1
|
Yin X, Zhao Y, Wang S, Feng H, He X, Li X, Liu X, Lu H, Wen D, Shi Y, Shi H. Postweaning stress affects behavior, brain and gut microbiota of adolescent mice in a sex-dependent manner. Neuropharmacology 2024; 248:109869. [PMID: 38354850 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2024.109869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 02/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
Aggression is an instinctive behavior that has been reported to be influenced by early-life stress. However, the potential effects of acute stress during the postweaning period, a key stage for brain development, on defensive aggression and the associated mechanism remain poorly understood. In the present study, aggressive behaviors were evaluated in adolescent mice exposed to postweaning stress. Serum corticosterone and testosterone levels, neural dendritic spine density, and gut microbiota composition were determined to identify the underlying mechanism. Behavioral analysis showed that postweaning stress reduced locomotor activity in mice and decreased defensive aggression in male mice. ELISA results showed that postweaning stress reduced serum testosterone levels in female mice. Golgi staining analysis demonstrated that postweaning stress decreased neural dendritic spine density in the medial prefrontal cortex of male mice. 16S rRNA sequencing results indicated that postweaning stress altered the composition of the gut microbiota in male mice. Combined, these results suggested that postweaning stress alters defensive aggression in male mice, which may be due to changes in neuronal structure as well as gut microbiota composition. Our findings highlight the long-lasting and sex-dependent effects of early-life experience on behaviors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xueyong Yin
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Medical and Health Science, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China; Hebei Key Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China
| | - Ye Zhao
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Medical and Health Science, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China; Hebei Key Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China
| | - Shuang Wang
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Medical and Health Science, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China; Hebei Key Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China
| | - Hao Feng
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Medical and Health Science, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China; Hebei Key Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China
| | - Xinyue He
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Medical and Health Science, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China; Hebei Key Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China
| | - Xincheng Li
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Medical and Health Science, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China; Hebei Key Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China
| | - Xiaoyu Liu
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Medical and Health Science, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China; Hebei Key Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China
| | - Hengtai Lu
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Medical and Health Science, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China; Hebei Key Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China
| | - Di Wen
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Hebei Province, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China
| | - Yun Shi
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Medical and Health Science, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China; Hebei Key Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China.
| | - Haishui Shi
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Medical and Health Science, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China; Hebei Key Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China; Hebei Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Hebei Province, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China; Nursing School, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050031, China.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Yang S, Zheng Q, Yin G. A 24-h restraint with food and water deprivation: a potential method to establish a model of depression in pigs. Front Vet Sci 2023; 10:1274497. [PMID: 37876629 PMCID: PMC10591077 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1274497] [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: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Adverse stress, such as the long-term restriction of food intake and activity in intensive production, leads to a depression-like mental state in sows. Mood disorder, such as depression, is a widely concerned animal welfare issue. However, little is known about the biological mechanisms that underlie mood disorders in pigs. This study is the first attempt to establish a pig depression model by acute stress. A total of 16 adult Bama pigs were divided into the control and model groups, with 8 pigs (half male and half female) per group. The pigs in the model group were restrained for 24 h in a dark and ventilated environment, with food and water deprivation. After the restraint, behavioral tests (feed intake, sucrose preference test, open field test, and novel object test) were used to evaluate apparent indicators. The levels of COR and ACTH in the serum and the levels of 5-HT, NE, and BDNF in the hippocampus and medial prefrontal cortex were detected using ELISA to identify the physiological state. After acute stress, pigs exhibited decreased feed intake and sucrose preference, increased serum COR levels, decreased hippocampal 5-HT levels, and exhibited more fear. Finally, the model was evaluated according to the weight of the test indicators. The overall score of the model was 0.57, indicating that modeling was feasible. Although the reliability and stability require further verification, this novel model revealed typical depression-like changes in behavior and provided a potential method to establish a model of depression in pigs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Guoan Yin
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Heilongjiang Bayi Agricultural University, Daqing, China
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Cook A, Beckmann H, Azap R, Ryu S. Acute Stress Modulates Social Approach and Social Maintenance in Adult Zebrafish. eNeuro 2023; 10:ENEURO.0491-22.2023. [PMID: 37620148 PMCID: PMC10493981 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0491-22.2023] [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: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Stress alters social functioning in a complex manner. An important variable determining the final effects of stress is stressor intensity. However, the precise relationship between stressor intensity and social behavior is not well understood. Here, we investigate the effects of varying acute stressor intensity exposure on social behavior using adult zebrafish. We first establish a novel test using adult zebrafish that allows distinguishing fish's drive to approach a social cue and its ability to engage and maintain social interaction within the same behavioral paradigm. Next, we combined this test with a new method to deliver an acute stress stimulus of varying intensities. Our results show that both social approach and social maintenance are reduced in adult zebrafish on acute stress exposure in an intensity-dependent manner. Interestingly, lower stress intensity reduces social maintenance without affecting the social approach, while a higher stress level is required to alter social approach. These results provide evidence for a direct correlation between acute stressor intensity and social functioning and suggest that distinct steps in social behavior are modulated differentially by the acute stress level.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Cook
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Medical Center of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, 55116, Mainz, Germany
| | - Holger Beckmann
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Medical Center of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, 55116, Mainz, Germany
- Living Systems Institute, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, EX4 4QD, United Kingdom
| | - Rutkay Azap
- Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Soojin Ryu
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Medical Center of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, 55116, Mainz, Germany
- Living Systems Institute, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, EX4 4QD, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Cohen S, Ho C. Review of Rat ( Rattus norvegicus), Mouse ( Mus musculus), Guinea pig ( Cavia porcellus), and Rabbit ( Oryctolagus cuniculus) Indicators for Welfare Assessment. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:2167. [PMID: 37443965 DOI: 10.3390/ani13132167] [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: 04/25/2023] [Revised: 06/17/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The monitoring and assessment of animals is important for their health and welfare. The appropriate selection of multiple, validated, and feasible welfare assessment indicators is required to effectively identify compromises or improvements to animal welfare. Animal welfare indicators can be animal or resource based. Indicators can be collated to form assessment tools (e.g., grimace scales) or animal welfare assessment models (e.g., 5 Domains) and frameworks (e.g., 5 Freedoms). The literature contains a wide variety of indicators, with both types needed for effective animal welfare assessment; however, there is yet to be an ideal constellation of indicators for animal-based welfare assessment in small mammals such as guinea pigs (Cavia Porcellus), mice (Mus musculus), rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus), and rats (Rattus norvegicus). A systematic review of grey and peer-reviewed literature was performed to determine the types of animal-based welfare indicators available to identify and assess animal health and welfare in these small mammals maintained across a wide variety of conditions. The available indicators were categorised and scored against a selection of criteria, including potential ease of use and costs. This review and analysis aim to provide the basis for further research into animal welfare indicators for these species. Future applications of this work may include improvements to animal welfare assessments or schemes, guiding better management, and implementing future strategies to enable better animal welfare.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shari Cohen
- Melbourne Veterinary School, Animal Welfare Science Centre, University of Melbourne, Parkville 3010, Australia
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Camden 2570, Australia
| | - Cindy Ho
- Melbourne Veterinary School, Animal Welfare Science Centre, University of Melbourne, Parkville 3010, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
The anxiogenic effects of adolescent psychological stress in male and female mice. Behav Brain Res 2022; 432:113963. [PMID: 35700812 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2022.113963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2022] [Revised: 05/25/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Adolescence is a period of transition during which there is extensive development of the brain and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. However, the term adolescence is broad and covers a number of important developmental periods ranging from pre-pubescence to sexual maturity. Using a predator stress model, we investigated the effects of chronic psychological stress on anxiety-like, depression-like, and social behaviours in male and female mice during early adolescence, when mice are pre-pubertal, and late adolescence, when mice are sexually mature. All stressed mice showed hyperactivity and increased anxiety-like behaviours. The anxiogenic effects were generally more pronounced in mice exposed to late, rather than early adolescent stress, but were clearly evident when stress was experienced at either timepoint. Risk assessment behaviours were also affected by the stress treatments, but the direction of these changes were sometimes sex- and age-specific. Surprisingly, mice stressed during adolescence showed no depressive-like behaviours as adults. This study provides evidence that adolescent psychological stress has pronounced long-term anxiogenic effects but that the precise behavioural phenotype differs based on sex and the sub-stage of adolescence during which the individual is exposed.
Collapse
|
6
|
Abstract
The effects of glucocorticoids on aggression can be conceptualized based on its mechanisms of action. These hormones can affect cell function non-genomically within minutes, primarily by affecting the cell membrane. Overall, such effects are activating and promote both metabolic preparations for the fight and aggressive behavior per se. Chronic increases in glucocorticoids activate genomic mechanisms and are depressing overall, including the inhibition of aggressive behavior. Finally, excessive stressors trigger epigenetic phenomena that have a large impact on brain programming and may also induce the reprogramming of neural functions. These induce qualitative changes in aggression that are deemed abnormal in animals, and psychopathological and criminal in humans. This review aims at deciphering the roles of glucocorticoids in aggression control by taking in view the three mechanisms of action often categorized as acute, chronic, and toxic stress based on the duration and the consequences of the stress response. It is argued that the tripartite way of influencing aggression can be recognized in all three animal, psychopathological, and criminal aggression and constitute a framework of mechanisms by which aggressive behavior adapts to short-term and log-term changes in the environment.
