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Phalip A, Netser S, Wagner S. Understanding the neurobiology of social behavior through exploring brain-wide dynamics of neural activity. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 165:105856. [PMID: 39159735 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2024] [Revised: 08/11/2024] [Accepted: 08/14/2024] [Indexed: 08/21/2024]
Abstract
Social behavior is highly complex and adaptable. It can be divided into multiple temporal stages: detection, approach, and consummatory behavior. Each stage can be further divided into several cognitive and behavioral processes, such as perceiving social cues, evaluating the social and non-social contexts, and recognizing the internal/emotional state of others. Recent studies have identified numerous brain-wide circuits implicated in social behavior and suggested the existence of partially overlapping functional brain networks underlying various types of social and non-social behavior. However, understanding the brain-wide dynamics underlying social behavior remains challenging, and several brain-scale dynamics (macro-, meso-, and micro-scale levels) need to be integrated. Here, we suggest leveraging new tools and concepts to explore social brain networks and integrate those different levels. These include studying the expression of immediate-early genes throughout the entire brain to impartially define the structure of the neuronal networks involved in a given social behavior. Then, network dynamics could be investigated using electrode arrays or multi-channel fiber photometry. Finally, tools like high-density silicon probes and miniscopes can probe neural activity in specific areas and across neuronal populations at the single-cell level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adèle Phalip
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel.
| | - Shai Netser
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Shlomo Wagner
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
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2
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Conrad CD, Peay DN, Acuña AM, Whittaker K, Donnay ME. Corticosterone disrupts spatial working memory during retention testing when highly taxed, which positively correlates with depressive-like behavior in middle-aged, ovariectomized female rats. Horm Behav 2024; 164:105600. [PMID: 39003890 PMCID: PMC11330725 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2024.105600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2024] [Revised: 07/03/2024] [Accepted: 07/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024]
Abstract
Major Depressive Disorder affects 8.4 % of the U.S. population, particularly women during perimenopause. This study implemented a chronic corticosterone manipulation (CORT, a major rodent stress hormone) using middle-aged, ovariectomized female rats to investigate depressive-like behavior, anxiety-like symptoms, and cognitive ability. CORT (400 μg/ml, in drinking water) was administered for four weeks before behavioral testing began and continued throughout all behavioral assessments. Compared to vehicle-treated rats, CORT significantly intensified depressive-like behaviors: CORT decreased sucrose preference, enhanced immobility on the forced swim test, and decreased sociability on a choice task between a novel conspecific female rat and an inanimate object. Moreover, CORT enhanced anxiety-like behavior on a marble bury task by reducing time investigating tabasco-topped marbles. No effects were observed on novelty suppressed feeding or the elevated plus maze. For spatial working memory using an 8-arm radial arm maze, CORT did not alter acquisition but disrupted performance during retention. CORT enhanced the errors committed during the highest working memory load following a delay and during the last trial requiring the most items to remember; this cognitive metric positively correlated with a composite depressive-like score to reveal that as depressive-like symptoms increased, cognitive performance worsened. This protocol allowed for the inclusion of multiple behavioral assessments without stopping the CORT treatment needed to produce a MDD phenotype and to assess a battery of behaviors. Moreover, that when middle-age was targeted, chronic CORT produced a depressive-like phenotype in ovariectomized females, who also comorbidly expressed aspects of anxiety and cognitive dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheryl D Conrad
- Arizona State University, Department of Psychology, Box 1104, Tempe 85287, AZ, United States.
| | - Dylan N Peay
- Arizona State University, Department of Psychology, Box 1104, Tempe 85287, AZ, United States
| | - Amanda M Acuña
- Arizona State University, Department of Psychology, Box 1104, Tempe 85287, AZ, United States
| | - Kennedy Whittaker
- Arizona State University, Department of Psychology, Box 1104, Tempe 85287, AZ, United States
| | - Megan E Donnay
- Arizona State University, Department of Psychology, Box 1104, Tempe 85287, AZ, United States
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3
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Xu QW, Larosa A, Wong TP. Roles of AMPA receptors in social behaviors. Front Synaptic Neurosci 2024; 16:1405510. [PMID: 39056071 PMCID: PMC11269240 DOI: 10.3389/fnsyn.2024.1405510] [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: 03/23/2024] [Accepted: 06/24/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
As a crucial player in excitatory synaptic transmission, AMPA receptors (AMPARs) contribute to the formation, regulation, and expression of social behaviors. AMPAR modifications have been associated with naturalistic social behaviors, such as aggression, sociability, and social memory, but are also noted in brain diseases featuring impaired social behavior. Understanding the role of AMPARs in social behaviors is timely to reveal therapeutic targets for treating social impairment in disorders, such as autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia. In this review, we will discuss the contribution of the molecular composition, function, and plasticity of AMPARs to social behaviors. The impact of targeting AMPARs in treating brain disorders will also be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Wei Xu
- Douglas Hospital Research Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Amanda Larosa
- Douglas Hospital Research Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Tak Pan Wong
- Douglas Hospital Research Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
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4
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Adedokun MA, Enye LA, Akinluyi ET, Ajibola TA, Edem EE. Black seed oil reverses chronic antibiotic-mediated depression and social behaviour deficits via modulation of hypothalamic mitochondrial-dependent markers and insulin expression. IBRO Neurosci Rep 2024; 16:267-279. [PMID: 38379607 PMCID: PMC10876594 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibneur.2024.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/27/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Chronic antibiotic use has been reported to impair mitochondrial indices, hypothalamus-mediated metabolic function, and amygdala-regulated emotional processes. Natural substances such as black seed (Nigella sativa) oil could be beneficial in mitigating these impairments. This study aimed to assess the impact of black seed oil (NSO) on depression and sociability indices, redox imbalance, mitochondrial-dependent markers, and insulin expression in mice subjected to chronic ampicillin exposure. Forty adult male BALB/c mice (30 ± 2 g) were divided into five groups: the CTRL group received normal saline, the ABT group received ampicillin, the NSO group received black seed oil, the ABT/NSO group concurrently received ampicillin and black seed oil, and the ABT+NSO group experienced pre-exposure to ampicillin followed by subsequent treatment with black seed oil. The ampicillin-exposed group exhibited depressive-like behaviours, impaired social interactive behaviours, and disruptions in mitochondrial-dependent markers in plasma and hypothalamic tissues, accompanied by an imbalance in antioxidant levels. Moreover, chronic antibiotic exposure downregulated insulin expression in the hypothalamus. However, these impairments were significantly ameliorated in the ABT/NSO, and ABT+NSO groups compared to the untreated antibiotic-exposed group. Overall, findings from this study suggest the beneficial role of NSO as an adjuvant therapy in preventing and abrogating mood behavioural and neural-metabolic impairments of chronic antibiotic exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mujeeb Adekunle Adedokun
- Neuroscience Unit, Department of Human Anatomy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria
| | - Linus Anderson Enye
- Neuroscience Unit, Department of Human Anatomy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria
| | - Elizabeth Toyin Akinluyi
- Neuropharmacology Unit, Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria
| | - Toheeb Adesumbo Ajibola
- Neuroscience Unit, Department of Human Anatomy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria
| | - Edem Ekpenyong Edem
- Neuroscience Unit, Department of Human Anatomy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria
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5
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Aspesi D, Cornil CA. Role of neuroestrogens in the regulation of social behaviors - From social recognition to mating. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 161:105679. [PMID: 38642866 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105679] [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: 12/07/2023] [Revised: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/22/2024]
Abstract
In this mini-review, we summarize the brain distribution of aromatase, the enzyme catalyzing the synthesis of estrogens from androgens, and the mechanisms responsible for regulating estrogen production within the brain. Understanding this local synthesis of estrogens by neurons is pivotal as it profoundly influences various facets of social behavior. Neuroestrogen action spans from the initial processing of socially pertinent sensory cues to integrating this information with an individual's internal state, ultimately resulting in the manifestation of either pro-affiliative or - aggressive behaviors. We focus here in particular on aggressive and sexual behavior as the result of correct individual recognition of intruders and potential mates. The data summarized in this review clearly point out the crucial role of locally synthesized estrogens in facilitating rapid adaptation to the social environment in rodents and birds of both sexes. These observations not only shed light on the evolutionary significance but also indicate the potential implications of these findings in the realm of human health, suggesting a compelling avenue for further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dario Aspesi
- Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA
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6
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Jabra S, Rietsche M, Muellerleile J, O'Leary A, Slattery DA, Deller T, Fellenz M. Sex- and cycle-dependent changes in spine density and size in hippocampal CA2 neurons. Sci Rep 2024; 14:12252. [PMID: 38806649 PMCID: PMC11133407 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-62951-x] [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: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Sex hormones affect structural and functional plasticity in the rodent hippocampus. However, hormone levels not only differ between males and females, but also fluctuate across the female estrous cycle. While sex- and cycle-dependent differences in dendritic spine density and morphology have been found in the rodent CA1 region, but not in the CA3 or the dentate gyrus, comparable structural data on CA2, i.e. the hippocampal region involved in social recognition memory, is so far lacking. In this study, we, therefore, used wildtype male and female mice in diestrus or proestrus to analyze spines on dendritic segments from identified CA2 neurons. In basal stratum oriens, we found no differences in spine density, but a significant shift towards larger spine head areas in male mice compared to females. Conversely, in apical stratum radiatum diestrus females had a significantly higher spine density, and females in either cycle stage had a significant shift towards larger spine head areas as compared to males, with diestrus females showing the larger shift. Our results provide further evidence for the sexual dimorphism of hippocampal area CA2, and underscore the importance of considering not only the sex, but also the stage of the estrous cycle when interpreting morphological data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharif Jabra
- Institute of Clinical Neuroanatomy, Neuroscience Center, Goethe University Frankfurt, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Michael Rietsche
- Institute of Clinical Neuroanatomy, Neuroscience Center, Goethe University Frankfurt, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Julia Muellerleile
- Institute of Clinical Neuroanatomy, Neuroscience Center, Goethe University Frankfurt, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Aet O'Leary
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Goethe University Frankfurt, University Hospital, Heinrich-Hoffmann-Straße 10, 60528, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - David A Slattery
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Goethe University Frankfurt, University Hospital, Heinrich-Hoffmann-Straße 10, 60528, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Thomas Deller
- Institute of Clinical Neuroanatomy, Neuroscience Center, Goethe University Frankfurt, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Meike Fellenz
- Institute of Clinical Neuroanatomy, Neuroscience Center, Goethe University Frankfurt, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
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7
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Cum M, Santiago Pérez JA, Wangia E, Lopez N, Wright ES, Iwata RL, Li A, Chambers AR, Padilla-Coreano N. A systematic review and meta-analysis of how social memory is studied. Sci Rep 2024; 14:2221. [PMID: 38278973 PMCID: PMC10817899 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-52277-z] [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: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 01/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Social recognition is crucial for survival in social species, and necessary for group living, selective reproduction, pair bonding, and dominance hierarchies. Mice and rats are the most commonly used animal models in social memory research, however current paradigms do not account for the complex social dynamics they exhibit in the wild. To assess the range of social memories being studied, we conducted a systematic analysis of neuroscience articles testing the social memory of mice and rats published within the past two decades and analyzed their methods. Our results show that despite these rodent's rich social memory capabilities, the majority of social recognition papers explore short-term memories and short-term familiarity levels with minimal exposure between subject and familiar stimuli-a narrow type of social memory. We have identified several key areas currently understudied or underrepresented: kin relationships, mates, social ranks, sex variabilities, and the effects of aging. Additionally, reporting on social stimulus variables such as housing history, strain, and age, is limited, which may impede reproducibility. Overall, our data highlight large gaps in the diversity of social memories studied and the effects social variables have on social memory mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meghan Cum
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, 32610, USA
| | | | - Erika Wangia
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, 32610, USA
| | - Naeliz Lopez
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, 32610, USA
| | - Elizabeth S Wright
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, 32610, USA
| | - Ryo L Iwata
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, 32610, USA
| | - Albert Li
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, 32610, USA
| | - Amelia R Chambers
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, 32610, USA
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8
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Cum M, Pérez JS, Wangia E, Lopez N, Wright ES, Iwata RL, Li A, Chambers AR, Padilla-Coreano N. Mind the gap: A systematic review and meta-analysis of how social memory is studied. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.20.572606. [PMID: 38187659 PMCID: PMC10769336 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.20.572606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
Social recognition is crucial for survival in social species, and necessary for group living, selective reproduction, pair bonding, and dominance hierarchies. Mice and rats are the most commonly used animal models in social memory research, however current paradigms do not account for the complex social dynamics they exhibit in the wild. To assess the range of social memories being studied, we conducted a systematic analysis of neuroscience articles testing the social memory of mice and rats published within the past two decades and analyzed their methods. Our results show that despite these rodent's rich social memory capabilities, the majority of social recognition papers explore short-term memories and short-term familiarity levels with minimal exposure between subject and familiar stimuli - a narrow type of social memory. We have identified several key areas currently understudied or underrepresented: kin relationships, mates, social ranks, sex variabilities, and the effects of aging. Additionally, reporting on social stimulus variables such as housing history, strain, and age, is limited, which may impede reproducibility. Overall, our data highlight large gaps in the diversity of social memories studied and the effects social variables have on social memory mechanisms.
