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Khairuddin S, Lim WL, Aquili L, Tsui KC, Tse ACK, Jayalath S, Varma R, Sharp T, Benazzouz A, Steinbusch H, Blokland A, Temel Y, Lim LW. Prelimbic Cortical Stimulation Induces Antidepressant-like Responses through Dopaminergic-Dependent and -Independent Mechanisms. Cells 2023; 12:1449. [PMID: 37296570 PMCID: PMC10253143 DOI: 10.3390/cells12111449] [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: 04/05/2023] [Revised: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
High-frequency stimulation (HFS) is a promising therapy for patients with depression. However, the mechanisms underlying the HFS-induced antidepressant-like effects on susceptibility and resilience to depressive-like behaviors remain obscure. Given that dopaminergic neurotransmission has been found to be disrupted in depression, we investigated the dopamine(DA)-dependent mechanism of the antidepressant-like effects of HFS of the prelimbic cortex (HFS PrL). We performed HFS PrL in a rat model of mild chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) together with 6-hydroxydopamine lesioning in the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) and ventral tegmental area (VTA). Animals were assessed for anxiety, anhedonia, and behavioral despair. We also examined levels of corticosterone, hippocampal neurotransmitters, neuroplasticity-related proteins, and morphological changes in dopaminergic neurons. We found 54.3% of CUS animals exhibited decreased sucrose consumption and were designated as CUS-susceptible, while the others were designated CUS-resilient. HFS PrL in both the CUS-susceptible and CUS-resilient animals significantly increased hedonia, reduced anxiety, decreased forced swim immobility, enhanced hippocampal DA and serotonin levels, and reduced corticosterone levels when compared with the respective sham groups. The hedonic-like effects were abolished in both DRN- and VTA-lesioned groups, suggesting the effects of HFS PrL are DA-dependent. Interestingly, VTA-lesioned sham animals had increased anxiety and forced swim immobility, which was reversed by HFS PrL. The VTA-lesioned HFS PrL animals also had elevated DA levels, and reduced p-p38 MAPK and NF-κB levels when compared to VTA-lesioned sham animals. These findings suggest that HFS PrL in stressed animals leads to profound antidepressant-like responses possibly through both DA-dependent and -independent mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharafuddin Khairuddin
- Neuromodulation Laboratory, School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Wei Ling Lim
- Neuromodulation Laboratory, School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- Department of Biological Sciences, Sunway University, Bandar Sunway, Petaling Jaya 47500, Malaysia
| | - Luca Aquili
- Neuromodulation Laboratory, School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- Discipline of Psychology, College of Health and Education, Murdoch University, Perth 6150, Australia
| | - Ka Chun Tsui
- Neuromodulation Laboratory, School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Anna Chung-Kwan Tse
- Neuromodulation Laboratory, School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Shehani Jayalath
- Neuromodulation Laboratory, School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Ruhani Varma
- Neuromodulation Laboratory, School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Trevor Sharp
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QT, UK
| | - Abdelhamid Benazzouz
- CNRS UMR5293, Institute of Neurodegenerative Diseases, University de Bordeaux, 33000 Bordeaux, France
| | - Harry Steinbusch
- Department of Neuroscience, Maastricht University, 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Arjan Blokland
- Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Yasin Temel
- Department of Neuroscience, Maastricht University, 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Department of Neurosurgery, Maastricht University, 6229 HX Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Lee Wei Lim
- Neuromodulation Laboratory, School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- Department of Biological Sciences, Sunway University, Bandar Sunway, Petaling Jaya 47500, Malaysia
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2
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Ferrara NC, Opendak M. Amygdala circuit transitions supporting developmentally-appropriate social behavior. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2023; 201:107762. [PMID: 37116857 PMCID: PMC10204580 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2023.107762] [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: 01/26/2023] [Revised: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 04/22/2023] [Indexed: 04/30/2023]
Abstract
Social behaviors dynamically change throughout the lifespan alongside the maturation of neural circuits. The basolateral region of the amygdala (BLA), in particular, undergoes substantial maturational changes from birth throughout adolescence that are characterized by changes in excitation, inhibition, and dopaminergic modulation. In this review, we detail the trajectory through which BLA circuits mature and are influenced by dopaminergic systems to guide transitions in social behavior in infancy and adolescence using data from rodents. In early life, social behavior is oriented towards approaching the attachment figure, with minimal BLA involvement. Around weaning age, dopaminergic innervation of the BLA introduces avoidance of novel peers into rat pups' behavioral repertoire. In adolescence, social behavior transitions towards peer-peer interactions with a high incidence of social play-related behaviors. This transition coincides with an increasing role of the BLA in the regulation of social behavior. Adolescent BLA maturation can be characterized by an increasing integration and function of local inhibitory GABAergic circuits and their engagement by the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Manipulation of these transitions using viral circuit dissection techniques and early adversity paradigms reveals the sensitivity of this system and its role in producing age-appropriate social behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole C Ferrara
- Discipline of Physiology and Biophysics, Department of Foundational Sciences and Humanities, Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, USA; Center for Neurobiology of Stress Resilience and Psychiatric Disorders, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Maya Opendak
- Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA; Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Johns Hopkins Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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3
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Mancini GF, Meijer OC, Campolongo P. Stress in adolescence as a first hit in stress-related disease development: Timing and context are crucial. Front Neuroendocrinol 2023; 69:101065. [PMID: 37001566 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2023.101065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2022] [Revised: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/25/2023] [Indexed: 04/06/2023]
Abstract
The two-hit stress model predicts that exposure to stress at two different time-points in life may increase or decrease the risk of developing stress-related disorders later in life. Most studies based on the two-hit stress model have investigated early postnatal stress as the first hit with adult stress as the second hit. Adolescence, however, represents another highly sensitive developmental window during which exposure to stressful events may affect programming outcomes following exposure to stress in adulthood. Here, we discuss the programming effects of different types of stressors (social and nonsocial) occurring during adolescence (first hit) and how such stressors affect the responsiveness toward an additional stressor occurring during adulthood (second hit) in rodents. We then provide a comprehensive overview of the potential mechanisms underlying interindividual and sex differences in the resilience/susceptibility to developing stress-related disorders later in life when stress is experienced in two different life stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia F Mancini
- Dept. of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZA Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Onno C Meijer
- Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZA Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Patrizia Campolongo
- Dept. of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; Neuropsychopharmacology Unit, IRCSS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00143 Rome, Italy.
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4
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Harris EP, Villalobos-Manriquez F, Melo TG, Clarke G, O'Leary OF. Stress during puberty exerts sex-specific effects on depressive-like behavior and monoamine neurotransmitters in adolescence and adulthood. Neurobiol Stress 2022; 21:100494. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2022.100494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
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5
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Ravindranath O, Calabro FJ, Foran W, Luna B. Pubertal development underlies optimization of inhibitory control through specialization of ventrolateral prefrontal cortex. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2022; 58:101162. [PMID: 36308857 PMCID: PMC9618767 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2022.101162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Revised: 10/04/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Inhibitory control improves into young adulthood after specialization of relevant brain systems during adolescence. However, the biological mechanisms supporting this unique transition are not well understood. Given that adolescence is defined by puberty, we examined relative contributions of chronological age and pubertal maturation to inhibitory control development. 105 8-19-year-olds completed 1-5 longitudinal visits (227 visits total) in which pubertal development was assessed via self-reported Tanner stage and inhibitory control was assessed with an in-scanner antisaccade task. As expected, percentage and latency of correct antisaccade responses improved with age and pubertal stage. When controlling for pubertal stage, chronological age was distinctly associated with correct response rate. In contrast, pubertal stage was uniquely associated with antisaccade latency even when controlling for age. Chronological age was associated with fMRI task activation in several regions including the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, while puberty was associated with right ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC) activation. Furthermore, task-related connectivity between VLPFC and cingulate was associated with both pubertal stage and response latency. These results suggest that while age-related developmental processes may support maturation of brain systems underlying the ability to inhibit a response, puberty may play a larger role in the effectiveness of generating cognitive control responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Orma Ravindranath
- Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, USA,Center for Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh, USA,Correspondence to: Department of Psychology, Laboratory of Neurocognitive Development, University of Pittsburgh, Loeffler Building, 121 Meyran Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.
