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Chesters RA, Zhu J, Coull BM, Baidoe-Ansah D, Baumer L, Palm L, Klinghammer N, Chen S, Hahm A, Yagoub S, Cantacorps L, Bernardi D, Ritter K, Lippert RN. Fasting-induced activity changes in MC3R neurons of the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus. Life Sci Alliance 2024; 7:e202402754. [PMID: 39107065 PMCID: PMC11303869 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202402754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2024] [Revised: 07/26/2024] [Accepted: 07/29/2024] [Indexed: 08/09/2024] Open
Abstract
The brain controls energy homeostasis by regulating food intake through signaling within the melanocortin system. Whilst we understand the role of the hypothalamus within this system, how extra-hypothalamic brain regions are involved in controlling energy balance remains unclear. Here we show that the melanocortin 3 receptor (MC3R) is expressed in the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus (PVT). We tested whether fasting would change the activity of MC3R neurons in this region by assessing the levels of c-Fos and pCREB as neuronal activity markers. We determined that overnight fasting causes a significant reduction in pCREB levels within PVT-MC3R neurons. We then questioned whether perturbation of MC3R signaling, during fasting, would result in altered refeeding. Using chemogenetic approaches, we show that modulation of MC3R activity, during the fasting period, does not impact body weight regain or total food intake in the refeeding period. However, we did observe significant differences in the pattern of feeding-related behavior. These findings suggest that the PVT is a region where MC3R neurons respond to energy deprivation and modulate refeeding behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert A Chesters
- Department of Neurocircuit Development and Function, German Institute of Human Nutrition https://ror.org/05xdczy51, Nuthetal, Germany
| | - Jiajie Zhu
- Department of Neurocircuit Development and Function, German Institute of Human Nutrition https://ror.org/05xdczy51, Nuthetal, Germany
- NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence, Charité-Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Bethany M Coull
- Department of Neurocircuit Development and Function, German Institute of Human Nutrition https://ror.org/05xdczy51, Nuthetal, Germany
- NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence, Charité-Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany
| | - David Baidoe-Ansah
- Department of Neurocircuit Development and Function, German Institute of Human Nutrition https://ror.org/05xdczy51, Nuthetal, Germany
- NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence, Charité-Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Lea Baumer
- Department of Neurocircuit Development and Function, German Institute of Human Nutrition https://ror.org/05xdczy51, Nuthetal, Germany
| | - Lydia Palm
- Department of Neurocircuit Development and Function, German Institute of Human Nutrition https://ror.org/05xdczy51, Nuthetal, Germany
| | - Niklas Klinghammer
- Department of Neurocircuit Development and Function, German Institute of Human Nutrition https://ror.org/05xdczy51, Nuthetal, Germany
| | - Seve Chen
- Department of Neurocircuit Development and Function, German Institute of Human Nutrition https://ror.org/05xdczy51, Nuthetal, Germany
| | - Anneke Hahm
- Department of Neurocircuit Development and Function, German Institute of Human Nutrition https://ror.org/05xdczy51, Nuthetal, Germany
| | - Selma Yagoub
- Department of Neurocircuit Development and Function, German Institute of Human Nutrition https://ror.org/05xdczy51, Nuthetal, Germany
| | - Lídia Cantacorps
- Department of Neurocircuit Development and Function, German Institute of Human Nutrition https://ror.org/05xdczy51, Nuthetal, Germany
- German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), München-Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Daniel Bernardi
- Department of Neurocircuit Development and Function, German Institute of Human Nutrition https://ror.org/05xdczy51, Nuthetal, Germany
| | - Katrin Ritter
- Department of Neurocircuit Development and Function, German Institute of Human Nutrition https://ror.org/05xdczy51, Nuthetal, Germany
| | - Rachel N Lippert
- Department of Neurocircuit Development and Function, German Institute of Human Nutrition https://ror.org/05xdczy51, Nuthetal, Germany
- German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), München-Neuherberg, Germany
- NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence, Charité-Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany
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2
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Dogra S, Aguayo C, Xiang Z, Putnam J, Smith J, Johnston C, Foster DJ, Lindsley CW, Niswender CM, Conn PJ. Activation of Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor 3 Modulates Thalamo-accumbal Transmission and Rescues Schizophrenia-Like Physiological and Behavioral Deficits. Biol Psychiatry 2024; 96:230-242. [PMID: 38061467 PMCID: PMC11150332 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2023.11.023] [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: 08/07/2023] [Revised: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 01/04/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Polymorphisms in the gene encoding for metabotropic glutamate receptor 3 (mGlu3) are associated with an increased likelihood of schizophrenia diagnosis and can predict improvements in negative symptoms following treatment with antipsychotics. However, the mechanisms by which mGlu3 can regulate brain circuits involved in schizophrenia pathophysiology are not clear. METHODS We employed selective pharmacological tools and a variety of approaches including whole-cell patch-clamp