1
|
Gomes-de-Souza L, Busnardo C, Santos A, Paz HS, Resstel LB, Planeta CS, Nunes-de-Souza RL, Crestani CC. Functional lateralization in the medial prefrontal cortex control of contextual conditioned emotional responses in rats. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2024; 133:111015. [PMID: 38653363 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2024.111015] [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: 01/31/2024] [Revised: 04/17/2024] [Accepted: 04/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
A functional lateralization has been reported in control of emotional responses by the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). However, a hemisphere asymmetry in involvement of the mPFC in expression of fear conditioning responses has never been reported. Therefore, we investigated whether control by mPFC of freezing and cardiovascular responses during re-exposure to an aversively conditioned context is lateralized. For this, rats had guide cannulas directed to the mPFC implanted bilaterally or unilaterally in the right or left hemispheres. Vehicle or the non-selective synaptic inhibitor CoCl2 was microinjected into the mPFC 10 min before re-exposure to a chamber where the animals had previously received footshocks. A catheter was implanted into the femoral artery before the fear retrieval test for cardiovascular recordings. We observed that bilateral microinjection of CoCl2 into the mPFC reduced both the freezing behavior (enhancing locomotion and rearing) and arterial pressure and heart rate increases during re-exposure to the aversively conditioned context. Unilateral microinjection of CoCl2 into the right hemisphere of the mPFC also decreased the freezing behavior (enhancing locomotion and rearing), but without affecting the cardiovascular changes. Conversely, unilateral synaptic inhibition in the left mPFC did not affect either behavioral or cardiovascular responses during fear retrieval test. Taken together, these results suggest that the right hemisphere of the mPFC is necessary and sufficient for expression of freezing behavior to contextual fear conditioning. However, the control of cardiovascular responses and freezing behavior during fear retrieval test is somehow dissociated in the mPFC, being the former bilaterally processed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Gomes-de-Souza
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, São Paulo State University (UNESP), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Araraquara, SP, Brazil
| | - Cristiane Busnardo
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, São Paulo State University (UNESP), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Araraquara, SP, Brazil
| | - Adrielly Santos
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, São Paulo State University (UNESP), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Araraquara, SP, Brazil
| | - Higor S Paz
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, São Paulo State University (UNESP), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Araraquara, SP, Brazil
| | - Leonardo B Resstel
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Cleopatra S Planeta
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, São Paulo State University (UNESP), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Araraquara, SP, Brazil
| | - Ricardo L Nunes-de-Souza
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, São Paulo State University (UNESP), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Araraquara, SP, Brazil
| | - Carlos C Crestani
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, São Paulo State University (UNESP), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Araraquara, SP, Brazil.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Botterill JJ, Khlaifia A, Appings R, Wilkin J, Violi F, Premachandran H, Cruz-Sanchez A, Canella AE, Patel A, Zaidi SD, Arruda-Carvalho M. Dorsal peduncular cortex activity modulates affective behavior and fear extinction in mice. Neuropsychopharmacology 2024; 49:993-1006. [PMID: 38233571 PMCID: PMC11039686 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-024-01795-5] [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: 06/09/2023] [Revised: 12/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is critical to cognitive and emotional function and underlies many neuropsychiatric disorders, including mood, fear and anxiety disorders. In rodents, disruption of mPFC activity affects anxiety- and depression-like behavior, with specialized contributions from its subdivisions. The rodent mPFC is divided into the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC), spanning the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and dorsal prelimbic cortex (PL), and the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), which includes the ventral PL, infralimbic cortex (IL), and in some studies the dorsal peduncular cortex (DP) and dorsal tenia tecta (DTT). The DP/DTT have recently been implicated in the regulation of stress-induced sympathetic responses via projections to the hypothalamus. While many studies implicate the PL and IL in anxiety-, depression-like and fear behavior, the contribution of the DP/DTT to affective and emotional behavior remains unknown. Here, we used chemogenetics and optogenetics to bidirectionally modulate DP/DTT activity and examine its effects on affective behaviors, fear and stress responses in C57BL/6J mice. Acute chemogenetic activation of DP/DTT significantly increased anxiety-like behavior in the open field and elevated plus maze tests, as well as passive coping in the tail suspension test. DP/DTT activation also led to an increase in serum corticosterone levels and facilitated auditory fear extinction learning and retrieval. Activation of DP/DTT projections to the dorsomedial hypothalamus (DMH) acutely decreased freezing at baseline and during extinction learning, but did not alter affective behavior. These findings point to the DP/DTT as a new regulator of affective behavior and fear extinction in mice.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Justin J Botterill
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON, M1C1A4, Canada
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology, and Pharmacology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5E5, Canada
| | - Abdessattar Khlaifia
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON, M1C1A4, Canada
| | - Ryan Appings
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON, M1C1A4, Canada
| | - Jennifer Wilkin
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON, M1C1A4, Canada
| | - Francesca Violi
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON, M1C1A4, Canada
| | - Hanista Premachandran
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON, M1C1A4, Canada
| | - Arely Cruz-Sanchez
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON, M1C1A4, Canada
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S3G5, Canada
| | - Anna Elisabete Canella
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON, M1C1A4, Canada
| | - Ashutosh Patel
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON, M1C1A4, Canada
| | - S Danyal Zaidi
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON, M1C1A4, Canada
| | - Maithe Arruda-Carvalho
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON, M1C1A4, Canada.
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S3G5, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
da Costa VF, Ramírez JCC, Ramírez SV, Avalo-Zuluaga JH, Baptista-de-Souza D, Canto-de-Souza L, Planeta CS, Rodríguez JLR, Nunes-de-Souza RL. Emotional- and cognitive-like responses induced by social defeat stress in male mice are modulated by the BNST, amygdala, and hippocampus. Front Integr Neurosci 2023; 17:1168640. [PMID: 37377628 PMCID: PMC10291097 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2023.1168640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Chronic exposure to social defeat stress (SDS) has been used to investigate the neurobiology of depressive- and anxiety-like responses and mnemonic processes. We hypothesized that these affective, emotional, and cognitive consequences induced by SDS are regulated via glutamatergic neurons located in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), amygdaloid complex, and hippocampus in mice. Methods Here, we investigated the influence of chronic SDS on (i) the avoidance behavior assessed in the social interaction test, (ii) the anxiety-like behavior (e.g., elevated plus-maze, and open field tests) (iii) depressive-like behaviors (e.g., coat state, sucrose splash, nesting building, and novel object exploration tests), (iv) the short-term memory (object recognition test), (v) ΔFosB, CaMKII as well as ΔFosB + CaMKII labeling in neurons located in the BNST, amygdaloid complex, dorsal (dHPC) and the ventral (vHPC) hippocampus. Results The main results showed that the exposure of mice to SDS (a) increased defensive and anxiety-like behaviors and led to memory impairment without eliciting clear depressive-like or anhedonic effects; (b) increased ΔFosB + CaMKII labeling in BNST and amygdala, suggesting that both areas are strongly involved in the modulation of this type of stress; and produced opposite effects on neuronal activation in the vHPC and dHPC, i.e., increasing and decreasing, respectively, ΔFosB labeling. The effects of SDS on the hippocampus suggest that the vHPC is likely related to the increase of defensive- and anxiety-related behaviors, whereas the dHPC seems to modulate the memory impairment. Discussion Present findings add to a growing body of evidence indicating the involvement of glutamatergic neurotransmission in the circuits that modulate emotional and cognitive consequences induced by social defeat stress.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vinícius Fresca da Costa
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University Estadual Paulista, UNESP, Araraquara, Brazil
- Joint Graduate Program in Physiological Sciences (PIPGCF) UFSCar-UNESP, São Carlos, Brazil
| | - Johana Caterin Caipa Ramírez
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University Estadual Paulista, UNESP, Araraquara, Brazil
- Joint Graduate Program in Physiological Sciences (PIPGCF) UFSCar-UNESP, São Carlos, Brazil
| | - Stephany Viatela Ramírez
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University Estadual Paulista, UNESP, Araraquara, Brazil
- Joint Graduate Program in Physiological Sciences (PIPGCF) UFSCar-UNESP, São Carlos, Brazil
| | - Julian Humberto Avalo-Zuluaga
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University Estadual Paulista, UNESP, Araraquara, Brazil
- Joint Graduate Program in Physiological Sciences (PIPGCF) UFSCar-UNESP, São Carlos, Brazil
| | - Daniela Baptista-de-Souza
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University Estadual Paulista, UNESP, Araraquara, Brazil
| | - Lucas Canto-de-Souza
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University Estadual Paulista, UNESP, Araraquara, Brazil
| | - Cleopatra S. Planeta
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University Estadual Paulista, UNESP, Araraquara, Brazil
- Joint Graduate Program in Physiological Sciences (PIPGCF) UFSCar-UNESP, São Carlos, Brazil
| | | | - Ricardo Luiz Nunes-de-Souza
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University Estadual Paulista, UNESP, Araraquara, Brazil
- Joint Graduate Program in Physiological Sciences (PIPGCF) UFSCar-UNESP, São Carlos, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Pan Y, Mou Q, Huang Z, Chen S, Shi Y, Ye M, Shao M, Wang Z. Chronic social defeat alters behaviors and neuronal activation in the brain of female Mongolian gerbils. Behav Brain Res 2023; 448:114456. [PMID: 37116662 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2023.114456] [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: 10/15/2022] [Revised: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 04/30/2023]
Abstract
Chronic social defeat has been found to be stressful and to affect many aspects of the brain and behaviors in males. However, relatively little is known about its effects on females. In the present study, we examined the effects of repeated social defeat on social approach and anxiety-like behaviors as well as the neuronal activation in the brain of sexually naïve female Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus). Our data indicate that repeated social defeats for 20 days reduced social approach and social investigation, but increased risk assessment or vigilance to an unfamiliar conspecific. Such social defeat experience also increased anxiety-like behavior and reduced locomotor activity. Using ΔFosB-immunoreactive (ΔFosB-ir) staining as a marker of neuronal activation in the brain, we found significant elevations by social defeat experience in the density of ΔFosB-ir stained neurons in several brain regions, including the prelimbic (PL) and infralimbic (IL) subnuclei of the prefrontal cortex (PFC), CA1 subfields (CA1) of the hippocampus, central subnuclei of the amygdala (CeA), the paraventricular nucleus (PVN), dorsomedial nucleus (DMH), and ventrolateral subdivision of the ventromedial nucleus (VMHvl) of the hypothalamus. As these brain regions have been implicated in social behaviors and stress responses, our data suggest that the specific patterns of neuronal activation in the brain may relate to the altered social and anxiety-like behaviors following chronic social defeat in female Mongolian gerbils.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yongliang Pan
- Key Laboratory of Vector Biology and Pathogen Control of Zhejiang Province, Huzhou Central Hospital, Huzhou University, Huzhou 313000, China.
