to stress, and changes in BDNF expression may underlie these protective effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmen Ferrer-Pérez
- Unit of Research on Psychobiology of Drug Dependence, Department of Psychobiology, Faculty of Psychology, Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain
| | - Adriana Castro-Zavala
- Neurobiology of Behavior Research Group (GReNeC-NeuroBio), Department of Health and Experimental Sciences, University Pompeu Fabra, IMIM (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Miguel Ángel Luján
- Neurobiology of Behavior Research Group (GReNeC-NeuroBio), Department of Health and Experimental Sciences, University Pompeu Fabra, IMIM (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Joanna Filarowska
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacodynamics, Medical University of Lublin, Chodzki 4a, 20-093, Lublin, Poland
| | - Raúl Ballestín
- Unit of Research on Psychobiology of Drug Dependence, Department of Psychobiology, Faculty of Psychology, Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain
| | - José Miñarro
- Unit of Research on Psychobiology of Drug Dependence, Department of Psychobiology, Faculty of Psychology, Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain
| | - Olga Valverde
- Neurobiology of Behavior Research Group (GReNeC-NeuroBio), Department of Health and Experimental Sciences, University Pompeu Fabra, IMIM (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marta Rodríguez-Arias
- Unit of Research on Psychobiology of Drug Dependence, Department of Psychobiology, Faculty of Psychology, Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain.
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18
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Montagud-Romero S, Blanco-Gandía MC, Reguilón MD, Ferrer-Pérez C, Ballestín R, Miñarro J, Rodríguez-Arias M. Social defeat stress: Mechanisms underlying the increase in rewarding effects of drugs of abuse. Eur J Neurosci 2018; 48:2948-2970. [PMID: 30144331 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2018] [Revised: 06/11/2018] [Accepted: 08/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Social interaction is known to be the main source of stress in human beings, which explains the translational importance of this research in animals. Evidence reported over the last decade has revealed that, when exposed to social defeat experiences (brief episodes of social confrontations during adolescence and adulthood), the rodent brain undergoes remodeling and functional modifications, which in turn lead to an increase in the rewarding and reinstating effects of different drugs of abuse. The mechanisms by which social stress cause changes in the brain and behavior are unknown, and so the objective of this review is to contemplate how social defeat stress induces long-lasting consequences that modify the reward system. First of all, we will describe the most characteristic results of the short- and long-term consequences of social defeat stress on the rewarding effects of drugs of abuse such as psychostimulants and alcohol. Secondly, and throughout the review, we will carefully assess the neurobiological mechanisms underlying these effects, including changes in the dopaminergic system, corticotrophin releasing factor signaling, epigenetic modifications and the neuroinflammatory response. To conclude, we will consider the advantages and disadvantages and the translational value of the social defeat stress model, and will discuss challenges and future directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Montagud-Romero
- Department of Psychobiology, Facultad de Psicología, Universitat de Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | | | - Marina D Reguilón
- Department of Psychobiology, Facultad de Psicología, Universitat de Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Carmen Ferrer-Pérez
- Department of Psychobiology, Facultad de Psicología, Universitat de Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Raul Ballestín
- Department of Psychobiology, Facultad de Psicología, Universitat de Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Jose Miñarro
- Department of Psychobiology, Facultad de Psicología, Universitat de Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Marta Rodríguez-Arias
- Department of Psychobiology, Facultad de Psicología, Universitat de Valencia, Valencia, Spain
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19
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Shimamoto A. Social Defeat Stress, Sex, and Addiction-Like Behaviors. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2018; 140:271-313. [PMID: 30193707 DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2018.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Social confrontation is a form of social interaction in animals where two conspecific individuals confront each other in dispute over territory, during the formation of hierarchies, and during breeding seasons. Typically, a social confrontation involves a prevailing individual and a yielding individual. The prevailing individual often exhibits aggressive postures and launches attacks, whereas the yielding individual often adopts postures of defeat. The yielding or defeated animals experience a phenomenon known as social defeat stress, in which they show exaggerated stress as well as autonomic and endocrine responses that cause impairment of both the brain and body. In laboratory settings, one can reliably generate social defeat stress by allowing a naïve (or already defeated) animal to intrude into a home cage in which its resident has already established a territory or is nursing. This resident-intruder paradigm has been widely used in both males and females to study mechanisms in the brain that underlie the stress responses. Stress has profound effects on drug reward for cocaine, methamphetamine, alcohol, and opioids. Particularly, previous experiences with social defeat can exaggerate subsequent addiction-like behaviors. The extent of these addiction-like behaviors depends on the intensity, duration, frequency, and intermittency of the confrontation episodes. This chapter describes four types of social defeat stress: acute, repeated, intermittent, and chronic. Specifically, it focuses on social defeat stress models used in laboratories to study individual, sex, and animal strain differences in addiction-like behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akiko Shimamoto
- Department of Biochemistry, Cancer Biology, Neuroscience, and Pharmacology, Meharry Medical College, Nashville, TN, United States.
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20
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Region-Dependent Alterations in Cognitive Function and ERK1/2 Signaling in the PFC in Rats after Social Defeat Stress. Neural Plast 2018; 2018:9870985. [PMID: 29849577 PMCID: PMC5925180 DOI: 10.1155/2018/9870985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2018] [Accepted: 02/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Cognitive dysfunctions are highly comorbid with depression. Impairments of cognitive flexibility, which are modulated by the monoaminergic system of the prefrontal cortex (PFC), are increasingly recognized as an important component of the pathophysiology and treatment of depression. However, the downstream molecular mechanisms remain unclear. Using a classical model of depression, this study investigated the effects of social defeat stress on emotional behaviors, on cognitive flexibility in the attentional set-shifting task (AST), and on the expression of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1 and 2 (ERK1 and ERK2) and their downstream signaling molecules cAMP-response element binding protein (CREB) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in two subregions of the PFC, the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), and the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC). The results showed that stress induced emotional and cognitive alterations associated with depression, including a decreased sucrose intake ratio and impaired reversal learning and set-shifting performance in the AST. Additionally, rats in the stress group showed a significant decrease only in ERK2 signaling in the mPFC, while more extensive decreases in both ERK1 signaling and ERK2 signaling were observed in the OFC. Along with the decreased ERK signaling, compared to controls, stressed rats showed downregulation of CREB phosphorylation and BDNF expression in both the OFC and the mPFC. Further analysis showed that behavioral changes were differentially correlated with several molecules in subregions of the PFC. These results suggested that social defeat stress was an effective animal model to induce both emotional and cognitive symptoms of depression and that the dysfunction of ERK signaling activities in the PFC might be a potential underlying biological mechanism.