electrophysiology, slice optogenetics, and fiber photometry to investigate the effects of mGlu3 activation on phencyclidine (PCP)-induced impairments in thalamo-accumbal transmission and sociability deficits. A chemogenetic approach was used to evaluate the role of thalamo-accumbal transmission in PCP-induced sociability deficits. RESULTS We first established that PCP treatment augmented excitatory transmission onto dopamine D1 receptor-expressing medium spiny neurons (D1-MSNs) in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) and induced sociability deficits. Our studies revealed a selective increase in glutamatergic synaptic transmission from thalamic afferents to D1-MSNs in the NAc shell. Chemogenetic silencing of thalamo-accumbal inputs rescued PCP-induced sociability deficits. Pharmacological activation of mGlu3 normalized PCP-induced impairments in thalamo-accumbal transmission and sociability deficits. Mechanistic studies revealed that mGlu3 activation induced robust long-term depression at synapses from the thalamic projections onto D1-MSNs in the NAc shell. CONCLUSIONS These data demonstrate that activation of mGlu3 decreases thalamo-accumbal transmission and thereby rescues sociability deficits in mouse modeling schizophrenia-like symptoms. These findings provide novel insights into the NAc-specific mechanisms and suggest that agents modulating glutamatergic signaling in the NAc may provide a promising approach for treating negative symptoms in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shalini Dogra
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee; Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee.
| | - Caleb Aguayo
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee; Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Zixiu Xiang
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee; Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Jason Putnam
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee; Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Joshua Smith
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee; Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Curran Johnston
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, South Carolina
| | - Daniel J Foster
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, South Carolina
| | - Craig W Lindsley
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee; Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee; Department of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee; Vanderbilt Institute for Chemical Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Colleen M Niswender
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee; Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee; Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee; Vanderbilt Institute for Chemical Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - P Jeffrey Conn
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee; Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee; Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee; Vanderbilt Institute for Chemical Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee.
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3
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Beas S, Khan I, Gao C, Loewinger G, Macdonald E, Bashford A, Rodriguez-Gonzalez S, Pereira F, Penzo MA. Dissociable encoding of motivated behavior by parallel thalamo-striatal projections. Curr Biol 2024; 34:1549-1560.e3. [PMID: 38458192 PMCID: PMC11003833 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.02.037] [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: 07/06/2023] [Revised: 01/20/2024] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/10/2024]
Abstract
The successful pursuit of goals requires the coordinated execution and termination of actions that lead to positive outcomes. This process relies on motivational states that are guided by internal drivers, such as hunger or fear. However, the mechanisms by which the brain tracks motivational states to shape instrumental actions are not fully understood. The paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus (PVT) is a midline thalamic nucleus that shapes motivated behaviors via its projections to the nucleus accumbens (NAc)1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 and monitors internal state via interoceptive inputs from the hypothalamus and brainstem.3,9,10,11,12,13,14 Recent studies indicate that the PVT can be subdivided into two major neuronal subpopulations, namely PVTD2(+) and PVTD2(-), which differ in genetic identity, functionality, and anatomical connectivity to other brain regions, including the NAc.4,15,16 In this study, we used fiber photometry to investigate the in vivo dynamics of these two distinct PVT neuronal types in mice performing a foraging-like behavioral task. We discovered that PVTD2(+) and PVTD2(-) neurons encode the execution and termination of goal-oriented actions, respectively. Furthermore, activity in the PVTD2(+) neuronal population mirrored motivation parameters such as vigor and satiety. Similarly, PVTD2(-) neurons also mirrored some of these parameters, but to a much lesser extent. Importantly, these features were largely preserved when activity in PVT projections to the NAc was selectively assessed. Collectively, our results highlight the existence of two parallel thalamo-striatal projections that participate in the dynamic regulation of goal pursuits and provide insight into the mechanisms by which the brain tracks motivational states to shape instrumental actions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofia Beas
- Unit on the Neurobiology of Affective Memory, National Institute of Mental Health, Convent Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, University Boulevard, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA.
