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Du R, Lu G, Luo WJ, He T, Li CL, Yu Y, Wei N, Luo X, Chen J. Dyadic social interaction paradigm reveals selective role of ovarian estrogen in the caring behavior and socially transferred pain in female mice. Neuropharmacology 2024; 261:110138. [PMID: 39244013 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2024.110138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2024] [Revised: 08/21/2024] [Accepted: 08/31/2024] [Indexed: 09/09/2024]
Abstract
When a naïve observer meets with a familiar conspecific in pain, mice may have a myriad of social (sniffing, allolicking, allogrooming, huddling) and non-social (self-grooming) behaviors under dyadic social interaction (DSI) paradigm. Unlike male, female observers express more allolicking behavior toward injury site of a familiar female in pain, but with less body allogrooming. In current study, we investigated roles of natural estrus cycle phases and ovarian estrogen in these behaviors and results showed that: (1) there was no changes in above behaviors in terms of latency, time and bouts across different natural estrus cycle phases in intact female. (2) however, ovariectomy (OVX) changed estrus cycle phases, lowered circulating level of ovarian estrogen, reduced time and bouts of allolicking behavior and increased time of self-grooming without affecting other behaviors. Moreover, OVX in observers decreased social buffering effect of DSI on spontaneous pain-related behavior in demonstrator relative to naïve and sham controls. (3) treatment of OVX-female with β-estradiol (E2) or progesterone (PROG) as replacement therapies, only E2 reversed impairment of allolicking behavior. (4) Additionally, socially transferred pain could be identified in intact female across all estrus cycle phases post-DSI, but disappeared in OVX-female, which could be reversed completely by E2 but not by PROG. (5) Finally, serum levels of estrogen, PROG, oxytocin, arginine vasopressin (AVP), prolactin, norepinephrine and 5-HT were examined by ELISA after E2, results showed only AVP level was significantly increased. These results suggest both injury site-targeted caring behavior and socially transferred pain are selectively dependent on ovarian estrogen. This article is part of the Special Issue on "Empathic Pain".
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Du
- Institute for Biomedical Sciences of Pain, Tangdu Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710038, PR China
| | - Guofang Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers and National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, PR China
| | - Wen-Jun Luo
- Institute for Biomedical Sciences of Pain, Tangdu Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710038, PR China
| | - Ting He
- Institute for Biomedical Sciences of Pain, Tangdu Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710038, PR China
| | - Chun-Li Li
- Institute for Biomedical Sciences of Pain, Tangdu Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710038, PR China
| | - Yang Yu
- Institute for Biomedical Sciences of Pain, Tangdu Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710038, PR China
| | - Na Wei
- Institute for Biomedical Sciences of Pain, Tangdu Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710038, PR China
| | - Xiao Luo
- Institute for Biomedical Sciences of Pain, Tangdu Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710038, PR China
| | - Jun Chen
- Institute for Biomedical Sciences of Pain, Tangdu Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710038, PR China; Sanhang Institute for Brain Science and Technology, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, 710129, PR China.
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2
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Zhang MM, Chen T. Empathic pain: Underlying neural mechanism. Neuroscientist 2024:10738584241283435. [PMID: 39365808 DOI: 10.1177/10738584241283435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/06/2024]
Abstract
Empathy is usually regarded as the ability to perceive the emotional state of others, which is an altruistic motivation to promote prosocial behavior and thus plays a key role in human life and social development. Empathic pain-the capacity to feel and understand the pain of others-constitutes a significant aspect in the study of empathy behaviors. For an extended duration, investigations into empathic pain have predominantly centered on human neuroimaging studies. Fortunately, recent advancements have witnessed the utilization of animal models in the exploration of the fundamental neural underpinnings of empathic pain. There is substantial evidence implicating multiple brain regions and neural networks in the generation and maintenance of empathic pain. Nevertheless, further elucidation of the neural mechanisms underlying empathic pain is warranted. This review provides a concise overview of prior studies on the neural mechanisms of empathic pain, outlining the pertinent brain regions, neural pathways, synaptic mechanisms, and associated molecules while also delving into future prospects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming-Ming Zhang
- Department of Anatomy and K. K. Leung Brain Research Centre, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Tao Chen
- Department of Anatomy and K. K. Leung Brain Research Centre, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
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3
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Lannon AS, Brocka M, Collins JM, Fitzgerald P, O'Mahony SM, Cryan JF, Moloney RD. A novel animal model for understanding secondary traumatic stress and visceral pain in male rats. Eur J Neurosci 2024; 60:3544-3556. [PMID: 38695253 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16353] [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] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Revised: 03/15/2024] [Accepted: 03/30/2024] [Indexed: 07/06/2024]
Abstract
Empathetic relationships and the social transference of behaviours have been shown to occur in humans, and more recently through the development of rodent models, where both fear and pain phenotypes develop in observer animals. Clinically, observing traumatic events can induce 'trauma and stressor-related disorders' as defined in the DSM 5. These disorders are often comorbid with pain and gastrointestinal disturbances; however, our understanding of how gastrointestinal - or visceral - pain can be vicariously transmitted is lacking. Visceral pain originates from the internal organs, and despite its widespread prevalence, remains poorly understood. We established an observation paradigm to assess the impact of witnessing visceral pain. We utilised colorectal distension (CRD) to induce visceral pain behaviours in a stimulus rodent while the observer rodent observed. Twenty four hours post-observation, the observer rodent's visceral sensitivity was assessed using CRD. The observer rodents were found to have significant hyperalgesia as determined by lower visceral pain threshold and higher number of total pain behaviours compared with controls. The behaviours of the observer animals during the observation were found to be correlated with the behaviours of the stimulus animal employed. We found that observer animals had hypoactivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, highlighted by reduced corticosterone at 90 minutes post-CRD. Using c-Fos immunohistochemistry we showed that observer animals also had increased activation of the anterior cingulate cortex, and decreased activation of the paraventricular nucleus, compared with controls. These results suggest that witnessing another animal in pain produces a behavioural phenotype and impacts the brain-gut axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam S Lannon
- School of Pharmacy, University College Cork, Ireland
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University College Cork, Ireland
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Ireland
| | - Marta Brocka
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Ireland
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Ireland
| | - James M Collins
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Ireland
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Ireland
| | | | - Siobhain M O'Mahony
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Ireland
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Ireland
| | - John F Cryan
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Ireland
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Ireland
| | - Rachel D Moloney
- School of Pharmacy, University College Cork, Ireland
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University College Cork, Ireland
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Ireland
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4
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Han Y, Ai L, Song L, Zhou Y, Chen D, Sha S, Ji R, Li Q, Bu Q, Pan X, Zhai X, Cui M, Duan J, Yang J, Chaudhury D, Hu A, Liu H, Han MH, Cao JL, Zhang H. Midbrain glutamatergic circuit mechanism of resilience to socially transferred allodynia in male mice. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4947. [PMID: 38858350 PMCID: PMC11164890 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49340-8] [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] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/12/2024] Open
Abstract
The potential brain mechanism underlying resilience to socially transferred allodynia remains unknown. Here, we utilize a well-established socially transferred allodynia paradigm to segregate male mice into pain-susceptible and pain-resilient subgroups. Brain screening results show that ventral tegmental area glutamatergic neurons are selectively activated in pain-resilient mice as compared to control and pain-susceptible mice. Chemogenetic manipulations demonstrate that activation and inhibition of ventral tegmental area glutamatergic neurons bi-directionally regulate resilience to socially transferred allodynia. Moreover, ventral tegmental area glutamatergic neurons that project specifically to the nucleus accumbens shell and lateral habenula regulate the development and maintenance of the pain-resilient phenotype, respectively. Together, we establish an approach to explore individual variations in pain response and identify ventral tegmental area glutamatergic neurons and related downstream circuits as critical targets for resilience to socially transferred allodynia and the development of conceptually innovative analgesics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Han
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221004, PR China
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221004, PR China
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221004, PR China
| | - Lin Ai
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221004, PR China
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221004, PR China
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221004, PR China
| | - Lingzhen Song
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221004, PR China
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221004, PR China
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221004, PR China
| | - Yu Zhou
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221004, PR China
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221004, PR China
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221004, PR China
| | - Dandan Chen
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221004, PR China
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221004, PR China
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221004, PR China
| | - Sha Sha
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221004, PR China
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221004, PR China
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221004, PR China
| | - Ran Ji
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221004, PR China
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221004, PR China
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221004, PR China
| | - Qize Li
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221004, PR China
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221004, PR China
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221004, PR China
| | - Qingyang Bu
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221004, PR China
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221004, PR China
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221004, PR China
| | - Xiangyu Pan
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221004, PR China
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221004, PR China
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221004, PR China
| | - Xiaojing Zhai
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221004, PR China
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221004, PR China
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221004, PR China
| | - Mengqiao Cui
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221004, PR China
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221004, PR China
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221004, PR China
| | - Jiawen Duan
- Department of Mental Health and Public Health, Faculty of Life and Health Sciences, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518055, PR China
| | - Junxia Yang
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221004, PR China
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221004, PR China
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221004, PR China
| | - Dipesh Chaudhury
- Division of Science, New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD), Saadiyat Island, 129188, United Arab Emirates
| | - Ankang Hu
- The Animal Facility of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221004, PR China
| | - He Liu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Huzhou Central Hospital, Huzhou, Zhejiang, 313000, PR China
| | - Ming-Hu Han
- Department of Mental Health and Public Health, Faculty of Life and Health Sciences, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518055, PR China.
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
| | - Jun-Li Cao
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221004, PR China.
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221004, PR China.
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221004, PR China.
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221004, PR China.
| | - Hongxing Zhang
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221004, PR China.
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221004, PR China.
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221004, PR China.