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9
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Mansk LMZ, Jaimes LF, Dias TL, Pereira GS. Social recognition memory differences between mouse strains: On the effects of social isolation, adult neurogenesis, and environmental enrichment. Brain Res 2023; 1819:148535. [PMID: 37595660 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2023.148535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Revised: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/20/2023]
Abstract
Remembering conspecifics is paramount for the establishment and maintenance of groups. Here we asked whether the variability in social behavior caused by different breeding strategies affects social recognition memory (SRM). We tested the hypothesis that the inbred Swiss and the outbred C57BL/6 mice behave differently on SRM. Social memory in C57BL/6 mice endured at least 14 days, while in Swiss mice lasted 24 h but not ten days. We showed previously that an enriched environment enhanced the persistence of SRM in Swiss mice. Here we reproduced this result and added that it also increases the survival of adult-born neurons in the hippocampus. Next, we tested whether prolonged SRM observed in C57BL/6 mice could be changed by diminishing the trial duration or using an interference stimulus after learning. Neither short acquisition time nor interference during consolidation affected it. However, social isolation impaired SRM in C57BL/6 mice, similar to what was previously observed in Swiss mice. Our results demonstrate that SRM expression can vary according to the mouse strain, which shows the importance of considering this variable when choosing the most suitable model to answer specific questions about this memory system. We also demonstrate the suitability of both C57BL/6 and Swiss strains for exploring the impact of environmental conditions and adult neurogenesis on social memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara M Z Mansk
- Núcleo de Neurociências, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Laura F Jaimes
- Núcleo de Neurociências, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Thomaz L Dias
- Núcleo de Neurociências, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil; Departamento de Análises Clínicas e Toxicológicas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Grace S Pereira
- Núcleo de Neurociências, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
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10
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Sellinger EP, Brinks AS, Javeri RR, Theurer SL, Wang R, Juraska JM. Region- and age-specific effects of perinatal phthalate exposure on developmental cell death and adult anatomy of dorsal and ventral hippocampus and associated cognitive behaviors. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2023; 99:107288. [PMID: 37595675 PMCID: PMC10530334 DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2023.107288] [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: 02/16/2023] [Revised: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/20/2023]
Abstract
Humans are exposed to phthalates, a class of endocrine-disrupting chemicals used in food packaging/processing, PVC plastics, and personal care products. Gestational exposure may lead to adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes. In a rat model, perinatal exposure to an environmentally relevant mixture and dose of phthalates leads to increased developmental apoptosis in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and a subsequent reduction in neurons and in cognitive flexibility measured in adults of both sexes (Sellinger et al., 2021b; Kougias et al., 2018b). However, whether these effects generalize to other cognitive regions, like the hippocampus, is less well understood as existing studies used single phthalates at large doses, unrepresentative of human exposure. In the current study, patterns of naturally occurring cell death were first established in the dorsal and ventral hippocampal subfields (CA3 and CA1). Both dorsal and ventral CA3 reached high levels of cell death on P2 while levels in dorsal and ventral CA1 peaked on P5 in both sexes. Exposure to a phthalate mixture (0.2 and 1 mg/kg/day) throughout gestation through postnatal day 10 resulted in subtle age- and region-specific decreases in developmental cell death, however there were no significant changes in adult neuron number or associated behaviors: the Morris water maze and social recognition. Therefore, perinatal exposure to a low dose mixture of phthalates does not result in the dramatic structural and behavioral changes seen with high doses of single phthalates. This study also adds to our understanding of the distinct neurodevelopmental effects of phthalates on different brain regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elli P Sellinger
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 603 E. Daniel Street, Champaign, IL 61820, United States of America.
| | - Amara S Brinks
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 603 E. Daniel Street, Champaign, IL 61820, United States of America.
| | - Rajvi R Javeri
- Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 603 E. Daniel Street, Champaign, IL 61820, United States of America.
| | - Savannah L Theurer
- Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 603 E. Daniel Street, Champaign, IL 61820, United States of America.
| | - Ruibin Wang
- Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 603 E. Daniel Street, Champaign, IL 61820, United States of America.
| | - Janice M Juraska
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 603 E. Daniel Street, Champaign, IL 61820, United States of America; Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 603 E. Daniel Street, Champaign, IL 61820, United States of America.
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11
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Yoest KE, Henry MG, Velisek HA, Veenema AH. Development of social recognition ability in female rats: Effect of pubertal ovarian hormones. Horm Behav 2023; 151:105347. [PMID: 36966657 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2023.105347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Revised: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 04/28/2023]
Abstract
The ability to recognize previously encountered conspecifics is crucial for social interaction. This social recognition ability is well characterized in adult rodents of both sexes but remains largely unexplored in juveniles. Using the social discrimination test of social recognition with short intervals (30 min and 1 h), we first found that juvenile female rats do not display a difference in investigation directed toward a novel vs. familiar stimulus rat. Using the social discrimination test with a 30-minute interval, we then showed that social recognition is established by the time of adolescence in female rats. Based on these findings, we hypothesized that social recognition is dependent on the initiation of ovarian hormone release during puberty. To test this, we ovariectomized females prior to puberty and found that prepubertal ovariectomy prevented the development of social recognition ability in adulthood. Administration of estradiol benzoate, 48 h prior to testing, to juvenile females or prepubertally ovariectomized adult females did not restore social recognition, suggesting that ovarian hormones organize the neural circuitry regulating this behavior during adolescence. These findings provide the first evidence of an effect of pubertal development on social recognition ability in female rats and highlight the importance of considering sex and age when interpreting results from behavioral paradigms initially designed for use in adult males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katie E Yoest
- Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States of America
| | - Morgen G Henry
- Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States of America
| | - Haley A Velisek
- Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States of America
| | - Alexa H Veenema
- Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States of America; Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States of America.
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12
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Aspesi D, Bass N, Kavaliers M, Choleris E. The role of androgens and estrogens in social interactions and social cognition. Neuroscience 2023:S0306-4522(23)00151-3. [PMID: 37080448 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2023.03.028] [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: 06/13/2022] [Revised: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/22/2023]
Abstract
Gonadal hormones are becoming increasingly recognized for their effects on cognition. Estrogens, in particular, have received attention for their effects on learning and memory that rely upon the functioning of various brain regions. However, the impacts of androgens on cognition are relatively under investigated. Testosterone, as well as estrogens, have been shown to play a role in the modulation of different aspects of social cognition. This review explores the impact of testosterone and other androgens on various facets of social cognition including social recognition, social learning, social approach/avoidance, and aggression. We highlight the relevance of considering not only the actions of the most commonly studied steroids (i.e., testosterone, 17β-estradiol, and dihydrotestosterone), but also that of their metabolites and precursors, which interact with a plethora of different receptors and signalling molecules, ultimately modulating behaviour. We point out that it is also essential to investigate the effects of androgens, their precursors and metabolites in females, as prior studies have mostly focused on males. Overall, a comprehensive analysis of the impact of steroids such as androgens on behaviour is fundamental for a full understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying social cognition, including that of humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dario Aspesi
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph
| | - Noah Bass
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph
| | - Martin Kavaliers
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph; Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada; Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
| | - Elena Choleris
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph.
