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Cantini D, Choleris E, Kavaliers M. Neurobiology of Pathogen Avoidance and Mate Choice: Current and Future Directions. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:296. [PMID: 38254465 PMCID: PMC10812398 DOI: 10.3390/ani14020296] [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: 11/27/2023] [Revised: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 01/13/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Animals are under constant threat of parasitic infection. This has influenced the evolution of social behaviour and has strong implications for sexual selection and mate choice. Animals assess the infection status of conspecifics based on various sensory cues, with odours/chemical signals and the olfactory system playing a particularly important role. The detection of chemical cues and subsequent processing of the infection threat that they pose facilitates the expression of disgust, fear, anxiety, and adaptive avoidance behaviours. In this selective review, drawing primarily from rodent studies, the neurobiological mechanisms underlying the detection and assessment of infection status and their relations to mate choice are briefly considered. Firstly, we offer a brief overview of the aspects of mate choice that are relevant to pathogen avoidance. Then, we specifically focus on the olfactory detection of and responses to conspecific cues of parasitic infection, followed by a brief overview of the neurobiological systems underlying the elicitation of disgust and the expression of avoidance of the pathogen threat. Throughout, we focus on current findings and provide suggestions for future directions and research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dante Cantini
- Department of Psychology, College of Social and Applied Human Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada;
| | - Elena Choleris
- Department of Psychology, College of Social and Applied Human Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada;
| | - Martin Kavaliers
- Department of Psychology, College of Social and Applied Human Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada;
- Department of Psychology, Western University, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada
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2
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Min JY, Park S, Cho J, Huh Y. The anterior insular cortex processes social recognition memory. Sci Rep 2023; 13:10853. [PMID: 37407809 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-38044-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/01/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Impaired social abilities are characteristics of a variety of psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorder, and bipolar disorder. Studies consistently implicated the relationship between the anterior insular cortex (aIC) and social ability, however, how the aIC involves in processing specific subtypes of social ability was uninvestigated. We, therefore, investigated whether the absence or presence of the aIC affects the social behaviors of mice. We found that electrolytic lesions of the aIC specifically impaired mice's ability to recognize a novel stranger mouse, while the sociability of the aIC-lesioned mice was intact. Interestingly, the aIC-lesioned mice were still distinguished between a mouse that had been housed together before the aIC lesion and a novel mouse, supporting that retrieval of social recognition memory may not involve the aIC. Additional behavioral tests revealed that this specific social ability impairment induced by the aIC lesion was not due to impairment in olfaction, learning and memory, locomotion, or anxiety levels. Together our data suggest that the aIC is specifically involved in processing social recognition memory, but not necessarily involved in retrieving it.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji-You Min
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Scranton College, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, 03760, Republic of Korea
| | - Sanggeon Park
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Scranton College, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, 03760, Republic of Korea
- Brain Disease Research Institute, Ewha Brain Institute, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, 03760, Republic of Korea
| | - Jeiwon Cho
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Scranton College, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, 03760, Republic of Korea.
- Brain Disease Research Institute, Ewha Brain Institute, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, 03760, Republic of Korea.
| | - Yeowool Huh
- Department of Medical Science, College of Medicine, Catholic Kwandong University, Gangneung‑si, 25601, Republic of Korea.
- Translational Brain Research Center, International St. Mary's Hospital, Catholic Kwandong University, Incheon, 22711, Republic of Korea.
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3
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Guo M, Sun L. From rodents to humans: Rodent behavioral paradigms for social behavioral disorders. Brain Circ 2023; 9:154-161. [PMID: 38020957 PMCID: PMC10679632 DOI: 10.4103/bc.bc_48_23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2023] [Revised: 08/06/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Social cognition guides social behavior. Subjects with proper social cognition should be able to: (1) have reasonable social motivation, (2) recognize other people and infer their intentions, and (3) weigh social hierarchies and other values. The choice of appropriate behavioral paradigms enables the use of rodents to study social behavior disorders in humans, thus enabling research to go deeper into neural mechanisms. This paper reviews commonly used rodent behavioral paradigms in studies of social behavior disorders. We focused specifically on sorting out ways to transfer the study of human social behavior to rodents through behavioral paradigms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingyue Guo
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Disorders, Beijing Institute of Brain Disorders, Laboratory of Brain Disorders, Ministry of Science and Technology, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Le Sun
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Disorders, Beijing Institute of Brain Disorders, Laboratory of Brain Disorders, Ministry of Science and Technology, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
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4
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Osada K, Kujirai R, Hosono A, Tsuda M, Ohata M, Ohta T, Nishimori K. Repeated exposure to kairomone-containing coffee odor improves abnormal olfactory behaviors in heterozygous oxytocin receptor knock-in mice. Front Behav Neurosci 2023; 16:983421. [PMID: 36817409 PMCID: PMC9930907 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.983421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The oxytocin receptor (OXTR) knockout mouse is a model of autism spectrum disorder, characterized by abnormalities in social and olfactory behaviors and learning. Previously, we demonstrated that OXTR plays a crucial role in regulating aversive olfactory behavior to butyric acid odor. In this study, we attempted to determine whether coffee aroma affects the abnormal olfactory behavior of OXTR-Venus knock-in heterozygous mice [heterozygous OXTR (±) mice] using a set of behavioral and molecular experiments. Four-week repeated exposures of heterozygous OXTR (±) mice to coffee odor, containing three kairomone alkylpyrazines, rescued the abnormal olfactory behaviors compared with non-exposed wild-type or heterozygous OXTR (±) mice. Increased Oxtr mRNA expression in the olfactory bulb and amygdala coincided with the rescue of abnormal olfactory behaviors. In addition, despite containing the kairomone compounds, both the wild-type and heterozygous OXTR (±) mice exhibited a preference for the coffee odor and exhibited no stress-like increase in the corticotropin-releasing hormone, instead of a kairomone-associated avoidance response. The repeated exposures to the coffee odor did not change oxytocin and estrogen synthetase/receptors as a regulator of the gonadotropic hormone. These data suggest that the rescue of abnormal olfactory behaviors in heterozygous OXTR (±) mice is due to the coffee odor exposure-induced OXTR expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazumi Osada
- Department of Food Bioscience and Biotechnology, College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, Fujisawa, Japan,*Correspondence: Kazumi Osada,
| | - Riyuki Kujirai
- Department of Food Bioscience and Biotechnology, College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, Fujisawa, Japan
| | - Akira Hosono
- Department of Food Bioscience and Biotechnology, College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, Fujisawa, Japan
| | - Masato Tsuda
- Department of Food Bioscience and Biotechnology, College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, Fujisawa, Japan
| | - Motoko Ohata
- Department of Food Bioscience and Biotechnology, College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, Fujisawa, Japan
| | - Tohru Ohta
- The Research Institute of Health Science, Health Sciences University of Hokkaido, Tobetsu, Japan
| | - Katsuhiko Nishimori
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
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5
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Paletta P, Bass N, Kavaliers M, Choleris E. The role of oxytocin in shaping complex social behaviours: possible interactions with other neuromodulators. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20210058. [PMID: 35858107 PMCID: PMC9272141 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 08/31/2023] Open
Abstract
This review explores the role of oxytocin in the mediation of select social behaviours, with particular emphasis on female rodents. These behaviours include social recognition, social learning, pathogen detection and avoidance, and maternal care. Specific brain regions where oxytocin has been shown to directly mediate various aspects of these social behaviours, as well as other proposed regions, are discussed. Possible interactions between oxytocin and other regulatory systems, in particular that of oestrogens and dopamine, in the modulation of social behaviour are considered. Similarities and differences between males and females are highlighted. This article is part of the theme issue 'Interplays between oxytocin and other neuromodulators in shaping complex social behaviours'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pietro Paletta
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, MacKinnon Building Room 4020, 50 Stone Road E., Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 2W1
| | - Noah Bass
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, MacKinnon Building Room 4020, 50 Stone Road E., Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 2W1
| | - Martin Kavaliers
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, MacKinnon Building Room 4020, 50 Stone Road E., Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 2W1
- Department of Psychology, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Elena Choleris
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, MacKinnon Building Room 4020, 50 Stone Road E., Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 2W1
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Machado NC, Gerber JT, Santos KMD, Bergamaschi IP, Meger MN, Costa DJD, Küchler EC, Scariot R. Association of the estrogen receptor gene with oral health-related quality of life in patients with dentofacial deformities. Braz Oral Res 2022; 36:e089. [PMID: 35830136 DOI: 10.1590/1807-3107bor-2022.vol36.0089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate the associations between oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) and patient-associated factors and polymorphisms in the estrogen receptor 1 (ESR1) and 2 (ESR2) genes in patients with dentofacial deformities (DFD). This cross-sectional study included 234 adult individuals. Data such as age, sex, and the type of facial profile (I, II, or III), were collected, and the short-form oral health impact profile 14 (OHIP-14) questionnaire was used to assess their OHRQoL. DNA was collected from oral mucosa cells, and the polymorphisms in ESR1 (rs2234693 and rs9340799) and ESR2 (rs1256049 and rs4986938) were evaluated using real-time polymerase chain reaction. The data were subjected to statistical analysis at a significance level of 5%. Individuals over 28 years of age exhibited worse OHRQoL (p = 0.003) than individuals aged less than or equal to 28 years. Women had worse OHRQoL than men (p < 0.001). Profile II individuals had worse OHRQoL in the social disability domain than profile III individuals (p = 0.030). Genetic analysis showed that rs9340799 was associated with OHRQoL in the functional limitation domain, and GG individuals exhibited worse OHRQoL than individuals carrying the AA/AG genotypes (p < 0.030). In the social handicap domain, individuals with GG genotype in rs9340799 exhibited worse OHRQoL than AG individuals (p < 0.043). Collectively, our results reveal that factors including age, sex, and type of facial profile, are associated with OHRQoL in patients with DFD. In addition, individuals with the GG genotype in rs9340799 (ESR1) may experience a negative impact on OHRQoL in the functional limitation and social handicap domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nilza Cristina Machado
- Universidade Positivo - UP, School of Health Sciences, Dental School, Curitiba, PR, Brazil
| | - Jennifer Tsi Gerber
- Universidade Positivo - UP, School of Health Sciences, Dental School, Curitiba, PR, Brazil
| | | | | | | | - Delson João da Costa
- Universidade Federal do Paraná - UFPR, Dental School, Department of Stomatology, Curitiba, PR, Brazil
| | - Erika Calvano Küchler
- Universidade de São Paulo - USP, Ribeirão Preto Dental School, Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Rafaela Scariot
- Universidade Federal do Paraná - UFPR, Dental School, Department of Stomatology, Curitiba, PR, Brazil
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7
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Paletta P, Bass N, Aspesi D, Choleris E. Sex Differences in Social Cognition. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2022; 62:207-234. [PMID: 35604571 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2022_325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
In this review we explore the sex differences underlying various types of social cognition. Particular focus will be placed on the behaviors of social recognition, social learning, and aggression. Known similarities and differences between sexes in the expressions of these behaviors and the known brain regions where these behaviors are mediated are discussed. The role that the sex hormones (estrogens and androgens) have as well as possible interactions with other neurochemicals, such as oxytocin, vasopressin, and serotonin is reviewed as well. Finally, implications about these findings on the mediation of social cognition are mediated and the sex differences related to humans are considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pietro Paletta
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Noah Bass
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Dario Aspesi
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Elena Choleris
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.