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21
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Laman-Maharg A, Trainor BC. Stress, sex, and motivated behaviors. J Neurosci Res 2017; 95:83-92. [PMID: 27870436 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.23815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2016] [Revised: 06/01/2016] [Accepted: 06/13/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Stress is a major risk factor for development of psychiatric disorders such as depression and development of substance use disorder. Although there are important sex differences in the prevalence of these disorders, most preclinical models used to study stress-induced disorders have used males only. Social defeat stress is a commonly used method to induce stress in an ethologically relevant way but has only recently begun to be used in female rodents. Using these new female models, recent studies have examined how social defeat stress affects males and females differently at the behavioral, circuit, and molecular levels. This Mini-Review discusses sex differences in the effects of social defeat stress on social behavior and drug-seeking behavior as well as its impact on the mesolimbic dopamine system and the highly connected region of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abigail Laman-Maharg
- Neuroscience Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, Davis, California.,Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California.,Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, Davis, California
| | - Brian C Trainor
- Neuroscience Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, Davis, California.,Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California.,Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, Davis, California
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22
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Kang JW, Keay KA, Mor D. Resolving the contributions of anaesthesia, surgery, and nerve injury on brain derived neurotrophic factor expression in the medial prefrontal cortex of male rats in the CCI model of neuropathic pain. J Neurosci Res 2017; 95:2376-2390. [DOI: 10.1002/jnr.24095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2017] [Revised: 05/05/2017] [Accepted: 05/10/2017] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- James W.M. Kang
- Discipline of Anatomy & Histology, School of Medical Sciences; The University of Sydney; New South Wales 2006 Australia
- Discipline of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medical Sciences; The University of Sydney; New South Wales 2006 Australia
| | - Kevin A. Keay
- Discipline of Anatomy & Histology, School of Medical Sciences; The University of Sydney; New South Wales 2006 Australia
| | - David Mor
- Discipline of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medical Sciences; The University of Sydney; New South Wales 2006 Australia
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23
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Optimizing laboratory animal stress paradigms: The H-H* experimental design. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2017; 75:5-14. [PMID: 27768983 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2016.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2016] [Revised: 10/04/2016] [Accepted: 10/11/2016] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Major advances in behavioral neuroscience have been facilitated by the development of consistent and highly reproducible experimental paradigms that have been widely adopted. In contrast, many different experimental approaches have been employed to expose laboratory mice and rats to acute versus chronic intermittent stress. An argument is advanced in this review that more consistent approaches to the design of chronic intermittent stress experiments would provide greater reproducibility of results across laboratories and greater reliability relating to various neural, endocrine, immune, genetic, and behavioral adaptations. As an example, the H-H* experimental design incorporates control, homotypic (H), and heterotypic (H*) groups and allows for comparisons across groups, where each animal is exposed to the same stressor, but that stressor has vastly different biological and behavioral effects depending upon each animal's prior stress history. Implementation of the H-H* experimental paradigm makes possible a delineation of transcriptional changes and neural, endocrine, and immune pathways that are activated in precisely defined stressor contexts.
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24
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Vasconcelos M, Stein DJ, de Almeida RMM. Social defeat protocol and relevant biomarkers, implications for stress response physiology, drug abuse, mood disorders and individual stress vulnerability: a systematic review of the last decade. TRENDS IN PSYCHIATRY AND PSYCHOTHERAPY 2016. [PMID: 26222297 DOI: 10.1590/2237-6089-2014-0034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Social defeat (SD) in rats, which results from male intraspecific confrontations, is ethologically relevant and useful to understand stress effects on physiology and behavior. METHODS A systematic review of studies about biomarkers induced by the SD protocol and published from 2002 to 2013 was carried out in the electronic databases PubMed, Web of Knowledge and ScienceDirect. The search terms were: social defeat, rat, neurotrophins, neuroinflammatory markers, and transcriptional factors. RESULTS Classical and recently discovered biomarkers were found to be relevant in stress-induced states. Findings were summarized in accordance to the length of exposure to stress: single, repeated, intermittent and continuous SD. This review found that the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a distinct marker of stress adaptation. Along with glucocorticoids and catecholamines, BDNF seems to be important in understanding stress physiology. CONCLUSION The SD model provides a relevant tool to study stress response features, development of addictive behaviors, clinic depression and anxiety, as well as individual differences in vulnerability and resilience to stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mailton Vasconcelos
- Instituto de Psicologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Dirson João Stein
- Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, UFRGS, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Rosa Maria M de Almeida
- Instituto de Psicologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