| | - Finnegan J. Calabro
- Center for Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh, USA,Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, USA,Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, USA
| | | | - Beatriz Luna
- Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, USA,Center for Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh, USA,Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, USA
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6
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Mahmoodkhani M, Ghasemi M, Derafshpour L, Amini M, Mehranfard N. Developmental effects of early-life stress on dopamine D2 receptor and proteins involved in noncanonical D2 dopamine receptor signaling pathway in the prefrontal cortex of male rats. JOURNAL OF COMPLEMENTARY & INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE 2022; 19:697-703. [PMID: 33962496 DOI: 10.1515/jcim-2020-0539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Dopamine neurotransmission is implicated in multiple neuropsychiatric disorders, most strikingly in Parkinson's disease, bipolar disorder, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and schizophrenia. In addition to canonical pathway, D2-receptor (D2R) exerts some of its biological actions through regulating the activity of Akt and GSK3, which in turn were found to be altered in several psychiatric illnesses. The present study examined the impacts of maternal separation, an early-life stress model which has been associated with disturbed neurodevelopment and appearance of many psychiatric disorders, on developmental changes in dopamine concentration and the expression of D2Rs, Akt and GSK-3β in the medial prefrontal cortex (PFC; a key target of stress) in adolescent and young adult male rats. METHODS Maternal separation was performed 3 h per day from postnatal days 2 to 11. The PFC protein and dopamine contents were determined using western blotting analysis and Eliza, respectively. RESULTS Results indicated long-term increases in the prefrontal dopamine levels in stressed adolescent and young adult male rats, accompanied by significant downregulation of D2R as well as upregulation of p-Akt and GSK-3β contents in stressed adolescence compared to controls, with all protein levels that returned to control values in stressed adult rats. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that early-life stress differentially modulates prefrontal D2R/Akt/GSK-3β levels during development. Since adolescence period is susceptible to the onset of specific mental illnesses, disruption of noncanonical components of D2R signaling during this critical period may have an important role in programming neurobehavioral phenotypes in adulthood and manipulations influencing Akt/GSK-3β pathway may improve the expression of specific dopamine-related behaviors and the effects of dopaminergic drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Mahmoodkhani
- Neurophysiology Research Center, Cellular and Molecular Medicine Institute, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran
| | - Maedeh Ghasemi
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Leila Derafshpour
- Neurophysiology Research Center, Cellular and Molecular Medicine Institute, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran
| | - Mohammad Amini
- School of Medicine, Shahroud University of Medical Sciences, Shahroud, Iran
| | - Nasrin Mehranfard
- Neurophysiology Research Center, Cellular and Molecular Medicine Institute, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran
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7
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Lamontagne SJ, Wash SIJ, Irwin SH, Zucconi KE, Olmstead MC. Effects of dopamine modulation on chronic stress-induced deficits in reward learning. COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2022; 22:736-753. [PMID: 35396630 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-022-01001-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Anhedonia is characteristically preceded by chronic stress, likely involving downstream effects of glucocorticoid alterations on dopamine (DA) function. To elucidate the neural underpinnings of this interaction, we examined whether acute pharmacological modulation of DA alters reward learning after chronic mild stress (CMS). Forty-eight male Wistar rats were exposed to a 21-day CMS regime (n = 48 no stress controls) before completing the probabilistic reward task (PRT), a well-validated cross-species test of reward learning. We first examined whether stress-induced reward dysfunction could be restored by systemic injections of low-dose amisulpride (AMI), which increases DA transmission via D2-like autoreceptor blockade. Then, we investigated region-specific effects through bilateral infusions of quinpirole (QUIN), a D2-like receptor agonist, into either the nucleus accumbens core (NAcc) or medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Blunted reward learning in CMS animals was reversed by acute AMI administration, but this treatment did not alter reward learning in the no stress group. Elevated adrenal gland weight, a proxy for stress reactivity, predicted lower reward learning in the untreated CMS group. This effect was extinguished following AMI treatment. These findings might be attributed to significantly higher D2 receptor density in the NAcc of high stress reactive animals. To this end, NAcc QUIN infusions potentiated reward learning relative to mPFC QUIN infusions in CMS rats, but there was no effect in no stress control rats. Collectively, these findings suggest that DA modulation reverses stress-induced reward dysfunction, even among the most stress-reactive animals. The effect might depend on D2-like receptor activation in the mesolimbic system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven J Lamontagne
- Department of Psychology, Queen's University, 62 Arch Street, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, USA.
| | - Sarah I J Wash
- Department of Psychology, Queen's University, 62 Arch Street, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, USA
| | - Samantha H Irwin
- Department of Psychology, Queen's University, 62 Arch Street, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, USA
| | - Kate E Zucconi
- Department of Psychology, Queen's University, 62 Arch Street, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, USA
| | - Mary C Olmstead
- Department of Psychology, Queen's University, 62 Arch Street, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, USA
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, K7L 3N6, Canada
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8
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Korgan AC, Foxx CL, Hashmi H, Sago SA, Stamper CE, Heinze JD, O'Leary E, King JL, Perrot TS, Lowry CA, Weaver ICG. Effects of paternal high-fat diet and maternal rearing environment on the gut microbiota and behavior. Sci Rep 2022; 12:10179. [PMID: 35715467 PMCID: PMC9205913 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-14095-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Exposing a male rat to an obesogenic high-fat diet (HFD) influences attractiveness to potential female mates, the subsequent interaction of female mates with infant offspring, and the development of stress-related behavioral and neural responses in offspring. To examine the stomach and fecal microbiome's potential roles, fecal samples from 44 offspring and stomach samples from offspring and their fathers were collected and bacterial community composition was studied by 16 small subunit ribosomal RNA (16S rRNA) gene sequencing. Paternal diet (control, high-fat), maternal housing conditions (standard or semi-naturalistic housing), and maternal care (quality of nursing and other maternal behaviors) affected the within-subjects alpha-diversity of the offspring stomach and fecal microbiomes. We provide evidence from beta-diversity analyses that paternal diet and maternal behavior induced community-wide shifts to the adult offspring gut microbiome. Additionally, we show that paternal HFD significantly altered the adult offspring Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes ratio, an indicator of obesogenic potential in the gut microbiome. Additional machine-learning analyses indicated that microbial species driving these differences converged on Bifidobacterium pseudolongum. These results suggest that differences in early-life care induced by paternal diet and maternal care significantly influence the microbiota composition of offspring through the microbiota-gut-brain axis, having implications for adult stress reactivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Austin C Korgan
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, B3H 4R2, Canada
- The Jackson Laboratory, 600 Main Street, Bar Harbor, ME, 04609, USA
| | - Christine L Foxx
- Department of Integrative Physiology and Center for Microbial Exploration, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA
- Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education Research Participation Program, Oak Ridge, TN, 37830, USA
- U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN), Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Ames, IA, 50010, USA
| | - Heraa Hashmi
- Department of Integrative Physiology and Center for Microbial Exploration, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA
| | - Saydie A Sago
- Department of Integrative Physiology and Center for Microbial Exploration, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA
| | - Christopher E Stamper
- Department of Integrative Physiology and Center for Microbial Exploration, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA
- Rocky Mountain MIRECC for Veteran Suicide Prevention, 1700 N Wheeling St, G-3-116M, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
| | - Jared D Heinze
- Department of Integrative Physiology and Center for Microbial Exploration, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA
| | - Elizabeth O'Leary
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Jillian L King
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, B3H 4R2, Canada
- The Jackson Laboratory, 600 Main Street, Bar Harbor, ME, 04609, USA
| | - Tara S Perrot
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, B3H 4R2, Canada
- Brain Repair Centre, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Christopher A Lowry
- Department of Integrative Physiology and Center for Microbial Exploration, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience and Center for Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and Center for Neuroscience, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
- Veterans Health Administration, Rocky Mountain Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC), The Rocky Mountain Regional Veterans Affairs Medical Center (RMRVAMC), Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
- Military and Veteran Microbiome Consortium for Research and Education (MVM-CoRE), Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
| | - Ian C G Weaver
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, B3H 4R2, Canada.
- Brain Repair Centre, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, B3H 4R2, Canada.
- Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, B3H 4R2, Canada.
- Department of Pathology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, B3H 4R2, Canada.
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9
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Sicher AR, Duerr A, Starnes WD, Crowley NA. Adolescent Alcohol and Stress Exposure Rewires Key Cortical Neurocircuitry. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:896880. [PMID: 35655755 PMCID: PMC9152326 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.896880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Human adolescence is a period of development characterized by wide ranging emotions and behavioral risk taking, including binge drinking (Konrad et al., 2013). These behavioral manifestations of adolescence are complemented by growth in the neuroarchitecture of the brain, including synaptic pruning (Spear, 2013) and increases in overall white matter volume (Perrin et al., 2008). During this period of profound physiological maturation, the adolescent brain has a unique vulnerability to negative perturbations. Alcohol consumption and stress exposure, both of which are heightened during adolescence, can individually and synergistically alter these neurodevelopmental trajectories in positive and negative ways (conferring both resiliency and susceptibility) and influence already changing neurotransmitter systems and circuits. Importantly, the literature is rapidly changing and evolving in our understanding of basal sex differences in the brain, as well as the interaction between biological sex and life experiences. The animal literature provides the distinctive opportunity to explore sex-specific stress- and alcohol- induced changes in neurocircuits on a relatively rapid time scale. In addition, animal models allow for the investigation of individual neurons and signaling molecules otherwise inaccessible in the human brain. Here, we review the human and rodent literature with a focus on cortical development, neurotransmitters, peptides, and steroids, to characterize the field’s current understanding of the interaction between adolescence, biological sex, and exposure to stress and alcohol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Avery R. Sicher
- The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
| | - Arielle Duerr
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
| | - William D. Starnes
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
| | - Nicole A. Crowley
- The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
- *Correspondence: Nicole A. Crowley,
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10
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Laguna A, Lajud N, Juárez J, Sanz‐Martin A. Chronic early‐life stress increases cognitive impulsivity and D2 immunoreactivity in the nucleus accumbens of adult rats. Dev Psychobiol 2022; 64:e22259. [DOI: 10.1002/dev.22259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Revised: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Arturo Laguna
- Laboratorio de Estrés y Neurodesarrollo CUCBA Instituto de Neurociencias Universidad de Guadalajara Guadalajara Jalisco Mexico
| | - Naima Lajud
- Laboratorio de Neurobiología del Desarrollo División de Neurociencias Centro de Investigación Biomédica de Michoacán‐Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social Morelia Michoacan Mexico
| | - Jorge Juárez
- Laboratorio de Farmacología y Conducta Instituto de Neurociencias CUCBA Universidad de Guadalajara Guadalajara Jalisco Mexico
| | - Araceli Sanz‐Martin
- Laboratorio de Estrés y Neurodesarrollo CUCBA Instituto de Neurociencias Universidad de Guadalajara Guadalajara Jalisco Mexico
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11
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Mooney-Leber SM, Caruso MJ, Gould TJ, Cavigelli SA, Kamens HM. The impact of adolescent stress on nicotine use and affective disorders in rodent models. Eur J Neurosci 2021; 55:2196-2215. [PMID: 34402112 PMCID: PMC9730548 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2020] [Revised: 07/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Recent findings indicate that stress exposure during adolescence contributes to the development of both nicotine use and affective disorders, suggesting a potential shared biological pathway. One key system that may mediate the association between adolescent stress and nicotine or affective outcomes is the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Here we reviewed evidence regarding the effects of adolescent stress on nicotine responses and affective phenotypes and the role of the HPA-axis in these relationships. Literature indicates that stress, possibly via HPA-axis dysfunction, is a risk factor for both nicotine use and affective disorders. In rodent models, adolescent stress modulates behavioural responses to nicotine and increases the likelihood of affective disorders. The exact role that the HPA-axis plays in altering nicotine sensitivity and affective disorder development after adolescent stress remains unclear. However, it appears likely that adolescent stress-induced nicotine use and affective disorders are precipitated by repetitive activation of a hyperactive HPA-axis. Together, these preclinical studies indicate that adolescent stress is a risk factor for nicotine use and anxiety/depression phenotypes. The findings summarized here suggest that the HPA-axis mediates this relationship. Future studies that pharmacologically manipulate the HPA-axis during and after adolescent stress are critical to elucidate the exact role that the HPA-axis plays in the development of nicotine use and affective disorders following adolescent stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean M Mooney-Leber
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.,Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point, Stevens Point, WI, USA
| | - Michael J Caruso
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Thomas J Gould
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Sonia A Cavigelli
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.,Center for Brain, Behavior, and Cognition, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Helen M Kamens
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.,Center for Brain, Behavior, and Cognition, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
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12
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Zhang X, Xun Y, Wang L, Zhang J, Hou W, Ma H, Cai W, Li L, Guo Q, Li Y, Lv Z, Jia R, Tai F, He Z. Involvement of the dopamine system in the effect of chronic social isolation during adolescence on social behaviors in male C57 mice. Brain Res 2021; 1765:147497. [PMID: 33894223 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2021.147497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2020] [Revised: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 04/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
In the early stage of life, experiencing social isolation can generate long-lasting deleterious effects on behaviors and brain development. However, the effects of chronic social isolation during adolescence on social behaviors and its underlying neurobiological mechanisms remain unclear. The present study found that four weeks of social isolation during adolescence impaired social recognition ability in the three-chamber test and five-trial social recognition test, and increased aggressive-like behaviors, but reduced environmental exploration, as showed in the social interaction test. Chronic social isolation decreased levels of dopamine D2 receptor in the shell of the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) and medial prefrontal cortex. It also reduced TH in the NAcc. Using in vivo fiber photometry, it was also found that isolated mice displayed a reduction in NAcc shell activity upon exploring unfamiliar social stimuli. An injection of a 100 ng dose of the D2R agonist quinpirole into the shell of the NAcc reversed behavioral abnormalities induced by chronic social isolation. These data suggest that the dopamine system is involved in alterations in social behaviors induced by chronic social isolation. This finding sheds light on the mechanism underlying abnormalities in social behavior induced by adolescent chronic social isolation and provides a promising target to treat mental diseases relevant to social isolation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueni Zhang
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China
| | - Yufeng Xun
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China
| | - Limin Wang
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China
| | - Jing Zhang
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China
| | - Wenjuan Hou
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China
| | - Huan Ma
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China
| | - Wenqi Cai
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China
| | - Laifu Li
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China
| | - Qianqian Guo
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China
| | - Yitong Li
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China
| | - Zijian Lv
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China
| | - Rui Jia
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China
| | - Fadao Tai
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China.