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8
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Kavaliers M, Ossenkopp KP, Tyson CD, Bishnoi IR, Choleris E. Social factors and the neurobiology of pathogen avoidance. Biol Lett 2022; 18:20210371. [PMID: 35193366 PMCID: PMC8864371 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2021.0371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Although the evolutionary causes and consequences of pathogen avoidance have been gaining increasing interest, there has been less attention paid to the proximate neurobiological mechanisms. Animals gauge the infection status of conspecifics and the threat they represent on the basis of various sensory and social cues. Here, we consider the neurobiology of pathogen detection and avoidance from a cognitive, motivational and affective state (disgust) perspective, focusing on the mechanisms associated with activating and directing parasite/pathogen avoidance. Drawing upon studies with laboratory rodents, we briefly discuss aspects of (i) olfactory-mediated recognition and avoidance of infected conspecifics; (ii) relationships between pathogen avoidance and various social factors (e.g. social vigilance, social distancing (approach/avoidance), social salience and social reward); (iii) the roles of various brain regions (in particular the amygdala and insular cortex) and neuromodulators (neurotransmitters, neuropeptides, steroidal hormones and immune components) in the regulation of pathogen avoidance. We propose that understanding the proximate neurobiological mechanisms can provide insights into the ecological and evolutionary consequences of the non-consumptive effects of pathogens and how, when and why females and males engage in pathogen avoidance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Kavaliers
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada N6A 5C1.,Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1G 2W1
| | - Klaus-Peter Ossenkopp
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada N6A 5C1
| | - Cashmeira-Dove Tyson
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada N6A 5C1
| | - Indra R Bishnoi
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada N6A 5C1
| | - Elena Choleris
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1G 2W1
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9
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Abstract
In the phase between ovulation and potential implantation of the egg, and especially during pregnancy, females downregulate their immune system to prevent it from attacking the (future) embryo, which is after all a half-foreign organism. Yet this adaptive mechanism, that is set off by rising progesterone, makes females more vulnerable to pathogens at those critical times. It has been proposed that, to compensate this depression of physiological immunity, progesterone reinforces behavioral immunity-by increasing proneness to disgust and hence active avoidance of infection-but evidence is inconclusive and indirect. Manipulating progesterone directly, a recent, crucial study on female mice's disgust for infected males came up empty handed. Here, reanalyzing these data in a more statistically sensitive manner, we show that progesterone not only raises disgust but does so in a way that is both significant and substantial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Bressan
- Dipartimento di Psicologia Generale, University of Padova, Via Venezia 8, 35131 Padova, Italy.
| | - Peter Kramer
- Dipartimento di Psicologia Generale, University of Padova, Via Venezia 8, 35131 Padova, Italy.
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10
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Wang J, Jin S, Fu W, Liang Y, Yang Y, Xu X. Pubertal exposure to bisphenol-A affects social recognition and arginine vasopressin in the brain of male mice. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2021; 226:112843. [PMID: 34601267 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2021.112843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2021] [Revised: 09/24/2021] [Accepted: 09/26/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Social recognition is an ability of animals to identify and distinguish conspecifics, which is essential for nearly all social species to establish social relationships. Social recognition provides the basis for a variety of social behaviors. Because of modulated by gonadal hormones, it is possible that social cognition is affected by environmental endocrine disruptors (EEDs). In the present study, after being pubertal exposed to bisphenol A (BPA, 0.04, 0.4, and 4 mg/kg) for 18 days, adult male mice did not show significant dishabituation to a novel female stimulus in habituation-dishabituation task. The capacity for discriminating the odors between familiar and novel female urine or between male and female urine was suppressed in BPA-exposed male. In addition, BPA (0.4, 4 mg/kg) decreased the number of immunoreaction of AVP (AVP-ir) neurons in both the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) and the medial amygdala (MeA), and BPA (0.04, 0.4, 4 mg/kg) reduced the level of V1αR in the lateral septum (LS) of adult male. Further, BPA decreased the levels of testosterone (T) in the brain and androgens receptor (AR) in the LS, the amygdala, and BNST, as well the levels of estrogen receptor α and β (ERα/β) in the amygdala and BNST. These results indicate that pubertal exposure to BPA affected the actions of both androgens and estrogens in the brain and inhibited AVP system of social circuits, and these alterations may be associated with impaired social recognition of adult male mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinshan Wang
- Chemistry and Life Sciences College, Key Laboratory of Wildlife Biotechnology and Conservation and Utilization of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Ecology, Zhejiang Normal University, PR China
| | - Shizhen Jin
- Chemistry and Life Sciences College, Key Laboratory of Wildlife Biotechnology and Conservation and Utilization of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Ecology, Zhejiang Normal University, PR China
| | - Wenshuang Fu
- Chemistry and Life Sciences College, Key Laboratory of Wildlife Biotechnology and Conservation and Utilization of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Ecology, Zhejiang Normal University, PR China
| | - Yufeng Liang
- Chemistry and Life Sciences College, Key Laboratory of Wildlife Biotechnology and Conservation and Utilization of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Ecology, Zhejiang Normal University, PR China
| | - Yani Yang
- Chemistry and Life Sciences College, Key Laboratory of Wildlife Biotechnology and Conservation and Utilization of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Ecology, Zhejiang Normal University, PR China
| | - Xiaohong Xu
- Chemistry and Life Sciences College, Key Laboratory of Wildlife Biotechnology and Conservation and Utilization of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Ecology, Zhejiang Normal University, PR China.
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11
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Been LE, Sheppard PAS, Galea LAM, Glasper ER. Hormones and neuroplasticity: A lifetime of adaptive responses. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 132:679-690. [PMID: 34808191 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.11.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2021] [Revised: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Major life transitions often co-occur with significant fluctuations in hormones that modulate the central nervous system. These hormones enact neuroplastic mechanisms that prepare an organism to respond to novel environmental conditions and/or previously unencountered cognitive, emotional, and/or behavioral demands. In this review, we will explore several examples of how hormones mediate neuroplastic changes in order to produce adaptive responses, particularly during transitions in life stages. First, we will explore hormonal influences on social recognition in both males and females as they transition to sexual maturity. Next, we will probe the role of hormones in mediating the transitions to motherhood and fatherhood, respectively. Finally, we will survey the long-term impact of reproductive experience on neuroplasticity in females, including potential protective effects and risk factors associated with reproductive experience in mid-life and beyond. Ultimately, a more complete understanding of how hormones influence neuroplasticity throughout the lifespan, beyond development, is necessary for understanding how individuals respond to life changes in adaptive ways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura E Been
- Department of Psychology, Haverford College, 370 Lancaster Avenue, Haverford, PA, 19041, USA.
| | - Paul A S Sheppard
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Robarts Research Institute, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond St, London, Ontario, N6A 5B7, Canada.
| | - Liisa A M Galea
- Department of Psychology, Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, 2215 Wesbrook Mall, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z3, Canada.
| | - Erica R Glasper
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742 USA.