Collapse
|
7
|
McEwen BS, Karatsoreos IN. Sleep Deprivation and Circadian Disruption Stress, Allostasis, and Allostatic Load. Sleep Med Clin 2022; 17:253-262. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jsmc.2022.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
|
8
|
The Protective Effects of Escitalopram on Chronic Restraint Stress-Induced Memory Deficits in Adult Rats. PHYSIOLOGY AND PHARMACOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.52547/phypha.26.1.9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
|
9
|
Roustazade R, Radahmadi M, Yazdani Y. Therapeutic effects of saffron extract on different memory types, anxiety, and hippocampal BDNF and TNF-α gene expressions in sub-chronically stressed rats. Nutr Neurosci 2021; 25:192-206. [PMID: 34165393 DOI: 10.1080/1028415x.2021.1943138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Objective: While stress reportedly impairs memory, saffron enhances it. This study investigated the therapeutic effects of saffron extract on different memory types, anxiety-like behavior, and expressions of BDNF and TNF-α genes in sub-chronically stressed rats.Methods: Rats were randomly assigned to control, restraint stress (6 h/day/7 days), two 7-days saffron treatments with 30 and 60 mg/kg, and two stress-saffron groups (30 and 60 mg/kg/7 post-stress days). Serum cortisol level and hippocampal BDNF and TNF-α gene expressions were measured. Open field, passive avoidance, novel object recognition, and object location tests were performed to assess anxiety-like behavior and avoidance as well as cognitive and spatial memories, respectively.Results: The low saffron dose in the sub-chronic stressed group led to a significant increase in passive avoidance latency from day 3 onward whereas this effect was observed after 7 days under the high-dose treatment that simultaneously led to a significant decline in serum cortisol level. While the low saffron dose led to a sharp drop in hippocampal TNF-α gene expression, the high dose significantly increased the hippocampal BDNF gene expression in the sub-chronic stress group. Finally, both saffron doses reduced anxiety in the stressed groups.Conclusion: Compared to the low saffron dose, the high dose had a latent but long-lasting impact. Cognitive and spatial memories remained unaffected by either stress or saffron treatment. In addition, only the high saffron dose reversed anxiety in the sub-chronically stressed group. These findings suggest that various doses of saffron act differently on different brain functions under sub-chronic stress conditions.Abbreviations: Brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA), novel object recognition task (NORT), novel object location task (NOLT), open field test (OFT), passive avoidance (PA).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Roshanak Roustazade
- Medical Students' Research Center, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Maryam Radahmadi
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Yeganeh Yazdani
- Medical Students' Research Center, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Liu T, Lu J, Lukasiewicz K, Pan B, Zuo Y. Stress induces microglia-associated synaptic circuit alterations in the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex. Neurobiol Stress 2021; 15:100342. [PMID: 34136592 PMCID: PMC8182072 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2021.100342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Revised: 05/01/2021] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The mammalian dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) receives diverse inputs and plays important roles in adaptive behavior and cognitive flexibility. Stress, a major risk factor for many psychiatric disorders, compromises the structure and function of multiple brain regions and circuits. Here we show that 7-day restraint stress impairs reversal learning in the 4-choice odor discrimination test, a decision-making task requiring an intact dmPFC. In vivo two-photon imaging further reveals that stress increases dmPFC dendritic spine elimination, particularly those of the mushroom morphology, without affecting spine formation. In addition, stress alters dmPFC microglial branching complexity and elevates their terminal process dynamics. In stressed mice, dmPFC microglia contact dendrites more frequently, and dendritic spines with microglial contact are prone to elimination. In summary, our work suggests that stress-induced changes in glial-synapse interaction contributes to synaptic loss in dmPFC, resulting in neuronal circuit deficits and impaired cognitive flexibility. Restraint stress impairs cognitive flexibility in adolescent mice. Stress leads to synapse loss on pyramidal neurons in the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex. Stress decreases microglial complexity but increases their terminal dynamics and contacts with dendritic spines. Dendritic spines contacted by microglial processes are more prone to elimination.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Taohui Liu
- School of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, 330031, China.,Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, USA
| | - Ju Lu
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, USA
| | - Kacper Lukasiewicz
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, USA
| | - Bingxing Pan
- School of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, 330031, China
| | - Yi Zuo
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, USA
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Lu J, Tjia M, Mullen B, Cao B, Lukasiewicz K, Shah-Morales S, Weiser S, Cameron LP, Olson DE, Chen L, Zuo Y. An analog of psychedelics restores functional neural circuits disrupted by unpredictable stress. Mol Psychiatry 2021; 26:6237-6252. [PMID: 34035476 PMCID: PMC8613316 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-021-01159-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2021] [Revised: 04/28/2021] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Psychological stress affects a wide spectrum of brain functions and poses risks for many mental disorders. However, effective therapeutics to alleviate or revert its deleterious effects are lacking. A recently synthesized psychedelic analog tabernanthalog (TBG) has demonstrated anti-addictive and antidepressant potential. Whether TBG can rescue stress-induced affective, sensory, and cognitive deficits, and how it may achieve such effects by modulating neural circuits, remain unknown. Here we show that in mice exposed to unpredictable mild stress (UMS), administration of a single dose of TBG decreases their anxiety level and rescues deficits in sensory processing as well as in cognitive flexibility. Post-stress TBG treatment promotes the regrowth of excitatory neuron dendritic spines lost during UMS, decreases the baseline neuronal activity, and enhances whisking-modulation of neuronal activity in the somatosensory cortex. Moreover, calcium imaging in head-fixed mice performing a whisker-dependent texture discrimination task shows that novel textures elicit responses from a greater proportion of neurons in the somatosensory cortex than do familiar textures. Such differential response is diminished by UMS and is restored by TBG. Together, our study reveals the effects of UMS on cortical neuronal circuit activity patterns and demonstrate that TBG combats the detrimental effects of stress by modulating basal and stimulus-dependent neural activity in cortical networks.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ju Lu
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA.
| | - Michelle Tjia
- grid.205975.c0000 0001 0740 6917Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA USA
| | - Brian Mullen
- grid.205975.c0000 0001 0740 6917Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA USA
| | - Bing Cao
- grid.168010.e0000000419368956Departments of Neurosurgery, Neuropsychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford Neuroscience Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA USA
| | - Kacper Lukasiewicz
- grid.205975.c0000 0001 0740 6917Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA USA
| | - Sajita Shah-Morales
- grid.205975.c0000 0001 0740 6917Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA USA
| | - Sydney Weiser
- grid.205975.c0000 0001 0740 6917Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA USA
| | - Lindsay P. Cameron
- grid.27860.3b0000 0004 1936 9684Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA USA
| | - David E. Olson
- grid.27860.3b0000 0004 1936 9684Department of Chemistry, University of California, Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA USA ,grid.27860.3b0000 0004 1936 9684Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA USA ,grid.27860.3b0000 0004 1936 9684Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA USA
| | - Lu Chen
- grid.168010.e0000000419368956Departments of Neurosurgery, Neuropsychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford Neuroscience Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA USA
| | - Yi Zuo
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Zhao W, Hu Y, Sun Q, Li S, Gao Z, Lin M, Ding Z, Sun J, Li C. Chronic restraint stress increases social interaction in C57BL/6J mice monitoring through MiceProfiler analysis. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2020; 303:2402-2414. [PMID: 32478467 DOI: 10.1002/ar.24470] [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: 08/19/2018] [Revised: 02/06/2020] [Accepted: 03/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
The social deficit is a prevailing symptom in stress-induced depression. Although social interaction behavior has been widely studied in humans and rodents, it is imprecise to record the social behavior between two free-moving mice via perusal. In the present study, we applied an approach to analyze the social behavior in mice using a software named "MiceProfiler." C57BL/6J mice were stressed via chronic restraint stress (CRS) and housed in three populations of different sizes as follows: single, three in a cage, and six in a cage. The MiceProfiler was used to analyze the video of behavioral repertoire and, the result showed that stressed and single housed mice exhibited more social interaction both in the contact time and contact activities. Furthermore, we investigated the effect of CRS on social behavior when the mice were housed in larger populations size (three or six in a cage) and found that, the CRS procedure promoted social interaction. However, the larger population size resulted in the less total contact time, less time of head-tail, and moving in an opposite way. Besides, the CRS mice showed less social avoidance while the mice from a larger population presented less active contact. And the CRS mice also exhibited a higher social hierarchy compared with the control. Our data indicated that mild restraint stress might increase the intercommunication between mice. Collectively, our findings provided a new evidence for social behavior study and the MiceProfiler could be a new tool to measure the social behaviors of rodents.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wenbo Zhao
- Department of Anatomy, Shandong University School of Basic Medicine, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Yanlai Hu
- Department of Anatomy, Shandong University School of Basic Medicine, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Qiyun Sun
- Department of Orthopedics, Zaozhuang Municipal Hospital, Zaozhuang, Shandong, China
| | - Shangzhi Li
- Department of Orthopedics, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Zijie Gao
- Department of Anatomy, Shandong University School of Basic Medicine, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Minjuan Lin
- Department of Anatomy, Shandong University School of Basic Medicine, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Zhaoxi Ding
- Department of Anatomy, Shandong University School of Basic Medicine, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Jinhao Sun
- Department of Anatomy, Shandong University School of Basic Medicine, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Chuangang Li
- Department of Anesthesiology, Second Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Ratajczak P, Kus K, Zielińska-Przyjemska M, Skórczewska B, Zaprutko T, Kopciuch D, Paczkowska A, Nowakowska E. Antistress and antidepressant properties of dapoxetine and vortioxetine. Acta Neurobiol Exp (Wars) 2020. [DOI: 10.21307/ane-2020-020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
|
14
|