| | - Zhixiong He
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China
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13
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Wu R, Wu X, Li S, Li G, Jiang Z, Zhong H, Wang B, Yang S, Wei W. Predator odor exposure increases social contact in adolescents and parental behavior in adulthood in Brandt's voles. Behav Processes 2021; 186:104372. [PMID: 33667486 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2021.104372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Revised: 02/25/2021] [Accepted: 02/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Research suggests that predation risk during adolescence can program adult stress response and emotional behavior; however, little is known about the short-term and lasting residual effects of this experience on social behavior. We explored this concept in social Brandt's voles (Lasiopodomys brandtii). Adolescent male and female voles were exposed to distilled water, rabbit urine (as a non-predator stimulus), and cat urine for 60 min daily from postnatal day (PND) 28-49. Social play tests were conducted immediately following exposure on PND 28, 35, 42, and 49. In the social play test, repeated cat odor (CO) exposure enhanced the contact behavior of voles with their cagemate. Adolescent exposure to CO did not affect behavioral responses toward unrelated pups in the alloparental behavior test or same-sex individuals in the social interaction test. However, exposure to CO significantly enhanced the licking/grooming behavior of voles towards their own pups in the home cage parental behavior test. Repeated CO exposure significantly inhibited weight gain in male voles during adolescence. This effect was transmitted to the next generation, with lower weight gain in offspring before weaning. Following repeated CO exposure, males tended to have more female offspring whereas females produced more offspring, suggesting an adaptive strategy to increase inclusive fitness under predatory risk. These findings demonstrate that adolescent exposure to predatory risk augments adolescent social contact and adult parental behavior and suggest a role for improved inclusive fitness in mediating long-term outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruiyong Wu
- Department of Animal Behavior, College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu 225009, China.
| | - Xueyan Wu
- Department of Animal Behavior, College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu 225009, China
| | - Shan Li
- Department of Animal Behavior, College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu 225009, China
| | - Guran Li
- Department of Animal Behavior, College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu 225009, China
| | - Ziyi Jiang
- Department of Animal Behavior, College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu 225009, China
| | - Haocheng Zhong
- Department of Animal Behavior, College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu 225009, China
| | - Bo Wang
- Genetic Engineering Laboratory, School of Biological and Environmental Engineering, Xi'an University of Arts and Science, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710065, China
| | - Shengmei Yang
- Department of Animal Behavior, College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu 225009, China
| | - Wanhong Wei
- Department of Animal Behavior, College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu 225009, China; Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu 225009, China.
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14
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Zelli S, Brancato A, Mattioli F, Pepe M, Alleva E, Carbone C, Cannizzaro C, Adriani W. A new "sudden fright paradigm" to explore the role of (epi)genetic modulations of the DAT gene in fear-induced avoidance behavior. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2020; 20:e12709. [PMID: 33070435 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2020] [Revised: 10/13/2020] [Accepted: 10/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Alterations in dopamine (DA) reuptake are involved in several psychiatric disorders whose symptoms can be investigated in knock out rats for the DA transporter (DAT-KO). Recent studies evidenced the role of epigenetic DAT modulation in depressive-like behavior. Accordingly, we used heterozygous (HET) rats born from both HET parents (termed MIX-HET), compared to HET rats born from WT-mother and KO-father (MAT-HET), implementing the role of maternal care on DAT modulation. We developed a "sudden fright" paradigm (based on dark-light test) to study reaction to fearful inputs in the DAT-KO, MAT-HET, MIX-HET, and WT groups. Rats could freely explore the whole 3-chambers apparatus; then, they were gently confined in one room where they experienced the fright; finally, they could freely move again. As expected, after the fearful stimulus only MAT-HET rats showed a different behavior consisting of avoidance towards the fear-associated chamber, compared to WT rats. Furthermore, ex-vivo immuno-fluorescence reveals higher prefrontal DAT levels in MAT-HET compared to MIX-HET and WT rats. Immuno-fluorescence shows also a different histone deacetylase (HDAC) enzymes concentration. Since HDAC concentration could modulate gene expression, within MAT-HET fore brain, the enhanced expression of DAT could well impair the corticostriatal-thalamic circuit, thus causing aberrant avoidance behavior (observed only in MAT-HET rats). DAT expression seems to be linked to a simply different breeding condition, which points to a reduced care by HET dams for epigenetic regulation. This could imply significant prefronto-cortical influences onto the emotional processes: hence an excessively frightful response, even to mild stressful agents, may draw developmental trajectories toward anxious and depressed-like behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Zelli
- Center Behavioral Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.,Faculty of Psychology, Università Telematica Internazionale "Uninettuno", Rome, Italy
| | - Anna Brancato
- Department of Sciences for Health Promotion, Mother and Child Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties "G. D'Alessandro," University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Francesca Mattioli
- Faculty of Psychology, Università Telematica Internazionale "Uninettuno", Rome, Italy
| | - Martina Pepe
- Center Behavioral Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Enrico Alleva
- Center Behavioral Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Cristiana Carbone
- Center Behavioral Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Carla Cannizzaro
- Department of Sciences for Health Promotion, Mother and Child Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties "G. D'Alessandro," University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Walter Adriani
- Center Behavioral Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.,Faculty of Psychology, Università Telematica Internazionale "Uninettuno", Rome, Italy
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15
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Chaby LE, Sadik N, Burson NA, Lloyd S, O'Donnel K, Winters J, Conti AC, Liberzon I, Perrine SA. Repeated stress exposure in mid-adolescence attenuates behavioral, noradrenergic, and epigenetic effects of trauma-like stress in early adult male rats. Sci Rep 2020; 10:17935. [PMID: 33087769 PMCID: PMC7578655 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-74481-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2020] [Accepted: 09/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Stress in adolescence can regulate vulnerability to traumatic stress in adulthood through region-specific epigenetic activity and catecholamine levels. We hypothesized that stress in adolescence would increase adult trauma vulnerability by impairing extinction-retention, a deficit in PTSD, by (1) altering class IIa histone deacetylases (HDACs), which integrate effects of stress on gene expression, and (2) enhancing norepinephrine in brain regions regulating cognitive effects of trauma. We investigated the effects of adolescent-stress on adult vulnerability to severe stress using the single-prolonged stress (SPS) model in male rats. Rats were exposed to either (1) adolescent-stress (33-35 postnatal days) then SPS (58-60 postnatal days; n = 14), or (2) no adolescent-stress and SPS (58-60 postnatal days; n = 14), or (3) unstressed conditions (n = 8). We then measured extinction-retention, norepinephrine, HDAC4, and HDAC5. As expected, SPS exposure induced an extinction-retention deficit. Adolescent-stress prior to SPS eliminated this deficit, suggesting adolescent-stress conferred resiliency to adult severe stress. Adolescent-stress also conferred region-specific resilience to norepinephrine changes. HDAC4 and HDAC5 were down-regulated following SPS, and these changes were also modulated by adolescent-stress. Regulation of HDAC levels was consistent with the pattern of cognitive effects of SPS; only animals exposed to SPS without adolescent-stress exhibited reduced HDAC4 and HDAC5 in the prelimbic cortex, hippocampus, and striatum. Thus, HDAC regulation caused by severe stress in adulthood interacts with stress history such that seemingly conflicting reports describing effects of adolescent stress on adult PTSD vulnerability may stem in part from dynamic HDAC changes following trauma that are shaped by adolescent stress history.
