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Fidecicchi T, Giannini A, Chedraui P, Luisi S, Battipaglia C, Genazzani AR, Genazzani AD, Simoncini T. Neuroendocrine mechanisms of mood disorders during menopause transition: A narrative review and future perspectives. Maturitas 2024; 188:108087. [PMID: 39111089 DOI: 10.1016/j.maturitas.2024.108087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2024] [Revised: 07/29/2024] [Accepted: 07/31/2024] [Indexed: 09/01/2024]
Abstract
The menopause transition is an important period in a woman's life, during which she is at an increased risk of mood disorders. Estrogen and progesterone fluctuations during the menopausal transition and very low levels of estradiol after menopause have a profound effect on the central nervous system (CNS), causing an imbalance between excitatory and inhibitory inputs. Changes in neurotransmission and neuronal interactions that occur with estradiol withdrawal disrupt the normal neurological balance and may be associated with menopausal symptoms. Hot flushes, depressed mood and anxiety are all symptoms of menopause that are a consequence of the complex changes that occur in the CNS, involving many signaling pathways and neurotransmitters (i.e. γ-aminobutyric acid, serotonin, dopamine), neurosteroids (i.e. allopregnanolone), and neuropeptides (i.e. kisspeptin, neurokinin B). All these pathways are closely linked, and the complex interactions that exist are not yet fully understood. This review summarizes the neuroendocrine changes in the CNS during the menopausal transition, with particular emphasis on those that underlie mood changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiziana Fidecicchi
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Division of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University of Pisa, Via Roma 67, 56126 Pisa, PI, Italy
| | - Andrea Giannini
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Division of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University of Pisa, Via Roma 67, 56126 Pisa, PI, Italy.
| | - Peter Chedraui
- Escuela de Posgrado en Salud, Universidad Espíritu Santo, Av. Samborondón 5, Samborondón 092301, Ecuador
| | - Stefano Luisi
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Division of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University of Pisa, Via Roma 67, 56126 Pisa, PI, Italy.
| | - Christian Battipaglia
- Gynecological Endocrinology Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Largo del Pozzo, 71, 41125 Modena, MO, Italy.
| | - Andrea R Genazzani
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Division of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University of Pisa, Via Roma 67, 56126 Pisa, PI, Italy
| | - Alessandro D Genazzani
- Gynecological Endocrinology Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Largo del Pozzo, 71, 41125 Modena, MO, Italy
| | - Tommaso Simoncini
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Division of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University of Pisa, Via Roma 67, 56126 Pisa, PI, Italy.
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Pedrón VT, Canero EM, Varani AP, Aon AJ, Maldonado R, Balerio GN. Baclofen prevents morphine rewarding effects and associated biochemical alterations in male and female mice. Eur J Pharmacol 2024; 979:176768. [PMID: 39002637 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2024.176768] [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: 11/29/2023] [Revised: 06/20/2024] [Accepted: 06/23/2024] [Indexed: 07/15/2024]
Abstract
Previous studies from our laboratory have shown sex differences in the behavioral, molecular, and neurochemical manifestations of morphine withdrawal and they were related to an increased sensitivity to morphine effects in males. In addition, we observed an interaction between the GABAergic and opioid systems that could also be sex-dependent. Baclofen, a GABAB receptor agonist, prevented the somatic expression and the molecular and neurochemical changes induced by morphine withdrawal syndrome in mice. On the contrary, little is known about baclofen effects in the rewarding properties of morphine in male and female mice. The present study aimed to explore the effect of baclofen (1, 2 and 3 mg/kg, i.p.) pretreatment in the rewarding effects induced by morphine (7 mg/kg, s.c.) and its effect on c-Fos and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression induced by the rewarding properties of morphine in prepubertal male and female mice. Baclofen (2 mg/kg) pretreatment prevented the rewarding effects of morphine only in male mice, while baclofen (3 mg/kg) reduced these effects in both sexes. Moreover, the rewarding effects of morphine were associated with a decrease of BDNF and c-Fos expression cingulate cortex, nucleus accumbens shell, cornu ammonis 1 (CA1), and cornu ammonis 3 (CA3) areas of the hippocampus only in male mice. In addition, baclofen pretreatment prevented these changes in BDNF, but not in c-Fos expression. In conclusion, our results show that GABAB receptors have a regulatory role in the rewarding effects of morphine that could be of interest for a potential future therapeutic application in opioid use disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria T Pedrón
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Instituto de Investigaciones Farmacológicas (ININFA-CONICET), Junín 956, 5° Piso, C1113AAD, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Eliana M Canero
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Instituto de Investigaciones Farmacológicas (ININFA-CONICET), Junín 956, 5° Piso, C1113AAD, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Cátedra de Farmacología, Junín 956, 5° Piso, C1113AAD, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Andrés P Varani
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Instituto de Investigaciones Farmacológicas (ININFA-CONICET), Junín 956, 5° Piso, C1113AAD, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Amira J Aon
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Instituto de Investigaciones Farmacológicas (ININFA-CONICET), Junín 956, 5° Piso, C1113AAD, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Rafael Maldonado
- Laboratori de Neurofarmacologia, Facultat de Ciències de La Salut I de La Vida, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, C/Dr. Aiguader 88, 08003, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Graciela N Balerio
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Instituto de Investigaciones Farmacológicas (ININFA-CONICET), Junín 956, 5° Piso, C1113AAD, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Cátedra de Farmacología, Junín 956, 5° Piso, C1113AAD, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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Peters JR, Schmalenberger KM, Eng AG, Stumper A, Martel MM, Eisenlohr-Moul TA. Dimensional Affective Sensitivity to Hormones across the Menstrual Cycle (DASH-MC): A transdiagnostic framework for ovarian steroid influences on psychopathology. Mol Psychiatry 2024:10.1038/s41380-024-02693-4. [PMID: 39143323 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-024-02693-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Revised: 07/31/2024] [Accepted: 08/05/2024] [Indexed: 08/16/2024]
Abstract
Fluctuations in progesterone (P4) and estradiol (E2) across the menstrual cycle can exert direct effects on biological systems implicated in neuropsychiatric disorders and represent a key biological source of variability in affective, cognitive, and behavioral disorders. Although these cyclical symptoms may be most readily identified when they occur exclusively in relation to the menstrual cycle, as in DSM-5 premenstrual dysphoric disorder, symptom changes of similar magnitude occur in a larger proportion of people with ongoing psychiatric disorders. Studies investigating cyclical regulation of brain and behavior often produce inconsistent results, which may be attributed to a lack of focus on specific hormonal events and individual differences in related sensitivities. We propose a transdiagnostic Dimensional Affective Sensitivity to Hormones across the Menstrual Cycle (DASH-MC) framework, postulating that atypical neural responses to several key hormonal events provoke specific temporal patterns of affective and behavioral change across the menstrual cycle. We review prospective and experimental evidence providing initial support for these dimensions, which include (1) luteal-onset negative affect caused by a sensitivity to E2 or P4 surges (mediated by neuroactive metabolites such as allopregnanolone), typified by irritability and hyperarousal; (2) perimenstrual-onset negative affect caused by a sensitivity to low or falling E2, typified by low mood and cognitive dysfunction; and (3) preovulatory-onset positive affect dysregulation caused by a sensitivity to E2 surges, typified by harmful substance use and other risky reward-seeking. This multidimensional, transdiagnostic framework for hormone sensitivity can inform more precise research on ovarian steroid regulation of psychopathology, including further mechanistic research, diagnostic refinement, and precision psychiatry treatment development. Additionally, given the high rates of hormone sensitivity across affective disorders, the DASH-MC may guide broader insights into the complex neurobiological vulnerabilities driving female-biased affective risk, as well as potential triggers and mechanisms of affective state change in psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica R Peters
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
| | | | - Ashley G Eng
- Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
- Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Allison Stumper
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Michelle M Martel
- Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
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Kritzer MF, Adler A, Locklear M. Androgen effects on mesoprefrontal dopamine systems in the adult male brain. Neuroscience 2024:S0306-4522(24)00306-3. [PMID: 38977069 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2024.07.001] [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: 04/22/2024] [Revised: 06/25/2024] [Accepted: 07/02/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
Epidemiological data show that males are more often and/or more severely affected by symptoms of prefrontal cortical dysfunction in schizophrenia, Parkinson's disease and other disorders in which dopamine circuits associated with the prefrontal cortex are dysregulated. This review focuses on research showing that these dopamine circuits are powerfully regulated by androgens. It begins with a brief overview of the sex differences that distinguish prefrontal function in health and prefrontal dysfunction or decline in aging and/or neuropsychiatric disease. This review article then spotlights data from human subjects and animal models that specifically identify androgens as potent modulators of prefrontal cortical operations and of closely related, functionally critical measures of prefrontal dopamine level or tone. Candidate mechanisms by which androgens dynamically control mesoprefrontal dopamine systems and impact prefrontal states of hypo- and hyper-dopaminergia in aging and disease are then considered. This is followed by discussion of a working model that identifies a key locus for androgen modulation of mesoprefrontal dopamine systems as residing within the prefrontal cortex itself. The last sections of this review critically consider the ways in which the organization and regulation of mesoprefrontal dopamine circuits differ in the adult male and female brain, and highlights gaps where more research is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary F Kritzer
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-5230, United States.
