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Millanes PM, Pérez-Rodríguez L, Rubalcaba JG, Gil D, Jimeno B. Corticosterone and glucose are correlated and show similar response patterns to temperature and stress in a free-living bird. J Exp Biol 2024; 227:jeb246905. [PMID: 38949462 PMCID: PMC11418182 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.246905] [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: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/24/2024] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
Glucocorticoid (GC) hormones have traditionally been interpreted as indicators of stress, but the extent to which they provide information on physiological state remains debated. GCs are metabolic hormones that amongst other functions ensure increasing fuel (i.e. glucose) supply on the face of fluctuating energetic demands, a role often overlooked by ecological studies investigating the consequences of GC variation. Furthermore, because energy budget is limited, in natural contexts where multiple stimuli coexist, the organisms' ability to respond physiologically may be constrained when multiple triggers of metabolic responses overlap in time. Using free-living spotless starling (Sturnus unicolor) chicks, we experimentally tested whether two stimuli of different nature known to trigger a metabolic or GC response, respectively, cause a comparable increase in plasma GCs and glucose. We further tested whether response patterns differed when both stimuli occurred consecutively. We found that both experimental treatments caused increases in GCs and glucose of similar magnitude, suggesting that both variables fluctuate along with variation in energy expenditure, independently of the trigger. Exposure to the two stimuli occurring subsequently did not cause a difference in GC or glucose responses compared with exposure to a single stimulus, suggesting a limited capacity to respond to an additional stimulus during an ongoing acute response. Lastly, we found a positive and significant correlation between plasma GCs and glucose after the experimental treatments. Our results add to the increasing research on the role of energy expenditure on GC variation, by providing experimental evidence on the association between plasma GCs and energy metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola M. Millanes
- Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, 28933 Móstoles, Madrid, Spain
| | - Lorenzo Pérez-Rodríguez
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ronda de Toledo 12, 13005 Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Juan G. Rubalcaba
- Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, 28933 Móstoles, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution, Faculty of Biological Sciences. Complutense University of Madrid, José Antonio Novais, 12, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Diego Gil
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN-CSIC), José Gutiérrez Abascal, 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Blanca Jimeno
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ronda de Toledo 12, 13005 Ciudad Real, Spain
- Pyrenean Institute of Ecology (IPE-CSIC), Avda Nuestra Señora de la Victoria, s/n, 22700 Jaca, Huesca, Spain
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2
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Jimeno B, Gerritsma Y, Mulder E, Verhulst S. Glucocorticoid receptor expression in blood, but not across brain regions, reveals long-term effects of early life adversity in zebra finches. Physiol Behav 2023; 271:114310. [PMID: 37543106 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2023.114310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Revised: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/07/2023]
Abstract
Early-life environment can affect organisms for life on many levels. The glucocorticoid receptor (GR) gene has a pivotal role mediating organismal physiological and behavioral responses to environmental change, and is sensitive to early-life environmental conditions and epigenetic programming. Longitudinal studies require non-lethal sampling of peripheral tissues (e.g. blood), but this approach is dependent on the extent to which GR expression in peripheral tissues covaries with GR expression in central tissues. To test for the long-term effects of early life adversity on GR expression across brain and peripheral tissues, we manipulated developmental conditions of captive zebra finches (n = 45), rearing them in either benign or harsh conditions through manipulation of parental foraging costs. We measured relative GR mRNA expression in blood and five brain regions in adulthood: hippocampus, hypothalamus, amygdala, ventral striatum, and the nidopallium caudolaterale (analogous to the mammalian prefrontal cortex), using qPCR. We further tested whether GR expression was modulated by natal brood size (which affected growth), age at sampling, and sex. GR expression correlations among tissues varied widely in magnitude and direction, ranging from -0.27 to +0.80, indicating that our understanding of developmental effects on GR expression and associated phenotypes needs to be region specific rather than organism wide. A more consistent pattern was that GR expression increased with age in blood, ventral striatum and hippocampus; GR expression was independent of age in other tissues. Developmental treatment did not affect GR expression in any of the tissues measured directly, but in blood and ventral striatum of adult females we found a positive correlation between nestling mass and GR expression. Thus, GR expression in blood was affected by early life conditions as reflected in growth in adult females, a pattern also found in one brain tissue, but not ubiquitous across brain regions. These results point at sex-dependent physiological constraints during development, shaping early life effects on GR expression in females only. Further study is required to investigate whether these tissue-dependent effects more generally reflect tissue-dependent long-term effects of early life adversity. This, together with investigating the physiological consequences of GR expression levels on individual performance and coping abilities, will be fundamental towards understanding the mechanisms mediating long-term impacts of early life, and the extent to which these can be quantified through non-lethal sampling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blanca Jimeno
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ronda de Toledo 12, 13005 Ciudad Real; Instituto Pirenaico de Ecologia (IPE), CSIC, Avda. Nuestra Señora de la Victoria, 16, Jaca, Spain.