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12
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Fuss T. Mate Choice, Sex Roles and Sexual Cognition: Neuronal Prerequisites Supporting Cognitive Mate Choice. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.749499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Across taxa, mate choice is a highly selective process involving both intra- and intersexual selection processes aiming to pass on one’s genes, making mate choice a pivotal tool of sexual selection. Individuals adapt mate choice behavior dynamically in response to environmental and social changes. These changes are perceived sensorily and integrated on a neuronal level, which ultimately leads to an adequate behavioral response. Along with perception and prior to an appropriate behavioral response, the choosing sex has (1) to recognize and discriminate between the prospective mates and (2) to be able to assess and compare their performance in order to make an informed decision. To do so, cognitive processes allow for the simultaneous processing of multiple information from the (in-) animate environment as well as from a variety of both sexual and social (but non-sexual) conspecific cues. Although many behavioral aspects of cognition on one side and of mate choice displays on the other are well understood, the interplay of neuronal mechanisms governing both determinants, i.e., governing cognitive mate choice have been described only vaguely. This review aimed to throw a spotlight on neuronal prerequisites, networks and processes supporting the interaction between mate choice, sex roles and sexual cognition, hence, supporting cognitive mate choice. How does neuronal activity differ between males and females regarding social cognition? Does sex or the respective sex role within the prevailing mating system mirror at a neuronal level? How does cognitive competence affect mate choice? Conversely, how does mate choice affect the cognitive abilities of both sexes? Benefitting from studies using different neuroanatomical techniques such as neuronal activity markers, differential coexpression or candidate gene analyses, modulatory effects of neurotransmitters and hormones, or imaging techniques such as fMRI, there is ample evidence pointing to a reflection of sex and the respective sex role at the neuronal level, at least in individual brain regions. Moreover, this review aims to summarize evidence for cognitive abilities influencing mate choice and vice versa. At the same time, new questions arise centering the complex relationship between neurobiology, cognition and mate choice, which we will perhaps be able to answer with new experimental techniques.
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13
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Faraji J, Metz GAS. Aging, Social Distancing, and COVID-19 Risk: Who is more Vulnerable and Why? Aging Dis 2021; 12:1624-1643. [PMID: 34631211 PMCID: PMC8460299 DOI: 10.14336/ad.2021.0319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2021] [Accepted: 03/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Perceived social support represents an important predictor of healthy aging. The global COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically changed the face of social relationships and revealed elderly to be particularly vulnerable to the effects of social isolation. Social distancing may represent a double-edged sword for older adults, protecting them against COVID-19 infection while also sacrificing personal interaction and attention at a critical time. Here, we consider the moderating role of social relationships as a potential influence on stress resilience, allostatic load, and vulnerability to infection and adverse health outcomes in the elderly population. Understanding the mechanisms how social support enhances resilience to stress and promotes mental and physical health into old age will enable new preventive strategies. Targeted social interventions may provide effective relief from the impact of COVID-19-related isolation and loneliness. In this regard, a pandemic may also offer a window of opportunity for raising awareness and mobilizing resources for new strategies that help build resilience in our aging population and future generations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamshid Faraji
- 1Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, Canada.,2Faculty of Nursing & Midwifery, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran
| | - Gerlinde A S Metz
- 1Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
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14
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Infection threat shapes our social instincts. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2021; 75:47. [PMID: 33583997 PMCID: PMC7873116 DOI: 10.1007/s00265-021-02975-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2020] [Revised: 01/05/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
We social animals must balance the need to avoid infections with the need to interact with conspecifics. To that end we have evolved, alongside our physiological immune system, a suite of behaviors devised to deal with potentially contagious individuals. Focusing mostly on humans, the current review describes the design and biological innards of this behavioral immune system, laying out how infection threat shapes sociality and sociality shapes infection threat. The paper shows how the danger of contagion is detected and posted to the brain; how it affects individuals’ mate choice and sex life; why it strengthens ties within groups but severs those between them, leading to hostility toward anyone who looks, smells, or behaves unusually; and how it permeates the foundation of our moral and political views. This system was already in place when agriculture and animal domestication set off a massive increase in our population density, personal connections, and interaction with other species, amplifying enormously the spread of disease. Alas, pandemics such as COVID-19 not only are a disaster for public health, but, by rousing millions of behavioral immune systems, could prove a threat to harmonious cohabitation too.
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15
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Kavaliers M, Bishnoi IR, Ossenkopp KP, Choleris E. Differential effects of progesterone on social recognition and the avoidance of pathogen threat by female mice. Horm Behav 2021; 127:104873. [PMID: 33069752 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2020.104873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Revised: 09/24/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Although pathogen threat affects social and sexual responses across species, relatively little is known about the underlying neuroendocrine mechanisms. Progesterone has been speculated to be involved in the mediation of pathogen disgust in women, though with mixed experimental support. Here we considered the effects of acute progesterone on the disgust-like avoidance responses of female mice to pathogen threat. Estrous female mice discriminated and avoided the urinary and associated odors of males subclinically infected with the murine nematode parasite, Heligmosomoides polygyrus. These avoidance responses were not significantly affected by pre-treatment with progesterone. Likewise, brief (1 min) exposure to the odors of infected males attenuated the subsequent responses of females to the odors of the normally preferred unfamiliar males and enhanced their preferences for familiar males. Neither progesterone nor allopregnanolone, a central neurosteroid metabolite of progesterone, had any significant effects on the avoidance of unfamiliar males elicited by pre-exposure to a parasitized male. Progesterone and allopregnanolone, did, however, significantly attenuate the typical preferences of estrous females for unfamiliar uninfected males, suggestive of effects on social recognition. These findings with mice indicate that progesterone may have minimal effects on the responses to specific parasite threat and the expression of pathogen disgust but may influence more general social recognition and preferences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Kavaliers
- Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada; Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada; Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada.
| | - Indra R Bishnoi
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
| | - Klaus-Peter Ossenkopp
- Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada; Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
| | - Elena Choleris
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada
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16
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Kavaliers M, Ossenkopp KP, Choleris E. Pathogens, odors, and disgust in rodents. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 119:281-293. [PMID: 33031813 PMCID: PMC7536123 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.09.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2020] [Revised: 09/11/2020] [Accepted: 09/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
All animals are under the constant threat of attack by parasites. The mere presence of parasite threat can alter behavior before infection takes place. These effects involve pathogen disgust, an evolutionarily conserved affective/emotional system that functions to detect cues associated with parasites and infection and facilitate avoidance behaviors. Animals gauge the infection status of conspecific and the salience of the threat they represent on the basis of various sensory cues. Odors in particular are a major source of social information about conspecifics and the infection threat they present. Here we briefly consider the origins, expression, and regulation of the fundamental features of odor mediated pathogen disgust in rodents. We briefly review aspects of: (1) the expression of affective states and emotions and in particular, disgust, in rodents; (2) olfactory mediated recognition and avoidance of potentially infected conspecifics and the impact of pathogen disgust and its' fundamental features on behavior; (3) pathogen disgust associated trade-offs; (4) the neurobiological mechanisms, and in particular the roles of the nonapeptide, oxytocin, and steroidal hormones, in the expression of pathogen disgust and the regulation of avoidance behaviors and concomitant trade-offs. Understanding the roles of pathogen disgust in rodents can provide insights into the regulation and expression of responses to pathogens and infection in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Kavaliers
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada; Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada.
| | - Klaus-Peter Ossenkopp
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
| | - Elena Choleris
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
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Rossetti MF, Stoker C, Ramos JG. Agrochemicals and neurogenesis. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2020; 510:110820. [PMID: 32315720 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2020.110820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2019] [Revised: 04/01/2020] [Accepted: 04/07/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Agrochemicals or pesticides are compounds widely used to prevent, destroy or mitigate pests such as insects, rodents, herbs and weeds. However, most of them also act as environmental estrogens, anti-estrogens and/or antiandrogenic chemicals. In addition, both herbicides (such as glyphosate and paraquat) and insecticides (such as pyrethroids, organophosphates, neonicotinoids and rotenone) have been shown to exert significant adverse effects on hippocampal neurogenesis. These effects are particularly important because neurogenesis dysregulation could be associated with cognitive decline and neuropathologies such as Alzheimer's disease. This review focuses on the most commonly used agrochemicals in Argentina and their effects on the hippocampal neurogenesis of mammals. It also discusses the disruption of hormone synthesis and action as a possible mechanism through which these chemical compounds could alter the brain functions. Finally, we propose some lines of research to study the potential endocrine mechanisms involved in the effects of agrochemicals on human health and biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Florencia Rossetti
- Departamento de Bioquímica Clínica y Cuantitativa, Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Argentina; Instituto de Salud y Ambiente del Litoral (ISAL), Universidad Nacional del Litoral (UNL)- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas, UNL, Argentina
| | - Cora Stoker
- Departamento de Bioquímica Clínica y Cuantitativa, Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Argentina; Instituto de Salud y Ambiente del Litoral (ISAL), Universidad Nacional del Litoral (UNL)- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas, UNL, Argentina
| | - Jorge G Ramos
- Departamento de Bioquímica Clínica y Cuantitativa, Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Argentina; Instituto de Salud y Ambiente del Litoral (ISAL), Universidad Nacional del Litoral (UNL)- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas, UNL, Argentina.