| | - Alexander Adler
- Department of Oncology and Immuno-Oncology, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Tarrytown, NY 10591, United States
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Tanner MK, Hohorst AA, Westerman JD, Mendoza CS, Han R, Moya NA, Jaime J, Alvarez LM, Dryden MQ, Balolia A, Abdul RA, Loetz EC, Greenwood BN. Pharmacological manipulations of the dorsomedial and dorsolateral striatum during fear extinction reveal opposing roles in fear renewal. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2024; 212:107937. [PMID: 38735637 PMCID: PMC11187715 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2024.107937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2024] [Revised: 04/17/2024] [Accepted: 05/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024]
Abstract
Systemic manipulations that enhance dopamine (DA) transmission around the time of fear extinction can strengthen fear extinction and reduce conditioned fear relapse. Prior studies investigating the brain regions where DA augments fear extinction focus on targets of mesolimbic and mesocortical DA systems originating in the ventral tegmental area, given the role of these DA neurons in prediction error. The dorsal striatum (DS), a primary target of the nigrostriatal DA system originating in the substantia nigra (SN), is implicated in behaviors beyond its canonical role in movement, such as reward and punishment, goal-directed action, and stimulus-response associations, but whether DS DA contributes to fear extinction is unknown. We have observed that chemogenetic stimulation of SN DA neurons during fear extinction prevents the return of fear in contexts different from the extinction context, a form of relapse called renewal. This effect of SN DA stimulation is mimicked by a DA D1 receptor (D1R) agonist injected into the DS, thus implicating DS DA in fear extinction. Different DS subregions subserve unique functions of the DS, but it is unclear where in the DS D1R agonist acts during fear extinction to reduce renewal. Furthermore, although fear extinction increases neural activity in DS subregions, whether neural activity in DS subregions is causally involved in fear extinction is unknown. To explore the role of DS subregions in fear extinction, adult, male Long-Evans rats received microinjections of either the D1R agonist SKF38393 or a cocktail consisting of GABAA/GABAB receptor agonists muscimol/baclofen selectively into either dorsomedial (DMS) or dorsolateral (DLS) DS subregions immediately prior to fear extinction, and extinction retention and renewal were subsequently assessed drug-free. While increasing D1R signaling in the DMS during fear extinction did not impact fear extinction retention or renewal, DMS inactivation reduced later renewal. In contrast, DLS inactivation had no effect on fear extinction retention or renewal but increasing D1R signaling in the DLS during extinction reduced fear renewal. These data suggest that DMS and DLS activity during fear extinction can have opposing effects on later fear renewal, with the DMS promoting renewal and the DLS opposing renewal. Mechanisms through which the DS could influence the contextual gating of fear extinction are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret K Tanner
- Department of Psychology, University of Colorado Denver, Denver, CO, USA
| | - Alyssa A Hohorst
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Colorado Denver, Denver, CO, USA
| | | | | | - Rebecca Han
- Department of Psychology, University of Colorado Denver, Denver, CO, USA
| | - Nicolette A Moya
- Department of Neuroscience, Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Jennifer Jaime
- The Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Lareina M Alvarez
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Colorado Denver, Denver, CO, USA
| | - Miles Q Dryden
- Department of Psychology, University of Colorado Denver, Denver, CO, USA
| | - Aleezah Balolia
- Neuroscience Program, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Denver, CO, USA
| | - Remla A Abdul
- Department of Psychology, University of Colorado Denver, Denver, CO, USA
| | - Esteban C Loetz
- Department of Psychology, University of Colorado Denver, Denver, CO, USA
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Tóth A, Keserű D, Pethő M, Détári L, Bencsik N, Dobolyi Á, Hajnik T. Sleep and local field potential effect of the D2 receptor agonist bromocriptine during the estrus cycle and postpartum period in female rats. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2024; 239:173754. [PMID: 38537873 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2024.173754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2023] [Revised: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/08/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pituitary lactotrophs are under tonic dopaminergic inhibitory control and bromocriptine treatment blocks prolactin secretion. METHODS Sleep and local field potential were addressed for 72 h after bromocriptine treatments applied during the different stages of the estrus cycle and for 24 h in the early- and middle postpartum period characterized by spontaneously different dynamics of prolactin release in female rats. RESULTS Sleep changes showed strong dependency on the estrus cycle phase of the drug application. Strongest increase of wakefulness and reduction of slow wave sleep- and rapid eye movements sleep appeared during diestrus-proestrus and middle postpartum treatments. Stronger sleep-wake effects appeared in the dark phase in case of the estrus cycle treatments, but in the light phase in postpartum treatments. Slow wave sleep and REM sleep loss in case of estrus cycle treatments was not compensated at all and sleep loss seen in the first day post-injection was gained further later. In opposition, slow wave sleep loss in the light phase after bromocriptine injections showed compensation in the postpartum period treatments. Bromocriptine treatments resulted in a depression of local field potential delta power during slow wave sleep while an enhancement in beta and gamma power during wakefulness regardless of the treatment timing. CONCLUSIONS These results can be explained by the interplay of dopamine D2 receptor agonism, lack of prolactin release and the spontaneous homeostatic sleep drive being altered in the different stages of the estrus cycle and the postpartum period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Attila Tóth
- In vivo Electrophysiology Research Group, Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, Eötvös Loránd University, Hungary.