| | - Yoran Gerritsma
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Ellis Mulder
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Simon Verhulst
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, the Netherlands
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3
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Jimeno B, Verhulst S. Meta-analysis reveals glucocorticoid levels reflect variation in metabolic rate, not 'stress'. eLife 2023; 12:RP88205. [PMID: 37889839 PMCID: PMC10611431 DOI: 10.7554/elife.88205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Glucocorticoid (GC) variation has long been thought to reflect variation in organismal 'stress,' but associations between GCs and Darwinian fitness components are diverse in magnitude, direction, and highly context-dependent. This paradox reveals our poor understanding of the causes of GC variation, contrasting with the detailed knowledge of the functional consequences of GC variation. Amongst an array of effects in many physiological systems, GCs orchestrate energy availability to anticipate and recover from predictable and unpredictable environmental fluctuations and challenges. Although this is mechanistically well-known, the extent to which GC levels are quantitatively explained by energy metabolism is unresolved. We investigated this association through meta-analysis, selecting studies of endotherms in which (1) an experiment was performed that affected metabolic rate and (2) metabolic rate and GC levels were measured simultaneously. We found that an increase in metabolic rate was associated with an increase in GC levels in 20 out of 21 studies (32 out of 35 effect sizes). More importantly, there was a strong positive correlation between the increases in metabolic rate and GCs (p=0.003). This pattern was similar in birds and mammals, and independent of the nature of the experimental treatment. We conclude that metabolic rate is a major driver of GC variation within individuals. Stressors often affect metabolic rate, leading us to question whether GC levels provide information on 'stress' beyond the stressor's effect on metabolic rate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blanca Jimeno
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), CSIC-UCLM-JCC, Ciudad Real, Spain
- Instituto Pirenaico de Ecologia (IPE), CSIC, Avda. Nuestra Señora de la Victoria, Jaca, Spain
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4
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Duckworth RA, Chenard KC, Meza L, Beiriz MC. Coping styles vary with species' sociality and life history: A systematic review and meta-regression analysis. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 151:105241. [PMID: 37216998 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Revised: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Despite a long history of animal studies investigating coping styles, the causal connections between behavior and stress physiology remain unclear. Consistency across taxa in effect sizes would support the idea of a direct causal link maintained by either functional or developmental dependencies. Alternatively, lack of consistency would suggest coping styles are evolutionarily labile. Here, we investigated correlations between personality traits and baseline and stress-induced glucocorticoid levels using a systematic review and meta-analysis. Most personality traits did not consistently vary with either baseline or stress-induced glucocorticoids. Only aggression and sociability showed a consistent negative correlation with baseline glucocorticoids. We found that life history variation affected the relationship between stress-induced glucocorticoid levels and personality traits, especially anxiety and aggression. The relationship between anxiety and baseline glucocorticoids depended on species' sociality with solitary species showing more positive effect sizes. Thus, integration between behavioral and physiological traits depends on species' sociality and life history and suggests high evolutionary lability of coping styles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renée A Duckworth
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA.
| | - Kathryn C Chenard
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Lexis Meza
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Maria Carolina Beiriz
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA; Department of Ecology and Natural Resources, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, CE 60440-900, Brazil
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5
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Iyasere OS, Durosaro SO, Oyeniran VJ, Daramola JO. Is an increase of glucocorticoid concentrations related to the degree of arousal or valence experienced by an animal to a stimulus? Domest Anim Endocrinol 2022; 81:106752. [PMID: 35868218 DOI: 10.1016/j.domaniend.2022.106752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2022] [Revised: 06/20/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Animal welfare is the quality of life as perceived by the animal itself. It is also the state of an animal in its attempt to cope with its environment. Animal welfare has high ethics and economic importance. Thus the need to develop parameters for assessing animal welfare. An acute increase in glucocorticoid (GC) concentration is necessary for adaptation to a stressful situation. Glucocorticoids also play a significant role in metabolic, cardiovascular, and immune systems. Glucocorticoid enhances effective learning through the hippocampus and other normal body functions. That is why we remember events (either positive or negative) associated with strong emotions. Long-term secretion of GCs has catabolic effects. Thus, affecting animal health. Measuring GC is one of the ways of assessing animal welfare. But, high GC concentration does not only indicate pain or suffering. We report that stress and emotion trigger similar physiological responses. So, measuring GC levels cannot differentiate between positive and negative states. We conclude that GC shows circadian rhythms and episodic spikes in some species. Values from a single sample point are not reliable to make conclusions about a condition. Training animals for blood collection may reduce stress. Thus not causing bias in the GC concentration measured.
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Affiliation(s)
- O S Iyasere
- Department of Animal Physiology, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State Nigeria.
| | - S O Durosaro
- Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria
| | - V J Oyeniran
- Department of Animal Physiology, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State Nigeria
| | - J O Daramola
- Department of Animal Physiology, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State Nigeria
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6
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Rubalcaba JG, Jimeno B. Biophysical models unravel associations between glucocorticoids and thermoregulatory costs across avian species. Funct Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Juan G. Rubalcaba
- Department of Biology McGill University Montreal QC Canada
- Department of Biology, Geology, Physics, and Inorganic Chemistry Rey Juan Carlos University Madrid Spain
| | - Blanca Jimeno
- Division of Biological Sciences University of Montana Missoula MT USA
- Institute for Game and Wildlife Research University of Castilla La Mancha Ciudad Real Spain
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7
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Acute Stress Enhances Associative Learning via Dopamine Signaling in the Ventral Lateral Striatum. J Neurosci 2020; 40:4391-4400. [PMID: 32321745 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.3003-19.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2019] [Revised: 03/17/2020] [Accepted: 04/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Acute stress transiently increases vigilance, enhancing the detection of salient stimuli in one's environment. This increased perceptual sensitivity is thought to promote the association of rewarding outcomes with relevant cues. The mesolimbic dopamine system is critical for learning cue-reward associations. Dopamine levels in the ventral striatum are elevated following exposure to stress. Together, this suggests that the mesolimbic dopamine system could mediate the influence of acute stress on cue-reward learning. To address this possibility, we examined how a single stressful experience influenced learning in an appetitive pavlovian conditioning task. Male rats underwent an episode of restraint prior to the first conditioning session. This acute stress treatment augmented conditioned responding in subsequent sessions. Voltammetry recordings of mesolimbic dopamine levels demonstrated that acute stress selectively increased reward-evoked dopamine release in the ventral lateral striatum (VLS), but not in the ventral medial striatum. Antagonizing dopamine receptors in the VLS blocked the stress-induced enhancement of conditioned responding. Collectively, these findings illustrate that stress engages dopamine signaling in the VLS to facilitate appetitive learning.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Acute stress influences learning about aversive and rewarding outcomes. Dopamine neurons are sensitive to stress and critical for reward learning. However, it is unclear whether stress regulates reward learning via dopamine signaling. Using fast-scan cyclic voltammetry as rats underwent pavlovian conditioning, we demonstrate that a single stressful experience increases reward-evoked dopamine release in the ventral lateral striatum. This enhanced dopamine signal accompanies a long-lasting increase in conditioned behavioral responding. These findings highlight that the ventral lateral striatum is a node for mediating the effect of stress on reward processing.