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5
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Han Y, Ai L, Sha S, Zhou J, Fu H, Sun C, Liu R, Li A, Cao JL, Hu A, Zhang H. The functional role of the visual and olfactory modalities in the development of socially transferred mechanical hypersensitivity in male C57BL/6J mice. Physiol Behav 2024; 277:114499. [PMID: 38378074 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2024.114499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Revised: 01/27/2024] [Accepted: 02/17/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
An increasing body of evidence suggests that the state of hyperalgesia could be socially transferred from one individual to another through a brief empathetic social contact. However, how the social transfer of pain develops during social contact is not well-known. Utilizing a well-established mouse model, the present study aims to study the functional role of visual and olfactory cues in the development of socially-transferred mechanical hypersensitivity. Behavioral tests demonstrated that one hour of brief social contact with a conspecific mouse injected with complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) was both sufficient and necessary for developing socially-transferred mechanical hypersensitivity. One hour of social contact with visual deprivation could not prevent the development of socially-transferred mechanical hypersensitivity, and screen observation of a CFA cagemate was not sufficient to develop socially-transferred mechanical hypersensitivity in bystanders. Methimazole-induced olfactory deprivation, a compound with reversible toxicity on the nasal olfactory epithelium, was sufficient to prevent the development of socially-transferred mechanical hypersensitivity. Intriguingly, repeated but not acute olfactory exposure to the CFA mouse bedding induced a robust decrease in 50 % paw withdrawal thresholds (50 %PWTs) to mechanical stimuli, an effect returned to the baseline level after two days of washout with clean bedding. The findings strongly indicate that the normal olfactory function is crucial for the induction of mechanical hypersensitivity through brief empathetic contact, offering valuable insights for animal housing in future pain research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Han
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, PR China; Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, PR China; NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, PR China
| | - Lin Ai
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, PR China; Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, PR China; NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, PR China
| | - Sha Sha
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, PR China; Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, PR China; NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, PR China
| | - Jingwei Zhou
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Brain Disease and Bioinformation, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, PR China; Research Center for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, PR China
| | - Hanyu Fu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Brain Disease and Bioinformation, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, PR China; Research Center for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, PR China
| | - Changcheng Sun
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Brain Disease and Bioinformation, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, PR China; Research Center for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, PR China
| | - Ruiqi Liu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Brain Disease and Bioinformation, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, PR China; Research Center for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, PR China
| | - Anan Li
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Brain Disease and Bioinformation, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, PR China; Research Center for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, PR China
| | - Jun-Li Cao
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, PR China; Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, PR China; NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, PR China; Department of Anesthesiology, the Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, PR China
| | - Ankang Hu
- Laboratory Animal Center of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, PR China
| | - Hongxing Zhang
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, PR China; Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, PR China; NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, PR China.
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6
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Sant'Anna MB, Kimura LF, Vieira WF, Zambelli VO, Novaes LS, Hösch NG, Picolo G. Environmental factors and their impact on chronic pain development and maintenance. Phys Life Rev 2024; 48:176-197. [PMID: 38320380 DOI: 10.1016/j.plrev.2024.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024]
Abstract
It is more than recognized and accepted that the environment affects the physiological responses of all living things, from bacteria to superior vertebrates, constituting an important factor in the evolution of all species. Environmental influences range from natural processes such as sunlight, seasons of the year, and rest to complex processes like stress and other mood disorders, infections, and air pollution, being all of them influenced by how each creature deals with them. In this chapter, it will be discussed how some of the environmental elements affect directly or indirectly neuropathic pain, a type of chronic pain caused by a lesion or disease of the somatosensory nervous system. For that, it was considered the edge of knowledge in translational research, thus including data from human and experimental animals as well as the applicability of such findings.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Louise Faggionato Kimura
- Laboratory of Pain and Signaling, Butantan Institute, São Paulo, Brazil; Department of Pharmacology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, USA
| | - Willians Fernando Vieira
- Laboratory of Functional Neuroanatomy of Pain, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sao Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Leonardo Santana Novaes
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Gisele Picolo
- Laboratory of Pain and Signaling, Butantan Institute, São Paulo, Brazil.
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Karimi SA, Zahra FT, Martin LJ. IUPHAR review: Navigating the role of preclinical models in pain research. Pharmacol Res 2024; 200:107073. [PMID: 38232910 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2024.107073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2023] [Revised: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
Chronic pain is a complex and challenging medical condition that affects millions of people worldwide. Understanding the underlying mechanisms of chronic pain is a key goal of preclinical pain research so that more effective treatment strategies can be developed. In this review, we explore nociception, pain, and the multifaceted factors that lead to chronic pain by focusing on preclinical models. We provide a detailed look into inflammatory and neuropathic pain models and discuss the most used animal models for studying the mechanisms behind these conditions. Additionally, we emphasize the vital role of these preclinical models in developing new pain-relief drugs, focusing on biologics and the therapeutic potential of NMDA and cannabinoid receptor antagonists. We also discuss the challenges of TRPV1 modulation for pain treatment, the clinical failures of neurokinin (NK)- 1 receptor antagonists, and the partial success story of Ziconotide to provide valuable lessons for preclinical pain models. Finally, we highlight the overall success and limitations of current treatments for chronic pain while providing critical insights into the development of more effective therapies to alleviate the burden of chronic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seyed Asaad Karimi
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6, Canada
| | - Fatama Tuz Zahra
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3G5, Canada
| | - Loren J Martin
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6, Canada; Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3G5, Canada.
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8
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Phillips HL, Dai H, Choi SY, Jansen-West K, Zajicek AS, Daly L, Petrucelli L, Gao FB, Yao WD. Dorsomedial prefrontal hypoexcitability underlies lost empathy in frontotemporal dementia. Neuron 2023; 111:797-806.e6. [PMID: 36638803 PMCID: PMC10023454 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2022.12.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2022] [Revised: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Empathic function is essential for the well-being of social species. Empathy loss is associated with various brain disorders and represents arguably the most distressing feature of frontotemporal dementia (FTD), a leading form of presenile dementia. The neural mechanisms are unknown. We established an FTD mouse model deficient in empathy and observed that aged somatic transgenic mice expressing GGGGCC repeat expansions in C9orf72, a common genetic cause of FTD, exhibited blunted affect sharing and failed to console distressed conspecifics by affiliative contact. Distress-induced consoling behavior activated the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC), which developed profound pyramidal neuron hypoexcitability in aged mutant mice. Optogenetic dmPFC inhibition attenuated affect sharing and other-directed consolation in wild-type mice, whereas chemogenetically enhancing dmPFC excitability rescued empathy deficits in mutant mice, even at advanced ages when substantial cortical atrophy had occurred. These results establish cortical hypoexcitability as a pathophysiological basis of empathy loss in FTD and suggest a therapeutic strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah L Phillips
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, State University of New York Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, State University of New York Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA
| | - Huihui Dai
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, State University of New York Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA
| | - So Yoen Choi
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA
| | - Karen Jansen-West
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA
| | - Alexis S Zajicek
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, State University of New York Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, State University of New York Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA
| | - Luke Daly
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA; Neuroscience Program, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA
| | | | - Fen-Biao Gao
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA; Neuroscience Program, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA
| | - Wei-Dong Yao
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, State University of New York Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, State University of New York Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA; Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, State University of New York Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA.
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9
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Chronic stress and stressful emotional contagion affect the empathy-like behavior of rats. COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2023:10.3758/s13415-023-01081-9. [PMID: 36899132 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-023-01081-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/12/2023]
Abstract
Empathy is a potential motivation for prosocial behaviors that is related to many psychiatric diseases, such as major depressive disorder; however, its neural mechanisms remain unclear. To elucidate the relationship between empathy and stress, we established a chronic stress contagion (SC) procedure combined with chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) to investigate (1) whether depressive rats show impaired empathy-like behavior toward fearful conspecifics, (2) whether frequent social contact with normal familiar conspecifics (social support) alleviates the negative effects of CUMS, and (3) the effect of long-term exposure to a depressed partner on emotional and empathic responses in normal rats. We found that the CUMS group showed less empathy-like behavior in the social transfer of fear model (STFM), as indicated by less social interaction with the demonstrator and reduced freezing behavior in the fear-expression test. Social contact partially alleviated depression-like behaviors and the negative effect of CUMS in the fear-transfer test. The normal rats who experienced stress contagion from daily exposure to a depressed partner for 3 weeks showed lower anxiety and increased social response in the fear-transfer test than the control group. We concluded that chronic stress impairs empathy-like behaviors, while social contact partially buffers the effect of CUMS. Thus, social contact or contagion of stress is mutually beneficial to both stressed individuals and nonstressed partners. Higher dopamine and lower norepinephrine levels in the basolateral amygdala probably contributed to these beneficial effects.
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10
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Behavioral Voluntary and Social Bioassays Enabling Identification of Complex and Sex-Dependent Pain-(-Related) Phenotypes in Rats with Bone Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15051565. [PMID: 36900357 PMCID: PMC10000428 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15051565] [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: 12/22/2022] [Revised: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer-induced bone pain (CIBP) is a common and devastating symptom with limited treatment options in patients, significantly affecting their quality of life. The use of rodent models is the most common approach to uncovering the mechanisms underlying CIBP; however, the translation of results to the clinic may be hindered because the assessment of pain-related behavior is often based exclusively on reflexive-based methods, which are only partially indicative of relevant pain in patients. To improve the accuracy and strength of the preclinical, experimental model of CIBP in rodents, we used a battery of multimodal behavioral tests that were also aimed at identifying rodent-specific behavioral components by using a home-cage monitoring assay (HCM). Rats of all sexes received an injection with either heat-deactivated (sham-group) or potent mammary gland carcinoma Walker 256 cells into the tibia. By integrating multimodal datasets, we assessed pain-related behavioral trajectories of the CIBP-phenotype, including evoked and non-evoked based assays and HCM. Using principal component analysis (PCA), we discovered sex-specific differences in establishing the CIBP-phenotype, which occurred earlier (and differently) in males. Additionally, HCM phenotyping revealed the occurrence of sensory-affective states manifested by mechanical hypersensitivity in sham when housed with a tumor-bearing cagemate (CIBP) of the same sex. This multimodal battery allows for an in-depth characterization of the CIBP-phenotype under social aspects in rats. The detailed, sex-specific, and rat-specific social phenotyping of CIBP enabled by PCA provides the basis for mechanism-driven studies to ensure robustness and generalizability of results and provide information for targeted drug development in the future.
