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Hermans EC, de Theije CGM, Nijboer CH, Achterberg EJM. Ultrasonic vocalization emission is altered following neonatal hypoxic-ischemic brain injury in mice. Behav Brain Res 2024; 471:115113. [PMID: 38878973 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2024.115113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2024] [Revised: 06/07/2024] [Accepted: 06/12/2024] [Indexed: 08/03/2024]
Abstract
Neonatal hypoxic-ischemic (HI) brain injury leads to cognitive impairments including social communication disabilities. Current treatments do not sufficiently target these impairments, therefore new tools are needed to examine social communication in models for neonatal brain injury. Ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) during early life show potential as a measurement for social development and reflect landmark developmental stages in neonatal mice. However, changes in USV emission early after HI injury have not been found yet. Our current study examines USV patterns and classes in the first 3 days after HI injury. C57Bl/6 mice were subjected to HI on postnatal day (P)9 and USVs were recorded between P10 and P12. Audio files were analyzed using the VocalMat automated tool. HI-injured mice emitted less USVs, for shorter durations, and at a higher frequency compared to control (sham-operated) littermates. The HI-induced alterations in USVs were most distinct at P10 and in the frequency range of 50-75 kHz. At P10 HI-injured mouse pups also produced different ratios of USV class types compared to control littermates. Moreover, alterations in the duration and frequency were specific to certain USV classes in HI animals compared to controls. Injury in the striatum and hippocampus contributed most to alterations in USV communication after HI. Overall, neonatal HI injury leads to USV alterations in newborn mice which could be used as a tool to study early HI-related social communication deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva C Hermans
- Department for Developmental Origins of Disease, University Medical Center Utrecht Brain Center and Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Caroline G M de Theije
- Department for Developmental Origins of Disease, University Medical Center Utrecht Brain Center and Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Cora H Nijboer
- Department for Developmental Origins of Disease, University Medical Center Utrecht Brain Center and Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - E J Marijke Achterberg
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Unit Animals in Science and Society, Division of Behavioural Neuroscience, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
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Santana-Coelho D, Pranske ZJ, Nolan SO, Hodges SL, Binder MS, Womble PD, Narvaiz DA, Muhammad I, Lugo JN. Neonatal immune stimulation results in sex-specific changes in ultrasonic vocalizations but does not affect seizure susceptibility in neonatal mice. Int J Dev Neurosci 2024. [PMID: 38712612 DOI: 10.1002/jdn.10333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2023] [Revised: 04/15/2024] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Neuroinflammation during the neonatal period has been linked to disorders such as autism and epilepsy. In this study, we investigated the early life behavioral consequences of a single injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) at postnatal day 10 (PD10) in mice. To assess deficits in communication, we performed the isolation-induced ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) test at PD12. To determine if early life immune stimulus could alter seizure susceptibility, latency to flurothyl-induced generalized seizures was measured at 4 hours (hrs), 2 days, or 5 days after LPS injections. LPS had a sex-dependent effect on USV number. LPS-treated male mice presented significantly fewer USVs than LPS-treated female mice. However, the number of calls did not significantly differ between control and LPS for either sex. In male mice, we found that downward, short, and composite calls were significantly more prevalent in the LPS treatment group, while upward, chevron, and complex calls were less prevalent than in controls (p < 0.05). Female mice that received LPS presented a significantly higher proportion of short, frequency steps, two-syllable, and composite calls in their repertoire when compared with female control mice (p < 0.05). Seizure latency was not altered by early-life inflammation at any of the time points measured. Our findings suggest that early-life immune stimulation at PD10 disrupts vocal development but does not alter the susceptibility to flurothyl-induced seizures during the neonatal period. Additionally, the effect of inflammation in the disruption of vocalization is sex-dependent.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Zachary J Pranske
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, USA
| | - Suzanne O Nolan
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, USA
| | | | - Matthew S Binder
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, USA
| | - Paige D Womble
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, USA
| | - David A Narvaiz
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, USA
| | - Ilyasah Muhammad
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, USA
| | - Joaquin N Lugo
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, USA
