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Tripathi K, Hazra S, Hazra JD, Mandel S, Anunu R, Kriebel M, Volkmer H, Richter-Levin G. Selective knockdown of GABAA-α2 subunit in the dorsal dentate gyrus in adulthood induces anxiety, learning and memory deficits and impairs synaptic plasticity. Eur J Neurosci 2024; 60:4393-4408. [PMID: 38858171 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16441] [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: 08/14/2023] [Revised: 04/13/2024] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/12/2024]
Abstract
Animal studies and clinical trials suggest that maintenance of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-ergic activity may be crucial in coping with stressful conditions, anxiety and mood disorders. Drugs highly efficient in promoting anxiolysis were shown to activate this system, particularly via the α2-subunit of type A receptors (GABAA α2). Given the high expression of GABAA α2 in the dentate gyrus (DG) sub-field of the hippocampus, we sought to examine whether manipulation of the α2 subunit in this area will evoke changes in emotional behaviour, memory and learning as well as in synaptic plasticity. We found that knockdown of GABAAα2 receptor specifically in the dorsal DG of rats caused increased anxiety without affecting locomotor activity. Spatial memory and learning in the Morris water maze were also impaired in GABAAα2 receptor knocked down rats, an effect accompanied by alterations in synaptic plasticity, as assessed by long-term potentiation in the DG. Our findings provide further support to the notion that emotional information processing in the hippocampus may be controlled, at least in part, via the inhibitory GABAA α2 receptor subunit, opening a potential avenue for early interventions from pre- puberty into adulthood, as a strategy for controlling anxiety-related psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kuldeep Tripathi
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
- The Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center (IBBR), University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
- Psychology Department, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Somoday Hazra
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
- The Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center (IBBR), University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
- Psychology Department, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Joyeeta Dutta Hazra
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
- The Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center (IBBR), University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
- Psychology Department, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Silvia Mandel
- The Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center (IBBR), University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Ruchi Anunu
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
- The Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center (IBBR), University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
- Psychology Department, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Martin Kriebel
- Department of Molecular Biology, Natural and Medical Sciences Institute, University of Tübingen, Reutlingen, Germany
| | - Hansjurgen Volkmer
- Department of Molecular Biology, Natural and Medical Sciences Institute, University of Tübingen, Reutlingen, Germany
| | - Gal Richter-Levin
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
- The Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center (IBBR), University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
- Psychology Department, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
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2
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Zhu Y, Jha SC, Shutta KH, Huang T, Balasubramanian R, Clish CB, Hankinson SE, Kubzansky LD. Psychological distress and metabolomic markers: A systematic review of posttraumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and subclinical distress. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 143:104954. [PMID: 36368524 PMCID: PMC9729460 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2022] [Revised: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 11/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Psychological distress can be conceptualized as an umbrella term encompassing symptoms of depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or stress more generally. A systematic review of metabolomic markers associated with distress has the potential to reveal underlying molecular mechanisms linking distress to adverse health outcomes. The current systematic review extends prior reviews of clinical depressive disorders by synthesizing 39 existing studies that examined metabolomic markers for PTSD, anxiety disorders, and subclinical psychological distress in biological specimens. Most studies were based on small sets of pre-selected candidate metabolites, with few metabolites overlapping between studies. Vast heterogeneity was observed in study design and inconsistent patterns of association emerged between distress and metabolites. To gain a more robust understanding of distress and its metabolomic signatures, future research should include 1) large, population-based samples and longitudinal assessments, 2) replication and validation in diverse populations, 3) and agnostic metabolomic strategies profiling hundreds of targeted and nontargeted metabolites. Addressing these research priorities will improve the scope and reproducibility of future metabolomic studies of psychological distress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiwen Zhu
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Shaili C Jha
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Katherine H Shutta
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Tianyi Huang
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Raji Balasubramanian
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Clary B Clish
- Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Susan E Hankinson
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Laura D Kubzansky
- Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
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Abstract
