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Xu J, Li Y, Tian B, Liu H, Wu S, Wang W. The effects and mechanism of environmental enrichment on MK-801 induced cognitive impairment in rodents with schizophrenia. Front Cell Neurosci 2022; 16:1024649. [PMID: 36246525 PMCID: PMC9556631 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2022.1024649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a severe mental disorder characterized by positive, negative, and cognitive symptoms. Cognitive symptoms are a kind of symptoms with high incidence and great impact on patients. There is no effective treatment in clinical practice. N-methyl-d-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptor hypofunction may be an important cause of cognitive symptoms. MK-801 (also named Dizocilpine), a noncompetitive antagonist of NMDA receptor, is often used to construct a model of NMDA receptor dysfunction. In terms of treatment, environmental enrichment (EE) as an environmental intervention can effectively improve the symptoms of cognitive impairment in rodents. In this paper, we first briefly introduce the background of cognitive symptoms and EE in schizophrenia, and then investigate the manifestations of MK-801 induced cognitive impairment, the improvement of EE on these cognitive impairments based on the MK-801 induced schizophrenia rodent models, and the possible mechanism of EE in improving cognitive symptoms. This article reviews the literature in recent years, which provides an important reference for MK-801 to construct a cognitive symptom model of schizophrenia and the mechanism of EE in improving cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia.
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Salmani N, Nozari M, Parvan M, Amini-Sardouei S, Shabani M, Khaksari M, Ezzatabadipour M. Nicotine-conditioned place preference, reversal learning, and social interaction in MK-801-induced schizophrenia model: Effects of post-weaning enriched environment. Clin Exp Pharmacol Physiol 2022; 49:871-880. [PMID: 35622536 DOI: 10.1111/1440-1681.13674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2021] [Revised: 01/22/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Based on the clinical observations of severe cognitive deficits in schizophrenia patients and the relationship between environmental parameters and the severity of schizophrenia symptoms, the present study investigated these parameters in an MK-801-induced schizophrenia model in rats. In addition to, it evaluated whether a post-weaning enriched environment (EE) would affect the nicotine-induced conditioned place preference (CPP) and the motor and cognitive deficits caused by MK-801 treatment. Male Wistar rat pups were injected peritoneally with MK-801 (1 mg/kg) on a daily basis between the 6th and the 10th postnatal days (P) and were exposed to either an enriched or a standard cage from P21 until the end of the experiments. The rats were evaluated in open-field and three-chamber social interaction tests. Moreover, spatial and reversal learning was assessed by the Morris water maze (MWM). Also, the animals were conditioned with 0.6 mg/kg nicotine and tested for CPP. Increased self-grooming, exploratory behavior, potentiated nicotine-CPP, and decreased social behaviors, delayed spatial learning and memory, and impaired reversal learning in the water maze were observed in the MK-801 treatment group. Housing in an EE improved cognitive and behavioral deficits associated with postnatal MK-801 treatment. The results suggested that neonatal N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor hypofunction may cause susceptibility to these behaviors and indicated the importance of environmental conditions in the development of schizophrenia and probably other neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neda Salmani
- Department of Psychology, Zarand Branch, Islamic Azad University, Kerman, Iran
| | - Masoumeh Nozari
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Mahdieh Parvan
- Physiology Research Center, Institute of Basic and Clinical Physiology Sciences, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Sara Amini-Sardouei
- Student Research Committee, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Mohammad Shabani
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Mohammad Khaksari
- Endocrinology and Metabolism Research, and Physiology Research Centers, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Massood Ezzatabadipour
- Anatomical Sciences Department, School of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
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Lee H, Kang SW, Jeong H, Kwon JT, Kim YO, Kim HJ. Alteration in Cngb1 Expression upon Maternal Immune Activation in a Mouse Model and Its Possible Association with Schizophrenia Susceptibility. CLINICAL PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY AND NEUROSCIENCE 2021; 19:618-627. [PMID: 34690117 PMCID: PMC8553526 DOI: 10.9758/cpn.2021.19.4.618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2020] [Revised: 10/20/2020] [Accepted: 11/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Objective The cyclic nucleotide-gated channel (Cng) regulates synaptic efficacy in brain neurons by modulating Ca2+ levels in response to changes in cyclic nucleotide concentrations. This study investigated whether the expression of Cng channel, cyclic nucleotide-gated channel subunit beta 1 (Cngb1) exhibited any relationship with the pathophysiology of schizophrenia in an animal model and whether genetic polymorphisms of the human gene were associated with the progression of schizophrenia in a Korean population. Methods We investigated whether Cngb1 expression was related to psychiatric disorders in a mouse model of schizophrenia induced by maternal immune activation. A case-control study was conducted of 275 schizophrenia patients and 410 controls with single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the 5′-near region of CNGB1. Results Cngb1 expression was decreased in the prefrontal cortex in the mouse model. Furthermore, the genotype frequency of a SNP (rs3756314) of CNGB1 was associated with the risk of schizophrenia. Conclusion Our results suggest that CNGB1 might be associated with schizophrenia susceptibility and maternal immune activation. Consequently, it is hypothesized that CNGB1 may be involved in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hwayoung Lee