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18
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Williams ES, Manning CE, Eagle AL, Swift-Gallant A, Duque-Wilckens N, Chinnusamy S, Moeser A, Jordan C, Leinninger G, Robison A. Androgen-Dependent Excitability of Mouse Ventral Hippocampal Afferents to Nucleus Accumbens Underlies Sex-Specific Susceptibility to Stress. Biol Psychiatry 2020; 87:492-501. [PMID: 31601425 PMCID: PMC7035179 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2019.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2019] [Revised: 08/02/2019] [Accepted: 08/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Depression affects women nearly twice as often as men, but the neurobiological underpinnings of this discrepancy are unclear. Preclinical studies in male mice suggest that activity of ventral hippocampus (vHPC) neurons projecting to the nucleus accumbens (NAc) regulates mood-related behavioral responses to stress. We sought to characterize this circuit in both sexes and to investigate its role in potential sex differences in models of depression. METHODS We used male and female adult C57BL/6J mice in the subchronic variable stress model to precipitate female-specific reduction in sucrose preference and performed gonadectomies to test the contributions of gonadal hormones to this stress response. In addition, ex vivo slice electrophysiology of transgenic Cre-inducible Rosa-eGFP-L10a mice in combination with retrograde viral tracing to identify circuits was used to test contributions of gonadal hormones to sex differences in vHPC afferents. Finally, we used an intersecting viral DREADD (designer receptor exclusively activated by designer drugs) strategy to manipulate vHPC-NAc excitability directly in awake behaving mice. RESULTS We show a testosterone-dependent lower excitability in male versus female vHPC-NAc neurons and corresponding testosterone-dependent male resilience to reduced sucrose preference after subchronic variable stress. Importantly, we show that long-term DREADD stimulation of vHPC-NAc neurons causes decreased sucrose preference in male mice after subchronic variable stress, whereas DREADD inhibition of this circuit prevents this effect in female mice. CONCLUSIONS We demonstrate a circuit-specific sex difference in vHPC-NAc neurons that is dependent on testosterone and causes susceptibility to stress in female mice. These data provide a substantive mechanism linking gonadal hormones to cellular excitability and anhedonia-a key feature in depressive states.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Claire E. Manning
- Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA,Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Andrew L. Eagle
- Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Ashlyn Swift-Gallant
- Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA,Department of Psychology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, NL, Canada
| | - Natalia Duque-Wilckens
- Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA,Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Sadhana Chinnusamy
- Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Adam Moeser
- Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Cynthia Jordan
- Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Gina Leinninger
- Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - A.J. Robison
- Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA,Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA,Corresponding author: A.J. Robison, Associate Professor, Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, 567 Wilson Road East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA; phone 517-884-5003;
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Talarowska ME, Szemraj J, Kuan-Pin S. Expression of ESR1 and ESR2 oestrogen receptor encoding gene and personality traits - preliminary study. PRZEGLAD MENOPAUZALNY = MENOPAUSE REVIEW 2019; 18:133-140. [PMID: 31975979 PMCID: PMC6970415 DOI: 10.5114/pm.2019.90804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2019] [Accepted: 11/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The main objective of the study is to examine the hypothesis claiming a correlation between personality traits measured with the use of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI-2) personality questionnaire and the expression of the ERα (ESR1) and ERβ (ESR2) encoding gene in patients suffering from depression. MATERIAL AND METHODS The experiment was carried out on a group of 44 individuals with depression. The Polish variant of the MMPI-2 was applied with the aim of assessing personality traits. Furthermore, the authors evaluated the expression of the genes encoding the oestrogen receptors (ERα and ERβ) at the mRNA level and protein level in the studied population. RESULTS No significant differences in the expression of ERα and ERβ encoding genes were found and confirmed in the patients with the first episode of depression and those suffering from subsequent episodes of the disease. No differences were found between women and men, either. In women a positive relationship was found between the scale of psychopathy (p = 0.04), paranoia (p = 0.01), and mania (p = 0.03) and expression for the ERα encoding gene at the mRNA level. A negative relationship was found between the mania scale and ERβ encoding gene expression at mRNA (p = 0.03) and protein (p = 0.04) levels. In males a positive relationship between anxiety as a personality trait and expression of the ERβ receptor encoding gene at mRNA level (p = 0.03) and protein level (p = 0.03) was found. CONCLUSIONS Personality traits may be linked with the expression of genes encoding oestrogen receptors (ERα and ERβ) among patients with depressive disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monika E. Talarowska
- Department of Personality and Individual Differences, Institute of Psychology, University of Lodz, Poland
| | - Janusz Szemraj
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Medical University of Lodz, Poland
| | - Su Kuan-Pin
- Department of General Psychiatry, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung City, Taiwan
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20
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Gasbarri A, D'Amico M, Arnone B, Iorio C, Pacitti F, Ciotti S, Iorio P, Pompili A. Electrophysiological and Behavioral Indices of the Role of Estrogens on Memory Processes for Emotional Faces in Healthy Young Women. Front Behav Neurosci 2019; 13:234. [PMID: 31632252 PMCID: PMC6779715 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2019] [Accepted: 09/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
It is well known that estrogens influence cognitive activities, such as memory, and emotional states. The objective of the present study was to investigate the role of estrogens in the short-term memory processing of basic emotional face expressions, by means of event-related potentials (ERPs) and a recognition memory (RM) behavioral task. Healthy young women were divided into a periovulatory (PO) group, characterized by high levels of estrogens and low levels of progesterone, and an early follicular (EF) group, characterized by low levels of both estrogens and progesterone. During the RM task, all subjects viewed images of faces expressing six basic emotions (happiness, anger, disgust, sadness, surprise, fear) and one neutral expression while their electrophysiological activity was recorded. We considered P300 components, amplitude, and latency in response to each stimulus. Soon after the presentation of each stimulus face, a target image was presented, consisting of two faces, one of which was the same, while the other was a chimerical face, obtained by mixing the upper or lower halves of the faces of the stimulus image with a different emotion. The subjects had to choose between the two alternatives, and the reaction time (RT) and accuracy of response (RM errors) were measured. The main findings of this study showed that P300 amplitudes are significantly higher in response to the expressions of happiness, but significantly lower for sadness, in PO compared to EF. The P300 data are consistent with performance in the RM task and with the measures of RT. The interest in the emotion of happiness, unlike sadness, during the PO phase may reflect the evolutionary significance of female sex hormones linked to mating behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonella Gasbarri
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy.,Fondazione Santa Lucia, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Mario D'Amico
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Benedetto Arnone
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Carla Iorio
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Francesca Pacitti
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Sabatino Ciotti
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Paola Iorio
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Assunta Pompili
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy.,Fondazione Santa Lucia, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
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21
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Azogu I, Cossette I, Mukunzi J, Ibeke O, Plamondon H. Sex-specific differences in adult cognition and neuroplasticity following repeated combinatory stress and TrkB receptor antagonism in adolescence. Horm Behav 2019; 113:21-37. [PMID: 30995444 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2019.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2018] [Revised: 04/09/2019] [Accepted: 04/09/2019] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Evidence supports brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and its primary receptor tyrosine-related kinase B (TrkB) as targets in the treatment of mood disorders. This study characterized the impact of a 10-day combinatory stress paradigm (alternating days of restraint stress and forced swim) and administration of the selective TrkB antagonist ANA-12 (0.5 mg/kg, i.p.) during adolescence in male and female Wistar rats on adulthood behavioral and neurochemical responses. The social interaction/preference (SIT/SP), and Y maze conditioned place preference (YMCPP) and passive avoidance tests (YMPAT), initiated on PND 62, served to determine sex-related behavioral responses. Results support reduced sociability in females in the SIT/SP, but no impact of ANA-12 to regulate sociability or social memory. Blockade of TrkB during adolescence facilitated YMCPP-related reward behavior in both sexes, and reduced YMPAT fear conditioning in females. Following behavioral testing, rats were exposed to 5-min acute forced swim and brains collected 2 h post swim to determine effects of adolescent TrkB blockade and stress exposure on neurochemical regulators of stress and plasticity. Findings show elevated glucocorticoid receptor (GR-) and TrkB-immunoreactivity (ir) in the amygdalar central nucleus, and GR-ir in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus of females compared to males. In the hippocampal CA1, BDNF-ir was lower in females versus males, and GR-ir was elevated in stress versus non-stress males. Together, we demonstrate that inherent sex-specific differences, which may modulate impact of adolescence stress exposure and TrkB inhibition, differentially affect male and female adulthood behavior and biochemical response profiles, suggesting that these responses are in part conditioned by prior experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Idu Azogu
- Behavioral Neuroscience Group, School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, 136 Jean-Jacques Lussier, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Isabelle Cossette
- Behavioral Neuroscience Group, School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, 136 Jean-Jacques Lussier, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Joana Mukunzi
- Behavioral Neuroscience Group, School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, 136 Jean-Jacques Lussier, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Ogechi Ibeke
- Behavioral Neuroscience Group, School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, 136 Jean-Jacques Lussier, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Helene Plamondon
- Behavioral Neuroscience Group, School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, 136 Jean-Jacques Lussier, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
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22
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Lazzari VM, Zimmermann-Peruzatto JM, Agnes G, Becker RO, de Moura AC, Almeida S, Guedes RP, Giovenardi M. Hippocampal gene expression patterns in oxytocin male knockout mice are related to impaired social interaction. Behav Brain Res 2019; 364:464-468. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2017.10.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2017] [Revised: 10/30/2017] [Accepted: 10/31/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
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23