| | - Isbah Khan
- Unit on the Neurobiology of Affective Memory, National Institute of Mental Health, Convent Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Claire Gao
- Unit on the Neurobiology of Affective Memory, National Institute of Mental Health, Convent Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Gabriel Loewinger
- Machine Learning Team, National Institute of Mental Health, Convent Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Emma Macdonald
- Unit on the Neurobiology of Affective Memory, National Institute of Mental Health, Convent Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Alison Bashford
- Unit on the Neurobiology of Affective Memory, National Institute of Mental Health, Convent Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Shakira Rodriguez-Gonzalez
- Unit on the Neurobiology of Affective Memory, National Institute of Mental Health, Convent Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Francisco Pereira
- Machine Learning Team, National Institute of Mental Health, Convent Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Mario A Penzo
- Unit on the Neurobiology of Affective Memory, National Institute of Mental Health, Convent Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
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4
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McDevitt DS, Wade QW, McKendrick GE, Nelsen J, Starostina M, Tran N, Blendy JA, Graziane NM. The Paraventricular Thalamic Nucleus and Its Projections in Regulating Reward and Context Associations. eNeuro 2024; 11:ENEURO.0524-23.2024. [PMID: 38351131 PMCID: PMC10883411 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0524-23.2024] [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: 12/11/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024] Open
Abstract
The paraventricular thalamic nucleus (PVT) is a brain region that mediates aversive and reward-related behaviors as shown in animals exposed to fear conditioning, natural rewards, or drugs of abuse. However, it is unknown whether manipulations of the PVT, in the absence of external factors or stimuli (e.g., fear, natural rewards, or drugs of abuse), are sufficient to drive reward-related behaviors. Additionally, it is unknown whether drugs of abuse administered directly into the PVT are sufficient to drive reward-related behaviors. Here, using behavioral as well as pathway and cell-type specific approaches, we manipulate PVT activity as well as the PVT-to-nucleus accumbens shell (NAcSh) neurocircuit to explore reward phenotypes. First, we show that bath perfusion of morphine (10 µM) caused hyperpolarization of the resting membrane potential, increased rheobase, and decreased intrinsic membrane excitability in PVT neurons that project to the NAcSh. Additionally, we found that direct injections of morphine (50 ng) in the PVT of mice were sufficient to generate conditioned place preference (CPP) for the morphine-paired chamber. Mimicking the inhibitory effect of morphine, we employed a chemogenetic approach to inhibit PVT neurons that projected to the NAcSh and found that pairing the inhibition of these PVT neurons with a specific context evoked the acquisition of CPP. Lastly, using brain slice electrophysiology, we found that bath-perfused morphine (10 µM) significantly reduced PVT excitatory synaptic transmission on both dopamine D1 and D2 receptor-expressing medium spiny neurons in the NAcSh, but that inhibiting PVT afferents in the NAcSh was not sufficient to evoke CPP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dillon S McDevitt
- Neuroscience Program, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania 17033
| | - Quinn W Wade
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania 17033
| | - Greer E McKendrick
- Neuroscience Program, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania 17033
| | - Jacob Nelsen
- Doctor of Medicine Program, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania 17033
| | - Mariya Starostina
- Doctor of Medicine Program, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania 17033
| | - Nam Tran
- Doctor of Medicine Program, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania 17033
| | - Julie A Blendy
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104
| | - Nicholas M Graziane
- Departments of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine and Pharmacology, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania 17033
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5