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11
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Ito W, Palmer AJ, Morozov A. Social Synchronization of Conditioned Fear in Mice Requires Ventral Hippocampus Input to the Amygdala. Biol Psychiatry 2023; 93:322-330. [PMID: 36244803 PMCID: PMC10069289 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2022.07.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Revised: 06/17/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Social organisms synchronize behaviors as an evolutionary-conserved means of thriving. Synchronization under threat, in particular, benefits survival and occurs across species, including humans, but the underlying mechanisms remain unknown because of the scarcity of relevant animal models. Here, we developed a rodent paradigm in which mice synchronized a classically conditioned fear response and identified an underlying neuronal circuit. METHODS Male and female mice were trained individually using auditory fear conditioning and then tested 24 hours later as dyads while allowing unrestricted social interaction during exposure to the conditioned stimulus under visible or infrared illumination to eliminate visual cues. The synchronization of the immobility or freezing bouts was quantified by calculating the effect size Cohen's d for the difference between the actual freezing time overlap and the overlap by chance. The inactivation of the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, dorsal hippocampus, or ventral hippocampus was achieved by local infusions of muscimol. The chemogenetic disconnection of the hippocampus-amygdala pathway was performed by expressing hM4D(Gi) in the ventral hippocampal neurons and infusing clozapine N-oxide in the amygdala. RESULTS Mice synchronized cued but not contextual fear. It was higher in males than in females and attenuated in the absence of visible light. Inactivation of the ventral but not dorsal hippocampus or dorsomedial prefrontal cortex abolished fear synchronization. Finally, the disconnection of the hippocampus-amygdala pathway diminished fear synchronization. CONCLUSIONS Mice synchronize expression of conditioned fear relying on the ventral hippocampus-amygdala pathway, suggesting that the hippocampus transmits social information to the amygdala to synchronize threat response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wataru Ito
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion Center for Neurobiology Research, Roanoke, Virginia.
| | - Alexander J Palmer
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion Center for Neurobiology Research, Roanoke, Virginia
| | - Alexei Morozov
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion Center for Neurobiology Research, Roanoke, Virginia; Carilion Clinic Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Roanoke, Virginia.
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12
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Silveira LM, Tavares LRR, Baptista-de-Souza D, Carmona IM, Carneiro de Oliveira PE, Nunes-de-Souza RL, Canto-de-Souza A. Anterior cingulate cortex, but not amygdala, modulates the anxiogenesis induced by living with conspecifics subjected to chronic restraint stress in male mice. Front Behav Neurosci 2023; 16:1077368. [PMID: 36688134 PMCID: PMC9853544 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.1077368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Cohabitation with a partner undergoing chronic restraint stress (CRE) induces anxiogenic-like behaviors through emotional contagion. We hypothesized that the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and the amygdala would be involved in the modulation of this emotional process. This study investigated the role of the ACC and amygdala in empathy-like behavior (e.g., anxiety-like responses) induced by living with a mouse subjected to CRE. Male Swiss mice were housed in pairs for 14 days and then allocated into two groups: cagemate stress (one animal of the pair was subjected to 14 days of restraint stress) and cagemate control (no animal experienced stress). Twenty-four hours after the last stress session, cagemates had their brains removed for recording FosB labeling in the ACC and amygdala (Exp.1). In experiments 2 and 3, 24 h after the last stress session, the cagemates received 0.1 μL of saline or cobalt chloride (CoCl2 1 mM) into the ACC or amygdala, and then exposed to the elevated plus-maze (EPM) for recording anxiety. Results showed a decrease of FosB labeling in the ACC without changing immunofluorescence in the amygdala of stress cagemate mice. Cohabitation with mice subjected to CRE provoked anxiogenic-like behaviors. Local inactivation of ACC (but not the amygdala) reversed the anxiogenic-like effects induced by cohabitation with a partner undergoing CRE. These results suggest the involvement of ACC, but not the amygdala, in anxiety induced by emotional contagion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara Maria Silveira
- Psychobiology Group, Department of Psychology/Centro de Educação e Ciências Humanas (CECH), Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil,Graduate Program in Psychology, Centro de Educação e Ciências Humanas (CECH)-Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ligia Renata Rodrigues Tavares
- Psychobiology Group, Department of Psychology/Centro de Educação e Ciências Humanas (CECH), Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil,Joint Graduate Program in Physiological Sciences, Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCar)/Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Daniela Baptista-de-Souza
- Psychobiology Group, Department of Psychology/Centro de Educação e Ciências Humanas (CECH), Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil,Laboratory of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Araraquara, São Paulo, Brazil,Institute of Neuroscience and Behaviour, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Isabela Miranda Carmona
- Psychobiology Group, Department of Psychology/Centro de Educação e Ciências Humanas (CECH), Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil,Joint Graduate Program in Physiological Sciences, Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCar)/Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Paulo Eduardo Carneiro de Oliveira
- Psychobiology Group, Department of Psychology/Centro de Educação e Ciências Humanas (CECH), Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil,Graduate Program in Psychology, Centro de Educação e Ciências Humanas (CECH)-Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ricardo Luiz Nunes-de-Souza
- Joint Graduate Program in Physiological Sciences, Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCar)/Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil,Laboratory of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Araraquara, São Paulo, Brazil,Institute of Neuroscience and Behaviour, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Azair Canto-de-Souza
- Psychobiology Group, Department of Psychology/Centro de Educação e Ciências Humanas (CECH), Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil,Graduate Program in Psychology, Centro de Educação e Ciências Humanas (CECH)-Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil,Joint Graduate Program in Physiological Sciences, Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCar)/Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil,Institute of Neuroscience and Behaviour, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil,*Correspondence: Azair Canto-de-Souza, ;
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13
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Walsh JJ, Christoffel DJ, Malenka RC. Neural circuits regulating prosocial behaviors. Neuropsychopharmacology 2023; 48:79-89. [PMID: 35701550 PMCID: PMC9700801 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-022-01348-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2022] [Revised: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Positive, prosocial interactions are essential for survival, development, and well-being. These intricate and complex behaviors are mediated by an amalgamation of neural circuit mechanisms working in concert. Impairments in prosocial behaviors, which occur in a large number of neuropsychiatric disorders, result from disruption of the coordinated activity of these neural circuits. In this review, we focus our discussion on recent findings that utilize modern approaches in rodents to map, monitor, and manipulate neural circuits implicated in a variety of prosocial behaviors. We highlight how modulation by oxytocin, serotonin, and dopamine of excitatory and inhibitory synaptic transmission in specific brain regions is critical for regulation of adaptive prosocial interactions. We then describe how recent findings have helped elucidate pathophysiological mechanisms underlying the social deficits that accompany neuropsychiatric disorders. We conclude by discussing approaches for the development of more efficacious and targeted therapeutic interventions to ameliorate aberrant prosocial behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica J Walsh
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, USA.
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
- Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, USA.
| | - Daniel J Christoffel
- Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, USA
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, USA
| | - Robert C Malenka
- Nancy Pritzker Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305-5453, USA.
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14
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Rein B, Jones E, Tuy S, Boustani C, Johnson JA, Malenka RC, Smith ML. Protocols for the social transfer of pain and analgesia in mice. STAR Protoc 2022; 3:101756. [PMID: 36227742 PMCID: PMC9576629 DOI: 10.1016/j.xpro.2022.101756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Revised: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 09/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
We provide protocols for the social transfer of pain and analgesia in mice. We describe the steps to induce pain or analgesia (pain relief) in bystander mice with a 1-h social interaction with a partner injected with CFA (complete Freund's adjuvant) or CFA and morphine, respectively. We detail behavioral tests to assess pain or analgesia in the untreated bystander mice. This protocol has been validated in mice and rats and can be used for investigating mechanisms of empathy. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Smith et al. (2021).
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Rein
- Nancy Pritzker Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94306, USA
| | - Erin Jones
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of San Diego, San Diego, CA 92110, USA
| | - Sabrena Tuy
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of San Diego, San Diego, CA 92110, USA
| | - Cali Boustani
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of San Diego, San Diego, CA 92110, USA
| | - Julia A. Johnson
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of San Diego, San Diego, CA 92110, USA
| | - Robert C. Malenka
- Nancy Pritzker Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94306, USA
| | - Monique L. Smith
- Nancy Pritzker Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94306, USA,Corresponding author
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15
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Toyoshima M, Okuda E, Hasegawa N, Kaseda K, Yamada K. Socially Transferred Stress Experience Modulates Social Affective Behaviors in Rats. Neuroscience 2022; 502:68-76. [PMID: 36064051 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2022.08.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Revised: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Social communication of affective states between individuals, as well as actual experiences, influences their internal states and behaviors. Although prior stress experiences promote empathy-like behaviors, it remains unclear whether the social transmission of stress events modulates these behaviors. Here, we provide evidence that transferred stress experiences from cage mates modulate socioaffective approach-avoidance behaviors in rats. Male Wistar-Imamichi rats were assigned to one of five experimental groups (Control (n = 15); no shock with shocked cage mates (n = 15); low (0.1 mA, n = 15), middle (0.5 mA, n = 14), and high shock (1.0 mA, n = 14)). Except for the naïve and housed with stressed mate groups, rats received two foot-shocks (5 s for each). The next day, the subjects were allowed to explore two unfamiliar conspecifics; one was a naïve, while the other was a distressed conspecific that received two foot-shocks (1.0 mA, 5 s) immediately before the test. Rats that were housed with stressed mates, as well as those that experienced a higher intensity of foot-shocks, were more likely to approach, while naïve rats avoided, a distressed conspecific. These results suggest that socially transferred stress shifts socioaffective response styles from avoidance to approach toward a stressed conspecific in rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michimasa Toyoshima
- Institute of Psychology and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8577, Japan; JSPS Research Fellow, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Chiyoda, Tokyo 102-0083, Japan.
| | - Eri Okuda
- Institute of Psychology and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8577, Japan
| | - Natsu Hasegawa
- Institute of Psychology and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8577, Japan
| | - Kodai Kaseda
- Institute of Psychology and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8577, Japan
| | - Kazuo Yamada
- Institute of Psychology and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8577, Japan.
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16
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Keysers C, Knapska E, Moita MA, Gazzola V. Emotional contagion and prosocial behavior in rodents. Trends Cogn Sci 2022; 26:688-706. [PMID: 35667978 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2022.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Revised: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Empathy is critical to adjusting our behavior to the state of others. The past decade dramatically deepened our understanding of the biological origin of this capacity. We now understand that rodents robustly show emotional contagion for the distress of others via neural structures homologous to those involved in human empathy. Their propensity to approach others in distress strengthens this effect. Although rodents can also learn to favor behaviors that benefit others via structures overlapping with those of emotional contagion, they do so less reliably and more selectively. Together, this suggests evolution selected mechanisms for emotional contagion to prepare animals for dangers by using others as sentinels. Such shared emotions additionally can, under certain circumstances, promote prosocial behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Keysers
- Social Brain Lab, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Netherlands Academy of Art and Sciences, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Ewelina Knapska
- Laboratory of Emotions' Neurobiology, Center of Excellence for Neural Plasticity and Brain Disorders BRAINCITY, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Marta A Moita
- Champalimaud Neuroscience Progamme, Champalimaud Foundation, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Valeria Gazzola
- Social Brain Lab, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Netherlands Academy of Art and Sciences, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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17
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Glutamatergic synapses from the insular cortex to the basolateral amygdala encode observational pain. Neuron 2022; 110:1993-2008.e6. [PMID: 35443154 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2022.03.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Revised: 01/30/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Empathic pain has attracted the interest of a substantial number of researchers studying the social transfer of pain in the sociological, psychological, and neuroscience fields. However, the neural mechanism of empathic pain remains elusive. Here, we establish a long-term observational pain model in mice and find that glutamatergic projection from the insular cortex (IC) to the basolateral amygdala (BLA) is critical for the formation of observational pain. The selective activation or inhibition of the IC-BLA projection pathway strengthens or weakens the intensity of observational pain, respectively. The synaptic molecules are screened, and the upregulated synaptotagmin-2 and RIM3 are identified as key signals in controlling the increased synaptic glutamate transmission from the IC to the BLA. Together, these results reveal the molecular and synaptic mechanisms of a previously unidentified neural pathway that regulates observational pain in mice.