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Morton JS, Levasseur J, Ganguly E, Quon A, Kirschenman R, Dyck JRB, Fraser GM, Davidge ST. Characterisation of the Selective Reduced Uteroplacental Perfusion (sRUPP) Model of Preeclampsia. Sci Rep 2019; 9:9565. [PMID: 31266978 PMCID: PMC6606748 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-45959-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2019] [Accepted: 06/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Preeclampsia is a complication of pregnancy characterised by gestational hypertension, proteinuria and/or end organ disease. The reduced uteroplacental perfusion (RUPP) model, via partial occlusion of the lower abdominal aorta, mimics insufficient placental perfusion as a primary causal characteristic of preeclampsia. However, a major limitation of the RUPP model is that perfusion is reduced to the entire hindquarters of the rat resulting in hindlimb ischemia. We hypothesised that clipping the uterine and ovarian arteries in the selective (s)RUPP model would provoke signs of preeclampsia while avoiding systemic ischemia. Sham, RUPP or sRUPP procedures were performed in pregnant Sprague Dawley rats on gestational day (GD)14. On GD21 uterine blood flow was significantly reduced in both the RUPP and sRUPP models while aortic flow was reduced only in RUPP. Both models resulted in increased MAP, increased vascular oxidative stress (superoxide generation), increased pro-inflammatory (RANTES) and reduced pro-angiogenic (endoglin) mediators. Vascular compliance and constriction were unaltered in either RUPP or sRUPP groups. In summary, refinements to the RUPP model simultaneously maintain the characteristic phenotype of preeclampsia and avoid peripheral ischemia; providing a useful tool which may be used to increase our knowledge and bring us closer to a solution for women affected by preeclampsia.
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Affiliation(s)
- J S Morton
- Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Dept. of Ob/Gyn, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2S2, Canada.,Women and Children's Health Research Institute, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2R3, Canada
| | - J Levasseur
- Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Dept. of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2S2, Canada
| | - E Ganguly
- Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Dept. of Ob/Gyn, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2S2, Canada.,Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Dept. of Physiology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2H7, Canada.,Women and Children's Health Research Institute, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2R3, Canada
| | - A Quon
- Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Dept. of Ob/Gyn, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2S2, Canada.,Women and Children's Health Research Institute, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2R3, Canada
| | - R Kirschenman
- Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Dept. of Ob/Gyn, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2S2, Canada.,Women and Children's Health Research Institute, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2R3, Canada
| | - J R B Dyck
- Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Dept. of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2S2, Canada
| | - G M Fraser
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, A1B 3V6, Canada
| | - S T Davidge
- Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Dept. of Ob/Gyn, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2S2, Canada. .,Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Dept. of Physiology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2H7, Canada. .,Women and Children's Health Research Institute, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2R3, Canada.
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9
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Nosjean A, de Chaumont F, Olivo-Marin JC, Granon S. Stress-induced brain activation: buffering role of social behavior and neuronal nicotinic receptors. Brain Struct Funct 2018; 223:4259-4274. [DOI: 10.1007/s00429-018-1745-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2018] [Accepted: 08/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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10
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Jimeno B, Hau M, Verhulst S. Corticosterone levels reflect variation in metabolic rate, independent of 'stress'. Sci Rep 2018; 8:13020. [PMID: 30158537 PMCID: PMC6115469 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-31258-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2018] [Accepted: 08/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Variation in glucocorticoid hormones (GCs) is often interpreted as reflecting 'stress', but this interpretation is subject of intense debate. GCs induce gluconeogenesis, and we hypothesized therefore that GC variation can be explained by changes in current and anticipated metabolic rate (MR). Alternatively, GC levels may respond to psychological 'stress' over and above its effect on metabolic rate. We tested these hypotheses in captive zebra finches, by inducing an increase in MR using a psychological stressor (noise), and compared its effect on corticosterone (CORT, the primary avian GC) with the effect induced by a decrease in ambient temperature increasing MR to a similar extent. We found the increase in CORT induced by the psychological stressor to be indistinguishable from the level expected based on the noise effect on MR. We further found that a handling and restraint stressor that increased CORT levels also resulted in increased blood glucose levels, corroborating a key assumption underlying our hypothesis. Thus, GC variation primarily reflected variation in energy expenditure, independently of psychological stress. GC levels have many downstream effects besides glucose mobilization, and we propose that these effects can be interpreted as adjustments of physiological functions to the metabolic level at which an organism operates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blanca Jimeno
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands. .,Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany.
