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Li LF, Li ZL, Song BL, Jiang Y, Wang Y, Zou HW, Yao LG, Liu YJ. Dopamine D2 receptors in the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex modulate social hierarchy in male mice. Curr Zool 2023; 69:682-693. [PMID: 37876636 PMCID: PMC10591156 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoac087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 10/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Social hierarchy greatly influences behavior and health. Both human and animal studies have signaled the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) as specifically related to social hierarchy. Dopamine D1 receptors (D1Rs) and D2 receptors (D2Rs) are abundantly expressed in the mPFC, modulating its functions. However, it is unclear how DR-expressing neurons in the mPFC regulate social hierarchy. Here, using a confrontation tube test, we found that most adult C57BL/6J male mice could establish a linear social rank after 1 week of cohabitation. Lower rank individuals showed social anxiety together with decreased serum testosterone levels. D2R expression was significantly downregulated in the dorsal part of mPFC (dmPFC) in lower rank individuals, whereas D1R expression showed no significant difference among the rank groups in the whole mPFC. Virus knockdown of D2Rs in the dmPFC led to mice being particularly prone to lose the contests in the confrontation tube test. Finally, simultaneous D2R activation in the subordinates and D2R inhibition in the dominants in a pair switched their dominant-subordinate relationship. The above results indicate that D2Rs in the dmPFC play an important role in social dominance. Our findings provide novel insights into the divergent functions of prefrontal D1Rs and D2Rs in social dominance, which may contribute to ameliorating social dysfunctions along with abnormal social hierarchy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lai-Fu Li
- Henan Key Laboratory of Insect Biology in Funiu Mountain, Henan International Joint Laboratory of Insect Biology, College of Life Science and Agricultural Engineering, Nanyang Normal University, Nanyang 473061, Henan, China
- Research Center of Henan Provincial Agricultural Biomass Resource Engineering and Technology, College of Life Science and Agriculture, Nanyang Normal University, Nanyang 473061, Henan, China
| | - Zi-Lin Li
- Research Center of Henan Provincial Agricultural Biomass Resource Engineering and Technology, College of Life Science and Agriculture, Nanyang Normal University, Nanyang 473061, Henan, China
| | - Bai-Lin Song
- Research Center of Henan Provincial Agricultural Biomass Resource Engineering and Technology, College of Life Science and Agriculture, Nanyang Normal University, Nanyang 473061, Henan, China
| | - Yi Jiang
- Research Center of Henan Provincial Agricultural Biomass Resource Engineering and Technology, College of Life Science and Agriculture, Nanyang Normal University, Nanyang 473061, Henan, China
| | - Yan Wang
- Research Center of Henan Provincial Agricultural Biomass Resource Engineering and Technology, College of Life Science and Agriculture, Nanyang Normal University, Nanyang 473061, Henan, China
| | - Hua-Wei Zou
- Research Center of Henan Provincial Agricultural Biomass Resource Engineering and Technology, College of Life Science and Agriculture, Nanyang Normal University, Nanyang 473061, Henan, China
| | - Lun-Guang Yao
- Henan Key Laboratory of Insect Biology in Funiu Mountain, Henan International Joint Laboratory of Insect Biology, College of Life Science and Agricultural Engineering, Nanyang Normal University, Nanyang 473061, Henan, China
| | - Ying-Juan Liu
- Henan Key Laboratory of Insect Biology in Funiu Mountain, Henan International Joint Laboratory of Insect Biology, College of Life Science and Agricultural Engineering, Nanyang Normal University, Nanyang 473061, Henan, China
- Research Center of Henan Provincial Agricultural Biomass Resource Engineering and Technology, College of Life Science and Agriculture, Nanyang Normal University, Nanyang 473061, Henan, China
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Xue J, Li B, Huang B, Feng H, Li X, Liang S, Yuan F, Wang S, Shi H, Shao J, Shi Y. Sex-dependent and long-lasting effects of adolescent sleep deprivation on social behaviors in adult mice. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2023; 232:173657. [PMID: 37804868 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2023.173657] [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: 08/23/2023] [Revised: 10/01/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/09/2023]
Abstract
Increasing evidence indicates that sleep deprivation (SD) can exert multiple negative effects on neuronal circuits, resulting in memory impairment, depression, and anxiety, among other consequences. The long-term effects of SD during early life on behavioral phenotypes in adulthood are still poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the long-lasting effects of SD in adolescence on social behaviors, including empathic ability and social dominance, and the role of the gut microbiota in these processes, using a series of behavioral paradigms in mice combined with 16S rRNA gene pyrosequencing. Behavioral assay results showed that SD in adolescence significantly reduced the frequency of licking, the total time spent licking, and the time spent sniffing during the emotional contagion test in male mice, effects that were not observed in female mice. These findings indicated that SD in adolescence exerts long-term, negative effects on empathic ability in mice and that this effect is sex-dependent. In contrast, SD in adolescence had no significant effect on locomotor activities, social dominance but decreased social interaction in male mice in adulthood. Meanwhile, 16S rRNA gene pyrosequencing results showed that gut microbial richness and diversity were significantly altered in adult male mice subjected to SD in adolescence. Our data provide direct evidence that SD in youth can induce alterations in empathic ability in adult male mice, which may be associated with changes in the gut microbiota. These findings highlight the long-lasting effects of sleep loss in adolescence on social behaviors in adulthood and the role played by the brain-gut axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiping Xue
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Medical and Health Science, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China; Hebei Key Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Hebei Medicinal University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China
| | - Bingyu Li
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Medical and Health Science, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China; Hebei Key Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Hebei Medicinal University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China
| | - Boya Huang
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Medical and Health Science, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China
| | - Hao Feng
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Medical and Health Science, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China; Hebei Key Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Hebei Medicinal University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China
| | - Xinrui Li
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Medical and Health Science, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China; Hebei Key Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Hebei Medicinal University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China
| | - Shihao Liang
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Medical and Health Science, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China; Hebei Key Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Hebei Medicinal University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China
| | - Fang Yuan
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Medical and Health Science, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China; Hebei Key Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Hebei Medicinal University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China
| | - Sheng Wang
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Medical and Health Science, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China; Hebei Key Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Hebei Medicinal University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China
| | - Haishui Shi
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Medical and Health Science, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China; Hebei Key Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Hebei Medicinal University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China; Nursing School, Hebei Medicinal University, Shijiazhuang 050031, China.