Epilepsy is a common neurological disease in both humans and domestic dogs, making dogs an ideal translational model of epilepsy. In both species, epilepsy is a complex brain disease characterized by an enduring predisposition to generate spontaneous recurrent epileptic seizures. Furthermore, as in humans, status epilepticus is one of the more common neurological emergencies in dogs with epilepsy. In both species, epilepsy is not a single disease but a group of disorders characterized by a broad array of clinical signs, age of onset, and underlying causes. Brain imaging suggests that the limbic system, including the hippocampus and cingulate gyrus, is often affected in canine epilepsy, which could explain the high incidence of comorbid behavioral problems such as anxiety and cognitive alterations. Resistance to antiseizure medications is a significant problem in both canine and human epilepsy, so dogs can be used to study mechanisms of drug resistance and develop novel therapeutic strategies to benefit both species. Importantly, dogs are large enough to accommodate intracranial EEG and responsive neurostimulation devices designed for humans. Studies in epileptic dogs with such devices have reported ictal and interictal events that are remarkably similar to those occurring in human epilepsy. Continuous (24/7) EEG recordings in a select group of epileptic dogs for >1 year have provided a rich dataset of unprecedented length for studying seizure periodicities and developing new methods for seizure forecasting. The data presented in this review substantiate that canine epilepsy is an excellent translational model for several facets of epilepsy research. Furthermore, several techniques of inducing seizures in laboratory dogs are discussed as related to therapeutic advances. Importantly, the development of vagus nerve stimulation as a novel therapy for drug-resistant epilepsy in people was based on a series of studies in dogs with induced seizures. Dogs with naturally occurring or induced seizures provide excellent large-animal models to bridge the translational gap between rodents and humans in the development of novel therapies. Furthermore, because the dog is not only a preclinical species for human medicine but also a potential patient and pet, research on this species serves both veterinary and human medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wolfgang Löscher
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmacy, University of Veterinary Medicine, Hannover, Germany
- Center for Systems Neuroscience, Hannover, Germany
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4
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Feklicheva I, Boks MP, de Kloet ER, Chipeeva N, Maslennikova E, Pashkov A, Korobova S, Komelkova M, Kuznetsova Y, Platkovski P, Mamonova M, Sidorenko O, Vasilenko T, Tseilikman O, Tseilikman V. Biomarkers in PTSD-susceptible and resistant veterans with war experience of more than ten years ago: FOCUS ON cortisol, thyroid hormones, testosterone and GABA. J Psychiatr Res 2022; 148:258-263. [PMID: 35151217 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.11.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2021] [Revised: 10/24/2021] [Accepted: 11/20/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
In the present study we measured the concentrations of cortisol, thyroid hormones, testosterone, and GABA (gamma aminobutyric acid) in am blood plasma samples of combatants with an at least 10 year history of military psychological trauma (N = 74) divided in groups that either suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (N = 37) or are resistant (N = 37) as well as in a control group without traumatic experience in the anamnesis, (N = 34). PTSD symptoms were assessed using the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS). The results show that the am blood cortisol levels of individuals that were exposed to war zone experiences irrespective susceptibility for or resistance to PTSD were significantly higher than the values observed in the controls. Testosterone levels in PTSD patients differed neither from that observed in PTSD resistant nor control groups. In the resistant group testosterone levels were however significantly higher than in controls. The level of all thyroid hormones did not differ between the study groups. GABA level was significantly lower in the PTSD group compared with healthy controls. In the resistant group blood GABA levels were not significantly different from either PTSD patients or controls. In conclusion, the current data show that cortisol and to some extent testosterone may serve as biomarker of war zone stress per se, even if trauma was experienced at least ten years before, rather than of only PTSD or resistance to PTSD. GABA, in contrast, can be considered a potential marker of the protracted nature of PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inna Feklicheva
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetic Research of Human Health and Development, Scientific and Educational Center "Biomedical Technologies", Higher Medical and Biological School, South Ural State University, 76, Lenin Prospect, 454080, Chelyabinsk, Russia.
| | - Marco P Boks
- University Medical Center Brain Center, Department Psychiatry, University Utrecht, Heidelberglaan 100, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
| | - E Ron de Kloet
- Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Leiden University Medical Center, PO Box 9500, 2300, RA, Leiden, the Netherlands.
| | - Nadezda Chipeeva
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetic Research of Human Health and Development, Scientific and Educational Center "Biomedical Technologies", Higher Medical and Biological School, South Ural State University, 76, Lenin Prospect, 454080, Chelyabinsk, Russia.
| | - Ekaterina Maslennikova
- Center of Interdisciplinary Research in Education, Russian Academy of Education, Building 4, 9, Mokhovay Street, 199121, Moscow, Russia.
| | - Anton Pashkov
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetic Research of Human Health and Development, Scientific and Educational Center "Biomedical Technologies", Higher Medical and Biological School, South Ural State University, 76, Lenin Prospect, 454080, Chelyabinsk, Russia.
| | - Svetlana Korobova
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetic Research of Human Health and Development, Scientific and Educational Center "Biomedical Technologies", Higher Medical and Biological School, South Ural State University, 76, Lenin Prospect, 454080, Chelyabinsk, Russia.
| | - Mariia Komelkova
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetic Research of Human Health and Development, Scientific and Educational Center "Biomedical Technologies", Higher Medical and Biological School, South Ural State University, 76, Lenin Prospect, 454080, Chelyabinsk, Russia.
| | - Yulia Kuznetsova
- "Road Clinical Hospital at the Train Station Chelyabinsk of OJSC "Russian Railways", 23, Dovator Street, 454000, Chelyabinsk, Russia.
| | - Pavel Platkovski
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetic Research of Human Health and Development, Scientific and Educational Center "Biomedical Technologies", Higher Medical and Biological School, South Ural State University, 76, Lenin Prospect, 454080, Chelyabinsk, Russia.
| | - Marina Mamonova
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetic Research of Human Health and Development, Scientific and Educational Center "Biomedical Technologies", Higher Medical and Biological School, South Ural State University, 76, Lenin Prospect, 454080, Chelyabinsk, Russia.
| | - Olga Sidorenko
- Chelyabinsk Regional Clinical Therapeutic Hospital for War Veterans, Building 8, Medgorodok Street, 454141, Chelyabinsk, Russia.
| | - Tatyana Vasilenko
- Chelyabinsk Regional Clinical Therapeutic Hospital for War Veterans, Building 8, Medgorodok Street, 454141, Chelyabinsk, Russia.
| | - Olga Tseilikman
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetic Research of Human Health and Development, Scientific and Educational Center "Biomedical Technologies", Higher Medical and Biological School, South Ural State University, 76, Lenin Prospect, 454080, Chelyabinsk, Russia.
| | - Vadim Tseilikman
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetic Research of Human Health and Development, Scientific and Educational Center "Biomedical Technologies", Higher Medical and Biological School, South Ural State University, 76, Lenin Prospect, 454080, Chelyabinsk, Russia.