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Maletta T, Palummieri M, Correa J, Holahan MR. Preadolescent exposure to a sexually mature, unrelated male rat reduces postadolescent social recognition memory and CA2 c-Fos labeling. Front Behav Neurosci 2023; 17:1104866. [PMID: 36778132 PMCID: PMC9908592 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1104866] [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: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Social memory involves social recognition: the ability to discriminate between two or more conspecifics when one has been previously encountered. The CA2 region of the hippocampus has been implicated in social memory, as lesions and dysfunction to this area lead to social memory impairments. A variety of psychogenic manipulations during postnatal sensitive developmental periods are associated with social memory impairments later in life. Methods In this study, we exposed preadolescent rats to a sexually, mature unrelated male and examined whether this was associated with changes in postadolescent social memory and c-Fos labeling in the CA2 region. Male and female Long-Evans rats were exposed to a male, adult rat on postnatal days 19-21 (P19-21). Social memory was measured during the postadolescent period and defined as increased interactions towards a novel age-matched rat in contrast to a previously-encountered age-matched rat. After the test, rats were euthanized and brain tissue was then collected to quantify c-Fos labeling within the CA2 region. Results Compared to home cage controls and controls not exposed to the adult male, male and female rats exposed to the unrelated adult during preadolescence were unable to discriminate between a novel and previously encountered conspecific during the postadolescent test showing social memory deficits. The groups that showed social recognition deficits also had significantly fewer c-Fos-positive cells within the CA2 region compared to the control groups. Discussion These findings indicate that threatening psychogenic encounters during preadolescence can have detrimental long-term effects on social memory potentially via disrupted activity in the CA2 hippocampal region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresa Maletta
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | | | - Jeff Correa
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada
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14
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Rigney N, de Vries GJ, Petrulis A. Modulation of social behavior by distinct vasopressin sources. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2023; 14:1127792. [PMID: 36860367 PMCID: PMC9968743 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1127792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The neuropeptide arginine-vasopressin (AVP) is well known for its peripheral effects on blood pressure and antidiuresis. However, AVP also modulates various social and anxiety-related behaviors by its actions in the brain, often sex-specifically, with effects typically being stronger in males than in females. AVP in the nervous system originates from several distinct sources which are, in turn, regulated by different inputs and regulatory factors. Based on both direct and indirect evidence, we can begin to define the specific role of AVP cell populations in social behavior, such as, social recognition, affiliation, pair bonding, parental behavior, mate competition, aggression, and social stress. Sex differences in function may be apparent in both sexually-dimorphic structures as well as ones without prominent structural differences within the hypothalamus. The understanding of how AVP systems are organized and function may ultimately lead to better therapeutic interventions for psychiatric disorders characterized by social deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Rigney
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, United States
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15
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Graf A, Murray SH, Eltahir A, Patel S, Hansson AC, Spanagel R, McCormick CM. Acute and long-term sex-dependent effects of social instability stress on anxiety-like and social behaviours in Wistar rats. Behav Brain Res 2023; 438:114180. [PMID: 36349601 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2022.114180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Revised: 10/07/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Adolescence is a critical time of social learning in which both the quantity and quality of social interactions shape adult behavior and social function. During adolescence, social instability such as disrupting or limiting social interactions can lead to negative life-long effects on mental health and well-being in humans. Animal models on social instability are critically important in understanding those underlying neurobiological mechanisms. However, studies in rats using these models have produced partly inconsistent results and can be difficult to generalize. Here we assessed in a sex and age consistent manner the long-term behavioural consequences of social instability stress (SIS - 1-hr daily isolation and change in cage mate between postnatal day (PD30-45)) in Wistar rats. Female and male rats underwent a battery of tests for anxiety-like, exploratory, and social behaviour over five days beginning either in adolescence (PD46) or in adulthood (PD70). Social instability led to reduced anxiety-like behaviour in the elevated plus maze in both sexes in adolescence and in adulthood. Social interactions were also reduced in rats that underwent SIS - an effect that was independent of sex and age when tested. SIS improved social recognition memory in both sexes whereas a sex-dependent effect was seen in the social novelty preference test where male rats that underwent SIS spent more time in social approach toward a novel peer than toward their cage mate. In comparison, control male and female groups did not differ in this test, in time spent with novel versus the cage mate. Thus, overall, social instability stress in Wistar rats altered the behavioural repertoire, with enduring alterations in social behaviour, enhanced exploratory behaviour, and reduced anxiety-like behaviour. In conclusion, the social instability stress paradigm may better be interpreted as a form of enrichment in Wistar rats than as a stressor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akseli Graf
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Shealin H Murray
- Centre for Neuroscience and Department of Psychology, Brock University, St. Catharines, Canada
| | - Akif Eltahir
- Centre for Neuroscience and Department of Psychology, Brock University, St. Catharines, Canada
| | - Smit Patel
- Centre for Neuroscience and Department of Psychology, Brock University, St. Catharines, Canada
| | - Anita C Hansson
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Rainer Spanagel
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Cheryl M McCormick
- Centre for Neuroscience and Department of Psychology, Brock University, St. Catharines, Canada.
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16
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Tsai TC, Fang YS, Hung YC, Hung LC, Hsu KS. A dorsal CA2 to ventral CA1 circuit contributes to oxytocinergic modulation of long-term social recognition memory. J Biomed Sci 2022; 29:50. [PMID: 35811321 PMCID: PMC9272559 DOI: 10.1186/s12929-022-00834-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2022] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Social recognition memory (SRM) is the ability to distinguish familiar from novel conspecifics and is crucial for survival and reproductive success across social species. We previously reported that oxytocin (OXT) receptor (OXTR) signaling in the CA2/CA3a of dorsal hippocampus is essential to promote the persistence of long-term SRM, yet how the endogenous OXT system influences CA2 outputs to regulate long-term SRM formation remains unclear. METHODS To achieve a selective deletion of CA2 OXTRs, we crossed Amigo2-Cre mice with Oxtr-floxed mice to generate CA2-specific Oxtr conditional knockout (Oxtr-/-) mice. A three-chamber paradigm test was used for studying SRM in mice. Chemogenetic and optogenetic targeting strategies were employed to manipulate neuronal activity. RESULTS We show that selective ablation of Oxtr in the CA2 suffices to impair the persistence of long-term SRM but has no effect on sociability and social novelty preference in the three-chamber paradigm test. We find that cell-type specific activation of OXT neurons within the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus enhances long-term SRM and this enhancement is blocked by local application of OXTR antagonist L-368,899 into dorsal hippocampal CA2 (dCA2) region. In addition, chemogenetic neuronal silencing in dCA2 demonstrated that neuronal activity is essential for forming long-term SRM. Moreover, chemogenetic terminal-specific inactivation reveals a crucial role for dCA2 outputs to ventral CA1 (vCA1), but not dorsal lateral septum, in long-term SRM. Finally, targeted activation of the dCA2-to-vCA1 circuit effectively ameliorates long-term SRM deficit observed in Oxtr-/- mice. CONCLUSIONS These findings highlight the importance of hippocampal CA2 OXTR signaling in governing the persistence of long-term SRM and identify a hippocampal circuit linking dCA2 to vCA1 necessary for controlling long-term SRM formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tsung-Chih Tsai
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, 70101, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Syuan Fang
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, No. 1, University Rd., Tainan, 70101, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Chieh Hung
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, 70101, Taiwan
| | - Ling-Chien Hung
- Division of Neurology, Department of Internal Medicine, Ditmanson Medical Foundation Chia-Yi Christian Hospital, Chiayi, 60002, Taiwan.
| | - Kuei-Sen Hsu
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, 70101, Taiwan.
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, No. 1, University Rd., Tainan, 70101, Taiwan.
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17
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Rubio Arzola P, Shansky RM. Considering Organismal Physiology in Laboratory Studies of Rodent Behavior. Annu Rev Neurosci 2022; 45:387-402. [PMID: 35395164 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-neuro-111020-085500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Any experiment conducted in a rodent laboratory is done so against the backdrop of each animal's physiological state at the time of the experiment. This physiological state can be the product of multiple factors, both internal (e.g., animal sex, strain, hormone cycles, or circadian rhythms) and external (e.g., housing conditions, social status, and light/dark phases). Each of these factors has the potential to influence experimental outcomes, either independently or via interactions with others, and yet there is little consistency across laboratories in terms of the weight with which they are considered in experimental design. Such discrepancies-both in practice and in reporting-likely contribute to the perception of a reproducibility crisis in the field of behavioral neuroscience. In this review, we discuss how several of these sources of variability can impact outcomes within the realm of common learning and memory paradigms. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Neuroscience, Volume 45 is July 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rebecca M Shansky
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA;
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18
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Aspesi D, Choleris E. Neuroendocrine underpinning of social recognition in males and females. J Neuroendocrinol 2022; 34:e13070. [PMID: 34927288 DOI: 10.1111/jne.13070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2021] [Revised: 11/14/2021] [Accepted: 11/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Social recognition is an essential skill for the expression of appropriate behaviors towards conspecifics in most social species. Several studies point to oxytocin (OT) and arginine vasopressin (AVP) as key mediators of social recognition in males and females. However, sex differences in social cognitive behaviors highlight an important interplay between OT, AVP and the sex steroids. Estrogens facilitate social recognition by regulating OT action in the hypothalamus and that of OT receptor in the medial amygdala. The role of OT in these brain regions appears to be essential for social recognition in both males and females. Conversely, social recognition in male rats and mice is more dependent on AVP release in the lateral septum than in females. The AVP system comprises a series of highly sexually dimorphic brain nuclei, including the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, the amygdala and the lateral septum. Various studies suggest that testosterone and its metabolites, including estradiol, influence social recognition in males by modulating the activity of the AVP at V1a receptor. Intriguingly, both estrogens and androgens can affect social recognition very rapidly, through non-genomic mechanisms. In addition, the androgen metabolites, namely 3α-diol and 3β-diol, may also have an impact on social behaviors either by interacting with the estrogen receptors or through other mechanisms. Overall, the regulation of OT and AVP by sex steroids fine tunes social recognition and the behaviors that depend upon it (e.g., social bond, hierarchical organization, aggression) in a sex-dependent manner. Elucidating the sex-dependent interaction between sex steroids and neuroendocrine systems is essential for understanding sex differences in the normal and abnormal expression of social behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dario Aspesi
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Elena Choleris
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
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19
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Been LE, Sheppard PAS, Galea LAM, Glasper ER. Hormones and neuroplasticity: A lifetime of adaptive responses. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 132:679-690. [PMID: 34808191 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.11.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2021] [Revised: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Major life transitions often co-occur with significant fluctuations in hormones that modulate the central nervous system. These hormones enact neuroplastic mechanisms that prepare an organism to respond to novel environmental conditions and/or previously unencountered cognitive, emotional, and/or behavioral demands. In this review, we will explore several examples of how hormones mediate neuroplastic changes in order to produce adaptive responses, particularly during transitions in life stages. First, we will explore hormonal influences on social recognition in both males and females as they transition to sexual maturity. Next, we will probe the role of hormones in mediating the transitions to motherhood and fatherhood, respectively. Finally, we will survey the long-term impact of reproductive experience on neuroplasticity in females, including potential protective effects and risk factors associated with reproductive experience in mid-life and beyond. Ultimately, a more complete understanding of how hormones influence neuroplasticity throughout the lifespan, beyond development, is necessary for understanding how individuals respond to life changes in adaptive ways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura E Been
- Department of Psychology, Haverford College, 370 Lancaster Avenue, Haverford, PA, 19041, USA.
| | - Paul A S Sheppard
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Robarts Research Institute, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond St, London, Ontario, N6A 5B7, Canada.
| | - Liisa A M Galea
- Department of Psychology, Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, 2215 Wesbrook Mall, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z3, Canada.
| | - Erica R Glasper
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742 USA.