| | - Juan Shao
- Department of Senile Disease, The Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050051, China.
| | - Yun Shi
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Medical and Health Science, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China.
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3
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Battivelli D, Vernochet C, Conabady E, Nguyen C, Zayed A, Lebel A, Meirsman AC, Messaoudene S, Fieggen A, Dreux G, Rigoni D, Le Borgne T, Marti F, Contesse T, Barik J, Tassin JP, Faure P, Parnaudeau S, Tronche F. Dopamine Neuron Activity and Stress Signaling as Links Between Social Hierarchy and Psychopathology Vulnerability. Biol Psychiatry 2023:S0006-3223(23)01600-1. [PMID: 37804900 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2023.08.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2022] [Revised: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Social status in humans, generally reflected by socioeconomic status, has been associated, when constrained, with heightened vulnerability to pathologies including psychiatric diseases. Social hierarchy in mice translates into individual and interdependent behavioral strategies of animals within a group. The rules leading to the emergence of a social organization are elusive, and detangling the contribution of social status from other factors, whether environmental or genetic, to normal and pathological behaviors remains challenging. METHODS We investigated the mechanisms shaping the emergence of a social hierarchy in isogenic C57BL/6 mice raised in groups of 4 using conditional mutant mouse models and chemogenetic manipulation of dopamine midbrain neuronal activity. We further studied the evolution of behavioral traits and the vulnerability to psychopathological-like phenotypes according to the social status of the animals. RESULTS Higher sociability predetermined higher social hierarchy in the colony. Upon hierarchy establishment, higher-ranked mice showed increased anxiety and better cognitive abilities in a working memory task. Strikingly, the higher-ranked mice displayed a reduced activity of dopaminergic neurons within the ventral tegmental area, paired with a decreased behavioral response to cocaine and a decreased vulnerability to depressive-like behaviors following repeated social defeats. The pharmacogenetic inhibition of this neuronal population and the genetic inactivation of glucocorticoid receptor signaling in dopamine-sensing brain areas that resulted in decreased dopaminergic activity promoted accession to higher social ranks. CONCLUSIONS Dopamine activity and its modulation by the stress response shapes social organization in mice, potentially linking interindividual and social status differences in vulnerability to psychopathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorian Battivelli
- Gene Regulation and Adaptive Behaviors group, Department of Neuroscience Paris Seine, Unité Mixte de Recherche 8246, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut de Biologie Paris Seine, Paris, France; Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U1130, Paris, France; Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Cécile Vernochet
- Gene Regulation and Adaptive Behaviors group, Department of Neuroscience Paris Seine, Unité Mixte de Recherche 8246, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut de Biologie Paris Seine, Paris, France; Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U1130, Paris, France; Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Estelle Conabady
- Gene Regulation and Adaptive Behaviors group, Department of Neuroscience Paris Seine, Unité Mixte de Recherche 8246, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut de Biologie Paris Seine, Paris, France; Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U1130, Paris, France; Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Claire Nguyen
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U1130, Paris, France; Sorbonne Université, Paris, France; Neurophysiology and Behavior group, Department of Neuroscience Paris Seine, Unité Mixte de Recherche 8246, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Paris, France
| | - Abdallah Zayed
- Gene Regulation and Adaptive Behaviors group, Department of Neuroscience Paris Seine, Unité Mixte de Recherche 8246, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut de Biologie Paris Seine, Paris, France; Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U1130, Paris, France; Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Ashley Lebel
- Gene Regulation and Adaptive Behaviors group, Department of Neuroscience Paris Seine, Unité Mixte de Recherche 8246, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut de Biologie Paris Seine, Paris, France; Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U1130, Paris, France; Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Aura Carole Meirsman
- Gene Regulation and Adaptive Behaviors group, Department of Neuroscience Paris Seine, Unité Mixte de Recherche 8246, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut de Biologie Paris Seine, Paris, France; Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U1130, Paris, France; Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Sarah Messaoudene
- Gene Regulation and Adaptive Behaviors group, Department of Neuroscience Paris Seine, Unité Mixte de Recherche 8246, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut de Biologie Paris Seine, Paris, France; Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U1130, Paris, France; Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Alexandre Fieggen
- Gene Regulation and Adaptive Behaviors group, Department of Neuroscience Paris Seine, Unité Mixte de Recherche 8246, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut de Biologie Paris Seine, Paris, France; Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U1130, Paris, France; Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Gautier Dreux
- Gene Regulation and Adaptive Behaviors group, Department of Neuroscience Paris Seine, Unité Mixte de Recherche 8246, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut de Biologie Paris Seine, Paris, France; Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U1130, Paris, France; Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Daiana Rigoni
- Université Côte d'Azur, Nice, France; Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire and Cellulaire, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique Unité Mixte de Recherche 7275, Valbonne, France
| | - Tinaïg Le Borgne
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U1130, Paris, France; Sorbonne Université, Paris, France; Neurophysiology and Behavior group, Department of Neuroscience Paris Seine, Unité Mixte de Recherche 8246, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Paris, France
| | - Fabio Marti
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U1130, Paris, France; Sorbonne Université, Paris, France; Neurophysiology and Behavior group, Department of Neuroscience Paris Seine, Unité Mixte de Recherche 8246, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Paris, France
| | - Thomas Contesse
