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Nipper MA, Helms ML, Finn DA, Ryabinin AE. Stress-enhanced ethanol drinking does not increase sensitivity to the effects of a CRF-R1 antagonist on ethanol intake in male and female mice. Alcohol 2024; 120:73-83. [PMID: 38185336 PMCID: PMC11326135 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2024.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2023] [Revised: 12/28/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
Research confirms that stress is associated with alcohol drinking and relapse in males and females and that there are sex differences in the alcohol-related adaptations of stress pathways. The predator stress (PS) model of traumatic stress produces an increase in alcohol drinking or self-administration in a subpopulation of rodents, so it is utilized as an animal model of comorbid alcohol use disorder (AUD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Previous work determined that sensitivity to PS-enhanced drinking produced sex differences in proteins related to stress-regulating systems in the medial prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. The present studies examined whether male and female C57BL/6J mice differ in sensitivity to the ability of the corticotropin releasing factor receptor 1 antagonist CP-376395 to decrease PS-enhanced drinking. In control studies, CP-376395 doses of 5, 10, and 20 mg/kg dose-dependently decreased 4-h ethanol drinking. Next, CP-376395 doses of 5 and 10 mg/kg were tested for effects on ethanol drinking in mice with differential sensitivity to PS-enhanced drinking. Subgroups of "Sensitive" and "Resilient" male and female mice were identified based on changes in ethanol intake in an unrestricted-access ethanol-drinking procedure following four exposures to PS (dirty rat bedding). During the first 2 h post-injection of CP-376395, both doses significantly decreased ethanol licks versus vehicle in the females, with no significant interaction between subgroups, whereas the 10 mg/kg dose significantly decreased ethanol licks versus vehicle in the "Resilient" males. Thus, sensitivity to the suppressive effect of CP-376395 on stress-induced ethanol intake was greater in females versus males, whereas sensitivity and resilience to PS-enhanced drinking produced differential sensitivity to the ability of CP-376395 to decrease ethanol drinking only in male mice. Our results argue against greater efficacy of CRF-R1's ability to decrease ethanol intake in subjects with traumatic stress-enhanced ethanol drinking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle A Nipper
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, United States
| | - Melinda L Helms
- Department of Research, VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR 97239, United States
| | - Deborah A Finn
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, United States; Department of Research, VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR 97239, United States
| | - Andrey E Ryabinin
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, United States.
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2
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Zhang AY, Elias E, Manners MT. Sex-dependent astrocyte reactivity: Unveiling chronic stress-induced morphological changes across multiple brain regions. Neurobiol Dis 2024; 200:106610. [PMID: 39032799 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2024.106610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2024] [Revised: 07/08/2024] [Accepted: 07/16/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Chronic stress is a major precursor to various neuropsychiatric disorders and is linked with increased inflammation in the brain. However, the bidirectional association between inflammation and chronic stress has yet to be fully understood. Astrocytes are one of the key inflammatory regulators in the brain, and the morphological change in reactive astrocytes serves as an important indicator of inflammation. In this study, we evaluated the sex-specific astrocyte response to chronic stress or systemic inflammation in key brain regions associated with mood disorders. We conducted the unpredictable chronic mild stress (UCMS) paradigm to model chronic stress, or lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injection to model systemic inflammation. To evaluate stress-induced morphological changes in astrocyte complexity, we measured GFAP fluorescent intensity for astrocyte expression, branch bifurcation by quantifying branch points and terminal points, branch arborization by conducting Sholl analysis, and calculated the ramification index. Our analysis indicated that chronic stress-induced morphological changes in astrocytes in all brain regions investigated. The effects of chronic stress were region and sex specific. Notably, females had greater stress or inflammation-induced astrocyte activation in the hypothalamus (HYPO), CA1, CA3, and amygdala (AMY) than males. These findings indicate that chronic stress induces astrocyte activation that may drive sex and region-specific effects in females, potentially contributing to sex-dependent mechanisms of disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ariel Y Zhang
- Department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ 08028, USA.
| | - Elias Elias
- Department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ 08028, USA.
| | - Melissa T Manners
- Department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ 08028, USA.
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3
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Su Y, Li M, Schmitz N, Meng X. The longitudinal patterns of depression subtypes and stressors in depression severity in the Canadian longitudinal study on aging (CLSA). Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2024. [PMID: 39221760 DOI: 10.1111/pcn.13728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2024] [Revised: 07/28/2024] [Accepted: 07/31/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
AIM The current study aims to characterize the longitudinal patterns of depression subtypes and investigate the associations among the stability of depression subtypes, COVID-19-related stressors, and depression severity. METHODS The study utilized data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging, which is a national, long-term study of Canadian adults aged 45 and older (n = 12,957). Latent profile analysis was used to identify latent depression subtypes. Latent transition analysis was then applied to assess the stability of these subtypes over time. Hierarchical multivariate linear regression was used to explore the relationships among these identified depression subtypes, COVID-19-related stressors, and depression severity among males and females, respectively. RESULTS Distinct depression subtypes were identified. Except for atypical depression, other depression subtypes showed greater stability over time. We also found that melancholic depression (B = 9.432) and typical depression (B = 6.677) were strongly associated with depression severity during the pandemic. Health-related stressors (B = 0.840), conflict (B = 3.639), difficulties accessing resources (B = 0.927), separation from family (B = 0.840), and caregiving experience (B = 0.764), were significantly associated with increased depression severity. Sex-specific analyses also revealed differences in the associations between stressors and depression severity between males and females. CONCLUSIONS This study contributes valuable insights into the latent clustering of depression subtypes and their stability. Stressors were associated with increased depression severity, with distinct associations observed among males and females. These findings have implications for targeted early interventions and integrated clinical management strategies by providing the evidence base for tailored mental health care during and after the pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingying Su
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Douglas Research Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- School of Public Health and Emergency Management, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Muzi Li
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Douglas Research Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Norbert Schmitz
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Douglas Research Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Department of Population-Based Medicine, Tuebingen University, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Xiangfei Meng
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Douglas Research Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Interdisciplinary School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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4
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Sheppard M, Rasgado-Toledo J, Duncan N, Elliott R, Garza-Villarreal EA, Muhlert N. Noradrenergic alterations associated with early life stress. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 164:105832. [PMID: 39084582 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2024] [Revised: 07/14/2024] [Accepted: 07/27/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024]
Abstract
Significant stress in childhood or adolescence is linked to both structural and functional changes in the brain in human and analogous animal models. In addition, neuromodulators, such as noradrenaline (NA), show life-long alterations in response to these early life stressors, which may impact upon the sensitivity and time course of key adrenergic activities, such as rapid autonomic stress responses (the 'fight or flight response'). The locus-coeruleus noradrenergic (LC-NA) network, a key stress-responsive network in the brain, displays numerous changes in response to significant early- life stress. Here, we review the relationship between NA and the neurobiological changes associated with early life stress and set out future lines of research that can illuminate how brain circuits and circulating neurotransmitters adapt in response to childhood stressors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan Sheppard
- Division of Psychology, Communication and Human Neuroscience, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
| | - Jalil Rasgado-Toledo
- Institute of Neurobiology, Universidad Nacional de México campus Juriquilla, Queretaro, Mexico
| | - Niall Duncan
- Graduate Institute of Mind, Brain and Consciousness, Taipei Medical University, Taiwan
| | - Rebecca Elliott
- Division of Psychology and Mental Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | | | - Nils Muhlert
- Division of Psychology, Communication and Human Neuroscience, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
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5
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Shansky RM. Behavioral neuroscience's inevitable SABV growing pains. Trends Neurosci 2024; 47:669-676. [PMID: 39034262 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2024.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2024] [Revised: 06/17/2024] [Accepted: 06/26/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024]
Abstract
The field of rodent behavioral neuroscience is undergoing two major sea changes: an ever-growing technological revolution, and worldwide calls to consider sex as a biological variable (SABV) in experimental design. Both have enormous potential to improve the precision and rigor with which the brain can be studied, but the convergence of these shifts in scientific practice has exposed critical limitations in classic and widely used behavioral paradigms. While our tools have advanced, our behavioral metrics - mostly developed in males and often allowing for only binary outcomes - have not. This opinion article explores how this disconnect has presented challenges for the accurate depiction and interpretation of sex differences in brain function, arguing for the expansion of current behavioral constructs to better account for behavioral diversity.
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6
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Ripamonte GC, Fonseca EM, Frias AT, Patrone LGA, Vilela-Costa HH, Silva KSC, Szawka RE, Bícego KC, Zangrossi H, Plummer NW, Jensen P, Gargaglioni LH. Locus coeruleus noradrenaline depletion and its differential impact on CO 2-induced panic and hyperventilation in male and female mice. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2024; 134:111063. [PMID: 38908504 PMCID: PMC11323958 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2024.111063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2023] [Revised: 04/11/2024] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/24/2024]
Abstract
CO2 exposure has been used to investigate the panicogenic response in patients with panic disorder. These patients are more sensitive to CO2, and more likely to experience the "false suffocation alarm" which triggers panic attacks. Imbalances in locus coeruleus noradrenergic (LC-NA) neurotransmission are responsible for psychiatric disorders, including panic disorder. These neurons are sensitive to changes in CO2/pH. Therefore, we investigated if LC-NA neurons are differentially activated after severe hypercapnia in mice. Further, we evaluated the participation of LC-NA neurons in ventilatory and panic-like escape responses induced by 20% CO2 in male and female wild type mice and two mouse models of altered LC-NA synthesis. Hypercapnia activates the LC-NA neurons, with males presenting a heightened level of activation. Mutant males lacking or with reduced LC-NA synthesis showed hypoventilation, while animals lacking LC noradrenaline present an increased metabolic rate compared to wild type in normocapnia. When exposed to CO2, males lacking LC noradrenaline showed a lower respiratory frequency compared to control animals. On the other hand, females lacking LC noradrenaline presented a higher tidal volume. Nevertheless, no change in ventilation was observed in either sex. CO2 evoked an active escape response. Mice lacking LC noradrenaline had a blunted jumping response and an increased freezing duration compared to the other groups. They also presented fewer racing episodes compared to wild type animals, but not different from mice with reduced LC noradrenaline. These findings suggest that LC-NA has an important role in ventilatory and panic-like escape responses elicited by CO2 exposure in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel C Ripamonte
- Department of Animal Morphology and Physiology, College of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences, São Paulo State University, Jaboticabal, São Paulo, 14884-900, Brazil
| | - Elisa M Fonseca
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Hotchkiss Brain Institute and Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Alana T Frias
- Department of Animal Morphology and Physiology, College of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences, São Paulo State University, Jaboticabal, São Paulo, 14884-900, Brazil
| | - Luis Gustavo A Patrone
- Department of Animal Morphology and Physiology, College of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences, São Paulo State University, Jaboticabal, São Paulo, 14884-900, Brazil
| | - Heloísa H Vilela-Costa
- Department of Biochemistry, Pharmacology and Physiology, Institute of Biological and Natural Sciences, Federal University of Triangulo Mineiro, Uberaba, MG, Brazil
| | - Kaoma S C Silva
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais - UFMG, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Raphael E Szawka
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais - UFMG, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Kênia C Bícego
- Department of Animal Morphology and Physiology, College of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences, São Paulo State University, Jaboticabal, São Paulo, 14884-900, Brazil
| | - Hélio Zangrossi
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Av. Bandeirantes, 3900, Ribeirão Preto CEP:14049-900, Brazil
| | - Nicholas W Plummer
- Neurobiology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, United States Department of Health and Human Services, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Patricia Jensen
- Neurobiology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, United States Department of Health and Human Services, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Luciane H Gargaglioni
- Department of Animal Morphology and Physiology, College of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences, São Paulo State University, Jaboticabal, São Paulo, 14884-900, Brazil.
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7
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Li Y, Yan Z, Lu Z, Li K. Zebrafish gender-specific anxiety-like behavioral and physiological reactions elicited by caffeine. Behav Brain Res 2024; 472:115151. [PMID: 39019091 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2024.115151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2024] [Revised: 06/27/2024] [Accepted: 07/12/2024] [Indexed: 07/19/2024]
Abstract
Caffeine exerts a biphasic effect on zebrafish behavior. High doses of caffeine have been associated with increased stress and anxiety, whereas low doses have been found to enhance performance on tasks requiring focus and attention. However, the sex-specific nature of these biphasic effects on behavior and physiology remains unclear. This study assessed the behavioral responses and hormone levels in male and female zebrafish after acute exposure to caffeine ranging from 0.3 to 600 mg/L. The results showed no significant difference in caffeine intake between males and females after acute exposure at each concentration. Caffeine-induced behavioral and physiological responses indicated a threshold dosage existed between 30 and 300 mg/L. Female fish displayed increased anxiety-like behavioral phenotypes, i.e., latency to upper and freezing, whereas males exhibited more erratic movement following acute exposure to a high-dose treatment. In addition, females exhibited a significant increase in whole-body cortisol levels, while males experienced a testosterone elevation at 300 mg/L of caffeine acute exposure. There was a significant decrease in the duration of erratic movements in males treated with the androgen receptor antagonist flutamide compared to the control group. The transcriptome analysis uncovered 511 and 592 up-regulated and 761 and 922 down-regulated differential expression genes in males and females, respectively, compared to the control. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and Gene Ontology (GO) pathway analysis revealed that caffeine has the potential to impact various pathways in zebrafish, including phototransduction and steroid hormone biosynthesis. Our findings demonstrate that testosterone and cortisol play a combined role in regulating stress responses in both behavior and physiology. Furthermore, our study highlights the significance of encompassing both male and female zebrafish as a model system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaxi Li
- Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yantai 264003, China; College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Zhi Yan
- Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yantai 264003, China; School of Ocean, Yantai University, Yantai 264005, China
| | - Zhen Lu
- Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yantai 264003, China
| | - Ke Li
- Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yantai 264003, China.