- Institute of Biomedical Studets, Waco, Texas, USA
- Department of Biology, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, USA
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Bigelow LJ, Fiset C, Jarvis JHM, Macleod S, Wöhr M, Benke TA, Bernard PB. Early-life seizures modify behavioral response to ultrasonic vocalization playback in adult rats. Epilepsy Behav 2022; 127:108494. [PMID: 34954511 DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2021.108494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Revised: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 12/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Early-life seizures (ELS) are associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD); however, due to a lack of effective treatments for ELS, it is not clear whether ELS plays a causal role, potentiates the ASD phenotype, or is the result of a common pathophysiology. Deficits in communications are a core feature of ASD. To isolate the impact of ELS on communication, we probed the behavioral consequences of a single episode of kainic acid-induced early-life seizures (KA-ELS) in male and female Sprague-Dawley (CD) rats. Deficits in auditory communication were observed in adult male rats as assessed by behavioral response to ultrasonic vocalization (USV) playback. Ultrasonic vocalizations are classified into two major categories - 50-kHz (positive) calls and 22-kHz (aversive) calls. Behavioral response was assessed via rat preference for different USV playback in a radial arm maze. Response to 22-kHz calls was not impacted by ELS while response to 50-kHz calls was impacted. All rats demonstrated positional preference for the arms adjacent to where 50-kHz calls were playing compared to background noise; however, male ELS rats demonstrated a greater positional preference for the arms adjacent to where 50-kHz calls were playing compared to male control rats. These studies demonstrate that responses to socially relevant auditory cues are chronically altered in adult male rats following a single episode of ELS. We speculate that these changes contribute to previously reported social deficits associated with ELS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Logan J Bigelow
- University of Prince Edward Island, Biomedical Sciences, Charlottetown, PE, Canada
| | - Catherine Fiset
- University of Prince Edward Island, Biomedical Sciences, Charlottetown, PE, Canada
| | - Jack H M Jarvis
- University of Prince Edward Island, Biomedical Sciences, Charlottetown, PE, Canada
| | - Sarah Macleod
- University of Prince Edward Island, Biomedical Sciences, Charlottetown, PE, Canada
| | - Markus Wöhr
- KU Leuven, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Research Unit Brain and Cognition, Laboratory of Biological Psychology, Social and Affective Neuroscience Research Group, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium; KU Leuven, Leuven Brain Institute, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium; Behavioral Neuroscience, Experimental and Biological Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Philipps University of Marburg, Gutenbergstr. 18, D-35032 Marburg, Germany; Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior, Philipps-University of Marburg, Hans-Meerwein-Str. 6, D-35032 Marburg, Germany
| | - Tim A Benke
- University of Colorado School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Aurora, CO, United States
| | - Paul B Bernard
- University of Prince Edward Island, Biomedical Sciences, Charlottetown, PE, Canada.
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Ziobro JM, Eschbach K, Shellhaas RA. Novel Therapeutics for Neonatal Seizures. Neurotherapeutics 2021; 18:1564-1581. [PMID: 34386906 PMCID: PMC8608938 DOI: 10.1007/s13311-021-01085-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/26/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Neonatal seizures are a common neurologic emergency for which therapies have not significantly changed in decades. Improvements in diagnosis and pathophysiologic understanding of the distinct features of acute symptomatic seizures and neonatal-onset epilepsies present exceptional opportunities for development of precision therapies with potential to improve outcomes. Herein, we discuss the pathophysiology of neonatal seizures and review the evidence for currently available treatment. We present emerging therapies in clinical and preclinical development for the treatment of acute symptomatic neonatal seizures. Lastly, we discuss the role of precision therapies for genetic neonatal-onset epilepsies and address barriers and goals for developing new therapies for clinical care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie M Ziobro
- Department of Pediatrics, Michigan Medicine, C.S. Mott Children's Hospital, University of Michigan, 1540 E. Hospital Dr, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
| | - Krista Eschbach
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Neurology, Denver Anschutz School of Medicine, Children's Hospital Colorado, University of Colorado, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
| | - Renée A Shellhaas
