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Gutiérrez-Vera B, Reyes-García SE, Escobar ML. Brief environmental enrichment elicits metaplasticity on the insular cortex in vivo and reduces the strength of conditioned taste aversion. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2023; 205:107840. [PMID: 37805119 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2023.107840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Revised: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/09/2023]
Abstract
Environmental enrichment (EE) is known to improve memory and cognition and modulate the impact of aversive stimuli in animals, promoting the development of resilience to stressful situations. Likewise, it is known that EE can modulate synaptic plasticity as is the case of long-term potentiation (LTP). These findings have been described initially in ex vivo preparations, suggesting that the effects of EE are the result of an early modification of the synaptic excitability and transmission. In this regard, it is known that metaplasticity refers to the persistent modification, by previous activity, in the ability to induce synaptic plasticity. Our previous studies have shown that prior training in conditioned taste aversion (CTA) prevents the subsequent induction of LTP in the projection from the basolateral nucleus of the amygdala (Bla) to the insular cortex (IC) in vivo. In addition, we have shown that CTA extinction allows the induction but not the maintenance of IC-LTP of the Bla-IC pathway. Recently, we also showed that prior exposure to environmental enrichment for three weeks reduces the strength of CTA, restoring the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels in the IC. The present study aimed to analyze the effects of brief exposure to an enriched environment on the strength of aversive memory, as well as on the in vivo IC-LTP. To do so, adult rats were exposed for seven days to an EE, either before CTA training or LTP induction in the Bla-IC pathway. Our results demonstrate that a seven-day exposure to an enriched environment attenuates the aversive response to a strong CTA and allows the induction but not the maintenance of LTP in the insular cortex. These findings provide evidence that metaplastic regulation in a neocortical region takes part in the mechanisms through which brief exposure to enriched environments attenuates an aversive response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz Gutiérrez-Vera
- División de Investigación y Estudios de Posgrado, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 04510, Mexico
| | - Salma E Reyes-García
- División de Investigación y Estudios de Posgrado, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 04510, Mexico
| | - Martha L Escobar
- División de Investigación y Estudios de Posgrado, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 04510, Mexico.
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2
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Rukundo P, Feng T, Pham V, Pieraut S. Moderate effect of early-life experience on dentate gyrus function. Mol Brain 2022; 15:92. [PMID: 36411441 PMCID: PMC9677655 DOI: 10.1186/s13041-022-00980-1] [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: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The development, maturation, and plasticity of neural circuits are strongly influenced by experience and the interaction of an individual with their environment can have a long-lasting effect on cognitive function. Using an enriched environment (EE) paradigm, we have recently demonstrated that enhancing social, physical, and sensory activity during the pre-weaning time in mice led to an increase of inhibitory and excitatory synapses in the dentate gyrus (DG) of the hippocampus. The structural plasticity induced by experience may affect information processing in the circuit. The DG performs pattern separation, a computation that enables the encoding of very similar and overlapping inputs into dissimilar outputs. In the presented study, we have tested the hypothesis that an EE in juvenile mice will affect DG's functions that are relevant for pattern separation: the decorrelation of the inputs from the entorhinal cortex (EC) and the recruitment of the principal excitatory granule cell (GC) during behavior. First, using a novel slice electrophysiology protocol, we found that the transformation of the incoming signal from the EC afferents by individual GC is moderately affected by EE. We further show that EE does not affect behaviorally induced recruitment of principal excitatory GC. Lastly, using the novel object recognition task, a hippocampus-dependent memory test, we show that the ontogeny of this discrimination task was similar among the EE mice and the controls. Taken together, our work demonstrates that pre-weaning enrichment moderately affects DG function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pacifique Rukundo
- grid.266818.30000 0004 1936 914XDepartment of Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557 USA
| | - Ting Feng
- grid.266818.30000 0004 1936 914XDepartment of Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557 USA
| | - Vincent Pham
- grid.266818.30000 0004 1936 914XDepartment of Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557 USA
| | - Simon Pieraut
- grid.266818.30000 0004 1936 914XDepartment of Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557 USA
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3
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Guven EB, Pranic NM, Unal G. The differential effects of brief environmental enrichment following social isolation in rats. COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2022; 22:818-832. [PMID: 35199313 PMCID: PMC8865499 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-022-00989-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Environmental enrichment (EE) in rodents is associated with a wide range of physiological, affective, and cognitive benefits. A seemingly opposite housing condition, social isolation (SI), is used as a rodent model of stress, negatively affecting several neurobiological mechanisms and hampering cognitive performance. Experimental designs that involve switching between these housing conditions produced mixed results. We evaluated different behavioral and cognitive effects of brief EE following long-term, SI-induced stress. We revealed the influence of enrichment after 30 days of isolation on behavioral despair, anxiety-like behavior, and spatial working memory in adult male Wistar rats and found a substantial anxiolytic effect in the experimental (SI to EE) group. Interestingly, rats exposed to EE also showed increased behavioral despair compared with the control (continuous SI) group. There was no difference in spatial working memory performance at the end of a 5-day water Y-maze (WYM) test. However, the SI to EE animals displayed better memory performance in the first 2 days of the WYM, indicating faster learning. In line with this difference, we recorded significantly more c-Fos-immunopositive (c-Fos+) cells in the retrosplenial and perirhinal cortices of the SI to EE animals. The lateral and basolateral nuclei of the amygdala showed no such difference. These results suggest that brief enrichment following isolation stress leads to differential results in affective and cognitive systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elif Beyza Guven
- Department of Psychology, Behavioral Neuroscience Laboratory, Boğaziçi University, 34342, Istanbul, Turkey
- Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Nicole Melisa Pranic
- Department of Psychology, Behavioral Neuroscience Laboratory, Boğaziçi University, 34342, Istanbul, Turkey
- Department of Psychology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Gunes Unal
- Department of Psychology, Behavioral Neuroscience Laboratory, Boğaziçi University, 34342, Istanbul, Turkey.