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18
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Noradrenergic innervations of the medial prefrontal cortex mediate empathy for pain in rats via the α1 and β receptors. Behav Brain Res 2022; 426:113828. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2022.113828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2021] [Revised: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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19
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Sadler KE, Mogil JS, Stucky CL. Innovations and advances in modelling and measuring pain in animals. Nat Rev Neurosci 2022; 23:70-85. [PMID: 34837072 PMCID: PMC9098196 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-021-00536-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Best practices in preclinical algesiometry (pain behaviour testing) have shifted over the past decade as a result of technological advancements, the continued dearth of translational progress and the emphasis that funding institutions and journals have placed on rigour and reproducibility. Here we describe the changing trends in research methods by analysing the methods reported in preclinical pain publications from the past 40 years, with a focus on the last 5 years. We also discuss how the status quo may be hampering translational success. This discussion is centred on four fundamental decisions that apply to every pain behaviour experiment: choice of subject (model organism), choice of assay (pain-inducing injury), laboratory environment and choice of outcome measures. Finally, we discuss how human tissues, which are increasingly accessible, can be used to validate the translatability of targets and mechanisms identified in animal pain models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katelyn E Sadler
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Jeffrey S Mogil
- Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Anesthesia, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Cheryl L Stucky
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA.
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20
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Puścian A, Bryksa A, Kondrakiewicz L, Kostecki M, Winiarski M, Knapska E. Ability to share emotions of others as a foundation of social learning. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 132:23-36. [PMID: 34838526 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.11.022] [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: 06/03/2021] [Revised: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
The natural habitats of most species are far from static, forcing animals to adapt to continuously changing conditions. Perhaps the most efficient strategy addressing this challenge consists of obtaining and acting upon pertinent information from others through social learning. We discuss how animals transfer information via social channels and what are the benefits of such exchanges, playing out on different levels, from theperception of socially delivered information to emotional sharing, manifesting themselves across different taxa of increasing biological complexity. We also discuss how social learning is influenced by different factors including pertinence of information for survival, the complexity of the environment, sex, genetic relatedness, and most notably, the relationship between interacting partners. The results appear to form a consistent picture once we shift our focus from emotional contagion as a prerequisite for empathy onto the role of shared emotions in providing vital information about the environment. From this point of view, we can propose approaches that are the most promising for further investigation of complex social phenomena, including learning from others.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Puścian
- Nencki-EMBL Partnership for Neural Plasticity and Brain Disorders - BRAINCITY, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - A Bryksa
- Nencki-EMBL Partnership for Neural Plasticity and Brain Disorders - BRAINCITY, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - L Kondrakiewicz
- Nencki-EMBL Partnership for Neural Plasticity and Brain Disorders - BRAINCITY, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - M Kostecki
- Nencki-EMBL Partnership for Neural Plasticity and Brain Disorders - BRAINCITY, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - M Winiarski
- Nencki-EMBL Partnership for Neural Plasticity and Brain Disorders - BRAINCITY, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - E Knapska
- Nencki-EMBL Partnership for Neural Plasticity and Brain Disorders - BRAINCITY, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland.
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21
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Asadi E, Khodagholi F, Asadi S, Mohammadi Kamsorkh H, Kaveh N, Maleki A. Quality of early-life maternal care predicts empathy-like behavior in adult male rats: Linking empathy to BDNF gene expression in associated brain regions. Brain Res 2021; 1767:147568. [PMID: 34192516 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2021.147568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2021] [Revised: 06/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/23/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Empathy is the ability to experience a shared affective state as others. It enhances group living and manifests itself as helping behavior towards a distressed person. It also can flourish by nurturing. Recent findings suggest that rodents exhibit empathy-like behavior towards their conspecifics. However, the role of early-life experiences (e.g., maternal care) is not clear on the development of empathy-like behavior. Moreover, brain-derived neutrophilic factor (BDNF) is a pivotal protein in modulating the brain's function and behaviors. Evidence suggests that the expression of the BDNF gene can be affected by the quality of maternal care. In this study, we questioned whether variation in maternal care modulates empathy-like behavior of male rats in adulthood. Additionally, gene expression of BDNF was measured in the amygdala, hippocampus, insula, anterior cingulate cortex, prefrontal cortex, and striatum in these adult male rats. Based on the pattern of maternal care, the offspring were divided into high maternal care (HMC) and low maternal care (LMC) groups. We confirmed that the early-life experience of HMC significantly promoted the empathy-like behavior of rats in adulthood compared to LMC. In terms of gene expression, the HMC group consistently had higher BDNF gene expression in all studied regions, except anterior cingulate cortex which groups were not different. Taken together, it suggests that maternal care in infancy predicts empathy-like behavior in adulthood and differences in BDNF gene expression in different brain regions may reflect the underlying mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ehsan Asadi
- Neuroscience Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fariba Khodagholi
- Neuroscience Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Sareh Asadi
- Neuroscience Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Neda Kaveh
- Neurobiology Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ali Maleki
- Neuroscience Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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22
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Kalamari A, Kentrop J, Hinna Danesi C, Graat EAM, van IJzendoorn MH, Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ, Joëls M, van der Veen R. Complex Housing, but Not Maternal Deprivation Affects Motivation to Liberate a Trapped Cage-Mate in an Operant Rat Task. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 15:698501. [PMID: 34512284 PMCID: PMC8427758 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.698501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2021] [Accepted: 07/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Early life environment influences the development of various aspects of social behavior, particularly during sensitive developmental periods. We studied how challenges in the early postnatal period or (early) adolescence affect pro-social behavior. To this end, we designed a lever-operated liberation task, to be able to measure motivation to liberate a trapped conspecific (by progressively increasing required lever pressing for door-opening). Liberation of the trapped rat resulted either in social contact or in liberation into a separate compartment. Additionally, a condition was tested in which both rats could freely move in two separate compartments and lever pressing resulted in social contact. When partners were not trapped, rats were more motivated to press the lever for opening the door than in either of the trapped configurations. Contrary to our expectations, the trapped configuration resulted in a reduced motivation to act. Early postnatal stress (24 h maternal deprivation on postnatal day 3) did not affect behavior in the liberation task. However, rearing rats from early adolescence onwards in complex housing conditions (Marlau cages) reduced the motivation to door opening, both in the trapped and freely moving conditions, while the motivation for a sucrose reward was not affected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aikaterini Kalamari
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Jiska Kentrop
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Chiara Hinna Danesi
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Evelien A M Graat
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Marinus H van IJzendoorn
- Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands.,Primary Care Unit, School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | | | - Marian Joëls
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands.,University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen University, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Rixt van der Veen
- Brain Plasticity group, SILS Center for Neuroscience, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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23
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Pérez-Manrique A, Gomila A. Emotional contagion in nonhuman animals: A review. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. COGNITIVE SCIENCE 2021; 13:e1560. [PMID: 33951303 PMCID: PMC9285817 DOI: 10.1002/wcs.1560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2020] [Revised: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Emotional contagion, the emotional state‐matching of an individual with another, seems to be crucial for many social species. In recent years evidence on emotional contagion in different animal species has accumulated. However, despite its adaptative advantages and its presumed simplicity, the study and direct demonstration of this phenomenon present more complexities than previously thought. For these reasons, a review of the literature on emotional contagion in nonhuman species is timely to integrate current findings. In this paper thus, we carry out a comprehensive review of the most relevant studies on emotional contagion in animals and discuss the main problems and challenges of the field. We conclude that more research is needed to broaden our understanding of the mechanisms and functions of emotional contagion and the extent to which this process is present in a wide variety of species. Furthermore, the comparative study of emotional contagion would benefit from the use of systematized paradigms including both behavioral and physiological measures and the simultaneous recording of the responses of the interacting individuals to reliably assess an emotional state‐matching between them and reliable controls. This article is categorized under:Cognitive Biology > Evolutionary Roots of Cognition Psychology > Comparative Psychology Psychology > Emotion and Motivation
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Pérez-Manrique
- Department of Psychology, Human Evolution and Cognition Group (EvoCog), UIB, IFISC, Associated Unit to CSIC, Palma, Spain
| | - Antoni Gomila
- Department of Psychology, Human Evolution and Cognition Group (EvoCog), UIB, IFISC, Associated Unit to CSIC, Palma, Spain
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Lidhar NK, Darvish-Ghane S, Sivaselvachandran S, Khan S, Wasif F, Turner H, Sivaselvachandran M, Fournier NM, Martin LJ. Prelimbic cortex glucocorticoid receptors regulate the stress-mediated inhibition of pain contagion in male mice. Neuropsychopharmacology 2021; 46:1183-1193. [PMID: 33223518 PMCID: PMC8115346 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-020-00912-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2020] [Revised: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 10/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Experiencing pain with a familiar individual can enhance one's own pain sensitivity, a process known as pain contagion. When experiencing pain with an unfamiliar individual, pain contagion is suppressed in males by activating the endocrine stress response. Here, we coupled a histological investigation with pharmacological and behavioral experiments to identify enhanced glucocorticoid receptor activity in the prelimbic subdivision of the medial prefrontal cortex as a candidate mechanism for suppressing pain contagion in stranger mice. Acute inhibition of glucocorticoid receptors in the prelimbic cortex was sufficient to elicit pain contagion in strangers, while their activation prevented pain contagion in cagemate dyads. Slice physiology recordings revealed enhanced excitatory transmission in stranger mice, an effect that was reversed by pre-treating mice with the corticosterone synthesis inhibitor metyrapone. Following removal from dyadic testing, stranger mice displayed enhanced affective-motivational pain behaviors when placed on an inescapable thermal stimulus, which were reversed by metyrapone. Together, our data suggest that the prelimbic cortex may play an integral role in modulating pain behavior within a social context and provide novel evidence towards the neural mechanism underlying the prevention of pain contagion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Navdeep K. Lidhar
- grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6 Canada
| | - Soroush Darvish-Ghane
- grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON L5L1C6 Canada
| | - Sivaani Sivaselvachandran
- grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6 Canada
| | - Sana Khan
- grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6 Canada
| | - Fatima Wasif
- grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6 Canada
| | - Holly Turner
- grid.52539.380000 0001 1090 2022Department of Psychology, Trent University, Peterborough, ON K9J 7B8 Canada
| | - Meruba Sivaselvachandran
- grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6 Canada
| | - Neil M. Fournier
- grid.52539.380000 0001 1090 2022Department of Psychology, Trent University, Peterborough, ON K9J 7B8 Canada
| | - Loren J. Martin
- grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6 Canada ,grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON L5L1C6 Canada
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25
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Abstract
Empathy is a complex phenomenon critical for group survival and societal bonds. In addition, there is mounting evidence demonstrating empathic behaviors are dysregulated in a multitude of psychiatric disorders ranging from autism spectrum disorder, substance use disorders, and personality disorders. Therefore, understanding the underlying drive and neurobiology of empathy is paramount for improving the treatment outcomes and quality of life for individuals suffering from these psychiatric disorders. While there is a growing list of human studies, there is still much about empathy to understand, likely due to both its complexity and the inherent limitations of imaging modalities. It is therefore imperative to develop, validate, and utilize rodent models of empathic behaviors as translational tools to explore this complex topic in ways human research cannot. This review outlines some of the more prevailing theories of empathy, lists some of the psychiatric disorders with disrupted empathic processes, describes rat and mouse models of empathic behaviors currently used, and discusses ways in which these models have elucidated social, environmental, and neurobiological factors that may modulate empathy. The research tools afforded to rodent models will provide an increasingly clear translational understanding of empathic processes and consequently result in improvements in care for those diagnosed with any one of the many psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stewart S. Cox
- Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston SC, USA
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26
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Smith ML, Asada N, Malenka RC. Anterior cingulate inputs to nucleus accumbens control the social transfer of pain and analgesia. Science 2021; 371:153-159. [PMID: 33414216 DOI: 10.1126/science.abe3040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 182] [Impact Index Per Article: 60.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2020] [Accepted: 11/05/2020] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Empathy is an essential component of social communication that involves experiencing others' sensory and emotional states. We observed that a brief social interaction with a mouse experiencing pain or morphine analgesia resulted in the transfer of these experiences to its social partner. Optogenetic manipulations demonstrated that the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and its projections to the nucleus accumbens (NAc) were selectively involved in the social transfer of both pain and analgesia. By contrast, the ACC→NAc circuit was not necessary for the social transfer of fear, which instead depended on ACC projections to the basolateral amygdala. These findings reveal that the ACC, a brain area strongly implicated in human empathic responses, mediates distinct forms of empathy in mice by influencing different downstream targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monique L Smith
- Nancy Pritzker Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Naoyuki Asada
- Nancy Pritzker Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Robert C Malenka
- Nancy Pritzker Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
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27
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Towards a unified theory of emotional contagion in rodents—A meta-analysis. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 132:1229-1248. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2020] [Revised: 08/30/2020] [Accepted: 09/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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28
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Ren Q, Lu X, Zhao Q, Zhang H, Hu L. Can self-pain sensitivity quantify empathy for others' pain? Psychophysiology 2020; 57:e13637. [PMID: 32686117 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.13637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2019] [Revised: 04/08/2020] [Accepted: 06/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Empathy is essential for the survival of social species. In many studies, especially those with animal models, empathy for pain was evaluated by the modulation of pain sensitivity. However, the relationship between pain sensitivity and empathy for pain is not well established. Here, by performing two experiments, we aimed to investigate their relationship at both behavioral and electrophysiological levels. In Experiment 1, we characterized individual pain sensitivity using pain threshold and tolerance in a cold pressor test, self-report empathy using Interpersonal Reactivity Index, and pain-related psychological factors, including pain-related anxiety, depression, pain catastrophizing, and pain-related fear, using well-validated questionnaires. We observed that pain sensitivity was positively correlated with emotional empathy, and their relationship was mediated by pain-related anxiety, pain catastrophizing, and pain-related fear. In Experiment 2, we quantified empathy for pain using pain intensity and unpleasantness as well as event-related potentials (ERPs) in an empathy for pain task. Positive correlations were observed between pain sensitivity and psychophysiological empathic responses (i.e., the P3 component and the late positive potential in ERPs), and their relationship was mediated by pain-related fear. These results suggested that being influenced by some pain-related psychological factors, individuals with higher pain sensitivity tended to have stronger empathy for pain, manifested as stronger emotional reactions to others' pain. Our results indicated that the conventional strategy of using pain sensitivity to quantify empathy should be treated with caution, as their relationship could be disturbed by experimental manipulations or pathological modulations that could influence individual emotional states or cognitive processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiaoyue Ren
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xuejing Lu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Qing Zhao
- Department of Pain Management, The State Key Clinical Specialty in Pain Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Huijuan Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Li Hu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Department of Pain Management, The State Key Clinical Specialty in Pain Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
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29
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Affective dimensions of pain and region -specific involvement of nitric oxide in the development of empathic hyperalgesia. Sci Rep 2020; 10:10141. [PMID: 32576847 PMCID: PMC7311399 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-66930-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2020] [Accepted: 06/01/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Empathy for pain depends on the ability to feel, recognize, comprehend and share painful emotional conditions of others. In this study, we investigated the role of NO in a rat model of empathic pain. Pain was socially transferred from the sibling demonstrator (SD) who experienced five formalin injection to the naïve sibling observer (SO) through observation. SO rats received L-NAME (a nonspecific NO synthase inhibitor) or L-arginine (a precursor of NO) prior to observing the SD. Nociception, and concentrations of NO metabolites (NOx) in the serum, left and right hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, and cerebellum were evaluated. Nociceptive responses were significantly increased in the pain-observing groups. NOx levels measured 24 h after the last pain observation using the Griess method, were indicative of NOx concentration decreases and increases in the left hippocampus and cerebellum, respectively. There was an increase in tissue concentration of NOx in cerebellum and prefrontal cortex in both pain and observer groups 7 days after the fifth formalin injection. Our results suggest that NO is involved in development of empathic hyperalgesia, and observation of sibling’s pain can change NO metabolites in different brain regions in observer rats.
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30
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Du R, Luo WJ, Geng KW, Li CL, Yu Y, Wei N, Chen J. Empathic Contagious Pain and Consolation in Laboratory Rodents: Species and Sex Comparisons. Neurosci Bull 2020; 36:649-653. [PMID: 31953799 PMCID: PMC7270450 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-020-00465-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2019] [Accepted: 12/08/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Rui Du
- Institute for Biomedical Sciences of Pain, Tangdu Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710038, China
| | - Wen-Jun Luo
- Institute for Biomedical Sciences of Pain, Tangdu Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710038, China
| | - Kai-Wen Geng
- Institute for Biomedical Sciences of Pain, Tangdu Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710038, China
| | - Chun-Li Li
- Institute for Biomedical Sciences of Pain, Tangdu Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710038, China
- Key Laboratory of Brain Stress and Behavior, People's Liberation Army, Xi'an, 710038, China
| | - Yang Yu
- Institute for Biomedical Sciences of Pain, Tangdu Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710038, China
- Key Laboratory of Brain Stress and Behavior, People's Liberation Army, Xi'an, 710038, China
| | - Na Wei
- Institute for Biomedical Sciences of Pain, Tangdu Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710038, China
- Key Laboratory of Brain Stress and Behavior, People's Liberation Army, Xi'an, 710038, China
| | - Jun Chen
- Institute for Biomedical Sciences of Pain, Tangdu Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710038, China.
- Key Laboratory of Brain Stress and Behavior, People's Liberation Army, Xi'an, 710038, China.
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31
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Conformity-like behaviour in mice observing the freezing of other mice: a model of empathy. BMC Neurosci 2020; 21:19. [PMID: 32357830 PMCID: PMC7195716 DOI: 10.1186/s12868-020-00566-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2019] [Accepted: 04/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Empathy refers to the ability to recognise and share emotions with others. Several research groups have recognised observational fear in mice as a useful behavioural model for assessing their ability to empathise. However, in these observation systems, it remains unclear whether the observer mouse truly recognises the movements of, and empathises with, the demonstrator mouse. We examined changes in the behaviour of an observer mouse when a demonstrator mouse was anaesthetised, when the demonstrator’s activity was increased, and when the interval of electrical stimulation was altered. If mice exhibit an ability to empathise, then the observer should display empathic behaviour when the demonstrator experiences pain or discomfort under any circumstances. Results Relative to low-frequency stimulation, frequent electrical stimulation reduced immobility time among observer mice. Moreover, when demonstrators exhibited excessive activity, the activity of the observers significantly increased. In addition, the proportion of immobility time among observer mice significantly increased when demonstrator mice exhibited fear learning and excessive immobility. Conclusion Although our results indicate that observer mice change their behaviour based on the movements of demonstrator mice, increases in immobility time may reflect conformity-like behaviour rather than emotional empathy. Thus, not only visual but also auditory and odour information additionally influenced the conformity-like behaviour shown by observer mice. Thus, our findings suggest that methods other than the fear observation system should be used to investigate rodent empathy-like behaviour.