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8
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Salvetti G, Saccenti D, Moro AS, Lamanna J, Ferro M. Comparison between Single-Dose and Two-Dose Psilocybin Administration in the Treatment of Major Depression: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Current Clinical Trials. Brain Sci 2024; 14:829. [PMID: 39199520 PMCID: PMC11352277 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci14080829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2024] [Revised: 08/13/2024] [Accepted: 08/14/2024] [Indexed: 09/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Current pharmacological treatments for major depressive disorder (MDD) are often only partially effective, with many patients experiencing no significant benefit, leading to treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Psilocybin, a classical serotonergic psychedelic, has emerged as a notable emerging treatment for such disorders. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to summarize and discuss the most recent evidence about the therapeutic effects of single-dose and two-dose psilocybin administration on the severity of depressive symptoms, as well as compare the efficacy of these interventions among patients with a primary diagnosis of MDD or TRD. Articles were collected from EBSCOhost and PubMed following the PRISMA guidelines, yielding 425 articles with 138 duplicates. After screening 287 records, 12 studies met the eligibility criteria and were included in the review. A quantitative analysis of the studies indicates that psilocybin is highly effective in reducing depressive symptoms severity among patients with primary MDD or TRD. Both single-dose and two-dose psilocybin treatments significantly reduced depressive symptoms severity, with two-dose administration sometimes yielding more pronounced and lasting effects. However, it is unclear if this was solely due to dosage or other factors. Future research should include standardized trials comparing these dosing strategies to better inform clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gianmarco Salvetti
- Department of Psychology, Sigmund Freud University of Milan, 20143 Milan, Italy (D.S.); (M.F.)
| | - Daniele Saccenti
- Department of Psychology, Sigmund Freud University of Milan, 20143 Milan, Italy (D.S.); (M.F.)
- Brain and Behaviour SFU Lab, Sigmund Freud University of Milan, 20143 Milan, Italy
| | - Andrea Stefano Moro
- Department of Psychology, Sigmund Freud University of Milan, 20143 Milan, Italy (D.S.); (M.F.)
- Brain and Behaviour SFU Lab, Sigmund Freud University of Milan, 20143 Milan, Italy
- Center for Behavioral Neuroscience and Communication (BNC), Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Jacopo Lamanna
- Brain and Behaviour SFU Lab, Sigmund Freud University of Milan, 20143 Milan, Italy
- Faculty of Psychology, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Mattia Ferro
- Department of Psychology, Sigmund Freud University of Milan, 20143 Milan, Italy (D.S.); (M.F.)
- Brain and Behaviour SFU Lab, Sigmund Freud University of Milan, 20143 Milan, Italy
- Center for Behavioral Neuroscience and Communication (BNC), Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, 20132 Milan, Italy
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9
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Krolick KN, Cao J, Gulla EM, Bhardwaj M, Marshall SJ, Zhou EY, Kiss AJ, Choueiry F, Zhu J, Shi H. Subregion-specific transcriptomic profiling of rat brain reveals sex-distinct gene expression impacted by adolescent stress. Neuroscience 2024; 553:19-39. [PMID: 38977070 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2024.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2024] [Revised: 05/14/2024] [Accepted: 07/02/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
Stress during adolescence clearly impacts brain development and function. Sex differences in adolescent stress-induced or exacerbated emotional and metabolic vulnerabilities could be due to sex-distinct gene expression in hypothalamic, limbic, and prefrontal brain regions. However, adolescent stress-induced whole-genome expression changes in key subregions of these brain regions were unclear. In this study, female and male adolescent Sprague Dawley rats received one-hour restraint stress daily from postnatal day (PD) 32 to PD44. Corticosterone levels, body weights, food intake, body composition, and circulating adiposity and sex hormones were measured. On PD44, brain and blood samples were collected. Using RNA-sequencing, sex-specific differences in stress-induced differentially expressed (DE) genes were identified in subregions of the hypothalamus, limbic system, and prefrontal cortex. Canonical pathways reflected well-known sex-distinct maladies and diseases, substantiating the therapeutic potential of the DE genes found in the current study. Thus, we proposed specific sex distinct, adolescent stress-induced transcriptional changes found in the current study as examples of the molecular bases for sex differences witnessed in stress induced or exacerbated emotional and metabolic disorders. Future behavioral studies and single-cell studies are warranted to test the implications of the DE genes identified in this study in sex-distinct stress-induced susceptibilities.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jingyi Cao
- Department of Biology, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056, USA.
| | - Evelyn M Gulla
- Department of Biology, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056, USA.
| | - Meeta Bhardwaj
- Department of Biology, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056, USA.
| | | | - Ethan Y Zhou
- Department of Biology, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056, USA.
| | - Andor J Kiss
- Center for Bioinformatics & Functional Genomics, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056, USA.
| | - Fouad Choueiry
- Department of Human Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
| | - Jiangjiang Zhu
- Department of Human Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; James Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
| | - Haifei Shi
- Department of Biology, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056, USA.
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10
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Navarrete J, Schneider KN, Smith BM, Goodwin NL, Zhang YY, Salazar AS, Gonzalez YE, Anumolu P, Gross E, Tsai VS, Heshmati M, Golden SA. Individual Differences in Volitional Social Self-Administration and Motivation in Male and Female Mice Following Social Stress. Biol Psychiatry 2024; 96:309-321. [PMID: 38244753 PMCID: PMC11255129 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2024.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/06/2024] [Indexed: 01/22/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A key challenge in developing treatments for neuropsychiatric illness is the disconnect between preclinical models and the complexity of human social behavior. We integrate voluntary social self-administration into a rodent model of social stress as a platform for the identification of fundamental brain and behavior mechanisms underlying stress-induced individual differences in social motivation. METHODS Here, we introduced an operant social stress procedure in male and female mice composed of 3 phases: 1) social self-administration training, 2) social stress exposure concurrent with reinforced self-administration testing, and 3) poststress operant testing under nonreinforced and reinforced conditions. We used social-defeat and witness-defeat stress in male and female mice. RESULTS Social defeat attenuated social reward seeking in males but not females, whereas witness defeat had no effect in males but promoted seeking behavior in females. We resolved social stress-induced changes to social motivation by aggregating z-scored operant metrics into a cumulative social index score to describe the spectrum of individual differences exhibited during operant social stress. Clustering does not adequately describe the relative distributions of social motivation following stress and is better described as a nonbinary behavioral distribution defined by the social index score, capturing a dynamic range of stress-related alterations in social motivation inclusive of sex as a biological variable. CONCLUSIONS We demonstrated that operant social stress can detect stable individual differences in stress-induced changes to social motivation. The inclusion of volitional behavior in social procedures may enhance the understanding of behavioral adaptations that promote stress resiliency and their mechanisms under more naturalistic conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jovana Navarrete
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington; Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington; Center of Excellence in Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain, and Emotion, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Kevin N Schneider
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington; Center of Excellence in Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain, and Emotion, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Briana M Smith
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Nastacia L Goodwin
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington; Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington; Center of Excellence in Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain, and Emotion, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Yizhe Y Zhang
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington; Center of Excellence in Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain, and Emotion, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Axelle S Salazar
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Yahir E Gonzalez
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington; Undergraduate Neuroscience Program, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Pranav Anumolu
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington; Undergraduate Neuroscience Program, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Ethan Gross
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Valerie S Tsai
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington; Undergraduate Neuroscience Program, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Mitra Heshmati
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington; Center of Excellence in Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain, and Emotion, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington; Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Sam A Golden
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington; Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington; Center of Excellence in Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain, and Emotion, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington.
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11
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Yael A, Fishman R, Matas D, Doniger T, Vortman Y, Koren L. Fetal endocrine axes mRNA expression levels are related to sex and intrauterine position. Biol Sex Differ 2024; 15:61. [PMID: 39103957 DOI: 10.1186/s13293-024-00637-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2024] [Accepted: 07/19/2024] [Indexed: 08/07/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) and -gonadal (HPG) axes are two major pathways that connect the neural and endocrine systems in vertebrates. Factors such as prenatal stress and maternal exposure to exogenous steroids have been shown to affect these pathways during fetal development. Another less studied factor is the transfer of hormones across fetuses in multifetal pregnancies. This form of transfer has been shown to influence the morphology, anatomy, physiology, and behavior of the offspring in litter-bearing mammals, an influence termed the intrauterine position (IUP) effect. In this study, we sought to delineate how the IUP effects HPA and HPG brain receptors, peptides, and enzymes (hereafter components) in utero and how these influences may differ between males and females. METHODS We utilized the unconventional model of culled free-ranging nutria (Myocastor coypus), with its large natural variation. We collected brain tissues from nutria fetuses and quantified the expression of key HPA and HPG components in three brain regions: prefrontal cortex, hypothalamus, and striatum. RESULTS We found an interaction between sex and IUP in the mineralocorticoid receptor (MR), gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor (GNRHR), androgen receptor (AR), and estrogen receptor alpha (ESR1). IUP was significant in both gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and its receptor GNRHR, but in different ways. In the hypothalamus, fetuses adjacent to same-sex neighbors had higher expression of GnRH than fetuses neighboring the opposite sex. Conversely, in the cortex, GNRHR exhibited the inverse pattern, and fetuses that were neighboring the opposite sex had higher expression levels than those neighboring the same sex. Regardless of IUP, in most components that showed significant sex differences, female fetuses had higher mRNA expression levels than male fetuses. We also found that HPA and HPG components were highly related in the early stages of gestation, and that there was an interaction between sex and developmental stage. In the early stages of pregnancy, female component expression levels were more correlated than males', but in the last trimester of pregnancy, male components were more related to each other than female's. CONCLUSIONS This study suggests that there are sexually different mechanisms to regulate the HPA and HPG axes during fetal development. Higher mRNA expression levels of endocrine axes components may be a mechanism to help females cope with prolonged androgen exposure over a long gestational period. Additionally, these findings suggest different coordination requirements of male and female endocrine axes during stages of fetal development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ariel Yael
- The Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, 5290002, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Ruth Fishman
- The Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, 5290002, Ramat Gan, Israel
- Department of Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, 76100, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Devorah Matas
- The Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, 5290002, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Tirza Doniger
- The Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, 5290002, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Yoni Vortman
- Department of Animal Sciences, Hula Research Center, Tel Hai Academic College, Upper Galilee, 1220800, Qiryat Shemona, Israel
| | - Lee Koren
- The Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, 5290002, Ramat Gan, Israel.
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12
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Miller CN, Li Y, Beier KT, Aoto J. Acute stress causes sex-dependent changes to ventral subiculum synapses, circuitry, and anxiety-like behavior. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.08.02.606264. [PMID: 39131353 PMCID: PMC11312572 DOI: 10.1101/2024.08.02.606264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/13/2024]
Abstract
Experiencing a single severe stressor is sufficient to drive sexually dimorphic psychiatric disease development. The ventral subiculum (vSUB) emerges as a site where stress may induce sexually dimorphic adaptations due to its sex-specific organization and pivotal role in stress integration. Using a 1-hr acute restraint stress model, we uncover that stress causes a net decrease in vSUB activity in females that is potent, long-lasting, and driven by adrenergic receptor signaling. By contrast, males exhibit a net increase in vSUB activity that is transient and driven by corticosterone signaling. We further identified sex-dependent changes in vSUB output to the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and in anxiety-like behavior in response to stress. These findings reveal striking changes in psychiatric disease-relevant brain regions and behavior following stress with sex-, cell-type, and synapse-specificity that contribute to our understanding of sex-dependent adaptations that may shape stress-related psychiatric disease risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carley N Miller
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Yuan Li
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA 92697
| | - Kevin T Beier
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA 92697
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA 92697
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA 92697
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA 92697
| | - Jason Aoto
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
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13
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Santos L, Behrens L, Barbosa C, Tiefensee-Ribeiro C, Rosa-Silva H, Somensi N, Brum PO, Silveira AK, Rodrigues MS, de Oliveira J, Gelain DP, Almeida RF, Moreira JCF. Histone 3 Trimethylation Patterns are Associated with Resilience or Stress Susceptibility in a Rat Model of Major Depression Disorder. Mol Neurobiol 2024; 61:5718-5737. [PMID: 38225513 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-024-03912-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/17/2024]
Abstract
Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a severe and multifactorial psychiatric condition. Evidence has shown that environmental factors, such as stress, significantly explain MDD pathophysiology. Studies have hypothesized that changes in histone methylation patterns are involved in impaired glutamatergic signaling. Based on this scenario, this study aims to investigate histone 3 involvement in depression susceptibility or resilience in MDD pathophysiology by investigating cellular and molecular parameters related to i) glutamatergic neurotransmission, ii) astrocytic functioning, and iii) neurogenesis. For this, we subjected male Wistar rats to the Chronic Unpredictable Mild Stress (CUMS) model of depression. We propose that by evaluating the sucrose consumption, open field, and object recognition test performance from animals submitted to CUMS, it is possible to predict with high specificity rats with susceptibility to depressive-like phenotype and resilient to the depressive-like phenotype. We also demonstrated, for the first time, that patterns of H3K4me3, H3K9me3, H3K27me3, and H3K36me3 trimethylation are strictly associated with the resilient or susceptible to depressive-like phenotype in a brain-region-specific manner. Additionally, susceptible animals have reduced DCx and GFAP and resilient animals present increase of AQP-4 immunoreactivity. Together, these results provide evidence that H3 trimethylations are related to the development of the resilient or susceptible to depressive-like phenotype, contributing to further advances in the pathophysiology of MDD and the discovery of mechanisms behind resilience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Santos
- Centro de Estudos em Estresse Oxidativo, Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Celular e Molecular, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
| | - Luiza Behrens
- Centro de Estudos em Estresse Oxidativo, Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Camila Barbosa
- Centro de Estudos em Estresse Oxidativo, Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Camila Tiefensee-Ribeiro
- Centro de Estudos em Estresse Oxidativo, Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Helen Rosa-Silva
- Centro de Estudos em Estresse Oxidativo, Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Nauana Somensi
- Centro de Estudos em Estresse Oxidativo, Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Pedro Ozorio Brum
- Max Perutz Labs, Vienna BioCenter, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Alexandre Kleber Silveira
- Centro de Estudos em Estresse Oxidativo, Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Matheus Scarpatto Rodrigues
- Laboratório de Investigação de Desordens Metabólicas e Doenças Neurodegenerativas, Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Jade de Oliveira
- Laboratório de Investigação de Desordens Metabólicas e Doenças Neurodegenerativas, Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Daniel Pens Gelain
- Centro de Estudos em Estresse Oxidativo, Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Celular e Molecular, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Roberto F Almeida
- Centro de Ciências Químicas Farmacêuticas e de Alimentos, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Bioquímica e Bioprospecção, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brazil
| | - José Cláudio Fonseca Moreira
- Centro de Estudos em Estresse Oxidativo, Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Celular e Molecular, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
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14
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Pekmezi D, Dunsiger S, Benitez T, Larsen B, Vasconez AM, Marcus B. Improvements in stress among Latinas participating in a randomized controlled trial of technology-supported physical activity interventions. Stress Health 2024; 40:e3374. [PMID: 38289870 PMCID: PMC11286841 DOI: 10.1002/smi.3374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