| | - Michaela Hau
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany.,University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Simon Verhulst
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
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11
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León LA, Castro-Gomes V, Zárate-Guerrero S, Corredor K, Mello Cruz AP, Brandão ML, Cardenas FP, Landeira-Fernandez J. Behavioral Effects of Systemic, Infralimbic and Prelimbic Injections of a Serotonin 5-HT 2A Antagonist in Carioca High- and Low-Conditioned Freezing Rats. Front Behav Neurosci 2017; 11:117. [PMID: 28736518 PMCID: PMC5500641 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2017.00117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2017] [Accepted: 05/31/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The role of serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine [5-HT]) and 5-HT2A receptors in anxiety has been extensively studied, mostly without considering individual differences in trait anxiety. Our laboratory developed two lines of animals that are bred for high and low freezing responses to contextual cues that are previously associated with footshock (Carioca High-conditioned Freezing [CHF] and Carioca Low-conditioned Freezing [CLF]). The present study investigated whether ketanserin, a preferential 5-HT2A receptor blocker, exerts distinct anxiety-like profiles in these two lines of animals. In the first experiment, the animals received a systemic injection of ketanserin and were exposed to the elevated plus maze (EPM). In the second experiment, these two lines of animals received microinjections of ketanserin in the infralimbic (IL) and prelimbic (PL) cortices and were exposed to either the EPM or a contextual fear conditioning paradigm. The two rat lines exhibited bidirectional effects on anxiety-like behavior in the EPM and opposite responses to ketanserin. Both systemic and intra-IL cortex injections of ketanserin exerted anxiolytic-like effects in CHF rats but anxiogenic-like effects in CLF rats. Microinjections of ketanserin in the PL cortex also exerted anxiolytic-like effects in CHF rats but had no effect in CLF rats. These results suggest that the behavioral effects of 5-HT2A receptor antagonism might depend on genetic variability associated with baseline reactions to threatening situations and 5-HT2A receptor expression in the IL and PL cortices. Highlights -CHF and CLF rats are two bidirectional lines that are based on contextual fear conditioning.-CHF rats have a more "anxious" phenotype than CLF rats in the EPM.-The 5-HT2A receptor antagonist ketanserin had opposite behavioral effects in CHF and CLF rats.-Systemic and IL injections either decreased (CHF) or increased (CLF) anxiety-like behavior.-PL injections either decreased (CHF) anxiety-like behavior or had no effect (CLF).
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura A. León
- Laboratory of Neuropsychopharmacology, FFCLRP, São Paulo University, Campus USP, and Behavioral Neuroscience Institute (INeC)Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
- Department of Psychology, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de JaneiroRio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Programa de Psicología, Universidad Sergio ArboledaBogotá, Colombia
| | - Vitor Castro-Gomes
- Laboratory of Experimental and Computational Neuroscience, Department of Bio-systems Engineering, Federal University of São João del ReiSão João del Rei, Brazil
| | | | - Karen Corredor
- Laboratorio de Neurociencia y Comportamiento, Universidad de los AndesBogotá, Colombia
| | | | - Marcus L. Brandão
- Laboratory of Neuropsychopharmacology, FFCLRP, São Paulo University, Campus USP, and Behavioral Neuroscience Institute (INeC)Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Fernando P. Cardenas
- Laboratorio de Neurociencia y Comportamiento, Universidad de los AndesBogotá, Colombia
| | - J. Landeira-Fernandez
- Department of Psychology, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de JaneiroRio de Janeiro, Brazil
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12
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Emmerson MG, Spencer KA. Long-term effects of adolescent stress on neophobic behaviors in zebra finches are modulated by social context when in adulthood. Horm Behav 2017; 90:48-55. [PMID: 28167135 PMCID: PMC5415300 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2017.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2016] [Revised: 01/30/2017] [Accepted: 02/01/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Experiencing stress during adolescence can increase neophobic behaviors in adulthood, but most tests have been conducted in the absence of conspecifics. Conspecifics can modulate responses to stressors, for example by acting as 'social buffers' to attenuate the aversive appraisal of stressors. Here, we investigate the long-term effects of adolescent stress on the behavioral responses to novel stimuli (a mild stressor) across social contexts in an affiliative passerine bird, the zebra finch. During early (days 40-60) or late (days 65-85) adolescence the birds (n=66) were dosed with either saline or the hormone corticosterone (CORT). CORT was given in order to mimic a physiological stress response and saline was given as a control. In adulthood, the birds' behavioral responses to a novel environment were recorded in both the presence and absence of conspecifics. An acute CORT response was also quantified in adolescence and adulthood. Our findings show clear evidence of social context mediating any long-term effects of adolescent stress. In the presence of familiar conspecifics no treatment effects were detected. Individually, birds dosed with CORT in early adolescence were slower to enter a novel environment, spent more time perching in the same novel environment, and, if female, engaged in more risk assessment. Birds dosed in late adolescence were unaffected. No treatment effects were detected on CORT, but adolescents had a higher CORT concentration than adults. Our results are the first to suggest that familiar conspecifics in adulthood can buffer the long-term effects of stress that occurred during early adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael G Emmerson
- University of St Andrews, School of Psychology & Neuroscience, St Mary's Quad, South Street, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9JP, Scotland, United Kingdom.
| | - Karen A Spencer
- University of St Andrews, School of Psychology & Neuroscience, St Mary's Quad, South Street, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9JP, Scotland, United Kingdom.