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20
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Rivera DS, Lindsay CB, Oliva CA, Bozinovic F, Inestrosa NC. A Multivariate Assessment of Age-Related Cognitive Impairment in Octodon degus. Front Integr Neurosci 2021; 15:719076. [PMID: 34526882 PMCID: PMC8437396 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2021.719076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 07/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Aging is a progressive functional decline characterized by a gradual deterioration in physiological function and behavior. The most important age-related change in cognitive function is decline in cognitive performance (i.e., the processing or transformation of information to make decisions that includes speed of processing, working memory, and learning). The purpose of this study is to outline the changes in age-related cognitive performance (i.e., short-term recognition memory and long-term learning and memory) in long-lived Octodon degus. The strong similarity between degus and humans in social, metabolic, biochemical, and cognitive aspects makes it a unique animal model for exploring the mechanisms underlying the behavioral and cognitive deficits related to natural aging. In this study, we examined young adult female degus (12- and 24-months-old) and aged female degus (38-, 56-, and 75-months-old) that were exposed to a battery of cognitive-behavioral tests. Multivariate analyses of data from the Social Interaction test or Novel Object/Local Recognition (to measure short-term recognition memory), and the Barnes maze test (to measure long-term learning and memory) revealed a consistent pattern. Young animals formed a separate group of aged degus for both short- and long-term memories. The association between the first component of the principal component analysis (PCA) from short-term memory with the first component of the PCA from long-term memory showed a significant negative correlation. This suggests age-dependent differences in both memories, with the aged degus having higher values of long-term memory ability but poor short-term recognition memory, whereas in the young degus an opposite pattern was found. Approximately 5% of the young and 80% of the aged degus showed an impaired short-term recognition memory; whereas for long-term memory about 32% of the young degus and 57% of the aged degus showed decreased performance on the Barnes maze test. Throughout this study, we outlined age-dependent cognitive performance decline during natural aging in degus. Moreover, we also demonstrated that the use of a multivariate approach let us explore and visualize complex behavioral variables, and identified specific behavioral patterns that allowed us to make powerful conclusions that will facilitate further the study on the biology of aging. In addition, this study could help predict the onset of the aging process based on behavioral performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela S Rivera
- GEMA Center for Genomics, Ecology and Environment, Facultad de Estudios Interdisciplinarios, Universidad Mayor, Santiago, Chile
| | - Carolina B Lindsay
- Center of Aging and Regeneration UC (CARE-UC), Departamento de Biología Celular y Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Carolina A Oliva
- Center of Aging and Regeneration UC (CARE-UC), Departamento de Biología Celular y Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Francisco Bozinovic
- Center for Applied Ecology and Sustainability (CAPES), Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Nibaldo C Inestrosa
- Center of Aging and Regeneration UC (CARE-UC), Departamento de Biología Celular y Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile.,Centro de Excelencia en Biomedicina de Magallanes (CEBIMA), Universidad de Magallanes, Punta Arenas, Chile
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21
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Methods and Challenges in Investigating Sex-Specific Consequences of Social Stressors in Adolescence in Rats: Is It the Stress or the Social or the Stage of Development? Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2021; 54:23-58. [PMID: 34455576 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2021_245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Adolescence is a time of social learning and social restructuring that is accompanied by changes in both the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. The activation of these axes by puberty and stressors, respectively, shapes adolescent development. Models of social stress in rats are used to understand the consequences of perturbations of the social environment for ongoing brain development. This paper reviews the challenges in investigating the sex-specific consequences of social stressors, sex differences in the models of social stress used in rats and the sex-specific effects on behaviour and provides an overview of sex differences in HPA responding to stressors, the variability in pubertal development and in strains of rats that require consideration in conducting such research, and directions for future research.
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22
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Holman PJ, Raineki C, Chao A, Grewal R, Haghighat S, Fung C, Morgan E, Ellis L, Yu W, Weinberg J. Altered social recognition memory and hypothalamic neuropeptide expression in adolescent male and female rats following prenatal alcohol exposure and/or early-life adversity. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2021; 126:105146. [PMID: 33517167 PMCID: PMC7969453 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2021.105146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2020] [Revised: 12/17/2020] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) and early-life adversity (ELA) both negatively impact social neurobehavioral development, including social recognition memory. Importantly, while individuals with PAE are more likely to experience ELA, relatively few studies have assessed the interaction of these two early insults on adolescent social behavior development. Here, we combine animal models of PAE and ELA to investigate both their unique and interactive effects on social neurobehavioral function in early and late adolescent male and female rats. Behavioral testing was followed by assessment of hypothalamic expression of oxytocin (OT) and vasopressin (AVP), key neuropeptides in the regulation of social behavior. Our results indicate that PAE and ELA have unique sex- and age-specific effects on social recognition memory and OT/AVP expression, with more pronounced neurobehavioral changes observed in males than in females in both early and late adolescence. Specifically, ELA impaired social recognition in early adolescent females regardless of prenatal treatment, while males showed deficits in both early and late adolescence in response to unique and interactive effects of PAE and ELA. Neurobiological data suggest that these perinatal insults differentially impact the OT and AVP systems in a sexually dimorphic manner, such that the OT system appears to be particularly sensitive to PAE in males while the AVP system appears to be more vulnerable to ELA in females. Taken together, our data provide novel insight into how the early postnatal environment may mediate outcomes of PAE as well as the power of animal models to interrogate the relationship between these pre- and postnatal insults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parker J. Holman
- Department of Cellular & Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada,Corresponding author: Parker J. Holman, M.S.Ed., Ph.D., Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, 2350 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada, , Phone: +1 (604) 822-4554, FAX: +1 (604) 822-2316
| | - Charlis Raineki
- Department of Cellular & Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada,Department of Psychology, Brock University, St. Catharines, Canada
| | - Amanda Chao
- Department of Cellular & Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Riley Grewal
- Department of Cellular & Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Sepehr Haghighat
- Department of Cellular & Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Cecilia Fung
- Department of Cellular & Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Erin Morgan
- Department of Cellular & Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Linda Ellis
- Department of Cellular & Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Wayne Yu
- Department of Cellular & Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Joanne Weinberg
- Department of Cellular & Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
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23
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Rigney N, Whylings J, de Vries GJ, Petrulis A. Sex Differences in the Control of Social Investigation and Anxiety by Vasopressin Cells of the Paraventricular Nucleus of the Hypothalamus. Neuroendocrinology 2021; 111:521-535. [PMID: 32541145 PMCID: PMC7736187 DOI: 10.1159/000509421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2020] [Accepted: 06/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The neuropeptide arginine-vasopressin (AVP) has long been implicated in the regulation of social behavior and communication in diverse taxa, but the source of AVP release relevant for behavior has not been precisely determined. Potential sources include hypothalamic cell populations such as the paraventricular (PVN), supraoptic, and suprachiasmatic nuclei, as well as extrahypothalamic cell groups in the extended amygdala. To address if AVP-expressing cells in the PVN are important for mouse social communication, we deleted PVN AVP-expressing cells using viral-mediated delivery of Cre-dependent caspase-9 cell death construct into the PVN of AVP-Cre-positive mice (expressing Cre-recombinase under the control of the AVP promoter) or AVP-Cre-negative littermate controls, and assessed their levels of social investigation, social communication, anxiety, sex behavior, and aggressive behavior. We found that these lesions increased social investigation in females, but not in males. However, in males but not in females, these lesions increased non-social anxiety-related behaviors in the elevated-plus maze. These results therefore point at differential involvement of PVN AVP-expressing cells in the context of social and emotional behavior in the two sexes, which may contribute to sex differences in social communication and anxiety disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Rigney
- Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA,
| | - Jack Whylings
- Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Geert J de Vries
- Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Aras Petrulis
- Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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24
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Arakawa H. From Multisensory Assessment to Functional Interpretation of Social Behavioral Phenotype in Transgenic Mouse Models for Autism Spectrum Disorders. Front Psychiatry 2020; 11:592408. [PMID: 33329141 PMCID: PMC7717939 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.592408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2020] [Accepted: 10/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a common heterogeneous disorder, defined solely by the core behavioral characteristics, including impaired social interaction and restricted and repeated behavior. Although an increasing number of studies have been performed extensively, the neurobiological mechanisms underlying the core symptoms of ASD remain largely unknown. Transgenic mouse models provide a useful tool for evaluating genetic and neuronal mechanisms underlying ASD pathology, which are prerequisites for validating behavioral phenotypes that mimic the core symptoms of human ASD. The purpose of this review is to propose a better strategy for analyzing and interpreting social investigatory behaviors in transgenic mouse models of ASD. Mice are nocturnal, and employ multimodal processing mechanisms for social communicative behaviors, including those that involve olfactory and tactile senses. Most behavioral paradigms that have been developed for measuring a particular ASD-like behavior in mouse models, such as social recognition, preference, and discrimination tests, are based on the evaluation of distance-based investigatory behavior in response to social stimuli. This investigatory behavior in mice is regulated by multimodal processing involving with two different motives: first, an olfactory-based novelty assessment, and second, tactile-based social contact, in a temporally sequential manner. Accurate interpretation of investigatory behavior exhibited by test mice can be achieved by functional analysis of these multimodal, sequential behaviors, which will lead to a better understanding of the specific features of social deficits associated with ASD in transgenic mouse models, at high temporal and spatial resolutions.