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Tang QQ, Wu Y, Tao Q, Shen Y, An X, Liu D, Xu Z. Direct paraventricular thalamus-basolateral amygdala circuit modulates neuropathic pain and emotional anxiety. Neuropsychopharmacology 2024; 49:455-466. [PMID: 37848732 PMCID: PMC10724280 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-023-01748-4] [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: 06/06/2023] [Revised: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023]
Abstract
The comorbidity of chronic pain and mental dysfunctions such as anxiety disorders has long been recognized, but the underlying mechanisms remained poorly understood. Here, using a mouse model of neuropathic pain, we demonstrated that the thalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVT) played a critical role in chronic pain-induced anxiety-like behavioral abnormalities. Fiber photometry and electrophysiology demonstrated that chronic pain increased the activities in PVT glutamatergic neurons. Chemogenetic manipulation revealed that suppression of PVT glutamatergic neurons relieved pain-like behavior and anxiety-like behaviors. Conversely, selective activation of PVT glutamatergic neurons showed algesic and anxiogenic effects. Furthermore, the elevated excitability of PVT glutamatergic neurons resulted in increased excitatory inputs to the basolateral complex (BLA) neurons. Optogenetic manipulation of the PVT-BLA pathway bilaterally modulates both the pain-like behavior and anxiety-like phenotypes. These findings shed light on how the PVT-BLA pathway contributed to the processing of pain-like behavior and maladaptive anxiety, and targeting this pathway might be a straightforward therapeutic strategy to both alleviate nociceptive hypersensitivity and rescue anxiety behaviors in chronic pain conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian-Qian Tang
- Department of Anesthesiology, the International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 910 Hengshan Road, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuanyuan Wu
- Department of Anesthesiology, the International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 910 Hengshan Road, Shanghai, China
| | - Qiang Tao
- Department of Anesthesiology, the International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 910 Hengshan Road, Shanghai, China
| | - Yanan Shen
- Department of Anesthesiology, the International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 910 Hengshan Road, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaohu An
- Department of Anesthesiology, the International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 910 Hengshan Road, Shanghai, China
| | - Di Liu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
| | - Zifeng Xu
- Department of Anesthesiology, the International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 910 Hengshan Road, Shanghai, China.
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6
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Rivera-Irizarry JK, Hámor PU, Rowson SA, Asfouri J, Liu D, Zallar LJ, Garcia AF, Skelly MJ, Pleil KE. Valence and salience encoding by parallel circuits from the paraventricular thalamus to the nucleus accumbens. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.07.03.547570. [PMID: 37461604 PMCID: PMC10349961 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.03.547570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2023]
Abstract
The anterior and posterior subregions of the paraventricular thalamus (aPVT and pPVT, respectively) play unique roles in learned behaviors, from fear conditioning to alcohol/drug intake, potentially through differentially organized projections to limbic brain regions including the nucleus accumbens medial shell (mNAcSh). Here, we found that the aPVT projects broadly to the mNAcSh and that the aPVT-mNAcSh circuit encodes positive valence, such that in vivo manipulations of the circuit modulated both innately programmed and learned behavioral responses to positively and negatively valenced stimuli, particularly in females. Further, the endogenous activity of aPVT presynaptic terminals in the mNAcSh was greater in response to positively than negatively valenced stimuli, and the probability of synaptic glutamate release from aPVT neurons in the mNAcSh was higher in females than males. In contrast, we found that the pPVT-mNAcSh circuit encodes stimulus salience regardless of valence. While pPVT-mNAcSh circuit inhibition suppressed behavioral responses in both sexes, circuit activation increased behavioral responses to stimuli only in males. Our results point to circuit-specific stimulus feature encoding by parallel PVT-mNAcSh circuits that have sex-dependent biases in organization and function.