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4
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Immediate Early Gene c-fos in the Brain: Focus on Glial Cells. Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12060687. [PMID: 35741573 PMCID: PMC9221432 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12060687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Revised: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The c-fos gene was first described as a proto-oncogene responsible for the induction of bone tumors. A few decades ago, activation of the protein product c-fos was reported in the brain after seizures and other noxious stimuli. Since then, multiple studies have used c-fos as a brain activity marker. Although it has been attributed to neurons, growing evidence demonstrates that c-fos expression in the brain may also include glial cells. In this review, we collect data showing that glial cells also express this proto-oncogene. We present evidence demonstrating that at least astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, and microglia express this immediate early gene (IEG). Unlike neurons, whose expression changes used to be associated with depolarization, glial cells seem to express the c-fos proto-oncogene under the influence of proliferation, differentiation, growth, inflammation, repair, damage, plasticity, and other conditions. The collected evidence provides a complementary view of c-fos as an activity marker and urges the introduction of the glial cell perspective into brain activity studies. This glial cell view may provide additional information related to the brain microenvironment that is difficult to obtain from the isolated neuron paradigm. Thus, it is highly recommended that detection techniques are improved in order to better differentiate the phenotypes expressing c-fos in the brain and to elucidate the specific roles of c-fos expression in glial cells.
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5
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After-effects of acute footshock stress on sleep states and rhythmic masticatory muscle activity during sleep in guinea pigs. Odontology 2022; 110:476-481. [PMID: 35000009 DOI: 10.1007/s10266-021-00679-0] [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: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
This study investigated the effects of acute footshock stress (FS) on the occurrence of rhythmic masticatory muscle activity (RMMA) during sleep in guinea pigs. Animals were prepared for chronic recordings from electroencephalogram, electrooculogram and electromyograms of neck and masseter muscles. The signals were recorded for six hours on the two successive days: the first day with stress-free condition (non-FS condition) and the second day with acute FS (FS condition). Sleep/wake states and RMMA were scored visually. Sleep variables and the frequency of RMMA occurring during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep were compared during 6-h periods between the two conditions. Compared to non-FS condition, the amount of total sleep and NREM sleep significantly reduced during 2 h following the acute FS in the FS condition. Similarly, the frequency of RMMA significantly increased during 2 h following the acute FS for the FS condition compared to non-FS condition. During 2-6 h after FS in the FS condition, sleep variables and the frequency of RMMA did not differ from those without FS in the non-FS condition. These results suggest that acute experimental stress can induce transient changes in sleep-wake states and the occurrence of RMMA in experimental animals.
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Jacobs B, Rally H, Doyle C, O'Brien L, Tennison M, Marino L. Putative neural consequences of captivity for elephants and cetaceans. Rev Neurosci 2021; 33:439-465. [PMID: 34534428 DOI: 10.1515/revneuro-2021-0100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The present review assesses the potential neural impact of impoverished, captive environments on large-brained mammals, with a focus on elephants and cetaceans. These species share several characteristics, including being large, wide-ranging, long-lived, cognitively sophisticated, highly social, and large-brained mammals. Although the impact of the captive environment on physical and behavioral health has been well-documented, relatively little attention has been paid to the brain itself. Here, we explore the potential neural consequences of living in captive environments, with a focus on three levels: (1) The effects of environmental impoverishment/enrichment on the brain, emphasizing the negative neural consequences of the captive/impoverished environment; (2) the neural consequences of stress on the brain, with an emphasis on corticolimbic structures; and (3) the neural underpinnings of stereotypies, often observed in captive animals, underscoring dysregulation of the basal ganglia and associated circuitry. To this end, we provide a substantive hypothesis about the negative impact of captivity on the brains of large mammals (e.g., cetaceans and elephants) and how these neural consequences are related to documented evidence for compromised physical and psychological well-being.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bob Jacobs
- Laboratory of Quantitative Neuromorphology, Neuroscience Program, Colorado College, Colorado Springs, CO, 80903, USA
| | - Heather Rally
- Foundation to Support Animal Protection, Norfolk, VA, 23510, USA
| | - Catherine Doyle
- Performing Animal Welfare Society, P.O. Box 849, Galt, CA, 95632, USA
| | - Lester O'Brien
- Palladium Elephant Consulting Inc., 2408 Pinewood Dr. SE, Calgary, AB, T2B1S4, Canada
| | - Mackenzie Tennison
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Lori Marino
- Whale Sanctuary Project, Kanab, UT, 84741, USA
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7
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Smail MA, Smith BL, Nawreen N, Herman JP. Differential impact of stress and environmental enrichment on corticolimbic circuits. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2020; 197:172993. [PMID: 32659243 PMCID: PMC7484282 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2020.172993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2020] [Revised: 05/27/2020] [Accepted: 07/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Stress exposure can produce profound changes in physiology and behavior that can impair health and well-being. Of note, stress exposure is linked to anxiety disorders and depression in humans. The widespread impact of these disorders warrants investigation into treatments to mitigate the harmful effects of stress. Pharmacological treatments fail to help many with these disorders, so recent work has focused on non-pharmacological alternatives. One of the most promising of these alternatives is environmental enrichment (EE). In rodents, EE includes social, physical, and cognitive stimulation for the animal, in the form of larger cages, running wheels, and toys. EE successfully reduces the maladaptive effects of various stressors, both as treatment and prophylaxis. While we know that EE can have beneficial effects under stress conditions, the morphological and molecular mechanisms underlying these behavioral effects are still not well understood. EE is known to alter neurogenesis, dendrite development, and expression of neurotrophic growth factors, effects that vary by type of enrichment, age, and sex. To add to this complexity, EE has differential effects in different brain regions. Understanding how EE exerts its protective effects on morphological and molecular levels could hold the key to developing more targeted pharmacological treatments. In this review, we summarize the literature on the morphological and molecular consequences of EE and stress in key emotional regulatory pathways in the brain, the hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, and amygdala. The similarities and differences among these regions provide some insight into stress-EE interaction that may be exploited in future efforts toward prevention of, and intervention in, stress-related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marissa A Smail
- Department of Pharmacology and Systems Physiology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States.