| | - Qiuyue Mou
- Key Laboratory of Vector Biology and Pathogen Control of Zhejiang Province, Huzhou Central Hospital, Huzhou University, Huzhou 313000, China
| | - Zhexue Huang
- Key Laboratory of Vector Biology and Pathogen Control of Zhejiang Province, Huzhou Central Hospital, Huzhou University, Huzhou 313000, China
| | - Senyao Chen
- Key Laboratory of Vector Biology and Pathogen Control of Zhejiang Province, Huzhou Central Hospital, Huzhou University, Huzhou 313000, China
| | - Yilei Shi
- Key Laboratory of Vector Biology and Pathogen Control of Zhejiang Province, Huzhou Central Hospital, Huzhou University, Huzhou 313000, China
| | - Mengfan Ye
- Key Laboratory of Vector Biology and Pathogen Control of Zhejiang Province, Huzhou Central Hospital, Huzhou University, Huzhou 313000, China
| | - Mingqin Shao
- College of Life Science, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, 330022, China
| | - Zuoxin Wang
- Department of Psychology and Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Morgan AA, Alves ND, Stevens GS, Yeasmin TT, Mackay A, Power S, Sargin D, Hanna C, Adib AL, Ziolkowski-Blake A, Lambe EK, Ansorge MS. Medial Prefrontal Cortex Serotonin Input Regulates Cognitive Flexibility in Mice. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.30.534775. [PMID: 37034804 PMCID: PMC10081203 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.30.534775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) regulates cognitive flexibility and emotional behavior. Neurons that release serotonin project to the mPFC, and serotonergic drugs influence emotion and cognition. Yet, the specific roles of endogenous serotonin release in the mPFC on neurophysiology and behavior are unknown. We show that axonal serotonin release in the mPFC directly inhibits the major mPFC output neurons. In serotonergic neurons projecting from the dorsal raphe to the mPFC, we find endogenous activity signatures pre-reward retrieval and at reward retrieval during a cognitive flexibility task. In vivo optogenetic activation of this pathway during pre-reward retrieval selectively improved extradimensional rule shift performance while inhibition impaired it, demonstrating sufficiency and necessity for mPFC serotonin release in cognitive flexibility. Locomotor activity and anxiety-like behavior were not affected by either optogenetic manipulation. Collectively, our data reveal a powerful and specific modulatory role of endogenous serotonin release from dorsal raphe-to-mPFC projecting neurons in cognitive flexibility.
Collapse
|
6
|
Mendes-Silva AP, Prevot TD, Banasr M, Sibille E, Diniz BS. Abnormal expression of cortical cell cycle regulators underlying anxiety and depressive-like behavior in mice exposed to chronic stress. Front Cell Neurosci 2022; 16:999303. [PMID: 36568887 PMCID: PMC9772437 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2022.999303] [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] [Received: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The cell cycle is a critical mechanism for proper cellular growth, development and viability. The p16INK4a and p21Waf1/Cip1 are important regulators of the cell cycle progression in response to internal and external stimuli (e.g., stress). Accumulating evidence indicates that the prefrontal cortex (PFC) is particularly vulnerable to stress, where stress induces, among others, molecular and morphological alterations, reflecting behavioral changes. Here, we investigated if the p16INK4a and p21Waf1/Cip1 expression are associated with behavioral outcomes. Methods Prefrontal cortex mRNA and protein levels of p16INK4A and p21Waf1/Cip1 of mice (six independent groups of C57BL/6J, eight mice/group, 50% female) exposed from 0 to 35 days of chronic restraint stress (CRS) were quantified by qPCR and Western Blot, respectively. Correlation analyses were used to investigate the associations between cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors (CKIs) expression and anxiety- and depression-like behaviors. Results Our results showed that the PFC activated the cell cycle regulation pathways mediated by both CKIs p16INK4A and p21Waf1/Cip1 in mice exposed to CRS, with overall decreased mRNA expression and increased protein expression. Moreover, correlation analysis revealed that mRNA and protein levels are statistically significant correlated with anxiety and depressive-like behavior showing a greater effect in males than females. Conclusion Our present study extends the existing literature providing evidence that PFC cells respond to chronic stress exposure by overexpressing CKIs. Furthermore, our findings indicated that abnormal expression of p16INK4A and p21Waf1/Cip1 may significantly contribute to non-adaptive behavioral responses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ana Paula Mendes-Silva
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Toronto, ON, Canada,*Correspondence: Ana Paula Mendes-Silva,
| | - Thomas Damien Prevot
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Toronto, ON, Canada,Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Mounira Banasr
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Toronto, ON, Canada,Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada,Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Etienne Sibille
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Toronto, ON, Canada,Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada,Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Breno Satler Diniz
- School of Medicine, Center on Aging, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT, United States,Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Connecticut, Farmington, CT, United States
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Li X, Sun H, Zhu Y, Wang F, Wang X, Han L, Cui D, Luo D, Zhai Y, Zhuo L, Xu X, Yang J, Li Y. Dysregulation of prefrontal parvalbumin interneurons leads to adult aggression induced by social isolation stress during adolescence. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:1010152. [PMID: 36267698 PMCID: PMC9577330 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.1010152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Social isolation during the juvenile stage results in structural and functional impairment of the brain and deviant adult aggression. However, the specific subregions and cell types that underpin this deviant behavior are still largely unknown. Here, we found that adolescent social isolation led to a shortened latency to attack onset and extended the average attack time, accompanied by anxiety-like behavior and deficits in social preference in adult mice. However, when exposed to social isolation during adulthood, the mice did not show these phenotypes. We also found that the structural plasticity of prefrontal pyramidal neurons, including the dendritic complexity and spine ratio, was impaired in mice exposed to adolescent social isolation. The parvalbumin (PV) interneurons in the prefrontal infralimbic cortex (IL) are highly vulnerable to juvenile social isolation and exhibit decreased cell numbers and reduced activation in adulthood. Moreover, chemogenetic inactivation of IL-PV interneurons can mimic juvenile social isolation-induced deviant aggression and social preference. Conversely, artificial activation of IL-PV interneurons significantly attenuated deviant aggression and rescued social preference during adulthood in mice exposed to adolescent social isolation. These findings implicate juvenile social isolation-induced damage to IL-PV interneurons in long-term aggressive behavior in adulthood.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xinyang Li
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine & Center for Brain Science, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Huan Sun
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine & Center for Brain Science, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Yuanyuan Zhu
- Department of Neurobiology, Institute of Neurosciences, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Feidi Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine & Center for Brain Science, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Xiaodan Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine & Center for Brain Science, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Lin Han
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Genes Related to Diseases, Ministry of Education of China, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Dongqi Cui
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine & Center for Brain Science, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Danlei Luo
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine & Center for Brain Science, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Yifang Zhai
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine & Center for Brain Science, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Lixia Zhuo
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine & Center for Brain Science, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Xiangzhao Xu
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine & Center for Brain Science, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Jian Yang
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
- Jian Yang,
| | - Yan Li
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine & Center for Brain Science, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
- *Correspondence: Yan Li,
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Nishimura KJ, Poulos A, Drew MR, Rajbhandari AK. Know thy SEFL: Fear sensitization and its relevance to stressor-related disorders. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 142:104884. [PMID: 36174795 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Revised: 09/07/2022] [Accepted: 09/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Extreme stress can cause long-lasting changes in affective behavior manifesting in conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Understanding the biological mechanisms that govern trauma-induced behavioral dysregulation requires reliable and rigorous pre-clinical models that recapitulate multiple facets of this complex disease. For decades, Pavlovian fear conditioning has been a dominant paradigm for studying the effects of trauma through an associative learning framework. However, severe stress also causes long-lasting nonassociative fear sensitization, which is often overlooked in Pavlovian fear conditioning studies. This paper synthesizes recent research on the stress-enhanced fear learning (SEFL) paradigm, a valuable rodent model that can dissociate associative and nonassociative effects of stress. We discuss evidence that the SEFL paradigm produces nonassociative fear sensitization that is distinguishable from Pavlovian fear conditioning. We also discuss key biological variables, such as age and sex, neural circuit mechanisms, and crucial gaps in knowledge. We argue that nonassociative fear sensitization deserves more attention within current PTSD models and that SEFL provides a valuable complement to Pavlovian conditioning research on trauma-related pathology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kenji J Nishimura
- Center for Learning and Memory, Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA, 78712
| | - Andrew Poulos
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience Research, State University of New York at Albany, Albany, USA, 12222
| | - Michael R Drew
- Center for Learning and Memory, Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA, 78712
| | | |
Collapse
|
9
|
Mack NR, Deng SX, Yang SS, Shu YS, Gao WJ. Prefrontal Cortical Control of Anxiety: Recent Advances. Neuroscientist 2022:10738584211069071. [PMID: 35086369 PMCID: PMC9869286 DOI: 10.1177/10738584211069071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Dysfunction in the prefrontal cortex is commonly implicated in anxiety disorders, but the mechanisms remain unclear. Approach-avoidance conflict tasks have been extensively used in animal research to better understand how changes in neural activity within the prefrontal cortex contribute to avoidance behaviors, which are believed to play a major role in the maintenance of anxiety disorders. In this article, we first review studies utilizing in vivo electrophysiology to reveal the relationship between changes in neural activity and avoidance behavior in rodents. We then review recent studies that take advantage of optical and genetic techniques to test the unique contribution of specific prefrontal cortex circuits and cell types to the control of anxiety-related avoidance behaviors. This new body of work reveals that behavior during approach-avoidance conflict is dynamically modulated by individual cell types, distinct neural pathways, and specific oscillatory frequencies. The integration of these different pathways, particularly as mediated by interactions between excitatory and inhibitory neurons, represents an exciting opportunity for the future of understanding anxiety.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nancy R. Mack
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129
| | - Sui-Xin Deng
- Department of Neurology, Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Institute for Translational Brain Research, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Sha-Sha Yang
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129
| | - You-Sheng Shu
- Department of Neurology, Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Institute for Translational Brain Research, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China,Corresponding author: You-Sheng Shu, Ph.D., Department of Neurology, Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Institute for Translational Brain Research, Fudan University, 131 Dong’an Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai, 200032, China, ; Wen-Jun Gao, M.D., Ph.D.,
| | - Wen-Jun Gao
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129,Corresponding author: You-Sheng Shu, Ph.D., Department of Neurology, Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Institute for Translational Brain Research, Fudan University, 131 Dong’an Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai, 200032, China, ; Wen-Jun Gao, M.D., Ph.D.,
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Santos-Costa N, Baptista-de-Souza D, Canto-de-Souza L, Fresca da Costa V, Nunes-de-Souza RL. Glutamatergic Neurotransmission Controls the Functional Lateralization of the mPFC in the Modulation of Anxiety Induced by Social Defeat Stress in Male Mice. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 15:695735. [PMID: 34497496 PMCID: PMC8419264 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.695735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
The rodent medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is anatomically divided into cingulate (Cg1), prelimbic (PrL), and infralimbic (IL) subareas. The left and right mPFC (L and RmPFC) process emotional responses induced by stress-related stimuli, and LmPFC and RmPFC inhibition elicit anxiogenesis and anxiolysis, respectively. Here we sought to investigate (i) the mPFC functional laterality on social avoidance/anxiogenic-like behaviors in male mice subjected to chronic social defeat stress (SDS), (ii) the effects of left prelimbic (PrL) inhibition (with local injection of CoCl2) on the RmPFC glutamatergic neuronal activation pattern (immunofluorescence assay), and (iii) the effects of the dorsal right mPFC (Cg1 + PrL) NMDA receptor blockade (with local injection of AP7) on the anxiety induced by left dorsal mPFC inhibition in mice exposed to the elevated plus maze (EPM). Results showed that chronic SDS induced anxiogenic-like behaviors followed by the rise of ΔFosB labeling and by ΔFosB + CaMKII double-labeling bilaterally in the Cg1 and IL subareas of the mPFC. Chronic SDS also increased ΔFosB and by ΔFosB + CaMKII labeling only on the right PrL. Also, the left PrL inhibition increased cFos + CaMKII labeling in the contralateral PrL and IL. Moreover, anxiogenesis induced by the left PrL inhibition was blocked by NMDA receptor antagonist AP7 injected into the right PrL. These findings suggest the lateralized control of the glutamatergic neurotransmission in the modulation of emotional-like responses in mice subjected to chronic SDS.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nathália Santos-Costa
