1
|
Kuske JX, Godoy AS, Ramirez AV, Trainor BC. Sex differences in responses to aggressive encounters among California mice. Horm Behav 2024; 162:105537. [PMID: 38582062 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2024.105537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Revised: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/08/2024]
Abstract
Despite how widespread female aggression is across the animal kingdom, there remains much unknown about its neuroendocrine mechanisms, especially in females that engage in aggression outside the peripartum period. Although the impact of aggressive experience on steroid hormone responses have been described, little is known about the impact of these experiences on female behavior or the subsequent neuropeptide responses to performing aggression. In this study, we compared behavioral responses in both male and female adult California mice based on if they had 0, 1, or 3 aggressive encounters using a resident intruder paradigm. We measured how arginine vasopressin and oxytocin cells in the paraventricular nucleus responded to aggression using c-fos immunohistochemistry. We saw that both sexes disengaged from intruders with repeated aggressive encounters, but that on the final day of testing females were more likely to freeze when they encountered intruders compared to no aggression controls - which was not significant in males. Finally, we saw that percent of arginine vasopressin and c-fos co-localizations in the posterior region of the paraventricular nucleus increased in males who fought compared to no aggression controls. No difference was observed in females. Overall, there is evidence that engaging in aggression induces stress responses in both sexes, and that females may be more sensitive to the effects of fighting.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jace X Kuske
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, United States of America
| | - Alexandra Serna Godoy
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, United States of America
| | - Alison V Ramirez
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, United States of America
| | - Brian C Trainor
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, United States of America.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Arakawa H, Tokashiki M, Higuchi Y, Konno T. Adolescent social isolation disrupts developmental tuning of neuropeptide circuits in the hypothalamus to amygdala regulating social and defensive behavior. Peptides 2024; 175:171178. [PMID: 38368908 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2024.171178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2024] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
Engaging in positive social (i.e., prosocial) interactions during adolescence acts to modulate neural circuits that determine adult adaptive behavior. While accumulating evidence indicates that a strong craving for prosocial behavior contributes to sustaining neural development, the consequences of social deprivation during adolescence on social neural circuits, including those involving oxytocin (OXT) and vasopressin (AVP), are poorly characterized. We evaluated adaptive behaviors in socially isolated mice, including anxiety-like, social, and defensive behaviors, along with OXT and AVP neural profiles in relevant brain regions. Social isolation from postnatal day (P-)22 to P-48 induced enhanced defensive and exploratory behaviors, in nonsocial and social contexts. Unlike OXT neurons, AVP+ cell density in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus increases with age in males. Social isolation also modulated gene expression in the medial amygdala (MeA), including the upregulation of OXT receptors in males and the downregulation of AVP1a receptors in both sexes. Socially isolated mice showed an enhanced defensive, anogenital approach toward a novel adult female during direct social interactions. Subsequent c-Fos mapping revealed diminished neural activity in restricted brain areas, including the MeA, lateral septum, and posterior intralaminar nucleus of the thalamus, in socially isolated mice. These data indicate that neural signals arising from daily social interactions invoke region-specific modification of neuropeptide expression that coordinates with altered defensiveness and neural responsivities, including OXT- and AVP-projecting regions. The present findings indicate an involvement of OXT and AVP circuits in adolescent neural and behavioral plasticity that is tuned by daily social interaction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hiroyuki Arakawa
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan School of Medicine, MI, USA.
| | - Mana Tokashiki
- Faculty of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Yuki Higuchi
- Department of Systems Physiology, University of the Ryukyus Graduate School of Medicine, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Toshihiro Konno
- Department of Subtropical Agro-Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan; The United Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Wright EC, Luo PX, Zakharenkov HC, Serna Godoy A, Lake AA, Prince ZD, Sekar S, Culkin HI, Ramirez AV, Dwyer T, Kapoor A, Corbett C, Tian L, Fox AS, Trainor BC. Sexual differentiation of neural mechanisms of stress sensitivity during puberty. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2306475120. [PMID: 37847733 PMCID: PMC10614610 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2306475120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Anxiety disorders are a major public health concern and current treatments are inadequate for many individuals. Anxiety is more common in women than men and this difference arises during puberty. Sex differences in physiological stress responses may contribute to this variability. During puberty, gonadal hormones shape brain structure and function, but the extent to which these changes affect stress sensitivity is unknown. We examined how pubertal androgens shape behavioral and neural responses to social stress in California mice (Peromyscus californicus), a model species for studying sex differences in stress responses. In adults, social defeat reduces social approach and increases social vigilance in females but not males. We show this sex difference is absent in juveniles, and that prepubertal castration sensitizes adult males to social defeat. Adult gonadectomy does not alter behavioral responses to defeat, indicating that gonadal hormones act during puberty to program behavioral responses to stress in adulthood. Calcium imaging in the medioventral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) showed that social threats increased neural activity and that prepubertal castration generalized these responses to less threatening social contexts. These results support recent hypotheses that the BNST responds to immediate threats. Prepubertal treatment with the nonaromatizable androgen dihydrotestosterone acts in males and females to reduce the effects of defeat on social approach and vigilance in adults. These data indicate that activation of androgen receptors during puberty is critical for programming behavioral responses to stress in adulthood.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emily C. Wright
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA95616
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA95616
| | - Pei X. Luo
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA95616
| | | | | | - Alyssa A. Lake
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA95616
| | - Zhana D. Prince
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA95616
| | - Shwetha Sekar
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA95616
| | - Hannah I. Culkin
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA95616
| | | | - Tjien Dwyer
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA95616
| | - Amita Kapoor
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI53715
| | - Cody Corbett
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI53715
| | - Lin Tian
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA95616
| | - Andrew S. Fox
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA95616
- California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, CA95616
| | - Brian C. Trainor
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA95616
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Malone CL, Rieger NS, Spool JA, Payette A, Riters LV, Marler CA. Behavioral convergence in defense behaviors in pair bonded individuals correlates with neuroendocrine receptors in the medial amygdala. Behav Brain Res 2023; 452:114556. [PMID: 37356669 PMCID: PMC10644349 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2023.114556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Revised: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/27/2023]
Abstract
Monogamous, pair-bonded animals coordinate intra-pair behavior for spatially separated challenges including territorial defense and nest attendance. Paired California mice, a monogamous, territorial and biparental species, approach intruders together or separately, but often express behavioral convergence across intruder challenges. To gain a more systems-wide perspective of potential mechanisms contributing to behavioral convergence across two conspecific intruder challenges, we conducted an exploratory study correlating behavior and receptor mRNA (Days 10 and 17 post-pairing). We examined associations between convergence variability in pair time for intruder-oriented behaviors with a pair mRNA index for oxytocin (OXTR), androgen (AR), and estrogen alpha (ERα) receptors within the medial amygdala (MeA) and the anterior olfactory nucleus (AON), brain regions associated with social behavior. An intruder behavior index revealed a bimodal distribution of intruder-related behaviors in Challenge 1 and a unimodal distribution in Challenge 2, suggesting population behavioral convergence, but no significant correlations with neuroendocrine measures. However, OXTR, AR, and ERα mRNA in the MeA were positively associated with convergence in individual intruder-related behaviors, suggesting multiple mechanisms may influence convergence. Mice could also occupy the nest during intruder challenges and convergence in nest attendance was positively correlated with MeA OXTR. At an individual level, nest attendance was positively associated with MeA ERα. Vocalizations were positively associated with AR and ERα mRNA. No positive associations were found in the AON. Overall, neuroendocrine receptors were implicated in convergence of a monogamous pair's defense behavior, highlighting the potential importance of the MeA as part of a circuit underlying convergence.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Candice L Malone
- University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Psychology, Madison, WI, USA.
| | - Nathaniel S Rieger
- University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Psychology, Madison, WI, USA; University of Washington-Seattle, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Jeremy A Spool
- University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Integrative Biology, Madison, WI, USA; University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Alexis Payette
- University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Psychology, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Lauren V Riters
- University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Integrative Biology, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Catherine A Marler
- University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Psychology, Madison, WI, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Woodson J, Bergan JF. Uncovering the brain-wide pattern of synaptic input to vasopressin-expressing neurons in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus. J Comp Neurol 2023; 531:1017-1031. [PMID: 37121600 PMCID: PMC10566340 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2022] [Revised: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Arginine vasopressin (AVP) is a neuropeptide critical for the mammalian stress response and social behavior. AVP produced in the hypothalamus regulates water osmolality and vasoconstriction in the body, and in the brain, it regulates social behavior, aggression, and anxiety. However, the circuit mechanisms that link AVP to social behavior, homeostatic function, and disease are not well understood. This study investigates the circuit configurations of AVP-expressing neurons in the rodent hypothalamus and characterizes synaptic input from the entire brain. We targeted the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) using retrograde viral tracing techniques to identify direct afferent synaptic connections made onto AVP-expressing neurons. AVP neurons in the PVN display region-specific anatomical configurations that reflect their unique contributions to homeostatic function, motor behaviors, feeding, and affiliative behavior. The afferent connections identified were similar in both sexes and subsequent molecular investigation of these inputs shows that those local hypothalamic inputs are overwhelmingly nonpeptidergic cells indicating a potential interneuron nexus between hormone cell activation and broader cortical connection. This proposed work reveals new insights into the organization of social behavior circuits in the brain, and how neuropeptides act centrally to modulate social behaviors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Woodson
- Neuroscience and Behavior Program, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Joseph F Bergan
- Neuroscience and Behavior Program, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Pan Y, Mou Q, Huang Z, Chen S, Shi Y, Ye M, Shao M, Wang Z. Chronic social defeat alters behaviors and neuronal activation in the brain of female Mongolian gerbils. Behav Brain Res 2023; 448:114456. [PMID: 37116662 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2023.114456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2022] [Revised: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 04/30/2023]
Abstract
Chronic social defeat has been found to be stressful and to affect many aspects of the brain and behaviors in males. However, relatively little is known about its effects on females. In the present study, we examined the effects of repeated social defeat on social approach and anxiety-like behaviors as well as the neuronal activation in the brain of sexually naïve female Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus). Our data indicate that repeated social defeats for 20 days reduced social approach and social investigation, but increased risk assessment or vigilance to an unfamiliar conspecific. Such social defeat experience also increased anxiety-like behavior and reduced locomotor activity. Using ΔFosB-immunoreactive (ΔFosB-ir) staining as a marker of neuronal activation in the brain, we found significant elevations by social defeat experience in the density of ΔFosB-ir stained neurons in several brain regions, including the prelimbic (PL) and infralimbic (IL) subnuclei of the prefrontal cortex (PFC), CA1 subfields (CA1) of the hippocampus, central subnuclei of the amygdala (CeA), the paraventricular nucleus (PVN), dorsomedial nucleus (DMH), and ventrolateral subdivision of the ventromedial nucleus (VMHvl) of the hypothalamus. As these brain regions have been implicated in social behaviors and stress responses, our data suggest that the specific patterns of neuronal activation in the brain may relate to the altered social and anxiety-like behaviors following chronic social defeat in female Mongolian gerbils.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yongliang Pan
- Key Laboratory of Vector Biology and Pathogen Control of Zhejiang Province, Huzhou Central Hospital, Huzhou University, Huzhou 313000, China.