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13
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Ahnaou A, Drinkenburg WHIM. Simultaneous Changes in Sleep, qEEG, Physiology, Behaviour and Neurochemistry in Rats Exposed to Repeated Social Defeat Stress. Neuropsychobiology 2017; 73:209-23. [PMID: 27287886 DOI: 10.1159/000446284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2015] [Accepted: 04/19/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Depression is a heterogeneous disorder characterized by alterations at psychological, behavioural, physiological, neurophysiological, and neurochemical levels. Social stress is a prevalent stress in man, and the repeated social defeat stress model in rats has been proposed as being the rodent equivalent to loss of control, which in subordinate animals produces alterations that resemble several of the cardinal symptoms found in depressed patients. Here, rats followed a resident-intruder protocol for 4 consecutive days during which behavioural, physiological, and electroencephalographic (EEG) parameters were simultaneously monitored in subordinate rats. On day 5, prefrontal dopamine (DA) and hippocampal serotonin (5-HT) as well as corticosterone were measured in submissive rats that had visual, acoustic, and olfactory (but no physical) contact with a dominant, resident conspecific rat. Socially defeated rats demonstrated increases in ultrasonic vocalizations (20-25 KHz), freezing, submissive defensive behaviour, inactivity, and haemodynamic response, while decreases were found in repetitive grooming behaviour and body weight. Additionally, alterations in the sleep-wake architecture were associated with reduced active waking, enhanced light sleep, and increased frequency of transitions from light sleep to quiet wakefulness, indicating sleep instability. Moreover, the attenuation of EEG power over the frequency range of 4.2-30 Hz, associated with a sharp transient increase in delta oscillations, appeared to reflect increased brain activity and metabolism in subordinate animals. These EEG changes were synchronous with a marked increase in body temperature and a decrease in locomotor activity. Furthermore, psychosocial stress consistently increased 5-HT, DA, and corticosterone levels. The increased levels of cortical DA and hippocampal 5-HT during social threat may reflect a coping mechanism to promote alertness and psychological adaptation to provocative and threatening stimuli. These neurophysiological changes are hypothesized to be the consequence of dynamics in monoamine systems, which could be useful markers for disease progression in the aetiology of depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Ahnaou
- Department of Neuroscience, Janssen Research and Development, Janssen Pharmaceutica N.V., Beerse, Belgium
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14
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Abstract
In this article, I describe how the current practice of classifying as a stressor any event that is accompanied by a change in any of a number of biological or behavioral measures-even when it is not accompanied by a long-term compromise in an organism's health or capacity to cope with daily challenges-has limited the utility of this concept. This permissive posture, which began with Selye's writings more than 65 years ago, is sustained by the public's desire for a simple term that might explain the tension generated by the threat of terrorists, growing economic inequality, increased competiveness in the workplace or for admission to the best universities, rogue nuclear bombs, and media reports of threats to health in food and water. I believe that the concept stress should be limited to select events that pose a serious threat to an organism's well-being or discarded as too ambiguous to be theoretically useful.
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Jimeno B, Hau M, Verhulst S. Strong association between corticosterone and temperature dependent metabolic rate in individual zebra finches. J Exp Biol 2017; 220:4426-4431. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.166124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2017] [Accepted: 09/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Glucocorticoid hormones (GCs) are often assumed to be indicators of stress. At the same time, one of their fundamental roles is to facilitate metabolic processes to accommodate changes in energetic demands. While the metabolic function of GCs is thought to be ubiquitous across vertebrates, we are not aware of experiments which tested this directly, i.e., in which metabolic rate was manipulated and measured together with GCs. We therefore tested for a relationship between plasma corticosterone (CORT, ln transformed) and metabolic rate (MR, measured using indirect calorimetry) in a between- and within-individual design in captive zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) of both sexes. In each individual, CORT and MR were measured at two different temperature levels: ‘warm’ (22°C) and ‘cold’ (12 °C). CORT and MR were both increased in colder compared to warmer conditions, within individuals, but also across individuals. At the between-individual level, we found a positive relationship between CORT and MR, with an accelerating slope towards higher MR and CORT values. In contrast, the within individual changes in CORT and MR in response to colder conditions were linearly correlated between individuals. The CORT-MR relationship did not differ between the sexes. Our results illustrate the importance of including variation at different levels to better understand physiological modulation. Furthermore, our findings support the interpretation of CORT variation as indicator of metabolic needs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blanca Jimeno
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, the Netherlands
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Michaela Hau
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
- University of Konstanz, Germany
| | - Simon Verhulst
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, the Netherlands
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16
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Drinkenburg WHIM, Ruigt GSF, Ahnaou A. Pharmaco-EEG Studies in Animals: An Overview of Contemporary Translational Applications. Neuropsychobiology 2016; 72:151-64. [PMID: 26901596 DOI: 10.1159/000442210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The contemporary value of animal pharmaco-electroencephalography (p-EEG)-based applications are strongly interlinked with progress in recording and neuroscience analysis methodology. While p-EEG in humans and animals has been shown to be closely related in terms of underlying neuronal substrates, both translational and back-translational approaches are being used to address extrapolation issues and optimize the translational validity of preclinical animal p-EEG paradigms and data. Present applications build further on animal p-EEG and pharmaco-sleep EEG findings, but also on stimulation protocols, more specifically pharmaco-event-related potentials. Pharmaceutical research into novel treatments for neurological and psychiatric diseases has employed an increasing number of pharmacological as well as transgenic models to assess the potential therapeutic involvement of different neurochemical systems and novel drug targets as well as underlying neuronal connectivity and synaptic function. Consequently, p-EEG studies, now also readily applied in modeled animals, continue to have an important role in drug discovery and development, with progressively more emphasis on its potential as a central readout for target engagement and as a (translational) functional marker of neuronal circuit processes underlying normal and pathological brain functioning. In a similar vein as was done for human p-EEG studies, the contribution of animal p-EEG studies can further benefit by adherence to guidelines for methodological standardization, which are presently under construction by the International Pharmaco-EEG Society (IPEG).