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Cheonan, Korea
| | - Sung Wook Kang
- Cardiovascular Center of Excellence, Louisiana State University Health Science Center, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Hyeonjung Jeong
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Cheonan, Korea
| | - Jun-Tack Kwon
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Cheonan, Korea
| | - Young Ock Kim
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Cheonan, Korea
| | - Hak-Jae Kim
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Cheonan, Korea
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Furuie H, Yamada M. Neonatal blockade of NR2A-containing but not NR2B-containing NMDA receptor induces spatial working memory deficits in adult rats. Neurosci Res 2021; 176:57-65. [PMID: 34656645 DOI: 10.1016/j.neures.2021.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2021] [Revised: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
The immature brain is highly sensitive to disturbances in the functioning of N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor in rodents, and blockade of the receptor during postnatal brain development period causes schizophrenia-like behavior in adulthood. During the postnatal period, NR2A- and NR2B-containing NMDA receptors are highly expressed, and these two subunits show different expression patterns in the brain. However, the functions of these two NMDA receptors are unknown. In this study, we treated rats with an NR2A-preferring NMDA receptor antagonist (PEAQX, 10 mg/kg), an NR2B-selective NMDA receptor antagonist (ifenprodil, 7.5 mg/kg), or a nonselective blocker of the NMDA receptor (MK-801, 0.4 mg/kg) during the neonatal period. Rats neonatally treated with MK-801 or PEAQX showed spatial working memory deficits in the Y-maze test. PEAQX-treated rats also showed greater reactivity to acoustic stimuli and hypersensitivity to acute MK-801 challenge. However, ifenprodil treatment did not cause any detectable behavioral changes. These results suggest that the NR2A-containing NMDA receptor is indispensable for proper brain development in rats, and functional disturbances in this subunit impair hippocampus-dependent spatial working memory in adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroki Furuie
- Department of Neuropsychopharmacology, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Tokyo 187-8553, Japan.
| | - Mitsuhiko Yamada
- Department of Neuropsychopharmacology, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Tokyo 187-8553, Japan
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Huang Y, Jiang H, Zheng Q, Fok AHK, Li X, Lau CG, Lai CSW. Environmental enrichment or selective activation of parvalbumin-expressing interneurons ameliorates synaptic and behavioral deficits in animal models with schizophrenia-like behaviors during adolescence. Mol Psychiatry 2021; 26:2533-2552. [PMID: 33473150 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-020-01005-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2019] [Revised: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Synaptic deficit-induced excitation and inhibition (E/I) imbalance have been implicated in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. Using in vivo two-photon microscopy, we examined the dynamic plasticity of dendritic spines of pyramidal neurons (PNs) and "en passant" axonal bouton of parvalbumin-expressing interneurons (PVINs) in the frontal association (FrA) cortex in two adolescent mouse models with schizophrenia-like behaviors. Simultaneous imaging of PN dendritic spines and PV axonal boutons showed that repeated exposure to N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) antagonist MK801 during adolescence disrupted the normal developmental balance of excitatory and inhibitory synaptic structures. This MK801-induced structural E/I imbalance significantly correlated with animal recognition memory deficits and could be ameliorated by environmental enrichment (EE). In addition, selective chemogenetic activation of PVINs in the FrA mimicked the effects of EE on both synaptic plasticity and animal behavior, while selective inhibition of PVIN abolished EE's beneficial effects. Electrophysiological recordings showed that chronic MK801 treatment significantly suppressed the frequency of mEPSC/mIPSC ratio of layer (L) 2/3 PNs and significantly reduced the resting membrane potential of PVINs, the latter was rescued by selective activation of PVINs. Such manipulations of PVINs also showed similar effects in PV-Cre; ErbB4fl/fl animal model with schizophrenia-like behaviors. EE or selective activation of PVINs in the FrA restored behavioral deficits and structural E/I imbalance in adolescent PV-Cre; ErbB4fl/fl mice, while selective inhibition of PVINs abolished EE's beneficial effects. Our findings suggest that the PVIN activity in the FrA plays a crucial role in regulating excitatory and inhibitory synaptic structural dynamics and animal behaviors, which may provide a potential therapeutic target for schizophrenia treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuhua Huang
- School of Biomedical Sciences, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong
| | - Hehai Jiang
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong.,Department of Neuroscience, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong
| | - Qiyu Zheng
- School of Biomedical Sciences, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong
| | - Albert Hiu Ka Fok
- School of Biomedical Sciences, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong
| | - Xiaoyang Li
- School of Biomedical Sciences, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong
| | - C Geoffrey Lau
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong.,Department of Neuroscience, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong
| | - Cora Sau Wan Lai
- School of Biomedical Sciences, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong. .,State Key Laboratory of Cognitive and Brain Research, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong.