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de la Tremblaye PB, Linares NN, Schock S, Plamondon H. Activation of CRHR1 receptors regulates social and depressive-like behaviors and expression of BDNF and TrkB in mesocorticolimbic regions following global cerebral ischemia. Exp Neurol 2016; 284:84-97. [DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2016.07.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2016] [Revised: 06/16/2016] [Accepted: 07/25/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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Kim S, Kwok S, Mayes LC, Potenza MN, Rutherford HJV, Strathearn L. Early adverse experience and substance addiction: dopamine, oxytocin, and glucocorticoid pathways. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2016; 1394:74-91. [PMID: 27508337 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.13140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2016] [Revised: 05/12/2016] [Accepted: 05/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Substance addiction may follow a chronic, relapsing course and critically undermine the physical and psychological well-being of the affected individual and the social units of which the individual is a member. Despite the public health burden associated with substance addiction, treatment options remain suboptimal, with relapses often seen. The present review synthesizes growing insights from animal and human research to shed light upon developmental and neurobiological pathways that may increase susceptibility to addiction. We examine the dopamine system, the oxytocin system, and the glucocorticoid system, as they are particularly relevant to substance addiction. Our aim is to delineate how early adverse experience may induce long-lasting alterations in each of these systems at molecular, neuroendocrine, and behavioral levels and ultimately lead to heightened vulnerability to substance addiction. We further discuss how substance addiction in adulthood may increase the risk of suboptimal caregiving for the next generation, perpetuating the intergenerational cycle of early adverse experiences and addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sohye Kim
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.,Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.,Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.,Attachment and Neurodevelopment Laboratory, Children's Nutrition Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Stephanie Kwok
- Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Linda C Mayes
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Marc N Potenza
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.,Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience and the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASAColumbia), Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.,Connecticut Mental Health Center, New Haven, Connecticut
| | | | - Lane Strathearn
- Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.,Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.,Attachment and Neurodevelopment Laboratory, Children's Nutrition Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.,Stead Family Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa
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27
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Barra de la Tremblaye P, Plamondon H. Alterations in the corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) neurocircuitry: Insights into post stroke functional impairments. Front Neuroendocrinol 2016; 42:53-75. [PMID: 27455847 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2016.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2016] [Revised: 07/04/2016] [Accepted: 07/06/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Although it is well accepted that changes in the regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis may increase susceptibility to affective disorders in the general population, this link has been less examined in stroke patients. Yet, the bidirectional association between depression and cardiovascular disease is strong, and stress increases vulnerability to stroke. Corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) is the central stress hormone of the HPA axis pathway and acts by binding to CRH receptors (CRHR) 1 and 2, which are located in several stress-related brain regions. Evidence from clinical and animal studies suggests a role for CRH in the neurobiological basis of depression and ischemic brain injury. Given its importance in the regulation of the neuroendocrine, autonomic, and behavioral correlates of adaptation and maladaptation to stress, CRH is likely associated in the pathophysiology of post stroke emotional impairments. The goals of this review article are to examine the clinical and experimental data describing (1) that CRH regulates the molecular signaling brain circuit underlying anxiety- and depression-like behaviors, (2) the influence of CRH and other stress markers in the pathophysiology of post stroke emotional and cognitive impairments, and (3) context and site specific interactions of CRH and BDNF as a basis for the development of novel therapeutic targets. This review addresses how the production and release of the neuropeptide CRH within the various regions of the mesocorticolimbic system influences emotional and cognitive behaviors with a look into its role in psychiatric disorders post stroke.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Barra de la Tremblaye
- School of Psychology, Behavioral Neuroscience Program, University of Ottawa, 136 Jean-Jacques Lussier, Vanier Building, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - H Plamondon
- School of Psychology, Behavioral Neuroscience Program, University of Ottawa, 136 Jean-Jacques Lussier, Vanier Building, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada.
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28
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Ng E, Browne CJ, Samsom JN, Wong AHC. Depression and substance use comorbidity: What we have learned from animal studies. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE 2016; 43:456-474. [PMID: 27315335 DOI: 10.1080/00952990.2016.1183020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Depression and substance use disorders are often comorbid, but the reasons for this are unclear. In human studies, it is difficult to determine how one disorder may affect predisposition to the other and what the underlying mechanisms might be. Instead, animal studies allow experimental induction of behaviors relevant to depression and drug-taking, and permit direct interrogation of changes to neural circuits and molecular pathways. While this field is still new, here we review animal studies that investigate whether depression-like states increase vulnerability to drug-taking behaviors. Since chronic psychosocial stress can precipitate or predispose to depression in humans, we review studies that use psychosocial stressors to produce depression-like phenotypes in animals. Specifically, we describe how postweaning isolation stress, repeated social defeat stress, and chronic mild (or unpredictable) stress affect behaviors relevant to substance abuse, especially operant self-administration. Potential brain changes mediating these effects are also discussed where available, with an emphasis on mesocorticolimbic dopamine circuits. Postweaning isolation stress and repeated social defeat generally increase acquisition or maintenance of drug self-administration, and alter dopamine sensitivity in various brain regions. However, the effects of chronic mild stress on drug-taking have been much less studied. Future studies should consider standardizing stress-induction protocols, including female subjects, and using multi-hit models (e.g. genetic vulnerabilities and environmental stress).