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Drinkenburg WHIM, Ahnaou A, Ruigt GSF. Pharmaco-EEG Studies in Animals: A History-Based Introduction to Contemporary Translational Applications. Neuropsychobiology 2016; 72:139-50. [PMID: 26901675 DOI: 10.1159/000443175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Current research on the effects of pharmacological agents on human neurophysiology finds its roots in animal research, which is also reflected in contemporary animal pharmaco-electroencephalography (p-EEG) applications. The contributions, present value and translational appreciation of animal p-EEG-based applications are strongly interlinked with progress in recording and neuroscience analysis methodology. After the pioneering years in the late 19th and early 20th century, animal p-EEG research flourished in the pharmaceutical industry in the early 1980s. However, around the turn of the millennium the emergence of structurally and functionally revealing imaging techniques and the increasing application of molecular biology caused a temporary reduction in the use of EEG as a window into the brain for the prediction of drug efficacy. Today, animal p-EEG is applied again for its biomarker potential - extensive databases of p-EEG and polysomnography studies in rats and mice hold EEG signatures of a broad collection of psychoactive reference and test compounds. A multitude of functional EEG measures has been investigated, ranging from simple spectral power and sleep-wake parameters to advanced neuronal connectivity and plasticity parameters. Compared to clinical p-EEG studies, where the level of vigilance can be well controlled, changes in sleep-waking behaviour are generally a prominent confounding variable in animal p-EEG studies and need to be dealt with. Contributions of rodent pharmaco-sleep EEG research are outlined to illustrate the value and limitations of such preclinical p-EEG data for pharmacodynamic and chronopharmacological drug profiling. Contemporary applications of p-EEG and pharmaco-sleep EEG recordings in animals provide a common and relatively inexpensive window into the functional brain early in the preclinical and clinical development of psychoactive drugs in comparison to other brain imaging techniques. They provide information on the impact of drugs on arousal and sleep architecture, assessing their neuropharmacological characteristics in vivo, including central exposure and information on kinetics. In view of the clear disadvantages as well as advantages of animal p-EEG as compared to clinical p-EEG, general statements about the usefulness of EEG as a biomarker to demonstrate the translatability of p-EEG effects should be made with caution, however, because they depend on the particular EEG or sleep parameter that is being studied. The contribution of animal p-EEG studies to the translational characterisation of centrally active drugs can be furthered by adherence to guidelines for methodological standardisation, which are presently under construction by the International Pharmaco-EEG Society (IPEG).
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18
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Lifetime variation in feather corticosterone levels in a long-lived raptor. Oecologia 2016; 183:315-326. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-016-3708-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2015] [Accepted: 08/16/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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19
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Fischer CP, Franco LA, Romero LM. Are novel objects perceived as stressful? The effect of novelty on heart rate. Physiol Behav 2016; 161:7-14. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2016.04.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2015] [Revised: 03/30/2016] [Accepted: 04/08/2016] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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20
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Mesquita LT, Abreu AR, de Abreu AR, de Souza AA, de Noronha SR, Silva FC, Campos GSV, Chianca DA, de Menezes RC. New insights on amygdala: Basomedial amygdala regulates the physiological response to social novelty. Neuroscience 2016; 330:181-90. [PMID: 27261213 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2016.05.053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2016] [Revised: 05/25/2016] [Accepted: 05/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The amygdala has been associated with a variety of functions linked to physiological, behavioral and endocrine responses during emotional situations. This brain region is comprised of multiple sub-nuclei. These sub-nuclei belong to the same structure, but may be involved in different functions, thereby making the study of each sub-nuclei important. Yet, the involvement of the basomedial amygdala (BMA) in the regulation of emotional states has yet to be defined. Therefore, the aim of our study was to investigate the regulatory role of the BMA on the responses evoked during a social novelty model and whether the regulatory role depended on an interaction with the dorsomedial hypothalamus (DMH). Our results showed that the chemical inhibition of the BMA by the microinjection of muscimol (γ-aminobutyric acid (GABAA) agonist) promoted increases in mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR), whereas the chemical inhibition of regions near the BMA did not induce such cardiovascular changes. In contrast, the BMA chemical activation by the bilateral microinjection of bicuculline methiodide (BMI; GABAA antagonist), blocked the increases in MAP and HR observed when an intruder rat was suddenly introduced into the cage of a resident rat, and confined to the small cage for 15min. Additionally, the increase in HR and MAP induced by BMA inhibition were eliminated by DMH chemical inhibition. Thus, our data reveal that the BMA is under continuous GABAergic influence, and that its hyperactivation can reduce the physiological response induced by a social novelty condition, possibly by inhibiting DMH neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Tavares Mesquita
- Department of Biological Sciences, Institute of Exact and Biological Sciences, Federal University of Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, MG, Brazil.
| | - Aline Rezende Abreu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Institute of Exact and Biological Sciences, Federal University of Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, MG, Brazil.
| | - Alessandra Rezende de Abreu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Institute of Exact and Biological Sciences, Federal University of Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, MG, Brazil.
| | - Aline Arlindo de Souza
- Department of Biological Sciences, Institute of Exact and Biological Sciences, Federal University of Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, MG, Brazil.
| | - Sylvana Rendeiro de Noronha
- Department of Biological Sciences, Institute of Exact and Biological Sciences, Federal University of Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, MG, Brazil.
| | - Fernanda Cacilda Silva
- Department of Biological Sciences, Institute of Exact and Biological Sciences, Federal University of Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, MG, Brazil.
| | - Glenda Siqueira Viggiano Campos
- Department of Biological Sciences, Institute of Exact and Biological Sciences, Federal University of Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, MG, Brazil.
| | - Deoclecio Alves Chianca
- Department of Biological Sciences, Institute of Exact and Biological Sciences, Federal University of Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, MG, Brazil.
| | - Rodrigo Cunha de Menezes
- Department of Biological Sciences, Institute of Exact and Biological Sciences, Federal University of Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, MG, Brazil.