| | - Qiuyue Mou
- Key Laboratory of Vector Biology and Pathogen Control of Zhejiang Province, Huzhou Central Hospital, Huzhou University, Huzhou 313000, China
| | - Zhexue Huang
- Key Laboratory of Vector Biology and Pathogen Control of Zhejiang Province, Huzhou Central Hospital, Huzhou University, Huzhou 313000, China
| | - Senyao Chen
- Key Laboratory of Vector Biology and Pathogen Control of Zhejiang Province, Huzhou Central Hospital, Huzhou University, Huzhou 313000, China
| | - Yilei Shi
- Key Laboratory of Vector Biology and Pathogen Control of Zhejiang Province, Huzhou Central Hospital, Huzhou University, Huzhou 313000, China
| | - Mengfan Ye
- Key Laboratory of Vector Biology and Pathogen Control of Zhejiang Province, Huzhou Central Hospital, Huzhou University, Huzhou 313000, China
| | - Mingqin Shao
- College of Life Science, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, 330022, China
| | - Zuoxin Wang
- Department of Psychology and Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Hou W, Huang S, Li L, Guo X, He Z, Shang S, Jia Z, Zhang L, Qu Y, Huang C, Li Y, Li Y, Lv Z, Tai F. Oxytocin treatments or activation of the paraventricular nucleus-the shell of nucleus accumbens pathway reduce adverse effects of chronic social defeat stress on emotional and social behaviors in Mandarin voles. Neuropharmacology 2023; 230:109482. [PMID: 36893984 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2023.109482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Revised: 02/12/2023] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023]
Abstract
Chronic social stress can cause psychological disease. Although oxytocin (OT) has been showed to modulate effects of chronic social defeat stress (CSDS) on emotional and social behaviors, however, how OT circuits mediate effects of CSDS on emotional and social abnormalities remains unclear. Here, we found that repeated intraperitoneal OT administration in the process of CSDS buffered adverse effects of CSDS on emotional and social behaviors in mandarin voles (Microtus mandarinus) of both sexes except no effect on depression-like behavior of males. Repeated OT treatments during CSDS prevented decrease of oxytocin receptors in nucleus accumbens (NAc) in females, but produced no effects on males. Furthermore, using designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs (DREADDs)-based chemogenetic tools, we determined that the activation of the paraventricular nucleus (PVN)-the shell of NAc (NAcs) projections before social defeat during CSDS process significantly prevented the increase of the anxiety-like behaviors and social avoidance induced by CSDS in both sexes, and reversed the depressive-like behaviors induced by CSDS only in females. Besides, optogenetic activation of PVN-NAcs projections after CSDS reduced anxiety-like behaviors and increased levels of sociality. Collectively, we suggest that PVN-NAcs projections modulate emotional and social behaviors during or after the process of CSDS sex-specifically, although AAV viruses did not specifically infect OT neurons. These findings offer potential targets for preventing or treating emotional and social disorders induced by chronic stress.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wenjuan Hou
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710062, China
| | - Shuying Huang
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710062, China
| | - Lu Li
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710062, China
| | - Xing Guo
- 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
| | - Shufeng Shang
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710062, China; College of Bioscience and Engineering, Shaanxi University of Technology, Hanzhong, 723000, China
| | - Ziyan Jia
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710062, China
| | - Lizi Zhang
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710062, China
| | - Yishan Qu
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710062, China
| | - Caihong Huang
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710062, China
| | - Yin Li
- 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
| | - Fadao Tai
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710062, China.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Ritger A, Stickling CP, Ferrara NC. The impact of social defeat on basomedial amygdala neuronal activity in adult male rats. Behav Brain Res 2023; 446:114418. [PMID: 37004789 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2023.114418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023]
Abstract
Social stressors negatively impact social function, and this is mediated by the amygdala across species. Social defeat stress is an ethologically relevant social stressor in adult male rats that increases social avoidance, anhedonia, and anxiety-like behaviors. While amygdala manipulations can mitigate the negative effects of social stressors, the impact of social defeat on the basomedial subregion of the amygdala is relatively unclear. Understanding the role of the basomedial amygdala may be especially important, as prior work has demonstrated that it drives physiological responses to stress, including heart-rate related responses to social novelty. In the present study, we quantified the impact of social defeat on social behavior and basomedial amygdala neuronal responses using anesthetized in vivo extracellular electrophysiology. Socially defeated rats displayed increased social avoidance behavior towards novel Sprague Dawley conspecifics and reduced time initiating social interactions relative to controls. This effect was most pronounced in rats that displayed defensive, boxing behavior during social defeat sessions. We next found that socially defeated rats showed lower overall basomedial amygdala firing and altered the distribution of neuronal responses relative to the control condition. We separated neurons into low and high Hz firing groups, and neuronal firing was reduced in both low and high Hz groups but in a slightly different manner. This work demonstrates that basomedial amygdala activity is sensitive to social stress, displaying a distinct pattern of social stress-driven activity relative to other amygdala subregions.
Collapse
|
9
|
Rigney N, de Vries GJ, Petrulis A. Modulation of social behavior by distinct vasopressin sources. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2023; 14:1127792. [PMID: 36860367 PMCID: PMC9968743 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1127792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The neuropeptide arginine-vasopressin (AVP) is well known for its peripheral effects on blood pressure and antidiuresis. However, AVP also modulates various social and anxiety-related behaviors by its actions in the brain, often sex-specifically, with effects typically being stronger in males than in females. AVP in the nervous system originates from several distinct sources which are, in turn, regulated by different inputs and regulatory factors. Based on both direct and indirect evidence, we can begin to define the specific role of AVP cell populations in social behavior, such as, social recognition, affiliation, pair bonding, parental behavior, mate competition, aggression, and social stress. Sex differences in function may be apparent in both sexually-dimorphic structures as well as ones without prominent structural differences within the hypothalamus. The understanding of how AVP systems are organized and function may ultimately lead to better therapeutic interventions for psychiatric disorders characterized by social deficits.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Rigney
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
10
|
Flanigan ME, Kash TL. Coordination of social behaviors by the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis. Eur J Neurosci 2022; 55:2404-2420. [PMID: 33006806 PMCID: PMC9906816 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Revised: 09/16/2020] [Accepted: 09/23/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) is a sexually dimorphic, neuropeptide-rich node of the extended amygdala that has been implicated in responses to stress, drugs of abuse, and natural rewards. Its function is dysregulated in neuropsychiatric disorders that are characterized by stress- or drug-induced alterations in mood, arousal, motivation, and social behavior. However, compared to the BNST's role in mood, arousal, and motivation, its role in social behavior has remained relatively understudied. Moreover, the precise cell types and circuits underlying the BNST's role in social behavior have only recently begun to be explored using modern neuroscience techniques. Here, we systematically review the existing literature investigating the neurobiological substrates within the BNST that contribute to the coordination of various sex-dependent and sex-independent social behavioral repertoires, focusing largely on pharmacological and circuit-based behavioral studies in rodents. We suggest that the BNST coordinates social behavior by promoting appropriate assessment of social contexts to select relevant behavioral outputs and that disruption of socially relevant BNST systems by stress and drugs of abuse may be an important factor in the development of social dysfunction in neuropsychiatric disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Meghan E. Flanigan
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Thomas L. Kash
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC,Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC,Correspondence: Thomas L. Kash, John R. Andrews Distinguished Professor, Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA, , (919) 843-7867
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Abstract
Social stressors are known to have strong negative impacts on mental health. There is a long history of preclinical social defeat stress studies in rodents focusing on males that has produced important insights into the neural mechanisms that modulate depression- and anxiety-related behavior. Despite these impressive results, a historical weakness of rodent social stress models has been an under-representation of studies in females. This is problematic because rates of depression and anxiety are higher in women versus men. Recently there has been a surge of interest in adapting social stress methods for female rodents. Here we review new rodent models that have investigated numerous facets of social stress in females. The different models have different strengths and weaknesses, with some model systems having stronger ethological validity with other models having better access to molecular tools to manipulate neural circuits. Continued use and refinement of these complementary models will be critical for addressing gaps in understanding the function of neural circuits modulating depression- and anxiety-related behavior in females.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jace X Kuske
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Brian C Trainor
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Methods and Challenges in Investigating Sex-Specific Consequences of Social Stressors in Adolescence in Rats: Is It the Stress or the Social or the Stage of Development? Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2021; 54:23-58. [PMID: 34455576 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2021_245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Adolescence is a time of social learning and social restructuring that is accompanied by changes in both the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. The activation of these axes by puberty and stressors, respectively, shapes adolescent development. Models of social stress in rats are used to understand the consequences of perturbations of the social environment for ongoing brain development. This paper reviews the challenges in investigating the sex-specific consequences of social stressors, sex differences in the models of social stress used in rats and the sex-specific effects on behaviour and provides an overview of sex differences in HPA responding to stressors, the variability in pubertal development and in strains of rats that require consideration in conducting such research, and directions for future research.