| | - Dóra Keserű
- In vivo Electrophysiology Research Group, Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, Eötvös Loránd University, Hungary
| | - Máté Pethő
- In vivo Electrophysiology Research Group, Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, Eötvös Loránd University, Hungary
| | - László Détári
- In vivo Electrophysiology Research Group, Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, Eötvös Loránd University, Hungary
| | - Norbert Bencsik
- Cellular Neurobiology Research Group, Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, Eötvös Loránd University, Hungary
| | - Árpád Dobolyi
- Laboratory of Molecular and Systems Neurobiology, Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, Eötvös Loránd University, Hungary
| | - Tünde Hajnik
- In vivo Electrophysiology Research Group, Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, Eötvös Loránd University, Hungary
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Zandt MV, Pittenger C. Sexual dimorphism in histamine regulation of striatal dopamine. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.20.595049. [PMID: 38826392 PMCID: PMC11142073 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.20.595049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
Background Many neuropsychiatric disorders show sex differences in prevalence and presentation. For example, Tourette's Syndrome (TS) is diagnosed 3-5 times more often in males. Dopamine modulation of the basal ganglia is implicated in numerous neuropsychiatric conditions, including TS. Motivated by an unexpected genetic finding in a family with TS, we previously characterized the modulation of striatal dopamine by histamine. Methods We used microdialysis to analyze striatal dopamine response to the targeted infusion of histamine and histamine agonists. siRNA knockdown of histamine receptors was used to identify the cellular mediators of observed effects. Results Intracerebroventricular histamine reduced striatal dopamine in male mice, replicating previous work. Unexpectedly, histamine increased striatal dopamine in females. Targeted infusion of selected agonists revealed that the effect in males depends on H2R receptors in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc). Knockdown of H2R in SNc GABAergic neurons abrogated the effect, identifying these cells as a key locus of histamine's regulation of dopamine in males. In females, in contrast, H2R had no role; instead, H3R agonists in the striatum increased striatal dopamine. Strikingly, the effect of histamine on dopamine in females was modulated by the estrous cycle, appearing in estrus/proestrus but not in metestrus/diestrus. Conclusions These findings confirm the regulation of striatal dopamine by histamine but identify marked sexual dimorphism in and estrous modulation of this effect. These findings may shed light on the mechanistic underpinnings of other sex differences in the striatal circuitry, perhaps including the marked sex differences seen in TS and related neuropsychiatric conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meghan Van Zandt
- Pittenger Laboratory, Yale University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Christopher Pittenger
- Pittenger Laboratory, Yale University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, New Haven, CT, USA
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Psychology, Yale School of Arts and Sciences, New Haven, USA
- Center for Brain and Mind Health, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, USA
- Wu-Tsai Institute, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
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Bappi MH, Mia MN, Ansari SA, Ansari IA, Prottay AAS, Akbor MS, El-Nashar HAS, El-Shazly M, Mubarak MS, Torequl Islam M. Quercetin increases the antidepressant-like effects of sclareol and antagonizes diazepam in thiopental sodium-induced sleeping mice: A possible GABAergic transmission intervention. Phytother Res 2024; 38:2198-2214. [PMID: 38414297 DOI: 10.1002/ptr.8139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Revised: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024]
Abstract
Quercetin is the most common polyphenolic flavonoid present in fruits and vegetables demonstrating versatile health-promoting effects. This study aimed to examine the effects of quercetin (QR) and sclareol (SCL) on the thiopental sodium (TS)-induced sleeping and forced swimming test (FST) mouse models. SCL (1, 5, and 10 mg/kg, p.o.) or QR (50 mg/kg, p.o.) and/or diazepam (DZP) (3 mg/kg, i.p.) were employed. After 30 min of TS induction, individual or combined effects on the animals were checked. In the FST test, the animals were subjected to forced swimming after 30 min of administration of the test and/or controls for 5 min. In this case, immobility time was measured. In silico studies were conducted to evaluate the involvement of GABA receptors. SCL (5 and 10 mg/kg) significantly increased the latency and decreased sleeping time compared to the control in the TS-induced sleeping time study. DZP (3 mg/kg) showed a sedative-like effect in animals in both sleeping and FST studies. QR (50 mg/kg) exhibited a similar pattern of activity as SCL. However, its effects were more prominent than those of SCL groups. SCL (10 mg/kg) altered the DZP-3-mediated effects. SCL-10 co-treated with QR-50 significantly (p < 0.05) increased the latency and decreased sleep time and immobility time, suggesting possible synergistic antidepressant-like effects. In silico studies revealed that SCL and QR demonstrated better binding affinities with GABAA receptor, especially α2, α3, and α5 subunits. Both compounds also exhibited good ADMET and drug-like properties. In animal studies, the both compounds worked synergistically to provide antidepressant-like effects in a slightly different fashion. As a conclusion, the combined administration of SCL and QR may be used in upcoming neurological clinical trials, according to in vivo and in silico findings. However, additional investigation is necessary to verify this behavior and clarify the potential mechanism of action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehedi Hasan Bappi
- Department of Pharmacy, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Science and Technology University, Gopalganj, Bangladesh
| | - Md Nayem Mia
- Department of Pharmacy, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Science and Technology University, Gopalganj, Bangladesh
| | - Siddique Akber Ansari
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Irfan Aamer Ansari
- Department of Drug Science and Technology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Abdullah Al Shamsh Prottay
- Department of Pharmacy, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Science and Technology University, Gopalganj, Bangladesh
| | - Md Showkoth Akbor
- Department of Pharmacy, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Science and Technology University, Gopalganj, Bangladesh
| | - Heba A S El-Nashar
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Mohamed El-Shazly
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
| | | | - Muhammad Torequl Islam
- Department of Pharmacy, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Science and Technology University, Gopalganj, Bangladesh
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Waldron MA, Jones HE, Rhinehart EM, Grisel JE. Sensitivity to the initial rewarding effects of alcohol: Influence of age, sex, and β-endorphin. ALCOHOL, CLINICAL & EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 48:667-679. [PMID: 38426214 DOI: 10.1111/acer.15281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Revised: 01/27/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alcohol use disorders (AUDs) are widespread, devastating and complex. About 20% of people who consume alcohol develop problem use, accounting for over 5% of worldwide deaths. While numerous animal models have facilitated understanding of the consequences of excessive drinking, translational models allow for experimental manipulation of factors thought to contribute to AUD liability. METHODS We employ a single-exposure conditioned place preference assay (SE-CPP) to investigate the influence of age, sex and the opioid peptide β-endorphin (bE) on the initial rewarding effects of ethanol, a strong predictor of AUDs. Adolescent (PND28-35) and adult (PND70-90) male and female, control C57BL/6J and bE-deficient mice were tested following a single injection of 1.5 g/kg of ethanol. Following the SE-CPP test, animals were deeply anesthetized, sacrificed, and perfused, and the brains were subsequently sectioned at 40 microns and processed for immunohistochemical localization of c-fos. One-sample, two-tailed t-tests were used to assess drug preference or aversion and the locomotor effects of alcohol. RESULTS In general, adults were more sensitive to the effects of alcohol than adolescents, and outcomes depended on sex and bE. For example, among females, adolescents were stimulated by the drug, but insensitive to locomotor effects as adults, while among males, adolescents were insensitive and adults sedated. Wild-type adolescents of both sexes failed to evince initial subjective reward from the drug, but bE-deficient adolescents, and all adult subjects, preferred a context once associated with ethanol over one that had been paired with saline. c-fos immunoreactivity in multiple brain regions was attenuated in bE-deficient animals, though influences of both sex and bE grew stronger with age. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrates the utility of the SE-CPP paradigm for elucidating factors that contribute to the liability for AUDs, and supports the growing body of research that shows that sensitivity to the rewarding effects of alcohol changes during the course of development. Our results also suggest that developmental contributions are sex-dependent, and may also depend on the influence of endogenous opioid signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madison A Waldron
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience Program, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Holly E Jones
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience Program, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Erin M Rhinehart
- Department of Biology, Susquehanna University, Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Judith E Grisel
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience Program, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, USA
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Holtfrerich SKC, Diekhof EK. Selective attention towards infants in nulliparous women across the menstrual cycle. Horm Behav 2024; 160:105492. [PMID: 38306878 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2024.105492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2023] [Revised: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/04/2024]
Abstract
Research in women showed that testosterone is associated with decreased selective attention towards infant stimuli, which can be compensated for by oxytocin administration. In theory, caregiving behavior is thought to be mediated by oxytocin. Oxytocin binds to dopaminergic neurons and thus supposedly motivates aspects of caregiving through its influence on dopaminergic transmission. Most previous studies on caregiving behaviors were thereby performed in women under hormonal contraception to avoid hormonal fluctuations. However, recent studies repeatedly demonstrated decisive influences of the hormonal changes across the female menstrual cycle on dopamine-mediated behaviors, suggesting that estradiol acts as dopamine agonist in the follicular phase and progesterone as dopamine antagonist in the luteal phase. In the present study, we investigated selective attention towards infants as one central aspect of caregiving behavior over the natural menstrual cycle and in relation to interindividual differences of estradiol and progesterone. As expected, we found that women with higher estradiol in the follicular phase also showed higher selective attention towards infant faces among adult distractors, whereas the correlation disappeared in the luteal phase. In contrast, progesterone did not correlate with selective attention towards infants. The present findings collectively support the assumption that estradiol may act as dopamine agonist in the follicular phase, thereby supposedly promoting an important aspect of caretaking behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah K C Holtfrerich
- Universität Hamburg, Faculty of Mathematics, Informatics and Natural Sciences, Department of Biology, Institute of Zoology, Neuroendocrinology and Human Biology Unit, Martin-Luther-King Platz 3, D-20146 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Esther K Diekhof
- Universität Hamburg, Faculty of Mathematics, Informatics and Natural Sciences, Department of Biology, Institute of Zoology, Neuroendocrinology and Human Biology Unit, Martin-Luther-King Platz 3, D-20146 Hamburg, Germany.