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7
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Dorofeikova M, Borkar CD, Weissmuller K, Smith-Osborne L, Basavanhalli S, Bean E, Smith A, Duong A, Resendez A, Fadok JP. Effects of footshock stress on social behavior and neuronal activation in the medial prefrontal cortex and amygdala of male and female mice. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0281388. [PMID: 36757923 PMCID: PMC9910713 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0281388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2022] [Accepted: 01/21/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Social behavior is complex and fundamental, and its deficits are common pathological features for several psychiatric disorders including anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder. Acute stress may have a negative impact on social behavior, and these effects can vary based on sex. The aim of this study was to explore the effect of acute footshock stress, using analogous parameters to those commonly used in fear conditioning assays, on the sociability of male and female C57BL/6J mice in a standard social approach test. Animals were divided into two main groups of footshock stress (22 male, 24 female) and context exposed control (23 male and 22 female). Each group had mice that were treated intraperitoneally with either the benzodiazepine-alprazolam (control: 10 male, 10 female; stress: 11 male, 11 female), or vehicle (control: 13 male, 12 female; stress: 11 male, 13 female). In all groups, neuronal activation during social approach was assessed using immunohistochemistry against the immediate early gene product cFos. Although footshock stress did not significantly alter sociability or latency to approach a social stimulus, it did increase defensive tail-rattling behavior specifically in males (p = 0.0022). This stress-induced increase in tail-rattling was alleviated by alprazolam (p = 0.03), yet alprazolam had no effect on female tail-rattling behavior in the stress group. Alprazolam lowered cFos expression in the medial prefrontal cortex (p = 0.001 infralimbic area, p = 0.02 prelimbic area), and social approach induced sex-dependent differences in cFos activation in the ventromedial intercalated cell clusters (p = 0.04). Social approach following stress-induced cFos expression was positively correlated with latency to approach and negatively correlated with sociability in the prelimbic area and multiple amygdala subregions (all p < 0.05). Collectively, our results suggest that acute footshock stress induces sex-dependent alterations in defensiveness and differential patterns of cFos activation during social approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariia Dorofeikova
- Department of Psychology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, United States of America
- Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, United States of America
| | - Chandrashekhar D. Borkar
- Department of Psychology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, United States of America
- Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, United States of America
| | | | - Lydia Smith-Osborne
- Department of Psychology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, United States of America
- Tulane National Primate Research Center, Covington, LA, United States of America
| | - Samhita Basavanhalli
- Neuroscience Program, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, United States of America
| | - Erin Bean
- Neuroscience Program, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, United States of America
| | - Avery Smith
- Neuroscience Program, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, United States of America
| | - Anh Duong
- Department of Psychology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, United States of America
- Neuroscience Program, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, United States of America
| | - Alexis Resendez
- Department of Psychology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, United States of America
- Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, United States of America
| | - Jonathan P. Fadok
- Department of Psychology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, United States of America
- Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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8
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Kirouac GJ, Li S, Li S. Convergence of monosynaptic inputs from neurons in the brainstem and forebrain on parabrachial neurons that project to the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus. Brain Struct Funct 2022; 227:2409-2437. [PMID: 35838792 PMCID: PMC9418111 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-022-02534-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2022] [Accepted: 06/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus (PVT) projects to areas of the forebrain involved in regulating behavior. Homeostatic challenges and salient cues activate the PVT and evidence shows that the PVT regulates appetitive and aversive responses. The brainstem is a source of afferents to the PVT and the present study was done to determine if the lateral parabrachial nucleus (LPB) is a relay for inputs to the PVT. Retrograde tracing experiments with cholera toxin B (CTB) demonstrate that the LPB contains more PVT projecting neurons than other regions of the brainstem including the catecholamine cell groups. The hypothesis that the LPB is a relay for signals to the PVT was assessed using an intersectional monosynaptic rabies tracing approach. Sources of inputs to LPB included the reticular formation; periaqueductal gray (PAG); nucleus cuneiformis; and superior and inferior colliculi. Distinctive clusters of input cells to LPB-PVT projecting neurons were also found in the dorsolateral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BSTDL) and the lateral central nucleus of the amygdala (CeL). Anterograde viral tracing demonstrates that LPB-PVT neurons densely innervate all regions of the PVT in addition to providing collateral innervation to the preoptic area, lateral hypothalamus, zona incerta and PAG but not the BSTDL and CeL. The paper discusses the anatomical evidence that suggests that the PVT is part of a network of interconnected neurons involved in arousal, homeostasis, and the regulation of behavioral states with forebrain regions potentially providing descending modulation or gating of signals relayed from the LPB to the PVT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gilbert J Kirouac
- Department of Oral Biology, Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, 780 Bannatyne Avenue, Winnipeg, MB, R3E 0W2, Canada. .,Departments of Psychiatry and Human Anatomy and Cell Sciences, Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, R3E 0W2, Canada.