Wang L, Han D, Yin P, Teng K, Xu J, Ma Y. Decreased tryptophan hydroxylase 2 mRNA and protein expression, decreased brain serotonin concentrations, and anxiety-like behavioral changes in a rat model of simulated transport stress. Stress 2019; 22:707-717. [PMID: 31184239 DOI: 10.1080/10253890.2019.1625328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Transport stress causes not only physiological changes but also behavioral responses, including anxiety-like and depression-like behaviors in animals. The serotonergic system in the brain plays a pivotal role in processing anxiety. This study aimed to explore changes in concentrations of 5-hydroxytryptamine (serotonin), and the expression changes of tryptophan hydroxylase 2 (TPH2) mRNA and protein associated with anxiety-related behavioral responses under transport stress. A model of simulated transport stress was established in 40 adult male Sprague-Dawley rats, including a control group (n = 20) and a transport stress (TS) group (n = 20). The results showed that the rats in the TS group exhibited an increased feeding latency in the novelty-suppressed feeding test and a reduced frequency and dwelling time in the central area in the open-field test (OFT). Two hours following the final behavioral test, blood samples were collected. Creatine kinase (CK) activities and glucose and corticosterone concentrations in serum were significantly higher in the rats in the TS group than in the control group. Transport stress also significantly reduced the concentrations of 5-hydroxytryptamine in the hippocampus, striatum, and raphe nuclei and also reduced the expression levels of mRNA and protein for TPH2 in the raphe nuclei. Notably, the number of Fos-immunoreactive neurons was higher in the dorsal raphe nucleus under transport stress, whereas the number of 5-hydroxytryptamine-positive neurons was significantly lower. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that the 5-hydroxytryptamine transmitter in the hippocampus, striatum, and raphe nuclei is involved in processing anxiety-related behavioral responses under transport stress. Lay summary Physiological and psychological stress responses were induced in a rat model of simulated transport stress. We examined whether serotonin in the brain may be involved in mediating behavioral responses following exposure to transport stress. Tissue concentrations of serotonin in rat brain regions, including the hippocampus, striatum, and raphe nuclei, were reduced following exposure to transport stress. Expression of tryptophan hydroxylase 2 mRNA and protein, which catalyses serotonin synthesis, as well as numbers of serotonin-immunoreactive neurons, were decreased in the brainstem raphe nuclei.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lili Wang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University , Beijing , China
| | - Deping Han
- College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University , Beijing , China
| | - Peng Yin
- Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing , China
| | - Kedao Teng
- College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University , Beijing , China
| | - Jianqin Xu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University , Beijing , China
| | - Yunfei Ma
- College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University , Beijing , China
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
An enhanced expression of hypothalamic neuronal nitric oxide synthase in a rat model of simulated transport stress. BMC Vet Res 2019; 15:323. [PMID: 31492189 PMCID: PMC6731554 DOI: 10.1186/s12917-019-2071-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2019] [Accepted: 08/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Transport stress not only causes physiological changes but also induces behavioral responses, including anxiety-like and depression-like behavioral responses in animals. The neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) plays a pivotal role in transport stress. This study aimed to investigate the effects of acute transport stress on the expression of nNOS and the distribution of nNOS-positive neurons in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) and supraoptic nucleus (SON) of the hypothalamus in rats and to explore the neuroendocrine mechanism of transport stress. Results In this study, for the first time, we investigated the effects of transport stress on nitric oxide (NO)-NOS in the hypothalamus. After simulated stress, rats exhibited behavioral changes in the open field test (OFT), increased serum corticosterone (CORT) and norepinephrine (NE) levels, and increased NO content in the hypothalamus. In addition, nNOS expression in the hypothalamic PVN was upregulated, and its distribution was altered in stressed rats compared with that of unstressed rats. Conclusions Our findings indicate that simulated transport stress increases nNOS expression and alters its distribution in the PVN of the rat hypothalamus.
Collapse
|
16
|
The Neural Mechanisms of Sexually Dimorphic Aggressive Behaviors. Trends Genet 2018; 34:755-776. [PMID: 30173869 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2018.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2018] [Revised: 05/16/2018] [Accepted: 07/05/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Aggression is a fundamental social behavior that is essential for competing for resources and protecting oneself and families in both males and females. As a result of natural selection, aggression is often displayed differentially between the sexes, typically at a higher level in males than females. Here, we highlight the behavioral differences between male and female aggression in rodents. We further outline the aggression circuits in males and females, and compare their differences at each circuit node. Lastly, we summarize our current understanding regarding the generation of sexually dimorphic aggression circuits during development and their maintenance during adulthood. In both cases, gonadal steroid hormones appear to play crucial roles in differentiating the circuits by impacting on the survival, morphology, and intrinsic properties of relevant cells. Many other factors, such as environment and experience, may also contribute to sex differences in aggression and remain to be investigated in future studies.
Collapse
|
17
|
Ducsay CA, Goyal R, Pearce WJ, Wilson S, Hu XQ, Zhang L. Gestational Hypoxia and Developmental Plasticity. Physiol Rev 2018; 98:1241-1334. [PMID: 29717932 PMCID: PMC6088145 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00043.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Hypoxia is one of the most common and severe challenges to the maintenance of homeostasis. Oxygen sensing is a property of all tissues, and the response to hypoxia is multidimensional involving complicated intracellular networks concerned with the transduction of hypoxia-induced responses. Of all the stresses to which the fetus and newborn infant are subjected, perhaps the most important and clinically relevant is that of hypoxia. Hypoxia during gestation impacts both the mother and fetal development through interactions with an individual's genetic traits acquired over multiple generations by natural selection and changes in gene expression patterns by altering the epigenetic code. Changes in the epigenome determine "genomic plasticity," i.e., the ability of genes to be differentially expressed according to environmental cues. The genomic plasticity defined by epigenomic mechanisms including DNA methylation, histone modifications, and noncoding RNAs during development is the mechanistic substrate for phenotypic programming that determines physiological response and risk for healthy or deleterious outcomes. This review explores the impact of gestational hypoxia on maternal health and fetal development, and epigenetic mechanisms of developmental plasticity with emphasis on the uteroplacental circulation, heart development, cerebral circulation, pulmonary development, and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and adipose tissue. The complex molecular and epigenetic interactions that may impact an individual's physiology and developmental programming of health and disease later in life are discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Charles A. Ducsay
- The Lawrence D. Longo, MD Center for Perinatal Biology, Department of Basic Sciences, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, California
| | - Ravi Goyal
- The Lawrence D. Longo, MD Center for Perinatal Biology, Department of Basic Sciences, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, California
| | - William J. Pearce
- The Lawrence D. Longo, MD Center for Perinatal Biology, Department of Basic Sciences, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, California
| | - Sean Wilson
- The Lawrence D. Longo, MD Center for Perinatal Biology, Department of Basic Sciences, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, California
| | - Xiang-Qun Hu
- The Lawrence D. Longo, MD Center for Perinatal Biology, Department of Basic Sciences, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, California
| | - Lubo Zhang
- The Lawrence D. Longo, MD Center for Perinatal Biology, Department of Basic Sciences, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, California
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Maluach AM, Misquitta KA, Prevot TD, Fee C, Sibille E, Banasr M, Andreazza AC. Increased Neuronal DNA/RNA Oxidation in the Frontal Cortex of Mice Subjected to Unpredictable Chronic Mild Stress. CHRONIC STRESS 2017; 1. [PMID: 29250610 PMCID: PMC5730347 DOI: 10.1177/2470547017724744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Background Chronic stress is implicated in the development of various psychiatric
illnesses including major depressive disorder. Previous reports suggest that
patients with major depressive disorder have increased levels of oxidative
stress, including higher levels of DNA/RNA oxidation found in postmortem
studies, especially within brain regions responsible for the cognitive and
emotional processes disrupted in the disorder. Here, we aimed to investigate
whether unpredictable chronic mild stress in mice induces neuronal DNA/RNA
oxidation in the prelimbic, infralimbic, and cingulate cortices of the
frontal cortex and the basolateral amygdala and to explore potential
associations with depressive-like behaviors. We expected that animals
subjected to unpredictable chronic mild stress will present higher levels of
DNA/RNA oxidation, which will be associated with anxiety-/depressive-like
behaviors. Methods C57BL/6J mice were assigned to unpredictable chronic mild stress or nonstress
conditions (n = 10/group, 50% females). Following five weeks of
unpredictable chronic mild stress exposure, mice were tested in a series of
behavioral tests measuring anxiety- and depressive-like behaviors. Frontal
cortex and amygdala sections were then immunolabeled for neuronal nuclei, a
marker of post-mitotic neurons and
anti-8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine/8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanosine, which reflects
both DNA and RNA oxidation. Results Levels of neuronal DNA/RNA oxidation were increased in the frontal cortex of
mice subjected to unpredictable chronic mild stress (p = 0.0207). Levels of neuronal DNA/RNA oxidation in the
frontal cortex were positively correlated with z-emotionality scores for
latency to feed in the novelty-suppressed feeding test (p = 0.0031). Statistically significant differences were not
detected in basolateral amygdala levels of neuronal DNA/RNA oxidation
between nonstress- and unpredictable chronic mild stress-exposed mice, nor
were correlations found with behavioral performances for this region. Conclusion Our results demonstrate that unpredictable chronic mild stress induces a
significant increase in neuronal DNA/RNA oxidation in the frontal cortex
that correlate with behavioral readouts of the stress response. A lack of
DNA/RNA oxidation alterations in the basolateral amygdala suggests greater
vulnerability of frontal cortex neurons to DNA/RNA oxidation in response to
unpredictable chronic mild stress. These findings add support to the
hypothesis that chronic stress-induced damage to DNA/RNA may be an
additional molecular mechanism underlying cellular dysfunctions associated
with chronic stress and present in stress-related disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alfred M Maluach
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Keith A Misquitta
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.,Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute of CAMH, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Thomas D Prevot
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Corey Fee
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.,Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute of CAMH, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Etienne Sibille
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.,Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute of CAMH, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Mounira Banasr
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.,Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute of CAMH, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ana C Andreazza
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.,Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute of CAMH, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
The recent progress in animal models of depression. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2017; 77:99-109. [PMID: 28396255 PMCID: PMC5605906 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2017.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 218] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2017] [Revised: 03/28/2017] [Accepted: 04/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Major depression disorder (MDD) is a debilitating mental illness with significant morbidity and mortality. Despite the growing number of studies that have emerged, the precise underlying mechanisms of MDD remain unknown. When studying MDD, tissue samples like peripheral blood or post-mortem brain samples are used to elucidate underlying mechanisms. Unfortunately, there are many uncontrollable factors with such samples such as medication history, age, time after death before post-mortem tissue was collected, age, sex, race, and living conditions. Although these factors are critical, they introduce confounding variables that can influence the outcome profoundly. In this regard, animal models provide a crucial approach to examine neural circuitry and molecular and cellular pathways in a controlled environment. Further, manipulations with pharmacological agents and gene editing are accepted methods of studying depression in animal models, which is impossible to employ in human patient studies. Here, we have reviewed the most widely used animal models of depression and delineated the salient features of each model in terms of behavioral and neurobiological outcomes. We have also illustrated the current challenges in using these models and have suggested strategies to delineate the underlying mechanism associated with vulnerability or resilience to developing depression.