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11
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Wang Y, Ma L, Wang J, Liu N, Men W, Tan S, Gao JH, Qin S, He Y, Dong Q, Tao S. Association of emotional and behavioral problems with the development of the substantia nigra, subthalamic nucleus, and red nucleus volumes and asymmetries from childhood to adolescence: A longitudinal cohort study. Transl Psychiatry 2024; 14:117. [PMID: 38403656 PMCID: PMC10894865 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-024-02803-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2023] [Revised: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024] Open
Abstract
The substantia nigra (SN), subthalamic nucleus (STN), and red nucleus (RN) have been widely studied as important biomarkers of degenerative diseases. However, how they develop in childhood and adolescence and are affected by emotional behavior has not been studied thus far. This population-based longitudinal cohort study used data from a representative sample followed two to five times. Emotional and behavioral problems were assessed with the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Linear mixed models were used to map developmental trajectories and behavioral regulation. Using an innovative automated image segmentation technique, we quantified the volumes and asymmetries of the SN, STN and RN with 1226 MRI scans of a large longitudinal sample of 667 subjects aged 6-15 years and mapped their developmental trajectories. The results showed that the absolute and relative volumes of the bilateral SN and right STN showed linear increases, while the absolute volume of the right RN and relative volume of the bilateral RN decreased linearly, these effects were not affected by gender. Hyperactivity/inattention weakened the increase in SN volume and reduced the absolute volume of the STN, conduct problems impeded the RN volume from decreasing, and emotional symptoms changed the direction of SN lateralization. This longitudinal cohort study mapped the developmental trajectories of SN, STN, and RN volumes and asymmetries from childhood to adolescence, and found the association of emotional symptoms, conduct problems, and hyperactivity/inattention with these trajectories, providing guidance for preventing and intervening in cognitive and emotional behavioral problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanpei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
- IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Leilei Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
- IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Jiali Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
- IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Ningyu Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
- IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Weiwei Men
- Center for MRI Research, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Shuping Tan
- Psychiatry Research Center, Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Peking University, Beijing, 100096, China
| | - Jia-Hong Gao
- Center for MRI Research, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Shaozheng Qin
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
- IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Yong He
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
- IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Qi Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
- IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Sha Tao
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China.
- IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China.
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12
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Lafta MS, Mwinyi J, Affatato O, Rukh G, Dang J, Andersson G, Schiöth HB. Exploring sex differences: insights into gene expression, neuroanatomy, neurochemistry, cognition, and pathology. Front Neurosci 2024; 18:1340108. [PMID: 38449735 PMCID: PMC10915038 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1340108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Increased knowledge about sex differences is important for development of individualized treatments against many diseases as well as understanding behavioral and pathological differences. This review summarizes sex chromosome effects on gene expression, epigenetics, and hormones in relation to the brain. We explore neuroanatomy, neurochemistry, cognition, and brain pathology aiming to explain the current state of the art. While some domains exhibit strong differences, others reveal subtle differences whose overall significance warrants clarification. We hope that the current review increases awareness and serves as a basis for the planning of future studies that consider both sexes equally regarding similarities and differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muataz S. Lafta
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Functional Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jessica Mwinyi
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Functional Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Centre for Women’s Mental Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Oreste Affatato
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Functional Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Centre for Women’s Mental Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Gull Rukh
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Functional Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Junhua Dang
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Functional Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Gerhard Andersson
- Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Helgi B. Schiöth
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Functional Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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13
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Leow LA, Bernheine L, Carroll TJ, Dux PE, Filmer HL. Dopamine Increases Accuracy and Lengthens Deliberation Time in Explicit Motor Skill Learning. eNeuro 2024; 11:ENEURO.0360-23.2023. [PMID: 38238069 PMCID: PMC10849023 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0360-23.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2023] [Revised: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Although animal research implicates a central role for dopamine in motor skill learning, a direct causal link has yet to be established in neurotypical humans. Here, we tested if a pharmacological manipulation of dopamine alters motor learning, using a paradigm which engaged explicit, goal-directed strategies. Participants (27 females; 11 males; aged 18-29 years) first consumed either 100 mg of levodopa (n = 19), a dopamine precursor that increases dopamine availability, or placebo (n = 19). Then, during training, participants learnt the explicit strategy of aiming away from presented targets by instructed angles of varying sizes. Targets jumped mid-movement by the instructed aiming angle. Task success was thus contingent upon aiming accuracy and not speed. The effect of the dopamine manipulations on skill learning was assessed during training and after an overnight follow-up. Increasing dopamine availability at training improved aiming accuracy and lengthened reaction times, particularly for larger, more difficult aiming angles, both at training and, importantly, at follow-up, despite prominent session-by-session performance improvements in both accuracy and speed. Exogenous dopamine thus seems to result in a learnt, persistent propensity to better adhere to task goals. Results support the proposal that dopamine is important in engagement of instrumental motivation to optimize adherence to task goals, particularly when learning to execute goal-directed strategies in motor skill learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Ann Leow
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, 4072, Australia
- Centre for Sensorimotor Performance, School of Human Movement & Nutrition Sciences, St Lucia, 4067, Australia
| | - Lena Bernheine
- Centre for Sensorimotor Performance, School of Human Movement & Nutrition Sciences, St Lucia, 4067, Australia
- School of Sport Science Faculty of Sport Governance and Event Management, University of Bayreuth, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Timothy J Carroll
- Centre for Sensorimotor Performance, School of Human Movement & Nutrition Sciences, St Lucia, 4067, Australia
| | - Paul E Dux
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, 4072, Australia
| | - Hannah L Filmer
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, 4072, Australia
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14
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Proaño SB, Miller CK, Krentzel AA, Dorris DM, Meitzen J. Sex steroid hormones, the estrous cycle, and rapid modulation of glutamatergic synapse properties in the striatal brain regions with a focus on 17β-estradiol and the nucleus accumbens. Steroids 2024; 201:109344. [PMID: 37979822 PMCID: PMC10842710 DOI: 10.1016/j.steroids.2023.109344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Revised: 10/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 11/20/2023]
Abstract
The striatal brain regions encompassing the nucleus accumbens core (NAcc), shell (NAcs) and caudate-putamen (CPu) regulate cognitive functions including motivated behaviors, habit, learning, and sensorimotor action, among others. Sex steroid hormone sensitivity and sex differences have been documented in all of these functions in both normative and pathological contexts, including anxiety, depression and addiction. The neurotransmitter glutamate has been implicated in regulating these behaviors as well as striatal physiology, and there are likewise documented sex differences in glutamate action upon the striatal output neurons, the medium spiny neurons (MSNs). Here we review the available data regarding the role of steroid sex hormones such as 17β-estradiol (estradiol), progesterone, and testosterone in rapidly modulating MSN glutamatergic synapse properties, presented in the context of the estrous cycle as appropriate. Estradiol action upon glutamatergic synapse properties in female NAcc MSNs is most comprehensively discussed. In the female NAcc, MSNs exhibit development period-specific sex differences and estrous cycle variations in glutamatergic synapse properties as shown by multiple analyses, including that of miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents (mEPSCs). Estrous cycle-differences in NAcc MSN mEPSCs can be mimicked by acute exposure to estradiol or an ERα agonist. The available evidence, or lack thereof, is also discussed concerning estrogen action upon MSN glutamatergic synapse in the other striatal regions as well as the underexplored roles of progesterone and testosterone. We conclude that there is strong evidence regarding estradiol action upon glutamatergic synapse function in female NAcs MSNs and call for more research regarding other hormones and striatal regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie B Proaño
- Dept. of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Christiana K Miller
- Dept. of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Amanda A Krentzel
- Office of Research and Innovation, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - David M Dorris
- Dept. of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - John Meitzen
- Dept. of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA; Comparative Medicine Institute, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA; Center for Human Health and the Environment, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA.