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Araraquara, Brazil.,Joint Graduate Program in Physiological Sciences (PIPGCF) UFSCar- Universidade Estadual Paulista, São Carlos, Brazil
| | - Daniela Baptista-de-Souza
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Araraquara, Brazil
| | - Lucas Canto-de-Souza
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Araraquara, Brazil
| | - Vinícius Fresca da Costa
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Araraquara, Brazil.,Joint Graduate Program in Physiological Sciences (PIPGCF) UFSCar- Universidade Estadual Paulista, São Carlos, Brazil
| | - Ricardo Luiz Nunes-de-Souza
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Araraquara, Brazil.,Joint Graduate Program in Physiological Sciences (PIPGCF) UFSCar- Universidade Estadual Paulista, São Carlos, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Chen YH, Wu JL, Hu NY, Zhuang JP, Li WP, Zhang SR, Li XW, Yang JM, Gao TM. Distinct projections from the infralimbic cortex exert opposing effects in modulating anxiety and fear. J Clin Invest 2021; 131:e145692. [PMID: 34263737 DOI: 10.1172/jci145692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Anxiety-related disorders can be treated by cognitive therapies and transcranial magnetic stimulation, which involve the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Subregions of the mPFC have been implicated in mediating different and even opposite roles in anxiety-related behaviors. However, precise causal targets of these top-down connections among diverse possibilities have not been established. Here, we show that the lateral septum (LS) and the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) represent 2 direct targets of the infralimbic cortex (IL), a subregion of the mPFC that modulates anxiety and fear. Two projections were unexpectedly found to exert opposite effects on the anxious state and learned freezing: the IL-LS projection promoted anxiety-related behaviors and fear-related freezing, whereas the IL-CeA projection exerted anxiolytic and fear-releasing effects for the same features. Furthermore, selective inhibition of corresponding circuit elements showed opposing behavioral effects compared with excitation. Notably, the IL-CeA projection implemented top-down control of the stress-induced high-anxiety state. These results suggest that distinct IL outputs exert opposite effects in modulating anxiety and fear and that modulating the excitability of these projections with distinct strategies may be beneficial for the treatment of anxiety disorders.
Collapse
|
12
|
Xu J, Casanave R, Guo S. Larval zebrafish display dynamic learning of aversive stimuli in a constant visual surrounding. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2021; 28:228-238. [PMID: 34131054 PMCID: PMC8212779 DOI: 10.1101/lm.053425.121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2021] [Accepted: 05/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Balancing exploration and anti-predation are fundamental to the fitness and survival of all animal species from early life stages. How these basic survival instincts drive learning remains poorly understood. Here, using a light/dark preference paradigm with well-controlled luminance history and constant visual surrounding in larval zebrafish, we analyzed intra- and intertrial dynamics for two behavioral components, dark avoidance and center avoidance. We uncover that larval zebrafish display short-term learning of dark avoidance with initial sensitization followed by habituation; they also exhibit long-term learning that is sensitive to trial interval length. We further show that such stereotyped learning patterns is stimulus-specific, as they are not observed for center avoidance. Finally, we demonstrate at individual levels that long-term learning is under homeostatic control. Together, our work has established a novel paradigm to understand learning, uncovered sequential sensitization and habituation, and demonstrated stimulus specificity, individuality, as well as dynamicity in learning.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jiale Xu
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California at San Francisico, San Francisco, California 94158, USA
| | - Romelo Casanave
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California at San Francisico, San Francisco, California 94158, USA
| | - Su Guo
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California at San Francisico, San Francisco, California 94158, USA.,Program in Human Genetics, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158, USA.,Program in Biological Sciences, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158, USA
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
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.
Collapse
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
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Differential Effects of Dorsal and Ventral Medial Prefrontal Cortex Inactivation during Natural Reward Seeking, Extinction, and Cue-Induced Reinstatement. eNeuro 2019; 6:ENEURO.0296-19.2019. [PMID: 31519696 PMCID: PMC6763834 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0296-19.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2019] [Accepted: 08/24/2019] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Rodent dorsal medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), typically prelimbic cortex, is often described as promoting actions such as reward seeking, whereas ventral mPFC, typically infralimbic cortex, is thought to promote response inhibition. However, both dorsal and ventral mPFC are necessary for both expression and suppression of different behaviors, and each region may contribute to different functions depending on the specifics of the behavior tested. To better understand the roles of dorsal and ventral mPFC in motivated behavior we pharmacologically inactivated each area during operant fixed ratio 1 (FR1) seeking for a natural reward (sucrose), extinction, cue-induced reinstatement, and progressive ratio (PR) sucrose seeking in male Long–Evans rats. Bilateral inactivation of dorsal mPFC, but not ventral mPFC increased reward seeking during FR1. Inactivation of both dorsal and ventral mPFC decreased seeking during extinction. Bilateral inactivation of ventral mPFC, but not dorsal mPFC decreased reward seeking during cue-induced reinstatement. No effect of inactivation was found during PR. Our data contrast sharply with observations seen during drug seeking and fear conditioning, indicating that previously established roles of dorsal mPFC = going versus ventral mPFC = stopping are not applicable to all motivated behaviors and/or outcomes. Our results indicate that dichotomous functions of dorsal versus ventral mPFC, if they exist, may align better with other models, or may require the development of a new framework in which these multifaceted brain areas play different roles in action control depending on the behavioral context in which they are engaged.
Collapse
|
15
|
Godoy LD, Rossignoli MT, Delfino-Pereira P, Garcia-Cairasco N, de Lima Umeoka EH. A Comprehensive Overview on Stress Neurobiology: Basic Concepts and Clinical Implications. Front Behav Neurosci 2018; 12:127. [PMID: 30034327 PMCID: PMC6043787 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 336] [Impact Index Per Article: 56.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2018] [Accepted: 06/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Stress is recognized as an important issue in basic and clinical neuroscience research, based upon the founding historical studies by Walter Canon and Hans Selye in the past century, when the concept of stress emerged in a biological and adaptive perspective. A lot of research after that period has expanded the knowledge in the stress field. Since then, it was discovered that the response to stressful stimuli is elaborated and triggered by the, now known, stress system, which integrates a wide diversity of brain structures that, collectively, are able to detect events and interpret them as real or potential threats. However, different types of stressors engage different brain networks, requiring a fine-tuned functional neuroanatomical processing. This integration of information from the stressor itself may result in a rapid activation of the Sympathetic-Adreno-Medullar (SAM) axis and the Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis, the two major components involved in the stress response. The complexity of the stress response is not restricted to neuroanatomy or to SAM and HPA axes mediators, but also diverge according to timing and duration of stressor exposure, as well as its short- and/or long-term consequences. The identification of neuronal circuits of stress, as well as their interaction with mediator molecules over time is critical, not only for understanding the physiological stress responses, but also to understand their implications on mental health.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lívea Dornela Godoy
- Physiology Department, Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Matheus Teixeira Rossignoli
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavioral Sciences, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Polianna Delfino-Pereira
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavioral Sciences, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Norberto Garcia-Cairasco
- Physiology Department, Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavioral Sciences, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Eduardo Henrique de Lima Umeoka
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavioral Sciences, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Dittert N, Hüttner S, Polak T, Herrmann MJ. Augmentation of Fear Extinction by Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS). Front Behav Neurosci 2018; 12:76. [PMID: 29922133 PMCID: PMC5996916 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2018] [Accepted: 04/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Although posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD; DSM-V 309.82) and anxiety disorders (DSM-V 300.xx) are widely spread mental disorders, the effectiveness of their therapy is still unsatisfying. Non-invasive brain-stimulation techniques like transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) might be an option to improve extinction learning, which is a main functional factor of exposure-based therapy for anxiety disorders. To examine this hypothesis, we used a fear conditioning paradigm with female faces as conditioned stimuli (CS) and a 95-dB female scream as unconditioned stimulus (UCS). We aimed to perform a tDCS of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), which is mainly involved in the control of extinction-processes. Therefore, we applied two 4 × 4 cm electrodes approximately at the EEG-positions F7 and F8 and used a direct current of 1.5 mA. The 20-min stimulation was started during a 10-min break between acquisition and extinction and went on overall extinction-trials. The healthy participants were randomly assigned in two double-blinded process into two sham stimulation and two verum stimulation groups with opposite current flow directions. To measure the fear reactions, we used skin conductance responses (SCR) and subjective ratings. We performed a generalized estimating equations model for the SCR to assess the impact of tDCS and current flow direction on extinction processes for all subjects that showed a successful conditioning (N = 84). The results indicate that tDCS accelerates early extinction processes with a significantly faster loss of CS+/CS– discrimination. The discrimination loss was driven by a significant decrease in reaction toward the CS+ as well as an increase in reaction toward the CS– in the tDCS verum groups, whereas the sham groups showed no significant reaction changes during this period. Therefore, we assume that tDCS of the vmPFC can be used to enhance early extinction processes successfully. But before it should be tested in a clinical context further investigation is needed to assess the reason for the reaction increase on CS–. If this negative side effect can be avoided, tDCS may be a tool to improve exposure-based anxiety therapies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Natalie Dittert
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, Center of Mental Health, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Sandrina Hüttner
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, Center of Mental Health, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Thomas Polak
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, Center of Mental Health, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Martin J Herrmann
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, Center of Mental Health, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Onishi O, Ikoma K, Oda R, Yamazaki T, Fujiwara H, Yamada S, Tanaka M, Kubo T. Sequential variation in brain functional magnetic resonance imaging after peripheral nerve injury: A rat study. Neurosci Lett 2018. [PMID: 29524643 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2018.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Although treatment protocols are available, patients experience both acute neuropathic pain and chronic neuropathic pain, hyperalgesia, and allodynia after peripheral nerve injury. The purpose of this study was to identify the brain regions activated after peripheral nerve injury using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) sequentially and assess the relevance of the imaging results using histological findings. To model peripheral nerve injury in male Sprague-Dawley rats, the right sciatic nerve was crushed using an aneurysm clip, under general anesthesia. We used a 7.04T MRI system. T2* weighted image, coronal slice, repetition time, 7 ms; echo time, 3.3 ms; field of view, 30 mm × 30 mm; pixel matrix, 64 × 64 by zero-filling; slice thickness, 2 mm; numbers of slices, 9; numbers of average, 2; and flip angle, 8°. fMR images were acquired during electrical stimulation to the rat's foot sole; after 90 min, c-Fos immunohistochemical staining of the brain was performed in rats with induced peripheral nerve injury for 3, 6, and 9 weeks. Data were pre-processed by realignment in the Statistical Parametric Mapping 8 software. A General Linear Model first level analysis was used to obtain T-values. One week after the injury, significant changes were detected in the cingulate cortex, insular cortex, amygdala, and basal ganglia; at 6 weeks, the brain regions with significant changes in signal density were contracted; at 9 weeks, the amygdala and hippocampus showed activation. Histological findings of the rat brain supported the fMRI findings. We detected sequential activation in the rat brain using fMRI after sciatic nerve injury. Many brain regions were activated during the acute stage of peripheral nerve injury. Conversely, during the chronic stage, activation of the amygdala and hippocampus may be related to chronic-stage hyperalgesia, allodynia, and chronic neuropathic pain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Okihiro Onishi
- Department of Orthopaedics, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, 602-8566 465, Kajiicho, Kamigyo-ku Kyoto-shi, Kyoto, Japan.