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Zhu X, Grace AA. Prepubertal Environmental Enrichment Prevents Dopamine Dysregulation and Hippocampal Hyperactivity in MAM Schizophrenia Model Rats. Biol Psychiatry 2021; 89:298-307. [PMID: 33357630 PMCID: PMC7927755 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2020.09.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2020] [Revised: 09/07/2020] [Accepted: 09/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Schizophrenia (SCZ) is a neurodevelopmental disorder with a progressive, prolonged course. Early prevention for SCZ is promising but overall lacks support from preclinical evidence. Previous studies have tested environmental enrichment (EE) in certain models of SCZ and discovered a broadly beneficial effect in preventing behavioral abnormalities relevant, yet not specific, to the disorder. Nonetheless, whether EE can prevent dopamine (DA) dysregulation, a hallmark of psychosis and SCZ, had not been tested. METHODS Using the MAM (methylazoxymethanol acetate) rat model of schizophrenia and saline-treated control animals, we investigated the long-term electrophysiological effects of prepubertal (postnatal day 21-40) EE on DA neurons, pyramidal neurons in the ventral hippocampus, and projection neurons in the basolateral amygdala. Anxiety-related behaviors in the elevated plus maze and locomotor responses to amphetamine were also analyzed. RESULTS Prepubertal EE prevented the increased population activity of DA neurons and the associated increase in locomotor response to amphetamine. Prepubertal EE also prevented hyperactivity in the ventral hippocampus but did not prevent hyperactivity in the basolateral amygdala. Anxiety-like behaviors in MAM rats were not ameliorated by prepubertal exposure to EE. CONCLUSIONS Twenty-day prepubertal EE is sufficient to prevent DA hyperresponsivity in the MAM model, measured by electrophysiological recordings and locomotor response to amphetamine. This effect is potentially mediated by normalizing excessive firing in the ventral hippocampus without affecting anxiety-like behaviors and basolateral amygdala firing. This study identified EE as a useful preventative approach that may protect against the pathophysiological development of SCZ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiyu Zhu
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
| | - Anthony A Grace
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
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Kraeuter AK, Archambault N, van den Buuse M, Sarnyai Z. Ketogenic diet and olanzapine treatment alone and in combination reduce a pharmacologically-induced prepulse inhibition deficit in female mice. Schizophr Res 2019; 212:221-224. [PMID: 31405622 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2019.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2019] [Revised: 07/30/2019] [Accepted: 08/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
We used the acute NMDA receptor hypoactivity model of schizophrenia in mice to compare the efficacy of a long-term ketogenic diet and a commonly used antipsychotic, olanzapine, and to explore the interaction between these treatments. We found that a ketogenic diet in female mice was as effective as olanzapine to diminish MK-801-induced disruption of prepulse inhibition (PPI). Furthermore, combination of the diet with olanzapine treatment resulted in a similar effect compared to either treatment alone. These results suggest that ketogenic diet can be used effectively together with antipsychotics drugs over an extended period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann-Katrin Kraeuter
- Laboratory of Psychiatric Neuroscience, Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine, Australia; College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Nadia Archambault
- Laboratory of Psychiatric Neuroscience, Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine, Australia; College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Maarten van den Buuse
- College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia; School of Psychology and Public Health, LaTrobe University, Bundoora, Melbourne, Australia; Department of Pharmacology, University of Melbourne, Australia
| | - Zoltán Sarnyai
- Laboratory of Psychiatric Neuroscience, Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine, Australia; College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia.
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Murueta-Goyena A, Ortuzar N, Lafuente JV, Bengoetxea H. Enriched Environment Reverts Somatostatin Interneuron Loss in MK-801 Model of Schizophrenia. Mol Neurobiol 2019; 57:125-134. [PMID: 31506899 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-019-01762-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2019] [Accepted: 08/29/2019] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Dysregulation of the inhibitory drive has been proposed to be a central mechanism to explain symptoms and pathophysiological hallmarks in schizophrenia. A number of recent neuroanatomical studies suggest that certain types of inhibitory cells are deficient in schizophrenia, including somatostatin-immunoreactive interneurons (SST+). The present study sought to use stereological methods to investigate whether the number of SST+ interneurons decreased after repeated injections of NMDA receptor antagonist MK-801 (0.5 mg/kg) and to determine the effect of limited exposure to an enriched environment (EE) in adult life on this sub-population of inhibitory cells. Considering that somatostatin expression is highly dependent on neurotrophic support, we explored the changes in the relative expression of proteins related to brain-derived neurotrophic factor-tyrosine kinase B (BDNF-TrkB) signaling between the experimental groups. We observed that early-life MK-801 treatment significantly decreased the number of SST+ interneurons in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and the hippocampus (HPC) of adult Long Evans rats. Contrarily, short-term exposure to EE increased the number of SST+ interneurons in MK-801-injected animals, except in the CA1 region of the hippocampus, whereas this increase was not observed in vehicle-injected rats. We also found upregulated BDNF-TrkB signaling after EE that triggered an increase in the pERK/ERK ratio in mPFC and HPC, and the pAkt/Akt ratio in HPC. Thus, the present results support the notion that SST+ interneurons are markedly affected after early-life NMDAR blockade and that EE promotes SST+ interneuron expression, which is partly mediated through the BDNF-TrkB signaling pathway. These results may have important implications for schizophrenia, as SST+ interneuron loss is also observed in the MK-801 pre-clinical model, and its expression can be rescued by non-pharmacological approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ane Murueta-Goyena
- Laboratory of Clinical and Experimental Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, University of the Basque Country, UPV/EHU, Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain. .,Neurodegenerative Diseases group, BioCruces Bizkaia Health Research Institute, Plaza de Cruces 12, 48903, Barakaldo, Bizkaia, Spain.