- Université Côte d'Azur, Nice, France; Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire and Cellulaire, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique Unité Mixte de Recherche 7275, Valbonne, France
| | - Jacques Barik
- Université Côte d'Azur, Nice, France; Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire and Cellulaire, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique Unité Mixte de Recherche 7275, Valbonne, France
| | - Jean-Pol Tassin
- Gene Regulation and Adaptive Behaviors group, Department of Neuroscience Paris Seine, Unité Mixte de Recherche 8246, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut de Biologie Paris Seine, Paris, France; Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U1130, Paris, France; Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Philippe Faure
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U1130, Paris, France; Sorbonne Université, Paris, France; Neurophysiology and Behavior group, Department of Neuroscience Paris Seine, Unité Mixte de Recherche 8246, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Paris, France
| | - Sébastien Parnaudeau
- Gene Regulation and Adaptive Behaviors group, Department of Neuroscience Paris Seine, Unité Mixte de Recherche 8246, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut de Biologie Paris Seine, Paris, France; Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U1130, Paris, France; Sorbonne Université, Paris, France.
| | - François Tronche
- Gene Regulation and Adaptive Behaviors group, Department of Neuroscience Paris Seine, Unité Mixte de Recherche 8246, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut de Biologie Paris Seine, Paris, France; Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U1130, Paris, France; Sorbonne Université, Paris, France.
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4
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Ghosal S, Gebara E, Ramos-Fernández E, Chioino A, Grosse J, Guillot de Suduiraut I, Zanoletti O, Schneider B, Zorzano A, Astori S, Sandi C. Mitofusin-2 in nucleus accumbens D2-MSNs regulates social dominance and neuronal function. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112776. [PMID: 37440411 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112776] [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: 07/22/2022] [Revised: 05/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The nucleus accumbens (NAc) is a brain hub regulating motivated behaviors, including social competitiveness. Mitochondrial function in the NAc links anxiety with social competitiveness, and the mitochondrial fusion protein mitofusin 2 (Mfn2) in NAc neurons regulates anxiety-related behaviors. However, it remains unexplored whether accumbal Mfn2 levels also affect social behavior and whether Mfn2 actions in the emotional and social domain are driven by distinct cell types. Here, we found that subordinate-prone highly anxious rats show decreased accumbal Mfn2 levels and that Mfn2 overexpression promotes dominant behavior. In mice, selective Mfn2 downregulation in NAc dopamine D2 receptor-expressing medium spiny neurons (D2-MSNs) induced social subordination, accompanied by decreased accumbal mitochondrial functions and decreased excitability in D2-MSNs. Instead, D1-MSN-targeted Mfn2 downregulation affected competitive ability only transiently and likely because of an increase in anxiety-like behaviors. Our results assign dissociable cell-type specific roles to Mfn2 in the NAc in modulating social dominance and anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sriparna Ghosal
- Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics, Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Elias Gebara
- Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics, Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Eva Ramos-Fernández
- Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics, Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Alessandro Chioino
- Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics, Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Jocelyn Grosse
- Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics, Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Isabelle Guillot de Suduiraut
- Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics, Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Olivia Zanoletti
- Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics, Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Bernard Schneider
- Bertarelli Platform for Gene Therapy, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1202 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Antonio Zorzano
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), 08028 Barcelona, Spain; Departament de Bioquímica i Biomedicina Molecular, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Diabetes y Enfermedades Metabólicas Asociadas (CIBERDEM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Simone Astori
- Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics, Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Carmen Sandi
- Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics, Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
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5
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Jing P, Shan Q. Exogenous oxytocin microinjection into the nucleus accumbens shell attenuates social dominance in group-housed male mice. Physiol Behav 2023:114253. [PMID: 37270150 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2023.114253] [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: 03/29/2023] [Revised: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
The nucleus accumbens (NAc), a part of the brain's limbic system, is involved in a variety of brain functions, including reward motivation and social hierarchy. Here, the study investigated the effect of intra-NAc different subregions microinjections of oxytocin on social hierarchy regulation. The hierarchical ranking of group-housed male mice in laboratory settings was determined through the tube test, and a new reliable and robust behavior assay-the mate competition test-was proposed. The mice were randomly divided into two groups, and the bilateral guide cannula was implanted into the shell and core of the NAc, respectively. After social dominance stabilized, changes in social hierarchy were determined through the tube test, warm spot, and mate competition tests. Intra-NAc shell microinjections of oxytocin (0.5 μg/site), but not the core (0.5 μg/site), significantly reduced the social dominance of mice. In addition, oxytocin microinjection into both the shell and core of the NAc significantly increased locomotor ability without affecting anxious behaviors. These findings are tremendously important in understanding the functions of the NAc subregions for social dominance and are more likely to indicate the potential of an oxytocin therapeutic strategy for psychiatric disorders and social impairments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengbo Jing
- Laboratory for Synaptic Plasticity, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, 515041, China
| | - Qiang Shan
- Laboratory for Synaptic Plasticity, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, 515041, China.