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Rasmusson AM, Pineles SL, Brown KD, Pinna G. A role for deficits in GABAergic neurosteroids and their metabolites with NMDA receptor antagonist activity in the pathophysiology of posttraumatic stress disorder. J Neuroendocrinol 2022; 34:e13062. [PMID: 34962690 PMCID: PMC9233411 DOI: 10.1111/jne.13062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Revised: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 10/29/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Trauma-focused psychotherapies show general efficacy in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), although outcomes vary substantially among individuals with PTSD and many patients do not achieve clinically meaningful symptom improvement. Several factors may contribute to poor treatment response, including genetic or environmental (e.g., stress) effects on neurobiological factors involved in learning and memory processes critical to PTSD recovery. In this review, we discuss the relationship between deficient GABAergic neurosteroid metabolites of progesterone, allopregnanolone (Allo) and pregnanolone (PA), and PTSD symptoms in men and women or PTSD-like behavioral abnormalities observed in male rodent models of PTSD. We also review the role and molecular underpinnings of learning and memory processes relevant to PTSD recovery, including extinction, extinction retention, reconsolidation of reactivated aversive memories and episodic non-aversive memory. We then discuss preclinical and clinical research that supports a role in these learning and memory processes for GABAergic neurosteroids and sulfated metabolites of Allo and PA that allosterically antagonize NMDA receptor function. Studies supporting the possible therapeutic impact of appropriately timed, acutely administered Allo or Allo analogs to facilitate extinction retention and/or block reconsolidation of aversive memories are also reviewed. Finally, we discuss important future directions for research in this area. Examining the varied and composite effects in PTSD of these metabolites of progesterone, as well as neuroactive derivatives of other parent steroids produced in the brain and the periphery, will likely enable a broadening of targets for treatment development. Defining contributions of these neuroactive steroids to common PTSD-comorbid psychiatric and medical conditions, as well as subpopulation-specific underlying dysfunctional physiological processes such as hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and immune system dysregulation, may also enable development of more effective multisystem precision medicines to prevent and treat the broader, polymorbid sequelae of extreme and chronic stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann M. Rasmusson
- VA National Center for PTSD, Women’s Health Science Division, Department of Veterans Affairs, Boston, MA 02130, U.S.A
- Department of Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 02118
| | - Suzanne L. Pineles
- VA National Center for PTSD, Women’s Health Science Division, Department of Veterans Affairs, Boston, MA 02130, U.S.A
- Department of Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 02118
| | - Kayla D. Brown
- Behavioral Neurosciences PhD Program, Boston University Medical Campus, Boston, MA, 02118, U.S.A
| | - Graziano Pinna
- The Psychiatric Institute, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, 60612, U.S.A
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6
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Arditte Hall KA, DeLane SE, Anderson GM, Lago TR, Shor R, Wang W, Rasmusson AM, Pineles SL. Plasma gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) levels and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms in trauma-exposed women: a preliminary report. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2021; 238:1541-1552. [PMID: 33620549 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-021-05785-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Aberrations in the stress response are associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom development, maintenance, and severity. Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), the brain's primary inhibitory neurotransmitter, may play a key role in stress recovery. OBJECTIVES In this preliminary study, we examined whether plasma GABA levels differed between women with PTSD and trauma-exposed healthy controls. METHODS Thirty participants provided plasma samples during two phases of the menstrual cycle: the early follicular phase and the mid-luteal phase. During each phase, blood was drawn after 45 min of rest, and after mild and moderately stressful psychophysiological tasks. Plasma GABA levels were measured using HPLC-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). RESULTS In analyses using PTSD diagnosis as a categorical group variable, women with and without a diagnosis of PTSD did not differ in plasma GABA levels (ps > .18). However, in analyses examining PTSD symptom severity as a continuous variable, there was a trend-level positive association between more severe PTSD symptoms and higher plasma GABA levels across the four blood draws (p = .06). In analyses examining DSM-IV PTSD symptom clusters separately, dysphoria symptoms were positively and significantly associated with plasma GABA levels (p = .03). Similarly, there was a trend-level positive association between avoidance cluster symptoms and plasma GABA levels (p = .06). Plasma GABA levels were not modulated by experimentally induced stress or menstrual cycle phase. CONCLUSIONS Dysregulation in GABA may be a neurobiological marker and/or potential treatment target for women with PTSD symptom profiles characterized by prominent dysphoria and avoidance cluster symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly A Arditte Hall
- Department of Psychology & Philosophy, Framingham State University, 100 State Street, Framingham, MA, 01701, USA.