Collapse
|
13
|
Hou W, Ma H, Xun Y, Zhang X, Cai W, Huang S, He Z, Tai F, Jia R. Sex-Dependent Effects of Chronic Social Defeat on Emotional and Social Behaviors, and Parameters of Oxytocin and Vasopressin Systems in Mandarin Voles ( Microtus mandarinus). Front Neurosci 2021; 15:625116. [PMID: 34045941 PMCID: PMC8144301 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.625116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In the regulation of emotional and social behaviors, both oxytocin (OT) and vasopressin (AVP) are sex specific. Although significant sex differences have been reported in the context of behavioral and hormonal responses to social stress, such differences in response to chronic social defeat stress (CSDS) and the underlying neural mechanisms remain largely unknown. By investigating monogamous mandarin voles (Microtus mandarinus), CSDS was found to decrease the percentages of time spent in the central area of the open field, in the open arms of the elevated plus maze, as well as in the light area of the light and dark boxes in both male and female voles. CSDS also increased the observed level of social withdrawal in both sex groups. However, CSDS exposure increased the percentages of immobile time in both the tail suspension test and the forced swim test and reduced the locomotor activity in the open field (in females only). Along with these behavioral changes, the oxytocin receptor (OTR) levels in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) were significantly lower in CSDS-exposed voles of both sexes; however, in males, the levels of OTR in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) were reduced. CSDS-exposed males showed lower levels of V1aR in the NAc than CSDS-exposed females. Furthermore, induced by a single social defeat event, CSDS reduced c-Fos and OT double labeling in the PVN of females but increased c-Fos and AVP double-labeled neurons in the PVN of males exposed to a single social defeat event. Collectively, the present study indicates that OT and AVP systems may play important regulatory roles in the sex differences of behavioral performances in response to CSDS. These findings suggest mandarin voles as a useful animal model for studying sex-specific behavioral performance and the underlying neurobiological mechanisms of stress-related mental disorders in preclinical studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wenjuan Hou
- Laboratory for Brain and Behavioral Science, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Huan Ma
- Laboratory for Brain and Behavioral Science, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yufeng Xun
- Laboratory for Brain and Behavioral Science, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Xin Zhang
- Laboratory for Brain and Behavioral Science, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Wenqi Cai
- Laboratory for Brain and Behavioral Science, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Shuying Huang
- Laboratory for Brain and Behavioral Science, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Zhixiong He
- Laboratory for Brain and Behavioral Science, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Fadao Tai
- Laboratory for Brain and Behavioral Science, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Rui Jia
- Laboratory for Brain and Behavioral Science, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Ferrer-Pérez C, Reguilón MD, Miñarro J, Rodríguez-Arias M. Oxytocin Signaling as a Target to Block Social Defeat-Induced Increases in Drug Abuse Reward. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22052372. [PMID: 33673448 PMCID: PMC7956822 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22052372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2021] [Revised: 02/21/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
There is huge scientific interest in the neuropeptide oxytocin (OXT) due to its putative capacity to modulate a wide spectrum of physiological and cognitive processes including motivation, learning, emotion, and the stress response. The present review seeks to increase the understanding of the role of OXT in an individual’s vulnerability or resilience with regard to developing a substance use disorder. It places specific attention on the role of social stress as a risk factor of addiction, and explores the hypothesis that OXT constitutes a homeostatic response to stress that buffers against its negative impact. For this purpose, the review summarizes preclinical and clinical literature regarding the effects of OXT in different stages of the addiction cycle. The current literature affirms that a well-functioning oxytocinergic system has protective effects such as the modulation of the initial response to drugs of abuse, the attenuation of the development of dependence, the blunting of drug reinstatement and a general anti-stress effect. However, this system is dysregulated if there is continuous drug use or chronic exposure to stress. In this context, OXT is emerging as a promising pharmacotherapy to restore its natural beneficial effects in the organism and to help rebalance the functions of the addicted brain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carmen Ferrer-Pérez
- Department of Psychology and Sociology, University of Zaragoza, C/Ciudad Escolar s/n, 44003 Teruel, Spain;
| | - Marina D. Reguilón
- Unit of Research Psychobiology of Drug Dependence, Department of Psychobiology, Facultad de Psicología, Universitat de Valencia, Avda. Blasco Ibáñez, 21, 46010 Valencia, Spain; (M.D.R.); (J.M.)
| | - José Miñarro
- Unit of Research Psychobiology of Drug Dependence, Department of Psychobiology, Facultad de Psicología, Universitat de Valencia, Avda. Blasco Ibáñez, 21, 46010 Valencia, Spain; (M.D.R.); (J.M.)
| | - Marta Rodríguez-Arias
- Unit of Research Psychobiology of Drug Dependence, Department of Psychobiology, Facultad de Psicología, Universitat de Valencia, Avda. Blasco Ibáñez, 21, 46010 Valencia, Spain; (M.D.R.); (J.M.)
- Correspondence:
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Miyata S, Yamagata H, Matsuo K, Uchida S, Harada K, Fujihara K, Yanagawa Y, Watanabe Y, Mikuni M, Nakagawa S, Fukuda M. Characterization of the signature of peripheral innate immunity in women with later-life major depressive disorder. Brain Behav Immun 2020; 87:831-839. [PMID: 32217081 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2020.03.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2019] [Revised: 02/12/2020] [Accepted: 03/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The prevalence of depression in later life is higher in women than in men. However, the sex difference in the pathophysiology of depression in elderly patients is not fully understood. Here, we performed gene expression profiling in leukocytes of middle-aged and elderly patients with major depressive disorder, termed later-life depression (LLD) in this context, and we characterized the sex-dependent pathophysiology of LLD. A microarray dataset obtained from leukocytes of patients (aged ≥50 years) with LLD (32 males and 39 females) and age-matched healthy individuals (20 males and 24 females) was used. Differentially expressed probes were determined by comparing the expression levels between patients and healthy individuals, and then functional annotation analyses (Ingenuity Pathway Analysis, Reactome pathway analysis, and cell-type enrichment analysis) were performed. A total of 1656 probes were differentially expressed in LLD females, but only 3 genes were differentially expressed in LLD males. The differentially expressed genes in LLD females were relevant to leukocyte extravasation signaling, Tec kinase signaling and the innate immune response. The upregulated genes were relevant to myeloid lineage cells such as CD14+ monocytes. In contrast, the downregulated genes were relevant to CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. Remarkable innate immune signatures are present in the leukocytes of LLD females but not males. Because inflammation is involved in the pathophysiology of depression, the altered inflammatory activity may be involved in the pathophysiology of LLD in women. In contrast, abnormal inflammation may be an uncommon feature in LLD males.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shigeo Miyata
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-39-22 Showa-machi, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8511, Japan; Department of Genetic and Behavioral Neuroscience, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-39-22 Showa-machi, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8511, Japan.
| | - Hirotaka Yamagata
- Division of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-1-1 Minami-kogushi, Ube, Yamaguchi 755-8505, Japan
| | - Koji Matsuo
- Division of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-1-1 Minami-kogushi, Ube, Yamaguchi 755-8505, Japan; Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Saitama Medical University, 38 Morohongo, Moroyama, Iruma, Saitama 350-0495, Japan
| | - Shusaku Uchida
- Division of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-1-1 Minami-kogushi, Ube, Yamaguchi 755-8505, Japan; SK Project, Medical Innovation Center, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, 53 Shogoin-Kawahara-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Kenichiro Harada
- Division of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-1-1 Minami-kogushi, Ube, Yamaguchi 755-8505, Japan
| | - Kazuyuki Fujihara
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-39-22 Showa-machi, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8511, Japan; Department of Genetic and Behavioral Neuroscience, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-39-22 Showa-machi, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8511, Japan
| | - Yuchio Yanagawa
- Department of Genetic and Behavioral Neuroscience, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-39-22 Showa-machi, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8511, Japan
| | - Yoshifumi Watanabe
- Division of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-1-1 Minami-kogushi, Ube, Yamaguchi 755-8505, Japan; Southern TOHOKU Research Institute for Neuroscience, Southern TOHOKU General Hospital, 7-115 Yatsuyamada, Koriyama, Fukushima 963-8052, Japan
| | - Masahiko Mikuni
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-39-22 Showa-machi, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8511, Japan
| | - Shin Nakagawa
- Division of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-1-1 Minami-kogushi, Ube, Yamaguchi 755-8505, Japan
| | - Masato Fukuda
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-39-22 Showa-machi, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8511, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Williams ES, Manning CE, Eagle AL, Swift-Gallant A, Duque-Wilckens N, Chinnusamy S, Moeser A, Jordan C, Leinninger G, Robison A. Androgen-Dependent Excitability of Mouse Ventral Hippocampal Afferents to Nucleus Accumbens Underlies Sex-Specific Susceptibility to Stress. Biol Psychiatry 2020; 87:492-501. [PMID: 31601425 PMCID: PMC7035179 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2019.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2019] [Revised: 08/02/2019] [Accepted: 08/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Depression affects women nearly twice as often as men, but the neurobiological underpinnings of this discrepancy are unclear. Preclinical studies in male mice suggest that activity of ventral hippocampus (vHPC) neurons projecting to the nucleus accumbens (NAc) regulates mood-related behavioral responses to stress. We sought to characterize this circuit in both sexes and to investigate its role in potential sex differences in models of depression. METHODS We used male and female adult C57BL/6J mice in the subchronic variable stress model to precipitate female-specific reduction in sucrose preference and performed gonadectomies to test the contributions of gonadal hormones to this stress response. In addition, ex vivo slice electrophysiology of transgenic Cre-inducible Rosa-eGFP-L10a mice in combination with retrograde viral tracing to identify circuits was used to test contributions of gonadal hormones to sex differences in vHPC afferents. Finally, we used an intersecting viral DREADD (designer receptor exclusively activated by designer drugs) strategy to manipulate vHPC-NAc excitability directly in awake behaving mice. RESULTS We show a testosterone-dependent lower excitability in male versus female vHPC-NAc neurons and corresponding testosterone-dependent male resilience to reduced sucrose preference after subchronic variable stress. Importantly, we show that long-term DREADD stimulation of vHPC-NAc neurons causes decreased sucrose preference in male mice after subchronic variable stress, whereas DREADD inhibition of this circuit prevents this effect in female mice. CONCLUSIONS We demonstrate a circuit-specific sex difference in vHPC-NAc neurons that is dependent on testosterone and causes susceptibility to stress in female mice. These data provide a substantive mechanism linking gonadal hormones to cellular excitability and anhedonia-a key feature in depressive states.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Claire E. Manning
- Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA,Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Andrew L. Eagle
- Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Ashlyn Swift-Gallant
- Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA,Department of Psychology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, NL, Canada
| | - Natalia Duque-Wilckens
- Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA,Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Sadhana Chinnusamy
- Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Adam Moeser
- Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Cynthia Jordan
- Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Gina Leinninger
- Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - A.J. Robison
- Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA,Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA,Corresponding author: A.J. Robison, Associate Professor, Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, 567 Wilson Road East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA; phone 517-884-5003;