| | - Naiara Ortuzar
- Laboratory of Clinical and Experimental Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, University of the Basque Country, UPV/EHU, Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - José Vicente Lafuente
- Laboratory of Clinical and Experimental Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, University of the Basque Country, UPV/EHU, Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain.,Nanoneurosurgery Group, BioCruces Bizkaia Health Research Institute, Plaza de Cruces 12, 48903, Barakaldo, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Harkaitz Bengoetxea
- Laboratory of Clinical and Experimental Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, University of the Basque Country, UPV/EHU, Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain
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Faatehi M, Basiri M, Nezhadi A, Shabani M, Masoumi-Ardakani Y, Soltani Z, Nozari M. Early enriched environment prevents cognitive impairment in an animal model of schizophrenia induced by MK-801: Role of hippocampal BDNF. Brain Res 2019; 1711:115-119. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2019.01.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2018] [Revised: 12/25/2018] [Accepted: 01/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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Effects of Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer extract on the offspring of adult mice with maternal immune activation. Mol Med Rep 2018; 18:3834-3842. [PMID: 30132543 PMCID: PMC6131221 DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2018.9417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2017] [Accepted: 06/12/2018] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
To understand maternal immune activation (MIA) during prenatal development, the synthetic double-stranded RNA polyriboinosinic-polyribocytidylic acid [poly(I:C)] has been widely used in animal models to induce behavioral deficits similar to those in schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders. Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer (PG) extract is widely used to treat various kinds of nervous system disorders in Asia particularly China and Korea. The present study aimed to examine the effects of PG extract on MIA offspring using behavioral activity tests and protein expression analyses. Pregnant mice were exposed to poly(I:C) (5 mg/kg) or vehicle treatment on gestation day 9, and the resulting MIA offspring were subjected to vehicle or PG (300 mg/kg) treatment. In the acoustic startle response test, MIA-induced sensorimotor gating deficit was ameliorated by PG. The majority of behavioral parameters measured in the social interaction (non-aggressive or/and aggressive pattern), open field (number/duration of behavior) and forced swimming test (immobility behavior) were significantly altered in the MIA offspring. Western blot and immunohistochemical analyses of the medial prefrontal cortex indicated that the expression levels of certain neurodevelopmental proteins, including dihydropyrimidinase-related 2, LIM and SH3 domain 1, neurofilament medium, and discs large homolog 4, were decreased in the untreated MIA offspring, whereas PG treatment improved behavioral impairments and increased neurodevelopmental protein expression in MIA offspring. These results suggested that PG may be useful in neurodevelopmental disorder therapy, including psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, owing to its antipsychotic effects.
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Wickens MM, Bangasser DA, Briand LA. Sex Differences in Psychiatric Disease: A Focus on the Glutamate System. Front Mol Neurosci 2018; 11:197. [PMID: 29922129 PMCID: PMC5996114 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2018.00197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2018] [Accepted: 05/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Alterations in glutamate, the primary excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain, are implicated in several psychiatric diseases. Many of these psychiatric diseases display epidemiological sex differences, with either males or females exhibiting different symptoms or disease prevalence. However, little work has considered the interaction of disrupted glutamatergic transmission and sex on disease states. This review describes the clinical and preclinical evidence for these sex differences with a focus on two conditions that are more prevalent in women: Alzheimer's disease and major depressive disorder, and three conditions that are more prevalent in men: schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorder, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. These studies reveal sex differences at multiple levels in the glutamate system including metabolic markers, receptor levels, genetic interactions, and therapeutic responses to glutamatergic drugs. Our survey of the current literature revealed a considerable need for more evaluations of sex differences in future studies examining the role of the glutamate system in psychiatric disease. Gaining a more thorough understanding of how sex differences in the glutamate system contribute to psychiatric disease could provide novel avenues for the development of sex-specific pharmacotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan M Wickens
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Debra A Bangasser
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States.,Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Lisa A Briand
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States.,Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