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6
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Jiang A, Zhou C, Samsom J, Yan S, Yu DZ, Jia ZP, Wong AHC, Liu F. The GR-FKBP51 interaction modulates fear memory but not spatial or recognition memory. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2022; 119:110604. [PMID: 35839967 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2022.110604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Revised: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 07/10/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
The glucocorticoid receptor (GR) forms a protein complex with FKBP51 that is increased in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and by fear conditioned learning. Disrupting the GR-FKBP51 complex with a synthetic peptide can block the storage or retrieval of fear conditioned memories, which could be a novel approach to the alleviate fear associated memory in PTSD. However, a potential unacceptable side effect could be the impairment of other types of memory. Thus, we investigated the effect of disrupting the GR-FKBP51 complex on recognition memory using the novel object and displaced object recognition tasks, spatial memory in the Morris water maze, and on social interaction in Crawley's three-chamber social interaction test. We did not observe adverse effects on these other types of memory and conclude that the GR-FKBP51 interaction remains a promising target for treating psychiatric disorders characterized by unwanted aversive memories such as in PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anlong Jiang
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada
| | - Chanjuan Zhou
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada
| | - James Samsom
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada
| | - Shuxin Yan
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada
| | - Dian Zheng Yu
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada
| | - Zheng-Ping Jia
- Neurosciences & Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Ave., M5G 1X8, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Albert H C Wong
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada; Department of Pharmacology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada; Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada
| | - Fang Liu
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada; Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada; Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada.
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7
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Huang B, Sun B, Yang R, Liang S, Li X, Guo Y, Meng Q, Fu Y, Li W, Zhao P, Gong M, Shi Y, Song L, Wang S, Yuan F, Shi H. Long-lasting effects of postweaning sleep deprivation on cognitive function and social behaviors in adult mice. Neuropharmacology 2022; 215:109164. [PMID: 35716724 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Revised: 05/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Sleep deprivation (SD) has adverse effects on physical and mental health. Recently increasing attention has been given to SD in the early-life stage. However, the effects and mechanisms of postweaning SD on cognitive function and social behaviors are still unclear. In this study, SD was conducted in mice from postnatal Day 21 (PND21) to PND42, 6 h a day. Meanwhile, changes in body weight, food and water intake were continuously monitored. Behavioral tests were carried out in adulthood of mice. The levels of serum corticosterone, the proinflammatory cytokines interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and the anti-inflammatory cytokines interleukin-10 (IL-10), vasopressin (VP) and oxytocin (OT) were measured by ELISA. Golgi staining was used to calculate neural dendritic spine density in the dorsal hippocampus (dHPC) CA1 region and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). We found that postweaning SD increased the food intake and the weight of female mice. Behavioral results showed that postweaning SD caused cognitive impairment and lowered social dominance in adult male mice but not in female mice. ELISA results showed that SD increased the levels of serum corticosterone, VP and OT in male mice and serum OT in female mice. Golgi staining analysis showed that SD decreased neural dendritic spine density in the dHPC in male mice. These results suggest that postweaning SD has a long-term effect on social dominance and cognitive function in male mice, which may provide a new insight into the role of SD in regulating cognitive function and social behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boya Huang
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Medical and Health Science, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China; Hebei Key Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Hebei Medicinal University, 050017, China
| | - Binhuang Sun
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Medical and Health Science, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China; Hebei Key Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Hebei Medicinal University, 050017, China
| | - Rui Yang
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Medical and Health Science, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China; Hebei Key Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Hebei Medicinal University, 050017, China
| | - Shihao Liang
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Medical and Health Science, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China; Hebei Key Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Hebei Medicinal University, 050017, China
| | - Xinrui Li
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Medical and Health Science, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China; Hebei Key Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Hebei Medicinal University, 050017, China
| | - Yi Guo
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Medical and Health Science, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China; Hebei Key Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Hebei Medicinal University, 050017, China
| | - Qian Meng
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Medical and Health Science, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China; Hebei Key Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Hebei Medicinal University, 050017, China
| | - Yaling Fu
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Medical and Health Science, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China; Hebei Key Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Hebei Medicinal University, 050017, China
| | - Wenshuya Li
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Medical and Health Science, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China
| | - Penghui Zhao
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Medical and Health Science, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China
| | - Miao Gong
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Medical and Health Science, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China; Hebei Key Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Hebei Medicinal University, 050017, China
| | - Yun Shi
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Basic Medicine, Hebei Medicinal University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China
| | - Li Song
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Medical and Health Science, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China; Hebei Key Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Hebei Medicinal University, 050017, China; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Basic Medicine, Hebei Medicinal University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China
| | - Sheng Wang
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Hebei Medicinal University, 050017, China
| | - Fang Yuan
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Hebei Medicinal University, 050017, China
| | - Haishui Shi
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Medical and Health Science, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China; Hebei Key Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Hebei Medicinal University, 050017, China; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Basic Medicine, Hebei Medicinal University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China.