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MESH Headings
- Adolescent
- Adolescent Behavior/physiology
- Adolescent Behavior/psychology
- Animals
- Brain/metabolism
- Disease Models, Animal
- Epigenesis, Genetic
- Extinction, Psychological/physiology
- Histone Deacetylases/metabolism
- Humans
- Male
- Norepinephrine/metabolism
- Psychology, Adolescent
- Rats, Sprague-Dawley
- Retention, Psychology/physiology
- Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/etiology
- Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/genetics
- Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/metabolism
- Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/psychology
- Stress, Psychological
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren E Chaby
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
| | - Nareen Sadik
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Nicole A Burson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Scott Lloyd
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
- Research Service, John D. Dingell VA Medical Center, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Kelly O'Donnel
- Department of Psychology, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, CO, USA
| | - Jesse Winters
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Alana C Conti
- Research Service, John D. Dingell VA Medical Center, Detroit, MI, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Israel Liberzon
- Department of Psychiatry, Texas A&M College of Medicine, Bryan, TX, USA
| | - Shane A Perrine
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
- Research Service, John D. Dingell VA Medical Center, Detroit, MI, USA
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16
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Sanson A, Riva MA. Anti-Stress Properties of Atypical Antipsychotics. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2020; 13:E322. [PMID: 33092112 PMCID: PMC7589119 DOI: 10.3390/ph13100322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2020] [Revised: 10/14/2020] [Accepted: 10/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Stress exposure represents a major environmental risk factor for schizophrenia and other psychiatric disorders, as it plays a pivotal role in the etiology as well as in the manifestation of disease symptomatology. It may be inferred that pharmacological treatments must be able to modulate the behavioral, functional, and molecular alterations produced by stress exposure to achieve significant clinical outcomes. This review aims at examining existing clinical and preclinical evidence that supports the ability of atypical antipsychotic drugs (AAPDs) to modulate stress-related alterations. Indeed, while the pharmacodynamic differences between AAPDs have been extensively characterized, less is known on their ability to regulate downstream mechanisms that are critical for functional recovery and patient stabilization. We will discuss stress-related mechanisms, spanning from neuroendocrine function to inflammation and neuronal plasticity, which are relevant for the manifestation of schizophrenic symptomatology, and we will discuss if and how AAPDs may interfere with such mechanisms. Considering the impact of stress in everyday life, we believe that a better understanding of the potential effects of AAPDs on stress-related mechanisms may provide novel and important insights for improving therapeutic strategies aimed at promoting coping mechanisms and enhancing the quality of life of patients affected by psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marco A. Riva
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Via Giuseppe Balzaretti 9, 20133 Milan, Italy;
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17
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Wilkin MM, Menard JL. Social housing ameliorates the enduring effects of intermittent physical stress during mid-adolescence. Physiol Behav 2020; 214:112750. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2019.112750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2018] [Revised: 11/02/2019] [Accepted: 11/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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18
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Li LF, Yuan W, He ZX, Ma H, Xun YF, Meng LR, Zhu SJ, Wang LM, Zhang J, Cai WQ, Zhang XN, Guo QQ, Lian ZM, Jia R, Tai FD. Reduced Consolation Behaviors in Physically Stressed Mandarin Voles: Involvement of Oxytocin, Dopamine D2, and Serotonin 1A Receptors Within the Anterior Cingulate Cortex. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2019; 23:511-523. [PMID: 31760433 PMCID: PMC7689207 DOI: 10.1093/ijnp/pyz060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2019] [Revised: 11/05/2019] [Accepted: 11/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Consolation is a type of empathy-like behavior that has recently been observed in some socially living rodents. Despite the growing body of literature suggesting that stress affects empathy, the relationship between stress and consolation remains understudied at the preclinical level. Here, we examined the effects of chronic emotional stress or physical stress exposure on consolation and emotional behaviors by using the socially monogamous mandarin vole (Microtus mandarinus) in both males and females. METHOD/RESULTS Physical stress voles were exposed to 14-day social defeat stress, whereas emotional stress voles vicariously experienced the defeat of their partners. We found that physical stress, but not emotional stress, voles showed reduced grooming toward their defeated partners and increased anxiety- and despair-like behaviors. Meanwhile, physical stress voles exhibited decreased neural activity in the anterior cingulate cortex, which is centrally involved in empathy. The densities of oxytocin receptors, dopamine D2 receptors, and serotonin 1A-receptors within the anterior cingulate cortex were significantly decreased in the physical stress group compared with controls. All the behavioral and physiological changes were similar between the sexes. Finally, we found that the reduced consolation behavior and some anxiety-like syndromes in physical stress voles could be alleviated by pretreatment with an oxytocin receptor, D2 receptors, or serotonin 1A-receptor agonist within the anterior cingulate cortex, whereas injections of corresponding receptor antagonists to the control voles decreased the consolation behavior and increased some anxiety-like behaviors. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicated that chronic physical stress exposure impaired consolation and induced anxiety-like behaviors in mandarin voles and oxytocin receptors, 5-HT1A receptors, and D2 receptors within the anterior cingulate cortex may play important roles in these processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lai-Fu Li
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an, China,College of Life Sciences, Nanyang Normal University, Nanyang, China
| | - Wei Yuan
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an, China,Provincial Key Laboratory of Acupuncture and Medications, Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Xianyang, China
| | - Zhi-Xiong He
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an, China
| | - Huan Ma
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an, China
| | - Yu-Feng Xun
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an, China
| | - Ling-Rong Meng
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an, China
| | - Si-Jing Zhu
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an, China
| | - Li-Min Wang
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an, China
| | - Jing Zhang
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an, China
| | - Wen-Qi Cai
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an, China
| | - Xue-Ni Zhang
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an, China
| | - Qian-Qian Guo
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an, China
| | - Zhen-Min Lian
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an, China
| | - Rui Jia
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an, China
| | - Fa-Dao Tai
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an, China,Correspondence: Fa-Dao Tai, PhD, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an, 710062, China. E-mail:
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19
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Wang DM, Zhang JJ, Huang YB, Zhao YZ, Sui N. Peripubertal stress of male, but not female rats increases morphine-induced conditioned place preference and locomotion in adulthood. Dev Psychobiol 2019; 61:920-929. [PMID: 30860298 DOI: 10.1002/dev.21839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2018] [Revised: 01/25/2019] [Accepted: 01/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Animal studies demonstrate that peripubertal social stress markedly increases the risk for subsequent substance use in adulthood. However, whether non-social stress has a similar long-term impact is not clear, and whether male and female animals show different sensitivity to peripubertal non-social stress has not been examined. In the present study, we addressed these issues by introducing two non-social stressors (elevated platform and predator odor 2,5-Dihydro-2,4,5-trimethylthiazoline) to male and female Wistar rats during adolescence (postnatal days 28-30, 34, 36, 40, and 42), then tested reward-related behaviors during adulthood, including morphine-induced conditioned place preference (CPP, 1 mg/kg morphine or 5 mg/kg morphine) and hyperlocomotor activity (5 mg/kg morphine). We found that adult male rats, but not females who were exposed to peripubertal non-social stressors showed enhanced morphine-induced CPP. Moreover, morphine-induced increase in locomotor activity was also significantly increased in adult male rats, but not in females. These results indicate that peripubertal exposure to repeated non-social stress may enhance sensitivity to the rewarding effects of opioids in adulthood in a sex-dependent manner, with males being even more sensitive than females in this regard.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong-Mei Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jian-Jun Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yan-Bei Huang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yin-Zhu Zhao
- School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, China
| | - Nan Sui
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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20
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Tielbeek JJ, Al-Itejawi Z, Zijlmans J, Polderman TJC, Buckholtz JW, Popma A. The impact of chronic stress during adolescence on the development of aggressive behavior: A systematic review on the role of the dopaminergic system in rodents. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2018; 91:187-197. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2016] [Revised: 09/04/2016] [Accepted: 10/12/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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21
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Weber MA, Graack ET, Scholl JL, Renner KJ, Forster GL, Watt MJ. Enhanced dopamine D2 autoreceptor function in the adult prefrontal cortex contributes to dopamine hypoactivity following adolescent social stress. Eur J Neurosci 2018; 48:1833-1850. [PMID: 29904960 PMCID: PMC6105450 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2017] [Revised: 05/22/2018] [Accepted: 06/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Adult psychiatric disorders characterized by cognitive deficits reliant on prefrontal cortex (PFC) dopamine are promoted by teenage bullying. Similarly, male Sprague-Dawley rats exposed to social defeat in mid-adolescence (P35-39) show impaired working memory in adulthood (P56-70), along with decreased medial PFC (mPFC) dopamine activity that results in part from increased dopamine transporter-mediated clearance. Here, we determined if dopamine synthesis and D2 autoreceptor-mediated inhibition of dopamine release in the adult mPFC are also enhanced by adolescent defeat to contribute to later dopamine hypofunction. Control and previously defeated rats did not differ in either DOPA accumulation following amino acid decarboxylase inhibition (NSD-1015 100 mg/kg ip.) or total/phosphorylated tyrosine hydroxylase protein expression, suggesting dopamine synthesis in the adult mPFC is not altered by adolescent defeat. However, exposure to adolescent defeat caused greater decreases in extracellular dopamine release (measured using in vivo chronoamperometry) in the adult mPFC upon local infusion of the D2 receptor agonist quinpirole (3 nM), implying greater D2 autoreceptor function. Equally enhanced D2 autoreceptor-mediated inhibition of dopamine release is seen in the adolescent (P40 or P49) mPFC, which declines in control rats by adulthood. However, this developmental decrease in autoreceptor function is absent following adolescent defeat, suggesting retention of an adolescent-like phenotype into adulthood. Current and previous findings indicate adolescent defeat decreases extracellular dopamine availability in the adult mPFC via both enhanced inhibition of dopamine release and increased dopamine clearance, which may be viable targets for improving treatment of cognitive deficits seen in neuropsychiatric disorders promoted by adolescent stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew A Weber
- Center for Brain and Behavior Research, Basic Biomedical Sciences, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, South Dakota
| | - Eric T Graack
- Center for Brain and Behavior Research, Basic Biomedical Sciences, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, South Dakota
| | - Jamie L Scholl
- Center for Brain and Behavior Research, Basic Biomedical Sciences, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, South Dakota
| | - Kenneth J Renner
- Center for Brain and Behavior Research, Basic Biomedical Sciences, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, South Dakota
- Department of Biology, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, South Dakota
| | - Gina L Forster
- Center for Brain and Behavior Research, Basic Biomedical Sciences, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, South Dakota
| | - Michael J Watt
- Center for Brain and Behavior Research, Basic Biomedical Sciences, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, South Dakota
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22
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Lo Iacono L, Carola V. The impact of adolescent stress experiences on neurobiological development. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2018; 77:93-103. [DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2017.09.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2017] [Revised: 09/18/2017] [Accepted: 09/29/2017] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
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23
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The metamorphosis of adolescent hormonal stress reactivity: A focus on animal models. Front Neuroendocrinol 2018; 49:43-51. [PMID: 29275000 PMCID: PMC5963973 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2017.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2017] [Revised: 11/22/2017] [Accepted: 12/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
As adolescents transition from childhood to adulthood, many physiological and neurobehavioral changes occur. Shifts in neuroendocrine function are one such change, including the hormonal systems that respond to stressors. This review will focus on these hormonal changes, with a particular emphasis on the pubertal and adolescent maturation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Furthermore, this review will concentrate on studies using animal models, as these model systems have contributed a great deal to our mechanistic understanding of how factors such as sex and experience with stressors shape hormonal reactivity during development. Continued study of the maturation of stress reactivity will undoubtedly shed much needed light on the stress-related vulnerabilities often associated with adolescence as well as providing us with possible strategies to mitigate these vulnerabilities. This area of research may lead to discoveries that enhance the well-being of adolescents, ultimately providing them with greater opportunities to mature into healthy adults.
