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Oga K, Fuchikami M, Kobayashi H, Miyagi T, Fujita S, Fujita S, Okada S, Morinobu S. Involvement of dysregulated hippocampal histone H3K9 methylation at the promoter of the BDNF gene in impaired memory extinction. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2024:10.1007/s00213-024-06640-7. [PMID: 38940908 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-024-06640-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024]
Abstract
RATIONALE Since the precise mechanisms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) remain unknown, effective treatment interventions have not yet been established. Impaired extinction of fear memory (EFM) is one of the core symptoms of PTSD and is associated with stress-induced epigenetic change in gene expression. OBJECTIVES In this study, we examined whether the involvement of histone H3 lysine 9 dimethylation (H3K9me2) in EFM is mediated through brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression in the hippocampus, and whether BIX01294, a selective G9a and GLP histone methyltransferase inhibitor, could be treatment for impaired EFM in an animal model of PTSD. METHODS The single prolonged stress (SPS) paradigm was used to model PTSD. We measured BDNF mRNA levels by RT-PCR, and H3K9me2 levels in the BDNF gene promoters by chromatin immunoprecipitation-qPCR. After undergoing contextual fear conditioning and hippocampal injection of BIX01294, male rats were subjected to extinction training and extinction testing and their freezing times and BDNF mRNA levels were measured. RESULTS Compared to sham rats, SPS rats showed decreased BDNF mRNA levels 2 h after extinction training, no significant changes in levels of global H3K9me2 prior to extinction training, and increased levels of H3K9me2 in BDNF gene promoter IV, but not in BDNF gene promoter I. Administration of BIX01294 ameliorated the decrease in BDNF mRNA levels 2 h after extinction training and subsequently alleviated impaired EFM in extinction tests in SPS rats. CONCLUSION We conclude that reduced hippocampal levels of BDNF mRNA due to increase in H3K9me2 levels may play a role in PTSD-associated EFM impairment, and BIX01294 could be a PTSD treatment option.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenichi Oga
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Division of Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Minami-Ku, Kasumi 1-2-3, Hiroshima City, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Manabu Fuchikami
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Division of Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Minami-Ku, Kasumi 1-2-3, Hiroshima City, Hiroshima, Japan.
| | - Hironori Kobayashi
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Division of Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Minami-Ku, Kasumi 1-2-3, Hiroshima City, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Tatsuhiro Miyagi
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Division of Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Minami-Ku, Kasumi 1-2-3, Hiroshima City, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Sho Fujita
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Division of Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Minami-Ku, Kasumi 1-2-3, Hiroshima City, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Satoshi Fujita
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Division of Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Minami-Ku, Kasumi 1-2-3, Hiroshima City, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Satoshi Okada
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Division of Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Minami-Ku, Kasumi 1-2-3, Hiroshima City, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Shigeru Morinobu
- Department of Psychology, School of Faculty of Health and Wellness Sciences, Hiroshima International University, Kure, Japan
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Knox D, Parikh V. Basal forebrain cholinergic systems as circuits through which traumatic stress disrupts emotional memory regulation. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 159:105569. [PMID: 38309497 PMCID: PMC10948307 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105569] [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: 09/11/2023] [Revised: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/05/2024]
Abstract
Contextual and spatial systems facilitate changes in emotional memory regulation brought on by traumatic stress. Cholinergic basal forebrain (chBF) neurons provide input to contextual/spatial systems and although chBF neurons are important for emotional memory, it is unknown how they contribute to the traumatic stress effects on emotional memory. Clusters of chBF neurons that project to the prefrontal cortex (PFC) modulate fear conditioned suppression and passive avoidance, while clusters of chBF neurons that project to the hippocampus (Hipp) and PFC (i.e. cholinergic medial septum and diagonal bands of Broca (chMS/DBB neurons) are critical for fear extinction. Interestingly, neither Hipp nor PFC projecting chMS/DBB neurons are critical for fear extinction. The retrosplenial cortex (RSC) is a contextual/spatial memory system that receives input from chMS/DBB neurons, but whether this chMS/DBB-RSC circuit facilitates traumatic stress effects on emotional memory remain unexplored. Traumatic stress leads to neuroinflammation and the buildup of reactive oxygen species. These two molecular processes may converge to disrupt chBF circuits enhancing the impact of traumatic stress on emotional memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dayan Knox
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Behavioral Neuroscience Program, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA.