| | - Brittany L Smith
- Department of Pharmacology and Systems Physiology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Nawshaba Nawreen
- Department of Pharmacology and Systems Physiology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - James P Herman
- Department of Pharmacology and Systems Physiology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States; Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States; Department of Neurology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States
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8
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Bijoch L, Borczyk M, Czajkowski R. Bases of Jerzy Konorski's theory of synaptic plasticity. Eur J Neurosci 2019; 51:1857-1866. [PMID: 31368131 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2019] [Revised: 06/25/2019] [Accepted: 07/22/2019] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Lukasz Bijoch
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Malgorzata Borczyk
- Laboratory of Molecular Basis of Behavior, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Rafał Czajkowski
- Laboratory of Spatial Memory, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
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9
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Lopes DA, Souza TM, de Andrade JS, Silva MF, Antunes HK, Sueur-Maluf LL, Céspedes IC, Viana MB. Environmental enrichment decreases avoidance responses in the elevated T-maze and delta FosB immunoreactivity in anxiety-related brain regions. Behav Brain Res 2018; 344:65-72. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2018.02.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2017] [Revised: 02/06/2018] [Accepted: 02/09/2018] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
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10
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Matsuda W, Ehara A, Nakadate K, Yoshimoto K, Ueda S. Effects of environmental enrichment on the activity of the amygdala in micrencephalic rats exposed to a novel open field. Congenit Anom (Kyoto) 2018; 58:16-23. [PMID: 28464341 DOI: 10.1111/cga.12228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2017] [Revised: 04/26/2017] [Accepted: 04/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Environmental enrichment (EE) mediates recovery from sensory, motor, and cognitive deficits and emotional abnormalities. In the present study, we examined the effects of EE on locomotor activity and neuronal activity in the amygdala in control and methylazoxymethanol acetate (MAM)-induced micrencephalic rats after challenge in a novel open field. Control rats housed in EE (CR) showed reduced locomotor activity compared to rats housed in a conventional cage (CC), whereas hyperactivity was seen in MAM rats housed in a conventional cage (MC) and in MAM rats housed in EE (MR). Novel open field exposure in both CC and MC resulted in a marked increase in Fos expression in the anterior and posterior parts of the basolateral amygdaloid nucleus, basomedial nucleus, and medial nucleus, whereas these increases in expression were not observed in CR. The effect of EE on Fos expression in the amygdala was different in MR exposed to a novel open field compared to CR. Furthermore, we observed a quite different pattern of Fos expression in the central nucleus of the amygdala between control and MAM rats. The present results suggest that neuronal activity in the amygdala that responds to anxiety is altered in MAM rats, especially when the rats are reared in EE. These alterations may cause behavioral differences between control and MAM rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wakoto Matsuda
- Department of Histology and Neurobiology, Dokkyo Medical University School of Medicine, Tochigi, Japan
| | - Ayuka Ehara
- Department of Histology and Neurobiology, Dokkyo Medical University School of Medicine, Tochigi, Japan
| | - Kazuhiko Nakadate
- Department of Basic Science, Educational and Research Center for Pharmacy, Meiji Pharmaceutical University, Kiyose, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kanji Yoshimoto
- Department of Food Sciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Hiroshima Institute of Technology, Miyake, Saeki-ku, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Shuichi Ueda
- Department of Histology and Neurobiology, Dokkyo Medical University School of Medicine, Tochigi, Japan
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11
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Jaworski J, Kalita K, Knapska E. c-Fos and neuronal plasticity: the aftermath of Kaczmarek’s theory. Acta Neurobiol Exp (Wars) 2018. [DOI: 10.21307/ane-2018-027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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12
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Oliveira C, Scarabelot VL, Vercelino R, Silveira NP, Adachi LN, Regner GG, Silva LS, Macedo IC, Souza A, Caumo W, Torres IL. Morphine exposure and maternal deprivation during the early postnatal period alter neuromotor development and nerve growth factor levels. Int J Dev Neurosci 2017; 63:8-15. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2017.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2017] [Revised: 09/02/2017] [Accepted: 09/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Carla Oliveira
- Laboratório de Farmacologia da Dor e Neuromodulação: Investigações Pré‐ClínicasDepartamento de FarmacologiaInstituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do SulPorto AlegreBrazil
- Programa de Pós‐Graduaçăo em Medicina: Ciências MédicasFaculdade de MedicinaUniversidade Federal do Rio Grande do SulPorto AlegreBrazil
- Unidade de Experimentação Animal e Grupo de Pesquisa e Pós‐Graduação, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do SulPorto AlegreBrazil
| | - Vanessa L. Scarabelot
- Laboratório de Farmacologia da Dor e Neuromodulação: Investigações Pré‐ClínicasDepartamento de FarmacologiaInstituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do SulPorto AlegreBrazil