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32
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Abstract
The Norway rat has important impacts on our life. They are amongst the most used research subjects, resulting in ground-breaking advances. At the same time, wild rats live in close association with us, leading to various adverse interactions. In face of this relevance, it is surprising how little is known about their natural behaviour. While recent laboratory studies revealed their complex social skills, little is known about their social behaviour in the wild. An integration of these different scientific approaches is crucial to understand their social life, which will enable us to design more valid research paradigms, develop more effective management strategies, and to provide better welfare standards. Hence, I first summarise the literature on their natural social behaviour. Second, I provide an overview of recent developments concerning their social cognition. Third, I illustrate why an integration of these areas would be beneficial to optimise our interactions with them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manon K Schweinfurth
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St AndrewsSt AndrewsUnited Kingdom
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33
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Nazeri M, Nezhadi A, Shabani M. Role of Opioid System in Empathy-like Behaviours in Rats. ADDICTION & HEALTH 2020; 11:216-222. [PMID: 32206214 PMCID: PMC7073811 DOI: 10.22122/ahj.v11i4.243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Background Empathy is defined as the ability to simulate the mental states of others. Recent studies have demonstrated empathy-like behaviors in other animals including rats and mice. The objective of the current study was to evaluate the effect of acute administration of morphine and naloxone on cognition and nociception changes following observing conspecifics undergoing nociceptive stimulus. Methods Adult male Wistar rats were used (n = 8 for each group). One cagemate received formalin injection into the hindpaw five times within a nine-day period and the other cagemate observed the pain while being pretreated with saline, morphine, or naloxone [10 mg/kg, intraperitoneal (i.p.)]. Pain behaviors, anxiety-like behaviour, locomotion, balance and muscle strength were evaluated in the observer animals. Findings Observing a cagemate in pain increased anxiety-like behavior and reduced thermal pain threshold in the observer animals. Administration of morphine reversed these effects and naloxone did not affect the responses. Conclusion Results of the current study reveal an important role for opioid receptors (ORs) in empathy for pain, so that activation of this system dampens the empathy-like responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masoud Nazeri
- Department of Neuroscience and Basic Sciences, School of Medicine, AJA University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Akram Nezhadi
- Department of Neuroscience and Basic Sciences, School of Medicine, AJA University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Shabani
- Department of Neuroscience AND Neuroscience Research Center, Neuropharmacology Institute, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
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34
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Hernandez-Lallement J, Attah AT, Soyman E, Pinhal CM, Gazzola V, Keysers C. Harm to Others Acts as a Negative Reinforcer in Rats. Curr Biol 2020; 30:949-961.e7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.01.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2019] [Revised: 09/11/2019] [Accepted: 01/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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35
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The similar past pain experience evokes both observational contagious pain and consolation in stranger rat observers. Neurosci Lett 2020; 722:134840. [PMID: 32081568 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2020.134840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2019] [Revised: 02/08/2020] [Accepted: 02/16/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Laboratory rodents have been shown to have an ability to recognize the injury site and negative emotional state of their conspecifics in pain, resulting in empathic consoling behaviors and observational contagious pain (OCP). However, these empathic responses have been shown to be familiarity-dependent. In this report, we further explored whether the past pain experience could evoke empathic response in stranger observers. In our rodent model, two types of empathic response have been identified from naive cagemate observer (COnaive) during and after a priming dyadic social interaction (PDSI) with a cagemate demonstrator in pain (CDpain): the consolation and OCP. Consolation is represented by allolicking and allogrooming behaviors toward the CDpain, while the OCP is represented by a long-term mechanical pain hypersensitivity. The current results showed that: (1) neither the consolation nor OCP could be identified in the naive noncagemate observer (NCOnaive) during and after a PDSI with a noncagemate demonstrator in pain (NCDpain); (2) nor were the two types of empathic response seen in the NCO, who had just experienced acute pain (NCOpainexp), during and after a PDSI with a naive unfamiliar conspecific (NCDnaive). However, both the consolation and OCP were dramatically identified in the NCOpainexp during and after a PDSI with a NCD in pain (NCDpain). The current results demonstrated that the past pain experience can evoke both consolation and OCP in stranger rat observers when witnessing a conspecific in pain, implicating that the processing of empathy for pain can be modulated by past negative mood experience.
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36
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Mohammadi F, Ahmadi-Zeidabadi M, Nazeri M, Ghasemi A, Shabani M. Nitric oxide modulates cognitive, nociceptive and motor functions in a rat model of empathy. Int J Neurosci 2020; 130:865-874. [DOI: 10.1080/00207454.2019.1707823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Fatemeh Mohammadi
- Intracellular Recording Lab, Kerman Neuroscience Research Center, Neuropharmacology Institute, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Meysam Ahmadi-Zeidabadi
- Intracellular Recording Lab, Kerman Neuroscience Research Center, Neuropharmacology Institute, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Masoud Nazeri
- Oral and Dental Diseases Research Center, School of Dentistry, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Asghar Ghasemi
- Endocrine Physiology Research Center, Research Institute for Endocrine Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Shabani
- Intracellular Recording Lab, Kerman Neuroscience Research Center, Neuropharmacology Institute, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
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37
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Feeding Behavior of Mice under Different Food Allocation Regimens. Behav Neurol 2019; 2019:1581304. [PMID: 31871492 PMCID: PMC6913290 DOI: 10.1155/2019/1581304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2019] [Accepted: 11/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Social interaction, a basic survival strategy for many animal species, helps maintain a social environment that has limited conflict. Social dominance has a dramatic effect on motivation. Recent evidence suggests that some primate and nonprimate species display aversive behavior toward food allocation regimens that differ from their peers. Thus, we examined the behaviors displayed by mice under different food allocation regimens. We analyzed changes in food intake using several parameters. In the same food condition, the mice received the same food; in the quality different condition, the mice received different foods; in the quantity different condition, one mouse did not receive food; and in the no food condition, none of the mice received food. To test differences based on food quality, one mouse received normal solid food as a less preferred reward, and the other received chocolate chips as a high-level reward. No behavioral change was observed in comparison to the same food condition. To test differences based on food quantity, one mouse received chocolate chips while the other received nothing. Mice who received nothing spent more time on the other side of the reward throughout the experiment. Interestingly, highly rewarded mice required more time to consume the chocolate chips. Thus, under different food allocation regimens, mice changed their behavior by being more hesitant. Moreover, mice alter food intake behavior according to the social environment. The findings help elucidate potential evolutionary aspects that help maintain social cohesion while providing insights into potential mechanisms underlying socially anxious behavior.
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38
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Han Y, Bruls R, Soyman E, Thomas RM, Pentaraki V, Jelinek N, Heinemans M, Bassez I, Verschooren S, Pruis I, Van Lierde T, Carrillo N, Gazzola V, Carrillo M, Keysers C. Bidirectional cingulate-dependent danger information transfer across rats. PLoS Biol 2019; 17:e3000524. [PMID: 31805039 PMCID: PMC6894752 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3000524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2018] [Accepted: 10/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Social transmission of freezing behavior has been conceived of as a one-way phenomenon in which an observer "catches" the fear of another. Here, we use a paradigm in which an observer rat witnesses another rat receiving electroshocks. Bayesian model comparison and Granger causality show that rats exchange information about danger in both directions: how the observer reacts to the demonstrator's distress also influences how the demonstrator responds to the danger. This was true to a similar extent across highly familiar and entirely unfamiliar rats but is stronger in animals preexposed to shocks. Injecting muscimol in the anterior cingulate of observers reduced freezing in the observers and in the demonstrators receiving the shocks. Using simulations, we support the notion that the coupling of freezing across rats could be selected for to more efficiently detect dangers in a group, in a way similar to cross-species eavesdropping.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingying Han
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Rune Bruls
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Efe Soyman
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Rajat Mani Thomas
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Vasiliki Pentaraki
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- A student of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Naomi Jelinek
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- A student of the Department of Applied Life Sciences, FH Campus Wien, Wien, Austria
| | - Mirjam Heinemans
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, University of Amsterdam (UvA), Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Iege Bassez
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- A student of the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Sam Verschooren
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- A student of the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Illanah Pruis
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- A student of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Thijs Van Lierde
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- A student of the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Nathaly Carrillo
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Valeria Gazzola
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, University of Amsterdam (UvA), Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Maria Carrillo
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Christian Keysers
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, University of Amsterdam (UvA), Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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39
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Barroso AR, Araya EI, de Souza CP, Andreatini R, Chichorro JG. Characterization of rat ultrasonic vocalization in the orofacial formalin test: Influence of the social context. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2019; 29:1213-1226. [PMID: 31447094 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2019.08.298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2019] [Revised: 07/31/2019] [Accepted: 08/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Rats emit ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) about 22 kHz and 50 kHz sound frequency to communicate the presence of negative or positive emotional states, respectively. The calling behavior may be influenced by several factors, including environmental factors. Likewise, pain behavior can be modulated according to the social context, and also can be transferred to conspecifics through direct observation and/or social interaction. Herein we investigated if acute pain induction was related to changes in emission of aversive and appetitive calls and how different social contexts affected the nociceptive behavior and USVs. Our results demonstrated that orofacial formalin injection in rats induced aversive calls in addition to the nociceptive behavior, and both are reduced by systemic treatment with morphine (2.5 mg/kg). Exposure of formalin-injected rats to cagemates had no effect on the nociceptive behavior or calls emitted by the demonstrator, but the observer showed emotional contagion of pain. In contrast, exposure of formalin-injected rats to non-cagemates decreased the nociceptive behavior of the demonstrator, without affecting the calls emission. The emotional contagion was not detected in non-cagemates or in cagemates separated by a visual barrier. In conclusion, we suggest that familiarity and the visual contact contributes to emotional contagion of pain. USV analysis may represent an additional measure in the evaluation of the emotional aspect of orofacial pain, and for the study of pain modulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Ribeiro Barroso
- Department of Pharmacology, Biological Sciences Building, Federal University of Parana, 100 Cel. Francisco H. dos Santos Ave, Curitiba, PR 81531-980, Brazil
| | - Erika Ivanna Araya
- Department of Pharmacology, Biological Sciences Building, Federal University of Parana, 100 Cel. Francisco H. dos Santos Ave, Curitiba, PR 81531-980, Brazil
| | - Camila Pasquini de Souza
- Department of Pharmacology, Biological Sciences Building, Federal University of Parana, 100 Cel. Francisco H. dos Santos Ave, Curitiba, PR 81531-980, Brazil
| | - Roberto Andreatini
- Department of Pharmacology, Biological Sciences Building, Federal University of Parana, 100 Cel. Francisco H. dos Santos Ave, Curitiba, PR 81531-980, Brazil
| | - Juliana Geremias Chichorro
- Department of Pharmacology, Biological Sciences Building, Federal University of Parana, 100 Cel. Francisco H. dos Santos Ave, Curitiba, PR 81531-980, Brazil.
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Riečanský I, Lamm C. The Role of Sensorimotor Processes in Pain Empathy. Brain Topogr 2019; 32:965-976. [PMID: 31705422 PMCID: PMC6882755 DOI: 10.1007/s10548-019-00738-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2019] [Accepted: 10/18/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Pain is a salient, aversive sensation which motivates avoidance, but also has a strong social signaling function. Numerous studies have shown that regions of the nervous system active in association with first-hand pain are also active in response to the pain of others. When witnessing somatic pain, such as seeing bodies in painful situations, significant activations occur not only in areas related to the processing of negative emotions, but also in neuronal structures engaged in somatosensation and the control of skeletal muscles. These empathy-related sensorimotor activations are selectively reviewed in this article, with a focus on studies using electrophysiological methods and paradigms investigating responses to somatic pain. Convergent evidence from these studies shows that these activations (1) occur at multiple levels of the nervous system, from the spinal cord up to the cerebral cortex, (2) are best conceptualized as activations of a defensive system, in line with the role of pain to protect body from injury, and (3) contribute to establishing a matching of psychological states between the sufferer and the observer, which ultimately supports empathic understanding and motivate prosocial action. Future research should thus focus on how these sensorimotor responses are related to higher-order empathic responses, including affective sharing and emotion regulation, and how this motivates approach-related prosocial behaviors aimed at alleviating the pain and suffering of others.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor Riečanský
- Social, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Unit, Department of Basic Psychological Research and Research Methods, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Liebiggasse 5, 1010, Vienna, Austria
- Department of Behavioural Neuroscience, Centre of Experimental Medicine, Institute of Normal and Pathological Physiology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Sienkiewiczova 1, 813 71, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Claus Lamm
- Social, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Unit, Department of Basic Psychological Research and Research Methods, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Liebiggasse 5, 1010, Vienna, Austria.