Collapse
|
20
|
Marmonti E, Busquets S, Toledo M, Ricci M, Beltrà M, Gudiño V, Oliva F, López-Pedrosa JM, Manzano M, Rueda R, López-Soriano FJ, Argilés JM. A Rat Immobilization Model Based on Cage Volume Reduction: A Physiological Model for Bed Rest? Front Physiol 2017; 8:184. [PMID: 28424626 PMCID: PMC5372807 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2017.00184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2016] [Accepted: 03/10/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Bed rest has been an established treatment in the past prescribed for critically illness or convalescing patients, in order to preserve their body metabolic resource, to prevent serious complications and to support their rapid path to recovery. However, it has been reported that prolonged bed rest can have detrimental consequences that may delay or prevent the recovery from clinical illness. In order to study disuse-induced changes in muscle and bone, as observed during prolonged bed rest in humans, an innovative new model of muscle disuse for rodents is presented. Basically, the animals are confined to a reduced space designed to restrict their locomotion movements and allow them to drink and eat easily, without generating physical stress. The animals were immobilized for either 7, 14, or 28 days. The immobilization procedure induced a significant decrease of food intake, both at 14 and 28 days of immobilization. The reduced food intake was not a consequence of a stress condition induced by the model since plasma corticosterone levels –an indicator of a stress response– were not altered following the immobilization period. The animals showed a significant decrease in soleus muscle mass, grip force and cross-sectional area (a measure of fiber size), together with a decrease in bone mineral density. The present model may potentially serve to investigate the effects of bed-rest in pathological states characterized by a catabolic condition, such as diabetes or cancer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Enrica Marmonti
- Cancer Research Group, Facultat de Biologia, Departament de Bioquímica i Biomedicina Molecular, Universitat de BarcelonaBarcelona, Spain
| | - Sílvia Busquets
- Cancer Research Group, Facultat de Biologia, Departament de Bioquímica i Biomedicina Molecular, Universitat de BarcelonaBarcelona, Spain.,Institut de Biomedicina de la Universitat de BarcelonaBarcelona, Spain
| | - Míriam Toledo
- Cancer Research Group, Facultat de Biologia, Departament de Bioquímica i Biomedicina Molecular, Universitat de BarcelonaBarcelona, Spain
| | - Marina Ricci
- Cancer Research Group, Facultat de Biologia, Departament de Bioquímica i Biomedicina Molecular, Universitat de BarcelonaBarcelona, Spain
| | - Marc Beltrà
- Cancer Research Group, Facultat de Biologia, Departament de Bioquímica i Biomedicina Molecular, Universitat de BarcelonaBarcelona, Spain
| | - Victòria Gudiño
- Cancer Research Group, Facultat de Biologia, Departament de Bioquímica i Biomedicina Molecular, Universitat de BarcelonaBarcelona, Spain
| | - Francesc Oliva
- Facultat de Biologia, Departament de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística, Universitat de BarcelonaBarcelona, Spain
| | | | | | | | - Francisco J López-Soriano
- Cancer Research Group, Facultat de Biologia, Departament de Bioquímica i Biomedicina Molecular, Universitat de BarcelonaBarcelona, Spain.,Institut de Biomedicina de la Universitat de BarcelonaBarcelona, Spain
| | - Josep M Argilés
- Cancer Research Group, Facultat de Biologia, Departament de Bioquímica i Biomedicina Molecular, Universitat de BarcelonaBarcelona, Spain.,Institut de Biomedicina de la Universitat de BarcelonaBarcelona, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Lattin CR, Pechenenko AV, Carson RE. Experimentally reducing corticosterone mitigates rapid captivity effects on behavior, but not body composition, in a wild bird. Horm Behav 2017; 89:121-129. [PMID: 28065712 PMCID: PMC5359069 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2016.12.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2016] [Revised: 12/23/2016] [Accepted: 12/29/2016] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Wild animals and captives display physiological and behavioral differences, and it has been hypothesized, but rarely tested, that these differences are caused by sustained elevation of the hormone corticosterone. We used repeated computed tomography (CT) imaging to examine body composition changes in breeding male and female wild house sparrows (Passer domesticus; n=20) in response to two weeks of captivity, and assessed behavioral changes using video recordings. Half of the birds received the drug mitotane, which significantly decreased stress-induced corticosterone titers compared to controls. Based on the CT images, fat volumes increased, and pectoralis muscle density and heart and testes volumes decreased, over the two weeks of captivity in both groups of birds. However, beak-wiping, a behavior that can indicate anxiety and aggression, showed increased occurrence in controls compared to mitotane-treated birds. While our results do not support the hypothesis that these body composition changes were primarily driven by stress-induced corticosterone, our data suggest that experimentally reducing stress-induced corticosterone may mitigate some captivity-induced behavioral changes. Broadly, our results emphasize that researchers should take behavioral and physiological differences between free-living animals and captives into consideration when designing studies and interpreting results. Further, time in captivity should be minimized when birds will be reintroduced back to the wild.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christine R Lattin
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University, 801 Howard Avenue, PO Box 208048, New Haven, CT 06520-8048, United States.
| | - Anita V Pechenenko
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University, 801 Howard Avenue, PO Box 208048, New Haven, CT 06520-8048, United States
| | - Richard E Carson
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University, 801 Howard Avenue, PO Box 208048, New Haven, CT 06520-8048, United States
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Chu X, Zhou Y, Hu Z, Lou J, Song W, Li J, Liang X, Chen C, Wang S, Yang B, Chen L, Zhang X, Song J, Dong Y, Chen S, He L, Xie Q, Chen X, Li W. 24-hour-restraint stress induces long-term depressive-like phenotypes in mice. Sci Rep 2016; 6:32935. [PMID: 27609090 PMCID: PMC5016966 DOI: 10.1038/srep32935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2016] [Accepted: 08/17/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
There is an increasing risk of mental disorders, such as acute stress disorder (ASD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression among survivors who were trapped in rubble during earthquake. Such long-term impaction of a single acute restraint stress has not been extensively explored. In this study, we subjected mice to 24-hour-restraint to simulate the trapping episode, and investigated the acute (2 days after the restraint) and long-term (35 days after the restraint) impacts. Surprisingly, we found that the mice displayed depression-like behaviors, decreased glucose uptake in brain and reduced adult hippocampal neurogenesis 35 days after the restraint. Differential expression profiling based on microarrays suggested that genes and pathways related to depression and other mental disorders were differentially expressed in both PFC and hippocampus. Furthermore, the depression-like phenotypes induced by 24-hour-restraint could be reversed by fluoxetine, a type of antidepressant drug. These findings demonstrated that a single severe stressful event could produce long-term depressive-like phenotypes. Moreover, the 24-hour-restraint stress mice could also be used for further studies on mood disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xixia Chu
- Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Development and Neuropsychiatric Disorders (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, and Brain Science and Technology Research Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Ying Zhou
- Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Development and Neuropsychiatric Disorders (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, and Brain Science and Technology Research Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Zhiqiang Hu
- School of Life Science and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Jingyu Lou
- Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Development and Neuropsychiatric Disorders (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, and Brain Science and Technology Research Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Wei Song
- Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Development and Neuropsychiatric Disorders (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, and Brain Science and Technology Research Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Jing Li
- Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 1037 Luoyu Road, Wuhan 430074, Hubei, China
| | - Xiao Liang
- Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 1037 Luoyu Road, Wuhan 430074, Hubei, China
| | - Chen Chen
- Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 1037 Luoyu Road, Wuhan 430074, Hubei, China
| | - Shuai Wang
- Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Development and Neuropsychiatric Disorders (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, and Brain Science and Technology Research Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Beimeng Yang
- Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Development and Neuropsychiatric Disorders (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, and Brain Science and Technology Research Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Lei Chen
- Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Development and Neuropsychiatric Disorders (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, and Brain Science and Technology Research Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Xu Zhang
- Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Development and Neuropsychiatric Disorders (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, and Brain Science and Technology Research Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Jinjing Song
- Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Development and Neuropsychiatric Disorders (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, and Brain Science and Technology Research Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Yujie Dong
- Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Development and Neuropsychiatric Disorders (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, and Brain Science and Technology Research Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Shiqing Chen
- Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Development and Neuropsychiatric Disorders (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, and Brain Science and Technology Research Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Lin He
- Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Development and Neuropsychiatric Disorders (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, and Brain Science and Technology Research Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Qingguo Xie
- Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 1037 Luoyu Road, Wuhan 430074, Hubei, China
| | - Xiaoping Chen
- National Key Laboratory of Human Factors Engineering, China Astronaut Research and Training Center, Beijing 100094, China
| | - Weidong Li
- Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Development and Neuropsychiatric Disorders (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, and Brain Science and Technology Research Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China.,Wuxi Mental Health Center, 156 Qianrong Road, Wuxi 214151, Jiangsu, China