- Unidade de Experimentação Animal e Grupo de Pesquisa e Pós‐Graduação, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do SulPorto AlegreBrazil
| | - Rafael Vercelino
- Laboratório de Farmacologia da Dor e Neuromodulação: Investigações Pré‐ClínicasDepartamento de FarmacologiaInstituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do SulPorto AlegreBrazil
- Centro Universitário FADERGSPorto AlegreRSBrazil
- Health and Wellness School Laureate International Universities
| | - Natalia P. Silveira
- Laboratório de Farmacologia da Dor e Neuromodulação: Investigações Pré‐ClínicasDepartamento de FarmacologiaInstituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do SulPorto AlegreBrazil
- Unidade de Experimentação Animal e Grupo de Pesquisa e Pós‐Graduação, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do SulPorto AlegreBrazil
| | - Lauren N.S. Adachi
- Laboratório de Farmacologia da Dor e Neuromodulação: Investigações Pré‐ClínicasDepartamento de FarmacologiaInstituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do SulPorto AlegreBrazil
- Programa de Pós‐Graduaçăo em Medicina: Ciências MédicasFaculdade de MedicinaUniversidade Federal do Rio Grande do SulPorto AlegreBrazil
- Unidade de Experimentação Animal e Grupo de Pesquisa e Pós‐Graduação, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do SulPorto AlegreBrazil
| | - Gabriela G. Regner
- Laboratório de Farmacologia da Dor e Neuromodulação: Investigações Pré‐ClínicasDepartamento de FarmacologiaInstituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do SulPorto AlegreBrazil
- Unidade de Experimentação Animal e Grupo de Pesquisa e Pós‐Graduação, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do SulPorto AlegreBrazil
| | - Lisiane S. Silva
- Laboratório de Farmacologia da Dor e Neuromodulação: Investigações Pré‐ClínicasDepartamento de FarmacologiaInstituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do SulPorto AlegreBrazil
- Unidade de Experimentação Animal e Grupo de Pesquisa e Pós‐Graduação, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do SulPorto AlegreBrazil
| | - Isabel Cristina Macedo
- Laboratório de Farmacologia da Dor e Neuromodulação: Investigações Pré‐ClínicasDepartamento de FarmacologiaInstituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do SulPorto AlegreBrazil
- Unidade de Experimentação Animal e Grupo de Pesquisa e Pós‐Graduação, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do SulPorto AlegreBrazil
- Universidade Federal do PampaAvenida Antônio Trilha, 184797300‐000São GabrielRSBrazil
| | - Andressa Souza
- Laboratório de Farmacologia da Dor e Neuromodulação: Investigações Pré‐ClínicasDepartamento de FarmacologiaInstituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do SulPorto AlegreBrazil
- Unidade de Experimentação Animal e Grupo de Pesquisa e Pós‐Graduação, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do SulPorto AlegreBrazil
| | - Wolnei Caumo
- Laboratório de Farmacologia da Dor e Neuromodulação: Investigações Pré‐ClínicasDepartamento de FarmacologiaInstituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do SulPorto AlegreBrazil
- Programa de Pós‐Graduaçăo em Medicina: Ciências MédicasFaculdade de MedicinaUniversidade Federal do Rio Grande do SulPorto AlegreBrazil
| | - Iraci L.S. Torres
- Laboratório de Farmacologia da Dor e Neuromodulação: Investigações Pré‐ClínicasDepartamento de FarmacologiaInstituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do SulPorto AlegreBrazil
- Programa de Pós‐Graduaçăo em Medicina: Ciências MédicasFaculdade de MedicinaUniversidade Federal do Rio Grande do SulPorto AlegreBrazil
- Unidade de Experimentação Animal e Grupo de Pesquisa e Pós‐Graduação, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do SulPorto AlegreBrazil
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Badowska‐Szalewska E, Ludkiewicz B, Krawczyk R, Moryś J. The impact of two mild stressors on the nerve growth factor (NGF) immunoreactivity in the amygdala in aged rats compared to adult ones. Int J Dev Neurosci 2015; 49:6-13. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2015.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2015] [Revised: 12/18/2015] [Accepted: 12/18/2015] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Ewa Badowska‐Szalewska
- Department of Anatomy and NeurobiologyMedical University of GdańskDębinki st. 180‐211GdańskPoland
| | - Beata Ludkiewicz
- Department of Anatomy and NeurobiologyMedical University of GdańskDębinki st. 180‐211GdańskPoland
| | - Rafał Krawczyk
- Department of Anatomy and NeurobiologyMedical University of GdańskDębinki st. 180‐211GdańskPoland
| | - Janusz Moryś
- Department of Anatomy and NeurobiologyMedical University of GdańskDębinki st. 180‐211GdańskPoland
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14
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Sotnikov SV, Chekmareva NY, Schmid B, Harbich D, Malik V, Bauer S, Kuehne C, Markt PO, Deussing JM, Schmidt MV, Landgraf R. Enriched environment impacts trimethylthiazoline-induced anxiety-related behavior and immediate early gene expression: critical role ofCrhr1. Eur J Neurosci 2014; 40:2691-700. [DOI: 10.1111/ejn.12624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2013] [Revised: 03/15/2014] [Accepted: 04/14/2014] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- S. V. Sotnikov
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry; Kraepelinstrasse 2 80804 Munich Germany
- Department of Normal Physiology; Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University; Moscow Russia
| | - N. Y. Chekmareva
- Department of Normal Physiology; Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University; Moscow Russia
- P.K. Anokhin Institute of Normal Physiology; Russian Academy of Medical Sciences; Moscow Russia
| | - B. Schmid
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry; Kraepelinstrasse 2 80804 Munich Germany
| | - D. Harbich
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry; Kraepelinstrasse 2 80804 Munich Germany
| | - V. Malik
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry; Kraepelinstrasse 2 80804 Munich Germany
| | - S. Bauer
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry; Kraepelinstrasse 2 80804 Munich Germany