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Brivio E, Lopez JP, Chen A. Sex differences: Transcriptional signatures of stress exposure in male and female brains. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2020; 19:e12643. [PMID: 31989757 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2019] [Revised: 01/13/2020] [Accepted: 01/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
More than two-thirds of patients suffering from stress-related disorders are women but over two-thirds of suicide completers are men. These are just some examples of the many sex differences in the prevalence and manifestations of stress-related disorders, such as major depressive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and anxiety disorders, which have been extensively documented in clinical research. Nonetheless, the molecular origins of this sex dimorphism are still quite obscure. In response to this lack of knowledge, the NIH recently advocated implementing sex as biological variable in the design of preclinical studies across disciplines. As a result, a newly emerging field within psychiatry is trying to elucidate the molecular causes underlying the clinically described sex dimorphism. Several studies in rodents and humans have already identified many stress-related genes that are regulated by acute and chronic stress in a sex-specific fashion. Furthermore, current transcriptomic studies have shown that pathways and networks in male and female individuals are not equally affected by stress exposure. In this review, we give an overview of transcriptional studies designed to understand how sex influences stress-specific transcriptomic changes in rodent models, as well as human psychiatric patients, highlighting the use of different methodological techniques. Understanding which mechanisms are more affected in males, and which in females, may lead to the identification of sex-specific mechanisms, their selective contribution to stress susceptibility, and their role in the development of stress-related psychiatric disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elena Brivio
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany.,International Max Planck Research School for Translational Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Juan Pablo Lopez
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Alon Chen
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany.,Department of Neurobiology, Nella and Leon Benoziyo Center for Neurological Diseases, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Kania A, Sambak P, Gugula A, Szlaga A, Soltys Z, Blasiak T, Hess G, Rajfur Z, Blasiak A. Electrophysiology and distribution of oxytocin and vasopressin neurons in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus: a study in male and female rats. Brain Struct Funct 2019; 225:285-304. [DOI: 10.1007/s00429-019-01989-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2019] [Accepted: 11/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
|
19
|
Kokras N, Hodes GE, Bangasser DA, Dalla C. Sex differences in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis: An obstacle to antidepressant drug development? Br J Pharmacol 2019; 176:4090-4106. [PMID: 31093959 PMCID: PMC6877794 DOI: 10.1111/bph.14710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2018] [Revised: 04/11/2019] [Accepted: 04/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis dysfunction has long been implicated in the pathophysiology of depression, and HPA axis-based compounds have served as potential new therapeutic targets, but with no success. This review details sex differences from animal and human studies in the function of HPA axis elements (glucocorticoids, corticotropin releasing factor, and vasopressin) and related compounds tested as candidate antidepressants. We propose that sex differences contribute to the failure of novel HPA axis-based drugs in clinical trials. Compounds studied preclinically in males were tested in clinical trials that recruited more, if not exclusively, women, and did not control, but rather adjusted, for potential sex differences. Indeed, clinical trials of antidepressants are usually not stratified by sex or other important factors, although preclinical and epidemiological data support such stratification. In conclusion, we suggest that clinical testing of HPA axis-related compounds creates an opportunity for targeted, personalized antidepressant treatments based on sex. LINKED ARTICLES: This article is part of a themed section on The Importance of Sex Differences in Pharmacology Research. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v176.21/issuetoc.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nikolaos Kokras
- Department of PharmacologyNational and Kapodistrian University of AthensAthensGreece
- First Department of Psychiatry, Eginition HospitalNational and Kapodistrian University of AthensAthensGreece
| | - Georgia E. Hodes
- School of NeuroscienceVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityBlacksburgVirginia
| | | | - Christina Dalla
- Department of PharmacologyNational and Kapodistrian University of AthensAthensGreece
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Berends YR, Tulen JH, Wierdsma AI, van Pelt J, Kushner SA, van Marle HJ. Oxytocin, vasopressin and trust: Associations with aggressive behavior in healthy young males. Physiol Behav 2019; 204:180-185. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2019.02.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2018] [Revised: 02/20/2019] [Accepted: 02/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
|
21
|
Oxytocin/vasopressin-like peptide inotocin regulates cuticular hydrocarbon synthesis and water balancing in ants. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:5597-5606. [PMID: 30842287 PMCID: PMC6431230 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1817788116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Inotocin, the oxytocin/vasopressin-like peptide, is widely conserved in arthropods; however, little is known about its molecular function. Here, we show that, in ants, the expression levels of inotocin and its receptor are correlated with the age of workers and their behavior. We also demonstrate that inotocin signaling is involved in desiccation resistance by regulating the synthesis of cuticular hydrocarbons. We propose that the up-regulation of inotocin and its receptor as workers age and switch tasks from nursing to foraging is a key physiological adaption to survive drier environments outside of the nest. Oxytocin/vasopressin-like peptides are important regulators of physiology and social behavior in vertebrates. However, the function of inotocin, the homologous peptide in arthropods, remains largely unknown. Here, we show that the level of expression of inotocin and inotocin receptor are correlated with task allocation in the ant Camponotus fellah. Both genes are up-regulated when workers age and switch tasks from nursing to foraging. in situ hybridization revealed that inotocin receptor is specifically expressed in oenocytes, which are specialized cells synthesizing cuticular hydrocarbons which function as desiccation barriers in insects and for social recognition in ants. dsRNA injection targeting inotocin receptor, together with pharmacological treatments using three identified antagonists blocking inotocin signaling, revealed that inotocin signaling regulates the expression of cytochrome P450 4G1 (CYP4G1) and the synthesis of cuticular hydrocarbons, which play an important role in desiccation resistance once workers initiate foraging.
Collapse
|
22
|
Oliveira VEDM, Neumann ID, de Jong TR. Post-weaning social isolation exacerbates aggression in both sexes and affects the vasopressin and oxytocin system in a sex-specific manner. Neuropharmacology 2019; 156:107504. [PMID: 30664846 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2019.01.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2018] [Revised: 01/14/2019] [Accepted: 01/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Post-weaning social isolation (PWSI) is known to induce exaggerated and abnormal aggression in male rats. Here we aimed to assess the effects of PWSI on aggressiveness and social behavior in both male and female rats. Furthermore, we evaluated how PWSI affects the central oxytocin (OXT) and vasopressin (AVP) systems in both sexes. Wistar rats were isolated (IS) or group housed (GH) in same-sex groups immediately after weaning. After seven weeks, rats underwent an intruder test to assess aggression. In one group, brains were immediately dissected afterwards for in situ hybridization and receptor autoradiography. The other group underwent additional anxiety-like and social behavior tests. PWSI induced increased (abnormal) aggression and impaired social memory in both sexes. Especially IS females exhibited abnormal aggression towards juveniles. Furthermore, PWSI increased OXT mRNA expression in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN) and decreased OXTR binding in the anterior portion of the nucleus accumbens (NAcc), independent of the sex. V1a receptor binding was decreased in the lateral hypothalamus (LH) and dentate gyrus (DG) in IS rats, regardless of sex. However, V1a receptor binding in the anterior portion of the bed nucleus of stria terminalis (BNSTa) was decreased in IS females but increased in IS males. Taken together, our data support PWSI as a reliable model to exacerbate aggression not only in male but also in female rats. In addition, OXT receptors in the NAcca and V1a receptors in the LH, DG, and BNSTa may play a role in the link between PWSI and aggression. This article is part of the Special Issue entitled 'Current status of the neurobiology of aggression and impulsivity'.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Inga D Neumann
- Department of Behavioral and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, Germany
| | - Trynke R de Jong
- Department of Behavioral and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, Germany; Lifelines Biobank Noord-Nederland B.V. Groningen, Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Borland JM, Rilling JK, Frantz KJ, Albers HE. Sex-dependent regulation of social reward by oxytocin: an inverted U hypothesis. Neuropsychopharmacology 2019; 44:97-110. [PMID: 29968846 PMCID: PMC6235847 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-018-0129-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2018] [Revised: 06/10/2018] [Accepted: 06/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The rewarding properties of social interactions are essential for the expression of social behavior and the development of adaptive social relationships. Here, we review sex differences in social reward, and more specifically, how oxytocin (OT) acts in the mesolimbic dopamine system (MDS) to mediate the rewarding properties of social interactions in a sex-dependent manner. Evidence from rodents and humans suggests that same-sex social interactions may be more rewarding in females than in males. We propose that there is an inverted U relationship between OT dose, social reward, and neural activity within structures of the MDS in both males and females, and that this dose-response relationship is initiated at lower doses in females than males. As a result, depending on the dose of OT administered, OT could reduce social reward in females, while enhancing it in males. Sex differences in the neural mechanisms regulating social reward may contribute to sex differences in the incidence of a large number of psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders. This review addresses the potential significance of a sex-dependent inverted U dose-response function for OT's effects on social reward and in the development of gender-specific therapies for these disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Johnathan M Borland
- Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - James K Rilling
- Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Anthropology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Center for Translational and Social Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Kyle J Frantz
- Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - H Elliott Albers
- Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Reed SC, Haney M, Manubay J, Campagna BR, Reed B, Foltin RW, Evans SM. Sex differences in stress reactivity after intranasal oxytocin in recreational cannabis users. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2018; 176:72-82. [PMID: 30521833 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2018.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2018] [Revised: 10/30/2018] [Accepted: 11/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Cannabis is the most widely used illicit drugs and the changing legal, political and cultural climate will likely increase cannabis use further. One factor that may underlie the transition from recreational use to problematic use is stress. The hormone oxytocin (OXT) modulates stress and may have therapeutic efficacy for substance use disorders, but few studies have examined OXT in cannabis users. Another factor is sex; although more men smoke cannabis, the transition from recreational to problematic use is faster in women. Using a within-subjects design, the effects of intranasal (i.n.) oxytocin (OXT; 40 IU) administration on stress reactivity (using the Trier Social Stress Test; TSST) and cannabis (5.6% THC) self-administration was assessed in recreational cannabis using men (n = 31) and women (n = 32) relative to i.n. placebo (PBO) and no-stress (NST) conditions. The TSST produced expected subjective and cardiovascular effects compared to the NST. However, in the i.n. OXT-TSST condition, positive subjective effects were lower and negative subjective effects were higher in women compared to PBO administration and compared to men. Further, latency to self-administer cannabis was longer in women than men and women self-administered less cannabis than men regardless of stress condition. There were no differences in cannabis craving as a function of sex, stress, or medication. These results suggest that OXT administration may lead to greater stress reactivity in recreational cannabis users, particularly women, and support growing evidence that sex differences should be carefully considered when examining the therapeutic potential of OXT.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie C Reed
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, United States of America; Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, United States of America.