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Kavaliers M, Choleris E. The role of social cognition in parasite and pathogen avoidance. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2019; 373:rstb.2017.0206. [PMID: 29866919 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2017.0206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The acquisition and use of social information are integral to social behaviour and parasite/pathogen avoidance. This involves social cognition which encompasses mechanisms for acquiring, processing, retaining and acting on social information. Social cognition entails the acquisition of social information about others (i.e. social recognition) and from others (i.e. social learning). Social cognition involves assessing other individuals and their infection status and the pathogen and parasite threat they pose and deciding about when and how to interact with them. Social cognition provides a framework for examining pathogen and parasite avoidance behaviours and their associated neurobiological mechanisms. Here, we briefly consider the relationships between social cognition and olfactory-mediated pathogen and parasite avoidance behaviours. We briefly discuss aspects of (i) social recognition of actual and potentially infected individuals and the impact of parasite/pathogen threat on mate and social partner choice; (ii) the roles of 'out-groups' (strangers, unfamiliar individuals) and 'in-groups' (familiar individuals) in the expression of parasite/pathogen avoidance behaviours; (iii) individual and social learning, i.e. the utilization of the pathogen recognition and avoidance responses of others; and (iv) the neurobiological mechanisms, in particular the roles of the nonapeptide, oxytocin and steroid hormones (oestrogens) associated with social cognition and parasite/pathogen avoidance.This article is part of the Theo Murphy meeting issue 'Evolution of pathogen and parasite avoidance behaviours'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Kavaliers
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Social Science Centre, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada N6A 5C2 .,Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1G 2W1
| | - Elena Choleris
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1G 2W1
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24
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Tsuda MC, Nagata K, Sagoshi S, Ogawa S. Estrogen and oxytocin involvement in social preference in male mice: a study using a novel long-term social preference paradigm with aromatase, estrogen receptor-α and estrogen receptor-β, oxytocin, and oxytocin receptor knockout male mice. Integr Zool 2019; 13:698-710. [PMID: 29873451 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Certain aspects of social behavior help animals make adaptive decisions during encounters with other animals. When mice choose to approach another conspecific, the motivation and preference behind the interaction is not well understood. Estrogen and oxytocin are known to influence a wide array of social behaviors, including social motivation and social preference. The present study investigated the effects of estrogen and oxytocin on social preference using aromatase (ArKO), estrogen receptor (ER) α (αERKO), ERβ (βERKO), oxytocin (OTKO), oxytocin receptor (OTRKO) knockout and their respective wild-type (WT) male mice. Mice were presented with gonadally-intact versus castrated male (IC), intact male versus ovariectomized female (IF), or intact male versus empty cage (IE) stimuli sets for 5 days. ArWT showed no preference for either stimuli in IC and IF and intact male preference in IE, but ArKO mice preferred a castrated male or an ovariectomized female, or had no preference for either stimulus in IC, IF and IE stimuli sets, respectively, suggesting reduced intact male preference. α and β WT mice preferred a castrated male, showed no preference, and preferred an intact male in IC, IF and IE, respectively. αERKO mice displayed similar modified social preference patterns as ArKO, whereas the social preference of βERKO mice remained similar to βWT. OTWT preferred a castrated male whereas OTKO, OTRWT and OTRKO mice failed to show any preference in IC and none showed preference for either stimuli in IF. Collectively, these findings suggest that estrogen regulates social preference in male mice and that impaired social preference in oxytocin-deficient mice may be due to severe deficits in social recognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mumeko C Tsuda
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroendocrinology, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Kazuyo Nagata
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroendocrinology, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Shoko Sagoshi
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroendocrinology, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Sonoko Ogawa
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroendocrinology, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
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25
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Ogawa S, Tsukahara S, Choleris E, Vasudevan N. Estrogenic regulation of social behavior and sexually dimorphic brain formation. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2018; 110:46-59. [PMID: 30392880 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.10.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2018] [Revised: 10/17/2018] [Accepted: 10/22/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
It has long been known that the estrogen, 17β-estradiol (17β-E), plays a central role for female reproductive physiology and behavior. Numerous studies have established the neurochemical and molecular basis of estrogenic induction of female sexual behavior, i.e., lordosis, in animal models. In addition, 17β-E also regulates male-type sexual and aggressive behavior. In males, testosterone secreted from the testes is irreversibly aromatized to 17β-E in the brain. We discuss the contribution of two nuclear receptor isoforms, estrogen receptor (ER)α and ERβ to the estrogenic regulation of sexually dimorphic brain formation and sex-typical expression of these social behaviors. Furthermore, 17β-E is a key player for social behaviors such as social investigation, preference, recognition and memory as well as anxiety-related behaviors in social contexts. Recent studies also demonstrated that not only nuclear receptor-mediated genomic signaling but also membrane receptor-mediated non-genomic actions of 17β-E may underlie the regulation of these behaviors. Finally, we will discuss how rapidly developing research tools and ideas allow us to investigate estrogenic action by emphasizing behavioral neural networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonoko Ogawa
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroendocrinology, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, 305-8577, Japan.
| | - Shinji Tsukahara
- Division of Life Science, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, 255 Shimo-Okubo, Sakura-ku, Saitama City, Saitama 338-8570, Japan
| | - Elena Choleris
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Nandini Vasudevan
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, WhiteKnights Campus, Reading, RG6 6AS, United Kingdom
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26
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Rubio L, Téllez L, Regalado M, Torrero C, Salas M. Effects of perinatal undernutrition on social transmission of food preference in adult male Wistar rats. Int J Dev Neurosci 2018; 71:105-110. [PMID: 30149118 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2018.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2018] [Revised: 08/09/2018] [Accepted: 08/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Nutrition plays a fundamental role in learning and memory, and early experimental undernutrition interferes with brain memory processes. Social transmission of food preference (STFP) is a natural olfactory paired-associate learning test that has not been used to assess the effects of early undernutrition on memory consolidation. Male Wistar rats were randomly divided into two groups: control and early undernourished. The underfed rats received different percentages of a balanced diet during gestation. After birth, pups were underfed by alternating every 12 h between two lactating dams, one with ligated nipples. Weaning occurred on PD 25 followed by an ad lib diet until PD 90. Demonstrator rats were given powdered food mixed with cinnamon, followed by a 30-min interaction with an underfed observer. Thereafter, the observer had two choices of food: cinnamon or cocoa. During the food preference test, control and underfed OBS rats preferred the food containing cinnamon. Through social interaction, the UG OBS rats showed latency for head contacts and oral-nasal investigation was higher in the underfed rats; only head contacts and oral-nasal investigation frequency was lower; with the duration lower, but oral-nasal investigation duration was higher (p < 0.05). In the preference phase, the OBS underfed rat latencies for both stimuli were prolonged, the frequency lower only for cocoa, and the duration lower for cinnamon but higher for cocoa (p < 0.05). Findings suggested that early undernutrition interfered with the attentive social transmission to take a decision during the preference phase, but not with the short-term memory consolidation of social food preference.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorena Rubio
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology and Neurophysiology, Institute of Neurobiology, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico
| | - Laura Téllez
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology and Neurophysiology, Institute of Neurobiology, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico
| | - Mirelta Regalado
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology and Neurophysiology, Institute of Neurobiology, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico
| | - Carmen Torrero
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology and Neurophysiology, Institute of Neurobiology, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico
| | - Manuel Salas
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology and Neurophysiology, Institute of Neurobiology, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico.
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Kavaliers M, Ossenkopp KP, Choleris E. Social neuroscience of disgust. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2018; 18:e12508. [DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2018] [Revised: 07/13/2018] [Accepted: 07/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Martin Kavaliers
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program; University of Western Ontario; London Ontario Canada
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program; University of Guelph; Guelph Ontario Canada
| | - Klaus-Peter Ossenkopp
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program; University of Western Ontario; London Ontario Canada
| | - Elena Choleris
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program; University of Guelph; Guelph Ontario Canada
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Paletta P, Sheppard PAS, Matta R, Ervin KSJ, Choleris E. Rapid effects of estrogens on short-term memory: Possible mechanisms. Horm Behav 2018; 104:88-99. [PMID: 29847771 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2018.05.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2018] [Revised: 05/24/2018] [Accepted: 05/26/2018] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Contribution to Special Issue on Fast effects of steroids. Estrogens affect learning and memory through rapid and delayed mechanisms. Here we review studies on rapid effects on short-term memory. Estradiol rapidly improves social and object recognition memory, spatial memory, and social learning when administered systemically. The dorsal hippocampus mediates estrogen rapid facilitation of object, social and spatial short-term memory. The medial amygdala mediates rapid facilitation of social recognition. The three estrogen receptors, α (ERα), β (ERβ) and the G-protein coupled estrogen receptor (GPER) appear to play different roles depending on the task and brain region. Both ERα and GPER agonists rapidly facilitate short-term social and object recognition and spatial memory when administered systemically or into the dorsal hippocampus and facilitate social recognition in the medial amygdala. Conversely, only GPER can facilitate social learning after systemic treatment and an ERβ agonist only rapidly improved short-term spatial memory when given systemically or into the hippocampus, but also facilitates social recognition in the medial amygdala. Investigations into the mechanisms behind estrogens' rapid effects on short term memory showed an involvement of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) kinase pathways. Recent evidence also showed that estrogens interact with the neuropeptide oxytocin in rapidly facilitating social recognition. Estrogens can increase the production and/or release of oxytocin and other neurotransmitters, such as dopamine and acetylcholine. Therefore, it is possible that estrogens' rapid effects on short-term memory may occur through the regulation of various neurotransmitters, although more research is need on these interactions as well as the mechanisms of estrogens' actions on short-term memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pietro Paletta
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Paul A S Sheppard
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Richard Matta
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Kelsy S J Ervin
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Elena Choleris
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada.