| | - C. Kuehne
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry; Kraepelinstrasse 2 80804 Munich Germany
| | - P. O. Markt
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry; Kraepelinstrasse 2 80804 Munich Germany
| | - J. M. Deussing
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry; Kraepelinstrasse 2 80804 Munich Germany
- Clinical Cooperation Group Molecular Neurogenetics; Institute of Developmental Genetics; Helmholtz Center Munich; Neuherberg Germany
| | - M. V. Schmidt
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry; Kraepelinstrasse 2 80804 Munich Germany
| | - R. Landgraf
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry; Kraepelinstrasse 2 80804 Munich Germany
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15
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Vivinetto AL, Suárez MM, Rivarola MA. Neurobiological effects of neonatal maternal separation and post-weaning environmental enrichment. Behav Brain Res 2012. [PMID: 23195113 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2012.11.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Throughout the lifespan, the brain has a considerable degree of plasticity and can be strongly influenced by sensory input from the outside environment. Given the importance of the environment in the regulation of the brain structure, behavior and physiology, the aim of the present work was to analyze the effects of different environmental qualities during two critical ontogenic periods (early life and peripuberty) on behavior and hippocampal physiology. Male Wistar rats were separated from their mothers for 4.5h daily during the first 3 weeks of life. They were weaned on day 21 and housed under either standard or enriched conditions. At 60 d of age, all animals were then housed in same-treatment groups, two per cage, until testing began on day 74. Emotional and cognitive responses were tested using the open field, novel object recognition test and step-down inhibitory avoidance learning. In the dorsal hippocampus, glucocorticoid receptor expression and neuronal activity were examined by immunoreactivity. Grooming behavior in the open field was found to be significantly lower in maternally separated animals, but post-weaning environmental enrichment completely reversed this tendency. Inhibitory avoidance but not object recognition memory was impaired in maternally separated animals, suggesting that early maternal separation alters learning and memory in a task-specific manner. Again, environmental enrichment reversed the effects of maternal separation on the inhibitory avoidance task. Even though maternal separation did not significantly affect Fos and glucocorticoid receptor (GR) expression, environmental enrichment increased both Fos expression in the total hippocampal area and also the overall number of GR positive cells per hippocampal area, mainly due to the changes in CA1. These findings suggest that differential rearing is a useful procedure to study behavioral and physiological plasticity in response to early experience and that, although the effects of adverse experience early in life such as maternal separation can persist until adulthood, some of them can be compensated by early favorable environments, possibly through nervous system plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Laura Vivinetto
- Cátedra de Fisiología Animal-Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Av. Vélez Sarsfield 299-X5000JJC, Córdoba, Argentina
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16
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Leger M, Quiedeville A, Paizanis E, Natkunarajah S, Freret T, Boulouard M, Schumann-Bard P. Environmental enrichment enhances episodic-like memory in association with a modified neuronal activation profile in adult mice. PLoS One 2012; 7:e48043. [PMID: 23110171 PMCID: PMC3478271 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0048043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2012] [Accepted: 09/20/2012] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Although environmental enrichment is well known to improve learning and memory in rodents, the underlying neuronal networks' plasticity remains poorly described. Modifications of the brain activation pattern by enriched condition (EC), especially in the frontal cortex and the baso-lateral amygdala, have been reported during an aversive memory task in rodents. The aims of our study were to examine 1) whether EC modulates episodic-like memory in an object recognition task and 2) whether EC modulates the task-induced neuronal networks. To this end, adult male mice were housed either in standard condition (SC) or in EC for three weeks before behavioral experiments (n = 12/group). Memory performances were examined in an object recognition task performed in a Y-maze with a 2-hour or 24-hour delay between presentation and test (inter-session intervals, ISI). To characterize the mechanisms underlying the promnesiant effect of EC, the brain activation profile was assessed after either the presentation or the test sessions using immunohistochemical techniques with c-Fos as a neuronal activation marker. EC did not modulate memory performances after a 2 h-ISI, but extended object recognition memory to a 24 h-ISI. In contrast, SC mice did not discriminate the novel object at this ISI. Compared to SC mice, no activation related to the presentation session was found in selected brain regions of EC mice (in particular, no effect was found in the hippocampus and the perirhinal cortex and a reduced activation was found in the baso-lateral amygdala). On the other hand, an activation of the hippocampus and the infralimbic cortex was observed after the test session for EC, but not SC mice. These results suggest that the persistence of object recognition memory in EC could be related to a reorganization of neuronal networks occurring as early as the memory encoding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marianne Leger
- Groupe Mémoire et Plasticité Comportementale-GMPc, Université de Caen Basse-Normandie, EA 4259, Caen, France.