| | - Kazuya Ikoma
- Department of Orthopaedics, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, 602-8566 465, Kajiicho, Kamigyo-ku Kyoto-shi, Kyoto, Japan.
| | - Ryo Oda
- Department of Orthopaedics, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, 602-8566 465, Kajiicho, Kamigyo-ku Kyoto-shi, Kyoto, Japan.
| | - Tetsuro Yamazaki
- Department of Orthopaedics, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, 602-8566 465, Kajiicho, Kamigyo-ku Kyoto-shi, Kyoto, Japan.
| | - Hiroyoshi Fujiwara
- Department of Orthopaedics, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, 602-8566 465, Kajiicho, Kamigyo-ku Kyoto-shi, Kyoto, Japan.
| | - Shunji Yamada
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, 602-8566 465, Kajiicho, Kamigyo-ku Kyoto-shi, Kyoto, Japan.
| | - Masaki Tanaka
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, 602-8566 465, Kajiicho, Kamigyo-ku Kyoto-shi, Kyoto, Japan.
| | - Toshikazu Kubo
- Department of Orthopaedics, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, 602-8566 465, Kajiicho, Kamigyo-ku Kyoto-shi, Kyoto, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Pati S, Sood A, Mukhopadhyay S, Vaidya VA. Acute pharmacogenetic activation of medial prefrontal cortex excitatory neurons regulates anxiety-like behaviour. J Biosci 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s12038-018-9732-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
|
19
|
Mannewitz A, Bock J, Kreitz S, Hess A, Goldschmidt J, Scheich H, Braun K. Comparing brain activity patterns during spontaneous exploratory and cue-instructed learning using single photon-emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging of regional cerebral blood flow in freely behaving rats. Brain Struct Funct 2018; 223:2025-2038. [PMID: 29340757 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-017-1605-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2017] [Accepted: 12/27/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Learning can be categorized into cue-instructed and spontaneous learning types; however, so far, there is no detailed comparative analysis of specific brain pathways involved in these learning types. The aim of this study was to compare brain activity patterns during these learning tasks using the in vivo imaging technique of single photon-emission computed tomography (SPECT) of regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF). During spontaneous exploratory learning, higher levels of rCBF compared to cue-instructed learning were observed in motor control regions, including specific subregions of the motor cortex and the striatum, as well as in regions of sensory pathways including olfactory, somatosensory, and visual modalities. In addition, elevated activity was found in limbic areas, including specific subregions of the hippocampal formation, the amygdala, and the insula. The main difference between the two learning paradigms analyzed in this study was the higher rCBF observed in prefrontal cortical regions during cue-instructed learning when compared to spontaneous learning. Higher rCBF during cue-instructed learning was also observed in the anterior insular cortex and in limbic areas, including the ectorhinal and entorhinal cortexes, subregions of the hippocampus, subnuclei of the amygdala, and the septum. Many of the rCBF changes showed hemispheric lateralization. Taken together, our study is the first to compare partly lateralized brain activity patterns during two different types of learning.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- A Mannewitz
- Department of Zoology/Developmental Neurobiology, Institute of Biology, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Leipziger Straße 44, Bldg. 91, Magdeburg, 39120, Germany
| | - J Bock
- "Epigenetics and Structural Plasticity", Institute of Biology, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany.,Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - S Kreitz
- Institute of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Friedrich-Alexander University, Fahrstr. 17, 91054, Erlangen, Germany
| | - A Hess
- Institute of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Friedrich-Alexander University, Fahrstr. 17, 91054, Erlangen, Germany
| | - J Goldschmidt
- Department Acoustics, Learning and Speech, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany.,Department Systems Physiology, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany.,Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - H Scheich
- Department Acoustics, Learning and Speech, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany.,Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Katharina Braun
- Department of Zoology/Developmental Neurobiology, Institute of Biology, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Leipziger Straße 44, Bldg. 91, Magdeburg, 39120, Germany. .,Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Magdeburg, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
|
21
|
Kirlic N, Young J, Aupperle RL. Animal to human translational paradigms relevant for approach avoidance conflict decision making. Behav Res Ther 2017; 96:14-29. [PMID: 28495358 DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2017.04.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2016] [Revised: 04/17/2017] [Accepted: 04/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Avoidance behavior in clinical anxiety disorders is often a decision made in response to approach-avoidance conflict, resulting in a sacrifice of potential rewards to avoid potential negative affective consequences. Animal research has a long history of relying on paradigms related to approach-avoidance conflict to model anxiety-relevant behavior. This approach includes punishment-based conflict, exploratory, and social interaction tasks. There has been a recent surge of interest in the translation of paradigms from animal to human, in efforts to increase generalization of findings and support the development of more effective mental health treatments. This article briefly reviews animal tests related to approach-avoidance conflict and results from lesion and pharmacologic studies utilizing these tests. We then provide a description of translational human paradigms that have been developed to tap into related constructs, summarizing behavioral and neuroimaging findings. Similarities and differences in findings from analogous animal and human paradigms are discussed. Lastly, we highlight opportunities for future research and paradigm development that will support the clinical utility of this translational work.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Namik Kirlic
- Laureate Institute for Brain Research, 6655 S Yale Ave, Tulsa, OK 74136, United States.
| | - Jared Young
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive MC 0804, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States; VA San Diego Healthcare System, 3350 La Jolla Village Dr, San Diego, CA 92161, United States.
| | - Robin L Aupperle
- Laureate Institute for Brain Research, 6655 S Yale Ave, Tulsa, OK 74136, United States; School of Community Medicine, University of Tulsa, 800 S Tucker Dr, Tulsa, OK 74104, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Schayek R, Maroun M. Dissociation in the effects of stress and D1 receptors activation on basolateral amygdalar LTP in juvenile and adult animals. Neuropharmacology 2017; 113:511-518. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2016.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2016] [Revised: 10/28/2016] [Accepted: 11/02/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
|
23
|
Kuniishi H, Ichisaka S, Matsuda S, Futora E, Harada R, Hata Y. Chronic Inactivation of the Orbitofrontal Cortex Increases Anxiety-Like Behavior and Impulsive Aggression, but Decreases Depression-Like Behavior in Rats. Front Behav Neurosci 2017; 10:250. [PMID: 28167902 PMCID: PMC5253363 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2016.00250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2016] [Accepted: 12/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) is involved in emotional processing, and orbitofrontal abnormalities have often been observed in various affective disorders. Thus, chronic dysfunction of the OFC may cause symptoms of affective disorders, such as anxiety, depression and impulsivity. Previous studies have investigated the effect of orbitofrontal dysfunction on anxiety-like behavior and impulsive aggression in rodents, but the results are inconsistent possibly reflecting different methods of OFC inactivation. These studies used either a lesion of the OFC, which may affect other brain regions, or a transient inactivation of the OFC, whose effect may be restored in time and not reflect effects of chronic OFC dysfunction. In addition, there has been no study on the effect of orbitofrontal inactivation on depression-like behavior in rodents. Therefore, the present study examined whether chronic inactivation of the OFC by continuous infusion of a GABAA receptor agonist, muscimol, causes behavioral abnormalities in rats. Muscimol infusion inactivated the ventral and lateral part of the OFC. Following a week of OFC inactivation, the animals showed an increase in anxiety-like behavior in the open field test and light-dark test. Impulsive aggression was also augmented in the chronically OFC-inactivated animals because they showed increased frequency of fighting behavior induced by electric foot shock. On the other hand, chronic OFC inactivation reduced depression-like behavior as evaluated by the forced swim test. Additionally, it did not cause a significant change in corticosterone secretion in response to restraint stress. These data suggest that orbitofrontal neural activity is involved in the regulation of anxiety- and depression-like behaviors and impulsive aggression in rodents.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hiroshi Kuniishi
- Division of Integrative Bioscience, Institute of Regenerative Medicine and Biofunction, Tottori University Graduate School of Medical Sciences Yonago, Japan
| | - Satoshi Ichisaka
- Division of Neurobiology, School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University Yonago, Japan
| | - Sae Matsuda
- Division of Integrative Bioscience, Institute of Regenerative Medicine and Biofunction, Tottori University Graduate School of Medical Sciences Yonago, Japan
| | - Eri Futora
- Division of Neurobiology, School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University Yonago, Japan
| | - Riho Harada
- Division of Neurobiology, School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University Yonago, Japan
| | - Yoshio Hata
- Division of Integrative Bioscience, Institute of Regenerative Medicine and Biofunction, Tottori University Graduate School of Medical Sciences Yonago, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Costa N, Vicente M, Cipriano A, Miguel T, Nunes-de-Souza R. Functional lateralization of the medial prefrontal cortex in the modulation of anxiety in mice: Left or right? Neuropharmacology 2016; 108:82-90. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2016.04.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2015] [Revised: 04/04/2016] [Accepted: 04/10/2016] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
|
25
|
The infralimbic and prelimbic medial prefrontal cortices have differential functions in the expression of anxiety-like behaviors in mice. Behav Brain Res 2016; 304:120-4. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2016.01.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2015] [Revised: 01/15/2016] [Accepted: 01/17/2016] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
|
26
|
Halladay LR, Blair HT. Prefrontal infralimbic cortex mediates competition between excitation and inhibition of body movements during pavlovian fear conditioning. J Neurosci Res 2016; 95:853-862. [PMID: 26997207 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.23736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2015] [Revised: 02/29/2016] [Accepted: 02/29/2016] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