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15
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Golden CEM, Kaur D, Mah A, Martin AC, Levy DH, Yamaguchi T, Lin D, Aoki C, Constantinople CM. Estrogenic control of reward prediction errors and reinforcement learning. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.09.570945. [PMID: 38105956 PMCID: PMC10723450 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.09.570945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Gonadal hormones act throughout the brain 1 , and nearly all neuropsychiatric disorders vary in symptom severity with hormonal fluctuations over the reproductive cycle, gestation, and perimenopause 2-4 . Yet the mechanisms by which hormones influence mental and cognitive processes are unclear. Exogenous estrogenic hormones modulate dopamine signaling in the nucleus accumbens core (NAcc) 5,6 , which instantiates reward prediction errors (RPEs) for reinforcement learning 7-16 . Here we show that endogenous estrogenic hormones enhance RPEs and sensitivity to previous rewards by regulating expression of dopamine reuptake proteins in the NAcc. We trained rats to perform a temporal wagering task with different reward states; rats adjusted how quickly they initiated trials across states, balancing effort against expected rewards. Dopamine release in the NAcc reflected RPEs that predicted and causally in-fluenced subsequent initiation times. When fertile, females more quickly adjusted their initiation times to match reward states due to enhanced dopaminergic RPEs in the NAcc. Proteomics revealed reduced expression of dopamine transporters in fertile stages of the reproductive cycle. Finally, genetic suppression of midbrain estrogen receptors eliminated hormonal modulation of behavior. Estrogenic hormones therefore control the rate of reinforcement learning by regulating RPEs via dopamine reuptake, providing a mechanism by which hormones influence neural dynamics for motivation and learning.
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16
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Seib DR, Tobiansky DJ, Meitzen J, Floresco SB, Soma KK. Neurosteroids and the mesocorticolimbic system. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 153:105356. [PMID: 37567491 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2022] [Revised: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023]
Abstract
The mesocorticolimbic system coordinates executive functions, such as working memory and behavioral flexibility. This circuit includes dopaminergic projections from the ventral tegmental area to the nucleus accumbens and medial prefrontal cortex. In this review, we summarize evidence that cells in multiple nodes of the mesocorticolimbic system produce neurosteroids (steroids synthesized in the nervous system) and express steroid receptors. Here, we focus on neuroandrogens (androgens synthesized in the nervous system), neuroestrogens (estrogens synthesized in the nervous system), and androgen and estrogen receptors. We also summarize how (neuro)androgens and (neuro)estrogens affect dopamine signaling in the mesocorticolimbic system and regulate executive functions. Taken together, the data suggest that steroids produced in the gonads and locally in the brain modulate higher-order cognition and executive functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Désirée R Seib
- Department of Psychology and Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
| | - Daniel J Tobiansky
- Department of Biology and Neuroscience Program, St. Mary's College of Maryland, St. Mary's City, MD, USA
| | - John Meitzen
- Department of Biological Sciences and Center for Human Health and the Environment, NC State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Stan B Floresco
- Department of Psychology and Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Kiran K Soma
- Department of Psychology and Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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17
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Zucker I. The mixed legacy of the rat estrous cycle. Biol Sex Differ 2023; 14:55. [PMID: 37667337 PMCID: PMC10476291 DOI: 10.1186/s13293-023-00542-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The rat estrous cycle first characterized by Long and Evans in 1922 profoundly affected the course of endocrine research. Investigators took advantage of sex steroid hormone fluctuations associated with the cycle to assess hormonal influences on anxiety, depression, food intake, stress, brain structure and other traits. Similarities of the rat estrous and human menstrual cycles facilitated understanding of human reproductive physiology. I assessed the impact of awareness of the estrous cycle on the emergence of a sex bias that excluded female rats from biomedical research. METHODS Beginning with the 1918 volume of the American Journal of Physiology and ending in 1976 when the journal subdivided into several separate disciplinary journals, all studies conducted on rats were downloaded; the use of females, males, both sexes and sex left unspecified was tabulated for 485 articles. A second analysis tracked the number of rat estrous cycle studies across all disciplines listed in PubMed from 1950 to 2021. RESULTS The description and awareness of variability associated with the rat estrous cycle was correlated with a precipitous decline in investigations that incorporated both sexes, a marked increase in male-only studies and a striking sex bias that excluded female rats. The number of rat estrous cycles studies increased markedly from earlier decades to a peak in 2021. CONCLUSIONS The initial description the rat estrous cycle was correlated with a substantial decline in investigations that incorporated both sexes; one result was a marked increase in male-only studies and a striking sex bias that excluded female rats from biomedical research. Recognition of the advantages of studies that incorporate the rat estrous cycle has resulted in recent years in an increase of such investigations. Female rats and females of several other species are not more variable than their male counterparts across traits, arguing for female inclusion without requiring cycle monitoring. There, remain, however, many advantages of incorporating the estrous cycle in contemporary research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irving Zucker
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, 2121 Berkeley Way West, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, 3040 VLSB, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
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18
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Nordio G, Easmin R, Giacomel A, Dipasquale O, Martins D, Williams S, Turkheimer F, Howes O, Veronese M, Jauhar S, Rogdaki M, McCutcheon R, Kaar S, Vano L, Rutigliano G, Angelescu I, Borgan F, D’Ambrosio E, Dahoun T, Kim E, Kim S, Bloomfield M, Egerton A, Demjaha A, Bonoldi I, Nosarti C, Maccabe J, McGuire P, Matthews J, Talbot PS. An automatic analysis framework for FDOPA PET neuroimaging. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab 2023; 43:1285-1300. [PMID: 37026455 PMCID: PMC10369152 DOI: 10.1177/0271678x231168687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2022] [Revised: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023]
Abstract
In this study we evaluate the performance of a fully automated analytical framework for FDOPA PET neuroimaging data, and its sensitivity to demographic and experimental variables and processing parameters. An instance of XNAT imaging platform was used to store the King's College London institutional brain FDOPA PET imaging archive, alongside individual demographics and clinical information. By re-engineering the historical Matlab-based scripts for FDOPA PET analysis, a fully automated analysis pipeline for imaging processing and data quantification was implemented in Python and integrated in XNAT. The final data repository includes 892 FDOPA PET scans organized from 23 different studies. We found good reproducibility of the data analysis by the automated pipeline (in the striatum for the Kicer: for the controls ICC = 0.71, for the psychotic patients ICC = 0.88). From the demographic and experimental variables assessed, gender was found to most influence striatal dopamine synthesis capacity (F = 10.7, p < 0.001), with women showing greater dopamine synthesis capacity than men. Our automated analysis pipeline represents a valid resourse for standardised and robust quantification of dopamine synthesis capacity using FDOPA PET data. Combining information from different neuroimaging studies has allowed us to test it comprehensively and to validate its replicability and reproducibility performances on a large sample size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanna Nordio
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Rubaida Easmin
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Alessio Giacomel
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Ottavia Dipasquale
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Daniel Martins
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Steven Williams
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Federico Turkheimer
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Oliver Howes
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Hammersmith Hospital, London, UK