- Cognitive Neuroscience, International School for Advanced Studies, Via Bonomea 265, 34136, Trieste, Italy.
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41
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Insular Cortex Projections to Nucleus Accumbens Core Mediate Social Approach to Stressed Juvenile Rats. J Neurosci 2019; 39:8717-8729. [PMID: 31591155 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0316-19.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2019] [Revised: 08/30/2019] [Accepted: 09/18/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Social interactions are shaped by features of the interactants, including age, emotion, sex, and familiarity. Age-specific responses to social affect are evident when an adult male rat is presented with a pair of unfamiliar male conspecifics, one of which is stressed via two foot shocks and the other naive to treatment. Adult test rats prefer to interact with stressed juvenile (postnatal day 30, PN30) conspecifics but avoid stressed adult (PN50) conspecifics. This pattern depends upon the insular cortex (IC), which is anatomically connected to the nucleus accumbens core (NAc). The goal of this work was to test the necessity of IC projections to NAc during social affective behavior. Here, bilateral pharmacological inhibition of the NAc with tetrodotoxin (1 μm; 0.5 μl/side) abolished the preference for stressed PN30, but did not alter interactions with PN50 conspecifics. Using a combination of retrograding tracing and c-Fos immunohistochemistry, we report that social interactions with stressed PN30 conspecifics elicit greater Fos immunoreactivity in IC → NAc neurons than interactions with naive PN30 conspecifics. Chemogenetic stimulation of IC terminals in the NAc increased social exploration with juvenile, but not adult, conspecifics, whereas chemogenetic inhibition of this tract blocked the preference to investigate stressed PN30 conspecifics, which expands upon our previous finding that optogenetic inhibition of IC projection neurons mediated approach and avoidance. These new findings suggest that outputs of IC to the NAc modulate social approach, which provides new insight to the neural circuitry underlying social decision-making.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Social decision-making underlies an animal's behavioral response to others in a range of social contexts. Previous findings indicate the insular cortex (IC) and the nucleus accumbens (NAc) play important roles in social behaviors, and human neuroimaging implicates both IC and NAc in autism and other psychiatric disorders characterized by aberrant social cognition. To test whether IC projections to the NAc are involved in social decision-making, circuit-specific chemogenetic manipulations demonstrated that the IC → NAc pathway mediates social approach toward distressed juvenile, but not adult, conspecifics. This finding is the first to implicate this circuit in rodent socioemotional behaviors and may be a neuroanatomical substrate for integration of emotion with social reward.
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42
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Ueno H, Suemitsu S, Murakami S, Kitamura N, Wani K, Takahashi Y, Matsumoto Y, Okamoto M, Ishihara T. Rescue-like Behaviour in Mice is Mediated by Their Interest in the Restraint Tool. Sci Rep 2019; 9:10648. [PMID: 31375693 PMCID: PMC6677799 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-46128-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2019] [Accepted: 06/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Acting without the expectation of compensation is called prosocial behaviour. Since prosocial behaviour requires high cognitive and social abilities, it has been thought to be only shown by primates. Although prosocial behaviour has been recently reported in rats, there are still questions regarding this finding. We demonstrated rescue-like behaviour in mice in a previous report. In this study, we investigated the motives underlying rescue-like behaviour for constrained cage-mates among mice. We prepared either a tube containing a ball of yarn or an opaque tube and assessed whether mice displayed the same rescue-like behaviour shown in the case of tube-restrained cage-mates. Mice did not open the lid of the tube containing the ball of yarn but opened the opaque tube lid. Mice showed a high interest in the tube in which the cage-mate had been restrained and prioritized staying in this tube rather than rescuing additional cage-mates. Oxytocin, which increases empathy, had no effect on the lid-opening behaviour. Thus, the rescue-like behaviour of mice is not based on empathy but is related to social interest in the cage-mate and the tube itself. These results suggest that rodent lid-opening behaviour may not conclusively prove the presence of prosocial behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroshi Ueno
- Department of Medical Technology, Kawasaki University of Medical Welfare, Okayama, 701-0193, Japan.
| | - Shunsuke Suemitsu
- Department of Psychiatry, Kawasaki Medical School, Kurashiki, 701-0192, Japan
| | - Shinji Murakami
- Department of Psychiatry, Kawasaki Medical School, Kurashiki, 701-0192, Japan
| | - Naoya Kitamura
- Department of Psychiatry, Kawasaki Medical School, Kurashiki, 701-0192, Japan
| | - Kenta Wani
- Department of Psychiatry, Kawasaki Medical School, Kurashiki, 701-0192, Japan
| | - Yu Takahashi
- Department of Psychiatry, Kawasaki Medical School, Kurashiki, 701-0192, Japan
| | - Yosuke Matsumoto
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, Okayama, 700-8558, Japan
| | - Motoi Okamoto
- Department of Medical Technology, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Okayama University, Okayama, 700-8558, Japan
| | - Takeshi Ishihara
- Department of Psychiatry, Kawasaki Medical School, Kurashiki, 701-0192, Japan
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43
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Rogers-Carter MM, Christianson JP. An insular view of the social decision-making network. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2019; 103:119-132. [PMID: 31194999 PMCID: PMC6699879 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2019] [Revised: 05/24/2019] [Accepted: 06/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Social animals must detect, evaluate and respond to the emotional states of other individuals in their group. A constellation of gestures, vocalizations, and chemosignals enable animals to convey affect and arousal to others in nuanced, multisensory ways. Observers integrate social information with environmental and internal factors to select behavioral responses to others via a process call social decision-making. The Social Decision Making Network (SDMN) is a system of brain structures and neurochemicals that are conserved across species (mammals, reptiles, amphibians, birds) that are the proximal mediators of most social behaviors. However, how sensory information reaches the SDMN to shape behavioral responses during a social encounter is not well known. Here we review the empirical data that demonstrate the necessity of sensory systems in detecting social stimuli, as well as the anatomical connectivity of sensory systems with each node of the SDMN. We conclude that the insular cortex is positioned to link integrated social sensory cues to this network to produce flexible and appropriate behavioral responses to socioemotional cues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morgan M Rogers-Carter
- Department of Psychology, McGuinn Rm 300, Boston College, 140 Commonwealth Ave, Chestnut Hill, MA, 02467, USA.
| | - John P Christianson
- Department of Psychology, McGuinn Rm 300, Boston College, 140 Commonwealth Ave, Chestnut Hill, MA, 02467, USA.
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44
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Yu Y, Li CL, Du R, Chen J. Rat Model of Empathy for Pain. Bio Protoc 2019; 9:e3266. [PMID: 33654786 DOI: 10.21769/bioprotoc.3266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2019] [Revised: 05/17/2019] [Accepted: 05/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Empathy for pain is referred to as an evolutionary behavior of social animals and humans associated with the ability to feel, recognize, understand and share the other's distressing (pain, social rejection and catastrophe) states. Impairment of empathy can definitely lead to deficits in social communication and sociability (attachment, bond, reciprocity, altruism and morality) that may be fundamental to some psychiatric disorders such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), psychopathy, misconduct, antisocial personality disorder and schizophrenia. So far, the underlying mechanisms of empathy are poorly known due to lack of animal models and scarce understanding of its biological basis. Recently, we have successfully identified and validated the behavioral identities of empathy for pain in rats that can be widely used as a rodent model for studying the underlying biological mechanisms of empathy. Priming dyadic social interaction between a naive cagemate observer (CO) and a cagemate demonstrator (CD), rather than a non-cagemate, in pain for 30 min in a testing box can repeatedly and constantly result in empathic responses of the CO toward the familiar CD's distressing condition, displaying as allo-licking at the injury site, allo-grooming at the body and social transfer of pain. The familiarity-based, distress-specific social consolation and subsequent social transfer of pain can be qualitatively and quantitatively rated as experimental biomarkers for empathy for pain. The rodent model of empathy for pain is state-of-the-art and has more advantages than the existing ones used for social neuroscience since it can reflect sensory, emotional and cognitive processes of the brain in running the prosocial and altruistic behaviors in animals who could not report verbally. Here we would like to provide and share the protocol of the model for wide use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Yu
- Institute for Biomedical Sciences of Pain, Tangdu Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an P.R. China.,Key Laboratory of Brain Stress and Behavior, People's Liberation Army, Xi'an, P.R. China
| | - Chun-Li Li
- Institute for Biomedical Sciences of Pain, Tangdu Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an P.R. China.,Key Laboratory of Brain Stress and Behavior, People's Liberation Army, Xi'an, P.R. China
| | - Rui Du
- Institute for Biomedical Sciences of Pain, Tangdu Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an P.R. China
| | - Jun Chen
- Institute for Biomedical Sciences of Pain, Tangdu Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an P.R. China.,Key Laboratory of Brain Stress and Behavior, People's Liberation Army, Xi'an, P.R. China
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45
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Walcott AT, Smith ML, Loftis JM, Ryabinin AE. Social transfer of alcohol withdrawal-induced hyperalgesia in female prairie voles. Soc Neurosci 2018; 13:710-717. [PMID: 29564972 PMCID: PMC6298945 DOI: 10.1080/17470919.2018.1456957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2017] [Revised: 03/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The expression of pain serves as a way for animals to communicate potential dangers to nearby conspecifics. Recent research demonstrated that mice undergoing alcohol or morphine withdrawal, or inflammation, could socially communicate their hyperalgesia to nearby mice. However, it is unknown whether such social transfer of hyperalgesia can be observed in other species of rodents. Therefore, the present study investigated if the social transfer of hyperalgesia occurs in the highly social prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster). We observe that adult female prairie voles undergoing withdrawal from voluntary two-bottle choice alcohol drinking display an increase in nociception. This alcohol withdrawal-induced hypersensitiity is socially transferred to female siblings within the same cage and female strangers housed in separate cages within the same room. These experiments reveal that the social transfer of pain phenomenon is not specific to inbred mouse strains and that prairie voles display alcohol withdrawal and social transfer-induced hyperalgesia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andre T. Walcott
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
| | - Monique L. Smith
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
| | - Jennifer M. Loftis
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
- Research & Development Service, VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Andrey E. Ryabinin
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
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46