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25
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Nguyen ET, Selmanovic D, Maltry M, Morano R, Franco-Villanueva A, Estrada CM, Solomon MB. Endocrine stress responsivity and social memory in 3xTg-AD female and male mice: A tale of two experiments. Horm Behav 2020; 126:104852. [PMID: 32949555 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2020.104852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Accepted: 09/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Stress confers risk for the development and progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Relative to men, women are disproportionately more likely to be diagnosed with this neurodegenerative disease. We hypothesized that sex differences in endocrine stress responsiveness may be a factor in this statistic. To test this hypothesis, we assessed basal and stress-induced corticosterone, social recognition, and coat state deterioration (surrogate for depression-like behavior) in male and female 3xTg-AD mice. Prior to reported amyloid plaque deposition, 3xTg females (4 months), but not 3xTg males, had heightened corticosterone responses to restraint exposure. Subsequently, only 3xTg females (6 months) displayed deficits in social memory concomitant with prominent β-amyloid (Aβ) immunostaining. These data suggest that elevated corticosterone stress responses may precede cognitive impairments in genetically vulnerable females. 3xTg mice of both sexes exhibited coat state deterioration relative to same-sex controls. Corticolimbic glucocorticoid receptor (GR) dysfunction is associated with glucocorticoid hypersecretion and cognitive impairment. Our findings indicate sex- and brain-region specific effects of genotype on hippocampal and amygdala GR protein expression. Because olfactory deficits may impede social recognition, in Experiment 2, we assessed olfaction and found no differences between genotypes. Notably, in this cohort, heightened corticosterone stress responses in 3xTg females was not accompanied by social memory deficits or coat state deterioration. However, coat state deterioration was consistent in 3xTg males. We report consistent heightened stress-induced corticosterone levels and Aβ pathology in female 3xTg-AD mice. However, the behavioral findings illuminate unknown inconsistencies in certain phenotypes in this AD mouse model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth T Nguyen
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
| | - Din Selmanovic
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Marissa Maltry
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Rachel Morano
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Ana Franco-Villanueva
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Christina M Estrada
- Experimental Psychology Graduate Program, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Matia B Solomon
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA; Experimental Psychology Graduate Program, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
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Marcondes LA, Nachtigall EG, Zanluchi A, de Carvalho Myskiw J, Izquierdo I, Furini CRG. Involvement of medial prefrontal cortex NMDA and AMPA/kainate glutamate receptors in social recognition memory consolidation. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2020; 168:107153. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2019.107153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2019] [Revised: 12/12/2019] [Accepted: 12/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Arakawa H. Sensorimotor developmental factors influencing the performance of laboratory rodents on learning and memory. Behav Brain Res 2019; 375:112140. [PMID: 31401145 PMCID: PMC6741784 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2019.112140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2019] [Revised: 07/31/2019] [Accepted: 08/01/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Behavioral studies in animal models have advanced our knowledge of brain function and the neural mechanisms of human diseases. Commonly used laboratory rodents, such as mice and rats, provide a useful tool for studying the behaviors and mechanisms associated with learning and memory processes which are cooperatively regulated by multiple underlying factors, including sensory and motor performance and emotional/defense innate components. Each of these factors shows unique ontogeny and governs the sustainment of behavioral performance in learning tasks, and thus, understanding the integrative processes of behavioral development are crucial in the accurate interpretation of the functional meaning of learning and memory behaviors expressed in commonly employed behavioral test paradigms. In this review, we will summarize the major findings in the developmental processes of rodent behavior on the basis of the emergence of fundamental components for sustaining learning and memory behaviors. Briefly, most sensory modalities (except for vision) and motor abilities are functional at the juvenile stage, in which several defensive components, including active and passive defensive strategies and risk assessment behavior, emerge. Sex differences are detectable from the juvenile stage through adulthood and are considerable factors that influence behavioral tests. The test paradigms addressed in this review include associative learning (with an emphasis on fear conditioning), spatial learning, and recognition. This basic background information will aid in accurately performing behavioral studies in laboratory rodents and will therefore contribute to reducing inappropriate interpretations of behavioral data and further advance research on learning and memory in rodent models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroyuki Arakawa
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 20 Penn St. HSF2/S251, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA.
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Tzakis N, Holahan MR. Social Memory and the Role of the Hippocampal CA2 Region. Front Behav Neurosci 2019; 13:233. [PMID: 31632251 PMCID: PMC6779725 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2019] [Accepted: 09/17/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The CA2 region of the hippocampus is a somewhat obscure area lacking in an understanding of its form and function. Until recently, the CA2 has been thought of as merely an extension of the CA3, with some referring to it as the CA3a region. Recent investigations into this area have not only delineated the CA2, but also defined it as a region distinct from both CA1 and CA3, with a unique set of cortical inputs and outputs and contributions to cognitive processes. One such process that has been shown to depend on the CA2 is the ability to recognize a novel or familiar conspecific, known as social recognition memory. Here, we review these findings and discuss the parallels between CA2 dysfunction and social impairments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikolaos Tzakis
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada
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Boyer F, Jaouen F, Ibrahim EC, Gascon E. Deficits in Social Behavior Precede Cognitive Decline in Middle-Aged Mice. Front Behav Neurosci 2019; 13:55. [PMID: 30971905 PMCID: PMC6445840 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2019] [Accepted: 03/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
An extensive literature details deterioration of multiple brain functions, especially memory and learning, during aging in humans and in rodents. In contrast, the decline of social functions is less well understood. It is presently not clear whether age-dependent deficits observed in social behavior mainly reflect the disruption of social networks activity or are simply secondary to a more general impairment of cognitive and executive functions in older individuals. To address this issue, we carried out a battery of behavioral tasks exploring different brain functions in young (3 months) and middle-aged wild-type mice (9 months). Consistent with previous reports, our results show no obvious differences between these two groups in most of the domains investigated including learning and memory. Surprisingly, in social tasks, middle-aged animals showed significantly reduced levels of interactions when exposed to a new juvenile mouse. In the absence of overt cognitive decline, our findings suggest that social impairments may precede the disruption of other brain functions and argue for a selective vulnerability of social circuits during aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Flora Boyer
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, Institut de Neurosciences de la Timone (INT), Marseille, France
| | - Florence Jaouen
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, Institut de Neurosciences de la Timone (INT), Marseille, France
| | - El Chérif Ibrahim
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, Institut de Neurosciences de la Timone (INT), Marseille, France
| | - Eduardo Gascon
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, Institut de Neurosciences de la Timone (INT), Marseille, France
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Arakawa H, Iguchi Y. Ethological and multi-behavioral analysis of learning and memory performance in laboratory rodent models. Neurosci Res 2018; 135:1-12. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neures.2018.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2017] [Revised: 01/30/2018] [Accepted: 02/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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Provensi G, Costa A, Izquierdo I, Blandina P, Passani MB. Brain histamine modulates recognition memory: possible implications in major cognitive disorders. Br J Pharmacol 2018; 177:539-556. [PMID: 30129226 DOI: 10.1111/bph.14478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2018] [Revised: 07/27/2018] [Accepted: 08/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Several behavioural tests have been developed to study and measure emotionally charged or emotionally neutral memories and how these may be affected by pharmacological, dietary or environmental manipulations. In this review, we describe the experimental paradigms used in preclinical studies to unravel the brain circuits involved in the recognition and memorization of environmentally salient stimuli devoid of strong emotional value. In particular, we focus on the modulatory role of the brain histaminergic system in the elaboration of recognition memory that is based on the judgement of the prior occurrence of an event, and it is believed to be a critical component of human declarative memory. The review also addresses questions that may help improve the treatment of impaired declarative memory described in several affective and neuropsychiatric disorders such as ADHD, Alzheimer's disease and major neurocognitive disorder. LINKED ARTICLES: This article is part of a themed section on New Uses for 21st Century. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v177.3/issuetoc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gustavo Provensi
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health, Section of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Alessia Costa
- Department of Health Sciences, Section of Clinical Pharmacology and Oncology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Ivan Izquierdo
- Memory Center, Brain Institute of Rio Grande do Sul, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Patrizio Blandina
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health, Section of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Maria Beatrice Passani
- Department of Health Sciences, Section of Clinical Pharmacology and Oncology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
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Perez EC, Rodgers SP, Inoue T, Pedersen SE, Leasure JL, Gaber MW. Olfactory Memory Impairment Differs by Sex in a Rodent Model of Pediatric Radiotherapy. Front Behav Neurosci 2018; 12:158. [PMID: 30116180 PMCID: PMC6084003 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2018] [Accepted: 07/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Although an effective treatment for pediatric brain tumors, cranial radiation therapy (CRT) damages surrounding healthy tissue, thereby disrupting brain development. Animal models of pediatric CRT have primarily relied on visual tasks to assess cognitive impairment. Moreover, there has been a lack of sex comparisons as most research on the cognitive effects of pediatric CRT does not include females. Therefore, we utilized olfaction, an ethologically relevant sensory modality, to assess cognitive impairment in an animal model of CRT that included both male and female mice. Specifically, we used the novel odor recognition (NOdorR) task with social odors to test recognition memory, a cognitive parameter that has been associated with olfactory neurogenesis, a form of cellular plasticity damaged by CRT. In addition to odor recognition memory, olfactory ability or discrimination of non-social and social odors were assessed both acutely and 3 months after CRT. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and histology were performed after behavioral testing to assess long-term damage by CRT. Long-term but not acute radiation-induced impairment in odor recognition memory was observed, consistent with delayed onset of cognitive impairment in human patients. Males showed greater exploration of social odors than females, but general exploration was not affected by irradiation. However, irradiated males had impaired odor recognition memory in adulthood, compared to non-irradiated males (or simply male controls). Female olfactory recognition memory, in contrast, was dependent on estrus stage. CRT damage was demonstrated by (1) histological evaluation of olfactory neurogenesis, which suggested a reduction in CRT versus control, and (2) imaging analyses which showed that the majority of brain regions were reduced in volume by CRT. Specifically, two regions involved in social odor processing (amygdala and piriform cortex) were damaged by cranial irradiation in males but not females, paralleling olfactory recognition findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma C Perez
- Behavioral Neuroscience Lab, Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States.,Texas Children's Cancer Center, Department of Pediatrics, Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Shaefali P Rodgers
- Behavioral Neuroscience Lab, Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Taeko Inoue
- Texas Children's Cancer Center, Department of Pediatrics, Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Steen E Pedersen
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States.,Department of Physiology and Biochemistry, Ross University School of Medicine, Roseau, Dominica
| | - J Leigh Leasure
- Behavioral Neuroscience Lab, Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States.,Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - M Waleed Gaber
- Texas Children's Cancer Center, Department of Pediatrics, Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States.,Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
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Lian B, Gao J, Sui N, Feng T, Li M. Object, spatial and social recognition testing in a single test paradigm. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2018; 152:39-49. [PMID: 29778762 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2018.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2018] [Revised: 04/29/2018] [Accepted: 05/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Animals have the ability to process information about an object or a conspecific's physical features and location, and alter its behavior when such information is updated. In the laboratory, the object, spatial and social recognition are often studied in separate tasks, making them unsuitable to study the potential dissociations and interactions among various types of recognition memories. The present study introduced a single paradigm to detect the object and spatial recognition, and social recognition of a familiar and novel conspecific. Specifically, male and female Sprague-Dawley adult (>75 days old) or preadolescent (25-28 days old) rats were tested with two objects and one social partner in an open-field arena for four 10-min sessions with a 20-min inter-session interval. After the first sample session, a new object replaced one of the sampled objects in the second session, and the location of one of the old objects was changed in the third session. Finally, a new social partner was introduced in the fourth session and replaced the familiar one. Exploration time with each stimulus was recorded and measures for the three recognitions were calculated based on the discrimination ratio. Overall results show that adult and preadolescent male and female rats spent more time exploring the social partner than the objects, showing a clear preference for social stimulus over nonsocial one. They also did not differ in their abilities to discriminate a new object, a new location and a new social partner from a familiar one, and to recognize a familiar conspecific. Acute administration of MK-801 (a NMDA receptor antagonist, 0.025 and 0.10 mg/kg, i.p.) after the sample session dose-dependently reduced the total time spent on exploring the social partner and objects in the adult rats, and had a significantly larger effect in the females than in the males. MK-801 also dose-dependently increased motor activity. However, it did not alter the object, spatial and social recognitions. These findings indicate that the new triple recognition paradigm is capable of recording the object, spatial location and social recognition together and revealing potential sex and age differences. This paradigm is also useful for the study of object and social exploration concurrently and can be used to evaluate cognition-altering drugs in various stages of recognition memories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Lian
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (Southwest University), Ministry of Education, China; Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jun Gao
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (Southwest University), Ministry of Education, China; Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Nan Sui
- Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Tingyong Feng
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (Southwest University), Ministry of Education, China; Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.