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McDonnell-Dowling K, Miczek KA. Alcohol, psychomotor-stimulants and behaviour: methodological considerations in preclinical models of early-life stress. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2018; 235:909-933. [PMID: 29511806 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-018-4852-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2017] [Accepted: 02/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In order to assess the risk associated with early-life stress, there has been an increase in the amount of preclinical studies investigating early-life stress. There are many challenges associated with investigating early-life stress in animal models and ensuring that such models are appropriate and clinically relevant. OBJECTIVES The purpose of this review is to highlight the methodological considerations in the design of preclinical studies investigating the effects of early-life stress on alcohol and psychomotor-stimulant intake and behaviour. METHODS The protocols employed for exploring early-life stress were investigated and summarised. Experimental variables include animals, stress models, and endpoints employed. RESULTS The findings in this paper suggest that there is little consistency among these studies and so the interpretation of these results may not be as clinically relevant as previously thought. CONCLUSION The standardisation of these simple stress procedures means that results will be more comparable between studies and that results generated will give us a more robust understanding of what can and may be happening in the human and veterinary clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Klaus A Miczek
- Department of Psychology, Tufts University, 530 Boston Avenue, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
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25
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Barfield ET, Gourley SL. Adolescent Corticosterone and TrkB Pharmaco-Manipulations Sex-Dependently Impact Instrumental Reversal Learning Later in Life. Front Behav Neurosci 2017; 11:237. [PMID: 29270114 PMCID: PMC5725412 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2017.00237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2017] [Accepted: 11/14/2017] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Early-life trauma can increase the risk for, and severity of, several psychiatric illnesses. These include drug use disorders, and some correlations appear to be stronger in women. Understanding the long-term consequences of developmental stressor or stress hormone exposure and possible sex differences is critically important. So-called “reversal learning” tasks are commonly used in rodents to model cognitive deficits in stress- and addiction-related illnesses in humans. Here, we exposed mice to the primary stress hormone corticosterone (CORT) during early adolescence (postnatal days 31–42), then tested behavioral flexibility in adulthood using an instrumental reversal learning task. CORT-exposed female, but not male, mice developed perseverative errors. Despite resilience to subchronic CORT exposure, males developed reversal performance impairments following exposure to physical stressors. Administration of a putative tyrosine kinase receptor B (trkB) agonist, 7,8-dihydroxyflavone (7,8-DHF), during adolescence blocked CORT-induced errors in females and improved performance in males. Conversely, blockade of trkB by ANA-12 impaired performance. These data suggest that trkB-based interventions could have certain protective benefits in the context of early-life stressor exposure. We consider the implications of our findings in an extended “Discussion” section.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth T Barfield
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States.,Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States.,Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Shannon L Gourley
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States.,Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States.,Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
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Watt MJ, Weber MA, Davies SR, Forster GL. Impact of juvenile chronic stress on adult cortico-accumbal function: Implications for cognition and addiction. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2017; 79. [PMID: 28642080 PMCID: PMC5610933 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2017.06.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Repeated exposure to stress during childhood is associated with increased risk for neuropsychiatric illness, substance use disorders and other behavioral problems in adulthood. However, it is not clear how chronic childhood stress can lead to emergence of such a wide range of symptoms and disorders in later life. One possible explanation lies in stress-induced disruption to the development of specific brain regions associated with executive function and reward processing, deficits in which are common to the disorders promoted by childhood stress. Evidence of aberrations in prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens function following repeated exposure of juvenile (pre- and adolescent) organisms to a variety of different stressors would account not only for the similarity in symptoms across the wide range of childhood stress-associated mental illnesses, but also their persistence into adulthood in the absence of further stress. Therefore, the goal of this review is to evaluate the current knowledge regarding disruption to executive function and reward processing in adult animals or humans exposed to chronic stress over the juvenile period, and the underlying neurobiology, with particular emphasis on the prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens. First, the role of these brain regions in mediating executive function and reward processing is highlighted. Second, the neurobehavioral development of these systems is discussed to illustrate how juvenile stress may exert long-lasting effects on prefrontal cortex-accumbal activity and related behavioral functions. Finally, a critical review of current animal and human findings is presented, which strongly supports the supposition that exposure to chronic stress (particularly social aggression and isolation in animal studies) in the juvenile period produces impairments in executive function in adulthood, especially in working memory and inhibitory control. Chronic juvenile stress also results in aberrations to reward processing and seeking, with increased sensitivity to drugs of abuse particularly noted in animal models, which is in line with greater incidence of substance use disorders seen in clinical studies. These consequences are potentially mediated by monoamine and glutamatergic dysfunction in the prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens, providing translatable therapeutic targets. However, the predominant use of male subjects and social-based stressors in preclinical studies points to a clear need for determining how both sex differences and stressor heterogeneity may differentially contribute to stress-induced changes to substrates mediating executive function and reward processing, before the impact of chronic juvenile stress in promoting adult psychopathology can be fully understood.
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Sheth C, McGlade E, Yurgelun-Todd D. Chronic Stress in Adolescents and Its Neurobiological and Psychopathological Consequences: An RDoC Perspective. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017. [PMID: 29527590 PMCID: PMC5841253 DOI: 10.1177/2470547017715645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) initiative provides a strategy for classifying psychopathology based on behavioral dimensions and neurobiological measures. Neurodevelopment is an orthogonal dimension in the current RDoC framework; however, it has not yet been fully incorporated into the RDoC approach. A combination of both a neurodevelopmental and RDoC approach offers a multidimensional perspective for understanding the emergence of psychopathology during development. Environmental influence (e.g., stress) has a profound impact on the risk for development of psychiatric illnesses. It has been shown that chronic stress interacts with the developing brain, producing significant changes in neural circuits that eventually increase the susceptibility for development of psychiatric disorders. This review highlights effects of chronic stress on the adolescent brain, as adolescence is a period characterized by a combination of significant brain alterations, high levels of stress, and emergence of psychopathology. The literature synthesized in this review suggests that chronic stress-induced changes in neurobiology and behavioral constructs underlie the shared vulnerability across a number of disorders in adolescence. The review particularly focuses on depression and substance use disorders; however, a similar argument can also be made for other psychopathologies, including anxiety disorders. The summarized findings underscore the need for a framework to integrate neurobiological findings from disparate psychiatric disorders and to target transdiagnostic mechanisms across disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chandni Sheth
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.,Diagnostic Neuroimaging, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Erin McGlade
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.,Diagnostic Neuroimaging, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.,George E. Wahlen Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, VA VISN 19 Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center (MIRREC), Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Deborah Yurgelun-Todd
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.,Diagnostic Neuroimaging, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.,George E. Wahlen Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, VA VISN 19 Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center (MIRREC), Salt Lake City, UT, USA
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Joshi N, Leslie RA, Perrot TS. Analyzing the experiences of adolescent control rats: Effects of the absence of physical or social stimulation on anxiety-like behaviour are dependent on the test. Physiol Behav 2017; 179:30-41. [PMID: 28527682 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2017.05.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2016] [Revised: 05/15/2017] [Accepted: 05/16/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
The present study was designed to systematically assess the control experience routinely used in our laboratory as part of studies on predator odour stress. Specifically, we examined effects of the physical and social components of this control experience on measures of anxiety-like behaviour in adolescent rats. Adolescent animals are at increased susceptibility to environmental perturbations and have been used for such studies much less often. Long-Evans rats of both sexes were subjected to physical stimulation (Exposed or Unexposed) and social stimulation (Single-Housed or Pair-Housed), resulting in four groups. Exposed rats received six 30-min exposures to an enclosed arena containing an unscented piece of cat collar occurring between adolescence and early adulthood, while Unexposed remained in the home cage. Groups of Exposed and Unexposed animals were housed singly (Single-Housed) from early adolescence to early adulthood or Pair-Housed during this time. Experimental procedures began in adolescence and involved repeated assessment of startle amplitude (measure of anxiety-like behaviour) and prepulse inhibition (PPI; a measure of sensorimotor gating) to gauge the short-term impact of social and/or physical stimulation. All animals were re-paired in adulthood prior to a final startle/PPI session to assess if isolation limited to adolescence could impose long-term effects that were not reversible. We also measured anxiety-like behaviour in adulthood using an extended open field test (EOFT; addition of novel objects to the open field on later days), and the elevated plus maze task (EPM), as well as a sucrose preference test (SPT) to measure anhedonia. An absence of social or physical stimulation resulted in increased startle amplitude and some measures of anxiety-like behaviour in the EOFT, but a reduction in such anxiety-like behaviour in the EPM task. These results suggest common neural substrates for the physical and social experiences. Performance in the SPT was unaltered by any experimental treatments. Sensorimotor gating, as measured by PPI, was increased in the absence of physical stimulation with no short-term effect of isolation, or of re-pairing. These results indicate the importance of considering individual components of the rearing environment of rats, while showing the need to use multiple assays of anxiety-like behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Namrata Joshi
- Department of Medical Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4R2, Canada.