- Institute of Clinical Sciences (ICS), Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, UK
| | - Mattia Veronese
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
- Department of Information Engineering (DEI), University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - and the FDOPA PET imaging working group:
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Hammersmith Hospital, London, UK
- Institute of Clinical Sciences (ICS), Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, UK
- Department of Information Engineering (DEI), University of Padua, Padua, Italy
- Psychiatric Imaging Group, MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College, Imperial College London, London, UK
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
- COMPASS Pathways plc, London, UK
- Psychiatric Neuroscience Group, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neuroscience and Sense Organs, University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Bari, Italy
- Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Division of Psychiatry, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College of London, London, UK
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neurosicences, King’s College London, London, UK
- Centre for the Developing Brain, Division of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, London, UK
- Early Intervention Psychosis Clinical Academic Group, South London & Maudsley NHS Trust, London, UK
- Division of Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Sameer Jauhar
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
- Psychiatric Imaging Group, MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Maria Rogdaki
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Robert McCutcheon
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
- Psychiatric Imaging Group, MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College, Imperial College London, London, UK
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Stephen Kaar
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
- Institute of Clinical Sciences (ICS), Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, UK
- Psychiatric Imaging Group, MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College London, London, UK
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Luke Vano
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
- Psychiatric Imaging Group, MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Grazia Rutigliano
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
- Psychiatric Imaging Group, MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Ilinca Angelescu
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Faith Borgan
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
- COMPASS Pathways plc, London, UK
| | - Enrico D’Ambrosio
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
- Psychiatric Neuroscience Group, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neuroscience and Sense Organs, University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Bari, Italy
| | - Tarik Dahoun
- Psychiatric Imaging Group, MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Euitae Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Seoyoung Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Micheal Bloomfield
- Division of Psychiatry, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College of London, London, UK
| | - Alice Egerton
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Arsime Demjaha
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Ilaria Bonoldi
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Chiara Nosarti
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neurosicences, King’s College London, London, UK
- Centre for the Developing Brain, Division of Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, London, UK
| | - James Maccabe
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Philip McGuire
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
- Early Intervention Psychosis Clinical Academic Group, South London & Maudsley NHS Trust, London, UK
| | - Julian Matthews
- Division of Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Peter S Talbot
- Division of Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
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19
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Taylor CM, Furman DJ, Berry AS, White RL, Jagust WJ, D’Esposito M, Jacobs EG. Striatal dopamine synthesis and cognitive flexibility differ between hormonal contraceptive users and nonusers. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:8485-8495. [PMID: 37160338 PMCID: PMC10321119 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/11/2023] Open
Abstract
In rodents and nonhuman primates, sex hormones are powerful modulators of dopamine (DA) neurotransmission. Yet less is known about hormonal regulation of the DA system in the human brain. Using positron emission tomography (PET), we address this gap by comparing hormonal contraceptive users and nonusers across multiple aspects of DA function: DA synthesis capacity via the PET radioligand 6-[18F]fluoro-m-tyrosine ([18F]FMT), baseline D2/3 receptor binding potential using [11C]raclopride, and DA release using methylphenidate-paired [11C]raclopride. Participants consisted of 36 healthy women (n = 15 hormonal contraceptive users; n = 21 naturally cycling/non users of hormonal contraception), and men (n = 20) as a comparison group. A behavioral index of cognitive flexibility was assessed prior to PET imaging. Hormonal contraceptive users exhibited greater DA synthesis capacity than NC participants, particularly in dorsal caudate, and greater cognitive flexibility. Furthermore, across individuals, the magnitude of striatal DA synthesis capacity was associated with cognitive flexibility. No group differences were observed in D2/3 receptor binding or DA release. Analyses by sex alone may obscure underlying differences in DA synthesis tied to women's hormone status. Hormonal contraception (in the form of pill, shot, implant, ring, or intrauterine device) is used by ~400 million women worldwide, yet few studies have examined whether chronic hormonal manipulations impact basic properties of the DA system. Findings from this study begin to address this critical gap in women's health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin M Taylor
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, United States
| | - Daniella J Furman
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, United States
| | - Anne S Berry
- Department of Psychology, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02453, United States
| | - Robert L White
- Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63112, United States
| | - William J Jagust
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States
| | - Mark D’Esposito
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States
- Department of Psychology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States
| | - Emily G Jacobs
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, United States
- Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, United States
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Frau R, Traccis F, Concas L, Cadeddu R, Mosher LJ, Nordkild P, Gaikwad NW, Bortolato M. Prefrontal allopregnanolone synergizes with D 1 receptor activation to disrupt sensorimotor gating in male Sprague-Dawley rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2023; 240:1359-1372. [PMID: 37129616 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-023-06375-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE The prepulse inhibition (PPI) of the startle reflex is the best-established index of sensorimotor gating. We documented that the neurosteroid allopregnanolone (AP) is necessary to reduce PPI in response to D1 dopamine receptor agonists. Since Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats are poorly sensitive to the PPI-disrupting effects of these drugs, we hypothesized that AP might increase this susceptibility. OBJECTIVES We tested whether AP is sufficient to increase the vulnerability of SD rats to PPI deficits in response to the D1 receptor full agonist SKF82958. METHODS SD rats were tested for PPI after treatment with SKF82958 (0.05-0.3 mg/kg, SC) in combination with either intraperitoneal (1-10 mg/kg) or intracerebral (0.5 μg/μl/side) AP administration into the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) or nucleus accumbens shell. To rule out potential confounds, we measured whether SKF82958 affected the endogenous mPFC levels of AP. RESULTS SD rats exhibited marked PPI deficits in response to the combination of systemic and intra-mPFC AP with SKF82958 but not with the D2 receptor agonist quinpirole (0.3-0.6 mg/kg, SC). SKF82958 did not elevate mPFC levels of AP but enhanced the content of its precursor progesterone. The PPI deficits caused by SKF82958 in combination with AP were opposed by the AP antagonist isoallopregnanolone (10 mg/kg, IP) and the glutamate NMDA receptor positive modulator CIQ (5 mg/kg, IP). CONCLUSION These results suggest that AP enables the detrimental effects of D1 receptor activation on sensorimotor gating. AP antagonism or glutamatergic modulation counters these effects and may have therapeutic potential for neuropsychiatric disorders characterized by gating deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Frau
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Division of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy.