| | - Sumaiya E DeLane
- National Center for PTSD Women's Health Sciences Division at VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, 02130, USA
| | - George M Anderson
- Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06519, USA
| | | | - Rachel Shor
- National Center for PTSD Women's Health Sciences Division at VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, 02130, USA
| | - Weiwei Wang
- MEDKEC Keck Biotechnology Services, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06519, USA
| | - Ann M Rasmusson
- National Center for PTSD Women's Health Sciences Division at VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, 02130, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
| | - Suzanne L Pineles
- National Center for PTSD Women's Health Sciences Division at VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, 02130, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
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Kim BK, Fonda JR, Hauger RL, Pinna G, Anderson GM, Valovski IT, Rasmusson AM. Composite contributions of cerebrospinal fluid GABAergic neurosteroids, neuropeptide Y and interleukin-6 to PTSD symptom severity in men with PTSD. Neurobiol Stress 2020; 12:100220. [PMID: 32435669 PMCID: PMC7231970 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2020.100220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2019] [Revised: 03/31/2020] [Accepted: 04/04/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Given that multiple neurobiological systems, as well as components within these systems are impacted by stress, and may interact in additive, compensatory and synergistic ways to promote or mitigate PTSD risk, severity, and recovery, we thought that it would be important to consider the collective, as well as separate effects of these neurobiological systems on PTSD risk. With this goal in mind, we conducted a proof-of-concept study utilizing cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) collected from unmedicated, tobacco- and illicit substance-free men with PTSD (n = 13) and trauma-exposed healthy controls (TC) (n = 17). Thirteen neurobiological factors thought to contribute to PTSD risk or severity based on previous studies were assayed. As the small but typical sample size of this lumbar puncture study limited the number of factors that could be considered in a hierarchical regression model, we included only those five factors with at least a moderate correlation (Spearman rho > 0.30) with total Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS-IV) scores, and that did not violate multicollinearity criteria. Three of the five factors meeting these criteria—CSF allopregnanolone and pregnanolone (Allo + PA: equipotent GABAergic metabolites of progesterone), neuropeptide Y (NPY), and interleukin-6 (IL-6)—were found to account for over 75% of the variance in the CAPS-IV scores (R2 = 0.766, F = 8.75, p = 0.007). CSF Allo + PA levels were negatively associated with PTSD severity (β = −0.523, p = 0.02) and accounted for 47% of the variance in CAPS-IV scores. CSF NPY was positively associated with PTSD severity (β = 0.410, p = 0.04) and accounted for 14.7% of the CAPS-IV variance. There was a trend for a positive association between PTSD severity and CSF IL-6 levels, which accounted for 15.3% of the variance in PTSD severity (β = 0.423, p = 0.05). Z-scores were then computed for each of the three predictive factors and used to depict the varying relative degrees to which each contributed to PTSD severity at the individual PTSD patient level. This first of its kind, proof-of-concept study bears replication in larger samples. However, it highlights the collective effects of dysregulated neurobiological systems on PTSD symptom severity and the heterogeneity of potential biological treatment targets across individual PTSD patients—thus supporting the need for precision medicine approaches to treatment development and prescribing in PTSD.
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Key Words
- 3α-HSD, 3α-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase
- Allo + PA, sum of allopregnanolone and pregnanolone
- EIA, enzyme immunoassay
- GC-MS, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry
- HPLC, high pressure liquid chromatography
- LP, lumbar puncture
- PE, prolonged exposure therapy
- PFC, prefrontal cortex
- RIA, radioimmunoassay
- TC, trauma-exposed control
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Affiliation(s)
- Byung Kil Kim
- VA Boston Healthcare System, 150 South Huntington Ave., Boston, MA, 02130, USA
| | - Jennifer R Fonda
- VA Boston Healthcare System, 150 South Huntington Ave., Boston, MA, 02130, USA.,Translational Research Center for TBI and Stress Disorders (TRACTS) and Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center (GRECC), 150 South Huntington Ave., Boston, MA, 02130, USA.,Boston University School of Medicine, 72 E. Concord Street, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
| | - Richard L Hauger
- Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, VA San Diego Healthcare System, 3350 La Jolla Village Drive, San Diego, CA, 92161, USA.,Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Graziano Pinna
- The Psychiatric Institute, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1601 W Taylor St. MC912 Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
| | - George M Anderson
- Child Study Center and Department of Laboratory Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine S. Frontage Rd. New Haven, CT, 06519, USA
| | - Ivan T Valovski
- VA Boston Healthcare System, 150 South Huntington Ave., Boston, MA, 02130, USA.,Harvard Medical School, 25 Shattuck St. Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Ann M Rasmusson
- VA Boston Healthcare System, 150 South Huntington Ave., Boston, MA, 02130, USA.,Boston University School of Medicine, 72 E. Concord Street, Boston, MA, 02118, USA.,VA National Center for PTSD Women's Health Science Division, 150 South Huntington Ave., Boston, MA, 02130, USA
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8
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Schijven D, Geuze E, Vinkers CH, Pulit SL, Schür RR, Malgaz M, Bekema E, Medic J, van der Kust KE, Veldink JH, Boks MP, Vermetten E, Luykx JJ. Multivariate genome-wide analysis of stress-related quantitative phenotypes. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2019; 29:1354-1364. [PMID: 31606302 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2019.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2019] [Revised: 07/11/2019] [Accepted: 09/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Exposure to traumatic stress increases the odds of developing a broad range of psychiatric conditions. Genetic studies targeting multiple stress-related quantitative phenotypes may shed light on mechanisms underlying vulnerability to psychopathology in the aftermath of stressful events. We applied a multivariate genome-wide association study (GWAS) to a unique military cohort (N = 583) in which we measured biochemical and behavioral phenotypes. The availability of pre- and post-deployment measurements allowed to capture changes in these phenotypes in response to stress. For genome-wide significant loci, we performed functional annotation, phenome-wide analysis and quasi-replication in PTSD case-control GWASs. We discovered one genetic variant reaching genome-wide significant association, surviving permutation and sensitivity analyses (rs10100651, p = 9.9 × 10-9). Functional annotation prioritized the genes INTS8 and TP53INP1. A phenome-wide scan revealed a significant association of these same genes with sleeping problems, hypertension and subjective well-being. Finally, a targeted lookup revealed nominally significant association of rs10100651 in a PTSD case-control GWAS in the UK Biobank (p = 0.02). We provide comprehensive evidence from multiple resources hinting at a role of the highlighted genetic variant in the human stress response, marking the power of multivariate genome-wide analysis of quantitative measures in stress research. Future genetic and functional studies can target this locus to further assess its effects on stress mediation and its possible role in psychopathology or resilience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dick Schijven