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Low LA, Bauer LC, Pitcher MH, Bushnell MC. Restraint training for awake functional brain scanning of rodents can cause long-lasting changes in pain and stress responses. Pain 2016; 157:1761-1772. [PMID: 27058679 PMCID: PMC4949008 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000000579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2016] [Revised: 03/28/2016] [Accepted: 03/31/2016] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
With the increased interest in longitudinal brain imaging of awake rodents, it is important to understand both the short-term and long-term effects of restraint on sensory and emotional processing in the brain. To understand the effects of repeated restraint on pain behaviors and stress responses, we modeled a restraint protocol similar to those used to habituate rodents for magnetic resonance imaging scanning, and studied sensory sensitivity and stress hormone responses over 5 days. To uncover lasting effects of training, we also looked at responses to the formalin pain test 2 weeks later. We found that while restraint causes acute increases in the stress hormone corticosterone, it can also cause lasting reductions in nociceptive behavior in the formalin test, coupled with heightened corticosterone levels and increased activation of the "nociceptive" central nucleus of the amygdala, as seen by Fos protein expression. These results suggest that short-term repeated restraint, similar to that used to habituate rats for awake functional brain scanning, could potentially cause long-lasting changes in physiological and brain responses to pain stimuli that are stress-related, and therefore could potentially confound the functional activation patterns seen in awake rodents in response to pain stimuli.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lucie A. Low
- Laboratory of Pain and Integrative Neuroscience, National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Lucy C. Bauer
- Laboratory of Pain and Integrative Neuroscience, National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Mark H. Pitcher
- Laboratory of Pain and Integrative Neuroscience, National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - M. Catherine Bushnell
- Laboratory of Pain and Integrative Neuroscience, National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Kiryanova V, Meunier SJ, Vecchiarelli HA, Hill MN, Dyck RH. Effects of maternal stress and perinatal fluoxetine exposure on behavioral outcomes of adult male offspring. Neuroscience 2016; 320:281-96. [PMID: 26872999 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2016.01.064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2015] [Revised: 01/20/2016] [Accepted: 01/29/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Women of child-bearing age are the population group at highest risk for depression. In pregnant women, fluoxetine (Flx) is the most widely prescribed selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) used for the treatment of depression. While maternal stress, depression, and Flx exposure have been shown to effect neurodevelopment of the offspring, separately, combined effects of maternal stress and Flx exposure have not been extensively examined. The present study investigated the effects of prenatal maternal stress and perinatal exposure to the SSRI Flx on the behavior of male mice as adults. METHODS C57BL/6 dams exposed to chronic unpredictable stress from embryonic (E) day 4 to E18 and non-stressed dams were administered Flx (25 mg/kg/d) in the drinking water from E15 to postnatal day 12. A separate control group consisted of animals that were not exposed to stress or Flx. At 12 days of age, brain levels of serotonin were assessed in the male offspring. At two months of age, the male offspring of mothers exposed to prenatal stress (PS), perinatal Flx, PS and Flx, or neither PS or Flx, went through a comprehensive behavioral test battery. At the end of testing brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF) levels were assessed in the frontal cortex of the offspring. RESULTS Maternal behavior was not altered by either stress or Flx treatment. Treatment of the mother with Flx led to detectible Flx and NorFlx levels and lead to a decrease in serotonin levels in pup brains. In the adult male offspring, while perinatal exposure to Flx increased aggressive behavior, prenatal maternal stress decreased aggressive behavior. Interestingly, the combined effects of stress and Flx normalized aggressive behavior. Furthermore, perinatal Flx treatment led to a decrease in anxiety-like behavior in male offspring. PS led to hyperactivity and a decrease in BDNF levels in the frontal cortex regardless of Flx exposure. Neither maternal stress or Flx altered offspring performance in tests of cognitive abilities, memory, sensorimotor information processing, or risk assessment behaviors. These results demonstrate that maternal exposure to stress and Flx have a number of sustained effects on the male offspring.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- V Kiryanova
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - S J Meunier
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - H A Vecchiarelli
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - M N Hill
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - R H Dyck
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
McEwen BS, Bowles NP, Gray JD, Hill MN, Hunter RG, Karatsoreos IN, Nasca C. Mechanisms of stress in the brain. Nat Neurosci 2015; 18:1353-63. [PMID: 26404710 PMCID: PMC4933289 DOI: 10.1038/nn.4086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 843] [Impact Index Per Article: 93.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2015] [Accepted: 07/08/2015] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The brain is the central organ involved in perceiving and adapting to social and physical stressors via multiple interacting mediators, from the cell surface to the cytoskeleton to epigenetic regulation and nongenomic mechanisms. A key result of stress is structural remodeling of neural architecture, which may be a sign of successful adaptation, whereas persistence of these changes when stress ends indicates failed resilience. Excitatory amino acids and glucocorticoids have key roles in these processes, along with a growing list of extra- and intracellular mediators that includes endocannabinoids and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). The result is a continually changing pattern of gene expression mediated by epigenetic mechanisms involving histone modifications and CpG methylation and hydroxymethylation as well as by the activity of retrotransposons that may alter genomic stability. Elucidation of the underlying mechanisms of plasticity and vulnerability of the brain provides a basis for understanding the efficacy of interventions for anxiety and depressive disorders as well as age-related cognitive decline.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bruce S McEwen
- Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Nicole P Bowles
- Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Jason D Gray
- Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Matthew N Hill
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Richard G Hunter
- Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Ilia N Karatsoreos
- Department of Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
| | - Carla Nasca
- Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, USA
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Sandi C, Haller J. Stress and the social brain: behavioural effects and neurobiological mechanisms. Nat Rev Neurosci 2015; 16:290-304. [PMID: 25891510 DOI: 10.1038/nrn3918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 371] [Impact Index Per Article: 41.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Stress often affects our social lives. When undergoing high-level or persistent stress, individuals frequently retract from social interactions and become irritable and hostile. Predisposition to antisocial behaviours - including social detachment and violence - is also modulated by early life adversity; however, the effects of early life stress depend on the timing of exposure and genetic factors. Research in animals and humans has revealed some of the structural, functional and molecular changes in the brain that underlie the effects of stress on social behaviour. Findings in this emerging field will have implications both for the clinic and for society.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carmen Sandi
- Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne CH-1050, Switzerland
| | - József Haller
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest H-1450, Hungary
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Suzuki H, Lucas LR. Neurochemical correlates of accumbal dopamine D2 and amygdaloid 5-HT 1B receptor densities on observational learning of aggression. COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2015; 15:460-74. [PMID: 25650085 PMCID: PMC4437814 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-015-0337-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Social learning theory postulates that individuals learn to engage in aggressive behavior through observing an aggressive social model. Prior studies have shown that repeatedly observing aggression, also called "chronic passive exposure to aggression," changes accumbal dopamine D2 receptor (D2R) and amygdaloid 5-HT1B receptor (5-HT1BR) densities in observers. But, the association between these outcomes remains unknown. Thus, in our study, we used a rat paradigm to comprehensively examine the linkage between aggression, D2R density in the nucleus accumbens core (AcbC) and shell (AcbSh), and 5-HT1BR density in the medial (MeA), basomedial (BMA), and basolateral (BLA) amygdala following chronic passive exposure to aggression. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (N = 72) were passively exposed to either aggression or nonaggression acutely (1 day) or chronically (23 days). When observer rats were exposed to aggression chronically, they showed increased aggressive behavior and reduced D2R density in bilateral AcbSh. On the other hand, exposure to aggression, regardless of exposure length, increased the 5-HT1BR density in bilateral BLA. Finally, low D2R in the AcbSh significantly interacted with high 5-HT1BR density in the BLA to predict high levels of aggression in observer rats. Our results advance our understanding of the neurobiological mechanisms in the observational learning of aggression, highlighting that dopamine-serotonin interaction, or AcbSh-BLA interaction, may contribute to a risk factor for aggression in observers who chronically witness aggressive interactions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hideo Suzuki
- Laureate Institute for Brain Research, 6655 S. Yale Avenue, Tulsa, OK, 74136, USA,
| | | |
Collapse
|
28
|
|
29
|
Effects of different timing of stress on corticosterone, BDNF and memory in male rats. Physiol Behav 2015; 139:459-67. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2014.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2014] [Revised: 11/25/2014] [Accepted: 12/02/2014] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
|
30
|