| | - Margaret Haney
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, United States of America; Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Jeanne Manubay
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, United States of America; Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Bianca R Campagna
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Brian Reed
- Rockefeller University, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Richard W Foltin
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, United States of America; Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Suzette M Evans
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, United States of America; Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Wright EC, Parks TV, Alexander JO, Supra R, Trainor BC. Activation of kappa opioid receptors in the dorsal raphe have sex dependent effects on social behavior in California mice. Behav Brain Res 2018; 351:83-92. [PMID: 29768187 PMCID: PMC6120584 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2018.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2018] [Revised: 05/11/2018] [Accepted: 05/12/2018] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Kappa opioid receptor activation has been linked to stress and anxiety behavior, thus leading to kappa antagonists being popularized in research as potential anxiolytics. However, while these findings may hold true in standard models, the neuromodulatory effects of social defeat may change the behavioral outcome of kappa opioid receptor activation. Previous research has shown that social defeat can lead to hyperactivity of serotonergic neurons in the dorsal raphe nucleus, and that inhibition of this increase blocks the social deficits caused by defeat. Kappa opioid receptor activation in the dorsal raphe nucleus works to decrease serotonergic activity. We injected the kappa opioid receptor U50,488 directly into the dorsal raphe nucleus of male and female, defeat and control adult California mice. Here we show evidence that U50,488 induces anxiety behavior in control male California mice, but helps relieve it in defeated males. Consistent with previous literature, we find little effect in females adding evidence that there are marked and important sex differences in the kappa opioid system.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emily C Wright
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Tiffany V Parks
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA; McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Rajesh Supra
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Brian C Trainor
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Masis-Calvo M, Schmidtner AK, de Moura Oliveira VE, Grossmann CP, de Jong TR, Neumann ID. Animal models of social stress: the dark side of social interactions. Stress 2018; 21:417-432. [PMID: 29745275 DOI: 10.1080/10253890.2018.1462327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Social stress occurs in all social species, including humans, and shape both mental health and future interactions with conspecifics. Animal models of social stress are used to unravel the precise role of the main stress system - the HPA axis - on the one hand, and the social behavior network on the other, as these are intricately interwoven. The present review aims to summarize the insights gained from three highly useful and clinically relevant animal models of psychosocial stress: the resident-intruder (RI) test, the chronic subordinate colony housing (CSC), and the social fear conditioning (SFC). Each model brings its own focus: the role of the HPA axis in shaping acute social confrontations (RI test), the physiological and behavioral impairments resulting from chronic exposure to negative social experiences (CSC), and the neurobiology underlying social fear and its effects on future social interactions (SFC). Moreover, these models are discussed with special attention to the HPA axis and the neuropeptides vasopressin and oxytocin, which are important messengers in the stress system, in emotion regulation, as well as in the social behavior network. It appears that both nonapeptides balance the relative strength of the stress response, and simultaneously predispose the animal to positive or negative social interactions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marianela Masis-Calvo
- a Department of Behavioral and Molecular Neurobiology , University of Regensburg , Regensburg , Germany
| | - Anna K Schmidtner
- a Department of Behavioral and Molecular Neurobiology , University of Regensburg , Regensburg , Germany
| | | | - Cindy P Grossmann
- a Department of Behavioral and Molecular Neurobiology , University of Regensburg , Regensburg , Germany
| | - Trynke R de Jong
- a Department of Behavioral and Molecular Neurobiology , University of Regensburg , Regensburg , Germany
- b Medische Biobank Noord-Nederland B.V , Groningen , Netherlands
| | - Inga D Neumann
- a Department of Behavioral and Molecular Neurobiology , University of Regensburg , Regensburg , Germany
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Shimamoto A. Social Defeat Stress, Sex, and Addiction-Like Behaviors. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2018; 140:271-313. [PMID: 30193707 DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2018.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Social confrontation is a form of social interaction in animals where two conspecific individuals confront each other in dispute over territory, during the formation of hierarchies, and during breeding seasons. Typically, a social confrontation involves a prevailing individual and a yielding individual. The prevailing individual often exhibits aggressive postures and launches attacks, whereas the yielding individual often adopts postures of defeat. The yielding or defeated animals experience a phenomenon known as social defeat stress, in which they show exaggerated stress as well as autonomic and endocrine responses that cause impairment of both the brain and body. In laboratory settings, one can reliably generate social defeat stress by allowing a naïve (or already defeated) animal to intrude into a home cage in which its resident has already established a territory or is nursing. This resident-intruder paradigm has been widely used in both males and females to study mechanisms in the brain that underlie the stress responses. Stress has profound effects on drug reward for cocaine, methamphetamine, alcohol, and opioids. Particularly, previous experiences with social defeat can exaggerate subsequent addiction-like behaviors. The extent of these addiction-like behaviors depends on the intensity, duration, frequency, and intermittency of the confrontation episodes. This chapter describes four types of social defeat stress: acute, repeated, intermittent, and chronic. Specifically, it focuses on social defeat stress models used in laboratories to study individual, sex, and animal strain differences in addiction-like behaviors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Akiko Shimamoto
- Department of Biochemistry, Cancer Biology, Neuroscience, and Pharmacology, Meharry Medical College, Nashville, TN, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Williams AV, Trainor BC. The impact of sex as a biological variable in the search for novel antidepressants. Front Neuroendocrinol 2018; 50:107-117. [PMID: 29859882 PMCID: PMC6139050 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2018.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2018] [Revised: 05/15/2018] [Accepted: 05/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
A roadblock to successful treatment for anxiety and depression is the high proportion of individuals that do not respond to existing treatments. Different underlying neurobiological mechanisms may drive similar symptoms, so a more personalized approach to treatment could be more successful. There is increasing evidence that sex is an important biological variable modulating efficacy of antidepressants and anxiolytics. We review evidence for sex-specific effects of traditional monoamine based antidepressants and newer pharmaceuticals targeting kappa opioid receptors (KOR), oxytocin receptors (OTR), and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (ketamine). In some cases, similar behavioral effects are observed in both sexes while in other cases strong sex-specific effects are observed. Most intriguing are cases such as ketamine which has similar behavioral effects in males and females, perhaps through sex-specific neurobiological mechanisms. These results show how essential it is to include both males and females in both clinical and preclinical evaluations of novel antidepressants and anxiolytics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexia V Williams
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, United States.
| | - Brian C Trainor
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Autoantibodies reactive to adrenocorticotropic hormone can alter cortisol secretion in both aggressive and nonaggressive humans. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:E6576-E6584. [PMID: 29941562 PMCID: PMC6048475 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1720008115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Violent aggression in humans may involve a modified response to stress, but the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. Here we show that naturally present autoantibodies reactive to adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) exhibit distinct epitope-binding profiles to ACTH peptide in subjects with a history of violent aggression compared with controls. Namely, while nonaggressive male controls displayed a preferential IgG binding to the ACTH central part (amino acids 11-24), subjects who had committed violent acts of aggression had IgG with increased affinity to ACTH, preferentially binding to its N terminus (amino acids 1-13). Purified IgGs from approximately half of the examined sera were able to block ACTH-induced cortisol secretion of human adrenal cells in vitro, irrespective of the source of sample (from a control subject or a violent aggressor). Nevertheless, in the resident-intruder test in mice, i.p. injection of residents with ACTH and IgG from aggressive subjects, but not from control subjects, shortened latency for the first attack against intruders. Immunohistochemical screening of violent aggressors' sera on rat brain and pituitary sections did not show IgG binding to ACTH-producing cells, but 4 of 16 sera revealed selective binding to a nonidentified antigen in vasopressinergic neurons of the hypothalamic paraventricular and supraoptic nuclei. Thus, the data show that ACTH-reactive plasmatic IgGs exhibit differential epitope preference in control and violently aggressive subjects. These IgGs can modulate ACTH-induced cortisol secretion and, hence, are involved in the regulation of the stress response. However, the possible role of ACTH-reactive autoantibodies in aggressive behavior needs further investigation.
Collapse
|
30
|
Kelly AM, Hiura LC, Ophir AG. Rapid nonapeptide synthesis during a critical period of development in the prairie vole: plasticity of the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus. Brain Struct Funct 2018. [PMID: 29523998 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-018-1640-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Vasopressin (VP) and oxytocin (OT) are involved in modulating basic physiology and numerous social behaviors. Although the anatomical distributions of nonapeptide neurons throughout development have been described, the functional roles of VP and OT neurons during development are surprisingly understudied, and it is unknown whether they exhibit functional changes throughout early development. We utilized an acute social isolation paradigm to determine if VP and OT neural responses in eight nonapeptide cell groups differ at three different stages of early development in prairie voles. We tested pups at ages that are representative of the three rapid growth stages of the developing brain: postnatal day (PND)2 (closed eyes; poor locomotion), PND9 (eye opening; locomotion; peak brain growth spurt), and PND21 (weaning). Neural responses were examined in pups that (1) were under normal family conditions with their parents and siblings, (2) were isolated from their parents and siblings and then reunited, and (3) were isolated from their parents and siblings. We found that VP and OT neural activity (as assessed via Fos co-localization) did not differ in response to social condition across development. However, remarkably rapid VP and OT synthesis in response to social isolation was observed only in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN) and only in PND9 pups. These results suggest that PVN nonapeptide neurons exhibit distinct cellular properties during a critical period of development, allowing nonapeptide neurons to rapidly upregulate peptide production in response to stressors on a much shorter timescale than has been observed in adult animals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aubrey M Kelly
- Department of Psychology, Cornell University, 229 Uris Hall, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA.