- Department of Psychiatry, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, the Netherlands; Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, the Netherlands; Department of Translational Neuroscience, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, the Netherlands
| | - Elbert Geuze
- Department of Psychiatry, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, the Netherlands; Research Centre, Military Mental Healthcare, Ministry of Defense, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Christiaan H Vinkers
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC (location VUmc) / GGZ InGeest, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam UMC (location VUmc), Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Sara L Pulit
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, the Netherlands; Center for Molecular Medicine, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, the Netherlands
| | - Remmelt R Schür
- Department of Psychiatry, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, the Netherlands
| | - Marie Malgaz
- Department of Psychiatry, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, the Netherlands
| | - Erwin Bekema
- Department of Psychiatry, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, the Netherlands; Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, the Netherlands; Department of Translational Neuroscience, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, the Netherlands
| | - Jelena Medic
- Department of Psychiatry, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, the Netherlands; Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, the Netherlands; Department of Translational Neuroscience, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, the Netherlands
| | - Kendrick E van der Kust
- Department of Psychiatry, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, the Netherlands
| | - Jan H Veldink
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, the Netherlands
| | - Marco P Boks
- Department of Psychiatry, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, the Netherlands
| | - Eric Vermetten
- Department of Psychiatry, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, the Netherlands; Research Centre, Military Mental Healthcare, Ministry of Defense, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Department of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands; Arq Psychotrauma Expert Group, Diemen, the Netherlands
| | - Jurjen J Luykx
- Department of Psychiatry, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, the Netherlands; Department of Translational Neuroscience, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, the Netherlands; GGNet, Apeldoorn, the Netherlands.
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Ardi Z, Richter-Levin A, Xu L, Cao X, Volkmer H, Stork O, Richter-Levin G. The role of the GABAA receptor Alpha 1 subunit in the ventral hippocampus in stress resilience. Sci Rep 2019; 9:13513. [PMID: 31534228 PMCID: PMC6751196 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-49824-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2019] [Accepted: 08/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Pre-pubertal stress increases post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) susceptibility. We have previously demonstrated that enriched environment (EE) intervention immediately after pre-pubertal stress protects from the effects of trauma in adulthood. Here, we examined whether exposure to EE would also be beneficial if applied after exposure to trauma in adulthood. We have recently shown that exposure to juvenile stress and under-water trauma (UWT) is associated with increased expression of GABAA receptor subunit α1 in the ventral hippocampus. However, differentiating between affected and unaffected individuals, this increased expression was confined to stress-exposed, behaviorally unaffected individuals, suggesting upregulation of α1 expression as a potential mechanism of resilience. We now examined whether EE-induced resilience renders increased expression of α1 in the ventral hippocampus redundant when facing a trauma later in life. Adult rats were exposed to UWT, with pre-exposure to juvenile stress, and tested in the open field and elevated plus maze paradigms four weeks later. EE exposure during juvenility prevented pre-pubertal stress-induced vulnerability, but not if performed following UWT in adulthood. Furthermore, juvenile EE exposure prevented the trauma-associated increase in α1 expression levels. Our findings emphasize the importance of early interventions in order to reduce the likelihood of developing psychopathologies in adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Z Ardi
- Sagol Department of Neuroscience, University of Haifa, Haifa, 3498838, Israel.,Department of Behavioral Sciences, Kinneret Academic College, Sea of Galilee, Tiberias, Israel.,Sagol Center for Brain and Mind, Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology, Interdisciplinary Center (IDC), Herzliya, Israel
| | - A Richter-Levin
- The Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center (IBBR), University of Haifa, Haifa, 3498838, Israel
| | - L Xu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms, and Laboratory of Learning and Memory, Kunming Institute of Zoology, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223, China.,CAS Centre for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligent Technology, Shanghai, 200031, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - X Cao
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics, MOE&STCSM, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, China
| | - H Volkmer
- Deptartment Molecular Biology, Natural and Medical Sciences Institute at the University of Tübingen, Markwiesenstr. 55, 72770, Reutlingen, Germany
| | - O Stork
- Department of Genetics & Molecular Neurobiology, Institute of Biology, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, 39120, Germany
| | - G Richter-Levin
- Sagol Department of Neuroscience, University of Haifa, Haifa, 3498838, Israel. .,The Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center (IBBR), University of Haifa, Haifa, 3498838, Israel. .,Department of Psychology, University of Haifa, Haifa, 3498838, Israel.