The infralimbic subregion of the prefrontal cortex (IL) is broadly involved in behavioral flexibility, risk assessment, and outcome reinforcement. In aversive conditioning tasks, the IL has been implicated in fear extinction and in mediating transitions between Pavlovian and instrumental responses. Here we examine the role of the IL in mediating transitions between two competing Pavlovian fear responses, conditioned motor inhibition (CMI) and conditioned motor excitation (CME). Rats were trained to fear an auditory conditioned stimulus (CS) by pairing it with periorbital shock to one eyelid (the unconditioned stimulus [US]). Trained animals exhibited CMI responses (movement suppression) to the CS when they had not recently encountered the US (>24 hr), but, after recent encounters with the US (<5 min), the CS evoked CME responses (turning in circles away from anticipated shock). Animals then received bilateral infusions of muscimol or picrotoxin to inactivate or hyperactivate the IL, respectively. Neither drug reliably affected CMI responses, but there was a bidirectional effect on CME responses; inactivation of the IL attenuated CME responses, whereas hyperactivation potentiated CME responses. These results provide evidence that activation of the IL may promote behavioral strategies that involve mobilizing the body and suppress strategies that involve immobilizing the body. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay R Halladay
- Department of Psychology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California.,National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Hugh T Blair
- Department of Psychology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Vila-Verde C, Marinho ALZ, Lisboa SF, Guimarães FS. Nitric oxide in the prelimbic medial prefrontal cortex is involved in the anxiogenic-like effect induced by acute restraint stress in rats. Neuroscience 2016; 320:30-42. [PMID: 26812037 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2016.01.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2015] [Revised: 01/02/2016] [Accepted: 01/18/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Neurons containing the neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) enzyme are located in brain areas related to defensive behavior, such as the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vMPFC). Rats exposed to a live predator (a cat) present anxiety-like behavior and an increased number of nNOS-positive neurons in this brain area one-week later. Moreover, stress-related behavioral changes in rodents can be prevented by systemic or local vMPFC nNOS inhibition. In the present study we investigated if acute restraint stress (RS)-induced delayed (one-week) anxiogenic-like effect was associated with increased nNOS expression or activity in the vMPFC. Furthermore, we also tested if local pharmacological nNOS inhibition would prevent stress-induced behavioral changes. Male Wistar rats were submitted to RS for 3h and tested in the elevated plus maze (EPM) 24h or 7 days later. Two hours after the EPM test, their brains were removed, processed and nNOS expression in the vMPFC was evaluated by immunohistochemistry. Another group of animals was used for measuring NO metabolites (NOx; an indirect measure of NOS activity) immediately after the EPM test, 24h after RS. Independent groups had guide cannula implanted bilaterally into the prelimbic (PL) portion of vMPFC. Five to six days after surgery, the animals were submitted to RS and 24h later received local administration of the nNOS inhibitor, N-propyl-l-arginine (NPLA; 0.04 nmol). They were tested in the EPM 10 min later. RS-induced anxiogenic-like effect was accompanied by increased nNOS expression in the PL (p<0.05), but not in the infralimbic (IL) vMPFC, both 24h and 7 days after RS. Moreover, open-arm exploration of the EPM was negatively correlated with nNOS expression (p<0.05) and NOx levels (p<0.05) in the PL. The anxiogenic-like effect observed 24h after RS was prevented by NPLA (p<0.05). Our results suggest that RS-induced anxiogenic-like effect might depend on increased nNOS-mediated signaling in the PL MPFC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- C Vila-Verde
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical School of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil; Center for Interdisciplinary Research on Applied Neurosciences (NAPNA), University of São Paulo, Brazil.
| | - A L Z Marinho
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical School of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil; Center for Interdisciplinary Research on Applied Neurosciences (NAPNA), University of São Paulo, Brazil
| | - S F Lisboa
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical School of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil; Center for Interdisciplinary Research on Applied Neurosciences (NAPNA), University of São Paulo, Brazil.
| | - F S Guimarães
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical School of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil; Center for Interdisciplinary Research on Applied Neurosciences (NAPNA), University of São Paulo, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Adhikari A, Lerner TN, Finkelstein J, Pak S, Jennings JH, Davidson TJ, Ferenczi E, Gunaydin LA, Mirzabekov JJ, Ye L, Kim SY, Lei A, Deisseroth K. Basomedial amygdala mediates top-down control of anxiety and fear. Nature 2015; 527:179-85. [PMID: 26536109 PMCID: PMC4780260 DOI: 10.1038/nature15698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 332] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2014] [Accepted: 09/04/2015] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Anxiety-related conditions are among the most difficult neuropsychiatric diseases to treat pharmacologically, but respond to cognitive therapies. There has therefore been interest in identifying relevant top-down pathways from cognitive control regions in medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Identification of such pathways could contribute to our understanding of the cognitive regulation of affect, and provide pathways for intervention. Previous studies have suggested that dorsal and ventral mPFC subregions exert opposing effects on fear, as do subregions of other structures. However, precise causal targets for top-down connections among these diverse possibilities have not been established. Here we show that the basomedial amygdala (BMA) represents the major target of ventral mPFC in amygdala in mice. Moreover, BMA neurons differentiate safe and aversive environments, and BMA activation decreases fear-related freezing and high-anxiety states. Lastly, we show that the ventral mPFC-BMA projection implements top-down control of anxiety state and learned freezing, both at baseline and in stress-induced anxiety, defining a broadly relevant new top-down behavioural regulation pathway.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Avishek Adhikari
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA.,CNC Program, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94304, USA
| | - Talia N Lerner
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA.,CNC Program, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94304, USA
| | - Joel Finkelstein
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA
| | - Sally Pak
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA
| | - Joshua H Jennings
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA.,CNC Program, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94304, USA
| | - Thomas J Davidson
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA.,CNC Program, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94304, USA
| | - Emily Ferenczi
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA.,Neurosciences Program, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA
| | - Lisa A Gunaydin
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA.,Neurosciences Program, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA
| | - Julie J Mirzabekov
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA
| | - Li Ye
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA.,CNC Program, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94304, USA
| | - Sung-Yon Kim
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA.,Neurosciences Program, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA
| | - Anna Lei
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA
| | - Karl Deisseroth
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA.,CNC Program, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94304, USA.,Neurosciences Program, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Viggiano A, Cacciola G, Widmer DAJ, Viggiano D. Anxiety as a neurodevelopmental disorder in a neuronal subpopulation: Evidence from gene expression data. Psychiatry Res 2015; 228:729-40. [PMID: 26089015 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2015.05.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2015] [Revised: 05/14/2015] [Accepted: 05/26/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The relationship between genes and anxious behavior, is nor linear nor monotonic. To address this problem, we analyzed with a meta-analytic method the literature data of the behavior of knockout mice, retrieving 33 genes whose deletion was accompanied by increased anxious behavior, 34 genes related to decreased anxious behavior and 48 genes not involved in anxiety. We correlated the anxious behavior resulting from the deletion of these genes to their brain expression, using the Allen Brain Atlas and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. The main finding is that the genes accompanied, after deletion, by a modification of the anxious behavior, have lower expression in the cerebral cortex, the amygdala and the ventral striatum. The lower expression level was putatively due to their selective presence in a neuronal subpopulation. This difference was replicated also using a database of human gene expression, further showing that the differential expression pertained, in humans, a temporal window of young postnatal age (4 months up to 4 years) but was not evident at fetal or adult human stages. Finally, using gene enrichment analysis we also show that presynaptic genes are involved in the emergence of anxiety and postsynaptic genes in the reduction of anxiety after gene deletion.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Adela Viggiano
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Molise, Campobasso 86100, Italy
| | - Giovanna Cacciola
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Molise, Campobasso 86100, Italy
| | | | - Davide Viggiano
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Molise, Campobasso 86100, Italy; Department of Cardio-Thoracic and Respiratory Science, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Furlanetti LL, Coenen VA, Aranda IA, Döbrössy MD. Chronic deep brain stimulation of the medial forebrain bundle reverses depressive-like behavior in a hemiparkinsonian rodent model. Exp Brain Res 2015. [PMID: 26195164 PMCID: PMC4623086 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-015-4375-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Preclinical and clinical evidence suggests that depression might be associated with a dysfunction in the reward/motivation circuitry. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the superolateral branch of the medial forebrain bundle (MFB) has been shown in a recent clinical trial to provide a prompt and consistent improvement of depressive symptoms in treatment-resistant patients. In order to better understand the underlying mechanisms of neuromodulation in the context of depression, the effects of chronic bilateral MFB-DBS were assessed in a combined rodent model of depression and Parkinson’s disease. Female Sprague-Dawley rats received unilateral 6-OHDA injection in the right MFB and were divided into three groups: CMS-STIM, CMS-noSTIM and control group. The CMS groups were submitted to chronic unpredictable mild stress (CMS) protocol for 6 weeks. MFB-DBS was applied only to the CMS-STIM group for 1 week. All groups were repeatedly probed on a series of behavioral tasks following each intervention, and to a postmortem histological analysis. CMS led to an increase in immobility in the forced swim test, to a decrease in sucrose solution consumption in the sucrose preference test, as well as to an increased production of ultrasonic vocalizations in the 22 kHz range, indicating increased negative affect. MFB-DBS reversed the anhedonic-like and despair-like behaviors. The results suggest that unilateral dopamine depletion did not preclude MFB-DBS in reversing depressive-like and anhedonic-like behavior in the rodent. Further understanding of the importance of hemispheric dominance in neuropsychiatric disorders is essential in order to optimize stimulation as a therapeutic strategy in these diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Luciano L Furlanetti
- Laboratory of Stereotaxy and Interventional Neurosciences, Department of Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery, University Freiburg-Medical Center, Breisacher Str. 64, 79106, Freiburg, Germany.