- Guy Everett Laboratory, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy.
| | - Francesco Traccis
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Division of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Luca Concas
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Division of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Roberto Cadeddu
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Laura J Mosher
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | | | | | - Marco Bortolato
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.
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21
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Fernández-Rhodes L, McArdle CE, Rao H, Wang Y, Martinez-Miller EE, Ward JB, Cai J, Sofer T, Isasi CR, North KE. A Gene-Acculturation Study of Obesity Among US Hispanic/Latinos: The Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos. Psychosom Med 2023; 85:358-365. [PMID: 36917487 PMCID: PMC10159946 DOI: 10.1097/psy.0000000000001193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/16/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE In the United States, Hispanic/Latino adults face a high burden of obesity; yet, not all individuals are equally affected, partly due in part to this ethnic group's marked sociocultural diversity. We sought to analyze the modification of body mass index (BMI) genetic effects in Hispanic/Latino adults by their level of acculturation, a complex biosocial phenomenon that remains understudied. METHODS Among 11,747 Hispanic/Latinos adults in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos aged 18 to 76 years from four urban communities (2008-2011), we a) tested our hypothesis that the effect of a genetic risk score (GRS) for increased BMI may be exacerbated by higher levels of acculturation and b) examined if GRS acculturation interactions varied by gender or Hispanic/Latino background group. All genetic modeling controlled for relatedness, age, gender, principal components of ancestry, center, and complex study design within a generalized estimated equation framework. RESULTS We observed a GRS increase of 0.34 kg/m 2 per risk allele in weighted mean BMI. The estimated main effect of GRS on BMI varied both across acculturation level and across gender. The difference between high and low acculturation ranged from 0.03 to 0.23 kg/m 2 per risk allele, but varied across acculturation measure and gender. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest the presence of effect modification by acculturation, with stronger effects on BMI among highly acculturated individuals and female immigrants. Future studies of obesity in the Hispanic/Latino community should account for sociocultural environments and consider their intersection with gender to better target obesity interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay Fernández-Rhodes
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
- Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Cristin E. McArdle
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
| | - Hridya Rao
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
| | - Yujie Wang
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Erline E. Martinez-Miller
- Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
- Department of Clinical Sciences, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX
| | - Julia B. Ward
- Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
- Social & Scientific Systems, a DLH Holdings Company, Durham, NC
| | - Jianwen Cai
- Department of Biostatistics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Tamar Sofer
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA
| | - Carmen R. Isasi
- Departments of Epidemiology & Population Health and Pediatrics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY
| | - Kari E North
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
- Carolina Center for Genome Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
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22
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Furtado A, Costa D, Lemos MC, Cavaco JE, Santos CRA, Quintela T. The impact of biological clock and sex hormones on the risk of disease. ADVANCES IN PROTEIN CHEMISTRY AND STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY 2023; 137:39-81. [PMID: 37709381 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apcsb.2023.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/16/2023]
Abstract
Molecular clocks are responsible for defining 24-h cycles of behaviour and physiology that are called circadian rhythms. Several structures and tissues are responsible for generating these circadian rhythms and are named circadian clocks. The suprachiasmatic nucleus of the hypothalamus is believed to be the master circadian clock receiving light input via the optic nerve and aligning internal rhythms with environmental cues. Studies using both in vivo and in vitro methodologies have reported the relationship between the molecular clock and sex hormones. The circadian system is directly responsible for controlling the synthesis of sex hormones and this synthesis varies according to the time of day and phase of the estrous cycle. Sex hormones also directly interact with the circadian system to regulate circadian gene expression, adjust biological processes, and even adjust their own synthesis. Several diseases have been linked with alterations in either the sex hormone background or the molecular clock. So, in this chapter we aim to summarize the current understanding of the relationship between the circadian system and sex hormones and their combined role in the onset of several related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- André Furtado
- CICS-UBI, Health Sciences Research Centre, University of Beira Interior, Portugal
| | - Diana Costa
- CICS-UBI, Health Sciences Research Centre, University of Beira Interior, Portugal
| | - Manuel C Lemos
- CICS-UBI, Health Sciences Research Centre, University of Beira Interior, Portugal
| | - J Eduardo Cavaco
- CICS-UBI, Health Sciences Research Centre, University of Beira Interior, Portugal
| | - Cecília R A Santos
- CICS-UBI, Health Sciences Research Centre, University of Beira Interior, Portugal
| | - Telma Quintela
- CICS-UBI, Health Sciences Research Centre, University of Beira Interior, Portugal; UDI-IPG, Unidade de Investigação para o Desenvolvimento do Interior, Instituto Politécnico da Guarda, Guarda, Portugal.
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23
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Smith K, Lacadie CM, Milivojevic V, Fogelman N, Sinha R. Sex differences in neural responses to stress and drug cues predicts future drug use in individuals with substance use disorder. Drug Alcohol Depend 2023; 244:109794. [PMID: 36758371 PMCID: PMC10024802 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2023.109794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Revised: 01/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Substance use disorders (SUDs) are chronically recurring illnesses, where stress and drug cues significantly increase drug craving and risk of drug use recurrence. This study examined sex differences in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) brain responses to stress and drug cue exposure and assessed their prospective association with future drug use post-treatment. METHODS Inpatient, treatment engaged men (N = 46) and women (N = 26) with SUDs, including alcohol, cocaine and/or cannabis use disorders, participated in an fMRI scan that assessed subjective (anxiety, drug craving), heart rate and neural responses to brief individualized script-driven imagery of stress, drug, and neutral-relaxing trials. Prospective follow-up interviews post-treatment assessed future drug use recurrence over 90 days. RESULTS During fMRI, stress and drug versus neutral cue exposure led to increased anxiety, heart rate and craving responses (p's < 0.004) in both men and women, but greater drug cue-induced anxiety (p < .017) and higher drug use days during follow-up (p < .006) in women relative to men. In whole brain analyses of stress and drug cues (p < .05 FWE corrected), and in whole brain correlation (p < .05, FWE corrected) with drug use days, significant sex differences revealed drug cue-related striatal hyperactivation (caudate, putamen) in men, but drug cue-related cortico-limbic (insula and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex) hypoactivation and stress-related hypoactivation in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VmPFC) in women; and these were significantly associated with higher future drug use days. CONCLUSIONS Findings indicate sex-specific pathophysiology of SUD recurrence and support the need for differential treatment development for men and women with SUD to improve drug use outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keisha Smith
- Yale Stress Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States; Yale University School of Medicine, Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Cheryl M Lacadie
- Yale School of Medicine, Department of Diagnostic Radiology, United States
| | - Verica Milivojevic
- Yale Stress Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Nia Fogelman
- Yale Stress Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Rajita Sinha
- Yale Stress Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States.