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17
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Markham JA, Greenough WT. Experience-driven brain plasticity: beyond the synapse. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012; 1:351-63. [PMID: 16921405 PMCID: PMC1550735 DOI: 10.1017/s1740925x05000219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 249] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The brain is remarkably responsive to its interactions with the environment, and its morphology is altered by experience in measurable ways. Histological examination of the brains of animals exposed to either a complex ('enriched') environment or learning paradigm, compared with appropriate controls, has illuminated the nature of experience-induced morphological plasticity in the brain. For example, this research reveals that changes in synapse number and morphology are associated with learning and are stable, in that they persist well beyond the period of exposure to the learning experience. In addition, other components of the nervous system also respond to experience: oligodendrocytes and axonal myelination might also be permanently altered, whereas changes in astrocytes and cerebrovasculature are more transient and appear to be activity- rather than learning-driven. Thus, experience induces multiple forms of plasticity in the brain that are apparently regulated, at least in part, by independent mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie A Markham
- Beckman Institute, University of Illinois, 405 N. Matthews Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
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18
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Enriched and deprived sensory experience induces structural changes and rewires connectivity during the postnatal development of the brain. Neural Plast 2012; 2012:305693. [PMID: 22848849 PMCID: PMC3400395 DOI: 10.1155/2012/305693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2011] [Revised: 03/20/2012] [Accepted: 06/13/2012] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
During postnatal development, sensory experience modulates cortical development, inducing numerous changes in all of the components of the cortex. Most of the cortical changes thus induced occur during the critical period, when the functional and structural properties of cortical neurons are particularly susceptible to alterations. Although the time course for experience-mediated sensory development is specific for each system, postnatal development acts as a whole, and if one cortical area is deprived of its normal sensory inputs during early stages, it will be reorganized by the nondeprived senses in a process of cross-modal plasticity that not only increases performance in the remaining senses when one is deprived, but also rewires the brain allowing the deprived cortex to process inputs from other senses and cortices, maintaining the modular configuration. This paper summarizes our current understanding of sensory systems development, focused specially in the visual system. It delineates sensory enhancement and sensory deprivation effects at both physiological and anatomical levels and describes the use of enriched environment as a tool to rewire loss of brain areas to enhance other active senses. Finally, strategies to apply restorative features in human-deprived senses are studied, discussing the beneficial and detrimental effects of cross-modal plasticity in prostheses and sensory substitution devices implantation.
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Hayes DJ, Northoff G. Common brain activations for painful and non-painful aversive stimuli. BMC Neurosci 2012; 13:60. [PMID: 22676259 PMCID: PMC3464596 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2202-13-60] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2012] [Accepted: 04/18/2012] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Identification of potentially harmful stimuli is necessary for the well-being and self-preservation of all organisms. However, the neural substrates involved in the processing of aversive stimuli are not well understood. For instance, painful and non-painful aversive stimuli are largely thought to activate different neural networks. However, it is presently unclear whether there is a common aversion-related network of brain regions responsible for the basic processing of aversive stimuli. To help clarify this issue, this report used a cross-species translational approach in humans (i.e. meta-analysis) and rodents (i.e. systematic review of functional neuroanatomy). RESULTS Animal and human data combined to show a core aversion-related network, consisting of similar cortical (i.e. MCC, PCC, AI, DMPFC, RTG, SMA, VLOFC; see results section or abbreviation section for full names) and subcortical (i.e. Amyg, BNST, DS, Hab, Hipp/Parahipp, Hyp, NAc, NTS, PAG, PBN, raphe, septal nuclei, Thal, LC, midbrain) regions. In addition, a number of regions appeared to be more involved in pain-related (e.g. sensory cortex) or non-pain-related (e.g. amygdala) aversive processing. CONCLUSIONS This investigation suggests that aversive processing, at the most basic level, relies on similar neural substrates, and that differential responses may be due, in part, to the recruitment of additional structures as well as the spatio-temporal dynamic activity of the network. This network perspective may provide a clearer understanding of why components of this circuit appear dysfunctional in some psychiatric and pain-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dave J Hayes
- Mind, Brain Imaging and Neuroethics Research Unit, Institute of Mental Health Research, University of Ottawa, 1145 Carling Avenue, Ottawa, K1Z 7K4, Canada
| | - Georg Northoff
- Mind, Brain Imaging and Neuroethics Research Unit, Institute of Mental Health Research, University of Ottawa, 1145 Carling Avenue, Ottawa, K1Z 7K4, Canada
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20
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Leger M, Bouet V, Freret T, Darmaillacq AS, Dacher M, Dauphin F, Boulouard M, Schumann-Bard P. Environmental enrichment improves recent but not remote memory in association with a modified brain metabolic activation profile in adult mice. Behav Brain Res 2012; 228:22-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2011.11.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2011] [Revised: 11/15/2011] [Accepted: 11/20/2011] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
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21
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Ragu Varman D, Marimuthu G, Emmanuvel Rajan K. Environmental enrichment exerts anxiolytic effects in the Indian field mouse (Mus booduga). Appl Anim Behav Sci 2012. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2011.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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22
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Hayes DJ, Northoff G. Identifying a network of brain regions involved in aversion-related processing: a cross-species translational investigation. Front Integr Neurosci 2011; 5:49. [PMID: 22102836 PMCID: PMC3215229 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2011.00049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2011] [Accepted: 08/19/2011] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability to detect and respond appropriately to aversive stimuli is essential for all organisms, from fruit flies to humans. This suggests the existence of a core neural network which mediates aversion-related processing. Human imaging studies on aversion have highlighted the involvement of various cortical regions, such as the prefrontal cortex, while animal studies have focused largely on subcortical regions like the periaqueductal gray and hypothalamus. However, whether and how these regions form a core neural network of aversion remains unclear. To help determine this, a translational cross-species investigation in humans (i.e., meta-analysis) and other animals (i.e., systematic review of functional neuroanatomy) was performed. Our results highlighted the recruitment of the anterior cingulate cortex, the anterior insula, and the amygdala as well as other subcortical (e.g., thalamus, midbrain) and cortical (e.g., orbitofrontal) regions in both animals and humans. Importantly, involvement of these regions remained independent of sensory modality. This study provides evidence for a core neural network mediating aversion in both animals and humans. This not only contributes to our understanding of the trans-species neural correlates of aversion but may also carry important implications for psychiatric disorders where abnormal aversive behavior can often be observed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dave J Hayes
- Mind, Brain Imaging and Neuroethics Research Unit, Institute of Mental Health Research, University of Ottawa Ottawa, ON, Canada
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23
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Abstract
Epidemiological studies show a close relationship between physical activity and cognition. A causal relationship between physical activity and cognition has been observed in children, adolescents, older people without dementia, and in older people in a very early stage of dementia. Considering these positive effects, we argue that a decline in physical activity has a detrimental effect on cognition and behavior in patients with dementia. Merely living in a nursing home reduces the level of physical activity. The level of physical activity may even be reduced to a minimum when physical restraints are applied. The use of physical restraints coincides with stress, further aggravating the already existing neuropathology, which may increase stress and agitation even more. Exercise may reduce stress and agitation.