Nosjean A, Cressant A, de Chaumont F, Olivo-Marin JC, Chauveau F, Granon S. Acute stress in adulthood impoverishes social choices and triggers aggressiveness in preclinical models. Front Behav Neurosci 2015; 8:447. [PMID: 25610381 PMCID: PMC4285129 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2014.00447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2014] [Accepted: 12/10/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Adult C57BL/6J mice are known to exhibit high level of social flexibility while mice lacking the β2 subunit of nicotinic receptors (β2(-/-) mice) present social rigidity. We asked ourselves what would be the consequences of a restraint acute stress (45 min) on social interactions in adult mice of both genotypes, hence the contribution of neuronal nicotinic receptors in this process. We therefore dissected social interaction complexity of stressed and not stressed dyads of mice in a social interaction task. We also measured plasma corticosterone levels in our experimental conditions. We showed that a single stress exposure occurring in adulthood reduced and disorganized social interaction complexity in both C57BL/6J and β2(-/-) mice. These stress-induced maladaptive social interactions involved alteration of distinct social categories and strategies in both genotypes, suggesting a dissociable impact of stress depending on the functioning of the cholinergic nicotinic system. In both genotypes, social behaviors under stress were coupled to aggressive reactions with no plasma corticosterone changes. Thus, aggressiveness appeared a general response independent of nicotinic function. We demonstrate here that a single stress exposure occurring in adulthood is sufficient to impoverish social interactions: stress impaired social flexibility in C57BL/6J mice whereas it reinforced β2(-/-) mice behavioral rigidity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anne Nosjean
- Centre de Neuroscience Paris Sud, Université Paris Sud 11 and Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique UMR 8195 Orsay, France
| | - Arnaud Cressant
- Centre de Neuroscience Paris Sud, Université Paris Sud 11 and Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique UMR 8195 Orsay, France
| | - Fabrice de Chaumont
- Unité d'Analyse d'Images Quantitative, Institut Pasteur, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique URA 2582 Paris, France
| | - Jean-Christophe Olivo-Marin
- Unité d'Analyse d'Images Quantitative, Institut Pasteur, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique URA 2582 Paris, France
| | - Frédéric Chauveau
- Institut de Recherche Biomédicale des Armées, NCO, Unité NPS Brétigny-sur-Orge, France
| | - Sylvie Granon
- Centre de Neuroscience Paris Sud, Université Paris Sud 11 and Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique UMR 8195 Orsay, France
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
van der Kooij MA, Fantin M, Rejmak E, Grosse J, Zanoletti O, Fournier C, Ganguly K, Kalita K, Kaczmarek L, Sandi C. Role for MMP-9 in stress-induced downregulation of nectin-3 in hippocampal CA1 and associated behavioural alterations. Nat Commun 2014; 5:4995. [PMID: 25232752 PMCID: PMC4199199 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms5995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2014] [Accepted: 08/15/2014] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic stress is a risk factor for the development of psychopathologies characterized by cognitive dysfunction and deregulated social behaviours. Emerging evidence suggests a role for cell adhesion molecules, including nectin-3, in the mechanisms that underlie the behavioural effects of stress. We tested the hypothesis that proteolytic processing of nectins by matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), an enzyme family that degrades numerous substrates, including cell adhesion molecules, is involved in hippocampal effects induced by chronic restraint stress. A reduction in nectin-3 in the perisynaptic CA1, but not in the CA3, compartment is observed following chronic stress and is implicated in the effects of stress in social exploration, social recognition and a CA1-dependent cognitive task. Increased MMP-9-related gelatinase activity, involving N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor, is specifically found in the CA1 and involved in nectin-3 cleavage and chronic stress-induced social and cognitive alterations. Thus, MMP-9 proteolytic processing emerges as an important mediator of stress effects in brain function and behaviour.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael A. van der Kooij
- Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics, Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, EPFL, Lausanne 1015, Switzerland
| | - Martina Fantin
- Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics, Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, EPFL, Lausanne 1015, Switzerland
| | - Emilia Rejmak
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 3 Pasteur Street 02-093 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Jocelyn Grosse
- Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics, Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, EPFL, Lausanne 1015, Switzerland
| | - Olivia Zanoletti
- Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics, Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, EPFL, Lausanne 1015, Switzerland
| | - Celine Fournier
- Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics, Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, EPFL, Lausanne 1015, Switzerland
| | - Krishnendu Ganguly
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 3 Pasteur Street 02-093 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Kalita
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 3 Pasteur Street 02-093 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Leszek Kaczmarek
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 3 Pasteur Street 02-093 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Carmen Sandi
- Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics, Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, EPFL, Lausanne 1015, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Shulman LM, Spritzer MD. Changes in the sexual behavior and testosterone levels of male rats in response to daily interactions with estrus females. Physiol Behav 2014; 133:8-13. [PMID: 24813700 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2014.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2013] [Accepted: 05/01/2014] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Male rat sexual behavior has been intensively studied over the past 100 years, but few studies have examined how sexual behavior changes over the course of several days of interactions. In this experiment, adult male rats in the experimental group (n=12) were given daily access to estrus females for 30 min per day for 15 consecutive days while control males (n=11) did not interact with females. Ovariectomized females were induced into estrus with hormonal injections, and males interacted with a different female each day. The amount of sexual activity (mounts, intromissions, and ejaculations) was found to cycle with a period of approximately 4 days in most male rats. Additionally, blood was collected every other day following sexual interactions to assess serum testosterone levels. Testosterone was found to peak on the first day of interaction and then fell back to near the level of control rats that did not interact with females. Following the initial peak, testosterone concentrations fluctuated less in males exposed to females than in controls. Sexual activity was not found to predict testosterone concentration. We conclude that when male rats have daily sexual interactions, sexual behavior tends to show cyclic changes and testosterone is significantly elevated only on the first day of interactions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Leanne M Shulman
- Department of Biology and Program in Neuroscience, Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT 05753, USA.
| | - Mark D Spritzer
- Department of Biology and Program in Neuroscience, Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT 05753, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Wainaina MN, Chen Z, Zhong C. Environmental factors in the development and progression of late-onset Alzheimer's disease. Neurosci Bull 2014; 30:253-70. [PMID: 24664867 PMCID: PMC5562669 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-013-1425-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2013] [Accepted: 01/23/2014] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Late-onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD) is an age-related neurodegenerative disorder characterized by gradual loss of synapses and neurons, but its pathogenesis remains to be clarified. Neurons live in an environment constituted by neurons themselves and glial cells. In this review, we propose that the neuronal degeneration in the AD brain is partially caused by diverse environmental factors. We first discuss various environmental stresses and the corresponding responses at different levels. Then we propose some mechanisms underlying the specific pathological changes, in particular, hypothalamic-pituitary adrenal axis dysfunction at the systemic level; cerebrovascular dysfunction, metal toxicity, glial activation, and Aβ toxicity at the intercellular level; and kinase-phosphatase imbalance and epigenetic modification at the intracellular level. Finally, we discuss the possibility of developing new strategies for the prevention and treatment of LOAD from the perspective of environmental stress. We conclude that environmental factors play a significant role in the development of LOAD through multiple pathological mechanisms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Moses N. Wainaina
- Department of Neurology, Zhongshan Hospital; State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032 China
- Pwani University, Kilifi, Kenya
| | - Zhichun Chen
- Department of Neurology, Zhongshan Hospital; State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032 China
| | - Chunjiu Zhong
- Department of Neurology, Zhongshan Hospital; State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032 China
- Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032 China
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Impaired hippocampal neuroligin-2 function by chronic stress or synthetic peptide treatment is linked to social deficits and increased aggression. Neuropsychopharmacology 2014; 39:1148-58. [PMID: 24213355 PMCID: PMC3957108 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2013.315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2013] [Revised: 09/20/2013] [Accepted: 10/31/2013] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Neuroligins (NLGNs) are cell adhesion molecules that are important for proper synaptic formation and functioning, and are critical regulators of the balance between neural excitation/inhibition (E/I). Mutations in NLGNs have been linked to psychiatric disorders in humans involving social dysfunction and are related to similar abnormalities in animal models. Chronic stress increases the likelihood for affective disorders and has been shown to induce changes in neural structure and function in different brain regions, with the hippocampus being highly vulnerable to stress. Previous studies have shown evidence of chronic stress-induced changes in the neural E/I balance in the hippocampus. Therefore, we hypothesized that chronic restraint stress would lead to reduced hippocampal NLGN-2 levels, in association with alterations in social behavior. We found that rats submitted to chronic restraint stress in adulthood display reduced sociability and increased aggression. This occurs along with a reduction of NLGN-2, but not NLGN-1 expression (as shown with western blot, immunohistochemistry, and electron microscopy analyses), throughout the hippocampus and detectable in different layers of the CA1, CA3, and DG subfields. Furthermore, using synthetic peptides that comprise sequences in either NLGN-1 (neurolide-1) or NLGN-2 (neurolide-2) involved in the interaction with their presynaptic partner neurexin (NRXN)-1, intra-hippocampal administration of neurolide-2 led also to reduced sociability and increased aggression. These results highlight hippocampal NLGN-2 as a key molecular substrate regulating social behaviors and underscore NLGNs as promising targets for the development of novel drugs for the treatment of dysfunctional social behaviors.