High levels of stress and inactivity likely contribute to chronic disease disparities among Latinas in the U.S. and call for intervention. To inform such efforts, the current study examined the relationships among changes (over time) in physical activity, stress, and related cardiometabolic biomarkers among sedentary (mostly) first generation Latinas. Data are taken from a randomized controlled trial (N = 199 Latinas) of two home-based physical activity interventions (Original vs. theory- and technology- Enhanced versions). Physical activity and perceived stress were assessed at baseline and 6 and 12 months. Blood draws occurred at baseline and 6 months in a random subsample (N = 153). The participants were underactive (<60/min week of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity) Mexican American (89%) women with moderate perceived stress scores (M = 21.49, SD = 8.55, range = 0-40) and excess weight (M BMI = 30.6) at baseline. Overall, participants reported decreases in stress after 6 months enroled in the physical activity programs. The odds of a reduction in perceived stress were 11% higher among Enhanced versus Original Intervention participants (OR = 1.11, 95% CI: 1.05-2.27). Those who met physical activity guidelines were significantly more likely to report reductions in perceived stress over 6 months (OR = 1.92, 95% CI: 1.08-4.16). Furthermore, those who reported reductions in perceived stress over 6 months reported significantly more moderate-to-vigorous physical activity at 12 months (+69 min/week, SE = 27.98, p = 0.01) compared to those who did not. Greater reductions in perceived stress over 6 months were associated with greater improvements in cardiometabolic biomarkers (HbA1c, triglycerides, p's < 0.05). These results support a bidirectional relationship between improvements in stress and physical activity among Latinas. Future implications include using physical activity to address stress management and health disparities in this community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dori Pekmezi
- Department of Health Behavior, School of Public Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Shira Dunsiger
- Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, School of Public Health, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Tanya Benitez
- Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, School of Public Health, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Britta Larsen
- Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Andrea Mendoza Vasconez
- Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, School of Public Health, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Bess Marcus
- Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, School of Public Health, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
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15
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Yang C, Zhu Z, Wang G, Liu Z, Shu C, Guo J, Wan Q. Fluoxetin suppresses tau phosphorylation and modulates the interaction between tau and tubulin in the hippocampus of CUMS rats. Neurosci Lett 2024; 836:137870. [PMID: 38852764 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2024.137870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2023] [Revised: 03/24/2024] [Accepted: 06/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
Depression is considered a crucial psychiatric disease correlated with neuronal-dysfunctions induced by stress-stimuli. This study aimed to investigate effect of Fluoxetine (FL) on chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) and explore the associated mechanisms. CUMS rat model was established by treating with lots of stresses. CUMS rats were administered FL, SB216763 (SB), Wortmannin (WT) alone or in combination. CUMS rats were administered 1 % sugar water to conduct sugar water consumption experiment. Acet-Tub, Tyr-Tub, tau46, p-tau-Ser199/202, p-tau-Ser396, p-tau-Ser231, expression was examined using immunohistochemical assay and western blotassay. Interaction between tau and tubulin was evaluated with immunoprecipitation assay. Double immunohistochemical assay was used to identify interaction between Nestin and Tau. The results indicated that FL treatment only increased sugar consumption of CUMS rats (P < 0.05), but also strengthened effects of SB and WT. FL significantly treatment decreased tau phosphorylation (p-tau) in hippocampal tissues of rats compared to those of rats in CUMS group (P < 0.05). FL treatment markedly decreased Acet-Tub and increased Tyr-Tub expression in hippocampal tissues of rats compared to those of rats in CUMS group (P < 0.05). The effects of FL treatment on p-tau down-regulation and tubulin modulation in hippocampal tissues were independent from PI3K and GSK-3 signaling pathways. FL treatment could also enhance proliferation and total tau of newborn neurons of CUMS rats. FL treatment strengthened interaction between tau and botulin in hippocampal tissues of CUMS rats. In conclusion, Fluoxetin suppressed phosphorylation of tau and modulated the interaction between tau and tubulin in hippocampus of adult CUMS rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Can Yang
- Department of Psychiatry, Renmin hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhixian Zhu
- Department of Psychiatry, Renmin hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
| | - Gaohua Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, Renmin hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhongchun Liu
- Department of Psychiatry, Renmin hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Chang Shu
- Department of Psychiatry, Renmin hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Junhui Guo
- Department of Psychiatry, Renmin hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Qirong Wan
- Department of Psychiatry, Renmin hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
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16
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Poitras M, Doiron A, Plamondon H. Selective estrogen receptor activation prior to global cerebral ischemia in female rats impacts microglial activation and anxiety-like behaviors without effects on CA1 neuronal injury. Behav Brain Res 2024; 470:115094. [PMID: 38844057 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2024.115094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2024] [Revised: 06/03/2024] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/10/2024]
Abstract
Estrogen receptor (ER) activation by 17-ß estradiol (E2) can attenuate neuronal injury and behavioral impairments following global cerebral ischemia (GCI) in rodents. This study sought to further examine the discrete roles of ERs through characterization of the effects of selective ER activation on post-ischemic pro-inflammatory microglial activation, hippocampal neuronal injury, and anxiety-like behaviors. Forty-six ovariectomized (OVX) adult female Wistar rats received daily s.c injections (100 μg/kg/day) of propylpyrazole triol (PPT; ERα agonist), diarylpropionitrile (DPN; ERβ agonist), G-1 (G-protein coupled ER agonist; GPER), E2 (activating all receptors), or vehicle solution (VEH) for 21 days. After final injection, rats underwent GCI via 4-vessel occlusion (n=8 per group) or sham surgery (n=6, vehicle injections). The Open Field Test (OFT), Elevated Plus Maze (EPM), and Hole Board Test (HBT) assessed anxiety-like behaviors. Microglial activation (Iba1, CD68, CD86) in the basolateral amygdala (BLA), CA1 of the hippocampus, and paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN) was determined 8 days post-ischemia. Compared to sham rats, Iba1 activation and CA1 neuronal injury were increased in all ischemic groups except DPN-treated rats, with PPT-treated ischemic rats also showing increased PVN Iba1-ir expression. Behaviorally, VEH ischemic rats showed slightly elevated anxiety in the EPM compared to sham counterparts, with no significant effects of agonists. While no changes were observed in the OFT, emotion regulation via grooming in the HBT was increased in G-1 rats compared to E2 rats. Our findings support selective ER activation to regulate post-ischemic microglial activation and coping strategies in the HBT, despite minimal impact on hippocampal injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marilou Poitras
- Cerebro Vascular Accidents and Behavioral Recovery Laboratory, School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Alexandra Doiron
- Cerebro Vascular Accidents and Behavioral Recovery Laboratory, School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Hélène Plamondon
- Cerebro Vascular Accidents and Behavioral Recovery Laboratory, School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada.
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17
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Florido A, Velasco ER, Romero LR, Acharya N, Marin Blasco IJ, Nabás JF, Perez-Caballero L, Rivero G, Olabarrieta E, Nuñez-delMoral A, González-Parra JA, Porta-Casteràs D, Cano M, Steward T, Antony MS, Cardoner N, Torrubia R, Jackson AC, Fullana MA, Andero R. Sex differences in neural projections of fear memory processing in mice and humans. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadk3365. [PMID: 38985873 PMCID: PMC11235172 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adk3365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024]
Abstract
It remains unexplored in the field of fear memory whether functional neuronal connectivity between two brain areas is necessary for one sex but not the other. Here, we show that chemogenetic silencing of centromedial (CeM)-Tac2 fibers in the lateral posterior BNST (BNSTpl) decreased fear memory consolidation in male mice but not females. Optogenetic excitation of CeM-Tac2 fibers in the BNSTpl exhibited enhanced inhibitory postsynaptic currents in males compared to females. In vivo calcium imaging analysis revealed a sex-dimorphic fear memory engram in the BNSTpl. Furthermore, in humans, the single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the Tac2 receptor (rs2765) (TAC3R) decreased CeM-BNST connectivity in a fear task, impaired fear memory consolidation, and increased the expression of the TAC3R mRNA in AA-carrier men but not in women. These sex differences in critical neuronal circuits underlying fear memory formation may be relevant to human neuropsychiatric disorders with fear memory alterations such as posttraumatic stress disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Florido
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
- Departament de Psicobiologia i de Metodologia de les Ciències de la Salut, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Eric R. Velasco
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Leire R. Romero
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Neha Acharya
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ignacio J. Marin Blasco
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jaime F. Nabás
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Laura Perez-Caballero
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
- Departament de Psicobiologia i de Metodologia de les Ciències de la Salut, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Guadalupe Rivero
- Department of Pharmacology, University of the Basque Country, UPV/EHU, Leioa, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
- Biobizkaia Health Research Institute, Barakaldo, Spain
| | - Estíbaliz Olabarrieta
- Department of Pharmacology, University of the Basque Country, UPV/EHU, Leioa, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Amaia Nuñez-delMoral
- Department of Pharmacology, University of the Basque Country, UPV/EHU, Leioa, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Jose A. González-Parra
- IMIM-Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute, Cell-Type Mechanisms in Normal and Pathological Behavior, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Daniel Porta-Casteràs
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
- Sant Pau Mental Health Research Group, Institut de Recerca Sant Pau (IR SANT PAU), Barcelona, Spain
- Mental Health Department, Unitat de Neurociència Traslacional, Parc Tauli University Hospital, Institut d’Investigació i Innovació Sanitària Parc Taulí (I3PT), Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine Bellaterra, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marta Cano
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
- Sant Pau Mental Health Research Group, Institut de Recerca Sant Pau (IR SANT PAU), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Trevor Steward
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Monica S. Antony
- Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
| | - Narcís Cardoner
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
- Sant Pau Mental Health Research Group, Institut de Recerca Sant Pau (IR SANT PAU), Barcelona, Spain
- Mental Health Department, Unitat de Neurociència Traslacional, Parc Tauli University Hospital, Institut d’Investigació i Innovació Sanitària Parc Taulí (I3PT), Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine Bellaterra, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Rafael Torrubia
- Unitat de Psicologia Mèdica, Departament de Psiquiatria i Medicina Legal and Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alexander C. Jackson
- Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
- The Institute for the Brain and Cognitive Sciences (IBACS), Storrs, CT, USA
| | - Miquel A. Fullana
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
- Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Adult Psychiatry and Psychology Department, Institute of Neurosciences, Hospital Clinic, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Raül Andero
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
- Departament de Psicobiologia i de Metodologia de les Ciències de la Salut, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
- Unitat de Neurociència Traslacional, Parc Taulí Hospital Universitari, Institut d’Investigació i Innovació Parc Taulí (I3PT), Sabadell, Spain
- ICREA, Barcelona, Spain
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18
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La Torre D, Dalile B, Vanuytsel T, Van Oudenhove L, Verbeke K. The Leuven Prolonged Acute Stress Test (L-PAST): A novel paradigm to induce a subjective and glucocorticoid stress response for at least ninety minutes. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2024; 165:107047. [PMID: 38636354 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2024.107047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2023] [Revised: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024]
Abstract
Laboratory stress tests typically administer stress acutely, ranging from 3 to 15 minutes. However, everyday stressors usually last longer than ten minutes (e.g., examination stressors, work stressors, and social stressors. Moreover, in some studies, it may be relevant to induce stress for a longer period to affect certain psychological or physiological parameters. To this end, we developed a novel stress test that intends to induce psychosocial stress for 90 minutes. The Leuven Prolonged Acute Stress Test (L-PAST) combines physical (hand immersion in cold water), cognitive (mental arithmetic), and psychosocial (social evaluation and feelings of failure) stress elements of two well-known laboratory stress tests, the Maastricht Acute Stress Test (MAST) and the Montreal Imaging Stress Test (MIST). Fifty healthy women were subjected to both the L-PAST and a sham (control) test in a randomized and counterbalanced manner. The stress response was determined by salivary cortisol measurements and assessment of subjective stress ratings at regular time points during the time preceding the stress period (5 min), the stress period (90 min), and the recovery period (35 min). Cognitive reactivity to failure and subjective pain levels were also assessed at various time points. The childhood trauma questionnaire (CTQ) and the perceived stress scale (PSS) were administered prior to the testing phase. As expected, linear mixed models revealed that the stress response was significantly higher during the L-PAST as indicated by a significant time point by condition interaction effect for both the cortisol response (F(10,450)=12.21, p < 0.0001, ηp2=0.11) and the subjective stress response (F(13,637)=13.98, p < 0.0001, ηp2 = 0.12). Moreover, there was a significant time point by condition interaction effect for cognitive reactivity to failure (F(13,637) = 7.97, p < 0.0001, ηp2 = 0.07) and subjective pain (F(13,637) = 38.52, p < 0.0001, ηp2 = 0.27), indicating that the levels were higher during the L-PAST at most stress induction time points. Lastly, higher CTQ scores were associated with higher subjective pain levels during the L-PAST (F(1,44)=6.05, p = 0.02). Collectively, our results confirm the efficacy of the L-PAST in inducing a prolonged subjective as well as cortisol stress response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danique La Torre
- Translational Research Center in Gastrointestinal Disorders (TARGID), Department of Chronic Diseases and Metabolism, Faculty of Medicine, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Boushra Dalile
- Translational Research Center in Gastrointestinal Disorders (TARGID), Department of Chronic Diseases and Metabolism, Faculty of Medicine, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Tim Vanuytsel
- Translational Research Center in Gastrointestinal Disorders (TARGID), Department of Chronic Diseases and Metabolism, Faculty of Medicine, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Leuven University Hospital, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Lukas Van Oudenhove
- Translational Research Center in Gastrointestinal Disorders (TARGID), Department of Chronic Diseases and Metabolism, Faculty of Medicine, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Lab, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA
| | - Kristin Verbeke
- Translational Research Center in Gastrointestinal Disorders (TARGID), Department of Chronic Diseases and Metabolism, Faculty of Medicine, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
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Meshkat S, Edalatkhah M, Di Luciano C, Martin J, Kaur G, Hee Lee G, Park H, Torres A, Mazalek A, Kapralos B, Dubrowski A, Bhat V. Virtual Reality and Stress Management: A Systematic Review. Cureus 2024; 16:e64573. [PMID: 39144853 PMCID: PMC11323791 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.64573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 08/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Amidst the growing prevalence of chronic stress and its potential negative impacts on mental health, this review explores the use of virtual reality (VR) as a stress management solution, aiming to assess its viability and effectiveness in this context. A comprehensive search was conducted on MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and Embase from inception until February 2024. Eligible studies were primary research papers that focused on the use of VR as an intervention to mitigate psychological stress and/or distress. We included studies where the assessment of stress levels primarily relied on self-report measures. A total of 50 studies involving 2885 participants were included in our systematic review. VR-based interventions varied across studies, implementing tools such as cognitive behavioural therapy, exposure therapy, mindfulness and relaxation, repetition tasks, and psychoeducation. The reviewed studies yielded mixed results; however, a strong indication was present in highlighting the promising potential of VR-based interventions. Many studies observed a decrease in psychiatric symptoms in participants and reported increased quality of life. Various studies also found VR to be a valuable tool in promoting stress reduction and relaxation. VR was proven useful in exposing participants to stressors in a safe, controlled way. These potential benefits appear to come with no risk of harm to the participants. Although the findings are heterogenous, there is sufficient evidence supporting the use of VR for stress management across a range of contexts and populations. Overall, VR appears to be a generally low-risk, feasible intervention for those struggling with stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shakila Meshkat
- Interventional Psychiatry Program, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, CAN
| | | | | | - Josh Martin
- Interventional Psychiatry Program, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, CAN
| | - Gursharanjit Kaur
- Interventional Psychiatry Program, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, CAN
| | - Gyu Hee Lee
- Interventional Psychiatry Program, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, CAN
| | - Haley Park
- Interventional Psychiatry Program, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, CAN
| | - Andrei Torres
- maxSIMhealth Laboratory, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ontario Tech University, Toronto, CAN
| | - Ali Mazalek
- Synaesthetic Media Lab, Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, CAN
| | - Bill Kapralos
- maxSIMhealth Group, Ontario Tech University, Oshawa, CAN
| | | | - Venkat Bhat
- Psychiatry, University of Toronto/St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, CAN
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Illenberger JM, Flores-Ramirez FJ, Pascasio G, Franco M, Mendonsa B, Martin-Fardon R. Pivotal role of orexin signaling in the posterior paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus during the stress-induced reinstatement of oxycodone-seeking behavior. J Psychopharmacol 2024; 38:647-660. [PMID: 38888086 DOI: 10.1177/02698811241260989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The orexin (OX) system has received increasing interest as a potential target for treating substance use disorder. OX transmission in the posterior paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus (pPVT), an area activated by highly salient stimuli that are both reinforcing and aversive, mediates cue- and stress-induced reinstatement of reward-seeking behavior. Oral administration of suvorexant (SUV), a dual OX receptor (OXR) antagonist (DORA), selectively reduced conditioned reinstatement of oxycodone-seeking behavior and stress-induced reinstatement of alcohol-seeking behavior in dependent rats. AIMS This study tested whether OXR blockade in the pPVT with SUV reduces oxycodone or sweetened condensed milk (SCM) seeking elicited by conditioned cues or stress. METHODS Male Wistar rats were trained to self-administer oxycodone (0.15 mg/kg, i.v., 8 h/day) or SCM (0.1 ml, 2:1 dilution [v/v], 30 min/day). After extinction, we tested the ability of intra-pPVT SUV (15 µg/0.5 µl) to prevent reinstatement of oxycodone or SCM seeking elicited by conditioned cues or footshock stress. RESULTS The rats acquired oxycodone and SCM self-administration, and oxycodone intake correlated with signs of physical opioid withdrawal, confirming dependence. Following extinction, the presentation of conditioned cues or footshock elicited reinstatement of oxycodone- and SCM-seeking behavior. Intra-pPVT SUV blocked stress-induced reinstatement of oxycodone seeking but not conditioned reinstatement of oxycodone or SCM seeking or stress-induced reinstatement of SCM seeking. CONCLUSIONS The results indicate that OXR signaling in the pPVT is critical for stress-induced reinstatement of oxycodone seeking, further corroborating OXRs as treatment targets for opioid use disorder.