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Lee H, Kim HK, Kwon JT, Park S, Park HJ, Kim SK, Park JK, Kang WS, Kim YJ, Chung JH, Kim JW, Kim HJ. BBOX1 is down-regulated in maternal immune-activated mice and implicated in genetic susceptibility to human schizophrenia. Psychiatry Res 2018; 259:197-202. [PMID: 29065368 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2017.10.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2017] [Revised: 07/12/2017] [Accepted: 10/01/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Prenatal exposure to infectious or inflammatory insults can increase the risk of developing neuropsychiatric disorders such as bipolar disorder, autism, and schizophrenia in later life. Gamma-butyrobetaine hydroxylase (BBOX 1) is an enzyme responsible for the biosynthesis of l-carnitine, a key molecule in fatty acid metabolism. This cytosolic dimeric protein belongs to the dioxygenase family. In this study, we investigated whether BBOX 1 expression was related to psychiatric disorder in an animal model. We also conducted a case-control study using 284 schizophrenia patients and 409 controls with single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the 5'-near region of BBOX 1. BBOX 1 expression was increased in the medial frontal cortex of a mouse model of schizophrenia induced by maternal immune activation. Furthermore, the genotype and allele frequencies of two SNPs (rs7939644 and rs10767592) were significantly associated with schizophrenia susceptibility. Our results suggest that BBOX 1 might be associated with maternal immune activation and schizophrenia susceptibility. Therefore, it might be involved in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hwayoung Lee
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, College of Medicine, Soonchunhyang University, Cheonan, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyung-Ki Kim
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, College of Medicine, Soonchunhyang University, Cheonan, Republic of Korea
| | - Jun-Tack Kwon
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, College of Medicine, Soonchunhyang University, Cheonan, Republic of Korea
| | - Shohyun Park
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, College of Medicine, Soonchunhyang University, Cheonan, Republic of Korea
| | - Hae Jeong Park
- Kohwang Medical Research Institute, School of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 130-701, Republic of Korea
| | - Su Kang Kim
- Kohwang Medical Research Institute, School of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 130-701, Republic of Korea
| | - Jin Kyung Park
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, School of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 130-701, Republic of Korea
| | - Won Sub Kang
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, School of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 130-701, Republic of Korea
| | - Young Jong Kim
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, School of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 130-701, Republic of Korea
| | - Joo-Ho Chung
- Kohwang Medical Research Institute, School of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 130-701, Republic of Korea
| | - Jong Woo Kim
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, School of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 130-701, Republic of Korea
| | - Hak-Jae Kim
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, College of Medicine, Soonchunhyang University, Cheonan, Republic of Korea; Soonchunhyang Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine, Soonchunhyang University, Cheonan, Republic of Korea.
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13
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Bator E, Latusz J, Wędzony K, Maćkowiak M. Adolescent environmental enrichment prevents the emergence of schizophrenia-like abnormalities in a neurodevelopmental model of schizophrenia. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2018; 28:97-108. [PMID: 29174863 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2017.11.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2017] [Revised: 10/25/2017] [Accepted: 11/09/2017] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
In the present study, we investigated whether exposure to an enriched environment (EE) during adolescence might affect the behavioural dysfunction (sensorimotor gating deficit, memory and social interaction impairments) and neurochemical changes (GAD67 expression, histone methylation) induced by methylazoxymethanol (MAM) in the MAM-E17 rat model of schizophrenia. EE was introduced for 7 days in early adolescence (days 23-29), and behavioural and biochemical studies were performed on adult rats at postnatal day 70. The results showed that exposure to EE prevented the development of adult behavioural deficits induced by prenatal MAM administration. EE also prevented the decrease in GAD67 mRNA and protein levels induced by MAM in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Moreover, EE inhibited the reductions in the amount of Gad1 bound to H3K4me3 and in the total H3K4me3 protein level induced by prenatal MAM administration in the adult mPFC. However, there was no effect of EE on behaviour or levels of the various neurochemical markers in adult rats prenatally treated with vehicle. Thus, these results indicate that EE exposure during early adolescence may inhibit the development of schizophrenia related symptoms through epigenetic mechanisms that regulate the expression of genes (e.g., Gad1) that are impaired in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ewelina Bator
- Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Laboratory of Pharmacology and Brain Biostructure, Smętna Street 12, 31-343 Kraków, Poland
| | - Joachim Latusz
- Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Laboratory of Pharmacology and Brain Biostructure, Smętna Street 12, 31-343 Kraków, Poland
| | - Krzysztof Wędzony
- Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Laboratory of Pharmacology and Brain Biostructure, Smętna Street 12, 31-343 Kraków, Poland
| | - Marzena Maćkowiak
- Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Laboratory of Pharmacology and Brain Biostructure, Smętna Street 12, 31-343 Kraków, Poland.