| | - Volker A Coenen
- Laboratory of Stereotaxy and Interventional Neurosciences, Department of Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery, University Freiburg-Medical Center, Breisacher Str. 64, 79106, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Iñigo A Aranda
- Laboratory of Stereotaxy and Interventional Neurosciences, Department of Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery, University Freiburg-Medical Center, Breisacher Str. 64, 79106, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Máté D Döbrössy
- Laboratory of Stereotaxy and Interventional Neurosciences, Department of Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery, University Freiburg-Medical Center, Breisacher Str. 64, 79106, Freiburg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Bi LL, Chen M, Pei L, Shu S, Jin HJ, Yan HL, Wei N, Wang S, Yang X, Yan HH, Xu MM, Yao CY, Li N, Tang N, Wu JH, Zhu HZ, Li H, Cai Y, Guo Y, Shi Y, Tian Q, Zhu LQ, Lu YM. Infralimbic Endothelin1 Is Critical for the Modulation of Anxiety-Like Behaviors. Mol Neurobiol 2015; 53:2054-2064. [PMID: 25899174 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-015-9163-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2014] [Accepted: 03/26/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Endothelin1 (ET1) is a potent vasoconstrictor that is also known to be a neuropeptide that is involved in neural circuits. We examined the role of ET1 that has been implicated in the anxiogenic process. We found that infusing ET1 into the IL cortex increased anxiety-like behaviors. The ET(A) receptor (ET(A)R) antagonist (BQ123) but not the ET(B) receptor (ET(B)R) antagonist (BQ788) alleviated ET1-induced anxiety. ET1 had no effect on GABAergic neurotransmission or NMDA receptor (NMDAR)-mediated neurotransmission, but increased AMPA receptor (AMPAR)-mediated excitatory synaptic transmission. The changes in AMPAR-mediated excitatory postsynaptic currents were due to presynaptic mechanisms. Finally, we found that the AMPAR antagonists (CNQX) and BQ123 reversed ET1's anxiogenic effect, with parallel and corresponding electrophysiological changes. Moreover, infusing CNQX + BQ123 into the IL had no additional anxiolytic effect compared to CNQX treatment alone. Altogether, our findings establish a previously unknown anxiogenic action of ET1 in the IL cortex. AMPAR-mediated glutamatergic neurotransmission may underlie the mechanism of ET1-ET(A)R signaling pathway in the regulation of anxiety.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lin-Lin Bi
- Department of Pathophysiology and Key Laboratory of Neurological Diseases of Ministry of Education, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China. .,Institute of Brain Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
| | - Ming Chen
- Department of Cardiology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Lei Pei
- Department of Pathophysiology and Key Laboratory of Neurological Diseases of Ministry of Education, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.,Institute of Brain Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Shu Shu
- Department of Pathophysiology and Key Laboratory of Neurological Diseases of Ministry of Education, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.,Institute of Brain Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Hui-Juan Jin
- Department of Pathophysiology and Key Laboratory of Neurological Diseases of Ministry of Education, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.,Institute of Brain Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Hong-Lin Yan
- Department of Pathophysiology and Key Laboratory of Neurological Diseases of Ministry of Education, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.,Institute of Brain Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Na Wei
- Department of Pathophysiology and Key Laboratory of Neurological Diseases of Ministry of Education, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.,Institute of Brain Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Shan Wang
- Department of Pathophysiology and Key Laboratory of Neurological Diseases of Ministry of Education, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.,Institute of Brain Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Xin Yang
- Department of Pathophysiology and Key Laboratory of Neurological Diseases of Ministry of Education, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.,Institute of Brain Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Huan-Huan Yan
- Department of Pathophysiology and Key Laboratory of Neurological Diseases of Ministry of Education, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.,Institute of Brain Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Meng-Meng Xu
- Department of Pathophysiology and Key Laboratory of Neurological Diseases of Ministry of Education, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.,Institute of Brain Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Cheng-Ye Yao
- Department of Pathophysiology and Key Laboratory of Neurological Diseases of Ministry of Education, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.,Institute of Brain Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Na Li
- Department of Pathophysiology and Key Laboratory of Neurological Diseases of Ministry of Education, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.,Institute of Brain Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Na Tang
- Department of Pathophysiology and Key Laboratory of Neurological Diseases of Ministry of Education, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.,Institute of Brain Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Jian-Hua Wu
- Department of Pathophysiology and Key Laboratory of Neurological Diseases of Ministry of Education, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.,Institute of Brain Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Hou-Ze Zhu
- Department of Pathophysiology and Key Laboratory of Neurological Diseases of Ministry of Education, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.,Institute of Brain Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Hao Li
- Department of Pathophysiology and Key Laboratory of Neurological Diseases of Ministry of Education, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.,Institute of Brain Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - You Cai
- Department of Pathophysiology and Key Laboratory of Neurological Diseases of Ministry of Education, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.,Institute of Brain Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yu Guo
- Department of Pathophysiology and Key Laboratory of Neurological Diseases of Ministry of Education, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.,Institute of Brain Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yan Shi
- Department of Pathophysiology and Key Laboratory of Neurological Diseases of Ministry of Education, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.,Institute of Brain Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Qing Tian
- Department of Pathophysiology and Key Laboratory of Neurological Diseases of Ministry of Education, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.,Institute of Brain Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Ling-Qiang Zhu
- Department of Pathophysiology and Key Laboratory of Neurological Diseases of Ministry of Education, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.,Institute of Brain Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - You-Ming Lu
- Department of Pathophysiology and Key Laboratory of Neurological Diseases of Ministry of Education, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China. .,Institute of Brain Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Sexual dimorphism and brain lateralization impact behavioral and histological outcomes following hypoxia-ischemia in P3 and P7 rats. Neuroscience 2015; 290:581-93. [PMID: 25620049 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2014.12.074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2014] [Revised: 12/11/2014] [Accepted: 12/21/2014] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Neonatal cerebral hypoxia-ischemia (HI) is a major cause of neurological disorders and the most common cause of death and permanent disability worldwide, affecting 1-2/1000 live term births and up to 60% of preterm births. The Levine-Rice is the main experimental HI model; however, critical variables such as the age of animals, sex and hemisphere damaged still receive little attention in experimental design. We here investigated the influence of sex and hemisphere injured on the functional outcomes and tissue damage following early (hypoxia-ischemia performed at postnatal day 3 (HIP3)) and late (hypoxia-ischemia performed at postnatalday 7 (HIP7)) HI injury in rats. Male and female 3- (P3) or 7-day-old (P7) Wistar rats had their right or left common carotid artery occluded and exposed to 8% O2 for 1.5h. Sham animals had their carotids exposed but not occluded nor submitted to the hypoxic atmosphere. Behavioral impairments were assessed in the open field arena, in the Morris water maze and in the inhibitory avoidance task; volumetric extent of tissue damage was assessed using cresyl violet staining at adult age, after completing behavioral assessment. The overall results demonstrate that: (1) HI performed at the two distinct ages cause different behavioral impairments and histological damage in adult rats (2) behavioral deficits following neonatal HIP3 and HIP7 are task-specific and dependent on sex and hemisphere injured (3) HIP7 animals presented the expected motor and cognitive deficits (4) HIP3 animals displayed discrete but significant cognitive impairments in the left hemisphere-injured females (5) HI brain injury and its consequences are determined by animal's sex and the damaged hemisphere, markedly in HIP3-injured animals.
Collapse
|
33
|
Ishikawa J, Nishimura R, Ishikawa A. Early-life stress induces anxiety-like behaviors and activity imbalances in the medial prefrontal cortex and amygdala in adult rats. Eur J Neurosci 2015; 41:442-53. [DOI: 10.1111/ejn.12825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2014] [Revised: 12/02/2014] [Accepted: 12/05/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Junko Ishikawa
- Systems Neuroscience; Department of Neuroscience; Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine; 1-1-1 Minamikogushi Ube Yamaguchi 755-8505 Japan
| | - Ryoichi Nishimura
- Systems Neuroscience; Department of Neuroscience; Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine; 1-1-1 Minamikogushi Ube Yamaguchi 755-8505 Japan
| | - Akinori Ishikawa
- Systems Neuroscience; Department of Neuroscience; Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine; 1-1-1 Minamikogushi Ube Yamaguchi 755-8505 Japan
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Shirazi SN, Friedman AR, Kaufer D, Sakhai SA. Glucocorticoids and the Brain: Neural Mechanisms Regulating the Stress Response. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-2895-8_10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
|
35
|
Hui YP, Wang T, Han LN, Li LB, Sun YN, Liu J, Qiao HF, Zhang QJ. Anxiolytic effects of prelimbic 5-HT1A receptor activation in the hemiparkinsonian rat. Behav Brain Res 2015; 277:211-20. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2014.04.053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2014] [Revised: 03/28/2014] [Accepted: 04/07/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
|
36
|
Sullivan RM, Dufresne MM, Siontas D, Chehab S, Townsend J, Laplante F. Mesocortical dopamine depletion and anxiety-related behavior in the rat: sex and hemisphere differences. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2014; 54:59-66. [PMID: 24819821 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2014.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2014] [Accepted: 05/02/2014] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
The mesocortical dopamine (DA) system of the rat plays an important role in prefrontal cortex (PFC) regulation of stress and emotion and exhibits functional hemispheric asymmetry for such processing. Since few studies examine sex differences in this context, we compared the effects of left vs. right unilateral PFC DA depletion in males and females in several behavioral situations associated with anxiety or aversion. Adult rats received unilateral injections of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) or vehicle in the ventromedial (vm) PFC. Behavioral tests included a predator odor burying test, elevated plus maze and sucrose consumption with simple taste aversion. Tissue analysis confirmed that vmPFCs injected with 6-OHDA were depleted of DA (75-85%) compared to controls. Burying behavior and sucrose consumption were affected only by left lesions, similarly in both sexes. However, risk assessment behaviors were affected by right lesions in opposite directions in males and females. Behaviors modified preferentially by the left cortex thus showed less evidence of sex differences than those modulated by the right. While mesocortical DA depletion effects are lateralized, the nature of these effects can vary with sex and specific behavior. Such findings may be clinically significant, given the large gender differences in the incidence of mood and anxiety disorders, which also show many lateralized prefrontal abnormalities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- R M Sullivan
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
| | - M M Dufresne
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - D Siontas
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - S Chehab
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - J Townsend
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - F Laplante
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Cassaday HJ, Nelson AJD, Pezze MA. From attention to memory along the dorsal-ventral axis of the medial prefrontal cortex: some methodological considerations. Front Syst Neurosci 2014; 8:160. [PMID: 25249948 PMCID: PMC4157611 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2014.00160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2014] [Accepted: 08/15/2014] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Distinctions along the dorsal-ventral axis of medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), between anterior cingulate (AC), prelimbic (PL), and infralimbic (IL) sub-regions, have been proposed on a variety of neuroanatomical and neurophysiological grounds. Conventional lesion approaches (as well as some electrophysiological studies) have shown that these distinctions relate to function in that a number behavioral dissociations have been demonstrated, particularly using rodent models of attention, learning, and memory. For example, there is evidence to suggest that AC has a relatively greater role in attention, whereas IL is more involved in executive function. However, the well-established methods of behavioral neuroscience have the limitation that neuromodulation is not addressed. The neurotoxin 6-hydroxydopamine has been used to deplete dopamine (DA) in mPFC sub-regions, but these lesions are not selective anatomically and noradrenalin is typically also depleted. Microinfusion of drugs through indwelling cannulae provides an alternative approach, to address the role of neuromodulation and moreover that of specific receptor subtypes within mPFC sub-regions, but the effects of such treatments cannot be assumed to be anatomically restricted either. New methodological approaches to the functional delineation of the role of mPFC in attention, learning and memory will also be considered. Taken in isolation, the conventional lesion methods which have been a first line of approach may suggest that a particular mPFC sub-region is not necessary for a particular aspect of function. However, this does not exclude a neuromodulatory role and more neuropsychopharmacological approaches are needed to explain some of the apparent inconsistencies in the results.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Andrew J D Nelson
- School of Psychology, University of Nottingham Nottingham, UK ; School of Psychology, Cardiff University Cardiff, UK
| | - Marie A Pezze
- School of Psychology, University of Nottingham Nottingham, UK
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Lu YL, Richardson HN. Alcohol, stress hormones, and the prefrontal cortex: a proposed pathway to the dark side of addiction. Neuroscience 2014; 277:139-51. [PMID: 24998895 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2014.06.053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2014] [Revised: 06/23/2014] [Accepted: 06/24/2014] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Chronic exposure to alcohol produces changes in the prefrontal cortex that are thought to contribute to the development and maintenance of alcoholism. A large body of literature suggests that stress hormones play a critical role in this process. Here we review the bi-directional relationship between alcohol and stress hormones, and discuss how alcohol acutely stimulates the release of glucocorticoids and induces enduring modifications to neuroendocrine stress circuits during the transition from non-dependent drinking to alcohol dependence. We propose a pathway by which alcohol and stress hormones elicit neuroadaptive changes in prefrontal circuitry that could contribute functionally to a dampened neuroendocrine state and the increased propensity to relapse-a spiraling trajectory that could eventually lead to dependence.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Y-L Lu
- Neuroscience and Behavior Program, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, United States
| | - H N Richardson
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Oxytocin in the prelimbic medial prefrontal cortex reduces anxiety-like behavior in female and male rats. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2014; 45:31-42. [PMID: 24845174 PMCID: PMC4067951 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2014.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2013] [Revised: 03/18/2014] [Accepted: 03/20/2014] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
The neuropeptide oxytocin (OT) is anxiolytic in rodents and humans. However, the specific brain regions where OT acts to regulate anxiety requires further investigation. The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) has been shown to play a role in the modulation of anxiety-related behavior. In addition, the mPFC contains OT-sensitive neurons, expresses OT receptors, and receives long range axonal projections from OT-producing neurons in the hypothalamus, suggesting that the mPFC may be a target where OT acts to diminish anxiety. To investigate this possibility, female rats were administered OT bilaterally into the prelimbic (PL) region of the mPFC and anxiety-like behavior assessed. In addition, to determine if the effects of OT on anxiety-like behavior are sex dependent and to evaluate the specificity of OT, male and female anxiety-like behavior was tested following delivery of either OT or the closely related neuropeptide arginine vasopressin (AVP) into the PL mPFC. Finally, the importance of endogenous OT in the regulation of anxiety-like behavior was examined in male and female rats that received PL infusions of an OT receptor antagonist (OTR-A). Overall, even though males and females showed some differences in their baseline levels of anxiety-like behavior, OT in the PL region of the mPFC decreased anxiety regardless of sex. In contrast, neither AVP nor an OTR-A affected anxiety-like behavior in males or females. Together, these findings suggest that although endogenous OT in the PL region of the mPFC does not influence anxiety, the PL mPFC is a site where exogenous OT may act to attenuate anxiety-related behavior independent of sex.