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Cornil CA, Ball GF, Balthazart J. Differential control of appetitive and consummatory sexual behavior by neuroestrogens in male quail. Horm Behav 2018; 104:15-31. [PMID: 29452074 PMCID: PMC6103895 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2018.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2017] [Revised: 02/05/2018] [Accepted: 02/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Contribution to Special Issue on Fast effects of steroids. Estrogens exert pleiotropic effects on multiple physiological and behavioral traits including sexual behavior. These effects are classically mediated via binding to nuclear receptors and subsequent regulation of target gene transcription. Estrogens also affect neuronal activity and cell-signaling pathways via faster, membrane-initiated events. Although the distinction between appetitive and consummatory aspects of sexual behavior has been criticized, this distinction remains valuable in that it facilitates the causal analysis of certain behavioral systems. Effects of neuroestrogens produced by neuronal aromatization of testosterone on copulatory performance (consummatory aspect) and on sexual motivation (appetitive aspect) are described in male quail. The central administration of estradiol rapidly increases expression of sexual motivation, as assessed by two measures of sexual motivation produced in response to the visual presentation of a female but not sexual performance in male Japanese quail. This effect is mimicked by membrane-impermeable analogs of estradiol, indicating that it is initiated at the cell membrane. Conversely, blocking the action of estrogens or their synthesis by a single intracerebroventricular injection of estrogen receptor antagonists or aromatase inhibitors, respectively, decreases sexual motivation within minutes without affecting performance. The same steroid has thus evolved complementary mechanisms to regulate different behavioral components (motivation vs. performance) in distinct temporal domains (long- vs. short-term) so that diverse reproductive activities can be properly coordinated. Changes in preoptic aromatase activity and estradiol as well as glutamate concentrations are observed during or immediately after copulation. The interaction between these neuroendocrine/neurochemical changes and their functional significance is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gregory F Ball
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, United States
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Sarabian C, Belais R, MacIntosh AJJ. Feeding decisions under contamination risk in bonobos. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2018; 373:20170195. [PMID: 29866924 PMCID: PMC6000142 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2017.0195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/12/2018] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Threats from parasites and pathogens are ubiquitous, and many use pathways that exploit host trophic interactions for their transmission. As such, host organisms have evolved a behavioural immune system to facilitate contamination-risk assessment and avoidance of potential contaminants in various contexts, including feeding. Detecting pathogen threats can rely on different sensory modalities allowing animals to screen for a wide array of contaminants. Here, we present a series of experiments in which bonobos showed clear avoidance of contaminated food items, and were sensitive to risk along a contamination probability gradient. Across experiments, bonobos appeared to use multisensorial cues to inform their feeding decisions. In addition, bonobos showed reduced tactile, gustatory and tool use activities when in the presence of contaminant versus control odours in a challenging foraging context. Our experiments build on previous work conducted in Japanese macaques and chimpanzees aiming at a better understanding of the ways in which the behavioural immune system operates in primates.This article is part of the Theo Murphy meeting issue 'Evolution of pathogen and parasite avoidance behaviours'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cecile Sarabian
- Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, 41-2 Kanrin, Inuyama 484-8506, Japan
| | - Raphael Belais
- Amis des bonobos du Congo, Lola ya Bonobo Sanctuary, Les petites chutes de la Lukaya, Kimwenza, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Andrew J J MacIntosh
- Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, 41-2 Kanrin, Inuyama 484-8506, Japan
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31
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Rossetti MF, Varayoud J, Andreoli MF, Stoker C, Luque EH, Ramos JG. Sex- and age-associated differences in episodic-like memory and transcriptional regulation of hippocampal steroidogenic enzymes in rats. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2018; 470:208-218. [PMID: 29113830 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2017.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2017] [Revised: 11/02/2017] [Accepted: 11/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to evaluate the episodic-like memory (ELM) and the transcriptional regulation of the enzymes involved in hippocampal allopregnanolone synthesis in young adult and middle-aged male and female rats. Young adult males, but not middle-aged ones, showed a good performance in the ELM task. In contrast, neither young nor middle-aged females were able to discriminate the spatial order in which the objects were presented. In females, aging decreased the transcription of steroidogenic-related genes. In addition, the mRNA levels of 5α-reductase-1 were higher and the methylation of its promoter was lower in young adult females than in males, suggesting an epigenetic control. Further studies are needed to establish correlations between ELM and the transcriptional regulation of hippocampal steroidogenic enzymes. Our results contribute to the knowledge of sex differences in gene expression, methylation and memory during aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- María F Rossetti
- Departamento de Bioquímica Clínica y Cuantitativa, Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Santa Fe, Argentina; Instituto de Salud y Ambiente del Litoral (ISAL), Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral-CONICET, Santa Fe, Argentina.
| | - Jorgelina Varayoud
- Instituto de Salud y Ambiente del Litoral (ISAL), Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral-CONICET, Santa Fe, Argentina.
| | - María F Andreoli
- Departamento de Bioquímica Clínica y Cuantitativa, Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Santa Fe, Argentina; Instituto de Salud y Ambiente del Litoral (ISAL), Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral-CONICET, Santa Fe, Argentina.
| | - Cora Stoker
- Departamento de Bioquímica Clínica y Cuantitativa, Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Santa Fe, Argentina; Instituto de Salud y Ambiente del Litoral (ISAL), Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral-CONICET, Santa Fe, Argentina.
| | - Enrique H Luque
- Instituto de Salud y Ambiente del Litoral (ISAL), Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral-CONICET, Santa Fe, Argentina.
| | - Jorge G Ramos
- Departamento de Bioquímica Clínica y Cuantitativa, Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Santa Fe, Argentina; Instituto de Salud y Ambiente del Litoral (ISAL), Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral-CONICET, Santa Fe, Argentina.
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32
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Frankiensztajn LM, Gur-Pollack R, Wagner S. A combinatorial modulation of synaptic plasticity in the rat medial amygdala by oxytocin, urocortin3 and estrogen. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2018; 92:95-102. [PMID: 29674171 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2018.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2018] [Revised: 04/07/2018] [Accepted: 04/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The medial nucleus of the amygdala (MeA) plays a pivotal role in a variety of mammalian social behaviors. Specifically, activity of the hypothalamic pro-social neuropeptide oxytocin in the MeA was shown to be crucial for social recognition memory. The MeA is also a hub of neuroendocrine activity and expresses a large number of receptors of neuropeptides and hormones. These include oxytocin receptor, estrogen receptor alpha and corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) receptor type 2 (CRFR2). In a previous study we found that intracerebroventricular (ICV) oxytocin application to anesthetized rats promotes long-term depression (LTD) of the MeA response to electrical stimulation of its main sensory input, the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB). We also reported that this type of synaptic plasticity contributes to long-term social recognition memory. Here we used similar methodology to examine the possibility that various neuromodulators pose a combinatorial effect on synaptic plasticity in the MeA. We found that ICV administration of the CRF-related peptide urocortin3 fifteen minutes before oxytocin, caused long-term potentiation (LTP), via CRFR2 activation. Similarly, ICV administration of 17β-estradiol forty-five minutes before oxytocin induced LTP, which was blocked by an antagonist of the estrogen receptors alpha and beta. Notably, none of these two neuromodulators had any effect on its own, suggesting that they both turn the oxytocin-mediated synaptic plasticity from LTD to LTP. Finally, we found that application of 17β-estradiol, forty-five minutes before urocortin3 also caused LTP in the MeA response to AOB stimulation, even without oxytocin application. We suggest that the combinatorial modulation of the bidirectional synaptic plasticity in the AOB-MeA pathway by oxytocin, 17β-estradiol and urocotin-3 serves to modify social information processing according to the animal's internal state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linoy Mia Frankiensztajn
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, The Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center (IBBR), University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel
| | - Rotem Gur-Pollack
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, The Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center (IBBR), University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel
| | - Shlomo Wagner
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, The Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center (IBBR), University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel.
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Burger D, Meuwly C, Thomas S, Sieme H, Oberthür M, Wedekind C, Meinecke-Tillmann S. Cycle-specific female preferences for visual and non-visual cues in the horse (Equus caballus). PLoS One 2018; 13:e0191845. [PMID: 29466358 PMCID: PMC5842875 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0191845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2016] [Accepted: 01/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Although female preferences are well studied in many mammals, the possible effects of the oestrous cycle are not yet sufficiently understood. Here we investigate female preferences for visual and non-visual male traits relative to the periodically cycling of sexual proceptivity (oestrus) and inactivity (dioestrus), respectively, in the polygynous horse (Equus caballus). We individually exposed mares to stallions in four experimental situations: (i) mares in oestrus and visual contact to stallions allowed, (ii) mares in oestrus, with blinds (wooden partitions preventing visual contact but allowing for acoustic and olfactory communication), (iii) mares in dioestrus, no blinds, and (iv) mares in dioestrus, with blinds. Contact times of the mares with each stallion, defined as the cumulative amount of time a mare was in the vicinity of an individual stallion and actively searching contact, were used to rank stallions according to each mare’s preferences. We found that preferences based on visual traits differed significantly from preferences based on non-visual traits in dioestrous mares. The mares then showed a preference for older and larger males, but only if visual cues were available. In contrast, oestrous mares showed consistent preferences with or without blinds, i.e. their preferences were mainly based on non-visual traits and could not be predicted by male age or size. Stallions who were generally preferred displayed a high libido that may have positively influenced female interest or may have been a consequence of it. We conclude that the oestrous cycle has a significant influence on female preferences for visual and non-visual male traits in the horse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominik Burger
- Swiss Institute of Equine Medicine ISME, University of Berne, and Agroscope, Avenches, Switzerland
- * E-mail:
| | - Charles Meuwly
- Swiss Institute of Equine Medicine ISME, University of Berne, and Agroscope, Avenches, Switzerland
| | - Selina Thomas
- Swiss Institute of Equine Medicine ISME, University of Berne, and Agroscope, Avenches, Switzerland
| | - Harald Sieme
- Unit for Reproductive Medicine–Clinic for Horses, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hanover, Germany
| | - Michael Oberthür
- Institute for Reproductive Biology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hanover, Germany
| | - Claus Wedekind
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Biophore, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Sabine Meinecke-Tillmann
- Institute for Reproductive Biology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hanover, Germany
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Choleris E, Galea LAM, Sohrabji F, Frick KM. Sex differences in the brain: Implications for behavioral and biomedical research. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2018; 85:126-145. [PMID: 29287628 PMCID: PMC5751942 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 137] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2017] [Accepted: 07/16/2017] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Biological differences between males and females are found at multiple levels. However, females have too often been under-represented in behavioral neuroscience research, which has stymied the study of potential sex differences in neurobiology and behavior. This review focuses on the study of sex differences in the neurobiology of social behavior, memory, emotions, and recovery from brain injury, with particular emphasis on the role of estrogens in regulating forebrain function. This work, presented by the authors at the 2016 meeting of the International Behavioral Neuroscience Society, emphasizes varying approaches from several mammalian species in which sex differences have not only been documented, but also become the focus of efforts to understand the mechanistic basis underlying them. This information may provide readers with useful experimental tools to successfully address recently introduced regulations by granting agencies that either require (e.g. the National Institutes of Health in the United States and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research in Canada) or recommend (e.g. Horizon 2020 in Europe) the inclusion of both sexes in biomedical research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Choleris
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, MacKinnon Bldg. Room 4020, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada.