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Hau M, Casagrande S, Ouyang J, Baugh A. Glucocorticoid-Mediated Phenotypes in Vertebrates. ADVANCES IN THE STUDY OF BEHAVIOR 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.asb.2016.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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Hofford RS, Prendergast MA, Bardo MT. Pharmacological manipulation of glucocorticoid receptors differentially affects cocaine self-administration in environmentally enriched and isolated rats. Behav Brain Res 2015; 283:196-202. [PMID: 25655510 PMCID: PMC4351170 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2015.01.049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2014] [Revised: 01/20/2015] [Accepted: 01/23/2015] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Social isolation rearing (isolated condition, IC) is used as a model of early life stress in rodents. Rats raised in this condition are often compared to rats raised in an environmentally enriched condition (EC). However, EC rats are repeatedly exposed to forced novelty, another classic stressor in rodents. These studies explored the relationship between cocaine self-administration and glucocorticoid receptor (GR) activation and measured total levels of GR protein in reward-related brain regions (medial prefrontal cortex, orbitofrontal cortex, nucleus accumbens, amygdala) in rats chronically exposed to these conditions. For experiment 1, rats were housed in EC or IC and were then trained to self-administer cocaine. Rats raised in these housing conditions were tested for their cocaine responding after pretreatment with the GR antagonist, RU486, or the GR agonist, corticosterone (CORT). For experiment 2, levels of GR from EC and IC rats were measured in brain regions implicated in drug abuse using Western blot analysis. Pretreatment with RU486 (20 mg/kg) decreased responding for a low unit dose of cocaine (0.03 mg/kg/infusion) in EC rats only. IC rats were unaffected by RU486 pretreatment, but earned significantly more cocaine than EC rats after pretreatment with CORT (10 mg/kg). No difference in GR expression was found between EC and IC rats in any brain area examined. These results, along with previous literature, suggest that enrichment enhances responsivity of the HPA axis related to cocaine reinforcement, but this effect is unlikely due simply to differential baseline GR expression in areas implicated in drug abuse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca S Hofford
- Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA.
| | | | - Michael T Bardo
- Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA; Center for Drug Abuse Research Translation, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
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Ravassard P, Hamieh AM, Joseph MA, Fraize N, Libourel PA, Lebarillier L, Arthaud S, Meissirel C, Touret M, Malleret G, Salin PA. REM Sleep-Dependent Bidirectional Regulation of Hippocampal-Based Emotional Memory and LTP. Cereb Cortex 2015; 26:1488-1500. [DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhu310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Nosjean A, Cressant A, de Chaumont F, Olivo-Marin JC, Chauveau F, Granon S. Acute stress in adulthood impoverishes social choices and triggers aggressiveness in preclinical models. Front Behav Neurosci 2015; 8:447. [PMID: 25610381 PMCID: PMC4285129 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2014.00447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2014] [Accepted: 12/10/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Adult C57BL/6J mice are known to exhibit high level of social flexibility while mice lacking the β2 subunit of nicotinic receptors (β2(-/-) mice) present social rigidity. We asked ourselves what would be the consequences of a restraint acute stress (45 min) on social interactions in adult mice of both genotypes, hence the contribution of neuronal nicotinic receptors in this process. We therefore dissected social interaction complexity of stressed and not stressed dyads of mice in a social interaction task. We also measured plasma corticosterone levels in our experimental conditions. We showed that a single stress exposure occurring in adulthood reduced and disorganized social interaction complexity in both C57BL/6J and β2(-/-) mice. These stress-induced maladaptive social interactions involved alteration of distinct social categories and strategies in both genotypes, suggesting a dissociable impact of stress depending on the functioning of the cholinergic nicotinic system. In both genotypes, social behaviors under stress were coupled to aggressive reactions with no plasma corticosterone changes. Thus, aggressiveness appeared a general response independent of nicotinic function. We demonstrate here that a single stress exposure occurring in adulthood is sufficient to impoverish social interactions: stress impaired social flexibility in C57BL/6J mice whereas it reinforced β2(-/-) mice behavioral rigidity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Nosjean
- Centre de Neuroscience Paris Sud, Université Paris Sud 11 and Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique UMR 8195 Orsay, France
| | - Arnaud Cressant
- Centre de Neuroscience Paris Sud, Université Paris Sud 11 and Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique UMR 8195 Orsay, France
| | - Fabrice de Chaumont
- Unité d'Analyse d'Images Quantitative, Institut Pasteur, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique URA 2582 Paris, France
| | - Jean-Christophe Olivo-Marin
- Unité d'Analyse d'Images Quantitative, Institut Pasteur, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique URA 2582 Paris, France
| | - Frédéric Chauveau
- Institut de Recherche Biomédicale des Armées, NCO, Unité NPS Brétigny-sur-Orge, France
| | - Sylvie Granon
- Centre de Neuroscience Paris Sud, Université Paris Sud 11 and Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique UMR 8195 Orsay, France
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Burgalossi A, von Heimendahl M, Brecht M. Deep layer neurons in the rat medial entorhinal cortex fire sparsely irrespective of spatial novelty. Front Neural Circuits 2014; 8:74. [PMID: 25071455 PMCID: PMC4092364 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2014.00074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2014] [Accepted: 06/13/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Extracellular recordings in medial entorhinal cortex have revealed the existence of spatially-modulated firing patterns, which are thought to contribute to a cognitive map of external space. Previous work indicated that during exploration of novel environments, spiking activity in deep entorhinal layers is much sparser than in superficial layers. In the present report, we ask whether this laminar activity profile is a consequence of environmental novelty. We report on a large dataset of juxtacellularly-recorded neurons (n = 70) whose spiking activity was monitored while rats explored either a novel or a familiar environment, or both within the same session. Irrespective of previous knowledge of the environment, deep layer activity was very low during exploration (median firing rate 0.4 Hz for non-silent cells), with a large fraction of silent cells (n = 19 of a total 37), while superficial layer activity was several times higher (median firing rate 2.4 Hz; n = 33). The persistence of laminar differences in firing activity both under environmental novelty and familiarity, and even in head-restrained stationary animals, suggests that sparse coding might be a constitutive feature of deep entorhinal layers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Burgalossi