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10
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Malomouzh A, Ilyin V, Nikolsky E. Components of the GABAergic signaling in the peripheral cholinergic synapses of vertebrates: a review. Amino Acids 2019; 51:1093-1102. [PMID: 31236726 DOI: 10.1007/s00726-019-02754-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2018] [Accepted: 06/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is the main inhibitory neurotransmitter in the mammalian central nervous system. Since the 1970s, many studies have focused on the role of GABA in the mammalian peripheral nervous system, and particularly in the cholinergic synapses. In this review, we present current findings for the cholinergic neurons of vegetative ganglia as well as for the neurons innervating smooth and striated muscles. Synaptic contacts formed by these neurons contain GABA and the enzyme, glutamic acid decarboxylase, which catalyzes the synthesis of GABA from glutamate. Newly formed GABA is released in the cholinergic synapses and mostly all the peripheral cholinergic synaptic contacts contain iono- and metabotropic GABA receptors. Although the underlying molecular mechanism of the release is not well understood, still, it is speculated that GABA is released by a vesicular and/or non-vesicular way via reversal of the GABA transporter. We also review the signaling role of GABA in the peripheral cholinergic synapses by modulating acetylcholine release, but its exact physiological function remains to be elucidated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Artem Malomouzh
- Laboratory of Biophysics of Synaptic Processes, Kazan Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, FRC Kazan Scientific Center of Russian Academy of Sciences, P.O. box 30, Kazan, 420111, Russia.
| | - Victor Ilyin
- Neuropharmacology Lab, Kazan Federal University, 18 Kremlyovskaya St, Kazan, 420008, Russia
| | - Evgeny Nikolsky
- Laboratory of Biophysics of Synaptic Processes, Kazan Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, FRC Kazan Scientific Center of Russian Academy of Sciences, P.O. box 30, Kazan, 420111, Russia.,Neuropharmacology Lab, Kazan Federal University, 18 Kremlyovskaya St, Kazan, 420008, Russia
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11
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Arrúe A, González-Torres MA, Basterreche N, Arnaiz A, Olivas O, Zamalloa MI, Erkoreka L, Catalán A, Zumárraga M. GAD1 gene polymorphisms are associated with bipolar I disorder and with blood homovanillic acid levels but not with plasma GABA levels. Neurochem Int 2019; 124:152-161. [PMID: 30625343 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2019.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2018] [Revised: 12/18/2018] [Accepted: 01/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Aurora Arrúe
- Departamento de Investigación Neuroquímica, Hospital de Zamudio, Red de Salud Mental de Bizkaia, Zamudio, Spain; BioCruces Health Research Institute, Barakaldo, Spain.
| | - Miguel Angel González-Torres
- BioCruces Health Research Institute, Barakaldo, Spain; Servicio de Psiquiatría, Hospital Universitario Basurto, Bilbao, Spain; Departamento de Neurociencias, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain
| | - Nieves Basterreche
- BioCruces Health Research Institute, Barakaldo, Spain; Departamento de Neurociencias, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain; Unidad de Hospitalización de Corta Estancia, Hospital de Zamudio, Red de Salud Mental de Bizkaia, Zamudio, Spain
| | - Ainara Arnaiz
- BioCruces Health Research Institute, Barakaldo, Spain; Servicio de Rehabilitación, Hospital de Zamudio, Red de Salud Mental de Bizkaia, Zamudio, Spain
| | - Olga Olivas
- BioCruces Health Research Institute, Barakaldo, Spain; Centro de Salud Mental de Gernika, Red de Salud Mental de Bizkaia, Gernika, Spain
| | - M Isabel Zamalloa
- Departamento de Investigación Neuroquímica, Hospital de Zamudio, Red de Salud Mental de Bizkaia, Zamudio, Spain; BioCruces Health Research Institute, Barakaldo, Spain
| | - Leire Erkoreka
- BioCruces Health Research Institute, Barakaldo, Spain; Departamento de Neurociencias, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain; Centro de Salud Mental Barakaldo, Red de Salud Mental de Bizkaia, Barakaldo, Spain
| | - Ana Catalán
- BioCruces Health Research Institute, Barakaldo, Spain; Servicio de Psiquiatría, Hospital Universitario Basurto, Bilbao, Spain; Departamento de Neurociencias, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain
| | - Mercedes Zumárraga
- Departamento de Investigación Neuroquímica, Hospital de Zamudio, Red de Salud Mental de Bizkaia, Zamudio, Spain; BioCruces Health Research Institute, Barakaldo, Spain
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12
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Improved cognition, mild anxiety-like behavior and decreased motor performance in pyridoxal phosphatase-deficient mice. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2019; 1865:193-205. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2018.08.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2018] [Revised: 08/13/2018] [Accepted: 08/14/2018] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
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13
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Neurotransmitter, Peptide, and Steroid Hormone Abnormalities in PTSD: Biological Endophenotypes Relevant to Treatment. Curr Psychiatry Rep 2018; 20:52. [PMID: 30019147 DOI: 10.1007/s11920-018-0908-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW This review summarizes neurotransmitter, peptide, and other neurohormone abnormalities associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and relevant to development of precision medicine therapeutics for PTSD. RECENT FINDINGS As the number of molecular abnormalities associated with PTSD across a variety of subpopulations continues to grow, it becomes clear that no single abnormality characterizes all individuals with PTSD. Instead, individually variable points of molecular dysfunction occur within several different stress-responsive systems that interact to produce the clinical PTSD phenotype. Future work should focus on critical interactions among the systems that influence PTSD risk, severity, chronicity, comorbidity, and response to treatment. Effort also should be directed toward development of clinical procedures by which points of molecular dysfunction within these systems can be identified in individual patients. Some molecular abnormalities are more common than others and may serve as subpopulation biological endophenotypes for targeting of currently available and novel treatments.