Collapse
|
35
|
Haller J. The glucocorticoid/aggression relationship in animals and humans: an analysis sensitive to behavioral characteristics, glucocorticoid secretion patterns, and neural mechanisms. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2014; 17:73-109. [PMID: 24515548 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2014_284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Glucocorticoids control a wide array of biological processes from glucose homeostasis to neuronal function. The mechanisms mediating their effects are similarly varied and include rapid and transient nongenomic effects on calcium trafficking, various neurotransmitter receptors, and other membrane/cytoplasmic proteins, as well as slowly developing but durable genomic effects that are mediated by a large number of glucocorticoid-sensitive genes that are affected after variable lag-times. Given this complexity, we suggest that the aggression/glucocorticoid relationship cannot be reduced to the simple "stimulation/inhibition" question. Here, we review the effects of glucocorticoids on aggression by taking into account the complexities of glucocorticoid actions. Acute and chronic effects were differentiated because these are mediated by different mechanisms. The effects of chronic increases and decreases in glucocorticoid production were discussed separately, because the activation of mechanisms that are not normally activated and the loss of normal functions should not be confounded. Findings in healthy/normal subjects and those obtained in subjects that show abnormal forms of behavior or psychopathologies were also differentiated, because the effects of glucocorticoids are indirect, and largely depend on the properties of neurons they act upon, which are altered in subjects with psychopathologies. In addition, the conditions of glucocorticoid measurements were also thoroughly evaluated. Although the role of glucocorticoids in aggression is perceived as controversial by many investigators, a detailed analysis that is sensitive to glucocorticoid and behavioral measure as well as to the mediating mechanism suggests that this role is rather clear-cut; moreover, there is a marked similarity between animal and human findings.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- József Haller
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, 67, Budapest, 1450, Hungary,
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Kohl C, Riccio O, Grosse J, Zanoletti O, Fournier C, Klampfl SM, Schmidt MV, Sandi C. The interplay of conditional NCAM-knockout and chronic unpredictable stress leads to increased aggression in mice. Stress 2013; 16:647-54. [PMID: 24010949 DOI: 10.3109/10253890.2013.840824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) is a key regulator of brain plasticity. Substantial evidence indicates that NCAM is down-regulated by exposure to sustained stress and chronic stress seems to lead to increased aggression. In addition, constitutional NCAM deletion in mice has been shown to lead to increased intermale aggression and altered emotionality Forebrain-specific postnatal NCAM knockout was previously shown to impair cognitive function, particularly when animals were exposed to subchronic stress, but the effects on emotional and social behavior remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the potential interplay of a forebrain-specific postnatal NCAM deletion and exposure to different lengths of repeated stress (i.e. subchronic: 14 days; chronic: 29 days) on aggressive and emotional behavior. Our results show that postnatal deletion of NCAM in the forebrain leads to increased aggression and altered emotionality depending on the duration of stress, whereas conditional NCAM knockout has no basal impact on these behaviors. These findings support the involvement of NCAM in the regulation of emotional and aggressive behaviors, suggesting that diminished NCAM expression might be a critical vulnerability factor for the development of these behavioral alterations under repeated exposure to stress.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christine Kohl
- Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics, Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne , EPFL, Lausanne , Switzerland and
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
37
|
Asor E, Belhanes H, Kavushansky A, Zubedat S, Klein E, Avital A, Ben-Shachar D. Early postnatal interference with the expression of multiple Sp1 regulated genes leads to disparate behavioral response to sub-chronic and chronic stress in rats. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2013; 38:2173-83. [PMID: 23669323 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2013.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2013] [Revised: 04/04/2013] [Accepted: 04/05/2013] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND It is currently accepted that complex behavior and mental disorder results from a combination of biological susceptibility and exposure to environmental stimuli. Most of the gene-environment interaction models focus on the interaction between the stimuli and a single candidate gene. We suggest that an alternative approach is interference with the expression of multiple genes followed by exposure to environmental insults. METHODS Early interference with gene transcription was performed by treatment of 7 days old Wistar male rats for 4 days with the Sp1/DNA binding inhibitor, mithramycin. Environmental insult was mimicked by exposing these rats during adulthood (34 days) to sub-chronic (12 days, n=30) or chronic stress (28 days, n=48). The effects of mithramycin and stress treatment on the behavioral response and serum corticosterone concentration were assessed. RESULTS Exposure of mithramycin treated rats to sub-chronic stress led to anxious behavior in the open field test, high startle response, low sucrose preference, indifference to novel objects and high serum corticosterone concentration. However, exposure to chronic stress resulted in normal sucrose preference, startle response and serum corticosterone, novelty seeking behavior and reduced anxiety. In saline treated rats the extension of stress duration led to behavioral and hormonal adaptation to stress. CONCLUSION Our study suggests that postnatal temporal interference with multiple gene expression can lead to hyper-responsiveness to environmental stimuli, the features of which affects the phenotypic outcomes. Such a paradigm may be used to model gene-environmental interaction in the etiology of behavioral disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eyal Asor
- Laboratory of Psychobiology, Department of Psychiatry, Rambam Medical Center and B. Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion - IIT, Haifa 31096, Israel
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
38
|
Csölle C, Baranyi M, Zsilla G, Kittel A, Gölöncsér F, Illes P, Papp E, Vizi ES, Sperlágh B. Neurochemical Changes in the Mouse Hippocampus Underlying the Antidepressant Effect of Genetic Deletion of P2X7 Receptors. PLoS One 2013; 8:e66547. [PMID: 23805233 PMCID: PMC3689833 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0066547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2012] [Accepted: 05/13/2013] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent investigations have revealed that the genetic deletion of P2X7 receptors (P2rx7) results in an antidepressant phenotype in mice. However, the link between the deficiency of P2rx7 and changes in behavior has not yet been explored. In the present study, we studied the effect of genetic deletion of P2rx7 on neurochemical changes in the hippocampus that might underlie the antidepressant phenotype. P2X7 receptor deficient mice (P2rx7−/−) displayed decreased immobility in the tail suspension test (TST) and an attenuated anhedonia response in the sucrose preference test (SPT) following bacterial endotoxin (LPS) challenge. The attenuated anhedonia was reproduced through systemic treatments with P2rx7 antagonists. The activation of P2rx7 resulted in the concentration-dependent release of [3H]glutamate in P2rx7+/+ but not P2rx7−/− mice, and the NR2B subunit mRNA and protein was upregulated in the hippocampus of P2rx7−/− mice. The brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression was higher in saline but not LPS-treated P2rx7−/− mice; the P2rx7 antagonist Brilliant blue G elevated and the P2rx7 agonist benzoylbenzoyl ATP (BzATP) reduced BDNF level. This effect was dependent on the activation of NMDA and non-NMDA receptors but not on Group I metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluR1,5). An increased 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation was also observed in the dentate gyrus derived from P2rx7−/− mice. Basal level of 5-HT was increased, whereas the 5HIAA/5-HT ratio was lower in the hippocampus of P2rx7−/− mice, which accompanied the increased uptake of [3H]5-HT and an elevated number of [3H]citalopram binding sites. The LPS-induced elevation of 5-HT level was absent in P2rx7−/− mice. In conclusion there are several potential mechanisms for the antidepressant phenotype of P2rx7−/− mice, such as the absence of P2rx7-mediated glutamate release, elevated basal BDNF production, enhanced neurogenesis and increased 5-HT bioavailability in the hippocampus.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cecilia Csölle
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
39
|
Guidetti G. The role of cognitive processes in vestibular disorders. HEARING, BALANCE AND COMMUNICATION 2013. [DOI: 10.3109/21695717.2013.765085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
|
40
|
Noble KG, Grieve SM, Korgaonkar MS, Engelhardt LE, Griffith EY, Williams LM, Brickman AM. Hippocampal volume varies with educational attainment across the life-span. Front Hum Neurosci 2012; 6:307. [PMID: 23162453 PMCID: PMC3494123 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2012.00307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2012] [Accepted: 10/24/2012] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Socioeconomic disparities—and particularly differences in educational attainment—are associated with remarkable differences in cognition and behavior across the life-span. Decreased educational attainment has been linked to increased exposure to life stressors, which in turn have been associated with structural differences in the hippocampus and the amygdala. However, the degree to which educational attainment is directly associated with anatomical differences in these structures remains unclear. Recent studies in children have found socioeconomic differences in regional brain volume in the hippocampus and amygdala across childhood and adolescence. Here we expand on this work, by investigating whether disparities in hippocampal and amygdala volume persist across the life-span. In a sample of 275 individuals from the BRAINnet Foundation database ranging in age from 17 to 87, we found that socioeconomic status (SES), as operationalized by years of educational attainment, moderates the effect of age on hippocampal volume. Specifically, hippocampal volume tended to markedly decrease with age among less educated individuals, whereas age-related reductions in hippocampal volume were less pronounced among more highly educated individuals. No such effects were found for amygdala volume. Possible mechanisms by which education may buffer age-related effects on hippocampal volume are discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly G Noble
- Department of Pediatrics, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University New York, NY, USA ; Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University New York, NY, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
41
|
McEwen BS. Structural plasticity of the adult brain: how animal models help us understand brain changes in depression and systemic disorders related to depression. DIALOGUES IN CLINICAL NEUROSCIENCE 2012. [PMID: 22034132 PMCID: PMC3181799 DOI: 10.31887/dcns.2004.6.2/bmcewen] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The brain interprets experiences and translates them into behavioral and physiological responses. Stressful events are those which are threatening or, at the very least, unexpected and surprising, and the physiological and behavioral responses are intended to promote adaptation via a process called “allostasis. ” Chemical mediators of allostasis include cortisol and adrenalin from the adrenal glands, other hormones, and neurotransmitters, the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems, and cytokines and chemokines from the immune system. Two brain structures, the amygdala and hippocampus, play key roles in interpreting what is stressful and determining appropriate responses. The hippocampus, a key structure for memories of events and contexts, expresses receptors that enable it to respond to glucocorticoid hormones in the blood, it undergoes atrophy in a number of psychiatric disorders; it also responds to stressors with changes in excitability, decreased dendritic branching, and reduction in number of neurons in the dentate gyrus. The amygdala, which is important for “emotional memories, ” becomes hyperactive in posttraumatic stress disorder and depressive illness, in animal models of stress, there is evidence for growth and hypertrophy of nerve cells in the amygdala. Changes in the brain after acute and chronic stressors mirror the pattern seen in the metabolic, cardiovascular, and immune systems, that is, short-term adaptation (allostasis) followed by long-term damage (allostatic load), eg, atherosclerosis, fat deposition obesity, bone demineralization, and impaired immune function. Allostatic load of this kind is seen in major depressive illness and may also be expressed in other chronic anxiety and mood disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bruce S McEwen
- Harold and Margaret Milliken Hatch Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Bowman RE, Kelly R. Chronically stressed female rats show increased anxiety but no behavioral alterations in object recognition or placement memory: a preliminary examination. Stress 2012; 15:524-32. [PMID: 22168672 DOI: 10.3109/10253890.2011.645926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Stress, depending on intensity and duration, elicits adaptive or maladaptive physiological effects. Increasing evidence shows those patterns of advantageous versus deleterious physiologic stress effects also exist for some brain functions, including learning and memory. For example, short stress enhances, while chronic stress impairs, performance on numerous cognitive tasks in male rats. In contrast, performance of female rats is enhanced, or not altered, following both short-term and long-term stress exposure on the same behavioral tasks. The current study was designed to better characterize the behavioral effects of sustained chronic restraint stress in female rats. Female Sprague Dawley rats were assigned to a stress (restraint, 6 h/day, 35 days) or control (no stress) condition, weighed weekly, and then tested on open field (OF), object recognition (OR) and object placement (OP) tasks. Stressed females gained less weight during stress than controls. On the OF, there were no group differences in locomotor activity, but stressed females made fewer inner visits than controls, indicating increased anxiety. Both groups successfully performed the OP and OR tasks across all inter-trial delays, indicating intact non-spatial and spatial memory in both control and stress females. The current results provide preliminary evidence that the commonly used chronic restraint stress model may not be an efficient stressor to female rats.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- R E Bowman
- Sacred Heart University, Fairfield, CT, USA.