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Humboldt University of Berlin Berlin, Germany ; Werner Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, University of Tübingen Tübingen, Germany
| | - Moritz von Heimendahl
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Humboldt University of Berlin Berlin, Germany
| | - Michael Brecht
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Humboldt University of Berlin Berlin, Germany
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Vecsey CG, Wimmer MEJ, Havekes R, Park AJ, Perron IJ, Meerlo P, Abel T. Daily acclimation handling does not affect hippocampal long-term potentiation or cause chronic sleep deprivation in mice. Sleep 2013; 36:601-7. [PMID: 23565007 DOI: 10.5665/sleep.2556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
STUDY OBJECTIVES Gentle handling is commonly used to perform brief sleep deprivation in rodents. It was recently reported that daily acclimation handling, which is often used before behavioral assays, causes alterations in sleep, stress, and levels of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor subunits prior to the actual period of sleep deprivation. It was therefore suggested that acclimation handling could mediate some of the observed effects of subsequent sleep deprivation. Here, we examine whether acclimation handling, performed as in our sleep deprivation studies, alters sleep/wake behavior, stress, or forms of hippocampal synaptic plasticity that are impaired by sleep deprivation. DESIGN Adult C57BL/6J mice were either handled daily for 6 days or were left undisturbed in their home cages. On the day after the 6(th) day of handling, long-term potentiation (LTP) was induced in hippocampal slices with spaced four-train stimulation, which we previously demonstrated to be impaired by brief sleep deprivation. Basal synaptic properties were also assessed. In three other sets of animals, activity monitoring, polysomnography, and stress hormone measurements were performed during the 6 days of handling. RESULTS Daily gentle handling alone does not alter LTP, rest/activity patterns, or sleep/wake architecture. Handling initially induces a minimal stress response, but by the 6(th) day, stress hormone levels are unaltered by handling. CONCLUSION It is possible to handle mice daily to accustom them to the researcher without causing alterations in sleep, stress, or synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus. Therefore, effects of acclimation handling cannot explain the impairments in signaling mechanisms, synaptic plasticity, and memory that result from brief sleep deprivation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher G Vecsey
- Department of Biology, School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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Willey AR, Spear LP. Effects of acute ethanol administration and chronic stress exposure on social investigation and 50kHz ultrasonic vocalizations in adolescent and adult male Sprague-Dawley rats. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2013; 105:17-25. [PMID: 23360955 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2013.01.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2012] [Revised: 01/16/2013] [Accepted: 01/19/2013] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Adolescents drink largely in social situations, likely in an attempt to facilitate social interactions. This study sought to examine alterations in the incentive salience of a social stimulus following repeated stress exposure and acute ethanol administration in adolescent and adult male Sprague-Dawley rats. Subjects were either exposed to 5days of restraint stress, chronic variable stress (CVS), which consisted of a different stressor every day, or non-stressed. On test day, the animals were injected with 0, 0.25, 0.5, or 0.75g/kg ethanol and placed in a social approach test in which they could see, hear, and smell a social conspecific, but could not physically interact with it. All the animals showed an interest in the social stimulus, with adolescents engaging in more social investigation than adults. Restraint stressed adults showed ethanol-induced increases in social investigation, while ethanol effects were not seen in any other group. An ethanol-associated increase in 50kHz ultrasonic vocalization (USV) production was only evident in restraint stressed adolescents following 0.75g/kg ethanol. 50kHz USVs were not correlated with time spent investigating the social stimulus in any test condition. These results show that age differences in the facilitatory effects of ethanol on incentive salience of social stimuli are moderated by stress, with the facilitation of social approach by ethanol only evident in restraint stressed adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda R Willey
- Department of Psychology, Center for Development and Behavioral Neuroscience, Binghamton University (SUNY), PO Box 6000, Binghamton, NY 13902, USA.
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Hughes ATL, Piggins HD. Feedback actions of locomotor activity to the circadian clock. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2012; 199:305-336. [PMID: 22877673 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-444-59427-3.00018-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
The phase of the mammalian circadian system can be entrained to a range of environmental stimuli, or zeitgebers, including food availability and light. Further, locomotor activity can act as an entraining signal and represents a mechanism for an endogenous behavior to feedback and influence subsequent circadian function. This process involves a number of nuclei distributed across the brain stem, thalamus, and hypothalamus and ultimately alters SCN electrical and molecular function to induce phase shifts in the master circadian pacemaker. Locomotor activity feedback to the circadian system is effective across both nocturnal and diurnal species, including humans, and has recently been shown to improve circadian function in a mouse model with a weakened circadian system. This raises the possibility that exercise may be useful as a noninvasive treatment in cases of human circadian dysfunction including aging, shift work, transmeridian travel, and the blind.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alun T L Hughes
- Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom.
| | - Hugh D Piggins
- Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
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