| | - Sa Li
- Department of Oral Biology, Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, 780 Bannatyne Avenue, Winnipeg, MB, R3E 0W2, Canada
| | - Shuanghong Li
- Department of Oral Biology, Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, 780 Bannatyne Avenue, Winnipeg, MB, R3E 0W2, Canada
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9
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de Oliveira RP, de Andrade JS, Spina M, Chamon JV, Silva PHD, Werder AK, Ortolani D, Thomaz LDSC, Romariz S, Ribeiro DA, Longo BM, Spadari RC, Viana MDB, Melo-Thomas L, Céspedes IC, da Silva RCB. Clozapine prevented social interaction deficits and reduced c-Fos immunoreactivity expression in several brain areas of rats exposed to acute restraint stress. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0262728. [PMID: 35239670 PMCID: PMC8893644 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0262728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
In the present study, we evaluate the effect of acute restraint stress (15 min) of male Wistar rats on social interaction measurements and c-Fos immunoreactivity (c-Fos-ir) expression, a marker of neuronal activity, in areas involved with the modulation of acute physical restraint in rats, i.e., the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN), median raphe nucleus (MnR), medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), cingulate prefrontal cortex (cPFC), nucleus accumbens (NaC), hippocampus (CA3), lateral septum (LS) and medial amygdala (MeA). We considered the hypothesis that restraint stress exposure could promote social withdrawal induced by the activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis, and increase c-Fos expression in these limbic forebrain areas investigated. In addition, we investigated whether pretreatment with the atypical antipsychotic clozapine (5 mg/kg; I.P.) could attenuate or block the effects of restraint on these responses. We found that restraint stress induced social withdrawal, and increased c-Fos-ir in these areas, demonstrating that a single 15 min session of physical restraint of rats effectively activated the HPA axis, representing an effective tool for the investigation of neuronal activity in brain regions sensitive to stress. Conversely, pretreatment with clozapine, prevented social withdrawal and reduced c-Fos expression. We suggest that treatment with clozapine exerted a preventive effect in the social interaction deficit, at least in part, by blocking the effect of restraint stress in brain regions that are known to regulate the HPA-axis, including the cerebral cortex, hippocampus, hypothalamus, septum and amygdala. Further experiments will be done to confirm this hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - José Simões de Andrade
- Departamento de Biociências, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Santos (SP), Brazil
| | - Marianna Spina
- Departamento de Biociências, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Santos (SP), Brazil
| | - João Vítor Chamon
- Departamento de Biociências, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Santos (SP), Brazil
| | | | - Ana Keyla Werder
- Departamento de Biociências, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Santos (SP), Brazil
| | - Daniela Ortolani
- Departamento de Biociências, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Santos (SP), Brazil
| | | | - Simone Romariz
- Departamento de Fisiologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP/SP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Daniel Araki Ribeiro
- Departamento de Biociências, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Santos (SP), Brazil
| | - Beatriz Monteiro Longo
- Departamento de Fisiologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP/SP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Regina Célia Spadari
- Departamento de Biociências, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Santos (SP), Brazil
| | - Milena de Barros Viana
- Departamento de Biociências, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Santos (SP), Brazil
| | - Liana Melo-Thomas
- Behavioral Neuroscience, Experimental and Biological Psychology, Philipps-Universityof Marburg, Marburg, Germany
- Marburg Center for Mind, Brain, and Behavior (MCMBB), Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Isabel Cristina Céspedes
- Departamento de Morfologia e Genética, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Regina Cláudia Barbosa da Silva
- Departamento de Biociências, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Santos (SP), Brazil
- Instituto de Neurociências e Comportamento (INeC), Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
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10