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8
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Taborsky B, Kuijper B, Fawcett TW, English S, Leimar O, McNamara JM, Ruuskanen S. An evolutionary perspective on stress responses, damage and repair. Horm Behav 2022; 142:105180. [PMID: 35569424 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2022.105180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Revised: 04/16/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Variation in stress responses has been investigated in relation to environmental factors, species ecology, life history and fitness. Moreover, mechanistic studies have unravelled molecular mechanisms of how acute and chronic stress responses cause physiological impacts ('damage'), and how this damage can be repaired. However, it is not yet understood how the fitness effects of damage and repair influence stress response evolution. Here we study the evolution of hormone levels as a function of stressor occurrence, damage and the efficiency of repair. We hypothesise that the evolution of stress responses depends on the fitness consequences of damage and the ability to repair that damage. To obtain some general insights, we model a simplified scenario in which an organism repeatedly encounters a stressor with a certain frequency and predictability (temporal autocorrelation). The organism can defend itself by mounting a stress response (elevated hormone level), but this causes damage that takes time to repair. We identify optimal strategies in this scenario and then investigate how those strategies respond to acute and chronic exposures to the stressor. We find that for higher repair rates, baseline and peak hormone levels are higher. This typically means that the organism experiences higher levels of damage, which it can afford because that damage is repaired more quickly, but for very high repair rates the damage does not build up. With increasing predictability of the stressor, stress responses are sustained for longer, because the animal expects the stressor to persist, and thus damage builds up. This can result in very high (and potentially fatal) levels of damage when organisms are exposed to chronic stressors to which they are not evolutionarily adapted. Overall, our results highlight that at least three factors need to be considered jointly to advance our understanding of how stress physiology has evolved: (i) temporal dynamics of stressor occurrence; (ii) relative mortality risk imposed by the stressor itself versus damage caused by the stress response; and (iii) the efficiency of repair mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Taborsky
- Behavioural Ecology Division, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Switzerland.
| | - Bram Kuijper
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, UK; Institute for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, University of Exeter, UK
| | - Tim W Fawcett
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour (CRAB), University of Exeter, UK
| | - Sinead English
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, UK
| | - Olof Leimar
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Sweden
| | | | - Suvi Ruuskanen
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Finland
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9
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Ferreira-Fernandes E, Peça J. The Neural Circuit Architecture of Social Hierarchy in Rodents and Primates. Front Cell Neurosci 2022; 16:874310. [PMID: 35634473 PMCID: PMC9133341 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2022.874310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Social status is recognized as a major determinant of social behavior and health among animals; however, the neural circuits supporting the formation and navigation of social hierarchies remain under extensive research. Available evidence suggests the prefrontal cortex is a keystone in this circuit, but upstream and downstream candidates are progressively emerging. In this review, we compare and integrate findings from rodent and primate studies to create a model of the neural and cellular networks supporting social hierarchies, both from a macro (i.e., circuits) to a micro-scale perspective (microcircuits and synapses). We start by summarizing the literature on the prefrontal cortex and other relevant brain regions to expand the current “prefrontal-centric” view of social hierarchy behaviors. Based on connectivity data we also discuss candidate regions that might inspire further investigation, as well as the caveats and strategies that have been used to further our understanding of the biological substrates underpinning social hierarchy and dominance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emanuel Ferreira-Fernandes
- CNC—Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Research (IIIUC), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - João Peça
- CNC—Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- *Correspondence: João Peça
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10
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Park J, Ha S, Shin H, Jeong J. Experience of a hierarchical relationship between a pair of mice specifically influences their affective empathy toward each other. GENES, BRAIN, AND BEHAVIOR 2022; 21:e12810. [PMID: 35451184 PMCID: PMC9744536 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2021] [Revised: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Prior experience of social hierarchy is known to modulate emotional contagion, a basic form of affective empathy. However, it is not known whether this behavioral effect occurs through changes in an individual's traits due to their experience of social hierarchy or specific social interrelationships between the individuals. Groups of four mice with an established in-group hierarchy were used to address this in conjunction with a tube test. The rank-1 and rank-4 mice were designated as the dominant or subordinate groups, respectively. The two individuals in between were designated as the intermediate groups, which were then used as the observers in observational fear learning (OFL) experiments, an assay for emotional