| | - Liisa A M Galea
- Department of Psychology, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T1Z3, Canada
| | - Farida Sohrabji
- Women's Health in Neuroscience Program, Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Texas A&M HSC College of Medicine, Bryan, TX 77807, United States
| | - Karyn M Frick
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI 53211, United States
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35
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On the role of brain aromatase in females: why are estrogens produced locally when they are available systemically? J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2017; 204:31-49. [PMID: 29086012 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-017-1224-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2017] [Revised: 10/12/2017] [Accepted: 10/17/2017] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
The ovaries are often thought of as the main and only source of estrogens involved in the regulation of female behavior. However, aromatase, the key enzyme for estrogen synthesis, although it is more abundant in males, is expressed and active in the brain of females where it is regulated by similar mechanisms as in males. Early work had shown that estrogens produced in the ventromedial hypothalamus are involved in the regulation of female sexual behavior in musk shrews. However, the question of the role of central aromatase in general had not received much attention until recently. Here, I will review the emerging concept that central aromatization plays a role in the regulation of physiological and behavioral endpoints in females. The data support the notion that in females, brain aromatase is not simply a non-functional evolutionary vestige, and provide support for the importance of locally produced estrogens for brain function in females. These observations should also have an impact for clinical research.
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36
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Kavaliers M, Choleris E. Social Cognition and the Neurobiology of Rodent Mate Choice. Integr Comp Biol 2017; 57:846-856. [DOI: 10.1093/icb/icx042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
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37
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Kavaliers M, Choleris E. Out-Group Threat Responses, In-Group Bias, and Nonapeptide Involvement Are Conserved across Vertebrates: (A Comment on Bruintjes et al., "Out-Group Threat Promotes Within-Group Affiliation in a Cooperative Fish"). Am Nat 2017; 189:453-458. [PMID: 28350495 DOI: 10.1086/690838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
The challenges and threats posed by out-groups have major effects on human social behavior and how individuals interact with one another. We briefly review evidence here that out-group threat similarly affects nonhuman animal behavior. Actual and potential threats posed by out-group individuals (unfamiliar and genetically nonrelated individuals of the same species) affect social behavior promoting "out-group" avoidance and "in-group" bias and enhancing in-group (familiar and/or genetically related individuals) affiliation and interactions. Individuals from out-groups present risks of pathogen exposure as well as being threats to resources, territory, and offspring. All of these threats function to promote in-group bias in humans and nonhumans. There are also striking similarities in the underlying neurobiological mechanisms mediating the responses to out-group threat and the expression of in-group bias. In particular, the evolutionarily conserved, hormone-regulated nonapeptide systems (oxytocin, arginine-vasopressin, and homologous neuropeptides and their receptors) are involved in the mediation of the detection and avoidance of out-groups and response to in-groups and facilitation of in-group responses across multiple vertebrate species. Consequently, comparative investigations of both the behavioral expression of and the mechanism underlying out-group avoidance and in-group bias are necessary for a full understanding of the evolution of social behavior and responses to in- and out-groups.
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38
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Alexander A, Irving AJ, Harvey J. Emerging roles for the novel estrogen-sensing receptor GPER1 in the CNS. Neuropharmacology 2017; 113:652-660. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2016.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2016] [Revised: 07/01/2016] [Accepted: 07/04/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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Mate-choice copying, social information processing, and the roles of oxytocin. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2016; 72:232-242. [PMID: 27923732 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2016] [Revised: 11/23/2016] [Accepted: 12/01/2016] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Social and sexual behaviors, including that of mate choice, are dependent on social information. Mate choice can be modified by prior and ongoing social factors and experience. The mate choice decisions of one individual can be influenced by either the actual or potential mate choice of another female or male. Such non-independent mate choice, where individuals gain social information and socially learn about and recognizes potential mates by observing the choices of another female or male, has been termed "mate-choice copying". Here we first briefly review how, why, and under what circumstances individuals engage in mate-choice copying. Secondly, we review the neurobiological mechanisms underlying mate-choice copying. In particular, we consider the roles of the nonapeptide, oxytocin, in the processing of social information and the expression of mate-choice copying.
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40
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Frick KM, Kim J, Tuscher JJ, Fortress AM. Sex steroid hormones matter for learning and memory: estrogenic regulation of hippocampal function in male and female rodents. Learn Mem 2015; 22:472-93. [PMID: 26286657 PMCID: PMC4561402 DOI: 10.1101/lm.037267.114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 136] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2015] [Accepted: 07/09/2015] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Ample evidence has demonstrated that sex steroid hormones, such as the potent estrogen 17β-estradiol (E2), affect hippocampal morphology, plasticity, and memory in male and female rodents. Yet relatively few investigators who work with male subjects consider the effects of these hormones on learning and memory. This review describes the effects of E2 on hippocampal spinogenesis, neurogenesis, physiology, and memory, with particular attention paid to the effects of E2 in male rodents. The estrogen receptors, cell-signaling pathways, and epigenetic processes necessary for E2 to enhance memory in female rodents are also discussed in detail. Finally, practical considerations for working with female rodents are described for those investigators thinking of adding females to their experimental designs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karyn M Frick
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53211, USA
| | - Jaekyoon Kim
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53211, USA
| | - Jennifer J Tuscher
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53211, USA
| | - Ashley M Fortress
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53211, USA
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Ervin KSJ, Mulvale E, Gallagher N, Roussel V, Choleris E. Activation of the G protein-coupled estrogen receptor, but not estrogen receptor α or β, rapidly enhances social learning. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2015; 58:51-66. [PMID: 25957002 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2015.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2014] [Revised: 04/03/2015] [Accepted: 04/03/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Social learning is a highly adaptive process by which an animal acquires information from a conspecific. While estrogens are known to modulate learning and memory, much of this research focuses on individual learning. Estrogens have been shown to enhance social learning on a long-term time scale, likely via genomic mechanisms. Estrogens have also been shown to affect individual learning on a rapid time scale through cell-signaling cascades, rather than via genomic effects, suggesting they may also rapidly influence social learning. We therefore investigated the effects of 17β-estradiol and involvement of the estrogen receptors (ERs) using the ERα agonist propyl pyrazole triol, the ERβ agonist diarylpropionitrile, and the G protein-coupled ER 1 (GPER1) agonist G1 on the social transmission of food preferences (STFP) task, within a time scale that focused on the rapid effects of estrogens. General ER activation with 17β-estradiol resulted in a modest facilitation of social learning, with mice showing a preference up to 30min of testing. Specific activation of the GPER1 also rapidly enhanced social learning, with mice showing a socially learned preference up to 2h of testing. ERα activation instead shortened the expression of a socially learned food preference, while ERβ activation had little to no effects. Thus, rapid estrogenic modulation of social learning in the STFP may be the outcome of competing action at the three main receptors. Hence, estrogens' rapid effects on social learning likely depend on the specific ERs present in brain regions recruited during social learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelsy Sharice Jean Ervin
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Erin Mulvale
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Nicola Gallagher
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Véronique Roussel
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Elena Choleris
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
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Ervin KSJ, Lymer JM, Matta R, Clipperton-Allen AE, Kavaliers M, Choleris E. Estrogen involvement in social behavior in rodents: Rapid and long-term actions. Horm Behav 2015; 74:53-76. [PMID: 26122289 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2015.05.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2015] [Revised: 05/16/2015] [Accepted: 05/26/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
This article is part of a Special Issue ("Estradiol and cognition"). Estrogens have repeatedly been shown to influence a wide array of social behaviors, which in rodents are predominantly olfactory-mediated. Estrogens are involved in social behavior at multiple levels of processing, from the detection and integration of socially relevant olfactory information to more complex social behaviors, including social preferences, aggression and dominance, and learning and memory for social stimuli (e.g. social recognition and social learning). Three estrogen receptors (ERs), ERα, ERβ, and the G protein-coupled ER 1 (GPER1), differently affect these behaviors. Social recognition, territorial aggression, and sexual preferences and mate choice, all requiring the integration of socially related olfactory information, seem to primarily involve ERα, with ERβ playing a lesser, modulatory role. In contrast, social learning consistently responds differently to estrogen manipulations than other social behaviors. This suggests differential ER involvement in brain regions important for specific social behaviors, such as the ventromedial and medial preoptic nuclei of the hypothalamus in social preferences and aggression, the medial amygdala and hippocampus in social recognition, and the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus in social learning. While the long-term effects of ERα and ERβ on social behavior have been extensively investigated, our knowledge of the rapid, non-genomic, effects of estrogens is more limited and suggests that they may mediate some social behaviors (e.g. social learning) differently from long-term effects. Further research is required to compare ER involvement in regulating social behavior in male and female animals, and to further elucidate the roles of the more recently described G protein-coupled ERs, both the GPER1 and the Gq-mER.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelsy S J Ervin
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jennifer M Lymer
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Richard Matta
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Martin Kavaliers
- Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Elena Choleris
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
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Frick KM. Molecular mechanisms underlying the memory-enhancing effects of estradiol. Horm Behav 2015; 74:4-18. [PMID: 25960081 PMCID: PMC4573242 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2015.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 126] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2015] [Revised: 04/25/2015] [Accepted: 05/01/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
This article is part of a Special Issue "Estradiol and cognition". Since the publication of the 1998 special issue of Hormones and Behavior on estrogens and cognition, substantial progress has been made towards understanding the molecular mechanisms through which 17β-estradiol (E2) regulates hippocampal plasticity and memory. Recent research has demonstrated that rapid effects of E2 on hippocampal cell signaling, epigenetic processes, and local protein synthesis are necessary for E2 to facilitate the consolidation of object recognition and spatial memories in ovariectomized female rodents. These effects appear to be mediated by non-classical actions of the intracellular estrogen receptors ERα and ERβ, and possibly by membrane-bound ERs such as the G-protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER). New findings also suggest a key role of hippocampally-synthesized E2 in regulating hippocampal memory formation. The present review discusses these findings in detail and suggests avenues for future study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karyn M Frick
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 2441 E. Hartford Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53211, USA.