| | - Ming Li
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588-0308, USA; Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.
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Garcia AN, Depena C, Bezner K, Yin W, Gore AC. The timing and duration of estradiol treatment in a rat model of the perimenopause: Influences on social behavior and the neuromolecular phenotype. Horm Behav 2018; 97:75-84. [PMID: 29108778 PMCID: PMC5771824 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2017.10.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2017] [Revised: 10/27/2017] [Accepted: 10/28/2017] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
This study tested the effects of timing and duration of estradiol (E2) treatment, factors that are clinically relevant to hormone replacement in perimenopausal women, on social behavior and expression of genes in brain regions that regulate these behaviors. Female rats were ovariectomized (OVX) at 1year of age, roughly equivalent to middle-age in women, and given E2 or vehicle for different durations (3 or 6months) and timing (immediately or after a 3-month delay) relative to OVX. Social and ultrasonic vocalization (USV) behaviors were assessed at the 3 and 6month timepoints, and the rats' brains were then used for gene expression profiling in hypothalamus (supraoptic nucleus, paraventricular nucleus), bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, medial amygdala, and prefrontal cortex using a 48-gene qPCR platform. At the 3-month post-OVX testing period, E2 treatment significantly decreased the number of frequency-modulated USVs emitted. No effects of hormone were found at the 6-month testing period. There were few effects of timing and duration of E2 in a test of social preference of a rat given a choice between her same-sex cagemate and a novel conspecific. For gene expression, effects of timing and duration of E2 were region-specific, with the majority of changes found for genes involved in regulating social behavior such as neuropeptides (Oxt, Oxtr &Avp), neurotransmitters (Drd1, Drd2, Htr2a, Grin2d &Gabbr1), and steroid hormone receptors (Esr2, Ar, Pgr). These data suggest that the mode of E2 treatment has specific effects on social behavior and expression of target genes involved in the regulation of these behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra N Garcia
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Christina Depena
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Kelsey Bezner
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Weiling Yin
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Andrea C Gore
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
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Donhoffner ME, Al Saleh S, Schink O, Wood RI. Prosocial effects of prolactin in male rats: Social recognition, social approach and social learning. Horm Behav 2017; 96:122-129. [PMID: 28935447 PMCID: PMC5722671 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2017.09.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2017] [Revised: 09/14/2017] [Accepted: 09/17/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Prolactin (PRL) and oxytocin (OT) are pituitary hormones essential for lactation, but also promote sexual behavior. OT stimulates social behaviors, such as recognition, approach, and learning, but less is known about PRL in these behaviors. Since PRL and OT have complementary functions in reproduction, we hypothesized that PRL increases social recognition, approach, and learning. Male Long-Evans rats received ovine PRL (oPRL; 0.5, 2.0 or 5.0mg/kg), the PRL antagonist bromocriptine (0.1, 3.0 or 5.0mg/kg) or saline 20 mins before testing for recognition of familiar vs. unfamiliar stimulus males. Saline controls preferred the unfamiliar male (p<0.05), while bromocriptine blocked this preference. oPRL did not increase preference. To measure social approach, we determined if PRL restores approach 2h after defeat by an aggressive male. Defeated rats avoided the aggressive male. 2mg/kg oPRL, before or after defeat, restored approach towards the aggressive male (p<0.05). In non-defeated rats, oPRL or 3mg/kg bromocriptine had no effect. To determine if PRL increases social learning, we tested social transmission of food preference. Rats choose between two unfamiliar flavors, one of which they have previously been exposed to through interaction with a demonstrator rat. Vehicle controls preferred chow with the demonstrated flavor over the novel flavor. oPRL-treated rats were similar. Bromocriptine-treated rats failed to show a preference. When tested one week later, only oPRL-treated rats preferred the demonstrated flavor. The results suggest that PRL is required for social recognition and learning, and that increasing PRL enhances social memory and approach, similar to OT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary E Donhoffner
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Samar Al Saleh
- Department of Integrative Anatomical Sciences, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA; Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, Sweden
| | - Olivia Schink
- Department of Integrative Anatomical Sciences, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA; Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, Sweden
| | - Ruth I Wood
- Department of Integrative Anatomical Sciences, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA.
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Garcia AN, Bezner K, Depena C, Yin W, Gore AC. The effects of long-term estradiol treatment on social behavior and gene expression in adult female rats. Horm Behav 2017; 87:145-154. [PMID: 27871902 PMCID: PMC5203957 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2016.11.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2016] [Revised: 11/04/2016] [Accepted: 11/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
This study tested the effects of long-term estradiol (E2) replacement on social behavior and gene expression in brain nuclei involved in the regulation of these social behaviors in adult female rats. We developed an ultrasonic vocalization (USV) test and a sociability test to examine communications, social interactions, and social preference, using young adult female cagemates. All rats were ovariectomized (OVX) and implanted with a Silastic capsule containing E2 or vehicle, and housed in same-treatment pairs for a 3-month period. Then, rats were behaviorally tested, euthanized, and 5 nuclei in the brain's social decision-making circuit were selected for neuromolecular profiling by a multiplex qPCR method. Our novel USV test proved to be a robust tool to measure numbers and types of calls emitted by cagemates that had been reintroduced after a 1-week separation. Results also showed that E2-treated OVX rats had profoundly decreased numbers of USV calls compared to vehicle-treated OVX rats. In a test of sociability, in which a female was allowed to choose between her cagemate or a same-treatment novel rat, we found few effects of E2 compared to vehicle, although interestingly, rats chose the cagemate over an unfamiliar conspecific. Gene expression results revealed that the supraoptic nucleus had the greatest number of gene changes caused by E2: Oxt, Oxtr and Avp were increased, and Drd2, Htr1a, Grin2b, and Gabbr1 were decreased, by E2. No genes were affected in the prefrontal cortex, and 1-4 genes were changed in paraventricular nucleus (Pgr), bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (Oxtr, Esr2, Dnmt3a), and medial amygdala (Oxtr, Ar, Foxp1, Tac3). Thus, E2 changes communicative interactions between adult female rats, together with selected expression of genes in the brain, especially in the supraoptic nucleus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra N Garcia
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Kelsey Bezner
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Christina Depena
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Weiling Yin
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Andrea C Gore
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
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Bernal-Mondragón C, Arriaga-Avila V, Martínez-Abundis E, Barrera-Mera B, Mercado-Gómez O, Guevara-Guzmán R. Effects of repeated 9 and 30-day exposure to extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fields on social recognition behavior and estrogen receptors expression in olfactory bulb of Wistar female rats. Neurol Res 2016; 39:165-175. [PMID: 27892794 DOI: 10.1080/01616412.2016.1252875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE We investigated the short- and long-term effects of extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fields (EMF) on social recognition behavior and expression of α- and β-estrogen receptors (ER). METHODS Rats were exposed to 60-Hz electromagnetic fields for 9 or 30 days and tested for social recognition behavior. Immunohistochemistry and western blot assays were performed to evaluate α- and β-ER expression in the olfactory bulb of intact, ovariectomized (OVX), and ovariectomized+estradiol (E2) replacement (OVX+E2). RESULTS Ovariectomization showed impairment of social recognition after 9 days of EMF exposure and a complete recovery after E2 replacement and so did those after 30 days. Short EMF exposure increased expression of β-ER in intact, but not in the others. Longer exposure produced a decrease in intact but an increase in OVX and OVX+E2. DISCUSSION Our findings suggest a significant role for β-estrogen receptors and a lack of effect for α-estrogen receptors on a social recognition task. ABBREVIATIONS EMF: extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields; ERs: estrogen receptors; OB: olfactory bulb; OVX: ovariectomized; OVX + E2: ovariectomized + estradiol replacement; IEI: interexposure interval; β-ER: beta estrogen receptor; E2: replacement of estradiol; GAPDH: glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase; WB: Western blot; PBS: phosphate-buffer saline; PB: phosphate-buffer.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Bernal-Mondragón
- a Facultad de Medicina, Departamento de Fisiología , Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México , Ciudad de México , Mexico
| | - V Arriaga-Avila
- a Facultad de Medicina, Departamento de Fisiología , Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México , Ciudad de México , Mexico
| | - E Martínez-Abundis
- b División Académica Multidisciplinaria de Comalcalco , Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco , Comalcalco , Mexico
| | - B Barrera-Mera
- a Facultad de Medicina, Departamento de Fisiología , Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México , Ciudad de México , Mexico
| | - O Mercado-Gómez
- a Facultad de Medicina, Departamento de Fisiología , Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México , Ciudad de México , Mexico
| | - R Guevara-Guzmán
- a Facultad de Medicina, Departamento de Fisiología , Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México , Ciudad de México , Mexico
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Wang D, Mitchell ES. Cognition and Synaptic-Plasticity Related Changes in Aged Rats Supplemented with 8- and 10-Carbon Medium Chain Triglycerides. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0160159. [PMID: 27517611 PMCID: PMC4982641 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0160159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2016] [Accepted: 07/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain glucose hypometabolism is a common feature of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Previous studies have shown that cognition is improved by providing AD patients with an alternate energy source: ketones derived from either ketogenic diet or supplementation with medium chain triglycerides (MCT). Recently, data on the neuroprotective capacity of MCT-derived medium chain fatty acids (MCFA) suggest 8-carbon and 10-carbon MCFA may have cognition-enhancing properties which are not related to ketone production. We investigated the effect of 8 week treatment with MCT8, MCT10 or sunflower oil supplementation (5% by weight of chow diet) in 21 month old Wistar rats. Both MCT diets increased ketones plasma similarly compared to control diet, but MCT diets did not increase ketones in the brain. Treatment with MCT10, but not MCT8, significantly improved novel object recognition memory compared to control diet, while social recognition increased in both MCT groups. MCT8 and MCT10 diets decreased weight compared to control diet, where MCFA plasma levels were higher in MCT10 groups than in MCT8 groups. Both MCT diets increased IRS-1 (612) phosphorylation and decreased S6K phosphorylation (240/244) but only MCT10 increased Akt phosphorylation (473). MCT8 supplementation increased synaptophysin, but not PSD-95, in contrast MCT10 had no effect on either synaptic marker. Expression of Ube3a, which controls synaptic stability, was increased by both MCT diets. Cortex transcription via qPCR showed that immediate early genes related to synaptic plasticity (arc, plk3, junb, egr2, nr4a1) were downregulated by both MCT diets while MCT8 additionally down-regulated fosb and egr1 but upregulated grin1 and gba2. These results demonstrate that treatment of 8- and 10-carbon length MCTs in aged rats have slight differential effects on synaptic stability, protein synthesis and behavior that may be independent of brain ketone levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongmei Wang