- Department of Pediatrics, Michigan Medicine, C.S. Mott Children's Hospital, University of Michigan, 1540 E. Hospital Dr, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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Hodges SL, Womble PD, Kwok EM, Darner AM, Senger SS, Binder MS, Faust AM, Condon SM, Nolan SO, Quintero SI, Lugo JN. Rapamycin, but not minocycline, significantly alters ultrasonic vocalization behavior in C57BL/6J pups in a flurothyl seizure model. Behav Brain Res 2021; 410:113317. [PMID: 33910029 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2020] [Revised: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological disorders, with individuals having an increased susceptibility of seizures in the first few years of life, making children at risk of developing a multitude of cognitive and behavioral comorbidities throughout development. The present study examined the role of PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway activity and neuroinflammatory signaling in the development of autistic-like behavior following seizures in the neonatal period. Male and female C57BL/6J mice were administered 3 flurothyl seizures on postnatal (PD) 10, followed by administration of minocycline, the mTOR inhibitor rapamycin, or a combined treatment of both therapeutics. On PD12, isolation-induced ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) of mice were examined to determine the impact of seizures and treatment on communicative behaviors, a component of the autistic-like phenotype. Seizures on PD10 increased the quantity of USVs in female mice and reduced the amount of complex call types emitted in males compared to controls. Inhibition of mTOR with rapamycin significantly reduced the quantity and duration of USVs in both sexes. Changes in USVs were associated with increases in mTOR and astrocyte levels in male mice, however, three PD10 seizures did not result in enhanced proinflammatory cytokine expression in either sex. Beyond inhibition of mTOR activity by rapamycin, both therapeutics did not demonstrate beneficial effects. These findings emphasize the importance of differences that may exist across preclinical seizure models, as three flurothyl seizures did not induce as drastic of changes in mTOR activity or inflammation as observed in other rodent models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha L Hodges
- Institute of Biomedical Studies, Baylor University, Waco, TX, 76798, USA.
| | - Paige D Womble
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Baylor University, Waco, TX, 76798, USA
| | - Eliesse M Kwok
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Baylor University, Waco, TX, 76798, USA
| | - Alyssa M Darner
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Baylor University, Waco, TX, 76798, USA
| | - Savannah S Senger
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Baylor University, Waco, TX, 76798, USA
| | - Matthew S Binder
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Baylor University, Waco, TX, 76798, USA
| | - Amanda M Faust
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Baylor University, Waco, TX, 76798, USA
| | - Siena M Condon
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Baylor University, Waco, TX, 76798, USA
| | - Suzanne O Nolan
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Baylor University, Waco, TX, 76798, USA
| | - Saul I Quintero
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Baylor University, Waco, TX, 76798, USA
| | - Joaquin N Lugo
- Institute of Biomedical Studies, Baylor University, Waco, TX, 76798, USA; Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Baylor University, Waco, TX, 76798, USA; Department of Biology, Baylor University, Waco, TX, 76798, USA
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Nolan SO, Hodges SL, Okoh JT, Binder MS, Lugo JN. Prenatal High-Fat Diet Rescues Communication Deficits in Fmr1 Mutant Mice in a Sex-Specific Manner. Dev Neurosci 2021; 42:94-104. [PMID: 33395685 PMCID: PMC7864857 DOI: 10.1159/000509797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2020] [Accepted: 06/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Using high-throughput analysis methods, the present study sought to determine the impact of prenatal high-fat dietary manipulations on isolation-induced ultrasonic vocalization production in both male and female Fmr1mutants on postnatal day 9. Prior to breeding, male FVB/129 Fmr1 wildtype and female Fmr1 heterozygous breeding pairs were assigned to 1 of 3 diet conditions: standard lab chow, omega-3 fatty acid-enriched chow, and a diet controlling for the fat increase. Prenatal exposure to omega-3 fatty acids improved reductions in the number of calls produced by Fmr1heterozygotes females. Moreover, diminished spectral purity in the female Fmr1homozygous mouse was rescued by exposure to both high-fat diets, although these effects were not seen in the male Fmr1knockout. Prenatal dietary fat manipulation also influenced several other aspects of vocalization production, such as the number of calls produced and their fundamental frequency, aside from effects due to loss of Fmr1.Specifically, in males, regardless of genotype, prenatal exposure to high omega-3s increased the average fundamental frequency of calls. These data support the need for future preclinical and clinical work elucidating the full potential of prenatal high-fat diets as a novel therapeutic alternative forFragile X syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suzanne O Nolan
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, USA
| | - Samantha L Hodges
- Institute of Biomedical Studies, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, USA
| | - James T Okoh
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, USA
| | - Matthew S Binder
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, USA
| | - Joaquin N Lugo