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Ni RJ, Shu YM, Li T, Zhou JN. Whole-Brain Afferent Inputs to the Caudate Nucleus, Putamen, and Accumbens Nucleus in the Tree Shrew Striatum. Front Neuroanat 2021; 15:763298. [PMID: 34795566 PMCID: PMC8593333 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2021.763298] [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: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Day-active tree shrews have a well-developed internal capsule (ic) that clearly separates the caudate nucleus (Cd) and putamen (Pu). The striatum consists of the Cd, ic, Pu, and accumbens nucleus (Acb). Here, we characterized the cytoarchitecture of the striatum and the whole-brain inputs to the Cd, Pu, and Acb in tree shrews by using immunohistochemistry and the retrograde tracer Fluoro-Gold (FG). Our data show the distribution patterns of parvalbumin (PV), nitric oxide synthase (NOS), calretinin (CR), and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunoreactivity in the striatum of tree shrews, which were different from those observed in rats. The Cd and Pu mainly received inputs from the thalamus, motor cortex, somatosensory cortex, subthalamic nucleus, substantia nigra, and other cortical and subcortical regions, whereas the Acb primarily received inputs from the anterior olfactory nucleus, claustrum, infralimbic cortex, thalamus, raphe nucleus, parabrachial nucleus, ventral tegmental area, and so on. The Cd, Pu, and Acb received inputs from different neuronal populations in the ipsilateral (60, 67, and 63 brain regions, respectively) and contralateral (23, 20, and 36 brain regions, respectively) brain hemispheres. Overall, we demonstrate that there are species differences between tree shrews and rats in the density of PV, NOS, CR, and TH immunoreactivity in the striatum. Additionally, we mapped for the first time the distribution of whole-brain input neurons projecting to the striatum of tree shrews with FG injected into the Cd, Pu, and Acb. The similarities and differences in their brain-wide input patterns may provide new insights into the diverse functions of the striatal subregions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rong-Jun Ni
- Mental Health Center and Psychiatric Laboratory, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.,Huaxi Brain Research Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yu-Mian Shu
- School of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Chengdu University, Chengdu, China
| | - Tao Li
- Mental Health Center and Psychiatric Laboratory, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.,Huaxi Brain Research Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Jiang-Ning Zhou
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Diseases, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
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11
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James MH, McNally GP, Li X. Editorial: Role of the Thalamus in Motivated Behavior. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 15:720592. [PMID: 34276320 PMCID: PMC8282993 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.720592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2021] [Accepted: 06/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Morgan H James
- Department of Psychiatry, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and Rutgers Biomedical Health Sciences, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, United States.,Brain Health Institute, Rutgers Biomedical Health Sciences, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, United States
| | - Gavan P McNally
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Xuan Li
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States
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12
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Extensive divergence of projections to the forebrain from neurons in the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus. Brain Struct Funct 2021; 226:1779-1802. [PMID: 34032911 PMCID: PMC8203552 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-021-02289-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2021] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Neurons in the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus (PVT) respond to emotionally salient events and project densely to subcortical regions known to mediate adaptive behavioral responses. The areas of the forebrain most densely innervated by the PVT include striatal-like subcortical regions that consist of the shell of the nucleus accumbens (NAcSh), the dorsolateral region of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BSTDL) and the lateral-capsular division of the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeL). A recent tracing experiment demonstrated that the PVT is composed of two intermixed populations of neurons that primarily project to either the dorsomedial (dmNAcSh) or ventromedial region of the NAcSh (vmNAcSh) with many of the vmNAcSh projecting neurons providing collateral innervation of the BSTDL and CeL. The present study used triple injections of the retrograde tracer cholera toxin B to provide a detailed map of the location of PVT neurons that provide collaterals to the vmNAcSh, BSTDL and CeL. These neurons were intermixed throughout the PVT and did not form uniquely localized subpopulations. An intersectional viral anterograde tracing approach was used to demonstrate that regardless of its presumed target of innervation (dmNAcSh, vmNAcSh, BSTDL, or CeL), most neurons in the PVT provide collateral innervation to a common set of forebrain regions. The paper shows that PVT-dmNAcSh projecting neurons provide the most divergent projection system and that these neurons express the immediate early gene product cFos following an aversive incident. We propose that the PVT may regulate a broad range of responses to physiological and psychological challenges by simultaneously influencing functionally diverse regions of the forebrain that include the cortex, striatal-like regions in the basal forebrain and a number of hypothalamic nuclei.