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Affiliation(s)
- Enoch Ng
- a Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute , Mount Sinai Hospital , Toronto , Canada.,b Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto , Toronto , Canada
| | - Caleb J Browne
- c Department of Psychology , University of Toronto , Toronto , Canada.,d Campbell Family Health Institute , Centre for Addiction and Mental Health , Toronto , Canada
| | - James N Samsom
- d Campbell Family Health Institute , Centre for Addiction and Mental Health , Toronto , Canada.,e Department of Pharmacology , University of Toronto , Toronto , Canada
| | - Albert H C Wong
- b Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto , Toronto , Canada.,d Campbell Family Health Institute , Centre for Addiction and Mental Health , Toronto , Canada.,e Department of Pharmacology , University of Toronto , Toronto , Canada.,f Department of Psychiatry , University of Toronto , Toronto , Canada
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29
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Wang J, Bastle RM, Bass CE, Hammer RP, Neisewander JL, Nikulina EM. Overexpression of BDNF in the ventral tegmental area enhances binge cocaine self-administration in rats exposed to repeated social defeat. Neuropharmacology 2016; 109:121-130. [PMID: 27154426 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2016.04.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2015] [Revised: 04/12/2016] [Accepted: 04/29/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Stress is a major risk factor for substance abuse. Intermittent social defeat stress increases drug self-administration (SA) and elevates brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) in rats. Intra-VTA BDNF overexpression enhances social defeat stress-induced cross-sensitization to psychostimulants and induces nucleus accumbens (NAc) ΔFosB expression. Therefore, increased VTA BDNF may mimic or augment the development of drug abuse-related behavior following social stress. To test this hypothesis, adeno-associated virus (AAV) was infused into the VTA to overexpress either GFP alone (control) or GFP + BDNF. Rats were then either handled or exposed to intermittent social defeat stress before beginning cocaine SA training. The SA acquisition and maintenance phases were followed by testing on a progressive ratio (PR) schedule of cocaine reinforcement, and then during a 12-h access "binge" cocaine SA session. BDNF and ΔFosB were quantified postmortem in regions of the mesocorticolimbic circuitry using immunohistochemistry. Social defeat stress increased cocaine intake on a PR schedule, regardless of virus treatment. While stress alone increased intake during the 12-h binge session, socially-defeated rats that received VTA BDNF overexpression exhibited even greater cocaine intake compared to the GFP-stressed group. However, VTA BDNF overexpression alone did not alter binge intake. BDNF expression in the VTA was also positively correlated with total cocaine intake during binge session. VTA BDNF overexpression increased ΔFosB expression in the NAc, but not in the dorsal striatum. Here we demonstrate that VTA BDNF overexpression increases long-access cocaine intake, but only under stressful conditions. Therefore, enhanced VTA-BDNF expression may be a facilitator for stress-induced increases in drug abuse-related behavior specifically under conditions that capture compulsive-like drug intake.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junshi Wang
- University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix, AZ.,School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
| | - Ryan M Bastle
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
| | - Caroline E Bass
- School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY
| | - Ronald P Hammer
- University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix, AZ.,School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
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Smith JP, Prince MA, Achua JK, Robertson JM, Anderson RT, Ronan PJ, Summers CH. Intensity of anxiety is modified via complex integrative stress circuitries. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2016; 63:351-61. [PMID: 26555428 PMCID: PMC4838407 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2015.10.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2015] [Revised: 09/10/2015] [Accepted: 10/19/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Escalation of anxious behavior while environmentally and socially relevant contextual events amplify the intensity of emotional response produces a testable gradient of anxiety shaped by integrative circuitries. Apprehension of the Stress-Alternatives Model apparatus (SAM) oval open field (OF) is measured by the active latency to escape, and is delayed by unfamiliarity with the passageway. Familiar OF escape is the least anxious behavior along the continuum, which can be reduced by anxiolytics such as icv neuropeptide S (NPS). Social aggression increases anxiousness in the SAM, reducing the number of mice willing to escape by 50%. The apprehension accompanying escape during social aggression is diminished by anxiolytics, such as exercise and corticotropin releasing-factor receptor 1 (CRF1) antagonism, but exacerbated by anxiogenic treatment, like antagonism of α2-adrenoreceptors. What is more, the anxiolytic CRF1 and anxiogenic α2-adrenoreceptor antagonists also modify behavioral phenotypes, with CRF1 antagonism allowing escape by previously submissive animals, and α2-adrenoreceptor antagonism hindering escape in mice that previously engaged in it. Gene expression of NPS and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the central amygdala (CeA), as well as corticosterone secretion, increased concomitantly with the escalating anxious content of the mouse-specific anxiety continuum. The general trend of CeA NPS and BDNF expression suggested that NPS production was promoted by increasing anxiousness, and that BDNF synthesis was associated with learning about ever-more anxious conditions. The intensity gradient for anxious behavior resulting from varying contextual conditions may yield an improved conceptualization of the complexity of mechanisms producing the natural continuum of human anxious conditions, and potential therapies that arise therefrom.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin P. Smith
- Department of Biology, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD 57069 USA,Neuroscience Group, Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD 57069 USA,Veterans Affairs Research Service, Sioux Falls VA Health Care System, Sioux Falls, South Dakota 57105 USA,Institute of Possibility, 322 E. 8th Street, Suite 302, Sioux Falls, SD 57103 USA,Sanford Health, 2301 E. 60th St. N., Sioux Falls, SD 57104 USA
| | - Melissa A. Prince
- Department of Biology, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD 57069 USA,Neuroscience Group, Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD 57069 USA
| | - Justin K. Achua
- Department of Biology, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD 57069 USA,Neuroscience Group, Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD 57069 USA,Veterans Affairs Research Service, Sioux Falls VA Health Care System, Sioux Falls, South Dakota 57105 USA
| | - James M. Robertson
- Department of Biology, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD 57069 USA,Neuroscience Group, Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD 57069 USA
| | - Raymond T. Anderson
- Department of Biology, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD 57069 USA,Department of Biochemistry, West Virginia University School of Medicine 1 Medical Center Dr., Morgantown, WV 26506 USA
| | - Patrick J. Ronan
- Neuroscience Group, Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD 57069 USA,Veterans Affairs Research Service, Sioux Falls VA Health Care System, Sioux Falls, South Dakota 57105 USA,Avera Research Institute, Avera McKennan Hospital & University Health Center, Sioux Falls, South Dakota 57105 USA,Laboratory for Clinical and Translational Research in Psychiatry, Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Denver, CO 80220 USA,Department of Psychiatry, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD 57069 USA
| | - Cliff H. Summers
- Department of Biology, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD 57069 USA,Neuroscience Group, Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD 57069 USA,Corresponding author: Department of Biology, University of South Dakota, 414 East Clark Street, Vermillion, SD 57069-2390, 605 677 6177, fax: 605 677 6557.
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Examining the levels of BDNF and cortisol in children and adolescent victims of sexual abuse--a preliminary study. Compr Psychiatry 2015; 61:23-7. [PMID: 25982069 DOI: 10.1016/j.comppsych.2015.04.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2015] [Revised: 04/27/2015] [Accepted: 04/29/2015] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous reports have suggested the biological and psychological effects of trauma induced by cortisol and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). The present study compared the levels of BDNF, cortisol, and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) in children and adolescent victims of sexual abuse to those without a trauma history. METHODS The study was conducted in the Department of Child Psychiatry at Dicle University. The study included 44 children (M/F: 12/32) aged between 8 and 17years who experienced sexual abuse with 42 age-and gender-matched children who did not have a history of trauma. Cortisol, ACTH, and BDNF levels were measured using ELISA. RESULTS Cortisol levels were higher and BDNF levels were significantly lower in the victims of sexual abuse compared to the control group. The mean time that elapsed from the initial sexual abuse occurrence until the date of examination was 22.7±21.7months. The evaluation of the relationship between this time span and cortisol levels revealed that cortisol levels decreased with increasing time after trauma. Cortisol and BDNF levels were lower in the victims who experienced multiple sexual assaults. CONCLUSIONS The results of the present study suggest that cortisol and BDNF could be biological molecular mediators of the effects of trauma on biological and psychological systems. This is the first report on the effects of cortisol and BDNF induced trauma in child and adolescent victims of sexual abuse.