| | - Ronald A Leslie
- Department of Medical Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Tara S Perrot
- Department of Medical Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4R2, Canada; Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4R2, Canada; Brain Repair Centre, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4R2, Canada
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29
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Chaby LE, Zhang L, Liberzon I. The effects of stress in early life and adolescence on posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, and anxiety symptomatology in adulthood. Curr Opin Behav Sci 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2017.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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30
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Adolescent vulnerability to cardiovascular consequences of chronic emotional stress: Review and perspectives for future research. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2017; 74:466-475. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.03.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2015] [Revised: 03/28/2016] [Accepted: 03/29/2016] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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31
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McCormick CM, Green MR, Simone JJ. Translational relevance of rodent models of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal function and stressors in adolescence. Neurobiol Stress 2017; 6:31-43. [PMID: 28229107 PMCID: PMC5314422 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2016.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2016] [Revised: 08/18/2016] [Accepted: 08/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Elevations in glucocorticoids that result from environmental stressors can have programming effects on brain structure and function when the exposure occurs during sensitive periods that involve heightened neural development. In recent years, adolescence has gained increasing attention as another sensitive period of development, a period in which pubertal transitions may increase the vulnerability to stressors. There are similarities in physical and behavioural development between humans and rats, and rats have been used effectively as an animal model of adolescence and the unique plasticity of this period of ontogeny. This review focuses on benefits and challenges of rats as a model for translational research on hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) function and stressors in adolescence, highlighting important parallels and contrasts between adolescent rats and humans, and we review the main stress procedures that are used in investigating HPA stress responses and their consequences in adolescence in rats. We conclude that a greater focus on timing of puberty as a factor in research in adolescent rats may increase the translational relevance of the findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheryl M. McCormick
- Department of Psychology, Brock University, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, St. Catharines, ON, L2S 3A1, Canada
- Department of Biological Sciences, Brock University, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, St. Catharines, ON, L2S 3A1, Canada
| | - Matthew R. Green
- Department of Psychology, Brock University, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, St. Catharines, ON, L2S 3A1, Canada
| | - Jonathan J. Simone
- Department of Biological Sciences, Brock University, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, St. Catharines, ON, L2S 3A1, Canada
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32
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Piekarski DJ, Johnson CM, Boivin JR, Thomas AW, Lin WC, Delevich K, M Galarce E, Wilbrecht L. Does puberty mark a transition in sensitive periods for plasticity in the associative neocortex? Brain Res 2017; 1654:123-144. [PMID: 27590721 PMCID: PMC5283387 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2016.08.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2016] [Revised: 08/17/2016] [Accepted: 08/29/2016] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Postnatal brain development is studded with sensitive periods during which experience dependent plasticity is enhanced. This enables rapid learning from environmental inputs and reorganization of cortical circuits that matches behavior with environmental contingencies. Significant headway has been achieved in characterizing and understanding sensitive period biology in primary sensory cortices, but relatively little is known about sensitive period biology in associative neocortex. One possible mediator is the onset of puberty, which marks the transition to adolescence, when animals shift their behavior toward gaining independence and exploring their social world. Puberty onset correlates with reduced behavioral plasticity in some domains and enhanced plasticity in others, and therefore may drive the transition from juvenile to adolescent brain function. Pubertal onset is also occurring earlier in developed nations, particularly in unserved populations, and earlier puberty is associated with vulnerability for substance use, depression and anxiety. In the present article we review the evidence that supports a causal role for puberty in developmental changes in the function and neurobiology of the associative neocortex. We also propose a model for how pubertal hormones may regulate sensitive period plasticity in associative neocortex. We conclude that the evidence suggests puberty onset may play a causal role in some aspects of associative neocortical development, but that further research that manipulates puberty and measures gonadal hormones is required. We argue that further work of this kind is urgently needed to determine how earlier puberty may negatively impact human health and learning potential. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled SI: Adolescent plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- David J Piekarski
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley CA 94720, USA
| | - Carolyn M Johnson
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley CA 94720, USA
| | - Josiah R Boivin
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco CA 94158, USA
| | - A Wren Thomas
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley CA 94720, USA
| | - Wan Chen Lin
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley CA 94720, USA
| | - Kristen Delevich
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley CA 94720, USA
| | - Ezequiel M Galarce
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley CA 94720, USA
| | - Linda Wilbrecht
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley CA 94720, USA; Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley CA 94720, USA.
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Kim DJ, St. Louis N, Molaro RA, Hudson GT, Chorley RC, Anderson BJ. Repeated unpredictable threats without harm impair spatial working memory in the Barnes maze. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2017; 137:92-100. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2016.11.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2015] [Revised: 11/04/2016] [Accepted: 11/19/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Korgan AC, O’Leary E, Bauer J, Fortier A, Weaver ICG, Perrot TS. Effects of Paternal Predation Risk and Rearing Environment on Maternal Investment and Development of Defensive Responses in the Offspring. eNeuro 2016; 3:ENEURO.0231-16.2016. [PMID: 27896313 PMCID: PMC5112542 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0231-16.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2016] [Revised: 10/19/2016] [Accepted: 11/01/2016] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Detecting past experiences with predators of a potential mate informs a female about prevailing ecological threats, in addition to stress-induced phenotypes that may be disseminated to offspring. We examined whether prior exposure of a male rat to a predator (cat) odor influences the attraction of a female toward a male, subsequent mother-infant interactions and the development of defensive (emotional) responses in the offspring. Females displayed less interest in males that had experienced predator odor. Mothers that reared young in larger, seminaturalistic housing provided more licking and grooming and active arched back-nursing behavior toward their offspring compared with dams housed in standard housing, although some effects interacted with paternal experience. Paternal predation risk and maternal rearing environment revealed sex-dependent differences in offspring wean weight, juvenile social interactions, and anxiety-like behavior in adolescence. Additionally, paternal predator experience and maternal housing independently affected variations in crf gene promoter acetylation and crf gene expression in response to an acute stressor in offspring. Our results show for the first time in mammals that variation among males in their predator encounters may contribute to stable behavioral variation among females in preference for mates and maternal care, even when the females are not directly exposed to predator threat. Furthermore, when offspring were exposed to the same threat experienced by the father, hypothalamic crf gene regulation was influenced by paternal olfactory experience and early housing. These results, together with our previous findings, suggest that paternal stress exposure and maternal rearing conditions can influence maternal behavior and the development of defensive responses in offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Austin C. Korgan
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax B3H 4R2, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Elizabeth O’Leary
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax B3H 4R2, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Jessica Bauer
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax B3H 4R2, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Aidan Fortier
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax B3H 4R2, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Ian C. G. Weaver
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax B3H 4R2, Nova Scotia, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University, Halifax B3H 4R2, Nova Scotia, Canada
- Brain Repair Centre, Dalhousie University, Halifax B3H 4R2, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Tara S. Perrot
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax B3H 4R2, Nova Scotia, Canada
- Brain Repair Centre, Dalhousie University, Halifax B3H 4R2, Nova Scotia, Canada
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Li M, Du W, Shao F, Wang W. Cognitive dysfunction and epigenetic alterations of the BDNF gene are induced by social isolation during early adolescence. Behav Brain Res 2016; 313:177-183. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2016.07.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2016] [Revised: 07/11/2016] [Accepted: 07/15/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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36
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Romeo RD, Patel R, Pham L, So VM. Adolescence and the ontogeny of the hormonal stress response in male and female rats and mice. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2016; 70:206-216. [PMID: 27235079 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.05.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2016] [Revised: 05/11/2016] [Accepted: 05/22/2016] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Adolescent development is marked by many changes in neuroendocrine function, resulting in both immediate and long-term influences on an individual's physiology and behavior. Stress-induced hormonal responses are one such change, with adolescent animals often showing different patterns of hormonal reactivity following a stressor compared with adults. This review will describe the unique ways in which adolescent animals respond to a variety of stressors and how these adolescent-related changes in hormonal responsiveness can be further modified by the sex and previous experience of the individual. Potential central and peripheral mechanisms that contribute to these developmental shifts in stress reactivity are also discussed. Finally, the short- and long-term programming effects of chronic stress exposure during adolescence on later adult hormonal responsiveness are also examined. Though far from a clear understanding of the neurobehavioral consequences of these adolescent-related shifts in stress reactivity, continued study of developmental changes in stress-induced hormonal responses may shed light on the increased vulnerability to physical and psychological dysfunctions that often accompany a stressful adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Russell D Romeo
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience and Behavior Program, Barnard College of Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, United States.
| | - Ravenna Patel
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience and Behavior Program, Barnard College of Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, United States
| | - Laurie Pham
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience and Behavior Program, Barnard College of Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, United States
| | - Veronica M So
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience and Behavior Program, Barnard College of Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, United States
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37
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Huang GB, Zhao T, Gao XL, Zhang HX, Xu YM, Li H, Lv LX. Effect of chronic social defeat stress on behaviors and dopamine receptor in adult mice. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2016; 66:73-79. [PMID: 26655446 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2015.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2015] [Revised: 12/01/2015] [Accepted: 12/02/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Victims of bullying often undergo depression, low self-esteem, high anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms. The social defeat model has become widely accepted for studying experimental animal behavior changes associated with bullying; however, differences in the effects in susceptible and unsusceptible individuals have not been well studied. The present study investigated the effects of social defeat stress on behavior and the expression of dopamine receptors D1 and D2 in the brains of adult mice. Adult mice were divided into susceptible and unsusceptible groups after 10days of social defeat stress. Behavioral tests were conducted, and protein levels in the brains were assessed by Western blotting. The results indicate that all mice undergo decreased locomotion and increased anxiety behavior. However, decreased social interaction and impaired memory performance were only observed in susceptible mice. A significantly decreased expression of D1 was observed in the prefrontal cortex and amygdala of susceptible mice only. No significant differences in D2 expression were shown between control and defeated mice in any area studied. These data indicate that depression-like behavior and cognition impairment caused by social defeat stress in susceptible mice may be related to changes in the dopamine receptor D1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guang-Biao Huang
- Department of Psychiatry, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan 453002, China; Henan Key Lab of Biological Psychiatry, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan 453002, China.
| | - Tong Zhao
- Department of Psychiatry, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan 453002, China
| | - Xiao-Lei Gao
- Department of Psychiatry, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan 453002, China
| | - Hong-Xing Zhang
- Department of Psychology, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan 453003, China
| | - Yu-Ming Xu
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China
| | - Hao Li
- Department of Psychology, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan 453003, China
| | - Lu-Xian Lv
- Department of Psychiatry, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan 453002, China; Henan Key Lab of Biological Psychiatry, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan 453002, China.