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13
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Kooiker CL, Birnie MT, Baram TZ. The Paraventricular Thalamus: A Potential Sensor and Integrator of Emotionally Salient Early-Life Experiences. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 15:673162. [PMID: 34079442 PMCID: PMC8166219 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.673162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Early-life experiences influence a broad spectrum of behaviors throughout the lifespan that contribute to resilience or vulnerability to mental health disorders. Yet, how emotionally salient experiences early in life are encoded, stored, and processed and the mechanisms by which they influence future behaviors remain poorly understood. The paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus (PVT) is a key structure in modulating positive and negative experiences and behaviors in adults. However, little is known of the PVT's role in encoding and integrating emotionally salient experiences that occur during neonatal, infancy, and childhood periods. In this review, we (1) describe the functions and connections of the PVT and its regulation of behavior, (2) introduce novel technical approaches to elucidating the role of the PVT in mediating enduring changes in adult behaviors resulting from early-life experiences, and (3) conclude that PVT neurons of neonatal rodents are engaged by both positive and negative emotionally salient experiences, and their activation may enduringly govern future behavior-modulating PVT activity during emotionally salient contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cassandra L. Kooiker
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Matthew T. Birnie
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Tallie Z. Baram
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
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14
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Pastor V, Medina JH. Medial prefrontal cortical control of reward- and aversion-based behavioral output: Bottom-up modulation. Eur J Neurosci 2021; 53:3039-3062. [PMID: 33660363 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2021] [Revised: 02/15/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
How does the brain guide our actions? This is a complex issue, where the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) plays a crucial role. The mPFC is essential for cognitive flexibility and decision making. These functions are related to reward- and aversion-based learning, which ultimately drive behavior. Though, cortical projections and modulatory systems that may regulate those processes in the mPFC are less understood. How does the mPFC regulate approach-avoidance behavior in the case of conflicting aversive and appetitive stimuli? This is likely dependent on the bottom-up neuromodulation of the mPFC projection neurons. In this review, we integrate behavioral-, pharmacological-, and viral-based circuit manipulation data showing the involvement of mPFC dopaminergic, noradrenergic, cholinergic, and serotoninergic inputs in reward and aversion processing. Given that an incorrect balance of reward and aversion value could be a key problem in mental diseases such as substance use disorders, we discuss outstanding questions for future research on the role of mPFC modulation in reward and aversion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Verónica Pastor
- CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencia "Prof. Eduardo De Robertis" (IBCN), Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Medicina, Departamento de Ciencias Fisiológicas, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Jorge Horacio Medina
- CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencia "Prof. Eduardo De Robertis" (IBCN), Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Instituto Tecnológico de Buenos Aires (ITBA), Buenos Aires, Argentina
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15
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Kirouac GJ. The Paraventricular Nucleus of the Thalamus as an Integrating and Relay Node in the Brain Anxiety Network. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 15:627633. [PMID: 33732118 PMCID: PMC7959748 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.627633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The brain anxiety network is composed of a number of interconnected cortical regions that detect threats and execute appropriate defensive responses via projections to the shell of the nucleus accumbens (NAcSh), dorsolateral region of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BSTDL) and lateral region of the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeL). The paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus (PVT) is anatomically positioned to integrate threat- and arousal-related signals from cortex and hypothalamus and then relay these signals to neural circuits in the NAcSh, BSTDL, and CeL that mediate defensive responses. This review describes the anatomical connections of the PVT that support the view that the PVT may be a critical node in the brain anxiety network. Experimental findings are reviewed showing that the arousal peptides orexins (hypocretins) act at the PVT to promote avoidance of potential threats especially following exposure of rats to a single episode of footshocks. Recent anatomical and experimental findings are discussed which show that neurons in the PVT provide divergent projections to subcortical regions that mediate defensive behaviors and that the projection to the NAcSh is critical for the enhanced social avoidance displayed in rats exposed to footshocks. A theoretical model is proposed for how the PVT integrates cortical and hypothalamic signals to modulate the behavioral responses associated with anxiety and other challenging situations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gilbert J. Kirouac
- Department of Oral Biology, Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
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