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Shojaei A, Anaraki AK, Mirnajafi-Zadeh J, Atapour N. Modifications of inhibitory transmission onto pyramidal neurons by postnatal exposure to MK-801: Effects of enriched environment. Int J Dev Neurosci 2017; 57:56-61. [PMID: 28099880 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2017.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2016] [Revised: 01/12/2017] [Accepted: 01/12/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Early enriched environment (EE) prevents several deficits associated with postnatal MK-801 [N-Methyl-d-Aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist] treatment such as cognitive and locomotor deficits. We sought physiological correlates to such changes by looking at inhibitory synaptic inputs onto pyramidal cells in a prefrontal cortex slice preparation. Pharmacologically isolated γ-amino-butyric acid A (GABAA) receptor-mediated currents were measured using whole-cell patch clamp recordings. Wistar rats were raised in standard or EE from birth up to the time of experiments and were injected with saline or MK-801 (1mg/kg) on postnatal days (P) 6-10. We recorded miniature inhibitory post-synaptic currents (mIPSCs) of pyramidal cells in layer II/III of prefrontal cortex and measured their frequency, amplitude and kinetics. In control animals, the amplitude and frequency of mIPSCs increased strikingly during development from P21 to P28. MK-801 accelerated the development of mIPSCs frequency but caused a significant decrease in the amplitude of mIPSCs on P28 suggesting a significant reduction of inhibition onto pyramidal cells. EE per se led to a significant increase in both frequency and amplitude of mIPSCs, but its application to MK-801-treated rats resulted in moderate rescue of GABAergic transmission on P28. We conclude that postnatal MK-801 leads to reduced inhibitory transmission onto pyramidal cells of prefrontal cortex at adolescence which may underlie behavioural and morphological differences detected in vivo in rats. EE presentation from birth rather prevents GABAergic alterations associated with postnatal MK-801 treatment at adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amir Shojaei
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Afsaneh Kamali Anaraki
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Javad Mirnajafi-Zadeh
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Nafiseh Atapour
- Neuroscience Research Center, Neuropharmacology Institute, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran; Neuroscience Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Physiology, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria 3800, Australia.
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15
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Santos CM, Peres FF, Diana MC, Justi V, Suiama MA, Santana MG, Abílio VC. Peripubertal exposure to environmental enrichment prevents schizophrenia-like behaviors in the SHR strain animal model. Schizophr Res 2016; 176:552-559. [PMID: 27338757 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2016.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2016] [Revised: 06/04/2016] [Accepted: 06/07/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a highly disabling mental disorder, in which genetics and environmental factors interact culminating in the disease. The treatment of negative symptoms and cognitive deficits with antipsychotics is currently inefficient and is an important field of research. Environmental enrichment (EE) has been suggested to improve some cognitive deficits in animal models of various psychiatric disorders. In this study, we aimed to evaluate a possible beneficial effect of early and long-term exposure to EE on an animal model of schizophrenia, the SHR strain. Young male Wistar rats (control strain) and SHRs (21 post-natal days) were housed for 6weeks in two different conditions: in large cages (10 animals per cage) containing objects of different textures, forms, colors and materials that were changed 3 times/week (EE condition) or in standard cages (5 animals per cage - Control condition). Behavioral evaluations - social interaction (SI), locomotion, prepulse inhibition of startle (PPI) and spontaneous alternation (SA) - were performed 6weeks after the end of EE. SHRs presented deficits in PPI (a sensorimotor impairment), SI (mimicking the negative symptoms) and SA (a working memory deficit), and also hyperlocomotion (modeling the positive symptoms). EE was able to reduce locomotion and increase PPI in both strains, and to prevent the working memory deficit in SHRs. EE also increased the number of neurons in the CA1 and CA3 of the hippocampus. In conclusion, EE can be a potential nonpharmacological strategy to prevent some behavioral deficits associated with schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camila Mauricio Santos
- LiNC - Interdisciplinary Laboratory of Clinical Neurosciences, Department of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Rua Pedro de Toledo, 669, 3° andar, Ed. de Pesquisas II, CEP 04039-032 São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Fernanda Fiel Peres
- LiNC - Interdisciplinary Laboratory of Clinical Neurosciences, Department of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Rua Pedro de Toledo, 669, 3° andar, Ed. de Pesquisas II, CEP 04039-032 São Paulo, SP, Brazil; Department of Pharmacology, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Rua Pedro de Toledo, 669, 5° andar, Ed. de Pesquisas II, CEP 04039-032 São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Mariana Cepollaro Diana
- LiNC - Interdisciplinary Laboratory of Clinical Neurosciences, Department of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Rua Pedro de Toledo, 669, 3° andar, Ed. de Pesquisas II, CEP 04039-032 São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Veronica Justi
- LiNC - Interdisciplinary Laboratory of Clinical Neurosciences, Department of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Rua Pedro de Toledo, 669, 3° andar, Ed. de Pesquisas II, CEP 04039-032 São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Mayra Akimi Suiama
- LiNC - Interdisciplinary Laboratory of Clinical Neurosciences, Department of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Rua Pedro de Toledo, 669, 3° andar, Ed. de Pesquisas II, CEP 04039-032 São Paulo, SP, Brazil; Department of Pharmacology, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Rua Pedro de Toledo, 669, 5° andar, Ed. de Pesquisas II, CEP 04039-032 São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Marcela Gonçalves Santana
- LiNC - Interdisciplinary Laboratory of Clinical Neurosciences, Department of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Rua Pedro de Toledo, 669, 3° andar, Ed. de Pesquisas II, CEP 04039-032 São Paulo, SP, Brazil; Department of Pharmacology, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Rua Pedro de Toledo, 669, 5° andar, Ed. de Pesquisas II, CEP 04039-032 São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Vanessa Costhek Abílio