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Imbe H, Kimura A. Repeated forced swim stress prior to complete Freund's adjuvant injection enhances mechanical hyperalgesia and attenuates the expression of pCREB and ΔFosB and the acetylation of histone H3 in the insular cortex of rat. Neuroscience 2015; 301:12-25. [PMID: 26047723 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2015.05.065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2015] [Revised: 05/26/2015] [Accepted: 05/27/2015] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Exposure to stressors causes substantial effects on the perception and response to pain. In several animal models, chronic stress produces hyperalgesia. The insular (IC) and anterior cingulate cortices (ACC) are the regions exhibiting most reliable pain-related activity. And the IC and ACC play an important role in pain modulation via descending pain modulatory system. In the present study we examined the expression of phospho-cAMP response element-binding protein (pCREB) and ΔFosB and the acetylation of histone H3 in the IC and ACC after forced swim stress (FS) and complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) injection to clarify changes in the cerebral cortices that affect the activity of the descending pain modulatory system in rats with stress-induced hyperalgesia. CFA injection into the hindpaw or FS (day 1, 10min; days 2-3, 20min) induced a significant increase in the expression of pCREB and ΔFosB and the acetylation of histone H3 in the IC. Quantitative image analysis showed that the numbers of ΔFosB-immunoreactivity (IR) cells in the bilateral anterior and posterior IC (AIC and PIC) were significantly higher in the CFA group (AIC R, 548.0±98.6; AIC L, 433.5±89.4; PIC R, 546.1±72.8; PIC L, 415.5±53.5) than those in the naive group (AIC R, 86.6±14.8; AIC L, 85.5±24.7; PIC R, 124.5±29.9; PIC L, 107.0±19.8, p<0.01). However the FS prior to the CFA injection enhanced the mechanical hyperalgesia and attenuated the expression of pCREB and ΔFosB and the acetylation of histone H3 in the IC. There was no significant difference in the numbers of ΔFosB-IR cells in the bilateral PIC between the FS+CFA and naive groups. These findings suggest neuroplasticity in the IC after the FS, which may be involved in the enhancement of CFA-induced mechanical hyperalgesia through dysfunction of the descending pain modulatory system.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Imbe
- Department of Physiology, Wakayama Medical University, Kimiidera 811-1, Wakayama City 641-8509, Japan.
| | - A Kimura
- Department of Physiology, Wakayama Medical University, Kimiidera 811-1, Wakayama City 641-8509, Japan
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Johnston CE, Herschel DJ, Lasek AW, Hammer RP, Nikulina EM. Knockdown of ventral tegmental area mu-opioid receptors in rats prevents effects of social defeat stress: implications for amphetamine cross-sensitization, social avoidance, weight regulation and expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor. Neuropharmacology 2015; 89:325-34. [PMID: 25446676 PMCID: PMC4293250 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2014.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2014] [Revised: 09/14/2014] [Accepted: 10/08/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Social defeat stress causes social avoidance and long-lasting cross-sensitization to psychostimulants, both of which are associated with increased brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression in the ventral tegmental area (VTA). Moreover, social stress upregulates VTA mu-opioid receptor (MOR) mRNA. In the VTA, MOR activation inhibits GABA neurons to disinhibit VTA dopamine neurons, thus providing a role for VTA MORs in the regulation of psychostimulant sensitization. The present study determined the effect of lentivirus-mediated MOR knockdown in the VTA on the consequences of intermittent social defeat stress, a salient and profound stressor in humans and rodents. Social stress exposure induced social avoidance and attenuated weight gain in animals with non-manipulated VTA MORs, but both these effects were prevented by VTA MOR knockdown. Rats with non-manipulated VTA MOR expression exhibited cross-sensitization to amphetamine challenge (1.0 mg/kg, i.p.), evidenced by a significant augmentation of locomotion. By contrast, knockdown of VTA MORs prevented stress-induced cross-sensitization without blunting the locomotor-activating effects of amphetamine. At the time point corresponding to amphetamine challenge, immunohistochemical analysis was performed to examine the effect of stress on VTA BDNF expression. Prior stress exposure increased VTA BDNF expression in rats with non-manipulated VTA MOR expression, while VTA MOR knockdown prevented stress-induced expression of VTA BDNF. Taken together, these results suggest that upregulation of VTA MOR is necessary for the behavioral and biochemical changes induced by social defeat stress. Elucidating VTA MOR regulation of stress effects on the mesolimbic system may provide new therapeutic targets for treating stress-induced vulnerability to substance abuse.