- Nestle Institute of Health Sciences, Cognitive Health and Aging, EPFL Innovation Park, Building H, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Ellen S. Mitchell
- Nestle Institute of Health Sciences, Cognitive Health and Aging, EPFL Innovation Park, Building H, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
- * E-mail:
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Fodor A, Kovács KB, Balázsfi D, Klausz B, Pintér O, Demeter K, Daviu N, Rabasa C, Rotllant D, Nadal R, Zelena D. Depressive- and anxiety-like behaviors and stress-related neuronal activation in vasopressin-deficient female Brattleboro rats. Physiol Behav 2016; 158:100-11. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2016.02.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2015] [Revised: 02/24/2016] [Accepted: 02/27/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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Wang R, Xu X, Weng H, Yan S, Sun Y. Effects of early pubertal exposure to di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate on social behavior of mice. Horm Behav 2016; 80:117-124. [PMID: 26844866 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2016.01.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2015] [Revised: 12/16/2015] [Accepted: 01/29/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), a main member of phthalates used as plasticizer in PVC plastics, is an environmental endocrine disrupter. The present study investigated the effect of DEHP on social behavior of mice following pubertal exposure (1, 10, 50, and 200mg/kg/d) from postnatal day 28 through postnatal day 42. The results showed that, in pubertal females, DEHP reduced the time spent in social play and social investigation and inhibited sociability, but a contrary effect was found in pubertal males, suggesting that the effect of DEHP on pubertal social behavior displays sex differences. In adults, DEHP reduced sociability in females and inhibited social play and social investigation in males, suggesting that early pubertal exposure to DEHP not only plays a significant role in puberty but also alters social behavior in adults. In addition, the present study showed that the higher dose of DEHP (50, 200mg/kg/d) reduced the relative weight of bilateral testis and anogenital distance of pubertal or adult males, suggesting an anti-androgenic activity of DEHP. These results suggest that early pubertal exposure to DEHP sex- and age- specifically affected the social behaviors of pubertal and even adult mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ran Wang
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Ecology, Chemistry and Life Sciences College, Xingzhi College, Zhejiang Normal University, PR China
| | - Xiaohong Xu
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Ecology, Chemistry and Life Sciences College, Xingzhi College, Zhejiang Normal University, PR China.
| | - Huifang Weng
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Ecology, Chemistry and Life Sciences College, Xingzhi College, Zhejiang Normal University, PR China
| | - Shengyao Yan
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Ecology, Chemistry and Life Sciences College, Xingzhi College, Zhejiang Normal University, PR China
| | - Yangyang Sun
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Ecology, Chemistry and Life Sciences College, Xingzhi College, Zhejiang Normal University, PR China
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On cognitive ecology and the environmental factors that promote Alzheimer disease: lessons from Octodon degus (Rodentia: Octodontidae). Biol Res 2016; 49:10. [PMID: 26897365 PMCID: PMC4761148 DOI: 10.1186/s40659-016-0074-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2015] [Accepted: 02/12/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Cognitive ecologist posits that the more efficiently an animal uses information from the biotic and abiotic environment, the more adaptive are its cognitive abilities. Nevertheless, this approach does not test for natural neurodegenerative processes under field or experimental conditions, which may recover animals information processing and decision making and may explain, mechanistically, maladaptive behaviors. Here, we call for integrative approaches to explain the relationship between ultimate and proximate mechanisms behind social behavior. We highlight the importance of using the endemic caviomorph rodent Octodon degus as a valuable natural model for mechanistic studies of social behavior and to explain how physical environments can shape social experiences that might influence impaired cognitive abilities and the onset and progression of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer disease. We consequently suggest neuroecological approaches to examine how key elements of the environment may affect neural and cognitive mechanisms associated with learning, memory processes and brain structures involved in social behavior. We propose the following three core objectives of a program comprising interdisciplinary research in O. degus, namely: (1) to determine whether diet types provided after weaning can lead to cognitive impairment associated with spatial memory, learning and predisposing to develop Alzheimer disease in younger ages; (2) to examine if early life social experience has long term effects on behavior and cognitive responses and risk for development Alzheimer disease in later life and (3) To determine if an increase of social interactions in adult degu reared in different degree of social stressful conditions alter their behavior and cognitive responses.
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Argue KJ, McCarthy MM. Characterization of juvenile play in rats: importance of sex of self and sex of partner. Biol Sex Differ 2015; 6:16. [PMID: 26361539 PMCID: PMC4564956 DOI: 10.1186/s13293-015-0034-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2015] [Accepted: 08/02/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Juvenile social play is observed in many mammalian species, and its disruption in several neuropsychiatric disorders has greatly increased interest in understanding the origins and sources of variability in this behavior. METHODS We quantified social play behavior in juvenile rats and investigated the impact of sex and familiarity of the play partner. Sex differences in play behavior were investigated by comparing males and females from either same- or mixed-sex pairs with data pooled over 12 days of analysis. Whether play was altered based on the sex of the play partner was assessed using a paired analysis to compare play with a same- or opposite-sex play partner for both males and females. Additionally, a repeated measures design was utilized to determine whether play changed with increasing age. On postnatal day 33, a novel play partner was introduced. We used a repeated measures analysis to compare postnatal day 33 with the previous day. These approaches were used to assess the effects of age, sex, sex of partner, and familiarity of partner on total social play behavior as well as how play was broken down into components, such as pouncing, pinning, chasing, and boxing. RESULTS There were sex differences in total frequency of play, and specific parameters of play behavior, such as chasing, pouncing, pinning, and boxing. Additionally, males significantly altered their play behavior in response to the sex of their play partner, whereas females were more sensitive to the familiarity of the play partner. CONCLUSIONS This study provides critical groundwork for uncovering factors that regulate social play behavior and can be used to guide future mechanistic based work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn J. Argue
- Department of Pharmacology and Program in Neuroscience, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 655 W Baltimore St, Baltimore, MD 21201 USA
| | - Margaret M. McCarthy
- Department of Pharmacology and Program in Neuroscience, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 655 W Baltimore St, Baltimore, MD 21201 USA
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Frick KM, Kim J, Tuscher JJ, Fortress AM. Sex steroid hormones matter for learning and memory: estrogenic regulation of hippocampal function in male and female rodents. Learn Mem 2015; 22:472-93. [PMID: 26286657 PMCID: PMC4561402 DOI: 10.1101/lm.037267.114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 137] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2015] [Accepted: 07/09/2015] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Ample evidence has demonstrated that sex steroid hormones, such as the potent estrogen 17β-estradiol (E2), affect hippocampal morphology, plasticity, and memory in male and female rodents. Yet relatively few investigators who work with male subjects consider the effects of these hormones on learning and memory. This review describes the effects of E2 on hippocampal spinogenesis, neurogenesis, physiology, and memory, with particular attention paid to the effects of E2 in male rodents. The estrogen receptors, cell-signaling pathways, and epigenetic processes necessary for E2 to enhance memory in female rodents are also discussed in detail. Finally, practical considerations for working with female rodents are described for those investigators thinking of adding females to their experimental designs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karyn M Frick
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53211, USA
| | - Jaekyoon Kim
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53211, USA
| | - Jennifer J Tuscher
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53211, USA
| | - Ashley M Fortress
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53211, USA
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James BM, Li Q, Luo L, Kendrick KM. Aged neuronal nitric oxide knockout mice show preserved olfactory learning in both social recognition and odor-conditioning tasks. Front Cell Neurosci 2015; 9:105. [PMID: 25870540 PMCID: PMC4375995 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2015.00105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2015] [Accepted: 03/09/2015] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
There is evidence for both neurotoxic and neuroprotective roles of nitric oxide (NO) in the brain and changes in the expression of the neuronal isoform of NO synthase (nNOS) gene occur during aging. The current studies have investigated potential support for either a neurotoxic or neuroprotective role of NO derived from nNOS in the context of aging by comparing olfactory learning and locomotor function in young compared to old nNOS knockout (nNOS−/−) and wildtype control mice. Tasks involving social recognition and olfactory conditioning paradigms showed that old nNOS−/− animals had improved retention of learning compared to similar aged wildtype controls. Young nNOS−/− animals showed superior reversal learning to wildtypes in a conditioned learning task, although their performance was weakened with age. Interestingly, whereas young nNOS−/− animals were impaired in long term memory for social odors compared to wildtype controls, in old animals this pattern was reversed, possibly indicating beneficial compensatory changes influencing olfactory memory may occur during aging in nNOS−/− animals. Possibly such compensatory changes may have involved increased NO from other NOS isoforms since the memory deficit in young nNOS−/− animals could be rescued by the NO-donor, molsidomine. Both nNOS−/− and wildtype animals showed an age-associated decline in locomotor activity although young nNOS−/− animals were significantly more active than wildtypes, possibly due to an increased interest in novelty. Overall our findings suggest that lack of NO release via nNOS may protect animals to some extent against age-associated cognitive decline in memory tasks typically involving olfactory and hippocampal regions, but not against declines in reversal learning or locomotor activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bronwen M James
- Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, Center for Information in Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China Chengdu, Sichuan, China ; Department of Medicine, St Bernard's Hospital Gibraltar, UK
| | - Qin Li
- Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, Center for Information in Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Lizhu Luo
- Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, Center for Information in Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Keith M Kendrick
- Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, Center for Information in Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China Chengdu, Sichuan, China
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De Felice A, Venerosi A, Ricceri L, Sabbioni M, Scattoni ML, Chiarotti F, Calamandrei G. Sex-dimorphic effects of gestational exposure to the organophosphate insecticide chlorpyrifos on social investigation in mice. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2014; 46:32-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2014.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2014] [Revised: 09/08/2014] [Accepted: 09/10/2014] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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46
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Lee BH, Chan JT, Kraeva E, Peterson K, Sall JW. Isoflurane exposure in newborn rats induces long-term cognitive dysfunction in males but not females. Neuropharmacology 2014; 83:9-17. [PMID: 24704083 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2014.03.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2013] [Revised: 03/19/2014] [Accepted: 03/22/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Volatile anesthetics are used widely for achieving a state of unconsciousness, yet these agents are incompletely understood in their mechanisms of action and effects on neural development. There is mounting evidence that children exposed to anesthetic agents sustain lasting effects on learning and memory. The explanation for these behavioral changes remains elusive, although acute neuronal death after anesthesia is commonly believed to be a principal cause. Rodent models have shown that isoflurane exposure in newborns induces acute neuroapoptosis and long-term cognitive impairment. However, the assessment of predisposing factors is lacking. We investigated the role of sex by delivering isoflurane to postnatal day (P)7 male and female Sprague Dawley rats for 4 h. Brain cell death was assessed 12 h later using FluoroJade C staining in the thalamus, CA1-3 regions of hippocampus, and dentate gyrus. Behavior was assessed separately using a series of object recognition tasks and a test of social memory beginning at P38. We found that isoflurane exposure significantly increased neuronal death in each brain region with no difference between sexes. Behavioral outcome was also equivalent in simple novel object recognition. However, only males were impaired in the recognition of objects in different locations and contexts. Males also exhibited deficient social memory while females were intact. The profound behavioral impairment in males relative to females, in spite of comparable cell death, suggests that males are more susceptible to long-term cognitive effects and this outcome may not be exclusively attributed to neuronal death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bradley H Lee
- Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care, University of California, San Francisco, 513 Parnassus Ave., Box 0542, Med Sci S261, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - John Thomas Chan
- Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care, University of California, San Francisco, 513 Parnassus Ave., Box 0542, Med Sci S261, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Ekaterina Kraeva
- University of Arizona College of Medicine, 550 E Van Buren St., Phoenix, AZ 85004, USA
| | | | - Jeffrey W Sall
- Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care, University of California, San Francisco, 513 Parnassus Ave., Box 0542, Med Sci S261, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.
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Sociality and oxytocin and vasopressin in the brain of male and female dominant and subordinate mandarin voles. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2013; 200:149-59. [PMID: 24292210 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-013-0870-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2013] [Revised: 11/14/2013] [Accepted: 11/16/2013] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The dominant-subordinate hierarchy in animals often needs to be established via agonistic encounters and consequently affects reproduction and survival. Differences in brain neuropeptides and sociality among dominant and subordinate males and females remain poorly understood. Here we explore neuropeptide levels and sociality during agonistic encounter tests in mandarin voles. We found that dominant mandarin voles engaged in higher levels of approaching, investigating, self-grooming and exploring behavior than subordinates. Dominant males habituated better to a stimulus vole than dominant females. Dominant males displayed significantly less oxytocin-immunoreactive neurons in the paraventricular nuclei and more vasopressin-immunoreactive neurons in the paraventricular nuclei, supraoptic nuclei, and the lateral and anterior hypothalamus than subordinates. Dominant females displayed significantly more vasopressin-immunoreactive neurons in the lateral hypothalamus and anterior hypothalamus than subordinates. Sex differences were found in the level of oxytocin and vasopressin. These results indicate that distinct parameters related to central nervous oxytocin and vasopressin are associated with behaviors during agonistic encounters in a sex-specific manner in mandarin voles.
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Frick KM. Epigenetics, oestradiol and hippocampal memory consolidation. J Neuroendocrinol 2013; 25:1151-62. [PMID: 24028406 PMCID: PMC3943552 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2013] [Revised: 08/13/2013] [Accepted: 09/05/2013] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Epigenetic alterations of histone proteins and DNA are essential for hippocampal synaptic plasticity and cognitive function, and contribute to the aetiology of psychiatric disorders and neurodegenerative diseases. Hippocampal memory formation depends on histone alterations and DNA methylation, and increasing evidence suggests that the regulation of these epigenetic processes by modulatory factors, such as environmental enrichment, stress and hormones, substantially influences memory function. Recent work from our laboratory suggests that the ability of the sex-steroid hormone 17β-oestradiol (E2 ) to enhance novel object recognition memory consolidation in young adult female mice is dependent on histone H3 acetylation and DNA methylation in the dorsal hippocampus. Our data also suggest that enzymes mediating DNA methylation and histone acetylation work in concert to regulate the effects of E2 on memory consolidation. These findings shed light on the epigenetic mechanisms that influence hormonal modulation of cognitive function, and may have important implications for understanding how hormones influence cognition in adulthood and ageing. The present review provides a brief overview of the literature on epigenetics and memory, describes in detail our findings demonstrating that epigenetic alterations regulate E2 -induced memory enhancement in female mice, and discusses future directions for research on the epigenetic regulation of E2 -induced memory enhancement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karyn M. Frick
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI 53211
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Social investigation and long-term recognition memory performance in 129S1/SvImJ and C57BL/6JOlaHsd mice and their hybrids. PLoS One 2013; 8:e54427. [PMID: 23342157 PMCID: PMC3546984 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0054427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2012] [Accepted: 12/11/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
When tested for their behavioural performance, the mixed genetic background of transgenic mice is a critical, but often ignored, issue. Such issues can arise because of the significant differences in defined behavioural parameters between embryonic stem cell donor and recipient strains. In this context, the commonly used stem cell donor strain '129' shows 'deficits' in different paradigms for learning and long-term memory. We investigated the long-term social recognition memory performance and the investigative behaviour in commercially available 129S1/SvImJ and C57BL/6JOlaHsd mice and two F1-hybrids (129S1/SvImJ×C57BL/6JOlaHsd) by using the social discrimination procedure and its modification, the volatile fraction cage (VFC). Our data revealed an unimpaired olfactory long-term recognition memory not only in female and male 129S1/SvImJ and C57BL/6JOlaHsd mice but also in the two hybrid lines (129S1/SvImJxC57BL/6JOlaHsd) when the full 'olfactory signature' of the 'to-be-recognized' conspecific was presented. Under these conditions we also failed to detect differences in the long-term recognition memory between male and female mice of the tested strains and revealed that the oestrus cycle did not affect the performance in this memory task. The performance in the VFC, based only on the volatile components of the 'olfactory signature' of the 'to-be-recognized' conspecific, was similar to that observed under direct exposure except that females of one F1 hybrid group failed to show an intact long-term memory. Thus, the social discrimination procedure allowing direct access between the experimental subject and the stimulus animal(s) is highly suitable to investigate the impact of genetic manipulations on long-term memory in male and female mice of the strain 129S1/SvImJ, C57BL/6JOlaHsd and 129S1/SvImJxC57BL/6JOlaHsd hybrids.
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Abstract
The peak in incidence for schizophrenia is during late adolescence for both sexes, but within this time frame the peak is both earlier and steeper for males. Additionally, women have a second peak in incidence following menopause. Two meta-analyses have reported that men have an overall ∼40% greater chance of developing schizophrenia than do women (Aleman et al., 2003; McGrath et al., 2004). These and other findings have led to the suggestion that ovarian hormones may be protective against schizophrenia. Less explored is the potential role of testosterone in schizophrenia, although disruptions in steroid levels have also been reported in men with the illness. The relationship between increased gonadal hormone release per se and peri-adolescent vulnerability for psychiatric illness is difficult to tease apart from other potentially contributory factors in clinical studies, as adolescence is a turbulent period characterized by many social and biological changes. Despite the obvious opportunity provided by animal research, surprisingly little basic science effort has been devoted to this important issue. On the other hand, the animal work offers an understanding of the many ways in which gonadal steroids exert a powerful impact on the brain, both shaping its development and modifying its function during adulthood. Recently, investigators using preclinical models have described a greater male vulnerability to neurodevelopmental insults that are associated with schizophrenia; such studies may provide clinically relevant insights into the role of gonadal steroids in psychiatric illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie A Markham
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland-Baltimore School of Medicine, P.O. Box 21247, Baltimore, MD 21228, USA.
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