- LiNC - Interdisciplinary Laboratory of Clinical Neurosciences, Department of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Rua Pedro de Toledo, 669, 3° andar, Ed. de Pesquisas II, CEP 04039-032 São Paulo, SP, Brazil; Department of Pharmacology, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Rua Pedro de Toledo, 669, 5° andar, Ed. de Pesquisas II, CEP 04039-032 São Paulo, SP, Brazil
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16
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Wu ZM, Ding Y, Jia HX, Li L. Different effects of isolation-rearing and neonatal MK-801 treatment on attentional modulations of prepulse inhibition of startle in rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2016; 233:3089-102. [PMID: 27370017 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-016-4351-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2016] [Accepted: 06/02/2016] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
RATIONAL Prepulse inhibition (PPI) is suppression of the startle reflex by a weaker sensory stimulus (prepulse) preceding the startling stimulus. In people with schizophrenia, impairment of attentional modulation of PPI, but not impairment of baseline PPI, is correlated with symptom severity. In rats, both fear conditioning of prepulse and perceptually spatial separation between the conditioned prepulse and a noise masker enhance PPI (the paradigms of attentional modulation of PPI). OBJECTIVES As a neurodevelopmental model of schizophrenia, isolation rearing impairs both baseline PPI and attentional modulations of PPI in rats. This study examined in Sprague-Dawley male rats whether neonatally blocking N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors specifically affects attentional modulations of PPI during adulthood. RESULTS Both socially reared rats with neonatal exposure to the NMDA receptor antagonist MK-801 and isolation-reared rats exhibited augmented startle responses, but only isolation rearing impaired baseline PPI. Fear conditioning of the prepulse enhanced PPI in socially reared rats, but MK-801-treated rats lost the prepulse feature specificity. Perceptually spatial separation between the conditioned prepulse and a noise masker further enhanced PPI only in normally reared rats. Clozapine administration during adulthood generally weakened startle, enhanced baseline PPI in neonatally interrupted rats, and restored the fear conditioning-induced PPI enhancement in isolation-reared rats with a loss of the prepulse feature specificity. Clozapine administration also abolished both the perceptual separation-induced PPI enhancement in normally reared rats and the fear conditioning-induced PPI enhancement in MK-801-treated rats. CONCLUSIONS Isolation rearing impairs both baseline PPI and attentional modulations of PPI, but neonatally disrupting NMDA receptor-mediated transmissions specifically impair attentional modulations of PPI. Clozapine has limited alleviating effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhe-Meng Wu
- Department of Psychology and Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Speech and Hearing Research Center, Key Laboratory on Machine Perception (Ministry of Education), Peking University, Beijing, 100080, China
| | - Yu Ding
- Department of Psychology and Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Speech and Hearing Research Center, Key Laboratory on Machine Perception (Ministry of Education), Peking University, Beijing, 100080, China
| | - Hong-Xiao Jia
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Mental Disorders, Center of Schizophrenia,Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100088, China. .,Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Beijing, China.
| | - Liang Li
- Department of Psychology and Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Speech and Hearing Research Center, Key Laboratory on Machine Perception (Ministry of Education), Peking University, Beijing, 100080, China. .,Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Beijing, China.
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17
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Nozari M, Suzuki T, Rosa MGP, Yamakawa K, Atapour N. The impact of early environmental interventions on structural plasticity of the axon initial segment in neocortex. Dev Psychobiol 2016; 59:39-47. [DOI: 10.1002/dev.21453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2016] [Accepted: 07/12/2016] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Masoumeh Nozari
- Neuroscience Research Center, Neuropharmacology Institute; Kerman University of Medical Sciences; Kerman Iran
| | - Toshimitsu Suzuki
- Laboratory for Neurogenetics; RIKEN Brain Science Institute; Wako-shi Saitama Japan
| | - Marcello G. P. Rosa
- Neuroscience Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Physiology; Monash University; Melbourne Victoria Australia
- Australian Research Council, Centre of Excellence for Integrative Brain Function; Monash University Node; Clayton Victoria Australia
| | - Kazuhiro Yamakawa
- Laboratory for Neurogenetics; RIKEN Brain Science Institute; Wako-shi Saitama Japan
| | - Nafiseh Atapour
- Neuroscience Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Physiology; Monash University; Melbourne Victoria Australia
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18
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Rahati M, Nozari M, Eslami H, Shabani M, Basiri M. Effects of enriched environment on alterations in the prefrontal cortex GFAP- and S100B-immunopositive astrocytes and behavioral deficits in MK-801-treated rats. Neuroscience 2016; 326:105-116. [PMID: 27063100 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2016.03.065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2016] [Revised: 03/17/2016] [Accepted: 03/29/2016] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
A plethora of studies have indicated that enriched environment (EE) paradigm provokes plastic and morphological changes in astrocytes with accompanying increments of their density and positively affects the behavior of rodents. We also previously documented that EE could be employed to preclude several behavioral abnormalities, mainly cognitive deficits, attributed to postnatal N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist (MK-801) treatment, as a rodent model of schizophrenia (SCH) aspects. Given this, the current study quantitatively investigated the number of cells, presumed to be astrocytes, expressing two astroglia-associated proteins (S100B and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)) by immunohistochemistry in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), along with anxiety and passive avoidance (PA) learning behaviors by utilizing elevated plus maze (EPM) and shuttle-box tests, in MK-801-treated male wistar rats submitted to EE and non-EE rats. Following a treatment regime of sub-chronic MK-801 (1.0mg/kg i.p. daily for five consecutive days from postnatal day (P) 6), S-100B-positive cells and anxiety level were markedly increased, while the GFAP-positive cells and PA learning were notably attenuated. The trend of diminished GFAP-immunopositive cells and elevated S100B-immunostained cells in the PFC was reversed in the SCH-like rats by exposure of animals to EE, commencing from birth up to the time of experiments on P28-85. Additionally, EE exhibited an ameliorating effect on the behavioral abnormalities evoked by MK-801. Overall, present findings support that improper astrocyte functioning and behavioral changes, reminiscent of the many facets of SCH, occur consequential to repetitive administration of MK-801 and that raising rat pups in an EE mitigates these alterations.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Rahati
