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Harper KM, Harp SJ, Moy SS. Prenatal stress unmasks behavioral phenotypes in genetic mouse models of neurodevelopmental disorders. Front Behav Neurosci 2023; 17:1271225. [PMID: 37809038 PMCID: PMC10556231 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1271225] [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: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) are complex conditions characterized by heterogeneous clinical profiles and symptoms that arise in infancy and childhood. NDDs are often attributed to a complicated interaction between genetic risk and environmental factors, suggesting a need for preclinical models reflecting the combined impact of heritable susceptibility and environmental effects. A notable advantage of "two-hit" models is the power to reveal underlying vulnerability that may not be detected in studies employing only genetic or environmental alterations. In this review, we summarize existing literature that investigates detrimental interactions between prenatal stress (PNS) and genes associated with NDDs, with a focus on behavioral phenotyping approaches in mouse models. A challenge in determining the overall role of PNS exposure in genetic models is the diversity of approaches for inducing stress, variability in developmental timepoints for exposure, and differences in phenotyping regimens across laboratories. Identification of optimal stress protocols and critical windows for developmental effects would greatly improve the use of PNS in gene × environment mouse models of NDDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn M. Harper
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Samuel J. Harp
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Sheryl S. Moy
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
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Malik JA, Yaseen Z, Thotapalli L, Ahmed S, Shaikh MF, Anwar S. Understanding translational research in schizophrenia: A novel insight into animal models. Mol Biol Rep 2023; 50:3767-3785. [PMID: 36692676 PMCID: PMC10042983 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-023-08241-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Schizophrenia affects millions of people worldwide and is a major challenge for the scientific community. Like most psychotic diseases, it is also considered a complicated mental disorder caused by an imbalance in neurotransmitters. Due to the complexity of neuropathology, it is always a complicated disorder. The lack of proper understanding of the pathophysiology makes the disorder unmanageable in clinical settings. However, due to recent advances in animal models, we hope we can have better therapeutic approaches with more success in clinical settings. Dopamine, glutamate, GABA, and serotonin are the neurotransmitters involved in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. Various animal models have been put forward based on these neurotransmitters, including pharmacological, neurodevelopmental, and genetic models. Polymorphism of genes such as dysbindin, DICS1, and NRG1 has also been reported in schizophrenia. Hypothesis based on dopamine, glutamate, and serotonin are considered successful models of schizophrenia on which drug therapies have been designed to date. New targets like the orexin system, muscarinic and nicotinic receptors, and cannabinoid receptors have been approached to alleviate the negative and cognitive symptoms. The non-pharmacological models like the post-weaning social isolation model (maternal deprivation), the isolation rearing model etc. have been also developed to mimic the symptoms of schizophrenia and to create and test new approaches of drug therapy which is a breakthrough at present in psychiatric disorders. Different behavioral tests have been evaluated in these specific models. This review will highlight the currently available animal models and behavioral tests in psychic disorders concerning schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonaid Ahmad Malik
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Guwahati, India.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Ropar, Rupnagar, India
| | - Zahid Yaseen
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Delhi Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research University, Delhi, India
| | - Lahari Thotapalli
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, JNTU University, Anantapur, India
| | - Sakeel Ahmed
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, 382355, India
| | - Mohd Farooq Shaikh
- Neuropharmacology Research Strength, Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, 47500, Bandar Sunway, Selangor, Malaysia. .,School of Dentistry and Medical Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Orange, 2800, New South Wales, Australia.
| | - Sirajudheen Anwar
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, University of Hail, Hail, 81422, Saudi Arabia.