Collapse
|
40
|
Rohleder C, Jung F, Mertgens H, Wiedermann D, Sué M, Neumaier B, Graf R, Leweke FM, Endepols H. Neural correlates of sensorimotor gating: a metabolic positron emission tomography study in awake rats. Front Behav Neurosci 2014; 8:178. [PMID: 24904330 PMCID: PMC4033256 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2014.00178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2014] [Accepted: 04/28/2014] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Impaired sensorimotor gating occurs in neuropsychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia and can be measured using the prepulse inhibition (PPI) paradigm of the acoustic startle response. This assay is frequently used to validate animal models of neuropsychiatric disorders and to explore the therapeutic potential of new drugs. The underlying neural network of PPI has been extensively studied with invasive methods and genetic modifications. However, its relevance for healthy untreated animals and the functional interplay between startle- and PPI-related areas during a PPI session is so far unknown. Therefore, we studied awake rats in a PPI paradigm, startle control and background noise control, combined with behavioral [(18)F]fluoro-2-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET). Subtractive analyses between conditions were used to identify brain regions involved in startle and PPI processing in well-hearing Black hooded rats. For correlative analysis with regard to the amount of PPI we also included hearing-impaired Lister hooded rats that startled more often, because their hearing threshold was just below the lowest prepulses. Metabolic imaging showed that the brain areas proposed for startle and PPI mediation are active during PPI paradigms in healthy untreated rats. More importantly, we show for the first time that the whole PPI modulation network is active during "passive" PPI sessions, where no selective attention to prepulse or startle stimulus is required. We conclude that this reflects ongoing monitoring of stimulus significance and constant adjustment of sensorimotor gating.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cathrin Rohleder
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg UniversityMannheim, Germany
- Multimodal Imaging, Max Planck Institute for Neurological ResearchCologne, Germany
| | - Fabienne Jung
- Multimodal Imaging, Max Planck Institute for Neurological ResearchCologne, Germany
| | - Hanna Mertgens
- Multimodal Imaging, Max Planck Institute for Neurological ResearchCologne, Germany
| | - Dirk Wiedermann
- Multimodal Imaging, Max Planck Institute for Neurological ResearchCologne, Germany
| | - Michael Sué
- Multimodal Imaging, Max Planck Institute for Neurological ResearchCologne, Germany
| | - Bernd Neumaier
- Multimodal Imaging, Max Planck Institute for Neurological ResearchCologne, Germany
| | - Rudolf Graf
- Multimodal Imaging, Max Planck Institute for Neurological ResearchCologne, Germany
| | - F. Markus Leweke
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg UniversityMannheim, Germany
| | - Heike Endepols
- Multimodal Imaging, Max Planck Institute for Neurological ResearchCologne, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Saitoh A, Ohashi M, Suzuki S, Tsukagoshi M, Sugiyama A, Yamada M, Oka JI, Inagaki M, Yamada M. Activation of the prelimbic medial prefrontal cortex induces anxiety-like behaviors via N-Methyl-D-aspartate receptor-mediated glutamatergic neurotransmission in mice. J Neurosci Res 2014; 92:1044-53. [DOI: 10.1002/jnr.23391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2013] [Revised: 03/11/2014] [Accepted: 03/13/2014] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Akiyoshi Saitoh
- Department of Neuropsychopharmacology; National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry; Tokyo Japan
| | - Masanori Ohashi
- Department of Neuropsychopharmacology; National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry; Tokyo Japan
- Laboratory of Pharmacology; Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences; Tokyo University of Science; Chiba Japan
| | - Satoshi Suzuki
- Department of Neuropsychopharmacology; National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry; Tokyo Japan
- Laboratory of Pharmacology; Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences; Tokyo University of Science; Chiba Japan
| | - Mai Tsukagoshi
- Department of Neuropsychopharmacology; National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry; Tokyo Japan
- Laboratory of Pharmacology; Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences; Tokyo University of Science; Chiba Japan
| | - Azusa Sugiyama
- Department of Neuropsychopharmacology; National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry; Tokyo Japan
- Laboratory of Pharmacology; Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences; Tokyo University of Science; Chiba Japan
| | - Misa Yamada
- Department of Neuropsychopharmacology; National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry; Tokyo Japan
| | - Jun-Ichiro Oka
- Laboratory of Pharmacology; Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences; Tokyo University of Science; Chiba Japan
| | - Masatoshi Inagaki
- Department of Neuropsychiatry; Okayama University Hospital; Okayama Japan
| | - Mitsuhiko Yamada
- Department of Neuropsychopharmacology; National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry; Tokyo Japan
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Fiore VG, Mannella F, Mirolli M, Latagliata EC, Valzania A, Cabib S, Dolan RJ, Puglisi-Allegra S, Baldassarre G. Corticolimbic catecholamines in stress: a computational model of the appraisal of controllability. Brain Struct Funct 2014; 220:1339-53. [PMID: 24578177 PMCID: PMC4409646 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-014-0727-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2013] [Accepted: 02/04/2014] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Appraisal of a stressful situation and the possibility to control or avoid it is thought to involve frontal-cortical mechanisms. The precise mechanism underlying this appraisal and its translation into effective stress coping (the regulation of physiological and behavioural responses) are poorly understood. Here, we propose a computational model which involves tuning motivational arousal to the appraised stressing condition. The model provides a causal explanation of the shift from active to passive coping strategies, i.e. from a condition characterised by high motivational arousal, required to deal with a situation appraised as stressful, to a condition characterised by emotional and motivational withdrawal, required when the stressful situation is appraised as uncontrollable/unavoidable. The model is motivated by results acquired via microdialysis recordings in rats and highlights the presence of two competing circuits dominated by different areas of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex: these are shown having opposite effects on several subcortical areas, affecting dopamine outflow in the striatum, and therefore controlling motivation. We start by reviewing published data supporting structure and functioning of the neural model and present the computational model itself with its essential neural mechanisms. Finally, we show the results of a new experiment, involving the condition of repeated inescapable stress, which validate most of the model's predictions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vincenzo G. Fiore
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, Institute of Neurology, UCL, 12 Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG UK
| | - Francesco Mannella
- Laboratory of Computational Embodied Neuroscience, Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie della Cognizione, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (LOCEN-ISTC-CNR), Via San Martino della Battaglia 44, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Marco Mirolli
- Laboratory of Computational Embodied Neuroscience, Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie della Cognizione, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (LOCEN-ISTC-CNR), Via San Martino della Battaglia 44, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Emanuele Claudio Latagliata
- Dipartimento di Psicologia and Centro Daniel Bovet, Sapienza Università di Roma, Via dei Marsi 78, 00183 Rome, Italy
- Fondazione Santa Lucia, IRCCS, Via Ardeatina 306, 00142 Rome, Italy
| | - Alessandro Valzania
- Dipartimento di Psicologia and Centro Daniel Bovet, Sapienza Università di Roma, Via dei Marsi 78, 00183 Rome, Italy
- Fondazione Santa Lucia, IRCCS, Via Ardeatina 306, 00142 Rome, Italy
| | - Simona Cabib
- Dipartimento di Psicologia and Centro Daniel Bovet, Sapienza Università di Roma, Via dei Marsi 78, 00183 Rome, Italy
- Fondazione Santa Lucia, IRCCS, Via Ardeatina 306, 00142 Rome, Italy
| | - Raymond J. Dolan
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, Institute of Neurology, UCL, 12 Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG UK
| | - Stefano Puglisi-Allegra
- Dipartimento di Psicologia and Centro Daniel Bovet, Sapienza Università di Roma, Via dei Marsi 78, 00183 Rome, Italy
- Fondazione Santa Lucia, IRCCS, Via Ardeatina 306, 00142 Rome, Italy
| | - Gianluca Baldassarre
- Laboratory of Computational Embodied Neuroscience, Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie della Cognizione, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (LOCEN-ISTC-CNR), Via San Martino della Battaglia 44, 00185 Rome, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Activation of mGluR2/3 receptors in the ventro-rostral prefrontal cortex reverses sensorimotor gating deficits induced by systemic NMDA receptor antagonists. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2014; 17:303-12. [PMID: 24067361 DOI: 10.1017/s1461145713001041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Prepulse inhibition (PPI) of acoustic startle is an operational measure of sensorimotor gating, which is disrupted in schizophrenia. NMDA receptor (NMDAR) antagonist induced PPI disruption has become an important pharmacological model for schizophrenia; however, knowledge of the underlying mechanism remains incomplete. This study examines the role of NMDAR in the caudal pontine reticular nucleus (PnC) and the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) in NMDARs antagonist induced PPI deficits, as well as the NMDA receptor subtypes involved. We administered the NMDA antagonist MK-801 locally into the caudal pontine reticular formation (PnC), where the PPI mediating pathway converges with the primary startle pathway, and into the mPFC prior to behavioural testing. PnC microinjections had no effect on startle and PPI, whereas injections into the ventro-rostral part, but not into the dorso-caudal part of the mPFC, disrupted PPI. These effects could be mimicked by local injection of the NR2B subunit specific antagonist ifenprodil, whereas co-application of MK-801 and the mGluR2/3 agonist LY354740 had no effect on PPI. Moreover, PPI disruptions by systemically administered MK-801 could be reversed by local injections of LY354740 into the ventro-rostral mPFC, but not into the dorso-caudal mPFC. Our results indicate that NR2B subunit containing NMDARs in a specific subregion of the mPFC play a major role in PPI disruptions by systemic NMDAR antagonism. Our results further support the hypothesis that glutamate hyper-function in the mPFC is a main mechanism involved in sensory gating deficits induced by systemic MK-801, supporting the notion that this is an important mechanism in schizophrenia pathology.