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14
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McFarlane AC, Lawrence-Wood E, Van Hooff M, Malhi GS, Yehuda R. The Need to Take a Staging Approach to the Biological Mechanisms of PTSD and its Treatment. Curr Psychiatry Rep 2017; 19:10. [PMID: 28168596 DOI: 10.1007/s11920-017-0761-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Despite the substantial body of neurobiological research, no specific drug target has been developed to treat PTSD and there are substantial limitations with the available interventions. We propose that advances are likely to depend on the development of better classification of the heterogeneity of PTSD using a staging approach of disease. A primary rationale for staging is to highlight the probability that distinct therapeutic approaches need to be utilised according to the degree of biological progression of the disorder. Prospective studies, particularly of military populations, provide substantial evidence about the emerging biological abnormalities that precede the full-blown disorder. These need to be targeted with tailored interventions to prevent disease progression. Equally, the neurobiology of chronic unremitting PTSD needs to be differentiated from the acute disorder which emerges across a spectrum of severity, and this range of presentations correspondingly needs to be addressed with differing therapeutic strategies. The staging approach also needs to take account of the range of somatic pathological outcomes that are being identified as a consequence of traumatic stress exposure. PTSD should be conceptualised as a systemic disorder underpinned a range of biological dysregulation, including metabolic and altered immune function, reflected in the increased rates of cardiovascular and autoimmune disease. The effectiveness of novel treatments needs to be judged across their effectiveness in addressing the spectrum of trauma-related pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Cowell McFarlane
- Centre for Traumatic Stress Studies, The University of Adelaide, Level 2, 122 Frome Street, Adelaide, 5000, South Australia.
| | - Eleanor Lawrence-Wood
- Centre for Traumatic Stress Studies, The University of Adelaide, Level 2, 122 Frome Street, Adelaide, 5000, South Australia
| | - Miranda Van Hooff
- Centre for Traumatic Stress Studies, The University of Adelaide, Level 2, 122 Frome Street, Adelaide, 5000, South Australia
| | - Gin S Malhi
- Department of Psychiatry, Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Edward Ford Building (A27), Fisher Road, University of Sydney, New South Wales, 2006, Australia
| | - Rachel Yehuda
- Traumatic Stress Studies Division, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, James J Peters VA Medical Center, 130 West Kingsbridge Road, Bronx, NY, 110468, USA
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15
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Albrecht A, Müller I, Ardi Z, Çalışkan G, Gruber D, Ivens S, Segal M, Behr J, Heinemann U, Stork O, Richter-Levin G. Neurobiological consequences of juvenile stress: A GABAergic perspective on risk and resilience. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2017; 74:21-43. [PMID: 28088535 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2016] [Revised: 12/20/2016] [Accepted: 01/06/2017] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
ALBRECHT, A., MÜLLER, I., ARDI, Z., ÇALIŞKAN, G., GRUBER, D., IVENS, S., SEGAL, M., BEHR, J., HEINEMANN, U., STORK, O., and RICHTER-LEVIN, G. Neurobiological consequences of juvenile stress: A GABAergic perspective on risk and resilience. NEUROSCI BIOBEHAV REV XXX-XXX, 2016.- Childhood adversity is among the most potent risk factors for developing mood and anxiety disorders later in life. Therefore, understanding how stress during childhood shapes and rewires the brain may optimize preventive and therapeutic strategies for these disorders. To this end, animal models of stress exposure in rodents during their post-weaning and pre-pubertal life phase have been developed. Such 'juvenile stress' has a long-lasting impact on mood and anxiety-like behavior and on stress coping in adulthood, accompanied by alterations of the GABAergic system within core regions for the stress processing such as the amygdala, prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. While many regionally diverse molecular and electrophysiological changes are observed, not all of them correlate with juvenile stress-induced behavioral disturbances. It rather seems that certain juvenile stress-induced alterations reflect the system's attempts to maintain homeostasis and thus promote stress resilience. Analysis tools such as individual behavioral profiling may allow the association of behavioral and neurobiological alterations more clearly and the dissection of alterations related to the pathology from those related to resilience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Albrecht
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, University of Haifa, 199 Aba-Hushi Avenue, 3498838 Haifa, Israel; The Institute for the Study of Affective Neuroscience (ISAN), 199 Aba-Hushi Avenue, 3498838 Haifa, Israel; Department of Genetics & Molecular Neurobiology, Institute of Biology, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, Leipziger Str. 44, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany.