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Rosada C, Lipka R, Metz S, Otte C, Heekeren H, Wingenfeld K. Effects of stress-related neuromodulators on amygdala and hippocampus resting state functional connectivity. J Psychopharmacol 2024; 38:604-614. [PMID: 38902928 PMCID: PMC11290027 DOI: 10.1177/02698811241260972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/22/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The human stress response is characterized by increases in neuromodulators, including norepinephrine (NE) and cortisol. Both neuromodulators can enter the brain and affect neurofunctional responses. Two brain areas associated with stress are the amygdala and the hippocampus. The precise influence of NE and cortisol on the amygdala and hippocampal resting state functional connectivity (RSFC) is poorly understood. AIMS To investigate the influence of NE and cortisol on the amygdala and hippocampal RSFC. METHODS We recruited 165 participants who received 10 mg yohimbine and/or 10 mg hydrocortisone in a randomized, placebo-controlled design. With seed-based analyses, we compared RSFC of the hippocampus and amygdala separately between the three groups that received medication versus placebo. RESULTS We found no differences between yohimbine and placebo condition or between hydrocortisone and placebo condition regarding amygdala or hippocampal FC. Compared with placebo, the yohimbine/hydrocortisone condition showed increased amygdala and hippocampal RSFC with the cerebellum. Also, they had increased hippocampal RSFC with the amygdala and cerebral white matter. DISCUSSION The group with elevated NE and cortisol showed significantly increased RSFC between the amygdala, hippocampus, and cerebellum compared to placebo. These three brain areas are involved in associative learning and emotional memory, suggesting a critical role for this network in the human stress response. Our results show that NE and cortisol together may influence the strength of this association. Compared to placebo, we found no differences in the groups receiving only one medication, suggesting that increasing one neuromodulator alone may not induce differences in neurofunctional responses. The study procedure has been registered at clinicaltrials.gov (ID: NCT04359147).
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Affiliation(s)
- Catarina Rosada
- Department of Psychiatry, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Renée Lipka
- Department of Psychiatry, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany
- Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Sophie Metz
- Department of Psychiatry, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany
- Berlin Institute of Health, Institute of Medical Psychology, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Christian Otte
- Department of Psychiatry, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany
- DZPG (German Center for Mental Health), Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Katja Wingenfeld
- Department of Psychiatry, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany
- DZPG (German Center for Mental Health), Berlin, Germany
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Minshall BL, Skipper RA, Riddle CA, Wasylyshyn CF, Claflin DI, Quinn JJ. Sex differences in acute early life stress-enhanced fear learning in adult rats. Dev Psychobiol 2024; 66:e22511. [PMID: 38837722 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2024] [Revised: 05/08/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
Patients diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) present with a spectrum of debilitating anxiety symptoms resulting from exposure to trauma. Women are twice as likely to be diagnosed with anxiety and PTSD compared to men; however, the reason for this vulnerability remains unknown. We conducted four experiments where we first demonstrated a female vulnerability to stress-enhanced fear learning (SEFL) with a moderate, acute early life stress (aELS) exposure (4 footshocks in a single session), compared to a more intense aELS exposure (15 footshocks in a single session) where males and females demonstrated comparable SEFL. Next, we demonstrated that this female vulnerability does not result from differences in footshock reactivity or contextual fear conditioning during the aELS exposure. Finally, using gonadectomy or sham surgeries in adult male and female rats, we showed that circulating levels of gonadal steroid hormones at the time of adult fear conditioning do not explain the female vulnerability to SEFL. Additional research is needed to determine whether this vulnerability can be explained by organizational effects of gonadal steroid hormones or differences in sex chromosome gene expression. Doing so is critical for a better understanding of increased female vulnerability to certain psychiatric diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brianna L Minshall
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, USA
| | - Rachel A Skipper
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, USA
| | - Collin A Riddle
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, USA
| | - Catherine F Wasylyshyn
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, USA
| | - Dragana I Claflin
- Department of Psychology, Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio, USA
| | - Jennifer J Quinn
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, USA
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Xiao X, Hammond CJ, Salmeron BJ, Wang D, Gu H, Zhai T, Murray L, Quam A, Hill J, Nguyen H, Lu H, Hoffman EA, Janes AC, Ross TJ, Yang Y. Connectome-based Brain Marker Moderates the Relationship between Childhood Adversity and Transdiagnostic Psychopathology during Early Adolescence. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2024:2024.06.13.24308906. [PMID: 38946959 PMCID: PMC11213048 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.13.24308906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
Importance Identifying brain-based markers of resiliency that reliably predict who is and is not at elevated risk for developing psychopathology among children who experience adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) is important for improving our mechanistic understanding of these etiological links between child adversity and psychopathology and guiding precision medicine and prevention efforts for reducing psychiatric impact of ACEs. Objective To examine associations between ACEs and transdiagnostic psychopathology during the transition from preadolescence to early adolescence and test whether these associations are moderated by a hypothesized resilience factor, a previously identified connectome variate (CV) that is associated with higher cognitive function and lower psychopathology. Design Setting and Participants This study was conducted in a longitudinal design based on multicenter data from a community cohort of U.S. youth aged of 9-11 at baseline, who participated in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study (N=7,382 at baseline and 6,813 at 2-year follow-up). Linear regression models and moderation analyses were used to characterize concurrent and prospective associations between lifetime ACEs and number of DSM-5 psychiatric disorders (indexing transdiagnostic psychopathology) and to determine if individual variations in these associations were moderated by the CV derived from resting-state fMRI at baseline. Main Outcomes and Measures Cumulative number of current DSM-5 psychiatric disorders assessed using the computerized self-admin version Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia (KSADS-5) and lifetime ACEs assessed from child and parent reports at baseline (9-10 years) and 2-year-follow-up (11-12 years). Results ACE total scores correlated positively with the cumulative number of current DSM-5 psychiatric disorders at both baseline (r =.258, p < .001) and 2-year follow-up (r =.257, p < .001). The baseline CV score moderated the ACE-disorder associations at baseline (B = -0.021, p < .001) and at 2-year follow-up (B = -0.018, p = .008), as well as the association between the changes in ACE and in the number of disorders from baseline to year 2 (B = -0.012, p = .045). Post-hoc analyses further showed that the moderation effect of CV on ACE-psychopathology associations was specific to the threat-related ACEs and to female youth. Conclusions and Relevance These findings provide preliminary evidence for a connectome-based resiliency marker and suggest that functional connectivity strength in a broad system including frontal-parietal cortices and subcortical nuclei relevant to cognitive control may protect preadolescents who have experienced lifetime ACEs--especially females and those experiencing threat-related ACEs--from developing transdiagnostic psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Xiao
- Neuroimaging Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Art and Science, Beijing Normal University at Zhuhai, Zhuhai, China
| | - Christopher J. Hammond
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Betty Jo Salmeron
- Neuroimaging Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Danni Wang
- Neuroimaging Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Hong Gu
- Neuroimaging Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Tianye Zhai
- Neuroimaging Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Laura Murray
- Neuroimaging Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Annika Quam
- Neuroimaging Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Justine Hill
- Neuroimaging Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Hieu Nguyen
- Neuroimaging Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Hanbing Lu
- Neuroimaging Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Elizabeth A. Hoffman
- Division of Extramural Research, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | - Amy C. Janes
- Neuroimaging Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Thomas J. Ross
- Neuroimaging Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Yihong Yang
- Neuroimaging Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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Peña JE, Corbett BF, Tamminga CA, Bhatnagar S, Hitti FL. Investigating Resistance to Antidepressants in Animal Models. Neuroscience 2024; 548:69-80. [PMID: 38697464 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2024.04.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2024] [Revised: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024]
Abstract
Major depressive disorder is one of the most prevalent psychiatric diseases, and up to 30-40% of patients remain symptomatic despite treatment. Novel therapies are sorely needed, and animal models may be used to elucidate fundamental neurobiological processes that contribute to human disease states. We conducted a systematic review of current preclinical approaches to investigating treatment resistance with the goal of describing a path forward for improving our understanding of treatment resistant depression. We conducted a broad literature search to identify studies relevant to the preclinical investigation of treatment resistant depression. We followed PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systemic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines and included all relevant studies. We identified 467 studies in our initial search. Of these studies, we included 69 in our systematic review after applying our inclusion/exclusion criteria. We identified 10 broad strategies for investigating treatment resistance in animal models. Stress hormone administration was the most commonly used model, and the most common behavioral test was the forced swim test. We systematically identified and reviewed current approaches for gaining insight into the neurobiology underlying treatment resistant depression using animal models. Each approach has its advantages and disadvantages, but all require careful consideration of their potential limitations regarding therapeutic translation. An enhanced understanding of treatment resistant depression is sorely needed given the burden of disease and lack of effective therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julianna E Peña
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States; Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - Brian F Corbett
- Department of Biology, Rutgers University, Camden, NJ, United States
| | - Carol A Tamminga
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - Seema Bhatnagar
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Frederick L Hitti
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States; Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States.