| | - Lisa C Hiura
- Department of Psychology, Cornell University, 229 Uris Hall, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Alexander G Ophir
- Department of Psychology, Cornell University, 229 Uris Hall, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Kowalczyk AS, Davila RF, Trainor BC. Effects of social defeat on paternal behavior and pair bonding behavior in male California mice (Peromyscus californicus). Horm Behav 2018; 98:88-95. [PMID: 29289657 PMCID: PMC5828991 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2017.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2017] [Revised: 12/11/2017] [Accepted: 12/23/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Male parental care is an important social behavior for several mammalian species. Psychosocial stress is usually found to inhibit maternal behavior, but effects on paternal behavior have been less consistent. We tested the effects of social defeat stress on pair bond formation and paternal behavior in the monogamous California mouse (Peromyscus californicus). Social defeat reduced time spent in a chamber with a stranger female during a partner preference test conducted 24h after pairing, but increased latency to the first litter. In 10min partner preference tests conducted after the birth of pups, both control and stressed males exhibited selective aggression towards stranger females. Unlike prairie voles, side by side contact was not observed in either partner preference test. Stressed male California mice engaged in more paternal behavior than controls and had reduced anxiety-like responses in the open-field test. Defeat stress enhanced prodynorphin and KOR expression in the medial preoptic area (MPOA) but not PVN. Increased KOR signaling has been linked to increased selective aggression in prairie voles. Together the results show that defeat stress enhances behaviors related to parental care and pair bonding in male California mice.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alex S Kowalczyk
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, United States
| | - Randy F Davila
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, United States
| | - Brian C Trainor
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Sociability trait and regional cerebral oxidative metabolism in rats: Predominantly nonlinear relations. Behav Brain Res 2018; 337:186-192. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2017.08.049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2017] [Revised: 08/25/2017] [Accepted: 08/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
|
33
|
Laman-Maharg A, Trainor BC. Stress, sex, and motivated behaviors. J Neurosci Res 2017; 95:83-92. [PMID: 27870436 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.23815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2016] [Revised: 06/01/2016] [Accepted: 06/13/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Stress is a major risk factor for development of psychiatric disorders such as depression and development of substance use disorder. Although there are important sex differences in the prevalence of these disorders, most preclinical models used to study stress-induced disorders have used males only. Social defeat stress is a commonly used method to induce stress in an ethologically relevant way but has only recently begun to be used in female rodents. Using these new female models, recent studies have examined how social defeat stress affects males and females differently at the behavioral, circuit, and molecular levels. This Mini-Review discusses sex differences in the effects of social defeat stress on social behavior and drug-seeking behavior as well as its impact on the mesolimbic dopamine system and the highly connected region of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Abigail Laman-Maharg
- Neuroscience Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, Davis, California.,Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California.,Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, Davis, California
| | - Brian C Trainor
- Neuroscience Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, Davis, California.,Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California.,Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, Davis, California
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Solomon MB. Evaluating social defeat as a model for psychopathology in adult female rodents. J Neurosci Res 2017; 95:763-776. [PMID: 27870445 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.23971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2016] [Revised: 09/20/2016] [Accepted: 09/27/2016] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Social conflict is a predominant stressor in humans and is associated with increased risk for developing psychological illnesses including depression and anxiety. Overwhelmingly, more women suffer from these disorders, which may be due to increased stress sensitivity. Like humans, rodents experience a myriad of physiological and behavioral sequelae due to prolonged stress exposure. Although the motivation for social conflict may differ between humans and rodents, female rodents may provide an opportunity to explore the underlying mechanisms by which stress confers risk for psychopathology in women. Because most female rodents do not express spontaneous aggression, the majority of basic research examines the physiological and behavioral outcomes of social conflict in male rodents. However, there are instances where female rodents exhibit territorial (California mice and Syrian hamsters) and maternal aggression (rats, mice, and hamsters) creating a venue to examine sex differences in physiology and behavior in response to stress. While many studies rely upon nonsocial behavioral assays (e.g., elevated plus maze, forced swim test) to assess the impact of stress on emotionality, here we primarily focus on behavioral outcomes in social-based assays in rodents. This is critically important given that disruptions in social relationships can be a cause and consequence of neuropsychiatric diseases. Next, we briefly discuss how sex differences in the recruitment of neural circuitry and/or neurochemistry in response to stress may underlie sex differences in neuroendocrine and behavioral stress responses. Finally, the translational value of females in rodent stress models and considerations regarding behavioral interpretations of these models are discussed. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Matia B Solomon
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Wang J, Fang Q, Yang C. Effects of paternal deprivation on cocaine-induced behavioral response and hypothalamic oxytocin immunoreactivity and serum oxytocin level in female mandarin voles. Behav Brain Res 2017; 334:135-141. [PMID: 28756211 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2017.07.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2017] [Revised: 07/24/2017] [Accepted: 07/25/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Early paternal behavior plays a critical role in behavioral development in monogamous species. The vast majority of laboratory studies investigating the influence of parental behavior on cocaine vulnerability focus on the effects of early maternal separation. However, comparable studies on whether early paternal deprivation influences cocaine-induced behavioral response are substantially lacking. Mandarin vole (Microtus mandarinus) is a monogamous rodent with high levels of paternal care. After mandarin vole pups were subjected to early paternal deprivation, acute cocaine- induced locomotion, anxiety- like behavior and social behavior were examined in 45day old female pups, while hypothalamic oxytocin immunoreactivity and serum oxytocin level were also assessed. We found that cocaine increased locomotion and decreased social investigation, contact behavior and serum oxytocin level regardless of paternal care. Cocaine increased anxiety levels and decreased oxytocin immunoreactive neurons of the paraventricular nuclei and supraoptic nuclei in the bi-parental care group, whilst there were no specific effects in the paternal deprivation group. These results indicate that paternal deprivation results in different behavioral response to acute cocaine exposure in adolescents, which may be in part associated with the alterations in oxytocin immunoreactivity and peripheral OT level.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jianli Wang
- College of Biological Sciences and Engineering, Beifang University of Nationalities, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750021, China.
| | - Qianqian Fang
- College of Biological Sciences and Engineering, Beifang University of Nationalities, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750021, China; College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xian, Shaanxi 710062, China
| | - Chenxi Yang
- College of Biological Sciences and Engineering, Beifang University of Nationalities, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750021, China
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Yohn CN, Leithead AB, Becker EA. Increased vasopressin expression in the BNST accompanies paternally induced territoriality in male and female California mouse offspring. Horm Behav 2017; 93:9-17. [PMID: 28359742 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2017.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2016] [Revised: 03/17/2017] [Accepted: 03/19/2017] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
While developmental consequences of parental investment on species-typical social behaviors has been extensively characterized in same-sex parent-offspring interactions, the impact of opposite-sex relationships is less clear. In the bi-parental California mouse (Peromyscus californicus), paternal retrieval behavior induces territorial aggression and the expression of arginine vasopressin (AVP) in adult male offspring. Although similar patterns of territorially emerge among females, the sexually dimorphic AVP system has not been considered since it is generally thought to regulate male-typical behavior. However, we recently demonstrated that male and female P. californicus offspring experience increases in plasma testosterone following paternal retrieval. Since AVP expression is androgen-dependent during development, we postulate that increases in AVP expression may accompany territoriality in female, as well as male offspring. To explore this aim, adult P. californicus offspring that received either high or low levels of paternal care (retrievals) during early development were tested for territoriality and immunohistochemical analysis of AVP within the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), paraventricular nucleus (PVN), and supraoptic nucleus (SON). Consistent with previous studies, high care offspring were more aggressive than low care offspring. Moreover, high care offspring had significantly more AVP immunoreactive (AVP-ir) cells within the BNST than low care offspring. This pattern was observed within female as well as male offspring, suggesting an equally salient role for paternal care on female offspring physiology. Regardless of early social experience, sex differences in AVP persisted in the BNST, with males having greater expression than females.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christine N Yohn
- Department of Psychology, Saint Joseph's University, 5600 City Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19131, USA; Department of Psychology, Rutgers University, 152 Frelinghuysen Rd, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA.
| | - Amanda B Leithead
- Department of Psychology, Saint Joseph's University, 5600 City Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19131, USA
| | - Elizabeth A Becker
- Department of Psychology, Saint Joseph's University, 5600 City Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19131, USA
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Fuxjager MJ, Trainor BC, Marler CA. What can animal research tell us about the link between androgens and social competition in humans? Horm Behav 2017; 92:182-189. [PMID: 27914879 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2016.11.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2016] [Revised: 11/14/2016] [Accepted: 11/15/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
A contribution to a special issue on Hormones and Human Competition. The relationship between androgenic hormones, like testosterone (T), and aggression is extensively studied in human populations. Yet, while this work has illuminated a variety of principals regarding the behavioral and phenotypic effects of T, it is also hindered by inherent limitations of performing research on people. In these instances, animal research can be used to gain further insight into the complex mechanisms by which T influences aggression. Here, we explore recent studies on T and aggression in numerous vertebrate species, although we focus primarily on males and on a New World rodent called the California mouse (Peromyscus californicus). This species is highly territorial and monogamous, resembling the modern human social disposition. We review (i) how baseline and dynamic T levels predict and/or impact aggressive behavior and disposition; (ii) how factors related to social and physical context influence T and aggression; (iii) the reinforcing or "rewarding" aspects of aggressive behavior; and (iv) the function of T on aggression before and during a combative encounter. Included are areas that may need further research. We argue that animal studies investigating these topics fill in gaps to help paint a more complete picture of how androgenic steroids drive the output of aggressive behavior in all animals, including humans.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Brian C Trainor
- Neuroscience Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, CA, USA; Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA; Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Catherine A Marler
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA; Department of Zoology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Abulseoud OA, Ho MC, Choi DS, Stanojević A, Čupić Ž, Kolar-Anić L, Vukojević V. Corticosterone oscillations during mania induction in the lateral hypothalamic kindled rat-Experimental observations and mathematical modeling. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0177551. [PMID: 28542167 PMCID: PMC5436765 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0177551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2015] [Accepted: 04/28/2017] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Changes in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity constitute a key component of bipolar mania, but the extent and nature of these alterations are not fully understood. We use here the lateral hypothalamic-kindled (LHK) rat model to deliberately induce an acute manic-like episode and measure serum corticosterone concentrations to assess changes in HPA axis activity. A mathematical model is developed to succinctly describe the entwined biochemical transformations that underlay the HPA axis and emulate by numerical simulations the considerable increase in serum corticosterone concentration induced by LHK. Synergistic combination of the LHK rat model and dynamical systems theory allows us to quantitatively characterize changes in HPA axis activity under controlled induction of acute manic-like states and provides a framework to study in silico how the dynamic integration of neurochemical transformations underlying the HPA axis is disrupted in these states.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Osama A. Abulseoud
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology; Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, United States of America
- Chemistry and Drug Metabolism, IRP, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Man Choi Ho
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Doo-Sup Choi
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology; Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, United States of America
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Ana Stanojević
- University of Belgrade, Faculty of Physical Chemistry, Studentski trg 12–16, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Željko Čupić
- University of Belgrade, Institute of Chemistry, Technology and Metallurgy, Department of Catalysis and Chemical Engineering, Njegoševa 12, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Ljiljana Kolar-Anić
- University of Belgrade, Faculty of Physical Chemistry, Studentski trg 12–16, Belgrade, Serbia
- University of Belgrade, Institute of Chemistry, Technology and Metallurgy, Department of Catalysis and Chemical Engineering, Njegoševa 12, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Vladana Vukojević
- Karolinska Institute, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Center for Molecular Medicine CMM L8:01, Stockholm, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Behavioural outcomes of adult female offspring following maternal stress and perinatal fluoxetine exposure. Behav Brain Res 2017; 331:84-91. [PMID: 28511978 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2017.05.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2017] [Revised: 05/05/2017] [Accepted: 05/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Depression, anxiety, and stress are common in pregnant women. One of the primary pharmacological treatments for anxiety and depression is the antidepressant fluoxetine (Flx). Maternal stress, depression, and Flx exposure are known to effect neurodevelopment of the offspring, however, their combined effects have been scarcely studied, especially in female offspring. The present study investigated the combined effects of maternal stress during pregnancy and perinatal exposure to Flx on the behaviour of female mice as adults. METHODS Mouse dams were exposed to either chronic unpredictable stress (embryonic (E) day 7 to E18), or FLX (E15- postnatal day 12), or a combination of stress and FLX or left untreated. At two months of age, the female offspring went through a comprehensive behavioural test battery. RESULTS Maternal stress led to increased activity and alterations of prepulse inhibition in the adult female offspring. Maternal treatment with Flx had a potentially beneficial effect on spatial memory. The combination of prenatal stress and perinatal Flx exposure did not interact in their effects. These results suggest that gestational Flx exposure may have a limited negative impact on female offspring.