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Majkutewicz I, Cecot T, Jerzemowska G, Myślińska D, Plucińska K, Trojniar W, Wrona D. Lesion of the ventral tegmental area amplifies stimulation-induced Fos expression in the rat brain. Brain Res 2010; 1320:95-105. [PMID: 20079346 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2010.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2009] [Revised: 12/31/2009] [Accepted: 01/05/2010] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Unilateral lesions of the ventral tegmental area (VTA), the key structure of the mesolimbic system, facilitate behavioral responses induced by electrical stimulation of the VTA in the contralateral hemisphere. In search of the neuronal mechanism behind this phenomenon, Fos expression was used to measure neuronal activation of the target mesolimbic structures in rats subjected to unilateral electrocoagulation and simultaneously to contralateral electrical stimulation of the VTA (L/S group). These were compared to the level of mesolimbic activation after unilateral electrocoagulation of the VTA (L group), unilateral electrical stimulation of the VTA (S group) and bilateral electrode implantation into the VTA in the sham (Sh) group. We found that unilateral stimulation of the VTA alone increased the density of Fos containing neurons in the ipsilateral mesolimbic target structures: nucleus accumbens, lateral septum and amygdala in comparison with the sham group. However, unilateral lesion of the VTA was devoid of effect in non-stimulated (L) rats and it significantly amplified the stimulation-induced Fos-immunoreactivity (L/S vs S group). Stimulation of the VTA performed after contralateral lesion (L/S) evoked strong bilateral induction of Fos expression in the mesolimbic structures involved in motivation and reward (nucleus accumbens and lateral septum) and the processing of the reinforcing properties of olfactory stimuli (anterior cortical amygdaloid nucleus) in parallel with facilitation of behavioral function measured as shortened latency of eating or exploration. Our data suggest that VTA lesion sensitizes mesolimbic system to stimuli by suppressing an inhibitory influence of brain areas afferenting the VTA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irena Majkutewicz
- Department of Animal Physiology, University of Gdańsk, 24 Kładki St., 80-822 Gdańsk, Poland
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25
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Ali AE, Wilson YM, Murphy M. A single exposure to an enriched environment stimulates the activation of discrete neuronal populations in the brain of the fos-tau-lacZ mouse. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2009; 92:381-90. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2009.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2008] [Revised: 05/06/2009] [Accepted: 05/08/2009] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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26
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Nithianantharajah J, Murphy M. Auditory specific fear conditioning results in increased levels of synaptophysin in the basolateral amygdala. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2008; 90:36-43. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2007.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2007] [Revised: 11/21/2007] [Accepted: 12/11/2007] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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27
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Lonart G, Tang X, Simsek-Duran F, Machida M, Sanford LD. The role of active zone protein Rab3 interacting molecule 1 alpha in the regulation of norepinephrine release, response to novelty, and sleep. Neuroscience 2008; 154:821-31. [PMID: 18495360 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2008.03.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2008] [Revised: 03/15/2008] [Accepted: 03/18/2008] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Sleep mechanisms and synaptic plasticity are thought to interact to regulate homeostasis and memory formation. However, the influences of molecules that mediate synaptic plasticity on sleep are not well understood. In this study we demonstrate that mice lacking Rab3 interacting molecule 1 alpha (RIM1 alpha) (Rim1 alpha KO), a protein of the synaptic active zone required for certain types of synaptic plasticity and learning, had 53+/-5% less baseline rapid eye movement (REM) sleep compared with their wild type littermates. Also, compared with wild type littermates, exposure of the mice to an open field or to a novel object induced more robust and longer lasting locomotion suggesting altered habituation. This difference in exploratory behavior correlated with genotype specific changes in REM and deregulated release of norepinephrine in the cortex and basal amygdala of the Rim1 alpha KO mice. Also, moderate sleep deprivation (4 h), a test of the homeostatic sleep response, induced REM sleep rebound with different time course in Rim1 alpha KO and their wild type littermates. As norepinephrine plays an important role in regulating arousal and REM sleep, our data suggest that noradrenergic deficiency in Rim1 alpha KO animals impacts exploratory behavior and sleep regulation and contributes to impairments in learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Lonart
- Department of Pathology and Anatomy, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, VA 23507, USA.