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Heimovics SA, Trainor BC, Soma KK. Rapid Effects of Estradiol on Aggression in Birds and Mice: The Fast and the Furious. Integr Comp Biol 2015; 55:281-93. [PMID: 25980562 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icv048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Across invertebrates and vertebrates, steroids are potent signaling molecules that affect nearly every cell in the organism, including cells of the nervous system. Historically, researchers have focused on the genomic (or "nuclear-initiated") effects of steroids. However, all classes of steroids also have rapid non-genomic (or "membrane-initiated") effects, although there is far less basic knowledge of these non-genomic effects. In particular, steroids synthesized in the brain ("neurosteroids") have genomic and non-genomic effects on behavior. Here, we review evidence that estradiol has rapid effects on aggression, an important social behavior, and on intracellular signaling cascades in relevant regions of the brain. In particular, we focus on studies of song sparrows (Melospiza melodia) and Peromyscus mice, in which estradiol has rapid behavioral effects under short photoperiods only. Furthermore, in captive Peromyscus, estrogenic compounds (THF-diols) in corncob bedding profoundly alter the rapid effects of estradiol. Environmental factors in the laboratory, such as photoperiod, diet, and bedding, are critical variables to consider in experimental design. These studies are consistent with the hypothesis that locally-produced steroids are more likely than systemic steroids to act via non-genomic mechanisms. Furthermore, these studies illustrate the dynamic balance between genomic and non-genomic signaling for estradiol, which is likely to be relevant for other steroids, behaviors, and species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah A Heimovics
- *Department of Biology, University of St Thomas, St Paul, MN 55105, USA;
| | - Brian C Trainor
- Department of Psychology, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Kiran K Soma
- Departments of Psychology and Zoology, Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z7, Canada
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Kamboj SK, Krol KM, Curran HV. A specific association between facial disgust recognition and estradiol levels in naturally cycling women. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0122311. [PMID: 25874795 PMCID: PMC4398500 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0122311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2014] [Accepted: 02/19/2015] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Subtle changes in social cognition are associated with naturalistic fluctuations in estrogens and progesterone over the course of the menstrual cycle. Using a dynamic emotion recognition task we aimed to provide a comprehensive description of the association between ovarian hormone levels and emotion recognition performance using a variety of performance metrics. Naturally cycling, psychiatrically healthy women attended a single experimental session during a follicular (days 7–13; n = 16), early luteal (days 15–19; n = 14) or late luteal phase (days 22–27; n = 14) of their menstrual cycle. Correct responses and reaction times to dynamic facial expressions were recorded and a two-high threshold analysis was used to assess discrimination and response bias. Salivary progesterone and estradiol were assayed and subjective measures of premenstrual symptoms, anxiety and positive and negative affect assessed. There was no interaction between cycle phase (follicular, early luteal, late luteal) and facial expression (sad, happy, fearful, angry, neutral and disgusted) on any of the recognition performance metrics. However, across the sample as a whole, progesterone levels were positively correlated with reaction times to a variety of facial expressions (anger, happiness, sadness and neutral expressions). In contrast, estradiol levels were specifically correlated with disgust processing on three performance indices (correct responses, response bias and discrimination). Premenstrual symptoms, anxiety and positive and negative affect were not associated with emotion recognition indices or hormone levels. The study highlights the role of naturalistic variations in ovarian hormone levels in modulating emotion recognition. In particular, progesterone seems to have a general slowing effect on facial expression processing. Our findings also provide the first behavioural evidence of a specific role for estrogens in the processing of disgust in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sunjeev K. Kamboj
- Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - Kathleen M. Krol
- Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - H. Valerie Curran
- Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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Sellers K, Raval P, Srivastava DP. Molecular signature of rapid estrogen regulation of synaptic connectivity and cognition. Front Neuroendocrinol 2015; 36:72-89. [PMID: 25159586 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2014.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2014] [Revised: 08/11/2014] [Accepted: 08/14/2014] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
There is now a growing appreciation that estrogens are capable of rapidly activating a number of signaling cascades within the central nervous system. In addition, there are an increasing number of studies reporting that 17β-estradiol, the major biologically active estrogen, can modulate cognition within a rapid time frame. Here we review recent studies that have begun to uncover the molecular and cellular framework which contributes to estrogens ability to rapidly modulate cognition. We first describe the mechanisms by which estrogen receptors (ERs) can couple to intracellular signaling cascades, either directly, or via the transactivation of other receptors. Subsequently, we review the evidence that estrogen can rapidly modulate both neuronal function and structure in the hippocampus and the cortex. Finally, we will discuss how estrogens may influence cognitive function through the modulation of neuronal structure, and the implications this may have on the treatment of a range of brain disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine Sellers
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, The James Black Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London SE5 9NU, UK
| | - Pooja Raval
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, The James Black Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London SE5 9NU, UK
| | - Deepak P Srivastava
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, The James Black Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London SE5 9NU, UK.
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Roberts SA, Davidson AJ, Beynon RJ, Hurst JL. Female attraction to male scent and associative learning: the house mouse as a mammalian model. Anim Behav 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2014.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Kavaliers M, Colwell DD, Cloutier CJ, Ossenkopp KP, Choleris E. Pathogen threat and unfamiliar males rapidly bias the social responses of female mice. Anim Behav 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2014.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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Fortress AM, Frick KM. Epigenetic regulation of estrogen-dependent memory. Front Neuroendocrinol 2014; 35:530-49. [PMID: 24878494 PMCID: PMC4174980 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2014.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2014] [Revised: 05/15/2014] [Accepted: 05/16/2014] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Abstract
Hippocampal memory formation is highly regulated by post-translational histone modifications and DNA methylation. Accordingly, these epigenetic processes play a major role in the effects of modulatory factors, such as sex steroid hormones, on hippocampal memory. Our laboratory recently demonstrated that the ability of the potent estrogen 17β-estradiol (E2) to enhance hippocampal-dependent novel object recognition memory in ovariectomized female mice requires ERK-dependent histone H3 acetylation and DNA methylation in the dorsal hippocampus. Although these data provide valuable insight into the chromatin modifications that mediate the memory-enhancing effects of E2, epigenetic regulation of gene expression is enormously complex. Therefore, more research is needed to fully understand how E2 and other hormones employ epigenetic alterations to shape behavior. This review discusses the epigenetic alterations shown thus far to regulate hippocampal memory, briefly reviews the effects of E2 on hippocampal function, and describes in detail our work on epigenetic regulation of estrogenic memory enhancement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley M Fortress
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI 53211, United States
| | - Karyn M Frick
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI 53211, United States.
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Regulation of object recognition and object placement by ovarian sex steroid hormones. Behav Brain Res 2014; 285:140-57. [PMID: 25131507 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2014.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2014] [Revised: 07/29/2014] [Accepted: 08/01/2014] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
The ovarian hormones 17β-estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P4) are potent modulators of hippocampal memory formation. Both hormones have been demonstrated to enhance hippocampal memory by regulating the cellular and molecular mechanisms thought to underlie memory formation. Behavioral neuroendocrinologists have increasingly used the object recognition and object placement (object location) tasks to investigate the role of E2 and P4 in regulating hippocampal memory formation in rodents. These one-trial learning tasks are ideal for studying acute effects of hormone treatments on different phases of memory because they can be administered during acquisition (pre-training), consolidation (post-training), or retrieval (pre-testing). This review synthesizes the rodent literature testing the effects of E2 and P4 on object recognition (OR) and object placement (OP), and the molecular mechanisms in the hippocampus supporting memory formation in these tasks. Some general trends emerge from the data. Among gonadally intact females, object memory tends to be best when E2 and P4 levels are elevated during the estrous cycle, pregnancy, and in middle age. In ovariectomized females, E2 given before or immediately after testing generally enhances OR and OP in young and middle-aged rats and mice, although effects are mixed in aged rodents. Effects of E2 treatment on OR and OP memory consolidation can be mediated by both classical estrogen receptors (ERα and ERβ), and depend on glutamate receptors (NMDA, mGluR1) and activation of numerous cell signaling cascades (e.g., ERK, PI3K/Akt, mTOR) and epigenetic processes (e.g., histone acetylation, DNA methylation). Acute P4 treatment given immediately after training also enhances OR and OP in young and middle-aged ovariectomized females by activating similar cell signaling pathways as E2 (e.g., ERK, mTOR). The few studies that have administered both hormones in combination suggest that treatment can enhance OR and OP, but that effects are highly dependent on factors such as dose and timing of administration. In addition to providing more detail on these general conclusions, this review will discuss directions for future avenues of research into the hormonal regulation of object memory.
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