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Ang MJ, Lee S, Kim JC, Kim SH, Moon C. Behavioral Tasks Evaluating Schizophrenia-like Symptoms in Animal Models: A Recent Update. Curr Neuropharmacol 2021; 19:641-664. [PMID: 32798374 PMCID: PMC8573744 DOI: 10.2174/1570159x18666200814175114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2020] [Revised: 07/23/2020] [Accepted: 07/31/2020] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Schizophrenia is a serious mental illness that affects more than 21 million people worldwide. Both genetics and the environment play a role in its etiology and pathogenesis. Symptoms of schizophrenia are mainly categorized into positive, negative, and cognitive. One major approach to identify and understand these diverse symptoms in humans has been to study behavioral phenotypes in a range of animal models of schizophrenia. OBJECTIVE We aimed to provide a comprehensive review of the behavioral tasks commonly used for measuring schizophrenia-like behaviors in rodents together with an update of the recent study findings. METHODS Articles describing phenotypes of schizophrenia-like behaviors in various animal models were collected through a literature search in Google Scholar, PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus, with a focus on advances over the last 10 years. RESULTS Numerous studies have used a range of animal models and behavioral paradigms of schizophrenia to develop antipsychotic drugs for improved therapeutics. In establishing animal models of schizophrenia, the candidate models were evaluated for schizophrenia-like behaviors using several behavioral tasks for positive, negative, and cognitive symptoms designed to verify human symptoms of schizophrenia. Such validated animal models were provided as rapid preclinical avenues for drug testing and mechanistic studies. CONCLUSION Based on the most recent advances in the field, it is apparent that a myriad of behavior tests are needed to confirm and evaluate the congruency of animal models with the numerous behaviors and clinical signs exhibited by patients with schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Changjong Moon
- Address correspondence to this author at the Department of Veterinary Anatomy and Animal Behavior, College of Veterinary Medicine and BK21 Plus Project Team, Chonnam National University, 77 Yongbong-ro, Buk-gu, Gwangju 61186, South Korea, Tel: +82-62-530-2838; E-mail:
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Moura CA, Oliveira MC, Costa LF, Tiago PRF, Holanda VAD, Lima RH, Cagni FC, Lobão-Soares B, Bolaños-Jiménez F, Gavioli EC. Prenatal restraint stress impairs recognition memory in adult male and female offspring. Acta Neuropsychiatr 2020; 32:1-6. [PMID: 31992385 DOI: 10.1017/neu.2020.3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Accumulating evidence from preclinical and clinical studies indicates that prenatal exposure to stress impairs the development of the offspring brain and facilitates the emergence of mental illness. This study aims to describe the impact of prenatal restraint stress on cognition and exploration to an unfamiliar environment at adulthood in an outbred strain of mice. METHODS Late pregnant mice were exposed to restraint stress and adult offspring (60 days of age) behaviours were assessed in the object recognition task and open field test. FINDINGS Prenatal stress (PNS) impaired new object recognition in male and female mice. Importantly, the learning deficits in female PNS mice were linked to their estrous cycle. Actually, PNS females in metestrus/diestrus but not in proestrus/estrus phases displayed recognition deficits compared to controls. Concerning locomotion in an unfamiliar environment, male but not female PNS mice displayed significant increase, but showed no differences in the distance travelled within the centre zone of the arena. CONCLUSION Present findings support the view that maternal restraint-stress during late pregnancy impairs recognition memory in both male and female offspring, and in females, this cognitive deficit is dependent on the estrous cycle phase. Ultimately, these data reinforce that PNS is an aetiological component of psychiatric disorders associated with memory deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clarissa A Moura
- Department of Biophysics and Pharmacology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil
| | - Matheus C Oliveira
- Department of Biophysics and Pharmacology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil
| | - Layse F Costa
- Department of Biophysics and Pharmacology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil
| | - Pamella R F Tiago
- Department of Biophysics and Pharmacology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil
| | - Victor A D Holanda
- Department of Biophysics and Pharmacology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil
| | - Ramon H Lima
- Department of Biophysics and Pharmacology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil
| | - Fernanda C Cagni
- Department of Biophysics and Pharmacology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil
| | - Bruno Lobão-Soares
- Department of Biophysics and Pharmacology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil
| | | | - Elaine C Gavioli
- Department of Biophysics and Pharmacology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil
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Smith KL, Todd SM, Boucher A, Bennett MR, Arnold JC. P2X 7 receptor knockout mice display less aggressive biting behaviour correlating with increased brain activation in the piriform cortex. Neurosci Lett 2020; 714:134575. [PMID: 31693933 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2019.134575] [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: 09/13/2019] [Revised: 10/18/2019] [Accepted: 10/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
P2X7 receptors are implicated in the pathophysiology of psychiatric conditions such as depression and bipolar disorder. P2X7 receptors regulate the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines from microglia, and gain-of-function P2X7 mutations may contribute to the neuroinflammation found in affective disorders. However, the role of this receptor in mediating other mental health conditions and aberrant behaviours requires further examination. The current study we investigated the effects of germline genetic deletion of P2xr7 on social and marble burying behaviours in mice throughout the critical adolescent developmental period. Marble burying behaviour is thought to provide a mouse model of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). We also characterised the effects of P2rx7 deletion on aggressive attack behaviour in adult mice and subsequently quantifieded microglial cell densities and c-Fos expression, a marker of neuronal activation. P2rx7 knockout mice displayed reduced OCD-related marble burying behaviour which was most pronounced in late adolescence/early adulthood. P2rx7 knockout mice also exhibited reduced aggressive attack behaviours in adulthood in the resident-intruder test. Reduced aggression in P2xr7 knockout mice did not coincide with changes to microglial cell densities, however c-Fos expression was elevated in the piriform cortex of P2rx7 knockout mice compared to wildtype mice. This study suggests that the P2X7 receptor might serve as a novel target for serenic or anti-OCD therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristie Leigh Smith
- Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, Australia; Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Australia; Discipline of Pharmacology, University of Sydney, Australia
| | - Stephanie M Todd
- Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, Australia; Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Australia; Discipline of Pharmacology, University of Sydney, Australia
| | - Aurelie Boucher
- Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, Australia; Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Australia; Discipline of Pharmacology, University of Sydney, Australia
| | - Maxwell R Bennett
- Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, Australia; Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Australia; Discipline of Physiology, University of Sydney, Australia
| | - Jonathon C Arnold
- Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, Australia; Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Australia; Discipline of Pharmacology, University of Sydney, Australia.