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Andargeery SY, Taani MH, Alhalwani RA, El-Gazar HE. Psychological Distress, Academic Stress, and Burnout among Saudi Undergraduate Nursing Students. J Clin Med 2024; 13:3357. [PMID: 38929886 PMCID: PMC11203745 DOI: 10.3390/jcm13123357] [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: 05/09/2024] [Revised: 05/31/2024] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Background: There is limited evidence on the association between psychological distress, academic stress, and burnout among Saudi nursing students. Clarifying such an association is crucial to understanding the factors associated with psychological distress and developing interventions to prevent it. Aim: To explore the prevalence and association of psychological distress with academic stress and burnout among Saudi nursing students. Methods: A cross-sectional design was used, and 237 students participated from a nursing college in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Students' demographics; the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale; the Academic Stress Inventory; and the Maslach Burnout Inventory were used for data collection. Results: Most of the participants reported no-to-mild depression, anxiety, and stress. Stress related to studying in groups, time management, emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment were the significant predictors of psychological distress, explaining 52.1% of the variance. Conclusions: This study suggest implementing tailored mental health screenings and support services for nursing students, embedding mental health professionals in the program, and using telehealth or mobile apps for remote monitoring to ensure comprehensive care for nursing students. Future research should consider these predictors while designing strategies to decrease psychological distress among students.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaherah Yousef Andargeery
- Nursing Management and Education Department, College of Nursing, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, P.O. Box 84428, Riyadh 11671, Saudi Arabia;
| | - Murad H. Taani
- School of Nursing, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee 1921 East Hartford Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53211, USA;
| | - Rania Ali Alhalwani
- Nursing Management and Education Department, College of Nursing, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, P.O. Box 84428, Riyadh 11671, Saudi Arabia;
| | - Heba E. El-Gazar
- Nursing Administration Department, Faculty of Nursing Port Said University, Port Fouad City 42512, Port Said Governorate, Egypt;
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Tang M, Zhang L, Zhou Z, Cao L, Gao Y, Wang Y, Li H, Hu X, Bao W, Liang K, Kuang W, Sweeney JA, Gong Q, Huang X. Divergent effects of sex on hippocampal subfield alterations in drug-naive patients with major depressive disorder. J Affect Disord 2024; 354:173-180. [PMID: 38492647 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2024.03.082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2023] [Revised: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The hippocampus is a crucial brain structure in etiological models of major depressive disorder (MDD). It remains unclear whether sex differences in the incidence and symptoms of MDD are related to differential illness-associated brain alterations, including alterations in the hippocampus. This study investigated divergent the effects of sex on hippocampal subfield alterations in drug-naive patients with MDD. METHODS High-resolution structural MR images were obtained from 144 drug-naive individuals with MDD early in their illness course and 135 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HCs). Hippocampal subfields were segmented using FreeSurfer software and analyzed in terms of both histological subfields (CA1-4, dentate gyrus, etc.) and more integrative larger functional subregions (head, body and tail). RESULTS We observed a significant overall reduction in hippocampal volume in MDD patients, with deficits more prominent deficits in the posterior hippocampus. Differences in anatomic alterations between male and female patients were observed in the CA1-head, presubiculum-body and fimbria in the left hemisphere. Exploratory analyses revealed different patterns of clinical and memory function correlations with histological subfields and functional subregions between male and female patients primarily in the hippocampal head and body. LIMITATIONS This cross-sectional study cannot clarify the causality of hippocampal alterations or their association with illness risk or onset. CONCLUSIONS These findings represent the first reported sex-specific alterations in hippocampal histological subfields in patients with MDD early in the illness course prior to treatment. Sex-specific hippocampal alterations may contribute to diverse sex differences in the clinical presentation of MDD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengyue Tang
- Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, China
| | - Lianqing Zhang
- Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, China
| | - Zilin Zhou
- Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, China
| | - Lingxiao Cao
- Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, China
| | - Yingxue Gao
- Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, China
| | - Yingying Wang
- Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, China
| | - Hailong Li
- Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, China
| | - Xinyue Hu
- Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, China
| | - Weijie Bao
- Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, China
| | - Kaili Liang
- Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, China
| | - Weihong Kuang
- Department of Psychiatry, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - John A Sweeney
- Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Qiyong Gong
- Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Department of Radiology, West China Xiamen Hospital of Sichuan University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Xiaoqi Huang
- Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, China.
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Zuloaga DG, Lafrican JJ, Zuloaga KL. Androgen regulation of behavioral stress responses and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Horm Behav 2024; 162:105528. [PMID: 38503191 PMCID: PMC11144109 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2024.105528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2023] [Revised: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
Testosterone is a powerful steroid hormone that can impact the brain and behavior in various ways, including regulating behavioral and neuroendocrine (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis) stress responses. Early in life androgens can act to alter development of brain regions associated with stress regulation, which ultimately impacts the display of stress responses later in life. Adult circulating androgens can also influence the expression of distinct genes and proteins that regulate stress responses. These changes in the brain are hypothesized to underlie the potent effects of androgens in regulating behaviors related to stress and stress-induced activation of the HPA axis. Androgens can induce alterations in these functions through direct binding to the androgen receptor (AR) or following conversion to estrogens and subsequent binding to estrogen receptors including estrogen receptor alpha (ERα), beta (ERβ), and G protein-coupled estrogen receptor 1 (GPER1). In this review, we focus on the role of androgens in regulating behavioral and neuroendocrine stress responses at different stages of the lifespan and the sex hormone receptors involved in regulating these effects. We also review the specific brain regions and cell phenotypes upon which androgens are proposed to act to regulate stress responses with an emphasis on hypothalamic and extended amygdala subregions. This knowledge of androgen effects on these neural systems is critical for understanding how sex hormones regulate stress responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damian G Zuloaga
- Department of Psychology, University at Albany, Albany, NY, USA.
| | | | - Kristen L Zuloaga
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Albany Medical College, Albany, NY, USA
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Kniffin A, Targum M, Patel A, Bangasser DA, Parikh V. Alterations in hippocampal cholinergic dynamics following CRF infusions into the medial septum of male and female rats. Neurochem Int 2024; 176:105739. [PMID: 38604443 PMCID: PMC11078599 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2024.105739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2024] [Revised: 03/14/2024] [Accepted: 04/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024]
Abstract
Corticoptropin releasing factor (CRF) is implicated in stress-related physiological and behavioral changes. The septohippocampal pathway regulates hippocampal-dependent mnemonic processes, which are affected in stress-related disorders, and given the abundance of CRF receptors in the medial septum (MS), this pathway is influenced by CRF. Moreover, there are sex differences in the MS sensitivity to CRF and its impact on hippocampal function. However, the mechanisms underlying these associations remain elusive. In the present study, we utilized an in vivo biosensor-based electrochemistry approach to examine the impact of MS CRF infusions on hippocampal cholinergic signaling dynamics in male and female rats. Our results show increased amplitudes of depolarization-evoked phasic cholinergic signals in the hippocampus following MS infusion of CRF at the 3 ng dose as compared to the infusion involving artificial cerebrospinal fluid (aCSF). Moreover, a trend for a sex × infusion interaction indicated larger cholinergic transients in females. On the contrary, intraseptal infusion of a physiologically high dose (100 ng) of CRF produced a subsequent reduction in phasic cholinergic transients in both males and females. The assessment of tonic cholinergic activity over 30 min post-infusion revealed no changes at the 3 ng CRF dose in either sex, but a significant infusion × sex interaction indicated a reduction in females at the 100 ng dose of CRF as compared to the aCSF. Taken together, our results show differential, dose-dependent modulatory effects of MS CRF on the dynamics of phasic and tonic modes of cholinergic signaling in the hippocampus of male and female rats. These cholinergic signaling modes are critical for memory encoding and maintaining arousal states, and may underlie sex differences in cognitive vulnerability to stress and stress-related psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyssa Kniffin
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, 19122, USA
| | - Miranda Targum
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, 19122, USA
| | - Aryan Patel
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, 19122, USA
| | - Debra A Bangasser
- Neuroscience Institute and Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Vinay Parikh
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, 19122, USA.
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Campbell HM, Guo JD, Kuhn CM. Applying the Research Domain Criteria to Rodent Studies of Sex Differences in Chronic Stress Susceptibility. Biol Psychiatry 2024:S0006-3223(24)01351-9. [PMID: 38821193 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2024.05.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Revised: 04/27/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/02/2024]
Abstract
Women have a 2-fold increased rate of stress-associated psychiatric disorders such as depression and anxiety, but the mechanisms that underlie this increased susceptibility remain incompletely understood. Historically, female subjects were excluded from preclinical studies and clinical trials. Additionally, chronic stress paradigms used to study psychiatric pathology in animal models were developed for use in males. However, recent changes in National Institutes of Health policy encourage inclusion of female subjects, and considerable work has been performed in recent years to understand biological sex differences that may underlie differences in susceptibility to chronic stress-associated psychiatric conditions. Here, we review the utility as well as current challenges of using the framework of the National Institute of Mental Health's Research Domain Criteria as a transdiagnostic approach to study sex differences in rodent models of chronic stress including recent progress in the study of sex differences in the neurobehavioral domains of negative valence, positive valence, cognition, social processes, and arousal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah M Campbell
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Jessica D Guo
- Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Cynthia M Kuhn
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina; Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina.
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Shang Z, Liu N, Ouyang H, Cai X, Yan W, Wang J, Zhan J, Jia Y, Xing C, Huang L, Wu L, Liu W. Sex-based differences in brain morphometry under chronic stress: A pilot MRI study. Heliyon 2024; 10:e30354. [PMID: 38726160 PMCID: PMC11079087 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e30354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2022] [Revised: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Sex-based differences are known to be a significant feature of chronic stress; however, the morphological mechanisms of the brain underlying these differences remain unclear. The present study aimed to use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and voxel-based morphometry (VBM) to investigate the effects of sex on gray matter volume (GMV) changes under conditions of chronic stress. Methods A total of 32 subjects were included for analysis in the present study: 16 participants experiencing chronic stress and 16 healthy controls. T1-weighted (T1WI) images from a 3 T MRI scanner were extracted from the OpenfMRI database. Images were segmented into gray matter using VBM analysis. A two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with a 2 × 2 full factorial design was used to evaluate the main and interaction effects of chronic stress and sex on GMV changes, and then post hoc testing was used to verify each simple effect. Results Two-way ANOVA showed a chronic stress × sex interaction effect on GMV. Simple effects analysis indicated that the GMV of the bilateral pre- and post-central gyri, the right cuneus and superior occipital gyrus was decreased in males, whereas that of the bilateral pre- and post-central gyri, the right superior occipital gyrus and the left middle frontal gyrus and orbital middle frontal gyrus was increased in females, under chronic stress. Additionally, in the control group, the GMV of the bilateral pre- and post-central gyri, the right cuneus and superior occipital gyrus was greater in males than females. While in the chronic stress group, the above sex-based differences were no longer significant. Conclusions This study preliminarily shows that there are significant differences in gray matter volume changes between males and females under chronic stress. These findings provide a basis for future studies investigating the volumetric mechanisms of sex differences under chronic stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhilei Shang
- Lab for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, Faculty of Psychology and Mental Health, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, China
- The Emotion & Cognition Lab, Faculty of Psychology and Mental Health, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Nianqi Liu
- Faculty of Psychology, Institute of Educational Science, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Hui Ouyang
- Lab for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, Faculty of Psychology and Mental Health, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, China
- The Emotion & Cognition Lab, Faculty of Psychology and Mental Health, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Xiaojie Cai
- Department of Radiology, Changshu Hospital Affiliated to Suzhou University, Changshu, 215500, China
| | - Wenjie Yan
- Lab for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, Faculty of Psychology and Mental Health, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, China
- The Emotion & Cognition Lab, Faculty of Psychology and Mental Health, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Jing Wang
- Lab for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, Faculty of Psychology and Mental Health, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, China
- The Emotion & Cognition Lab, Faculty of Psychology and Mental Health, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Jingye Zhan
- Lab for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, Faculty of Psychology and Mental Health, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, China
- The Emotion & Cognition Lab, Faculty of Psychology and Mental Health, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Yanpu Jia
- Lab for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, Faculty of Psychology and Mental Health, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, China
- The Emotion & Cognition Lab, Faculty of Psychology and Mental Health, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Chenqi Xing
- Lab for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, Faculty of Psychology and Mental Health, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, China
- The Emotion & Cognition Lab, Faculty of Psychology and Mental Health, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Lijun Huang
- Department of Radiology, Changshu Hospital Affiliated to Suzhou University, Changshu, 215500, China
| | - Lili Wu
- Lab for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, Faculty of Psychology and Mental Health, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, China
- The Emotion & Cognition Lab, Faculty of Psychology and Mental Health, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Weizhi Liu
- Lab for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, Faculty of Psychology and Mental Health, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, China
- The Emotion & Cognition Lab, Faculty of Psychology and Mental Health, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, China
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Finn DA, Clark CD, Ryabinin AE. Traumatic stress-enhanced alcohol drinking: Sex differences and animal model perspectives. CURRENT ADDICTION REPORTS 2024; 11:327-341. [PMID: 38915732 PMCID: PMC11196023 DOI: 10.1007/s40429-023-00540-0] [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] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/26/2024]
Abstract
Purpose of review Stress is associated with alcohol drinking, and epidemiological studies document the comorbidity of alcohol use disorder (AUD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), with higher comorbid prevalence in females than in males. The aim of this paper is to highlight information related to sex differences in stress-enhanced alcohol drinking from clinical studies and from preclinical studies utilizing an animal model of traumatic stress. Recent findings Stress is associated with alcohol drinking and relapse in males and females, but there are sex differences in the alcohol-related adaptation of stress pathways and in the association of different prefrontal regions with stress-induced anxiety. The predator stress model of traumatic stress produced enhanced alcohol drinking in a subgroup of stress-sensitive male and female animals, which could be associated with sex and subgroup differences in stress axis responsivity, behavioral responses to predator odors, and epigenetic mechanisms engaged by traumatic experiences. Summary While additional studies in females are necessary, existing clinical and preclinical evidence suggests that biological mechanisms underlying stress-enhanced drinking likely differ between males and females. Thus, effective treatment strategies may differ between the sexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deborah A. Finn
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States
- Department of Research, VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Crystal D. Clark
- Department of Research, VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Andrey E. Ryabinin
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States
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Pan N, Yang C, Suo X, Shekara A, Hu S, Gong Q, Wang S. Sex differences in the relationship between brain gray matter volume and psychological resilience in late adolescence. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2024; 33:1057-1066. [PMID: 37212908 DOI: 10.1007/s00787-023-02231-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Psychological resilience reflects an individual's ability to adapt and cope successfully in adverse environments and situations, making it a crucial trait in resisting stress-linked mental disorders and physical diseases. Although prior literature has consistently shown that males are more resilient than females, the sex-linked neuroanatomical correlates of psychological resilience are largely unknown. This study aims to explore the sex-specific relation between psychological resilience and brain gray matter volume (GMV) in adolescents via structural magnetic resonance imaging (s-MRI). A cohort of 231 healthy adolescents (121/110 females/males), aged 16 to 20 completed brain s-MRI scanning and Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) and other controlling behavioral tests. With s-MRI data, an optimized voxel-based morphometry method was used to estimate regional GMV, and a whole-brain condition-by-covariate interaction analysis was performed to identify the brain regions showing sex effects on the relation between psychological resilience and GMV. Male adolescents scored significantly higher than females on the CD-RISC. The association of psychological resilience with GMV differed between the two sex groups in the left ventrolateral prefrontal cortex extending to the adjacent anterior insula, with a positive correlation among males and a negative correlation among females. The sex-specific association between psychological resilience and GMV might be linked to sex differences in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and brain maturation during adolescence. This study may be novel in revealing the sex-linked neuroanatomical basis of psychological resilience, highlighting the need for a more thorough investigation of the role of sex in future studies of psychological resilience and stress-related illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nanfang Pan
- Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Cheng Yang
- Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, China
| | - Xueling Suo
- Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, China
| | - Aniruddha Shekara
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Samantha Hu
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Qiyong Gong
- Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
- Department of Radiology, West China Xiamen Hospital of Sichuan University, Xiamen, China.
| | - Song Wang
- Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
- Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, China.