Collapse
|
44
|
Bari A, Robbins TW. Inhibition and impulsivity: Behavioral and neural basis of response control. Prog Neurobiol 2013; 108:44-79. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2013.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1193] [Impact Index Per Article: 108.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2012] [Revised: 05/24/2013] [Accepted: 06/26/2013] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
|
45
|
Involvement of prelimbic medial prefrontal cortex in panic-like elaborated defensive behaviour and innate fear-induced antinociception elicited by GABAA receptor blockade in the dorsomedial and ventromedial hypothalamic nuclei: role of the endocannabinoid CB1 receptor. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2013; 16:1781-98. [PMID: 23521775 DOI: 10.1017/s1461145713000163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
It has been shown that GABAA receptor blockade in the dorsomedial and ventromedial hypothalamic nuclei (DMH and VMH, respectively) induces elaborated defensive behavioural responses accompanied by antinociception, which has been utilized as an experimental model of panic attack. Furthermore, the prelimbic (PL) division of the medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) has been related to emotional reactions and the processing of nociceptive information. The aim of the present study was to investigate the possible involvement of the PL cortex and the participation of local cannabinoid CB1 receptors in the elaboration of panic-like reactions and in innate fear-induced antinociception. Elaborated fear-induced responses were analysed during a 10-min period in an open-field test arena. Microinjection of the GABAA receptor antagonist bicuculline into the DMH/VMH evoked panic-like behaviour and fear-induced antinociception, which was decreased by microinjection of the non-selective synaptic contact blocker cobalt chloride in the PL cortex. Moreover, microinjection of AM251 (25, 100 or 400 pmol), an endocannabinoid CB1 receptor antagonist, into the PL cortex also attenuated the defensive behavioural responses and the antinociception that follows innate fear behaviour elaborated by DMH/VMH. These data suggest that the PL cortex plays an important role in the organization of elaborated forward escape behaviour and that this cortical area is also involved in the elaboration of innate fear-induced antinociception. Additionally, CB1 receptors in the PL cortex modulate both panic-like behaviours and fear-induced antinociception elicited by disinhibition of the DMH/VMH through microinjection of bicuculline.
Collapse
|
46
|
Pentkowski NS, Tovote P, Zavala AR, Litvin Y, Blanchard DC, Spiess J, Blanchard RJ. Cortagine infused into the medial prefrontal cortex attenuates predator-induced defensive behaviors and Fos protein production in selective nuclei of the amygdala in male CD1 mice. Horm Behav 2013; 64:519-26. [PMID: 23845323 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2013.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2013] [Revised: 06/21/2013] [Accepted: 06/29/2013] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) plays an essential role in coordinating the autonomic, endocrine and behavioral responses to stressors. In this study, we investigated the role of CRF within the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) in modulating unconditioned defensive behaviors, by examining the effects of microinfusing cortagine a selective type-1 CRF receptor (CRF1) agonist, or acidic-astressin a preferential CRF1 antagonist, into the mPFC in male CD-1 mice exposed to a live predator (rat exposure test--RET). Cortagine microinfusions significantly reduced several indices of defense, including avoidance and freezing, suggesting a specific role for CRF1 within the infralimbic and prelimbic regions of the mPFC in modulating unconditioned behavioral responsivity to a predator. In contrast, microinfusions of acidic-astressin failed to alter defensive behaviors during predator exposure in the RET. Cortagine microinfusions also reduced Fos protein production in the medial, central and basomedial, but not basolateral subnuclei of the amygdala in mice exposed to the rat predatory threat stimulus. These results suggest that CRF1 activation within the mPFC attenuates predator-induced unconditioned anxiety-like defensive behaviors, likely via inhibition of specific amygdalar nuclei. Furthermore, the present findings suggest that the mPFC represents a unique neural region whereby activation of CRF1 produces behavioral effects that contrast with those elicited following systemic administration of CRF1 agonists.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nathan S Pentkowski
- Department of Psychology, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, USA; Pacific Biomedical Research Center, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, USA; Specialized Neuroscience Research Program, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, USA.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
47
|
Maroun M, Ioannides PJ, Bergman KL, Kavushansky A, Holmes A, Wellman CL. Fear extinction deficits following acute stress associate with increased spine density and dendritic retraction in basolateral amygdala neurons. Eur J Neurosci 2013; 38:2611-20. [PMID: 23714419 PMCID: PMC3773716 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.12259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2013] [Revised: 04/16/2013] [Accepted: 04/18/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Stress-sensitive psychopathologies such as post-traumatic stress disorder are characterized by deficits in fear extinction and dysfunction of corticolimbic circuits mediating extinction. Chronic stress facilitates fear conditioning, impairs extinction, and produces dendritic proliferation in the basolateral amygdala (BLA), a critical site of plasticity for extinction. Acute stress impairs extinction, alters plasticity in the medial prefrontal cortex-to-BLA circuit, and causes dendritic retraction in the medial prefrontal cortex. Here, we examined extinction learning and basolateral amygdala pyramidal neuron morphology in adult male rats following a single elevated platform stress. Acute stress impaired extinction acquisition and memory, and produced dendritic retraction and increased mushroom spine density in basolateral amygdala neurons in the right hemisphere. Unexpectedly, irrespective of stress, rats that underwent fear and extinction testing showed basolateral amygdala dendritic retraction and altered spine density relative to non-conditioned rats, particularly in the left hemisphere. Thus, extinction deficits produced by acute stress are associated with increased spine density and dendritic retraction in basolateral amygdala pyramidal neurons. Furthermore, the finding that conditioning and extinction as such was sufficient to alter basolateral amygdala morphology and spine density illustrates the sensitivity of basolateral amygdala morphology to behavioral manipulation. These findings may have implications for elucidating the role of the amygdala in the pathophysiology of stress-related disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mouna Maroun
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel.
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
48
|
Bi LL, Wang J, Luo ZY, Chen SP, Geng F, Chen YH, Li SJ, Yuan CH, Lin S, Gao TM. Enhanced excitability in the infralimbic cortex produces anxiety-like behaviors. Neuropharmacology 2013; 72:148-56. [PMID: 23643746 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2013.04.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2013] [Revised: 04/05/2013] [Accepted: 04/22/2013] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) has been implicated in modulating anxiety. However, it is unknown whether excitatory or inhibitory neurotransmission in the infralimbic (IL) subregion of the mPFC underlies the pathology of anxiety-related behavior. To address this issue, we infused the GABAA receptor (GABAAR) antagonist bicuculline to temporarily activate the IL cortex. IL cortex activation decreased the time spent in the center area in the open field test, decreased exploration of the open-arms in the elevated plus maze test, and increased the latency to bite food in the novelty-suppressed feeding test. These findings substantiate the GABAergic system's role in anxiety-related behaviors. IL cortex inactivation with the AMPA receptor (AMPAR) antagonist CNQX produced opposite, anxiolytic effects. However, infusion of the NMDA receptor (NMDAR) antagonist AP5 into the IL cortex had no significant effect. Additionally, we did not observe motor activity deficits or appetite deficits following inhibition of GABAergic or glutamatergic neurotransmission. Interestingly, we found parallel and corresponding electrophysiological changes in anxious mice; compared to mice with relatively low anxiety, the relatively high anxiety mice exhibited smaller evoked inhibitory postsynaptic currents (eIPSCs) and larger AMPA-mediated evoked excitatory postsynaptic currents (eEPSCs) in pyramidal neurons in the IL cortex. The changes of eIPSCs and eEPSCs were due to presynaptic mechanisms. Our results suggest that imbalances of neurotransmission in the IL cortex may cause a net increase in excitatory inputs onto pyramidal neurons, which may underlie the pathogenic mechanism of anxiety disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lin-Lin Bi
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
49
|
Sanches E, Arteni N, Nicola F, Boisserand L, Willborn S, Netto C. Early hypoxia–ischemia causes hemisphere and sex-dependent cognitive impairment and histological damage. Neuroscience 2013; 237:208-15. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2013.01.066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2012] [Revised: 01/29/2013] [Accepted: 01/29/2013] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
|
50
|
Merali Z, Mountney C, Kent P, Anisman H. Activation of gastrin-releasing peptide receptors at the infralimbic cortex elicits gastrin-releasing peptide release at the basolateral amygdala: implications for conditioned fear. Neuroscience 2013; 243:97-103. [PMID: 23567813 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2013.03.056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2013] [Revised: 03/22/2013] [Accepted: 03/24/2013] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
The basolateral amygdala (BLA) and infralimbic (IL) cortex share strong reciprocal interconnections and are key structures in conditioned fear circuitry. Gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP) or its receptor antagonists can modulate the conditioned fear response when exogenously administered at either of these sites, and increased release of GRP at the BLA occurs in response to conditioned fear recall. The present study sought to determine whether a functional pathway utilizing GRP exists between the IL cortex and BLA and whether this pathway is also influenced by amygdala corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) release. To this end, we assessed the effects of intra-IL cortex injection of GRP or GRP co-administered with a receptor antagonist, RC-3095, on the downstream release of GRP and/or CRF at the BLA. Results showed that microinjection of GRP at the IL cortex increased the release of GRP, but not CRF, at the BLA, an effect blocked by co-administration of RC-3095. Administration of RC-3095 into the IL cortex on its own, however, also elicited the release of GRP (but not CRF) at the BLA. These findings suggest that a functional pathway utilizing GRP (among other factors) exists between the IL cortex and BLA that may be relevant to conditioned fear, but that GRP and CRF do not interact within this circuitry. Moreover, the finding that the release profile of GRP was similar following administration of either GRP or its receptor antagonist, lends support to the view that RC-3095 has partial agonist properties. Together these findings provide further evidence for the involvement of GRP in fear and anxiety-related disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Z Merali
- School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1N 6N5.
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|