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28
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Zhu SW, Yee BK, Nyffeler M, Winblad B, Feldon J, Mohammed AH. Influence of differential housing on emotional behaviour and neurotrophin levels in mice. Behav Brain Res 2006; 169:10-20. [PMID: 16406106 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2005.11.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 134] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2005] [Revised: 11/25/2005] [Accepted: 11/30/2005] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Environmental enrichment condition (EC) induces profound behavioural, neurochemical and neuroanatomical changes. Increasing evidence has shown that the hippocampus, which is implicated in a range of cognitive functions, including learning and memory, is one of the most susceptible brain areas to the effects of enriched rearing. Recent work also suggests that the hippocampus is functionally segregated; lesion studies have shown that the dorsal hippocampus is important for spatial learning, whereas the ventral part is critical in emotional behaviour in rats. We investigated the effects of differential housing environments on anxiety-related behaviour and neurotrophin levels in dorsal and ventral hippocampus, and other brain regions. Ninety-six male and female C57BL/6 mice were reared in EC or standard housing condition (SC) for 4 months after weaning. Thereafter sixty-four animals were tested in the elevated plus-maze, open-field, novel-objects exploration and food neophobia. Thirty-two animals remained as untested. Subsequently, brain nerve growth factor (NGF) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) were analysed in selected brain regions of the tested and non-tested animals. Differential housing influenced anxiety-related behaviour in the plus-maze and brain neurotrophins. Baseline levels of BDNF and NGF protein were differently distributed in dorsal and ventral parts of hippocampus in both male and female mice, with levels in the dorsal hippocampal being consistently higher than those in ventral hippocampus. Exposure to behavioural testing induced complex changes on neurotrophin levels in selected brain regions. This study demonstrates for the first time the differential distribution of normal levels of neurotrophin protein in dorsal and ventral hippocampus in mice, and these levels can be affected by environmental enrichment and have an impact on emotional behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shun-Wei Zhu
- Division of Experimental Geriatric Medicine, NEUROTEC, Karolinska University Hospital, Huddinge, NOVUM, 141 86 Stockholm, Sweden.
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29
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Briand LA, Robinson TE, Maren S. Enhancement of auditory fear conditioning after housing in a complex environment is attenuated by prior treatment with amphetamine. Learn Mem 2005; 12:553-6. [PMID: 16287722 DOI: 10.1101/lm.95905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Prior exposure to drugs of abuse has been shown to occlude the structural plasticity associated with living in a complex environment. Amphetamine treatment may also occlude some cognitive advantages normally associated with living in a complex environment. To test this hypothesis we examined the influence of prior exposure to amphetamine on fear conditioning in rats housed in either a standard or complex environment. Housing in a complex environment facilitated fear learning to an auditory conditioned stimulus (CS), but not to the training context, relative to animals housed singly or in a social group. Prior treatment with amphetamine eliminated this effect. These results indicate that living in a complex environment facilitates conditional freezing to an auditory CS, and that this effect is abolished by pretreatment with amphetamine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa A Briand
- Neuroscience Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA
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30
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Tang X, Xiao J, Liu X, Sanford LD. Strain differences in the influence of open field exposure on sleep in mice. Behav Brain Res 2004; 154:137-47. [PMID: 15302119 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2004.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2003] [Revised: 01/29/2004] [Accepted: 02/03/2004] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The open field (OF) is thought to induce anxiety in rodents. It also allows an opportunity for exploration in a novel environment. Less activity in the OF is thought to indicate greater anxiety whereas more activity may reflect greater exploration, and possibly greater exploratory learning. Anxiety and learning have poorly understood relationships to sleep. In order to determine how anxiety and exploration in the OF could influence sleep, we recorded sleep in mouse strains (C57BL/6J (B6), BALB/cJ (C), DBA/2J (D2), and CB6F1/J (CB6)) with different levels of anxiety and exploration after 30 min in an OF. In all strains, OF exposure induced immediate decreases in rapid eye movement sleep (REM) followed by longer latency increases in REM. The time course and amount of REM decreases and increases varied among strains. Compared to less anxious B6, D2 and CB6 mice, C mice had greater and longer lasting immediate decreases in REM. C mice also displayed longer periods of decreases REM and a smaller, longer latency increase in REM. OF exploratory activity was positively correlated to percentage of REM increases from 6 to 10h after OF exposure. The results suggest that the anxiogenic component of the OF produced an immediate decrease in REM that was greater in more "anxious" mice. In contrast, exploration in the OF was associated with increased REM, with the increase greater in less anxious mice. The results are discussed with respect to the potential influences of anxiety and learning on sleep.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangdong Tang
- Department of Pathology and Anatomy, Sleep Research Laboratory, Eastern Virginia Medical School, P.O. Box 1980, Norfolk, VA 23501, USA
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31
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Fernández-Teruel A, Giménez-Llort L, Escorihuela RM, Gil L, Aguilar R, Steimer T, Tobeña A. Early-life handling stimulation and environmental enrichment: are some of their effects mediated by similar neural mechanisms? Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2002; 73:233-45. [PMID: 12076742 DOI: 10.1016/s0091-3057(02)00787-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 124] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Neonatal (early) handling (EH) and environmental enrichment (EE) of laboratory rodents have been the two most commonly used methods of providing supplementary environmental stimulation in order to study behavioral and neurobiological plasticity. A large body of research has been generated since the 1950s, unequivocally showing that both treatments induce profound and long-lasting behavioral and neural consequences while also inducing plastic brain effects and being "protective" against some age-related deficits. The present work is aimed at reviewing the main neurobehavioral effects of both manipulations, with the final purpose of comparing them and trying to find out to what extent the effects of both treatments may share (or not) possible neural mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Fernández-Teruel
- Medical Psychology Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Autonomous University of Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain.
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