contagion. The intermediate observers showed greater OFL responses to the dominant demonstrator than the subordinate demonstrators recruited from the same home-cage. When the demonstrators were strangers from different cages, the intermediate observers did not distinguish between dominant and subordinate, displaying the same level of OFL. In a reverse setting in which the intermediate group was used as the demonstrator, the subordinate observers showed higher OFL responses than the dominant observers, and this occurred only when the demonstrators were cagemates of the observers. Furthermore, the bigger the rank difference between a pair, the higher the OFL level that the observer displayed. Altogether, these results demonstrate that the hierarchical interrelationship established between a given pair of animals is critical for expressing emotional contagion between them rather than any potential changes in intrinsic traits due to the experience of dominant/subordinate hierarchy. PRACTITIONER POINTS: Subordinate observer or dominant demonstrator resulted in higher affective empathic response in familiar pairs but not unfamiliar pairs. The relative social rank of the observer with respect to the demonstrator had a negative linear correlation with the affective empathic response of the observer in familiar pairs but not unfamiliar pairs. The effect of social rank on affective empathy is attributed to the prior social hierarchical interrelationship between them and is not due to intrinsic attributes of an individual based on one's dominance rank.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jungjoon Park
- Department of Bio and Brain EngineeringKorea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)DaejeonRepublic of Korea,Center for Cognition and SocialityInstitute for Basic Science (IBS)DaejeonRepublic of Korea
| | - Seungshin Ha
- Center for Cognition and SocialityInstitute for Basic Science (IBS)DaejeonRepublic of Korea
| | - Hee‐Sup Shin
- Center for Cognition and SocialityInstitute for Basic Science (IBS)DaejeonRepublic of Korea
| | - Jaeseung Jeong
- Department of Bio and Brain EngineeringKorea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)DaejeonRepublic of Korea
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11
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Daskalakis NP, Meijer OC, Ronald de Kloet E. Mineralocorticoid receptor and glucocorticoid receptor work alone and together in cell-type-specific manner: Implications for resilience prediction and targeted therapy. Neurobiol Stress 2022; 18:100455. [PMID: 35601687 PMCID: PMC9118500 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2022.100455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2022] [Revised: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
‘You can't roll the clock back and reverse the effects of experiences' Bruce McEwen used to say when explaining how allostasis labels the adaptive process. Here we will for once roll the clock back to the times that the science of the glucocorticoid hormone was honored with a Nobel prize and highlight the discovery of their receptors in the hippocampus as inroad to its current status as master regulator in control of stress coping and adaptation. Glucocorticoids operate in concert with numerous neurotransmitters, neuropeptides, and other hormones with the aim to facilitate processing of information in the neurocircuitry of stress, from anticipation and perception of a novel experience to behavioral adaptation and memory storage. This action, exerted by the glucocorticoids, is guided by two complementary receptor systems, mineralocorticoid receptors (MR) and glucocorticoid receptors (GR), that need to be balanced for a healthy stress response pattern. Here we discuss the cellular, neuroendocrine, and behavioral studies underlying the MR:GR balance concept, highlight the relevance of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) -axis patterns and note the limited understanding yet of sexual dimorphism in glucocorticoid actions. We conclude with the prospect that (i) genetically and epigenetically regulated receptor variants dictate cell-type-specific transcriptome signatures of stress-related neuropsychiatric symptoms and (ii) selective receptor modulators are becoming available for more targeted treatment. These two new developments may help to ‘restart the clock’ with the prospect to support resilience.
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12
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The role of glucocorticoid receptor gene in the association between attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder and smaller brain structures. J Neural Transm (Vienna) 2021; 128:1907-1916. [PMID: 34609638 DOI: 10.1007/s00702-021-02425-w] [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: 05/29/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
ADHD is associated with smaller subcortical brain volumes and cortical surface area, with greater effects observed in children than adults. It is also associated with dysregulation of the HPA axis. Considering the effects of the glucocorticoid receptor (NR3C1) in neurophysiology, we hypothesize that the blurred relationships between brain structures and ADHD in adults could be partly explained by NR3C1 gene variation. Structural T1-weighted images were acquired on a 3 T scanner (N = 166). Large-scale genotyping was performed, and it was followed by quality control and pruning procedures, which resulted in 48 independent NR3C1 gene variants analyzed. After a stringent Bonferroni correction, two SNPs (rs2398631 and rs72801070) moderated the association between ADHD and accumbens and amygdala volumes in adults. The significant SNPs that interacted with ADHD appear to have a role in gene expression regulation, and they are in linkage disequilibrium with NR3C1 variants that present well-characterized physiological functions. The literature-reported associations of ADHD with accumbens and amygdala were only observed for specific NR3C1 genotypes. Our findings reinforce the influence of the NR3C1 gene on subcortical volumes and ADHD. They suggest a genetic modulation of the effects of a pivotal HPA axis component in the neuroanatomical features of ADHD.