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, USA,
- Institute of Biomedical Studies, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, USA,
- Department of Biology, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, USA,
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Binder M, Nolan SO, Lugo JN. A comparison of the Avisoft (v.5.2) and MATLAB Mouse Song Analyzer (v.1.3) vocalization analysis systems in C57BL/6, Fmr1-FVB.129, NS-Pten-FVB, and 129 mice. J Neurosci Methods 2020; 346:108913. [PMID: 32805316 PMCID: PMC7606442 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2020.108913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2020] [Revised: 08/11/2020] [Accepted: 08/12/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Communicative behaviors play a vital role in mammals and are highly relevant to human neurodevelopmental conditions. Mice produce communicative vocalizations that occur in the ultrasonic range, which are commonly analyzed within the Avisoft recording system. Fully automated programs such as the Mouse Song Analyzer in MATLAB, have been developed to analyze USVs in a shorter time period, however, no study has compared the accuracy of MATLAB to Avisoft. NEW METHOD In order to determine MATLAB's accuracy, we used data from four different mouse strains and assessed whether the total number of USVs detected was similar between systems. RESULTS We found that there was a high correlation between systems for the number of USVs emitted from C57BL/6 and NS-Pten mice however, Avisoft detected significantly more USVs than MATLAB for both strains. For Fmr1-FVB.129 and 129 mice, large correlations were observed between systems and no significant difference was present in the USVs detected. A partial correlation was run to control for the covariates: sex, age, strain, and treatment, and found that only strain substantially influences the relationship between the USVs detected in Avisoft and those detected in MATLAB. COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHOD These findings demonstrate that there is a high degree of agreement between Avisoft and the Mouse Song Analyzer however, Avisoft does detect significantly more USVs depending on the strain assessed. CONCLUSIONS Therefore, there are relative advantages and disadvantages with both systems that vocalization researchers should be aware of when interpreting USV results, and when using either system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Binder
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Suzanne O Nolan
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Joaquin N Lugo
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA; Institute of Biomedical Studies, Baylor University, Waco, TX 76798, USA.
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Huebschman JL, Hodges SL, Reynolds CD, Nolan SO, Lugo JN. A single episode of early-life status epilepticus impacts neonatal ultrasonic vocalization behavior in the Fmr1 knockout mouse. Epilepsy Behav 2020; 111:107279. [PMID: 32693376 PMCID: PMC7541794 DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2020.107279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2020] [Revised: 06/17/2020] [Accepted: 06/19/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is a genetic disorder caused by a trinucleotide (CGG) expansion mutation in the Fmr1 gene located on the X chromosome. It is characterized by hyperactivity, increased anxiety, repetitive-stereotyped behaviors, and impaired language development. Many children diagnosed with FXS also experience seizures during their lifetime. However, the underlying etiology of the relationship between FXS and epilepsy is not fully understood. Ultrasonic vocalizations (UVs) are one tool that may be used to measure early behavioral changes in mouse pups. In the present study, neonatal UVs were analyzed as a measure of communicative behavior in a mouse model of FXS, both with and without early-life seizures (ELSs). On postnatal day (PD) 10, status epilepticus (SE) was induced via intraperitoneal injections of 0.5% kainic acid (2.0 mg/kg) in male Fmr1 knockout (KO) and wild-type (WT) mice. On PD 12, all pups were temporarily isolated from their dam and UVs were recorded. Significant alterations were found in both spectral and temporal measures across genotype and seizure groups. Early-life seizure experience resulted in a significant increase in the quantity of UVs only in WT animals (p < 0.05). We also found that while there was no difference between genotypes in the total number of vocalizations made, calls produced by Fmr1 KO mice were significantly shorter and had a higher peak frequency compared with WT mice. Overall, these findings support the use of vocalization behavior as an early phenotypic marker and highlight the importance of utilizing double-hit models to better understand comorbid disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica L Huebschman
- Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Samantha L Hodges
- Institute of Biomedical Studies, Baylor University, Waco, TX 76798, USA
| | - Conner D Reynolds
- Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX 76107, USA
| | - Suzanne O Nolan
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Joaquin N Lugo
- Institute of Biomedical Studies, Baylor University, Waco, TX 76798, USA; Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Baylor University, Waco, TX 76798, USA; Department of Biology, Baylor University, Waco, TX 76798, USA.
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