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MESH Headings
- Amphetamine/pharmacology
- Analgesics, Opioid/pharmacokinetics
- Animals
- Body Weight/drug effects
- Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor/metabolism
- Cell Count
- Central Nervous System Stimulants/pharmacology
- Disease Models, Animal
- Escape Reaction/drug effects
- Escape Reaction/physiology
- Handling, Psychological
- Male
- Motor Activity/drug effects
- Protein Binding/drug effects
- Rats
- Rats, Long-Evans
- Rats, Sprague-Dawley
- Receptors, Opioid, mu/deficiency
- Receptors, Opioid, mu/genetics
- Stress, Psychological/metabolism
- Stress, Psychological/pathology
- Stress, Psychological/prevention & control
- Transduction, Genetic
- Ventral Tegmental Area/metabolism
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin E Johnston
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix, AZ, USA
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Fatahi Z, Zeighamy Alamdary S, Khodagholi F, Zareh Shahamati S, Razavi Y, Haghparast A. Effect of physical stress on the alteration of mesolimbic system apoptotic factors in conditioned place preference paradigm. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2014; 124:231-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2014.06.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2014] [Revised: 06/07/2014] [Accepted: 06/16/2014] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Bastida CC, Puga F, Gonzalez-Lima F, Jennings KJ, Wommack JC, Delville Y. Chronic social stress in puberty alters appetitive male sexual behavior and neural metabolic activity. Horm Behav 2014; 66:220-7. [PMID: 24852486 PMCID: PMC4127097 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2014.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2014] [Revised: 05/05/2014] [Accepted: 05/12/2014] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Repeated social subjugation in early puberty lowers testosterone levels. We used hamsters to investigate the effects of social subjugation on male sexual behavior and metabolic activity within neural systems controlling social and motivational behaviors. Subjugated animals were exposed daily to aggressive adult males in early puberty for postnatal days 28 to 42, while control animals were placed in empty clean cages. On postnatal day 45, they were tested for male sexual behavior in the presence of receptive female. Alternatively, they were tested for mate choice after placement at the base of a Y-maze containing a sexually receptive female in one tip of the maze and an ovariectomized one on the other. Social subjugation did not affect the capacity to mate with receptive females. Although control animals were fast to approach females and preferred ovariectomized individuals, subjugated animals stayed away from them and showed no preference. Cytochrome oxidase activity was reduced within the preoptic area and ventral tegmental area in subjugated hamsters. In addition, the correlation of metabolic activity of these areas with the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and anterior parietal cortex changed significantly from positive in controls to negative in subjugated animals. These data show that at mid-puberty, while male hamsters are capable of mating, their appetitive sexual behavior is not fully mature and this aspect of male sexual behavior is responsive to social subjugation. Furthermore, metabolic activity and coordination of activity in brain areas related to sexual behavior and motivation were altered by social subjugation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christel C Bastida
- Department of Psychology and Institute for Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, 1 University Station, A8000, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
| | - Frank Puga
- Department of Psychology and Institute for Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, 1 University Station, A8000, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Francisco Gonzalez-Lima
- Department of Psychology and Institute for Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, 1 University Station, A8000, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Kimberly J Jennings
- Department of Psychology and Institute for Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, 1 University Station, A8000, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Joel C Wommack
- Department of Psychology and Institute for Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, 1 University Station, A8000, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Yvon Delville
- Department of Psychology and Institute for Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, 1 University Station, A8000, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
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Warren BL, Sial OK, Alcantara LF, Greenwood MA, Brewer JS, Rozofsky JP, Parise EM, Bolaños-Guzmán CA. Altered gene expression and spine density in nucleus accumbens of adolescent and adult male mice exposed to emotional and physical stress. Dev Neurosci 2014; 36:250-60. [PMID: 24943326 PMCID: PMC4125435 DOI: 10.1159/000362875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2013] [Accepted: 04/14/2014] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Stressful early life experiences are implicated in lifelong health. However, little is known about the consequences of emotional stress (ES) or physical stress (PS) on neurobiology. Therefore, the following set of experiments was designed to assess changes in transcription and translation of key proteins within the nucleus accumbens (NAc). Male adolescent (postnatal day 35) or adult (8-week-old) mice were exposed to ES or PS using a witness social defeat paradigm. Then, 24 h after the last stress session, we measured levels of specific mRNAs and proteins within the NAc. Spine density was also assessed in separate groups of mice. Exposure to ES or PS disrupted extracellular signal-related kinase 2 (ERK2), reduced transcription of ΔFosB and had no effect on cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) mRNA. Western blots revealed that exposure to ES or PS decreased ERK2 phosphorylation in adolescents, whereas the same stress regimen increased ERK2 phosphorylation in adults. Exposure to ES or PS had no effect on ΔFosB or CREB phosphorylation. ES and PS increased spine density in the NAc of adolescent exposed mice, but only exposure to PS increased spine density in adults. Together, these findings demonstrate that exposure to ES or PS is a potent stressor in adolescent and adult mice and can disturb the integrity of the NAc by altering transcription and translation of important signaling molecules in an age-dependent manner. Furthermore, exposure to ES and PS induces substantial synaptic plasticity of the NAc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandon L Warren
- Department of Psychology and Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 32306-4301
| | - Omar K. Sial
- Department of Psychology and Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 32306-4301
| | - Lyonna F. Alcantara
- Department of Psychology and Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 32306-4301
| | - Maria A. Greenwood
- Department of Psychology and Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 32306-4301
| | - Jacob S. Brewer
- Department of Psychology and Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 32306-4301
| | - John P. Rozofsky
- Department of Psychology and Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 32306-4301
| | - Eric M. Parise
- Department of Psychology and Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 32306-4301
| | - Carlos A. Bolaños-Guzmán
- Department of Psychology and Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 32306-4301
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Nikulina EM, Johnston CE, Wang J, Hammer RP. Neurotrophins in the ventral tegmental area: Role in social stress, mood disorders and drug abuse. Neuroscience 2014; 282:122-38. [PMID: 24875178 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2014.05.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2014] [Revised: 05/04/2014] [Accepted: 05/11/2014] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
This review discusses the impact of neurotrophins and other trophic factors, including fibroblast growth factor and glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor, on mood disorders, weight regulation and drug abuse, with an emphasis on stress- and drug-induced changes in the ventral tegmental area (VTA). Neurotrophins, comprising nerve growth factor, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and neurotrophins 3 and 4/5 play important roles in neuronal plasticity and the development of different psychopathologies. In the VTA, most research has focused on the role of BDNF, because other neurotrophins are not found there in significant quantities. BDNF originating in the VTA provides trophic support to dopamine neurons. The diverse intracellular signaling pathways activated by BDNF may underlie precise physiological functions specific to the VTA. In general, VTA BDNF expression increases after psychostimulant exposures, and enhanced BDNF level in the VTA facilitates psychostimulant effects. The impact of VTA BDNF on the behavioral effects of psychostimulants relies primarily on its action within the mesocorticolimbic circuit. In the case of opiates, VTA BDNF expression and effects seem to be dependent on whether an animal is drug-naïve or has a history of drug use, only the latter of which is related to dopamine mechanisms. Social defeat stress that is continuous in mice or intermittent in rats increases VTA BDNF expression, and is associated with depressive and social avoidance behaviors. Intermittent social defeat stress induces persistent VTA BDNF expression that triggers psychostimulant cross-sensitization. Understanding the cellular and molecular substrates of neurotrophin effects may lead to novel therapeutic approaches for the prevention and treatment of substance use and mood disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- E M Nikulina
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix, AZ, USA.