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13
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Nemeth M, Eisenschenk I, Engelmann A, Esser FM, Kokodynska M, Szewczak VF, Barnreiter E, Wallner B, Millesi E. Flaxseed oil as omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid source modulates cortisol concentrations and social dominance in male and female guinea pigs. Horm Behav 2021; 134:105025. [PMID: 34242874 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2021.105025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Revised: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Flaxseed oil is an excellent source of the essential omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). Omega-3 PUFAs are important neuronal components and can counteract aggressive, depressive, and anxiety-like behavior, reduce glucocorticoid (e.g. cortisol) concentrations under chronic stress but also increase acute glucocorticoid responses. As glucocorticoids per se and glucocorticoid responsiveness can modulate the establishment of dominance hierarchies, we investigated if flaxseed oil high in ALA can promote social dominance through effects on glucocorticoid concentrations. Two male and two female groups of domestic guinea pigs (n = 9 per group) were maintained on a control or a 5% (w/w) flaxseed oil diet for four weeks. Social behaviors, hierarchy indices, locomotion, and saliva cortisol concentrations were determined during basal group housing conditions and stressful social confrontations with unfamiliar individuals of the other groups. Flaxseed groups had increased basal cortisol concentrations and showed no cortisol increase during social confrontations. Cortisol concentrations in control groups significantly increased during social confrontations. Such higher cortisol responses positively affected individual hierarchy indices in control males. However, flaxseed males became dominant irrespective of cortisol concentrations. In females, the opposite was detected, namely a higher dominant status in control compared to flaxseed females. Open-field- and dark-light-tests for anxiety-like behavior revealed no pronounced differences, but flaxseed males showed the highest locomotor activity. Flaxseed oil as an ALA source sex-specifically promoted social dominance irrespective of cortisol concentrations and responses. The underlying neuronal mechanisms remain to be determined, but a sex-specific energetic advantage may have accounted for this effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Nemeth
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
| | - Isabelle Eisenschenk
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Anna Engelmann
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Fey Maria Esser
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Michelle Kokodynska
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Veronika Francesca Szewczak
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Elisabeth Barnreiter
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Bernard Wallner
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Eva Millesi
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria
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14
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LeClair KB, Russo SJ. Using social rank as the lens to focus on the neural circuitry driving stress coping styles. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2021; 68:167-180. [PMID: 33930622 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2021.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Revised: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Social hierarchy position in humans is negatively correlated with stress-related psychiatric disease risk. Animal models have largely corroborated human studies, showing that social rank can impact stress susceptibility and is considered to be a major risk factor in the development of psychiatric illness. Differences in stress coping style is one of several factors that mediate this relationship between social rank and stress susceptibility. Coping styles encompass correlated groupings of behaviors associated with differential physiological stress responses. Here, we discuss recent insights from animal models that highlight several neural circuits that can contribute to social rank-associated differences in coping style.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine B LeClair
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Scott J Russo
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
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15
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The decisive role of subordination in social hierarchy in weanling mice and young children. iScience 2021; 24:102073. [PMID: 33604524 PMCID: PMC7873650 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.102073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Revised: 12/10/2020] [Accepted: 01/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Social hierarchy plays important roles in maintaining social structures. Despite similarity in concept, frameworks of human hierarchy have seldom been investigated in parallel with other animals. Moreover, the importance of subordination in hierarchical formation has been largely underestimated in previous research. Here we established, compared, and investigated hierarchy in children and weanling mice. Temperament assessments suggested that children who are less persistent, low emotional intensity, and withdrew easily were more likely to be subordinate in competitive scenarios independent of task characteristics and interaction experiences. The tube test further showed that conflicts between mice were not resolved by winner approach but by loser withdrawal, which was mainly determined by intrinsic subordinate status regardless of opponents. Our study presents evolutionary conserved hierarchical relationships in young and a critical role of the intrinsic subordinate characteristics in hierarchical determination. These findings provide a new perspective on social interactions with potential implications for preschool education. Similar social hierarchy can be established in weanling mice and young children Social rankings in children are largely influenced by intrinsic characteristics Conflicts in mouse tube test are not resolved by winner but by loser withdrawal Subordinate withdrawals are determined by intrinsic status regardless of opponents
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16
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Molendijk ML, de Kloet ER. Forced swim stressor: Trends in usage and mechanistic consideration. Eur J Neurosci 2021; 55:2813-2831. [PMID: 33548153 PMCID: PMC9291081 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2020] [Revised: 01/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The acquired immobility response during the “forced swim test (FST)” is not a rodent model of depression, but the test has some validity in predicting a compound's antidepressant potential. Nevertheless, 60% of the about 600 papers that were published annually the past 2 years label the rodent's immobility response as depression‐like behaviour, but the relative contribution per country is changing. When the Editors‐in‐Chief of 5 journals publishing most FST papers were asked for their point of view on labelling immobility as depression‐like behaviour and despair, they responded that they primarily rely on the reviewers regarding scientific merit of the submission. One Editor informs authors of the recent NIMH notice (https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice‐files/NOT‐MH‐19‐053.html) which encourages investigators to use animal models “for” addressing neurobiological questions rather than as model “of” specific mental disorders. The neurobiological questions raised by use of the FST fall in two categories. First, research on the role of endocrine and metabolic factors, with roots in the 1980s, and with focus on the bottom‐up action of glucocorticoids on circuits processing salient information, executive control and memory consolidation. Second, recent findings using novel technological and computational advances that have allowed great progress in charting top‐down control in the switch from active to passive coping with the inescapable stressor executed by neuronal ensembles of the medial prefrontal cortex via the peri‐aquaductal grey. It is expected that combining neural top‐down and endocrine bottom‐up approaches will provide new insights in the role of stress‐coping and adaptation in pathogenesis of mental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc L Molendijk
- Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - E Ronald de Kloet
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
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17