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38
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Bagalkot T, Jin HM, Prabhu V, Muna S, Cui Y, Yadav B, Chae HJ, Chung YC. Chronic social defeat stress increases dopamine D2 receptor dimerization in the prefrontal cortex of adult mice. Neuroscience 2015; 311:444-52. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2015.10.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2015] [Revised: 10/10/2015] [Accepted: 10/12/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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39
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Novick AM, Forster GL, Hassell JE, Davies DR, Scholl JL, Renner KJ, Watt MJ. Increased dopamine transporter function as a mechanism for dopamine hypoactivity in the adult infralimbic medial prefrontal cortex following adolescent social stress. Neuropharmacology 2015; 97:194-200. [PMID: 26056032 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2015.05.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2015] [Revised: 05/07/2015] [Accepted: 05/22/2015] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Being bullied during adolescence is associated with later mental illnesses characterized by deficits in cognitive tasks mediated by prefrontal cortex (PFC) dopamine (DA). Social defeat of adolescent male rats, as a model of teenage bullying victimization, results in medial PFC (mPFC) dopamine (DA) hypofunction in adulthood that is associated with increased drug seeking and working memory deficits. Increased expression of the DA transporter (DAT) is also seen in the adult infralimbic mPFC following adolescent defeat. We propose the functional consequence of this increased DAT expression is enhanced DA clearance and subsequently decreased infralimbic mPFC DA availability. To test this, in vivo chronoamperometry was used to measure changes in accumulation of the DA signal following DAT blockade, with increased DAT-mediated clearance being reflected by lower DA signal accumulation. Previously defeated rats and controls were pre-treated with the norepinephrine transporter (NET) inhibitor desipramine (20 mg/kg, ip.) to isolate infralimbic mPFC DA clearance to DAT, then administered the selective DAT inhibitor GBR-12909 (20 or 40 mg/kg, sc.). Sole NET inhibition with desipramine produced no differences in DA signal accumulation between defeated rats and controls. However, rats exposed to adolescent social defeat demonstrated decreased DA signal accumulation compared to controls in response to both doses of GBR-12909, indicating greater DAT-mediated clearance of infralimbic mPFC DA. These results suggest that protracted increases in infralimbic mPFC DAT function represent a mechanism by which adolescent social defeat stress produces deficits in adult mPFC DA activity and corresponding behavioral and cognitive dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew M Novick
- Center for Brain and Behavior Research, Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, 414 E. Clark St., Vermillion, SD 57069, USA
| | - Gina L Forster
- Center for Brain and Behavior Research, Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, 414 E. Clark St., Vermillion, SD 57069, USA
| | - James E Hassell
- Center for Brain and Behavior Research, Biology Department, University of South Dakota, 414 E. Clark St., Vermillion, SD 57069, USA
| | - Daniel R Davies
- Center for Brain and Behavior Research, Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, 414 E. Clark St., Vermillion, SD 57069, USA
| | - Jamie L Scholl
- Center for Brain and Behavior Research, Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, 414 E. Clark St., Vermillion, SD 57069, USA
| | - Kenneth J Renner
- Center for Brain and Behavior Research, Biology Department, University of South Dakota, 414 E. Clark St., Vermillion, SD 57069, USA
| | - Michael J Watt
- Center for Brain and Behavior Research, Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, 414 E. Clark St., Vermillion, SD 57069, USA.
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Hodges TE, McCormick CM. Adolescent and adult male rats habituate to repeated isolation, but only adolescents sensitize to partner unfamiliarity. Horm Behav 2015; 69:16-30. [PMID: 25510393 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2014.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2014] [Revised: 11/24/2014] [Accepted: 12/08/2014] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
We investigated whether adolescent male rats show less habituation of corticosterone release than adult male rats to acute vs repeated (16) daily one hour episodes of isolation stress, as well as the role of partner familiarity during recovery on social behavior, plasma corticosterone, and Zif268 expression in brain regions. Adolescents spent more time in social contact than did adults during the initial days of the repeated stress procedures, but both adolescents and adults that returned to an unfamiliar peer after isolation had higher social activity than rats returned to a familiar peer (p=0.002) or undisturbed control rats (p<0.001). Both ages showed evidence of habituation, with reduced corticosterone response to repeated than acute isolation (p=0.01). Adolescents, however, showed sensitized corticosterone release to repeated compared with an acute pairing with an unfamiliar peer during recovery (p=0.03), a difference not found in adults. Consistent with habituation of corticosterone release, the repeated isolation groups had lower Zif268 immunoreactive cell counts in the paraventricular nucleus (p<0.001) and in the arcuate nucleus (p=0.002) than did the acute groups, and adolescents had higher Zif268 immunoreactive cell counts in the paraventricular nucleus than did adults during the recovery period (p<0.001), irrespective of stress history and partner familiarity. Partner familiarity had only modest effects on Zif268 immunoreactivity, and experimental effects on plasma testosterone concentrations were only in adults. The results highlight social and endocrine factors that may underlie the greater vulnerability of the adolescent period of development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Cheryl M McCormick
- Department of Psychology, Brock University, Canada; Department of Centre for Neuroscience, Brock University, Canada.
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Prenatal alcohol exposure and adolescent stress increase sensitivity to stress and gonadal hormone influences on cognition in adult female rats. Physiol Behav 2015; 148:157-65. [PMID: 25707383 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2015.02.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2014] [Revised: 01/19/2015] [Accepted: 02/19/2015] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Abnormal activity of stress hormone (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal [HPA]), and gonadal hormone (hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal [HPG]) systems is reported following prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE). PAE increases vulnerability of brain regions involved in regulation of these systems to stressors or challenges during sensitive periods of development, such as adolescence. In addition, HPA and HPG functions are linked to higher order functions such as executive function (EF), with dysregulation of either system adversely affecting EF processes, including attention and response inhibition, that influence cognition. However, how HPA and HPG systems interact to influence cognitive performance in individuals with an FASD is not fully understood. To investigate, we used a rat model of moderate PAE. Adolescent female PAE and control offspring were exposed to 10days of chronic mild stress (CMS) and cognitive function was assessed on the radial arm maze (RAM) in adulthood. On the final test day, animals were sacrificed, with blood collected for hormone analyses, and vaginal smears taken to assess estrus stage at the time of termination. Analyses showed that adolescent CMS significantly increased levels of CORT and RAM errors during proestrus in adult PAE but not control females. Moreover, CORT levels were correlated with estradiol levels and with RAM errors, but only in PAE females, with outcome dependent on adolescent CMS condition. These results suggest that PAE increases sensitivity to the influences of stress and gonadal hormones on cognition, and thus, in turn, that HPA and HPG dysregulation may underlie some of the deficits in executive function described previously in PAE females.
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Goel N, Workman JL, Lee TT, Innala L, Viau V. Sex differences in the HPA axis. Compr Physiol 2015; 4:1121-55. [PMID: 24944032 DOI: 10.1002/cphy.c130054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 245] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is a major component of the systems that respond to stress, by coordinating the neuroendocrine and autonomic responses. Tightly controlled regulation of HPA responses is critical for maintaining mental and physical health, as hyper- and hypo-activity have been linked to disease states. A long history of research has revealed sex differences in numerous components of the HPA stress system and its responses, which may partially form the basis for sex disparities in disease development. Despite this, many studies use male subjects exclusively, while fewer reports involve females or provide direct sex comparisons. The purpose of this article is to present sex comparisons in the functional and molecular aspects of the HPA axis, through various phases of activity, including basal, acute stress, and chronic stress conditions. The HPA axis in females initiates more rapidly and produces a greater output of stress hormones. This review focuses on the interactions between the gonadal hormone system and the HPA axis as the key mediators of these sex differences, whereby androgens increase and estrogens decrease HPA activity in adulthood. In addition to the effects of gonadal hormones on the adult response, morphological impacts of hormone exposure during development are also involved in mediating sex differences. Additional systems impinging on the HPA axis that contribute to sex differences include the monoamine neurotransmitters norepinephrine and serotonin. Diverse signals originating from the brain and periphery are integrated to determine the level of HPA axis activity, and these signals are, in many cases, sex-specific.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nirupa Goel
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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McCormick CM, Hodges TE, Simone JJ. Peer pressures: social instability stress in adolescence and social deficits in adulthood in a rodent model. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2015; 11:2-11. [PMID: 24830945 PMCID: PMC6989754 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2014.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2014] [Revised: 04/10/2014] [Accepted: 04/11/2014] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies in animal models generate and test hypotheses regarding developmental stage-specific vulnerability that might inform research questions about human development. In both rats and humans, peer relationships are qualitatively different in adolescence than at other stages of development, and social experiences in adolescence are considered important determinants of adult social function. This review describes our adolescent rat social instability stress model and the long-lasting effects social instability has on social behaviour in adulthood as well as the possible neural underpinnings. Effects of other adolescent social stress experiences in rats on social behaviours in adulthood also are reviewed. We discuss the role of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) function and glucocorticoid release in conferring differential susceptibility to social experiences in adolescents compared to adults. We propose that although differential perception of social experiences rather than immature HPA function may underlie the heightened vulnerability of adolescents to social instability, the changes in the trajectory of brain development and resultant social deficits likely are mediated by the heightened glucocorticoid release in response to repeated social stressors in adolescence compared to in adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheryl M McCormick
- Department of Psychology, Brock University, Canada; Department of Biological Sciences, Brock University, Canada.