| | | |
Collapse
|
43
|
Hennebelle M, Balasse L, Latour A, Champeil-Potokar G, Denis S, Lavialle M, Gisquet-Verrier P, Denis I, Vancassel S. Influence of omega-3 fatty acid status on the way rats adapt to chronic restraint stress. PLoS One 2012; 7:e42142. [PMID: 22860066 PMCID: PMC3408452 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0042142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2012] [Accepted: 07/02/2012] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Omega-3 fatty acids are important for several neuronal and cognitive functions. Altered omega-3 fatty acid status has been implicated in reduced resistance to stress and mood disorders. We therefore evaluated the effects of repeated restraint stress (6 h/day for 21 days) on adult rats fed omega-3 deficient, control or omega-3 enriched diets from conception. We measured body weight, plasma corticosterone and hippocampus glucocorticoid receptors and correlated these data with emotional and depression-like behaviour assessed by their open-field (OF) activity, anxiety in the elevated-plus maze (EPM), the sucrose preference test and the startle response. We also determined their plasma and brain membrane lipid profiles by gas chromatography. Repeated restraint stress caused rats fed a control diet to lose weight. Their plasma corticosterone increased and they showed moderate behavioural changes, with increases only in grooming (OF test) and entries into the open arms (EPM). Rats fed the omega-3 enriched diet had a lower stress-induced weight loss and plasma corticosterone peak, and reduced grooming. Rats chronically lacking omega-3 fatty acid exhibited an increased startle response, a stress-induced decrease in locomotor activity and exaggerated grooming. The brain omega-3 fatty acids increased as the dietary omega-3 fatty acids increased; diets containing preformed long-chain omega-3 fatty acid were better than diets containing the precursor alpha-linolenic acid. However, the restraint stress reduced the amounts of omega-3 incorporated. These data showed that the response to chronic restraint stress was modulated by the omega-3 fatty acid supply, a dietary deficiency was deleterious while enrichment protecting against stress.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marie Hennebelle
- INRA, Unité de Nutrition et Régulation Lipidiques des Fonctions Cérébrales, NuRéLiCe, UR909, Domaine de Vilvert, Jouy en Josas, France
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
44
|
Abstract
Ancestral environmental exposures have previously been shown to promote epigenetic transgenerational inheritance and influence all aspects of an individual's life history. In addition, proximate life events such as chronic stress have documented effects on the development of physiological, neural, and behavioral phenotypes in adulthood. We used a systems biology approach to investigate in male rats the interaction of the ancestral modifications carried transgenerationally in the germ line and the proximate modifications involving chronic restraint stress during adolescence. We find that a single exposure to a common-use fungicide (vinclozolin) three generations removed alters the physiology, behavior, metabolic activity, and transcriptome in discrete brain nuclei in descendant males, causing them to respond differently to chronic restraint stress. This alteration of baseline brain development promotes a change in neural genomic activity that correlates with changes in physiology and behavior, revealing the interaction of genetics, environment, and epigenetic transgenerational inheritance in the shaping of the adult phenotype. This is an important demonstration in an animal that ancestral exposure to an environmental compound modifies how descendants of these progenitor individuals perceive and respond to a stress challenge experienced during their own life history.
Collapse
|
45
|
Aggression is suppressed by acute stress but induced by chronic stress: Immobilization effects on aggression, hormones, and cortical 5-HT1B/ striatal dopamine D2 receptor density. COGNITIVE AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2012; 12:446-59. [DOI: 10.3758/s13415-012-0095-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
|
46
|
Streeter CC, Gerbarg PL, Saper RB, Ciraulo DA, Brown RP. Effects of yoga on the autonomic nervous system, gamma-aminobutyric-acid, and allostasis in epilepsy, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Med Hypotheses 2012; 78:571-9. [PMID: 22365651 DOI: 10.1016/j.mehy.2012.01.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 244] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2011] [Accepted: 01/10/2012] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
A theory is proposed to explain the benefits of yoga practices in diverse, frequently comorbid medical conditions based on the concept that yoga practices reduce allostatic load in stress response systems such that optimal homeostasis is restored. It is hypothesized that stress induces (1) imbalance of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) with decreased parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) and increased sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activity, (2) underactivity of the gamma amino-butyric acid (GABA) system, the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter system, and (3) increased allostatic load. It is further hypothesized that yoga-based practices (4) correct underactivity of the PNS and GABA systems in part through stimulation of the vagus nerves, the main peripheral pathway of the PNS, and (5) reduce allostatic load. Depression, epilepsy, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and chronic pain exemplify medical conditions that are exacerbated by stress, have low heart rate variability (HRV) and low GABAergic activity, respond to pharmacologic agents that increase activity of the GABA system, and show symptom improvement in response to yoga-based interventions. The observation that treatment resistant cases of epilepsy and depression respond to vagal nerve stimulation corroborates the need to correct PNS underactivity as part of a successful treatment plan in some cases. According to the proposed theory, the decreased PNS and GABAergic activity that underlies stress-related disorders can be corrected by yoga practices resulting in amelioration of disease symptoms. This has far-reaching implications for the integration of yoga-based practices in the treatment of a broad array of disorders exacerbated by stress.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- C C Streeter
- Department of Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA.
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
47
|
McEwen BS, Eiland L, Hunter RG, Miller MM. Stress and anxiety: structural plasticity and epigenetic regulation as a consequence of stress. Neuropharmacology 2011; 62:3-12. [PMID: 21807003 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2011.07.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 366] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2011] [Revised: 07/09/2011] [Accepted: 07/13/2011] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The brain is the central organ of stress and adaptation to stress because it perceives and determines what is threatening, as well as the behavioral and physiological responses to the stressor. The adult, as well as developing brain, possess a remarkable ability to show reversible structural and functional plasticity in response to stressful and other experiences, including neuronal replacement, dendritic remodeling, and synapse turnover. This is particularly evident in the hippocampus, where all three types of structural plasticity have been recognized and investigated, using a combination of morphological, molecular, pharmacological, electrophysiological and behavioral approaches. The amygdala and the prefrontal cortex, brain regions involved in anxiety and fear, mood, cognitive function and behavioral control, also show structural plasticity. Acute and chronic stress cause an imbalance of neural circuitry subserving cognition, decision making, anxiety and mood that can increase or decrease expression of those behaviors and behavioral states. In the short term, such as for increased fearful vigilance and anxiety in a threatening environment, these changes may be adaptive; but, if the danger passes and the behavioral state persists along with the changes in neural circuitry, such maladaptation may need intervention with a combination of pharmacological and behavioral therapies, as is the case for chronic or mood anxiety disorders. We shall review cellular and molecular mechanisms, as well as recent work on individual differences in anxiety-like behavior and also developmental influences that bias how the brain responds to stressors. Finally, we suggest that such an approach needs to be extended to other brain areas that are also involved in anxiety and mood. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled 'Anxiety and Depression'.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bruce S McEwen
- Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA.
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
48
|
Crews D. Epigenetic modifications of brain and behavior: theory and practice. Horm Behav 2011; 59:393-8. [PMID: 20633562 PMCID: PMC3401366 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2010.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2010] [Revised: 06/25/2010] [Accepted: 07/06/2010] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Evolutionary change is a product of selection. Selection operates on the phenotype, and its consequences are manifest in representation of the genotype in successive generations. Of particular interest to both evolutionary and behavioral biologists is the newly emerging field of epigenetics and behavior. Two broad categories of epigenetic modifications must be distinguished. Context-dependent epigenetic change can be observed if the environmental factors that bring about the epigenetic modification persists (e.g., the frequency and quality of maternal care modifying the brain and future behavior of the offspring each generation). Because the environment induces epiallelic change, removing the causative factor can reverse a context-dependent epigenetic state. Germline-dependent epigenetic change occurs when the epigenetic imprint is mediated through the germline. Such effects are independent of the causative agent and there is no evidence at present that a germline-dependent epigenetic state can be reversed. Finally, only germline-dependent epigenetic modifications can be truly transgenerational. Although an individual's life history is progressive and continuous, it might usefully be viewed as the cumulation of divisions: each period emerging from what has gone before and, at the same time, setting the stage for what follows. These life history stages are somewhat arbitrary, with many traits spanning conventional divisions, but each period tends to have its own characteristic ethologies and particular contribution to neural and behavioral phenotypes. To understand how these episodes 'fit' together, it is necessary to deconstruct early life events and study each period both in its' own right and how it interacts with the preceding and subsequent stages. Lastly, it seems intuitive that germline- and context-dependent epigenetic modifications interact, resulting in the individual variation observed in behaviors, but until now this hypothesis has never been tested experimentally.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David Crews
- Section of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Hawley W, Grissom E, Keskitalo L, Hastings T, Dohanich G. Sexual motivation and anxiety-like behaviors of male rats after exposure to a trauma followed by situational reminders. Physiol Behav 2011; 102:181-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2010.10.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2010] [Revised: 10/25/2010] [Accepted: 10/27/2010] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
|
50
|
Timmer M, Sandi C. A role for glucocorticoids in the long-term establishment of a social hierarchy. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2010; 35:1543-52. [PMID: 20576360 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2010.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2010] [Revised: 04/20/2010] [Accepted: 05/22/2010] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Stress can affect the establishment and maintenance of social hierarchies. In the present study, we investigated the role of increasing corticosterone levels before or just after a first social encounter between two rats of a dyad in the establishment and the long-term maintenance of a social hierarchy. We show that pre-social encounter corticosterone treatment does not affect the outcome of the hierarchy during a first encounter, but induces a long-term memory for the hierarchy when the corticosterone-injected rat becomes dominant during the encounter, but not when it becomes subordinate. Post-social encounter corticosterone leads to a long-term maintenance of the hierarchy only when the subordinate rat of the dyad is injected with corticosterone. This corticosterone effect mimics previously reported actions of stress on the same model and, hence, implicates glucocorticoids in the consolidation of the memory for a recently established hierarchy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marjan Timmer
- Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics, Brain Mind Institute, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | |
Collapse
|