Collapse
|
40
|
Terranova JI, Ferris CF, Albers HE. Sex Differences in the Regulation of Offensive Aggression and Dominance by Arginine-Vasopressin. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2017; 8:308. [PMID: 29184535 PMCID: PMC5694440 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2017.00308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2017] [Accepted: 10/23/2017] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Arginine-vasopressin (AVP) plays a critical role in the regulation of offensive aggression and social status in mammals. AVP is found in an extensive neural network in the brain. Here, we discuss the role of AVP in the regulation of aggression in the limbic system with an emphasis on the critical role of hypothalamic AVP in the control of aggression. In males, activation of AVP V1a receptors (V1aRs) in the hypothalamus stimulates offensive aggression, while in females activation of V1aRs inhibits aggression. Serotonin (5-HT) also acts within the hypothalamus to modulate the effects of AVP on aggression in a sex-dependent manner. Activation of 5-HT1a receptors (5-HT1aRs) inhibits aggression in males and stimulates aggression in females. There are also striking sex differences in the mechanisms underlying the acquisition of dominance. In males, the acquisition of dominance is associated with the activation of AVP-containing neurons in the hypothalamus. By contrast, in females, the acquisition of dominance is associated with the activation of 5-HT-containing neurons in the dorsal raphe. AVP and 5-HT also play critical roles in the regulation of a form of social communication that is important for the maintenance of dominance relationships. In both male and female hamsters, AVP acts via V1aRs in the hypothalamus, as well as in other limbic structures, to communicate social status through the stimulation of a form of scent marking called flank marking. 5-HT acts on 5-HT1aRs as well as other 5-HT receptors within the hypothalamus to inhibit flank marking induced by AVP in both males and females. Interestingly, while AVP and 5-HT influence the expression of aggression in opposite ways in males and females, there are no sex differences in the effects of AVP and 5-HT on the expression of social communication. Given the profound sex differences in the incidence of many psychiatric disorders and the increasing evidence for a relationship between aggressiveness/dominance and the susceptibility to these disorders, understanding the neural regulation of aggression and social status will have significant import for translational studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joseph I. Terranova
- Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Craig F. Ferris
- Department of Psychology, Center for Translational NeuroImaging, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - H. Elliott Albers
- Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, United States
- *Correspondence: H. Elliott Albers,
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Chakraborty N, Meyerhoff J, Jett M, Hammamieh R. Genome to Phenome: A Systems Biology Approach to PTSD Using an Animal Model. Methods Mol Biol 2017; 1598:117-154. [PMID: 28508360 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-6952-4_6] [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] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating illness that imposes significant emotional and financial burdens on military families. The understanding of PTSD etiology remains elusive; nonetheless, it is clear that PTSD is manifested by a cluster of symptoms including hyperarousal, reexperiencing of traumatic events, and avoidance of trauma reminders. With these characteristics in mind, several rodent models have been developed eliciting PTSD-like features. Animal models with social dimensions are of particular interest, since the social context plays a major role in the development and manifestation of PTSD.For civilians, a core trauma that elicits PTSD might be characterized by a singular life-threatening event such as a car accident. In contrast, among war veterans, PTSD might be triggered by repeated threats and a cumulative psychological burden that coalesced in the combat zone. In capturing this fundamental difference, the aggressor-exposed social stress (Agg-E SS) model imposes highly threatening conspecific trauma on naïve mice repeatedly and randomly.There is abundant evidence that suggests the potential role of genetic contributions to risk factors for PTSD. Specific observations include putatively heritable attributes of the disorder, the cited cases of atypical brain morphology, and the observed neuroendocrine shifts away from normative. Taken together, these features underscore the importance of multi-omics investigations to develop a comprehensive picture. More daunting will be the task of downstream analysis with integration of these heterogeneous genotypic and phenotypic data types to deliver putative clinical biomarkers. Researchers are advocating for a systems biology approach, which has demonstrated an increasingly robust potential for integrating multidisciplinary data. By applying a systems biology approach here, we have connected the tissue-specific molecular perturbations to the behaviors displayed by mice subjected to Agg-E SS. A molecular pattern that links the atypical fear plasticity to energy deficiency was thereby identified to be causally associated with many behavioral shifts and transformations.PTSD is a multifactorial illness sensitive to environmental influence. Accordingly, it is essential to employ the optimal animal model approximating the environmental condition that elicits PTSD-like symptoms. Integration of an optimal animal model with a systems biology approach can contribute to a more knowledge-driven and efficient next-generation care management system and, potentially, prevention of PTSD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nabarun Chakraborty
- Integrative Systems Biology, Geneva Foundation, USACEHR, 568 Doughten Drive, Fredrick, MD, 21702-5010, USA
| | - James Meyerhoff
- Integrative Systems Biology, Geneva Foundation, USACEHR, 568 Doughten Drive, Fredrick, MD, 21702-5010, USA
| | - Marti Jett
- Integrative Systems Biology, US Army Center for Environmental Health Research, USACEHR, 568 Doughten Drive, Frederick, MD, 21702-5010, USA
| | - Rasha Hammamieh
- Integrative Systems Biology, US Army Center for Environmental Health Research, USACEHR, 568 Doughten Drive, Frederick, MD, 21702-5010, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Yadawa AK, Chaturvedi CM. Expression of stress hormones AVP and CRH in the hypothalamus of Mus musculus following water and food deprivation. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2016; 239:13-20. [PMID: 26965951 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2016.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2015] [Revised: 02/04/2016] [Accepted: 03/05/2016] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Neurohypophyseal hormone, arginine vasopressin (AVP), in addition to acting as antidiuretic hormone is also considered to be stress hormone like hypothalamic corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH). Present study was designed to investigate the relative response of these stress hormones during water and food deprivation. In this study, male laboratory mice of Swiss strain were divided in 5 groups, control - provided water and food ad libitum, two experimental groups water deprived for 2 and 4days respectively (WD2 and WD4) and another two groups food deprived for 2 and 4days respectively (FD2 and FD4). Results indicate an increased expression of AVP mRNA as well as peptide in the hypothalamus of WD2 mice and the expression was further upregulated after 4days of water deprivation but the expression of CRH remained unchanged compare to their respective controls. On the other hand no change was observed in the expression of hypothalamic AVP mRNA while AVP peptide increased significantly in FD2 and FD4 mice compare to control. Further, the expression of CRH mRNA although increased in hypothalamus of both FD2 and FD4 mice, the immunofluorescent staining shows decreased expression of CRH in PVN of food deprived mice. Based on these findings it is concluded that since during osmotic stress only AVP expression is upregulated but during metabolic stress i.e. food deprivation transcription and translation of both the stress hormones are differentially regulated. Further, it is suggested that role of AVP and CRH may be stress specific.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Arun Kumar Yadawa
- Department of Zoology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221005, India
| | | |
Collapse
|
43
|
Koch CE, Bartlang MS, Kiehn JT, Lucke L, Naujokat N, Helfrich-Förster C, Reber SO, Oster H. Time-of-day-dependent adaptation of the HPA axis to predictable social defeat stress. J Endocrinol 2016; 231:209-221. [PMID: 27660201 DOI: 10.1530/joe-16-0163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2016] [Accepted: 09/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
In modern societies, the risk of developing a whole array of affective and somatic disorders is associated with the prevalence of frequent psychosocial stress. Therefore, a better understanding of adaptive stress responses and their underlying molecular mechanisms is of high clinical interest. In response to an acute stressor, each organism can either show passive freezing or active fight-or-flight behaviour, with activation of sympathetic nervous system and the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis providing the necessary energy for the latter by releasing catecholamines and glucocorticoids (GC). Recent data suggest that stress responses are also regulated by the endogenous circadian clock. In consequence, the timing of stress may critically affect adaptive responses to and/or pathological effects of repetitive stressor exposure. In this article, we characterize the impact of predictable social defeat stress during daytime versus nighttime on bodyweight development and HPA axis activity in mice. While 19 days of social daytime stress led to a transient reduction in bodyweight without altering HPA axis activity at the predicted time of stressor exposure, more detrimental effects were seen in anticipation of nighttime stress. Repeated nighttime stressor exposure led to alterations in food metabolization and reduced HPA axis activity with lower circulating adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and GC concentrations at the time of predicted stressor exposure. Our data reveal a circadian gating of stress adaptation to predictable social defeat stress at the level of the HPA axis with impact on metabolic homeostasis underpinning the importance of timing for the body's adaptability to repetitive stress.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- C E Koch
- University of LübeckChronophysiology Group, Medical Department 1, Lübeck, Germany
| | - M S Bartlang
- University of WürzburgBiocenter, Theodor-Boveri-Institute, Neurobiology and Genetics, Würzburg, Germany
| | - J T Kiehn
- University of LübeckChronophysiology Group, Medical Department 1, Lübeck, Germany
| | - L Lucke
- Department of Behavioral and Molecular NeurobiologyUniversity of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - N Naujokat
- University of LübeckChronophysiology Group, Medical Department 1, Lübeck, Germany
| | - C Helfrich-Förster
- University of WürzburgBiocenter, Theodor-Boveri-Institute, Neurobiology and Genetics, Würzburg, Germany
| | - S O Reber
- Department of Behavioral and Molecular NeurobiologyUniversity of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - H Oster
- University of LübeckChronophysiology Group, Medical Department 1, Lübeck, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Steinman MQ, Duque-Wilckens N, Greenberg GD, Hao R, Campi KL, Laredo SA, Laman-Maharg A, Manning CE, Doig IE, Lopez EM, Walch K, Bales KL, Trainor BC. Sex-Specific Effects of Stress on Oxytocin Neurons Correspond With Responses to Intranasal Oxytocin. Biol Psychiatry 2016; 80:406-14. [PMID: 26620251 PMCID: PMC4837091 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2015.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2015] [Revised: 09/18/2015] [Accepted: 10/02/2015] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Oxytocin (OT) is considered to be a stress-buffering hormone, dampening the physiologic effects of stress. However, OT can also be anxiogenic. We examined acute and long-lasting effects of social defeat on OT neurons in male and female California mice. METHODS We used immunohistochemistry for OT and c-fos cells to examine OT neuron activity immediately after defeat (n = 6-9) and 2 weeks (n = 6-9) and 10 weeks (n = 4-5) later. We quantified Oxt messenger RNA with quantitative polymerase chain reaction (n = 5-9). Intranasal OT was administered to naïve and stressed mice tested in social interaction and resident-intruder tests (n = 8-14). RESULTS Acute exposure to a third episode of defeat increased OT/c-fos colocalizations in the paraventricular nucleus of both sexes. In the medioventral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, defeat increased Oxt messenger RNA, total OT neurons, and OT/c-fos colocalizations in female mice but not male mice. Intranasal OT failed to reverse stress-induced social withdrawal in female mice and reduced social interaction behavior in female mice naïve to defeat. In contrast, intranasal OT increased social interaction in stressed male mice and reduced freezing in the resident-intruder test. CONCLUSIONS Social defeat induces long-lasting increases in OT production and OT/c-fos cells in the medioventral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis of female mice but not male mice. Intranasal OT largely reversed the effects of stress on behavior in male mice, but effects were mixed in female mice. These results suggest that changes in OT-sensitive networks contribute to sex differences in behavioral responses to stress.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael Q. Steinman