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Li CL, Yu Y, He T, Wang RR, Geng KW, Du R, Luo WJ, Wei N, Wang XL, Wang Y, Yang Y, Yu YQ, Chen J. Validating Rat Model of Empathy for Pain: Effects of Pain Expressions in Social Partners. Front Behav Neurosci 2018; 12:242. [PMID: 30386220 PMCID: PMC6199527 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2018] [Accepted: 09/26/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Pain can be socially transferred between familiar rats due to empathic responses. To validate rat model of empathy for pain, effects of pain expressions in a cagemate demonstrator (CD) in pain on empathic pain responses in a naïve cagemate observer (CO) after 30 min priming dyadic social interactions (PDSI) were evaluated. The CD rats were prepared with four pain models: bee venom (BV), formalin, complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA), and spared nerve injury (SNI). Both BV and formalin tests are characterized by displayable and eye-identifiable spontaneous pain-related behaviors (SPRB) immediately after treatment, while CFA and SNI models are characterized by delayed occurrence of evoked pain hypersensitivity but with less eye-identifiable SPRB. After 30 min PDSI with a CD immediately after BV and formalin, respectively, the empathic mechanical pain hypersensitivity (EMPH) could be identified at both hind paws in CO rats. The BV—or formalin-induced EMPH in CO rats lasted for 4–5 h until full recovery. However, EMPH failed to develop in CO after socially interacting with a CD immediately after CFA, or 2 h after BV when SPRB completely disappeared. The CO's EMPH was partially relieved when socially interacting with an analgecized CD whose SPRB had been significantly suppressed. Moreover, repeated exposures to a CD in pain could enhance EMPH in CO. Finally, social transfer of pain hypersensitivity was also identified in CO who was being co-housed in pairs with a conspecific treated with CFA or SNI. The results suggest that development of EMPH in CO rats would be determined not only by extent of familiarity but also by visually identifiable pain expressions in the social partners during short period of PDSI. However, the visually unidentifiable pain can also be transferred to naïve cagemate when being co-housed in pairs with a distressed conspecific. In summary, the vicariously social contagion of pain between familiar rats is dependent upon not only expressions of pain in social partners but also the time that dyads spent in social communications. The rat model of empathy for pain is a highly stable, reproducible and valid model for studying the neural mechanisms of empathy in lower animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Li Li
- Institute for Biomedical Sciences of Pain, Tangdu Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China.,Key Laboratory of Brain Stress and Behavior, PLA, Xi'an, China
| | - Yang Yu
- Institute for Biomedical Sciences of Pain, Tangdu Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China.,Key Laboratory of Brain Stress and Behavior, PLA, Xi'an, China
| | - Ting He
- Institute for Biomedical Sciences of Pain, Tangdu Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China.,Key Laboratory of Brain Stress and Behavior, PLA, Xi'an, China
| | - Rui-Rui Wang
- Institute for Biomedical Sciences of Pain, Tangdu Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China.,Key Laboratory of Brain Stress and Behavior, PLA, Xi'an, China
| | - Kai-Wen Geng
- Institute for Biomedical Sciences of Pain, Tangdu Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Rui Du
- Institute for Biomedical Sciences of Pain, Tangdu Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Wen-Jun Luo
- Institute for Biomedical Sciences of Pain, Tangdu Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Na Wei
- Institute for Biomedical Sciences of Pain, Tangdu Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China.,Key Laboratory of Brain Stress and Behavior, PLA, Xi'an, China
| | - Xiao-Liang Wang
- Institute for Biomedical Sciences of Pain, Tangdu Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China.,Key Laboratory of Brain Stress and Behavior, PLA, Xi'an, China
| | - Yang Wang
- Institute for Biomedical Sciences of Pain, Tangdu Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China.,Key Laboratory of Brain Stress and Behavior, PLA, Xi'an, China
| | - Yan Yang
- Institute for Biomedical Sciences of Pain, Tangdu Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China.,Key Laboratory of Brain Stress and Behavior, PLA, Xi'an, China
| | - Yao-Qing Yu
- Institute for Biomedical Sciences of Pain, Tangdu Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China.,Key Laboratory of Brain Stress and Behavior, PLA, Xi'an, China
| | - Jun Chen
- Institute for Biomedical Sciences of Pain, Tangdu Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China.,Key Laboratory of Brain Stress and Behavior, PLA, Xi'an, China
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47
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Familiarity modulates social approach toward stressed conspecifics in female rats. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0200971. [PMID: 30278039 PMCID: PMC6168124 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0200971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2018] [Accepted: 09/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Familiarity between conspecifics may influence how social affective cues shape social behaviors. In a social affective preference test, experimental rats, when given the choice to explore an unfamiliar stressed or a naive adult, will avoid interaction with a stressed conspecific. To determine if familiarity would influence social interactions with stressed conspecifics, male and female test rats underwent 2 social affective preference tests in isosexual triads where an experimental rat was presented with a naïve and a stressed target conspecific who were either familiar (cagemate) or unfamiliar. Male and female experimental rats avoided stressed unfamiliar conspecifics. However, experimental female rats demonstrated a preference to interact with their stressed, familiar cagemates. Male and female rats exhibited more self-grooming and immobility behavior in the presence of stressed conspecifics, which may indicate emotion contagion. These findings suggest a sex-specific role of familiarity in social approach and avoidance, and warrant further mechanistic exploration.
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48
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Ito W, Huang H, Brayman V, Morozov A. Impaired social contacts with familiar anesthetized conspecific in CA3-restricted brain-derived neurotrophic factor knockout mice. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2018; 18:e12513. [PMID: 30120813 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2017] [Revised: 07/20/2018] [Accepted: 08/14/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Familiarity is conveyed by social cues and determines behaviors toward conspecifics. Here, we characterize a novel assay for social behaviors in mice-contacts with anesthetized conspecific-which eliminates reciprocal interactions, including intermale aggression and shows behaviors that are independent of the demonstrator's activity. During the initial 10 minutes (phase-1), the wild-type (WT) subjects contacted the anesthetized conspecifics vigorously regardless of familiarity. During the subsequent 80 minutes (phase-2), however, they contacted more with familiar than unfamiliar conspecifics. We then applied this test to highly aggressive mice with a hippocampal CA3-restricted knockout (KO) of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), in which aggression may mask other social behaviors. The KO mice showed less preference for contacting familiar conspecifics than did WT mice during phase-2 but no differences during phase-1. Among nonsocial behaviors, WT mice also spent less time eating in the presence of familiar than with unfamiliar conspecifics, which was not seen in KO mice. In addition, KO mice exhibited reduced pain sensitization. Altogether, these findings suggest that CA3-specific deletion of BDNF results in deficits in circuits that process social cues from familiar conspecifics as well as pain and may underlie empathy-like behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wataru Ito
- Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute, Roanoke, Virginia
| | - Howard Huang
- Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute, Roanoke, Virginia
| | - Vanessa Brayman
- Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute, Roanoke, Virginia.,Graduate Program in Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia
| | - Alexei Morozov
- Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute, Roanoke, Virginia.,School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, Roanoke, Virginia
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49
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A Context-Based Analgesia Model in Rats: Involvement of Prefrontal Cortex. Neurosci Bull 2018; 34:1047-1057. [PMID: 30178433 PMCID: PMC6246847 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-018-0279-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2018] [Accepted: 05/03/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Cognition and pain share common neural substrates and interact reciprocally: chronic pain compromises cognitive performance, whereas cognitive processes modulate pain perception. In the present study, we established a non-drug-dependent rat model of context-based analgesia, where two different contexts (dark and bright) were matched with a high (52°C) or low (48°C) temperature in the hot-plate test during training. Before and after training, we set the temperature to the high level in both contexts. Rats showed longer paw licking latencies in trials with the context originally matched to a low temperature than those to a high temperature, indicating successful establishment of a context-based analgesic effect in rats. This effect was blocked by intraperitoneal injection of naloxone (an opioid receptor antagonist) before the probe. The context-based analgesic effect also disappeared after optogenetic activation or inhibition of the bilateral infralimbic or prelimbic sub-region of the prefrontal cortex. In brief, we established a context-based, non-drug dependent, placebo-like analgesia model in the rat. This model provides a new and useful tool for investigating the cognitive modulation of pain.
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Ueno H, Suemitsu S, Murakami S, Kitamura N, Wani K, Okamoto M, Matsumoto Y, Aoki S, Ishihara T. Empathic behavior according to the state of others in mice. Brain Behav 2018; 8:e00986. [PMID: 29845752 PMCID: PMC6043708 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2018] [Accepted: 03/24/2018] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Empathic behavior is essential for social activities in social animals. Therefore, lack of empathy is a feature of several neuropsychiatric disorders. However, the underlying mechanisms of empathy and which animals possess it remain unclear. In this study, we investigated whether mice show empathic behavior. METHODS We tested mice for empathy-like behaviors toward conspecifics who were distressed. We investigated behavioral changes in cage-mate or stranger mice. RESULTS When the conspecific mice were in a painful state, subject mice showed preferential approach behavior toward them, presumably recognizing the state. Both visual information and olfactory information are indispensable for this empathic behavior. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that the mouse recognizes the emotional state of the conspecific and engages in social interaction. The results of this study are useful for the elucidation of the causal mechanisms involved in neuropsychiatric disorders and may contribute in the development of novel treatment targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroshi Ueno
- Department of Medical Technology, Kawasaki University of Medical Welfare, Okayama, Japan.,Department of Medical Technology, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan
| | | | - Shinji Murakami
- Department of Psychiatry, Kawasaki Medical School, Okayama, Japan
| | - Naoya Kitamura
- Department of Psychiatry, Kawasaki Medical School, Okayama, Japan
| | - Kenta Wani
- Department of Psychiatry, Kawasaki Medical School, Okayama, Japan
| | - Motoi Okamoto
- Department of Medical Technology, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan
| | - Yosuke Matsumoto
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan
| | - Shozo Aoki
- Department of Psychiatry, Kawasaki Medical School, Okayama, Japan
| | - Takeshi Ishihara
- Department of Psychiatry, Kawasaki Medical School, Okayama, Japan
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