| | - Vinay Parikh
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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Plas SL, Tuna T, Bayer H, Juliano VAL, Sweck SO, Arellano Perez AD, Hassell JE, Maren S. Neural circuits for the adaptive regulation of fear and extinction memory. Front Behav Neurosci 2024; 18:1352797. [PMID: 38370858 PMCID: PMC10869525 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2024.1352797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/20/2024] Open
Abstract
The regulation of fear memories is critical for adaptive behaviors and dysregulation of these processes is implicated in trauma- and stress-related disorders. Treatments for these disorders include pharmacological interventions as well as exposure-based therapies, which rely upon extinction learning. Considerable attention has been directed toward elucidating the neural mechanisms underlying fear and extinction learning. In this review, we will discuss historic discoveries and emerging evidence on the neural mechanisms of the adaptive regulation of fear and extinction memories. We will focus on neural circuits regulating the acquisition and extinction of Pavlovian fear conditioning in rodent models, particularly the role of the medial prefrontal cortex and hippocampus in the contextual control of extinguished fear memories. We will also consider new work revealing an important role for the thalamic nucleus reuniens in the modulation of prefrontal-hippocampal interactions in extinction learning and memory. Finally, we will explore the effects of stress on this circuit and the clinical implications of these findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha L. Plas
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
- Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Tuğçe Tuna
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
- Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Hugo Bayer
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
- Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Vitor A. L. Juliano
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Samantha O. Sweck
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
- Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Angel D. Arellano Perez
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - James E. Hassell
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Stephen Maren
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
- Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
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Sep MSC, Geuze E, Joëls M. Impaired learning, memory, and extinction in posttraumatic stress disorder: translational meta-analysis of clinical and preclinical studies. Transl Psychiatry 2023; 13:376. [PMID: 38062029 PMCID: PMC10703817 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-023-02660-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Revised: 10/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Current evidence-based treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are efficacious in only part of PTSD patients. Therefore, novel neurobiologically informed approaches are urgently needed. Clinical and translational neuroscience point to altered learning and memory processes as key in (models of) PTSD psychopathology. We extended this notion by clarifying at a meta-level (i) the role of information valence, i.e. neutral versus emotional/fearful, and (ii) comparability, as far as applicable, between clinical and preclinical phenotypes. We hypothesized that cross-species, neutral versus emotional/fearful information processing is, respectively, impaired and enhanced in PTSD. This preregistered meta-analysis involved a literature search on PTSD+Learning/Memory+Behavior, performed in PubMed. First, the effect of information valence was estimated with a random-effects meta-regression. The sources of variation were explored with a random forest-based analysis. The analyses included 92 clinical (N = 6732 humans) and 182 preclinical (N = 6834 animals) studies. A general impairment of learning, memory and extinction processes was observed in PTSD patients, regardless of information valence. Impaired neutral learning/memory and fear extinction were also present in animal models of PTSD. Yet, PTSD models enhanced fear/trauma memory in preclinical studies and PTSD impaired emotional memory in patients. Clinical data on fear/trauma memory was limited. Mnemonic phase and valence explained most variation in rodents but not humans. Impaired neutral learning/memory and fear extinction show stable cross-species PTSD phenotypes. These could be targeted for novel PTSD treatments, using information gained from neurobiological animal studies. We argue that apparent cross-species discrepancies in emotional/fearful memory deserve further in-depth study; until then, animal models targeting this phenotype should be applied with utmost care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milou S C Sep
- Brain Research and Innovation Centre, Ministry of Defence, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
- GGZ inGeest Mental Health Care, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
- Amsterdam Neuroscience, Mood, Anxiety, Psychosis, Sleep & Stress Program, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
- Amsterdam Public Health, Mental Health Program, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam University Medical Center location Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Elbert Geuze