- Molecular, Cellular, Integrative Physiology Graduate Group, University of California Davis, CA 95616,Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616
| | - Natalia Duque-Wilckens
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616,Animal Behavior Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, CA 95616
| | - Gian D. Greenberg
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616,Neuroscience Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, CA 95616
| | - Rebecca Hao
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616
| | | | - Sarah A. Laredo
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616,Animal Behavior Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, CA 95616
| | - Abigail Laman-Maharg
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616,Neuroscience Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, CA 95616
| | | | - Ian E. Doig
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616
| | - Eduardo M. Lopez
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616
| | - Keenan Walch
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616
| | - Karen L. Bales
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616
| | - Brian C. Trainor
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616,Animal Behavior Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, CA 95616,Neuroscience Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, CA 95616
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Duque-Wilckens N, Steinman MQ, Laredo SA, Hao R, Perkeybile AM, Bales KL, Trainor BC. Inhibition of vasopressin V1a receptors in the medioventral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis has sex- and context-specific anxiogenic effects. Neuropharmacology 2016; 110:59-68. [PMID: 27452721 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2016.07.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2016] [Revised: 07/12/2016] [Accepted: 07/16/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Vasopressin V1a receptors (V1aR) are thought to contribute to the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders such as anxiety and depression, sparking interest in V1aR as a therapeutic target. Although the global effects of V1aR have been documented, less is known about the specific neural circuits mediating these effects. Moreover, few studies have examined context-specific V1aR function in both males and females. By using the California mouse, we first studied the effects of sex and social defeat stress on V1aR binding in the forebrain. In females but not males, V1aR binding in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) was negatively correlated to social interaction behavior. In females stress also increased V1aR binding in the nucleus accumbens (NAc). Infusions of V1aR antagonist in to the medioventral BNST (BNSTmv) had anxiogenic effects only in animals naïve to defeat. For males, inhibition of V1aR in BNSTmv had anxiogenic effects in social and nonsocial contexts, but for females, anxiogenic effects were limited to social contexts. In stressed females, inhibition of V1aR in the NAc shell had no effect on social interaction behavior, but had an anxiogenic effect in an open field test. These data suggest that V1aR in BNSTmv have anxiolytic and prosocial effects in males, and that in females, prosocial and anxiolytic effects of V1aR appear to be mediated independently by receptors in the BNSTmv and NAc shell, respectively. These findings suggest that males have more overlap in neural circuits modulating anxiety in social and nonsocial contexts than females.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Michael Q Steinman
- Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Physiology Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, USA
| | - Sarah A Laredo
- Animal Behavior Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, USA
| | - Rebecca Hao
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, USA
| | | | - Karen L Bales
- Animal Behavior Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, USA; Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, USA
| | - Brian C Trainor
- Animal Behavior Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, USA; Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Steinman MQ, Trainor BC. Sex differences in the effects of social defeat on brain and behavior in the California mouse: Insights from a monogamous rodent. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2016; 61:92-98. [PMID: 27375045 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2016.06.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2016] [Revised: 06/28/2016] [Accepted: 06/29/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Women are nearly twice as likely as men to be diagnosed with major depressive disorder, yet the use of female animal models in studying the biological basis of depression lags behind that of males. The social defeat model uses social stress to generate depression-like symptoms in order to study the neurobiological mechanisms. In general, social defeat is difficult to apply in female rodents. However, male and female California mice (Peromyscus californicus) are territorial. This allows defeat to be studied in both sexes. Males exposed to defeat tend to exhibit proactive coping mechanisms and demonstrate aggression and reduced cognitive flexibility. Females exposed to defeat engage more in reactive coping mechanisms which is highlighted by social avoidance and low aggression. Importantly, effects of defeat on social interaction behavior in females is independent of adult gonadal steroids. These behavioral phenotypes are associated with sex-specific changes in arginine vasopressin (AVP) and oxytocin (OT), closely related peptides that regulate social behavior and stress reactivity. In brain regions associated with stress responses and social behavior, defeat induced long term decreases in AVP activity and increases in OT activity in males and females respectively. Intranasal OT administration was shown to mimic the effects of defeat-induced increases in endogenous OT activity, causing social withdrawal in undefeated females. This suggests that inhibition of OT activity could reduce the impact of stress on behavior in females. These results highlight the value of maintaining diverse rodent models in the search for sex-specific pharmacological approaches to treating mood disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael Q Steinman
- Committee on the Neurobiology of Addictive Disorders, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, U.S.A
| | - Brian C Trainor
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, U.S.A..
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Ng E, Browne CJ, Samsom JN, Wong AHC. Depression and substance use comorbidity: What we have learned from animal studies. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE 2016; 43:456-474. [PMID: 27315335 DOI: 10.1080/00952990.2016.1183020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Depression and substance use disorders are often comorbid, but the reasons for this are unclear. In human studies, it is difficult to determine how one disorder may affect predisposition to the other and what the underlying mechanisms might be. Instead, animal studies allow experimental induction of behaviors relevant to depression and drug-taking, and permit direct interrogation of changes to neural circuits and molecular pathways. While this field is still new, here we review animal studies that investigate whether depression-like states increase vulnerability to drug-taking behaviors. Since chronic psychosocial stress can precipitate or predispose to depression in humans, we review studies that use psychosocial stressors to produce depression-like phenotypes in animals. Specifically, we describe how postweaning isolation stress, repeated social defeat stress, and chronic mild (or unpredictable) stress affect behaviors relevant to substance abuse, especially operant self-administration. Potential brain changes mediating these effects are also discussed where available, with an emphasis on mesocorticolimbic dopamine circuits. Postweaning isolation stress and repeated social defeat generally increase acquisition or maintenance of drug self-administration, and alter dopamine sensitivity in various brain regions. However, the effects of chronic mild stress on drug-taking have been much less studied. Future studies should consider standardizing stress-induction protocols, including female subjects, and using multi-hit models (e.g. genetic vulnerabilities and environmental stress).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Enoch Ng
- a Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute , Mount Sinai Hospital , Toronto , Canada.,b Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto , Toronto , Canada
| | - Caleb J Browne
- c Department of Psychology , University of Toronto , Toronto , Canada.,d Campbell Family Health Institute , Centre for Addiction and Mental Health , Toronto , Canada
| | - James N Samsom
- d Campbell Family Health Institute , Centre for Addiction and Mental Health , Toronto , Canada.,e Department of Pharmacology , University of Toronto , Toronto , Canada
| | - Albert H C Wong
- b Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto , Toronto , Canada.,d Campbell Family Health Institute , Centre for Addiction and Mental Health , Toronto , Canada.,e Department of Pharmacology , University of Toronto , Toronto , Canada.,f Department of Psychiatry , University of Toronto , Toronto , Canada
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
The role of the AMPA receptor and 5-HT3 receptor on aggressive behavior and depressive-like symptoms in chronic social isolation-reared mice. Physiol Behav 2016; 153:70-83. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2015.10.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2015] [Revised: 10/25/2015] [Accepted: 10/26/2015] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
|
49
|
Dumais KM, Veenema AH. Vasopressin and oxytocin receptor systems in the brain: Sex differences and sex-specific regulation of social behavior. Front Neuroendocrinol 2016; 40:1-23. [PMID: 25951955 PMCID: PMC4633405 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2015.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 347] [Impact Index Per Article: 43.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2015] [Revised: 04/24/2015] [Accepted: 04/27/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The neuropeptides vasopressin (VP) and oxytocin (OT) and their receptors in the brain are involved in the regulation of various social behaviors and have emerged as drug targets for the treatment of social dysfunction in several sex-biased neuropsychiatric disorders. Sex differences in the VP and OT systems may therefore be implicated in sex-specific regulation of healthy as well as impaired social behaviors. We begin this review by highlighting the sex differences, or lack of sex differences, in VP and OT synthesis in the brain. We then discuss the evidence showing the presence or absence of sex differences in VP and OT receptors in rodents and humans, as well as showing new data of sexually dimorphic V1a receptor binding in the rat brain. Importantly, we find that there is lack of comprehensive analysis of sex differences in these systems in common laboratory species, and we find that, when sex differences are present, they are highly brain region- and species-specific. Interestingly, VP system parameters (VP and V1aR) are typically higher in males, while sex differences in the OT system are not always in the same direction, often showing higher OT expression in females, but higher OT receptor expression in males. Furthermore, VP and OT receptor systems show distinct and largely non-overlapping expression in the rodent brain, which may cause these receptors to have either complementary or opposing functional roles in the sex-specific regulation of social behavior. Though still in need of further research, we close by discussing how manipulations of the VP and OT systems have given important insights into the involvement of these neuropeptide systems in the sex-specific regulation of social behavior in rodents and humans.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kelly M Dumais
- Neurobiology of Social Behavior Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA.
| | - Alexa H Veenema
- Neurobiology of Social Behavior Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Kelly AM, Ophir AG. Compared to what: What can we say about nonapeptide function and social behavior without a frame of reference? Curr Opin Behav Sci 2015; 6:97-103. [PMID: 26858966 PMCID: PMC4742393 DOI: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2015.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Our understanding of behavior and mechanism is undermined by the absence of a frame of reference because relationships between individuals and species are without context. We highlight a need to be more comparative, using nonapeptide (vasopressin and oxytocin) modulation of social behavior as an example. We reconsider the use of model organisms and the term 'social' in this context, contrasting two popular models for nonapeptide regulation of social behavior. We then propose that a frame of reference should be established by studying mechanisms of behavior across taxa along the same continua. If we are to ever establish a unifying theory of behavior, we must transcend individual examples and determine the relative relationships of behavior and mechanism among and between species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aubrey M. Kelly
- Department of Psychology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853
| | | |
Collapse
|