- Department of Anatomical Sciences, Afzalipour School of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran; Neuroscience Research Center, Neuropharmacology Institute, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - M Nozari
- Department of Physiology, Afzalipour School of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - H Eslami
- Department of Pharmacology, Molecular Medicine Research Center, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran
| | - M Shabani
- Neuroscience Research Center, Neuropharmacology Institute, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - M Basiri
- Department of Anatomical Sciences, Afzalipour School of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran; Neuroscience Research Center, Neuropharmacology Institute, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
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19
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Burrows EL, Hannan AJ. Cognitive endophenotypes, gene-environment interactions and experience-dependent plasticity in animal models of schizophrenia. Biol Psychol 2015; 116:82-9. [PMID: 26687973 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2015.11.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2015] [Revised: 11/26/2015] [Accepted: 11/30/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a devastating brain disorder caused by a complex and heterogeneous combination of genetic and environmental factors. In order to develop effective new strategies to prevent and treat schizophrenia, valid animal models are required which accurately model the disorder, and ideally provide construct, face and predictive validity. The cognitive deficits in schizophrenia represent some of the most debilitating symptoms and are also currently the most poorly treated. Therefore it is crucial that animal models are able to capture the cognitive dysfunction that characterizes schizophrenia, as well as the negative and psychotic symptoms. The genomes of mice have, prior to the recent gene-editing revolution, proven the most easily manipulable of mammalian laboratory species, and hence most genetic targeting has been performed using mouse models. Importantly, when key environmental factors of relevance to schizophrenia are experimentally manipulated, dramatic changes in the phenotypes of these animal models are often observed. We will review recent studies in rodent models which provide insight into gene-environment interactions in schizophrenia. We will focus specifically on environmental factors which modulate levels of experience-dependent plasticity, including environmental enrichment, cognitive stimulation, physical activity and stress. The insights provided by this research will not only help refine the establishment of optimally valid animal models which facilitate development of novel therapeutics, but will also provide insight into the pathogenesis of schizophrenia, thus identifying molecular and cellular targets for future preclinical and clinical investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma L Burrows
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne Brain Centre, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Anthony J Hannan
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne Brain Centre, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia; Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia.
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20
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Bayat M, Sharifi MD, Haghani M, Shabani M. Enriched environment improves synaptic plasticity and cognitive deficiency in chronic cerebral hypoperfused rats. Brain Res Bull 2015; 119:34-40. [PMID: 26474515 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2015.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2015] [Revised: 10/02/2015] [Accepted: 10/07/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Recent studies have indicated that environmental enrichment (EE) increases the sensorial and social stimulations and leads to strengthened plastic changes in the brain. In models of chronic cerebral hypoperfusion, the ability of an EE to restore the cognition depends on hippocampal synaptic plasticity. The mechanisms for this effect have not, however, been adequately studied. Thus, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the neuroprotective effects and underlying mechanism of environmental enrichment by assessment of spatial memory tasks as well as parameters of synaptic plasticity in rats subjected to occlusion of the bilateral common carotid arteries (2-VO) model. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were used in this study. The model group was established by occlusion of the bilateral common carotid arteries. The animals were tested for learning, memory performance and synaptic plasticity using Morris water maze (MWM), 8-arm Radial Maze (RM), and field potential recording, respectively. The rats subjected to 2-VO in EE exhibited a significantly lower number of working errors and reference errors in RM. Moreover, the enriched environment recovered the memory performance of hypoperfused rats and decreased the swimming time to reach the platform in MWM. In addition, conditions of the environment did not have any effect on baseline synaptic transmission and presynaptic plasticity, but housing the animals in EE rescued the impairment of LTP induction induced by 2-VO. These results suggest that EE ameliorates the LTP and spatial memory impairment induced by 2-VO. Our data indicated that the LTP recovery by EE in the rat models of 2-VO is probably mediated by post-synaptic mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahnaz Bayat
- Department of Physiology, International Branch, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
| | - Mohammad Davood Sharifi
- Imam Reza Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
| | - Masoud Haghani
- Histomorphometry and Stereology Research Centre, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran; Department of Physiology, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
| | - Mohammad Shabani
- Kerman Neuroscience Research Center, Neuropharmacology Institute, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
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