- Brain Research and Innovation Centre, Ministry of Defence, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Marian Joëls
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
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Yang S, Zhu G. Phytotherapy of abnormality of fear memory: A narrative review of mechanisms. Fitoterapia 2023; 169:105618. [PMID: 37482307 DOI: 10.1016/j.fitote.2023.105618] [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: 05/23/2023] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023]
Abstract
It is generally believed that in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the high expression of fear memory is mainly determined by amygdala hyperactivity and hippocampus hypoactivity. In this review, we firstly updated the mechanisms of fear memory, and then searched the experimental evidence of phytotherapy for fear memory in the past five years. Based on the summary of those experimental studies, we further discussed the future research strategies of plant medicines, including the study of the mechanism of specific brain regions, the optimal time for the prevention and treatment of fear memory-related diseases such as PTSD, and the development of new drugs with active components of plant medicines. Accordingly, plant medicines play a clear role in improving fear memory abnormalities and have the drug development potential in the treatment of fear-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaojie Yang
- The Second Affiliation Hospital of Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, Anhui 230061, China; Key Laboratory of Xin'an Medicine, The Ministry of Education and Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology (Brain diseases), Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, Anhui 230012, China
| | - Guoqi Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Xin'an Medicine, The Ministry of Education and Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology (Brain diseases), Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, Anhui 230012, China.
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Huang G, Iqbal J, Shen D, Xue YX, Yang M, Jia X. MicroRNA expression profiles of stress susceptibility and resilience in the prelimbic and infralimbic cortex of rats after single prolonged stress. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1247714. [PMID: 37692297 PMCID: PMC10488707 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1247714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The experience of traumatic stress can engender lasting memories associated with the trauma, often resulting in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, only a minority of individuals develop PTSD symptoms upon exposure. The neurobiological mechanisms underlying the pathology of PTSD are poorly understood. Utilizing a rat model of PTSD, the Single Prolonged Stress (SPS) paradigm, we were able to differentiate between resilient and susceptible individuals. Fourteen days after the SPS exposure, we conducted the behavioral analyses using Elevated Plus Maze (EPM) and Open Field (OF) tests to identify male rats as trauma resilient or susceptible. We focused on the microRNA (miRNA) profiles of the infralimbic (IL) and prelimbic (PL) cortical regions, known to be crucial in regulating the stress response. Our investigation of stressed rats exposed to the SPS procedure yielded divergent response, and differential expression microRNAs (DEmiRs) analysis indicated significant differences in the IL and PL transcriptional response. In the IL cortex, the GO analysis revealed enriched GO terms in the resilient versus control comparison, specifically related to mitogen-activated protein kinase and MAP kinase signaling pathways for their molecular functions as well as cytosol and nucleoplasm for the biological process. In the susceptible versus resilient comparison, the changes in molecular functions were only manifested in the functions of regulation of transcription involved in the G1/S transition of the mitotic cell cycle and skeletal muscle satellite cell activation. However, no enriched GO terms were found in the susceptible versus control comparison. In the PL cortex, results indicated that the DEmiRs were enriched exclusively in the cellular component level of the endoplasmic reticulum lumen in the comparison between resilient and control rats. Overall, our study utilized an animal model of PTSD to investigate the potential correlation between stress-induced behavioral dysfunction and variations in miRNA expression. The aforementioned discoveries have the potential to pave the way for novel therapeutic approaches for PTSD, which could involve the targeted regulation of transcriptome expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gengdi Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Genomics, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen, China
- Department of Addiction Medicine, Shenzhen Engineering Research Center for Precision Psychiatric Technology, Shenzhen Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Shenzhen Kangning Hospital, Shenzhen Mental Health Center, Shenzhen, China
| | - Javed Iqbal
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Genomics, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen, China
- Department of Addiction Medicine, Shenzhen Engineering Research Center for Precision Psychiatric Technology, Shenzhen Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Shenzhen Kangning Hospital, Shenzhen Mental Health Center, Shenzhen, China
| | - Dan Shen