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Varholick JA, Bailoo JD, Jenkins A, Voelkl B, Würbel H. A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Relationship Between Social Dominance Status and Common Behavioral Phenotypes in Male Laboratory Mice. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 14:624036. [PMID: 33551768 PMCID: PMC7855301 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2020.624036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Social dominance status (e.g., dominant or subordinate) is often associated with individual differences in behavior and physiology but is largely neglected in experimental designs and statistical analysis plans in biomedical animal research. In fact, the extent to which social dominance status affects common experimental outcomes is virtually unknown. Given the pervasive use of laboratory mice and culminating evidence of issues with reproducibility, understanding the role of social dominance status on common behavioral measures used in research may be of paramount importance. Methods: To determine whether social dominance status—one facet of the social environment—contributes in a systematic way to standard measures of behavior in biomedical science, we conducted a systematic review of the existing literature searching the databases of PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science. Experiments were divided into several domains of behavior: exploration, anxiety, learned helplessness, cognition, social, and sensory behavior. Meta-analyses between experiments were conducted for the open field, elevated plus-maze, and Porsolt forced swim test. Results: Of the 696 publications identified, a total of 55 experiments from 20 published studies met our pre-specified criteria. Study characteristics and reported results were highly heterogeneous across studies. A systematic review and meta-analyses, where possible, with these studies revealed little evidence for systematic phenotypic differences between dominant and subordinate male mice. Conclusion: This finding contradicts the notion that social dominance status impacts behavior in significant ways, although the lack of an observed relationship may be attributable to study heterogeneity concerning strain, group-size, age, housing and husbandry conditions, and dominance assessment method. Therefore, further research considering these secondary sources of variation may be necessary to determine if social dominance generally impacts treatment effects in substantive ways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin A Varholick
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States.,Division of Animal Welfare, Veterinary Public Health Institute, Universität Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Jeremy D Bailoo
- Division of Animal Welfare, Veterinary Public Health Institute, Universität Bern, Bern, Switzerland.,Department of Cell Biology and Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, United States.,Department of Civil, Environmental, and Construction Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, United States
| | - Ashley Jenkins
- Department of Biology, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Bernhard Voelkl
- Division of Animal Welfare, Veterinary Public Health Institute, Universität Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Hanno Würbel
- Division of Animal Welfare, Veterinary Public Health Institute, Universität Bern, Bern, Switzerland
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18
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Dietary fatty acids modulate cortisol concentrations and social dominance during social confrontations in adolescent male guinea pigs. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2021; 123:105045. [PMID: 33242725 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2020.105045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2020] [Revised: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA)-axis and related glucocorticoid concentrations regulate physiology and behavior, which can be modulated by nutritional conditions, particularly by the dietary fatty acid composition. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) have been shown to promote hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA)-axis functions, whereas saturated fatty acids (SFAs) in general produce adverse effects and even increase baseline glucocorticoid concentrations. Glucocorticoids (e.g. cortisol) were further documented to modulate the establishment of dominance relationships, while the involvement of dietary fatty acids remains understudied. This study focused on different effects of PUFAs and SFAs on cortisol concentrations and social dominance in male guinea pigs. Three groups of animals were maintained on diets high in PUFAs (10 % w/w walnut oil), SFAs (10 % w/w coconut fat), or on an untreated control diet starting already prenatally. During adolescence, at an age of 60, 90, and 120 days, each individual's saliva cortisol concentrations and hierarchy index (calculated by initiated and received agonistic behavior) were measured during basal group housing conditions and stressful social confrontations with unfamiliar individuals of the other groups. SFA males showed highest baseline cortisol concentrations, lowest cortisol responses to social confrontations, and became subdominant. PUFA and control males showed significant cortisol responses. However, while control males became dominant during social confrontations, the hierarchy index in PUFA males decreased with age. Individual hierarchy indices during consecutive social confrontations revealed a high consistency. The findings presented here indicate that dietary fatty acids differently affect HPA-axis functions and social dominance but the underlying mechanisms remain to be determined.
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19
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Šabanović M, Liu H, Mlambo V, Aqel H, Chaudhury D. What it takes to be at the top: The interrelationship between chronic social stress and social dominance. Brain Behav 2020; 10:e01896. [PMID: 33070476 PMCID: PMC7749537 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.1896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Revised: 09/11/2020] [Accepted: 09/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Dominance hierarchies of social animal groups are very sensitive to stress. Stress experienced prior to social interactions between conspecifics may be a determinant of their future social dynamics. Additionally, long-term occupancy of a specific hierarchical rank can have psychophysiological effects which increase vulnerability to future stressors. METHODS We aimed to delineate differential effects of stress acting before or after hierarchy formation. We studied whether exposure to the chronic social defeat stress (CSDS) paradigm before a two-week-long hierarchy formation affected the attainment of a dominant status using the social confrontation tube test (TT). These animals were singly housed for at least one week before CSDS to decrease confounding effects of prior hierarchy experience. Additionally, we investigated whether social rank predicted vulnerability to CSDS, measured by a social interaction test. RESULTS In TT, mice termed as dominant (high rank) win the majority of social confrontations, while the subordinates (low rank) lose more often. Within newly established hierarchies of stress-naïve mice, the subordinate, but not dominant, mice exhibited significantly greater avoidance of novel social targets. However, following exposure to CSDS, both lowest- and highest-ranked mice exhibited susceptibility to stress as measured by decreased interactions with a novel social target. In contrast, after CSDS, both stress-susceptible (socially avoidant) and stress-resilient (social) mice were able to attain dominant ranks in newly established hierarchies. CONCLUSION These results suggest that the response to CSDS did not determine social rank in new cohorts, but low-status mice in newly established groups exhibited lower sociability to novel social targets. Interestingly, exposure of a hierarchical social group to chronic social stress led to stress susceptibility in both high- and low-status mice as measured by social interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Merima Šabanović
- The Division of Science, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - He Liu
- The Division of Science, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Vongai Mlambo
- The Division of Science, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Hala Aqel
- The Division of Science, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Dipesh Chaudhury
- The Division of Science, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
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