| | - C E Johnston
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix, AZ, USA; Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - J Wang
- Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - R P Hammer
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix, AZ, USA; Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA; Department of Pharmacology and Department of Psychiatry, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson, AZ, USA
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De Pauli R, Coelhoso C, Tesone-Coelho C, Linardi A, Mello L, Silveira D, Santos-Junior J. Withdrawal induces distinct patterns of FosB/∆FosB expression in outbred Swiss mice classified as susceptible and resistant to ethanol-induced locomotor sensitization. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2014; 117:70-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2013.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2013] [Revised: 10/12/2013] [Accepted: 12/06/2013] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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Greenberg GD, Laman-Maharg A, Campi KL, Voigt H, Orr VN, Schaal L, Trainor BC. Sex differences in stress-induced social withdrawal: role of brain derived neurotrophic factor in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis. Front Behav Neurosci 2014; 7:223. [PMID: 24409132 PMCID: PMC3885825 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2013.00223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2013] [Accepted: 12/22/2013] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Depression and anxiety disorders are more common in women than men, and little is known about the neurobiological mechanisms that contribute to this disparity. Recent data suggest that stress-induced changes in neurotrophins have opposing effects on behavior by acting in different brain networks. Social defeat has been an important approach for understanding neurotrophin action, but low female aggression levels in rats and mice have limited the application of these methods primarily to males. We examined the effects of social defeat in monogamous California mice (Peromyscus californicus), a species in which both males and females defend territories. We demonstrate that defeat stress increases mature brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) protein but not mRNA in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) in females but not males. Changes in BDNF protein were limited to anterior subregions of the BNST, and there were no changes in the adjacent nucleus accumbens (NAc). The effects of defeat on social withdrawal behavior and BDNF were reversed by chronic, low doses of the antidepressant sertraline. However, higher doses of sertraline restored social withdrawal and elevated BDNF levels. Acute treatment with a low dose of sertraline failed to reverse the effects of defeat. Infusions of the selective tyrosine-related kinase B receptor (TrkB) antagonist ANA-12 into the anterior BNST specifically increased social interaction in stressed females but had no effect on behavior in females naïve to defeat. These results suggest that stress-induced increases in BDNF in the anterior BNST contribute to the exaggerated social withdrawal phenotype observed in females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gian D Greenberg
- Neuroscience Graduate Group, University of California Davis, CA, USA ; Department of Psychology, University of California Davis, CA, USA ; Center for Neuroscience, University of California Davis, CA, USA
| | - Abigail Laman-Maharg
- Neuroscience Graduate Group, University of California Davis, CA, USA ; Center for Neuroscience, University of California Davis, CA, USA
| | | | - Heather Voigt
- Department of Psychology, University of California Davis, CA, USA
| | - Veronica N Orr
- Department of Psychology, University of California Davis, CA, USA
| | - Leslie Schaal
- Department of Psychology, University of California Davis, CA, USA
| | - Brian C Trainor
- Neuroscience Graduate Group, University of California Davis, CA, USA ; Department of Psychology, University of California Davis, CA, USA ; Center for Neuroscience, University of California Davis, CA, USA
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Lijffijt M, Hu K, Swann AC. Stress modulates illness-course of substance use disorders: a translational review. Front Psychiatry 2014; 5:83. [PMID: 25101007 PMCID: PMC4101973 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2014.00083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2014] [Accepted: 06/30/2014] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Childhood trauma and post-childhood chronic/repeated stress could increase the risk of a substance use disorder by affecting five stages of addiction illness-course: (a) initial experimentation with substances; (b) shifting from experimental to regular use; (c) escalation from regular use to abuse or dependence; (d) motivation to quit; and (e) risk of (re-)lapse. We reviewed the human literature on relationships between stress and addiction illness-course. We explored per illness-course stage: (i) whether childhood trauma and post-childhood chronic/repeated stress have comparable effects and (ii) whether effects cut across classes of substances of abuse. We further discuss potential underlying mechanisms by which stressors may affect illness-course stages for which we relied on evidence from studies in animals and humans. Stress and substances of abuse both activate stress and dopaminergic motivation systems, and childhood trauma and post-childhood stressful events are more chronic and occur more frequently in people who use substances. Stressors increase risk to initiate early use potentially by affecting trait-like factors of risk-taking, decision making, and behavioral control. Stressors also accelerate transition to regular use potentially due to prior effects of stress on sensitization of dopaminergic motivation systems, cross-sensitizing with substances of abuse, especially in people with high trait impulsivity who are more prone to sensitization. Finally, stressors increase risk for abuse and dependence, attenuate motivation to quit, and increase relapse risk potentially by intensified sensitization of motivational systems, by a shift from positive to negative reinforcement due to sensitization of the amygdala by corticotropin releasing factor, and by increased sensitization of noradrenergic systems. Stress generally affects addiction illness-course across stressor types and across classes of substances of abuse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marijn Lijffijt
- Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine , Houston, TX , USA
| | - Kesong Hu
- Human Neuroscience Institute, Department of Human Development, Cornell University , Ithaca, NY , USA
| | - Alan C Swann
- Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine , Houston, TX , USA ; Mental Health Care Line, Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center , Houston, TX , USA