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Shupe EA, Kerman IA, Clinton SM. Premotor projections from the locus coeruleus and periaqueductal grey are altered in two rat models with inborn differences in emotional behavior. Exp Brain Res 2024; 242:857-867. [PMID: 38358538 PMCID: PMC10972925 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-024-06786-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
Emotionally motivated behaviors rely on the coordinated activity of descending neural circuits involved in motor and autonomic functions. Using a pseudorabies (PRV) tract-tracing approach in typically behaving rats, our group previously identified descending premotor, presympathetic, and dual-labeled premotor-presympathetic populations throughout the central rostral-caudal axis. The premotor-presympathetic populations are thought to integrate somatomotor and sympathetic activity. To determine whether these circuits are dysregulated in subjects with altered emotional regulation, subsequent neuroanatomical analyses were performed in male subjects of two distinct genetic models relevant to clinical depression and anxiety: the Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rat and selectively bred Low Novelty Responder (bLR) rat. The present study explored alterations in premotor efferents from locus coeruleus (LC) and subdivisions of the periaqueductal grey (PAG), two areas involved in emotionally motivated behaviors. Compared to Sprague Dawley rats, WKY rats had significantly fewer premotor projections to hindlimb skeletal muscle from the LC and from the dorsomedial (DMPAG), lateral (LPAG), and ventrolateral (VLPAG) subdivisions of PAG. Relative to selectively bred High Novelty Responder (bHR) rats, bLR rats had significantly fewer premotor efferents from LC and dorsolateral PAG (DLPAG). Cumulatively, these results demonstrate that somatomotor circuitry in several brain areas involved in responses to stress and emotional stimuli are altered in rat models with depression-relevant phenotypes. These somatomotor circuit differences could be implicated in motor-related impairments in clinically depressed patients.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ilan A Kerman
- Behavioral Service Line, Veterans Affairs Minneapolis Health Care, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Sarah M Clinton
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA.
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Ling S, Dai Y, Weng R, Li Y, Wu W, Zhou Z, Zhong Z, Zheng Y. Epidemiologic and genetic associations of female reproductive disorders with depression or dysthymia: a Mendelian randomization study. Sci Rep 2024; 14:5984. [PMID: 38472314 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-55993-8] [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: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Observational studies have previously reported an association between depression and certain female reproductive disorders. However, the causal relationships between depression and different types of female reproductive disorders remain unclear in terms of direction and magnitude. We conducted a comprehensive investigation using a two-sample bi-directional Mendelian randomization analysis, incorporating publicly available GWAS summary statistics. Our aim was to establish a causal relationship between genetically predicted depression and the risk of various female reproductive pathological conditions, such as ovarian dysfunction, polycystic ovary syndrome(PCOS), ovarian cysts, abnormal uterine and vaginal bleeding(AUB), endometriosis, leiomyoma of the uterus, female infertility, spontaneous abortion, eclampsia, pregnancy hypertension, gestational diabetes, excessive vomiting in pregnancy, cervical cancer, and uterine/endometrial cancer. We analyzed a substantial sample size, ranging from 111,831 to 210,870 individuals, and employed robust statistical methods, including inverse variance weighted, MR-Egger, weighted median, and MR-PRESSO, to estimate causal effects. Sensitivity analyses, such as Cochran's Q test, MR-Egger intercept test, MR-PRESSO, leave-one-out analysis, and funnel plots, were also conducted to ensure the validity of our results. Furthermore, risk factor analyses were performed to investigate potential mediators associated with these observed relationships. Our results demonstrated that genetic predisposition to depression or dysthymia was associated with an increased risk of developing PCOS (OR = 1.43, 95% CI 1.28-1.59; P = 6.66 × 10-11), ovarian cysts (OR = 1.36, 95% CI 1.20-1.55; P = 1.57 × 10-6), AUB (OR = 1.41, 95% CI 1.20-1.66; P = 3.01 × 10-5), and endometriosis (OR = 1.43, 95% CI 1.27-1.70; P = 2.21 × 10-7) after Bonferroni correction, but no evidence for reverse causality. Our study did not find any evidence supporting a causal or reverse causal relationship between depression/dysthymia and other types of female reproductive disorders. In summary, our study provides evidence for a causal relationship between genetically predicted depression and specific types of female reproductive disorders. Our findings emphasize the importance of depression management in the prevention and treatment of female reproductive disorders, notably including PCOS, ovarian cysts, AUB, and endometriosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuyi Ling
- Reproductive Health Department, Shenzhen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, The Fourth Clinical Medical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen, 518000, Guangdong, China
| | - Yuqing Dai
- Reproductive Health Department, Shenzhen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, The Fourth Clinical Medical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen, 518000, Guangdong, China
| | - Ruoxin Weng
- Reproductive Health Department, Shenzhen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, The Fourth Clinical Medical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen, 518000, Guangdong, China
| | - Yuan Li
- Reproductive Health Department, Shenzhen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, The Fourth Clinical Medical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen, 518000, Guangdong, China
| | - Wenbo Wu
- Reproductive Health Department, Shenzhen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, The Fourth Clinical Medical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen, 518000, Guangdong, China
| | - Ziqiong Zhou
- Reproductive Health Department, Shenzhen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, The Fourth Clinical Medical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen, 518000, Guangdong, China
| | - Zhisheng Zhong
- Reproductive Health Department, Shenzhen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, The Fourth Clinical Medical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen, 518000, Guangdong, China.
| | - Yuehui Zheng
- Reproductive Health Department, Shenzhen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, The Fourth Clinical Medical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen, 518000, Guangdong, China.
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Mosconi L, Williams S, Carlton C, Zarate C, Boneu C, Fauci F, Ajila T, Nerattini M, Jett S, Andy C, Battista M, Pahlajani S, Osborne J, Brinton RD, Dyke JP. Sex-specific associations of serum cortisol with brain biomarkers of Alzheimer's risk. Sci Rep 2024; 14:5519. [PMID: 38448497 PMCID: PMC10918173 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-56071-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Emerging evidence implicates chronic psychological stress as a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Herein, we examined the relationships between serum cortisol and multimodality brain AD biomarkers in 277 cognitively normal midlife individuals at risk for AD. Overall, higher cortisol was associated with lower total brain volume, lower glucose metabolism (CMRglc) in frontal cortex, and higher β-amyloid (Aβ) load in AD-vulnerable regions; and marginally associated with phosphocreatine to ATP ratios (PCr/ATP) in precuneus and parietal regions. Sex-specific modification effects were noted: in women, cortisol exhibited stronger associations with Aβ load and frontal CMRglc, the latter being more pronounced postmenopause. In men, cortisol exhibited stronger associations with gray matter volume and PCr/ATP measures. Higher cortisol was associated with poorer delayed memory in men but not in women. Results were adjusted for age, Apolipoprotein E (APOE) epsilon 4 status, midlife health factors, and hormone therapy use. These results suggest sex-specific neurophysiological responses to stress, and support a role for stress reduction in AD prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Mosconi
- Department of Neurology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10021, USA.
- Department of Radiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Schantel Williams
- Department of Neurology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10021, USA
| | - Caroline Carlton
- Department of Neurology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10021, USA
| | - Camila Zarate
- Department of Neurology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10021, USA
| | - Camila Boneu
- Department of Neurology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10021, USA
| | - Francesca Fauci
- Department of Neurology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10021, USA
| | - Trisha Ajila
- Department of Neurology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10021, USA
| | - Matilde Nerattini
- Department of Neurology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10021, USA
- Department of Clinical Pathophysiology, Nuclear Medicine Unit, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Steven Jett
- Department of Neurology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10021, USA
| | - Caroline Andy
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Michael Battista
- Department of Neurology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10021, USA
| | - Silky Pahlajani
- Department of Neurology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10021, USA
- Department of Radiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Joseph Osborne
- Department of Radiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Roberta Diaz Brinton
- Department of Neurology and Pharmacology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Jonathan P Dyke
- Department of Radiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
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McGuirt AF, Brezing CA. Opioid-induced hypogonadism in opioid use disorder, its role in negative reinforcement, and implications for treatment and retention. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE 2024; 50:132-138. [PMID: 38320237 DOI: 10.1080/00952990.2023.2292012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2024]
Abstract
Hypogonadism is a highly prevalent complication of chronic opioid use associated with a constellation of affective, algesic, and cognitive symptoms as well as decreased quality of life. Given that the mainstays of pharmacologic opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment - methadone and buprenorphine - are themselves agonists or partial agonists at the mu opioid receptor, opioid-induced hypogonadism (OIH) remains an underappreciated clinical concern throughout the course of OUD treatment. Prominent theoretical frameworks for OUD emphasize the importance of negative reinforcement and hyperkatifeia, defined as the heightened salience of negative emotional and motivational states brought on by chronic opioid use. In this perspective article, we highlight the striking parallels between the symptom domains of hyperfakifeia and hypogonadism in males, who comprise the vast majority of existing clinical research on OIH. By extension we propose that future research and ultimately clinical care should focus on the identification and treatment of OIH in OUD patients to help address the longstanding paradox of poor treatment retention despite efficacious therapies, particularly in the setting of the current opioid overdose epidemic driven by high potency synthetic opioids such as fentanyl. We then review evidence from chronic pain patients that testosterone replacement provides clinically significant benefits to men with OIH. Finally, using this framework, we compare extant OUD therapeutics and discuss critical gaps in the clinical literature-including the relative dearth of data regarding hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal function in females who use opioids-where future study should be focused.
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Affiliation(s)
- Avery F McGuirt
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Christina A Brezing
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
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37
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Becker P, Miller SL, Iovanni L. Pathways to Resistance: Theorizing Trauma and Women's Use of Force in Intimate Relationships. Violence Against Women 2024:10778012241233000. [PMID: 38425305 DOI: 10.1177/10778012241233000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Using a feminist pathways general strain perspective, we explore the victim-offender continuum for women who perpetrated intimate partner violence/abuse (IPV/A). We use data from 86 women court-mandated to "female offender" domestic violence treatment programs, located in an American East Coast state, who were surveyed about their adverse childhood experiences and mental health/well-being as adults. Findings from bivariate linear regressions indicate childhood trauma negatively affects adult mental health/well-being, exacerbated for Black Indigenous People of Color women, suggesting a victim rather than an offender categorization for women using force against their abusive partner. Results imply the need to consider women's traumatic histories and IPV/A victimization, given an incident-driven system that criminalizes victimization over the life course.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia Becker
- Department of Criminology, The College of New Jersey, Ewing, NJ, USA
| | - Susan L Miller
- Department of Sociology & Criminal Justice, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
| | - LeeAnn Iovanni
- Department of Sociology and Social Work, Aalborg University, Aalborg East, Denmark
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Dougherty R, Thrailkill EA, Mohammed Z, VonDoepp S, Hilton-Vanosdall E, Charette S, Van Horn S, Quirk A, Kraus A, Toufexis DJ. Acute stress facilitates habitual behavior in female rats. Physiol Behav 2024; 275:114456. [PMID: 38181831 PMCID: PMC10842801 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2024.114456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2023] [Revised: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 01/07/2024]
Abstract
Instrumental behavior can reflect the influence of goal-directed and habitual systems. Contemporary research suggests that stress may facilitate control by the habitual system under conditions where the behavior would otherwise reflect control by the goal-directed system. However, it is unclear how stress modulates the influence of these systems on instrumental responding to achieve this effect, particularly in females. Here, we examine whether a mild psychogenic stressor experienced before acquisition training (Experiment 1), or prior to the test of expression (Experiment 2) would influence goal-directed and habitual control of instrumental responding in female rats. In both experiments, rats acquired an instrumental nose-poke response for a sucrose reward. This was followed by a reinforcer devaluation phase in which half the rats in Stressed and Non-Stressed conditions received pairings of the sucrose pellet with illness induced by lithium chloride until they rejected the pellet when offered. The remaining rats received a control treatment consisting of pellets and illness on separate days (Unpaired). Control by goal-directed and habitual systems was evaluated in a subsequent nonreinforced test of nose poking. The results of Experiment 1 indicated that the Non-Stressed Paired group reduced nose-poking compared to the Unpaired controls, identifying the response as goal directed, whereas the Stressed Paired and Unpaired groups made a similar number of nose pokes identifying the response as habitual despite a similar amount of training. Results from Experiment 2 indicated habitual control of nose-poke responding was present when stress was experienced just prior to the test. Collectively, these data suggest that stress may facilitate habitual control by altering the relative influence of goal-directed and habitual processes underpinning instrumental behavior. These results may be clinically relevant for understanding the contributions of stress to dysregulated instrumental behavior in compulsive pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Russell Dougherty
- Department of Psychological Science, University of Vermont, 2 Colchester Ave, Burlington VT 05405, United States.