- Henan Key Laboratory of Medical Tissue Regeneration, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China
| | - Yan-xue Xue
- National Institute on Drug Dependence and Beijing Key Laboratory of Drug Dependence, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Mei Yang
- Department of Addiction Medicine, Shenzhen Engineering Research Center for Precision Psychiatric Technology, Shenzhen Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Shenzhen Kangning Hospital, Shenzhen Mental Health Center, Shenzhen, China
- Affiliated Mental Health Center, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
- Clinical College of Mental Health, ShenZhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen, China
- School of Mental Health, Jining Medical University, Jining, China
- School of Mental Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Xiaojian Jia
- Department of Addiction Medicine, Shenzhen Engineering Research Center for Precision Psychiatric Technology, Shenzhen Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Shenzhen Kangning Hospital, Shenzhen Mental Health Center, Shenzhen, China
- Affiliated Mental Health Center, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
- Clinical College of Mental Health, ShenZhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen, China
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Li J, Tong L, Schock BC, Ji LL. Post-traumatic Stress Disorder: Focus on Neuroinflammation. Mol Neurobiol 2023; 60:3963-3978. [PMID: 37004607 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-023-03320-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 04/04/2023]
Abstract
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), gaining increasing attention, is a multifaceted psychiatric disorder that occurs following a stressful or traumatic event or series of events. Recently, several studies showed a close relationship between PTSD and neuroinflammation. Neuroinflammation, a defense response of the nervous system, is associated with the activation of neuroimmune cells such as microglia and astrocytes and with changes in inflammatory markers. In this review, we first analyzed the relationship between neuroinflammation and PTSD: the effect of stress-derived activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis on the main immune cells in the brain and the effect of stimulated immune cells in the brain on the HPA axis. We then summarize the alteration of inflammatory markers in brain regions related to PTSD. Astrocytes are neural parenchymal cells that protect neurons by regulating the ionic microenvironment around neurons. Microglia are macrophages of the brain that coordinate the immunological response. Recent studies on these two cell types provided new insight into neuroinflammation in PTSD. These contribute to promoting comprehension of neuroinflammation, which plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jimeng Li
- Department of 2nd Clinical College, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
| | - Lei Tong
- Department of Anatomy, College of Basic Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
| | - Bettina C Schock
- The Wellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine, Queen's University Belfast Faculty of Medicine Health and Life Sciences, Belfast, UK
| | - Li-Li Ji
- Department of Anatomy, College of Basic Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China.
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The role of estrogen receptor manipulation during traumatic stress on changes in emotional memory induced by traumatic stress. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2023; 240:1049-1061. [PMID: 36879072 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-023-06342-6] [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: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Traumatic stress leads to persistent fear, which is a core feature of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Women are more likely than men to develop PTSD after trauma exposure, which suggests women are differentially sensitive to traumatic stress. However, it is unclear how this differential sensitivity manifests. Cyclical changes in vascular estrogen release could be a contributing factor where levels of vascular estrogens (and activation of estrogen receptors) at the time of traumatic stress alter the impact of traumatic stress. METHODS To examine this, we manipulated estrogen receptors at the time of stress and observed the effect this had on fear and extinction memory (within the single prolonged stress (SPS) paradigm) in female rats. In all experiments, freezing and darting were used to measure fear and extinction memory. RESULTS In Experiment 1, SPS enhanced freezing during extinction testing, and this effect was blocked by nuclear estrogen receptor antagonism prior to SPS. In Experiment 2, SPS decreased conditioned freezing during the acquisition and testing of extinction. Administration of 17β-estradiol altered freezing in control and SPS animals during the acquisition of extinction, but this treatment had no effect on freezing during the testing of extinction memory. In all experiments, darting was only observed to footshock onset during fear conditioning. CONCLUSION The results suggest multiple behaviors (or different behavioral paradigms) are needed to characterize the nature of traumatic stress effects on emotional memory in female rats and that nuclear estrogen receptor antagonism prior to SPS blocks SPS effects on emotional memory in female rats.
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