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Smith KL, Kassem MS, Clarke DJ, Kuligowski MP, Bedoya-Pérez MA, Todd SM, Lagopoulos J, Bennett MR, Arnold JC. Microglial cell hyper-ramification and neuronal dendritic spine loss in the hippocampus and medial prefrontal cortex in a mouse model of PTSD. Brain Behav Immun 2019; 80:889-899. [PMID: 31158497 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2019.05.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2019] [Revised: 04/30/2019] [Accepted: 05/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Few animal models exist that successfully reproduce several core associative and non-associative behaviours relevant to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), such as long-lasting fear reactions, hyperarousal, and subtle attentional and cognitive dysfunction. As such, these models may lack the face validity required to adequately model pathophysiological features of PTSD such as CNS grey matter loss and neuroinflammation. Here we aimed to investigate in a mouse model of PTSD whether contextual fear conditioning associated with a relatively high intensity footshock exposure induces loss of neuronal dendritic spines in various corticolimbic brain regions, as their regression may help explain grey matter reductions in PTSD patients. Further, we aimed to observe whether these changes were accompanied by alterations in microglial cell number and morphology, and increased expression of complement factors implicated in the mediation of microglial cell-mediated engulfment of dendritic spines. Adult male C57Bl6J mice were exposed to a single electric footshock and subsequently underwent phenotyping of various PTSD-relevant behaviours in the short (day 2-4) and longer-term (day 29-31). 32 days post-exposure the brains of these animals were subjected to Golgi staining of dendritic spines, microglial cell Iba-1 immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescent staining of the complement factors C1q and C4. Shock exposure promoted a lasting contextual fear response, decreased locomotor activity, exaggerated acoustic startle responses indicative of hyperarousal, and a short-term facilitation of sensorimotor gating function. The shock triggered loss of dendritic spines on pyramidal neurons was accompanied by increased microglial cell number and complexity in the medial prefrontal cortex and dorsal hippocampus, but not in the amygdala. Shock also increased expression of C1q in the pyramidal layer of the CA1 region of the hippocampus but not in other brain regions. The present study further elaborates on the face and construct validity of a mouse model of PTSD and provides a good foundation to explore potential molecular interactions between microglia and dendritic spines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristie Leigh Smith
- Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, Australia; Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Australia
| | | | - David J Clarke
- Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, Australia; Discipline of Pharmacology, University of Sydney, Australia
| | - Michael P Kuligowski
- Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, Australia; Australian Microscopy & Microanalysis Research Facility, University of Sydney, Australia
| | - Miguel A Bedoya-Pérez
- Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, Australia; School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Australia
| | - Stephanie M Todd
- Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, Australia; Discipline of Pharmacology, University of Sydney, Australia
| | | | - Maxwell R Bennett
- Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, Australia; Discipline of Physiology, University of Sydney, Australia
| | - Jonathon C Arnold
- Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, Australia; Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Australia; Discipline of Pharmacology, University of Sydney, Australia.
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Cespedes JC, Liu M, Harbuzariu A, Nti A, Onyekaba J, Cespedes HW, Bharti PK, Solomon W, Anyaoha P, Krishna S, Adjei A, Botchway F, Ford B, Stiles JK. Neuregulin in Health and Disease. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BRAIN DISORDERS AND TREATMENT 2018; 4:024. [PMID: 31032468 PMCID: PMC6483402 DOI: 10.23937/2469-5866/1410024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Juan Carlos Cespedes
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Immunology, Morehouse School of Medicine, USA
| | - Mingli Liu
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Immunology, Morehouse School of Medicine, USA
| | - Adriana Harbuzariu
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Immunology, Morehouse School of Medicine, USA
| | - Annette Nti
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Immunology, Morehouse School of Medicine, USA
| | - John Onyekaba
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Immunology, Morehouse School of Medicine, USA
| | - Hanna Watson Cespedes
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Immunology, Morehouse School of Medicine, USA
| | | | - Wesley Solomon
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Immunology, Morehouse School of Medicine, USA
| | - Precious Anyaoha
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Immunology, Morehouse School of Medicine, USA
| | - Sri Krishna
- ICMR-National Institute for Research in Tribal Health, India
| | - Andrew Adjei
- Department of Pathology, Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, University of Ghana Medical School, Ghana
| | - Felix Botchway
- Department of Pathology, Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, University of Ghana Medical School, Ghana
| | - Byron Ford
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, University of California-Riverside School of Medicine, USA
| | - Jonathan K Stiles
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Immunology, Morehouse School of Medicine, USA
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