| | - Eric A Thrailkill
- Department of Psychological Science, University of Vermont, 2 Colchester Ave, Burlington VT 05405, United States; Department of Psychiatry, The Robert Larner, M.D. College of Medicine, University of Vermont 1 South Prospect Street, MS 446AR6, Burlington, VT 05401, United States; Vermont Center on Behavior and Health, University of Vermont, 1 South Prospect Street, MS 482, Burlington, VT 05401, United States
| | - Zaidan Mohammed
- Department of Psychological Science, University of Vermont, 2 Colchester Ave, Burlington VT 05405, United States
| | - Sarah VonDoepp
- Department of Psychological Science, University of Vermont, 2 Colchester Ave, Burlington VT 05405, United States
| | - Ella Hilton-Vanosdall
- Department of Psychological Science, University of Vermont, 2 Colchester Ave, Burlington VT 05405, United States
| | - Sam Charette
- Department of Psychological Science, University of Vermont, 2 Colchester Ave, Burlington VT 05405, United States
| | - Sarah Van Horn
- Department of Psychological Science, University of Vermont, 2 Colchester Ave, Burlington VT 05405, United States
| | - Adrianna Quirk
- Department of Psychological Science, University of Vermont, 2 Colchester Ave, Burlington VT 05405, United States
| | - Adina Kraus
- Department of Psychological Science, University of Vermont, 2 Colchester Ave, Burlington VT 05405, United States
| | - Donna J Toufexis
- Department of Psychological Science, University of Vermont, 2 Colchester Ave, Burlington VT 05405, United States
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Zhou L, Qiao C, Huang J, Lin J, Zhang H, Xie J, Yuan Y, Hu C. The Impact of Recent Life Events, Internalizing Symptoms, and Emotion Regulation on the Severity of Non-Suicidal Self-Injury in Adolescents: A Mediation Analysis. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat 2024; 20:415-428. [PMID: 38469207 PMCID: PMC10926171 DOI: 10.2147/ndt.s444729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Previous studies have demonstrated a strong association between recent stressful life events and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) among adolescents. Internalizing symptoms and difficulty in emotion regulation (DER) may mediate this relationship. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between recent stressful life events and NSSI severity in adolescents and the potential moderating role of internalizing symptoms and DER. Methods A total of 224 adolescent inpatients (78.6% female) participated in the study, with an age range of 12-18 years old. Data on recent stressful life events, internalizing symptoms, DER, and NSSI behaviors were collected using a clinician-rated questionnaire. A structural equation model was used to test the hypothesized model. Results The rate of NSSI reporting among adolescents in the past 12 months was 65.18%. Recent stressful life events were found to be directly associated with NSSI severity (β = 0.128, P = 0.023). A chain-mediating effect between recent stressful life events and NSSI was also confirmed (β = 0.034, P = 0.023), with DER and internalizing symptoms playing a chain-mediating role and DER having a significantly indirect association with NSSI through internalizing symptoms. Conclusion Recent stressful life events appear to play a role in the etiology of NSSI, particularly punishment and interpersonal relationship events that warrant special attention. DER and internalizing symptoms play a chain-mediating role in the relationship between life events and NSSI. Reducing recent stressful life events, screening for internalizing symptoms, and improving emotion regulation may decrease NSSI behavior among adolescents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linqi Zhou
- School of the Fourth Clinical Medicine, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Changyuan Qiao
- School of the Fourth Clinical Medicine, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jialing Huang
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Affiliated Hangzhou First People’s Hospital, Westlake University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jian Lin
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Affiliated Hangzhou First People’s Hospital, Westlake University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Haisheng Zhang
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Affiliated Hangzhou First People’s Hospital, Westlake University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jian Xie
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Affiliated Hangzhou First People’s Hospital, Westlake University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yonggui Yuan
- Department of Psychosomatics and Psychiatry, Zhong Da Hospital, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Changchun Hu
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Affiliated Hangzhou First People’s Hospital, Westlake University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
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Sharikabad MN, Skurtveit S, Sommerschild HT, Olsen K, Hartz I, Wesselhoeft R, Hjellvik V, Hauge LJ, Handal M. Morbidity among Adolescent Hypnotic Drug Users in Norway: An Observational Population-Based Study. J Clin Med 2024; 13:1075. [PMID: 38398388 PMCID: PMC10888536 DOI: 10.3390/jcm13041075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Revised: 02/08/2024] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
We have previously shown that the use of hypnotic drugs increased among young Scandinavians during 2012-2018. This study aimed to explore psychiatric and somatic morbidity among adolescent hypnotic drug users in a cohort study of 13-17-year-old individuals during 2008-2018 in Norway. Data sources were (i) prescription data from the Norwegian Prescription Database linked to specialist health care diagnoses from the Norwegian Patient Registry and (ii) sleep disorder diagnoses from the Primary Health Care Database. Hypnotic drugs were defined as the sedative antihistamine alimemazine and the ATC group "Hypnotics and Sedatives" (N05C), excluding midazolam. In 2017, 2519 girls (16.5/1000) and 1718 boys (10.7/1000) were incident (new) users of hypnotic drugs. Most of these new users (82% of girls, 77% of boys) were referred to secondary health care, where the most frequent diagnoses were mental and behavioral disorders (51.8% of girls, 46.2% of boys), while only 3.2% received a specific sleep disorder diagnosis. The most common mental and behavioral disorders were "Neurotic stress-related disorders" among girls (27.4%) and "Behavioral and emotional disorders" among boys (23.6%). In conclusion, the trend of increasing hypnotic drug use among adolescents reflects the initiation of hypnotic drugs in a subgroup of the population with a higher disease burden, mainly due to psychiatric disorders, than the general population.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Svetlana Skurtveit
- Department of Chronic Diseases, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, 0213 Oslo, Norway; (S.S.); (I.H.); (V.H.); (M.H.)
| | | | - Kristine Olsen
- Department of Drug Statistics, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, 0213 Oslo, Norway;
| | - Ingeborg Hartz
- Department of Chronic Diseases, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, 0213 Oslo, Norway; (S.S.); (I.H.); (V.H.); (M.H.)
- Department of Research, Innlandet Hospital Trust, 2380 Brumunddal, Norway
| | - Rikke Wesselhoeft
- Child and Adolescent Mental Health Southern Denmark, Mental Health Services in the Region of Southern Denmark, 5000 Odense C, Denmark;
| | - Vidar Hjellvik
- Department of Chronic Diseases, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, 0213 Oslo, Norway; (S.S.); (I.H.); (V.H.); (M.H.)
| | - Lars Johan Hauge
- Department of Mental Health and Suicide, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, 0213 Oslo, Norway;
| | - Marte Handal
- Department of Chronic Diseases, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, 0213 Oslo, Norway; (S.S.); (I.H.); (V.H.); (M.H.)
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van den Houdt SCM, Mommersteeg PMC, Widdershoven J, Kupper N. Sex and Gender Differences in Psychosocial Risk Profiles Among Patients with Coronary Heart Disease - the THORESCI-Gender Study. Int J Behav Med 2024; 31:130-144. [PMID: 37170007 PMCID: PMC10803502 DOI: 10.1007/s12529-023-10170-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Psychosocial factors tend to cluster and exhibit differences associated with sex assigned at birth. Gender disparities, though, remain uncharted so far. The current study aimed to first explore the clustering of eight established psychosocial risk factors among patients with coronary heart disease (CHD), followed by examining how sex and gender differences characterize these psychosocial risk profiles, while adjusting for the effect of age. METHOD In total, 532 patients with CHD (Mage = 68.2 ± 8.9; 84% male) completed the comprehensive psychosocial screener and questionnaires to gauge gender identity, traits, and sociocultural norm scores. A three-step latent profile analysis (LPA) was performed to identify latent profiles and their correlates. RESULTS LPA revealed six psychosocial risk profiles: (1) somewhat distressed overall (32%); (2) low distress (27%); (3) anger, hostility, and Type D (15%); (4) emotional distress and trauma (11%); (5) anxiety (9%); and (6) high overall distress (7%). Masculine traits and older age increased the odds to belong to the low distress profile (#2), while feminine traits and a feminine gender norm score increased the chance to belong to profiles with moderate to high distress. The effects of gender identity and feminine traits were sex dependent. CONCLUSION The current study's findings explain heterogeneity among patients with CHD by considering the joint occurrence of psychosocial risk factors, and the role of sex, age, and gender within those profiles. Being more sensitive to the roles that sex, gender, and an integrated set of risk factors play may ultimately improve treatment and adherence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie C M van den Houdt
- Center of Research On Psychological Disorders and Somatic Diseases (CoRPS), Department of Medical & Clinical Psychology, Tilburg University, PO Box 90153, 5000 LE, Tilburg, the Netherlands
| | - Paula M C Mommersteeg
- Center of Research On Psychological Disorders and Somatic Diseases (CoRPS), Department of Medical & Clinical Psychology, Tilburg University, PO Box 90153, 5000 LE, Tilburg, the Netherlands
| | - Jos Widdershoven
- Center of Research On Psychological Disorders and Somatic Diseases (CoRPS), Department of Medical & Clinical Psychology, Tilburg University, PO Box 90153, 5000 LE, Tilburg, the Netherlands
- Department of Cardiology, Elisabeth-TweeSteden Hospital, Doctor Deelenlaan 5, 5042 AD, Tilburg, the Netherlands
| | - Nina Kupper
- Center of Research On Psychological Disorders and Somatic Diseases (CoRPS), Department of Medical & Clinical Psychology, Tilburg University, PO Box 90153, 5000 LE, Tilburg, the Netherlands.
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42
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Otten D, Heller A, Schmidt P, Beutel ME, Brähler E. Gender differences in the prevalence of mental distress in East and West Germany over time: a hierarchical age-period-cohort analysis, 2006-2021. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 2024; 59:315-328. [PMID: 37041297 PMCID: PMC10089379 DOI: 10.1007/s00127-023-02479-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2022] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 04/13/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Mental distress has become a major public health concern. Temporal trends in psychological distress are complex and depend on numerous factors. In this study, we examined age-period-cohort effects for mental distress including gender and German region over a 15 years' time span. METHODS Data on mental distress from ten cross-sectional surveys of the general German population, covering the years from 2006 to 2021, was used. Hierarchical age-period-cohort analyses including gender and German region as predictors were performed to disentangle age, period, and cohort effects. The Patient Health Questionnaire-4 was used as a brief screener for mental distress. RESULTS We found significant period and cohort effects, with peek values for mental distress in the years 2017 and 2020 and for the oldest birth cohort (born before 1946). Age did not affect mental distress when cohort- and period effects as well as gender and German region were considered. An interaction effect for gender and the German region was found. Women in West Germany reported significantly higher mental distress compared to women in East Germany. Compared to men, women reported the highest prevalence in both regions. CONCLUSION Important political events as well as major crises can lead to an increase of mental distress in societies. Furthermore, an association between birth cohort and mental distress could be linked to socialization effects of that certain time, causing traumatic experiences or a specific coping style within this cohort group. Prevention and intervention strategies could benefit from acknowledging structural differences linked to period and cohort effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniëlle Otten
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Langenbeckstraße 1, 55131, Mainz, Germany.
| | - Ayline Heller
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Langenbeckstraße 1, 55131, Mainz, Germany
| | - Peter Schmidt
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Langenbeckstraße 1, 55131, Mainz, Germany
| | - Manfred E Beutel
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Langenbeckstraße 1, 55131, Mainz, Germany
| | - Elmar Brähler
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Langenbeckstraße 1, 55131, Mainz, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Leipzig University Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany
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Schuh KM, Ahmed J, Kwak E, Xu CX, Davis TT, Aronoff CB, Tronson NC. A mouse model of oral contraceptive exposure: Depression, motivation, and the stress response. Horm Behav 2024; 158:105470. [PMID: 38061232 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2023.105470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2024]
Abstract
Hormonal contraceptives, including oral contraceptives (OCs), regulate hormonal cycles and broadly affect physiological processes, including stress responsivity. Whereas many users describe overall improved mood, up to 10 % of OC users experience adverse effects, including depression and anxiety. Given the link between regulation of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, stress exposure, and risk for depression, it is likely that OC-effects on stress mediate increased risk or increased resilience to these disorders. In this study, we developed and characterized a tractable mouse model of OC exposure with which to identify the mechanisms underlying OC modulation of brain, behavior, and mood. Specifically, we aimed to determine whether translationally relevant doses of OC-hormones in mice mimic changes in stress responsivity observed in humans taking OCs and describe behavioral changes during OC exposure. Young adult female C57Bl/6 N mice received daily ethinyl estradiol (EE) and levonorgestrel (LVNG) in 10 % sucrose, EE and drospirenone (DRSP) in 10 % sucrose, or 10 % sucrose alone. Translationally relevant doses of EE + LVNG-exposure, but not EE + DRSP, suppressed the acute stress response, consistent with effects observed in human OC users. EE + LVNG caused a specific anhedonia-like effect, without broad changes in stress-coping behavior, other depression-like behaviors, or anxiety-like behaviors. The suppression of regular estrous cycling, together with the blunting of the corticosterone response to acute stress, demonstrate the utility of this model for future studies to identify the mechanisms underlying OC interactions with stress, motivation, and risk for depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristen M Schuh
- Psychology Department, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States of America
| | - Jabir Ahmed
- Psychology Department, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States of America
| | - Esther Kwak
- Psychology Department, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States of America
| | - Cecilia X Xu
- Psychology Department, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States of America
| | - Tronjay T Davis
- Psychology Department, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States of America
| | - Chloe B Aronoff
- Psychology Department, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States of America
| | - Natalie C Tronson
- Psychology Department, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States of America.
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Haase L, Vehlen A, Strojny J, Domes G. Effects of menstrual cycle phase and ovulation on the salivary cortisol awakening response. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2024; 160:106669. [PMID: 37988874 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2023.106669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Revised: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023]
Abstract
The cortisol awakening response (CAR) is influenced by several state and trait variables, one of which might be the menstrual cycle in women. Previous results suggested that the CAR is enhanced around ovulation, which is why it has been recommended to avoid sampling during the ovulatory phase. In two separate studies, we aimed to replicate previous findings that reported the CAR's modulation across the menstrual cycle, especially during ovulation. In Study 1, a group of 27 healthy naturally cycling women collected saliva at 0, 30, 45, and 60 min post-awakening on two days during their follicular, ovulatory, and luteal phases in a repeated measures design. In Study 2, CAR samples were collected from 30 healthy naturally cycling women on seven consecutive days around the expected ovulation. To increase reliability of CAR measurements, participants' compliance of saliva sampling times was monitored, ovarian steroids (estradiol and progesterone) were collected, and ovulation was confirmed with specific test kits. Contrary to our expectations, we detected no differences in the CAR over the menstrual cycle, and no significant association with variations in estradiol and progesterone. In addition, we excluded confounding effects such as compliance and validated the cycle phase. These results suggest that the CAR is largely robust against hormonal variations across the menstrual cycle, including the mid-cycle phase around ovulation. However, further research is needed to understand the potential ovarian steroid-induced modulation of HPA axis functioning and the menstrual cycle's effects on salivary cortisol levels in psychobiological studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Haase
- Biological and Clinical Psychology, Department of Psychology, University of Trier, Trier, Germany; Institute for Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, University of Trier, Trier, Germany.
| | - Antonia Vehlen
- Biological and Clinical Psychology, Department of Psychology, University of Trier, Trier, Germany
| | - Julia Strojny
- Biological and Clinical Psychology, Department of Psychology, University of Trier, Trier, Germany
| | - Gregor Domes
- Biological and Clinical Psychology, Department of Psychology, University of Trier, Trier, Germany; Institute for Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, University of Trier, Trier, Germany.