| | - Iris Müller
- Department of Genetics & Molecular Neurobiology, Institute of Biology, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, Leipziger Str. 44, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Ziv Ardi
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, University of Haifa, 199 Aba-Hushi Avenue, 3498838 Haifa, Israel
| | - Gürsel Çalışkan
- Department of Genetics & Molecular Neurobiology, Institute of Biology, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, Leipziger Str. 44, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany; Neuroscience Research Center, Charité University Hospital Berlin, Hufelandweg 14, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - David Gruber
- Neuroscience Research Center, Charité University Hospital Berlin, Hufelandweg 14, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Sebastian Ivens
- Neuroscience Research Center, Charité University Hospital Berlin, Hufelandweg 14, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Menahem Segal
- Department of Neurobiology, The Weizmann Institute, Herzl St 234, 7610001 Rehovot, Israel
| | - Joachim Behr
- Research Department of Experimental and Molecular Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité University Hospital Berlin, Garystraße 5, 14195 Berlin, Germany; Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatic, Brandenburg Medical School - Campus Neuruppin, Fehrbelliner Straße 38, 16816 Neuruppin, Germany
| | - Uwe Heinemann
- Neuroscience Research Center, Charité University Hospital Berlin, Hufelandweg 14, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Oliver Stork
- Department of Genetics & Molecular Neurobiology, Institute of Biology, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, Leipziger Str. 44, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany; Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Universitätsplatz 2, 39106 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Gal Richter-Levin
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, University of Haifa, 199 Aba-Hushi Avenue, 3498838 Haifa, Israel; The Institute for the Study of Affective Neuroscience (ISAN), 199 Aba-Hushi Avenue, 3498838 Haifa, Israel; Department of Psychology, University of Haifa, 199 Aba-Hushi Avenue, 3498838 Haifa, Israel
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16
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Houtepen LC, Schür RR, Wijnen JP, Boer VO, Boks MPM, Kahn RS, Joëls M, Klomp DW, Vinkers CH. Acute stress effects on GABA and glutamate levels in the prefrontal cortex: A 7T 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy study. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2017; 14:195-200. [PMID: 28180078 PMCID: PMC5280001 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2017.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2016] [Revised: 12/23/2016] [Accepted: 01/02/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
There is ample evidence that the inhibitory GABA and the excitatory glutamate system are essential for an adequate response to stress. Both GABAergic and glutamatergic brain circuits modulate hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA)-axis activity, and stress in turn affects glutamate and GABA levels in the rodent brain. However, studies examining stress-induced GABA and glutamate levels in the human brain are scarce. Therefore, we investigated the influence of acute psychosocial stress (using the Trier Social Stress Test) on glutamate and GABA levels in the medial prefrontal cortex of 29 healthy male individuals using 7 Tesla proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy. In vivo GABA and glutamate levels were measured before and 30 min after exposure to either the stress or the control condition. We found no associations between psychosocial stress or cortisol stress reactivity and changes over time in medial prefrontal glutamate and GABA levels. GABA and glutamate levels over time were significantly correlated in the control condition but not in the stress condition, suggesting that very subtle differential effects of stress on GABA and glutamate across individuals may occur. However, overall, acute psychosocial stress does not appear to affect in vivo medial prefrontal GABA and glutamate levels, at least this is not detectable with current practice 1H-MRS. Psychosocial stress did not alter glutamate and GABA levels in the medial prefrontal cortex in healthy male individuals. Moreover, cortisol stress reactivity was not associated with medial prefrontal glutamate and GABA level change over time. Together, acute stress does not seem to affect in vivo medial prefrontal 7T MRI GABA and glutamate levels in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- L C Houtepen
- Department of Psychiatry, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht (UMCU), Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - R R Schür
- Department of Psychiatry, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht (UMCU), Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - J P Wijnen
- Department of Radiology, University Medical Center Utrecht (UMCU), Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - V O Boer
- Department of Radiology, University Medical Center Utrecht (UMCU), Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - M P M Boks
- Department of Psychiatry, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht (UMCU), Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - R S Kahn
- Department of Psychiatry, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht (UMCU), Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - M Joëls
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht (UMCU), Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - D W Klomp
- Department of Radiology, University Medical Center Utrecht (UMCU), Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - C H Vinkers
- Department of Psychiatry, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht (UMCU), Utrecht, The Netherlands
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Averill LA, Purohit P, Averill CL, Boesl MA, Krystal JH, Abdallah CG. Glutamate dysregulation and glutamatergic therapeutics for PTSD: Evidence from human studies. Neurosci Lett 2016; 649:147-155. [PMID: 27916636 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2016.11.064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 122] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2016] [Revised: 11/18/2016] [Accepted: 11/30/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a chronic and debilitating psychiatric disorder afflicting millions of individuals across the world. While the availability of robust pharmacologic interventions is quite lacking, our understanding of the putative neurobiological underpinnings of PTSD has significantly increased over the past two decades. Accumulating evidence demonstrates aberrant glutamatergic function in mood, anxiety, and trauma-related disorders and dysfunction in glutamate neurotransmission is increasingly considered a cardinal feature of stress-related psychiatric disorders including PTSD. As part of a PTSD Special Issue, this mini-review provides a concise discussion of (1) evidence of glutamatergic abnormalities in PTSD, with emphasis on human subjects data; (2) glutamate-modulating agents as potential alternative pharmacologic treatments for PTSD; and (3) selected gaps in the literature and related future directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lynnette A Averill
- Clinical Neurosciences Division, United States Department of Veterans Affairs, National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, 950 Campbell Avenue, West Haven, CT, 06516, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, 300 George Street, Suite 901, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA.
| | - Prerana Purohit
- Clinical Neurosciences Division, United States Department of Veterans Affairs, National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, 950 Campbell Avenue, West Haven, CT, 06516, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, 300 George Street, Suite 901, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
| | - Christopher L Averill
- Clinical Neurosciences Division, United States Department of Veterans Affairs, National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, 950 Campbell Avenue, West Haven, CT, 06516, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, 300 George Street, Suite 901, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
| | - Markus A Boesl
- Clinical Neurosciences Division, United States Department of Veterans Affairs, National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, 950 Campbell Avenue, West Haven, CT, 06516, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, 300 George Street, Suite 901, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
| | - John H Krystal
- Clinical Neurosciences Division, United States Department of Veterans Affairs, National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, 950 Campbell Avenue, West Haven, CT, 06516, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, 300 George Street, Suite 901, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
| | - Chadi G Abdallah
- Clinical Neurosciences Division, United States Department of Veterans Affairs, National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, 950 Campbell Avenue, West Haven, CT, 06516, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, 300 George Street, Suite 901, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
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