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Wang J, Bina RW, Wingard JC, Terwilliger EF, Hammer RP, Nikulina EM. Knockdown of tropomyosin-related kinase B receptor expression in the nucleus accumbens shell prevents intermittent social defeat stress-induced cross-sensitization to amphetamine in rats. Eur J Neurosci 2013; 39:1009-1017. [PMID: 24354924 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.12464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2013] [Revised: 10/20/2013] [Accepted: 11/26/2013] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The nucleus accumbens (NAc) is a critical brain region for the rewarding effects of drugs of abuse. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) can facilitate stress- and drug-induced neuroadaptation in the mesocorticolimbic system. BDNF-containing projections to the NAc originate from the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and the prefrontal cortex, and BDNF release activates tropomyosin-related kinase B (TrkB). In this study, we examined the necessity for BDNF-TrkB signaling in the NAc shell during social defeat stress-induced cross-sensitization to amphetamine. Adeno-associated virus expressing short hairpin RNA directed against TrkB (AAV-shTrkB) was infused bilaterally into the NAc shell to knock down TrkB, whereas AAV-GFP (green fluorescent protein) was used as the control virus. Rats were exposed to intermittent social defeat stress or handling procedures; amphetamine challenge was given at 10 days after the last defeat and locomotor activity was measured. Stressed rats that received the control virus showed cross-sensitization to amphetamine compared with the handled rats. In contrast, NAc TrkB knockdown prevented social defeat stress-induced cross-sensitization. TrkB knockdown in the NAc was found to reduce the level of phospho-extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1 in this region. NAc TrkB knockdown also prevented stress-induced elevation of BDNF and the glutamate receptor type 1 (GluA1) subunit of AMPA receptor in the VTA, as well as ΔFosB expression in the NAc. These findings indicated that BDNF-TrkB signaling in the NAc shell was required for social defeat stress-induced cross-sensitization. NAc TrkB-BDNF signaling also appeared to be involved in the regulation of GluA1 in the VTA, as well as in the NAc ΔFosB accumulation that could trigger cross-sensitization after social defeat stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junshi Wang
- Neuroscience Program, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
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Campi KL, Greenberg GD, Kapoor A, Ziegler TE, Trainor BC. Sex differences in effects of dopamine D1 receptors on social withdrawal. Neuropharmacology 2013; 77:208-16. [PMID: 24120838 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2013.09.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2013] [Revised: 09/24/2013] [Accepted: 09/29/2013] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Dopamine signaling in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) plays a critical role in the regulation of motivational states. Recent studies in male rodents show that social defeat stress increases the activity of ventral tegmental dopamine neurons projecting to the NAc, and that this increased activity is necessary for stress-induced social withdrawal. Domestic female mice are not similarly aggressive, which has hindered complementary studies in females. Using the monogamous California mouse (Peromyscus californicus), we found that social defeat increased total dopamine, DOPAC, and HVA content in the NAc in both males and females. These results are generally consistent with previous studies in Mus, and suggest defeat stress also increases NAc dopamine signaling in females. However, these results do not explain our previous observations that defeat stress induces social withdrawal in female but not male California mice. Pharmacological manipulations provided more insights. When 500 ng of the D1 agonist SKF38393 was infused in the NAc shell of females that were naïve to defeat, social interaction behavior was reduced. This same dose of SKF38393 had no effect in males, suggesting that D1 receptor activation is sufficient to induce social withdrawal in females but not males. Intra-accumbens infusion of the D1 antagonist SCH23390 increased social approach behavior in females exposed to defeat but not in females naïve to defeat. This result suggests that D1 receptors are necessary for defeat-induced social withdrawal. Overall, our results suggest that sex differences in molecular pathways that are regulated by D1 receptors contribute to sex differences in social withdrawal behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharine L Campi
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Gian D Greenberg
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Amita Kapoor
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Toni E Ziegler
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Brian C Trainor
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA; Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
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Meduri JD, Farnbauch LA, Jasnow AM. Paradoxical enhancement of fear expression and extinction deficits in mice resilient to social defeat. Behav Brain Res 2013; 256:580-90. [PMID: 24029700 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2013.09.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2013] [Revised: 08/07/2013] [Accepted: 09/02/2013] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
The exposure to stress has been associated with increased depressive and anxiety symptoms, yet not all individuals respond negatively to the experience of stress. Recent rodent social defeat models demonstrate similar individual differences in response to social stress. In particular, mice subjected to chronic social defeat have been characterized as being either "susceptible" or "resilient" by the level of social interaction following social defeat. Susceptibility is associated with lasting social avoidance as well as increased anxiety-like behavior, and depressive-like symptoms. Resilient animals, however, do not show social avoidance or increased depressive-like symptoms, but retain increased anxiety-like behavior. Thus, it is unclear what "resilience" as measured by social interaction represents in terms of an overall behavioral and physiological phenotype. Here, we use an acute social defeat procedure, which produces distinct behavioral phenotypes in social interaction with no apparent changes in anxiety-like behavior. Susceptible mice display lasting social avoidance, whereas resilient mice display normal social interaction. Susceptible mice also displayed deficits in fear extinction retention but had normal within-session extinction. Paradoxically, resilience was associated with enhanced fear expression, and severe deficits in fear extinction and extinction retention beyond that observed in susceptible mice. These effects in resilient mice were only apparent after the experience of social stress and were not due to impaired behavioral flexibility. These data suggest that mechanisms controlling resilience to acute social defeat as characterized by social interaction leave animals vulnerable to maladaptive fear behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy D Meduri
- Department of Psychology, Kent State University, 230 Kent Hall, Kent, OH 44242, USA.
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Bath KG, Schilit A, Lee FS. Stress effects on BDNF expression: Effects of age, sex, and form of stress. Neuroscience 2013; 239:149-56. [PMID: 23402850 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2013.01.074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 140] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2012] [Revised: 11/17/2012] [Accepted: 01/31/2013] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- K G Bath
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Box GL-N, 185 Meeting Street, Providence, RI 02912, USA.
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