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Jin HM, Shrestha Muna S, Bagalkot TR, Cui Y, Yadav BK, Chung YC. The effects of social defeat on behavior and dopaminergic markers in mice. Neuroscience 2015; 288:167-77. [PMID: 25575945 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2014.12.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2014] [Revised: 12/10/2014] [Accepted: 12/26/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The present study investigated the effects of chronic social defeat stress on several behavioral parameters, and the expression of dopaminergic markers, i.e., dopamine D1 receptors (D1Rs), dopamine D2 receptors (D2Rs), and dopamine and cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate-regulated phosphoprotein-32 (DARPP-32), in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), amygdala (AMY), and hippocampus (HIP) of mouse brains. After 10days of social defeat stress, the defeated mice were divided into two groups: one group underwent a series of behavioral tests. The other group was sacrificed on the 11th day and tissue samples were collected for Western blotting. The behavioral tests comprised tests of locomotion, light/dark preference, social interaction, as well as the novel object recognition test (NORT), Morris water maze, and forced swimming test (FST). We measured the expression of D1Rs, D2Rs, total DARPP-32, phospho-Thr34 or Thr75-DARPP-32 using Western blotting. The defeated mice showed increased anxiety- and depression-like behaviors, and impaired cognition. No significant differences in D1Rs and D2Rs expression were shown between defeated and control mice in any area studied. A significantly increased expression in total DARPP-32, and phospho-DARPP-32 was observed in the PFC or AMY of defeated mice. These data suggest that alterations in dopaminergic markers may be involved in anxiety- and depression-like behaviors, and cognitive impairment induced by social defeat stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- H-M Jin
- Department of Psychiatry, Chonbuk National University Medical School, Jeonju, Republic of Korea; Research Institute of Clinical Medicine of Chonbuk National University, Biomedical Research Institute of Chonbuk National University Hospital, Jeonju, Republic of Korea.
| | - S Shrestha Muna
- Department of Psychiatry, Chonbuk National University Medical School, Jeonju, Republic of Korea; Research Institute of Clinical Medicine of Chonbuk National University, Biomedical Research Institute of Chonbuk National University Hospital, Jeonju, Republic of Korea.
| | - T R Bagalkot
- Department of Psychiatry, Chonbuk National University Medical School, Jeonju, Republic of Korea; Research Institute of Clinical Medicine of Chonbuk National University, Biomedical Research Institute of Chonbuk National University Hospital, Jeonju, Republic of Korea.
| | - Y Cui
- Department of Psychiatry, Chonbuk National University Medical School, Jeonju, Republic of Korea; Research Institute of Clinical Medicine of Chonbuk National University, Biomedical Research Institute of Chonbuk National University Hospital, Jeonju, Republic of Korea.
| | - B K Yadav
- Department of Neurology, Chonbuk National University Medical School, Jeonju, Republic of Korea.
| | - Y-C Chung
- Department of Psychiatry, Chonbuk National University Medical School, Jeonju, Republic of Korea; Research Institute of Clinical Medicine of Chonbuk National University, Biomedical Research Institute of Chonbuk National University Hospital, Jeonju, Republic of Korea.
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45
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Genovese RF, Johnson CC, Tobin CA, Gauchan S. Multiple presentations reduce the behavioral impact of protected predator exposure in rats. Behav Processes 2014; 108:105-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2014.09.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2014] [Revised: 09/08/2014] [Accepted: 09/08/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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Comeau WL, Winstanley CA, Weinberg J. Prenatal alcohol exposure and adolescent stress - unmasking persistent attentional deficits in rats. Eur J Neurosci 2014; 40:3078-95. [PMID: 25059261 PMCID: PMC4189965 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.12671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2014] [Accepted: 06/13/2014] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) can produce a myriad of deficits. Unfortunately, affected individuals may also be exposed to the stress of an adverse home environment, contributing to deficits of attentional processes that are the hallmark of optimal executive function. Male offspring of ad-libitum-fed Control (Con), Pairfed (PF), and PAE dams were randomly assigned to either a 5-day period of variable chronic mild stress (CMS) or no CMS in adolescence. In adulthood, rats were trained in a non-match to sample task (T-maze), followed by extensive assessment in the five-choice serial reaction time task. Once rats acquired the five-choice serial reaction time task (stable accuracy), they were tested in three challenge conditions: (i) increased sustained attention, (ii) selective attention and, (iii) varying doses of d-amphetamine, an indirect dopamine and norepinephrine agonist. At birth and throughout the study, PAE offspring showed reduced body weight. Moreover, although PAE animals were similar to Con animals in task acquisition, they were progressively less proficient with transitions to shorter stimulus durations (decreased accuracy and increased omissions). Five days of adolescent CMS increased basal corticosterone levels in adolescence and disrupted cognitive performance in adulthood. Further, CMS augmented PAE-related disturbances in acquisition and, to a lesser extent, also disrupted attentional processes in Con and PF animals. Following task acquisition, challenges unmasked persistent attentional difficulties resulting from both PAE and adolescent CMS. In conclusion, PAE, adolescent CMS, and their interaction produced unique behavioural profiles that suggest vulnerability in select neurobiological processes at different stages of development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wendy L Comeau
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, 2350 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada
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47
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Shao F, Han X, Shao S, Wang W. Adolescent social isolation influences cognitive function in adult rats. Neural Regen Res 2014; 8:1025-30. [PMID: 25206396 PMCID: PMC4145882 DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1673-5374.2013.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2012] [Accepted: 01/17/2013] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Adolescence is a critical period for neurodevelopment. Evidence from animal studies suggests that isolated rearing can exert negative effects on behavioral and brain development. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of adolescent social isolation on latent inhibition and brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels in the forebrain of adult rats. Male Wistar rats were randomly divided into adolescent isolation (isolated housing, 38–51 days of age) and social groups. Latent inhibition was tested at adulthood. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels were measured in the medial prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Adolescent social isolation impaired latent inhibition and increased brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels in the medial prefrontal cortex of young adult rats. These data suggest that adolescent social isolation has a profound effect on cognitive function and neurotrophin levels in adult rats and may be used as an animal model of neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Shao
- Department of Psychology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Xiao Han
- Department of Psychology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Shuang Shao
- Department of Psychology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Weiwen Wang
- Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
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Fuentes S, Carrasco J, Armario A, Nadal R. Behavioral and neuroendocrine consequences of juvenile stress combined with adult immobilization in male rats. Horm Behav 2014; 66:475-86. [PMID: 25036868 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2014.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2014] [Revised: 07/06/2014] [Accepted: 07/09/2014] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Exposure to stress during childhood and adolescence increases vulnerability to developing several psychopathologies in adulthood and alters the activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, the prototypical stress system. Rodent models of juvenile stress appear to support this hypothesis because juvenile stress can result in reduced activity/exploration and enhanced anxiety, although results are not always consistent. Moreover, an in-depth characterization of changes in the HPA axis is lacking. In the present study, the long-lasting effects of juvenile stress on adult behavior and HPA function were evaluated in male rats. The juvenile stress consisted of a combination of stressors (cat odor, forced swim and footshock) during postnatal days 23-28. Juvenile stress reduced the maximum amplitude of the adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) levels (reduced peak at lights off), without affecting the circadian corticosterone rhythm, but other aspects of the HPA function (negative glucocorticoid feedback, responsiveness to further stressors and brain gene expression of corticotrophin-releasing hormone and corticosteroid receptors) remained unaltered. The behavioral effects of juvenile stress itself at adulthood were modest (decreased activity in the circular corridor) with no evidence of enhanced anxiety. Imposition of an acute severe stressor (immobilization on boards, IMO) did not increase anxiety in control animals, as evaluated one week later in the elevated-plus maze (EPM), but it potentiated the acoustic startle response (ASR). However, acute IMO did enhance anxiety in the EPM, in juvenile stressed rats, thereby suggesting that juvenile stress sensitizes rats to the effects of additional stressors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Fuentes
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain
| | - Javier Carrasco
- Animal Physiology Unit (School of Biosciences), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain
| | - Antonio Armario
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain; Animal Physiology Unit (School of Biosciences), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain
| | - Roser Nadal
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain; Psychobiology Unit (School of Psychology), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain.
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49
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Kenny SL, Wright LD, Green AD, Mashoodh R, Perrot TS. Expression of maternal behavior and activation of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis during predatory threat exposure: Modulatory effects of transport stress. Physiol Behav 2014; 123:148-55. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2013.08.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2013] [Accepted: 08/30/2013] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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50
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Sinclair D, Purves-Tyson TD, Allen KM, Weickert CS. Impacts of stress and sex hormones on dopamine neurotransmission in the adolescent brain. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2014; 231:1581-99. [PMID: 24481565 PMCID: PMC3967083 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-013-3415-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 130] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2013] [Accepted: 12/19/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Adolescence is a developmental period of complex neurobiological change and heightened vulnerability to psychiatric illness. As a result, understanding factors such as sex and stress hormones which drive brain changes in adolescence, and how these factors may influence key neurotransmitter systems implicated in psychiatric illness, is paramount. OBJECTIVES In this review, we outline the impact of sex and stress hormones at adolescence on dopamine neurotransmission, a signaling pathway which is critical to healthy brain function and has been implicated in psychiatric illness. We review normative developmental changes in dopamine, sex hormone, and stress hormone signaling during adolescence and throughout postnatal life, then highlight the interaction of sex and stress hormones and review their impacts on dopamine neurotransmission in the adolescent brain. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS Adolescence is a time of increased responsiveness to sex and stress hormones, during which the maturing dopaminergic neural circuitry is profoundly influenced by these factors. Testosterone, estrogen, and glucocorticoids interact with each other and have distinct, brain region-specific impacts on dopamine neurotransmission in the adolescent brain, shaping brain maturation and cognitive function in adolescence and adulthood. Some effects of stress/sex hormones on cortical and subcortical dopamine parameters bear similarities with dopaminergic abnormalities seen in schizophrenia, suggesting a possible role for sex/stress hormones at adolescence in influencing risk for psychiatric illness via modulation of dopamine neurotransmission. Stress and sex hormones may prove useful targets in future strategies for modifying risk for psychiatric illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duncan Sinclair
- Schizophrenia Research Institute, Sydney, Australia ,Schizophrenia Research Laboratory, Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, Australia ,School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia ,Neuropsychiatric Signaling Program, Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA USA
| | - Tertia D Purves-Tyson
- Schizophrenia Research Institute, Sydney, Australia ,Schizophrenia Research Laboratory, Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, Australia ,School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Katherine M Allen
- Schizophrenia Research Institute, Sydney, Australia ,Schizophrenia Research Laboratory, Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, Australia ,School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Cynthia Shannon Weickert
- Schizophrenia Research Institute, Sydney, Australia ,Macquarie Group Chair of Schizophrenia Research, Neuroscience Research Australia, Barker Street, Randwick, NSW 2031 Australia ,School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
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