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Bellingacci L, Canonichesi J, Sciaccaluga M, Megaro A, Mazzocchetti P, Di Mauro M, Costa C, Di Filippo M, Pettorossi VE, Tozzi A. Locally Synthetized 17-β-Estradiol Reverses Amyloid-β-42-Induced Hippocampal Long-Term Potentiation Deficits. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:1377. [PMID: 38338656 PMCID: PMC10855267 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25031377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2024] [Revised: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 01/20/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Amyloid beta 1-42 (Aβ42) aggregates acutely impair hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP) of synaptic transmission, and 17β-estradiol is crucial for hippocampal LTP. We tested whether boosting the synthesis of neural-derived 17β-estradiol (nE2) saves hippocampal LTP by the neurotoxic action of Aβ42. Electrophysiological recordings were performed to measure dentate gyrus (DG) LTP in rat hippocampal slices. Using a pharmacological approach, we tested the ability of nE2 to counteract the LTP impairment caused by acute exposure to soluble Aβ42 aggregates. nE2 was found to be required for LTP in DG under physiological conditions. Blockade of steroid 5α-reductase with finasteride, by increasing nE2 synthesis from testosterone (T), completely recovered LTP in slices treated with soluble Aβ42 aggregates. Modulation of the glutamate N-methyl-D aspartate receptor (NMDAR) by memantine effectively rescued the LTP deficit observed in slices exposed to Aβ42, and memantine prevented LTP reduction observed under the blocking of nE2 synthesis. nE2 is able to counteract Aβ42-induced synaptic dysfunction. This effect depends on a rapid, non-genomic mechanism of action of nE2, which may share a common pathway with glutamate NMDAR signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Alessandro Tozzi
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, 06156 Perugia, Italy; (L.B.); (J.C.); (M.S.)
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Smiley CE, Pate BS, Bouknight SJ, Harrington EN, Jasnow AM, Wood SK. The role of locus coeruleus neuroimmune signaling in the response to social stress in female rats. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.10.575076. [PMID: 38260568 PMCID: PMC10802589 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.10.575076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
Neuropsychiatric disorders that result from stress exposure, including post-traumatic stress disorder and substance abuse, are highly associated with central inflammation. Our previous work established that females selectively exhibit increased proinflammatory cytokine release within the noradrenergic locus coeruleus (LC) in response to witnessing social stress, which was associated with a hypervigilant phenotype. Thus, neuroimmune activation in the LC may be responsible for the heightened risk of developing mental health disorders following stress in females. Further, ablation of microglia using pharmacological techniques reduces the hypervigilant behavioral response exhibited by females during social stress. Therefore, these studies were designed to further investigate the impact of stress-induced neuroimmune signaling on the long-term behavioral and neuronal consequences of social stress exposure in females using DREADDs. We first characterized the use of an AAV-CD68-Gi-DREADD virus targeted to microglia within the LC. While the use of AAVs in preclinical research has been limited by observations regarding poor transfection efficiency in mice, recent data suggest that species specific differences in microglial genetics may render rats more receptive to chemogenetic targeting of microglia using a CD68 promoter. Therefore, clozapine-n-oxide (CNO) was used to activate the microglial expressed hM4Di to inhibit microglial activity during acute exposure to vicarious social defeat (witness stress, WS) in female rats. Neuroimmune activity within the LC, quantified by microglial morphology and cytokine release, was augmented by WS and prevented by chemogenetic microglial inhibition. Following confirmation of DREADD selectivity and efficacy, we utilized this technique to inhibit microglial activity during repeated WS. Subsequently, rats were tested in a marble burying paradigm and exposed to the WS cues and context to measure hypervigilant behaviors. Chemogenetic-mediated inhibition of microglial activity prior to each WS exposure prevented both acute and long-term hypervigilant responses induced by WS across multiple behavioral paradigms. Further, a history of microglial inactivation during WS prevented the heightened LC activity typically observed in response to stress cues. These studies are among the first to use a chemogenetic approach to inhibit microglia within the female brain in vivo and establish LC inflammation as a key mechanism underlying the behavioral and neuronal responses to social stress in females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cora E. Smiley
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience; University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC 29209
- WJB Dorn Veterans Administration Medical Center, Columbia, SC 29209
| | - Brittany S. Pate
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience; University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC 29209
- University of South Carolina, Department of Exercise Science, Columbia, SC 29209
| | - Samantha J. Bouknight
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience; University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC 29209
| | - Evelynn N. Harrington
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience; University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC 29209
- WJB Dorn Veterans Administration Medical Center, Columbia, SC 29209
| | - Aaron M. Jasnow
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience; University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC 29209
| | - Susan K. Wood
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience; University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC 29209
- WJB Dorn Veterans Administration Medical Center, Columbia, SC 29209
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Battaglia S, Di Fazio C, Mazzà M, Tamietto M, Avenanti A. Targeting Human Glucocorticoid Receptors in Fear Learning: A Multiscale Integrated Approach to Study Functional Connectivity. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:864. [PMID: 38255937 PMCID: PMC10815285 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25020864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2023] [Revised: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Fear extinction is a phenomenon that involves a gradual reduction in conditioned fear responses through repeated exposure to fear-inducing cues. Functional brain connectivity assessments, such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), provide valuable insights into how brain regions communicate during these processes. Stress, a ubiquitous aspect of life, influences fear learning and extinction by changing the activity of the amygdala, prefrontal cortex, and hippocampus, leading to enhanced fear responses and/or impaired extinction. Glucocorticoid receptors (GRs) are key to the stress response and show a dual function in fear regulation: while they enhance the consolidation of fear memories, they also facilitate extinction. Accordingly, GR dysregulation is associated with anxiety and mood disorders. Recent advancements in cognitive neuroscience underscore the need for a comprehensive understanding that integrates perspectives from the molecular, cellular, and systems levels. In particular, neuropharmacology provides valuable insights into neurotransmitter and receptor systems, aiding the investigation of mechanisms underlying fear regulation and potential therapeutic targets. A notable player in this context is cortisol, a key stress hormone, which significantly influences both fear memory reconsolidation and extinction processes. Gaining a thorough understanding of these intricate interactions has implications in terms of addressing psychiatric disorders related to stress. This review sheds light on the complex interactions between cognitive processes, emotions, and their neural bases. In this endeavor, our aim is to reshape the comprehension of fear, stress, and their implications for emotional well-being, ultimately aiding in the development of therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Battaglia
- Center for Studies and Research in Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Psychology “Renzo Canestrari”, Cesena Campus, Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna, 47521 Cesena, Italy
- Department of Psychology, University of Turin, 10124 Turin, Italy
| | - Chiara Di Fazio
- Center for Studies and Research in Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Psychology “Renzo Canestrari”, Cesena Campus, Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna, 47521 Cesena, Italy
- Department of Psychology, University of Turin, 10124 Turin, Italy
| | - Matteo Mazzà
- Center for Studies and Research in Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Psychology “Renzo Canestrari”, Cesena Campus, Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna, 47521 Cesena, Italy
| | - Marco Tamietto
- Department of Psychology, University of Turin, 10124 Turin, Italy
| | - Alessio Avenanti
- Center for Studies and Research in Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Psychology “Renzo Canestrari”, Cesena Campus, Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna, 47521 Cesena, Italy
- Neuropsicology and Cognitive Neuroscience Research Center (CINPSI Neurocog), Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca 3460000, Chile
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48
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Doney E, Dion-Albert L, Coulombe-Rozon F, Osborne N, Bernatchez R, Paton SE, Kaufmann FN, Agomma RO, Solano JL, Gaumond R, Dudek KA, Szyszkowicz JK, Lebel M, Doyen A, Durand A, Lavoie-Cardinal F, Audet MC, Menard C. Chronic Stress Exposure Alters the Gut Barrier: Sex-Specific Effects on Microbiota and Jejunum Tight Junctions. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY GLOBAL OPEN SCIENCE 2024; 4:213-228. [PMID: 38306213 PMCID: PMC10829561 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsgos.2023.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Revised: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Major depressive disorder (MDD) is the leading cause of disability worldwide. Of individuals with MDD, 30% to 50% are unresponsive to common antidepressants, highlighting untapped causal biological mechanisms. Dysfunction in the microbiota-gut-brain axis has been implicated in MDD pathogenesis. Exposure to chronic stress disrupts blood-brain barrier integrity; still, little is known about intestinal barrier function in these conditions, particularly for the small intestine, where absorption of most foods and drugs takes place. Methods We investigated how chronic social or variable stress, two mouse models of depression, impact the jejunum intestinal barrier in males and females. Mice were subjected to stress paradigms followed by analysis of gene expression profiles of intestinal barrier-related targets, fecal microbial composition, and blood-based markers. Results Altered microbial populations and changes in gene expression of jejunum tight junctions were observed depending on the type and duration of stress, with sex-specific effects. We used machine learning to characterize in detail morphological tight junction properties, identifying a cluster of ruffled junctions in stressed animals. Junctional ruffling is associated with inflammation, so we evaluated whether lipopolysaccharide injection recapitulates stress-induced changes in the jejunum and observed profound sex differences. Finally, lipopolysaccharide-binding protein, a marker of gut barrier leakiness, was associated with stress vulnerability in mice, and translational value was confirmed on blood samples from women with MDD. Conclusions Our results provide evidence that chronic stress disrupts intestinal barrier homeostasis in conjunction with the manifestation of depressive-like behaviors in a sex-specific manner in mice and, possibly, in human depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellen Doney
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine and CERVO Brain Research Center, Université Laval, Québec City, Québec, Canada
| | - Laurence Dion-Albert
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine and CERVO Brain Research Center, Université Laval, Québec City, Québec, Canada
| | - Francois Coulombe-Rozon
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine and CERVO Brain Research Center, Université Laval, Québec City, Québec, Canada
| | - Natasha Osborne
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Renaud Bernatchez
- Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering and Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Université Laval, Québec City, Québec, Canada
| | - Sam E.J. Paton
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine and CERVO Brain Research Center, Université Laval, Québec City, Québec, Canada
| | - Fernanda Neutzling Kaufmann
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine and CERVO Brain Research Center, Université Laval, Québec City, Québec, Canada
| | - Roseline Olory Agomma
- Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering and Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Université Laval, Québec City, Québec, Canada
| | - José L. Solano
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine and CERVO Brain Research Center, Université Laval, Québec City, Québec, Canada
| | - Raphael Gaumond
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine and CERVO Brain Research Center, Université Laval, Québec City, Québec, Canada
| | - Katarzyna A. Dudek
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine and CERVO Brain Research Center, Université Laval, Québec City, Québec, Canada
| | - Joanna Kasia Szyszkowicz
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute and Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Manon Lebel
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine and CERVO Brain Research Center, Université Laval, Québec City, Québec, Canada
| | - Alain Doyen
- Department of Food Science, Institute of Nutrition and Functional Foods, Université Laval, Québec City, Québec, Canada
| | - Audrey Durand
- Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering and Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Université Laval, Québec City, Québec, Canada
| | - Flavie Lavoie-Cardinal
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine and CERVO Brain Research Center, Université Laval, Québec City, Québec, Canada
| | - Marie-Claude Audet
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- School of Nutrition Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Caroline Menard
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine and CERVO Brain Research Center, Université Laval, Québec City, Québec, Canada
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49
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Ernst M, Cogo-Moreira H, Desai J, Merke DP. Sexual dimorphism in anxiety is programmed in-utero by sex-steroids: Proof of concept using a disease-model and stress responses to COVID pandemic. Psychiatry Res 2024; 331:115623. [PMID: 38064910 PMCID: PMC10872369 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2023.115623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Revised: 09/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/02/2024]
Abstract
Sex differences in the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic have been consistently reported, showing disproportionally high rates of anxiety/distress in women relative to men. The mechanisms underlying this sexual dimorphism remain unclear. The present study queries the potential protective role of early hyperandrogenism on brain development. A natural model of sex-steroids abnormality, classic congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), was used to test this question. CAH is characterized by adrenal androgen overproduction in utero (prenatal) through the neonatal critical developmental period. An online survey collected information on subjective responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. Matched on demographic variables, 60 adults carrying a diagnosis of classic CAH and 240 adults from the general population (non-CAH) were compared on levels of anxiety/distress in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic (May 2020-April 2021). Structural Equation Modeling was used to test the modulation by CAH status of Sex effects on anxiety/distress. Results revealed lower levels of anxiety/distress in the female CAH group compared to the other 3 groups (male CAH, female non-CAH, and male non-CAH). This finding suggests that pre-neonatal hyperandrogenism might impact the development of neural circuits underlying anxiety processes, in a way that enhances resilience to chronic stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monique Ernst
- National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
| | - Hugo Cogo-Moreira
- Department of Education, ICT and Learning, Østfold University College, Norway
| | - Jay Desai
- National Institutes of Health Clinical Center US, USA
| | - Deborah P Merke
- National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA; National Institutes of Health Clinical Center US, USA; Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development US, USA.
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50
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Ravaglia IC, Jasodanand V, Bhatnagar S, Grafe LA. Sex differences in body temperature and neural power spectra in response to repeated restraint stress. Stress 2024; 27:2320780. [PMID: 38414377 PMCID: PMC10989713 DOI: 10.1080/10253890.2024.2320780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Repeated stress is associated with an increased risk of developing psychiatric illnesses such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which is more common in women, yet the neurobiology behind this sex difference is unknown. Habituation to repeated stress is impaired in PTSD, and recent preclinical studies have shown that female rats do not habituate as fully as male rats to repeated stress, which leads to impairments in cognition and sleep. Further research should examine sex differences after repeated stress in other relevant measures, such as body temperature and neural activity. In this study, we analyzed core body temperature and EEG power spectra in adult male and female rats during restraint, as well as during sleep transitions following stress. We found that core body temperature of male rats habituated to repeated restraint more fully than female rats. Additionally, we found that females had a higher average beta band power than males on both days of restraint, indicating higher levels of arousal. Lastly, we observed that females had lower delta band power than males during sleep transitions on Day 1 of restraint, however, females demonstrated higher delta band power than males by Day 5 of restraint. This suggests that it may take females longer to initiate sleep recovery compared with males. These findings indicate that there are differences in the physiological and neural processes of males and females after repeated stress. Understanding the way that the stress response is regulated in both sexes can provide insight into individualized treatment for stress-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- IC Ravaglia
- Bryn Mawr College, Department of Psychology, Bryn Mawr, PA, USA
| | - V Jasodanand
- Bryn Mawr College, Department of Psychology, Bryn Mawr, PA, USA
| | - S Bhatnagar
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - LA Grafe
- Bryn Mawr College, Department of Psychology, Bryn Mawr, PA, USA
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