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Duration- and sex-dependent neural circuit control of voluntary physical activity. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2022; 239:3697-3709. [PMID: 36195731 PMCID: PMC9768838 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-022-06243-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 10/10/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Exercise participation remains low despite clear benefits. Rats engage in voluntary wheel running (VWR) that follows distinct phases of acquisition, during which VWR escalates, and maintenance, during which VWR remains stable. Understanding mechanisms driving acquisition and maintenance of VWR could lead to novel strategies to promote exercise. The two phases of VWR resemble those that occur during operant conditioning and, therefore, might involve similar neural substrates. The dorsomedial (DMS) dorsal striatum (DS) supports the acquisition of operant conditioning, whereas the dorsolateral striatum (DLS) supports its maintenance. OBJECTIVES Here we sought to characterize the roles of DS subregions in VWR. Females escalate VWR and operant conditioning faster than males. Thus, we also assessed for sex differences. METHODS To determine the causal role of DS subregions in VWR, we pharmacologically inactivated the DMS or DLS of adult, male and female, Long-Evans rats during the two phases of VWR. The involvement of DA receptor 1 (D1)-expressing neurons in the DS was investigated by quantifying cfos mRNA within this neuronal population. RESULTS We observed that, in males, the DMS and DLS are critical for VWR exclusively during acquisition and maintenance, respectively. In females, the DMS is also critical only during acquisition, but the DLS contributes to VWR during both VWR phases. DLS D1 neurons could be an important driver of VWR escalation during acquisition. CONCLUSIONS The acquisition and maintenance of VWR involve unique neural substrates in the DS that vary by sex. Results reveal targets for sex-specific strategies to promote exercise.
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25
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Atehortua Martinez LA, Curis E, Mekdad N, Larrieu C, Courtin C, Jourdren L, Blugeon C, Laplanche JL, Megarbane B, Marie-Claire C, Benturquia N. Individual differences in cocaine-induced conditioned place preference in male rats: Behavioral and transcriptomic evidence. J Psychopharmacol 2022; 36:1161-1175. [PMID: 36121009 PMCID: PMC9548661 DOI: 10.1177/02698811221123047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Substance use disorder emerges in a small proportion of drug users and has the characteristics of a chronic relapsing pathology. AIMS Our study aimed to demonstrate and characterize the variability in the expression of the rewarding effects of cocaine in the conditioned place preference (CPP) paradigm. METHODS A cocaine-CPP paradigm in male Sprague-Dawley rats with an extinction period of 12 days and reinstatement was conducted. A statistical model was developed to distinguish rats expressing or not a cocaine-induced place preference. RESULTS Two groups of rats were identified: rats that did express rewarding effects (CPP expression (CPPE), score >102 s) and rats that did not (no CPP expression (nCPPE), score between -85 and 59 s). These two groups did not show significant differences in a battery of behavioral tests. To identify differentially expressed genes in the CPPE and nCPPE groups, a whole-transcriptome ribonucleic acid-sequencing analysis was performed in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) 24 h after the CPP test. Four immediate early genes (Fos, Egr2, Nr4a1, and Zbtb37) were differentially expressed in the NAc of CPPE rats after expression of CPP. Variability in cocaine-induced place preference persisted in the CPPE and nCPPE groups after the extinction and reinstatement phases. Transcriptomic differences observed after reinstatement were distinct from those observed immediately after expression of CPP. CONCLUSION These new findings provide insights into the identification of mechanisms underlying interindividual variability in the response to cocaine's rewarding effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luisa Alessandra Atehortua Martinez
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale UMR-S 1144, Optimisation Thérapeutique en Neuropsychopharmacologie, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Emmanuel Curis
- UR 7537 BioSTM, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
- Laboratoire d’Hématologie, Hôpital Lariboisière, APHP, Paris, France
| | - Nawel Mekdad
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale UMR-S 1144, Optimisation Thérapeutique en Neuropsychopharmacologie, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Claire Larrieu
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale UMR-S 1144, Optimisation Thérapeutique en Neuropsychopharmacologie, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Cindie Courtin
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale UMR-S 1144, Optimisation Thérapeutique en Neuropsychopharmacologie, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Laurent Jourdren
- Genomic Facility, Institut de Biologie de l’École Normale Supérieure, École Normale Supérieure, Centre National pour la Recherche Scientifique, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, PSL Research University, Paris, France
| | - Corinne Blugeon
- Genomic Facility, Institut de Biologie de l’École Normale Supérieure, École Normale Supérieure, Centre National pour la Recherche Scientifique, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, PSL Research University, Paris, France
| | - Jean-Louis Laplanche
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale UMR-S 1144, Optimisation Thérapeutique en Neuropsychopharmacologie, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Bruno Megarbane
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale UMR-S 1144, Optimisation Thérapeutique en Neuropsychopharmacologie, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Cynthia Marie-Claire
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale UMR-S 1144, Optimisation Thérapeutique en Neuropsychopharmacologie, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Nadia Benturquia
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale UMR-S 1144, Optimisation Thérapeutique en Neuropsychopharmacologie, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
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Banks PJ, Bennett PJ, Sekuler AB, Gruber AJ. Cannabis use is associated with sexually dimorphic changes in executive control of visuospatial decision-making. Front Integr Neurosci 2022; 16:884080. [PMID: 36081608 PMCID: PMC9445243 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2022.884080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
When the outcome of a choice is less favorable than expected, humans and animals typically shift to an alternate choice option on subsequent trials. Several lines of evidence indicate that this “lose-shift” responding is an innate sensorimotor response strategy that is normally suppressed by executive function. Therefore, the lose-shift response provides a covert gauge of cognitive control over choice mechanisms. We report here that the spatial position, rather than visual features, of choice targets drives the lose-shift effect. Furthermore, the ability to inhibit lose-shift responding to gain reward is different among male and female habitual cannabis users. Increased self-reported cannabis use was concordant with suppressed response flexibility and an increased tendency to lose-shift in women, which reduced performance in a choice task in which random responding is the optimal strategy. On the other hand, increased cannabis use in men was concordant with reduced reliance on spatial cues during decision-making, and had no impact on the number of correct responses. These data (63,600 trials from 106 participants) provide strong evidence that spatial-motor processing is an important component of economic decision-making, and that its governance by executive systems is different in men and women who use cannabis frequently.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parker J. Banks
- Vision and Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, Department of Psychology, Neuroscience, and Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Patrick J. Bennett
- Vision and Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, Department of Psychology, Neuroscience, and Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Allison B. Sekuler
- Vision and Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, Department of Psychology, Neuroscience, and Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care, North York, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Aaron J. Gruber
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
- *Correspondence: Aaron J. Gruber
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Sobolewski M, Conrad K, Marvin E, Eckard M, Goeke CM, Merrill AK, Welle K, Jackson BP, Gelein R, Chalupa D, Oberdörster G, Cory-Slechta DA. The potential involvement of inhaled iron (Fe) in the neurotoxic effects of ultrafine particulate matter air pollution exposure on brain development in mice. Part Fibre Toxicol 2022; 19:56. [PMID: 35945578 PMCID: PMC9364598 DOI: 10.1186/s12989-022-00496-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Air pollution has been associated with neurodevelopmental disorders in epidemiological studies. In our studies in mice, developmental exposures to ambient ultrafine particulate (UFP) matter either postnatally or gestationally results in neurotoxic consequences that include brain metal dyshomeostasis, including significant increases in brain Fe. Since Fe is redox active and neurotoxic to brain in excess, this study examined the extent to which postnatal Fe inhalation exposure, might contribute to the observed neurotoxicity of UFPs. Mice were exposed to 1 µg/m3 Fe oxide nanoparticles alone, or in conjunction with sulfur dioxide (Fe (1 µg/m3) + SO2 (SO2 at 1.31 mg/m3, 500 ppb) from postnatal days 4-7 and 10-13 for 4 h/day. RESULTS Overarching results included the observations that Fe + SO2 produced greater neurotoxicity than did Fe alone, that females appeared to show greater vulnerability to these exposures than did males, and that profiles of effects differed by sex. Consistent with metal dyshomeostasis, both Fe only and Fe + SO2 exposures altered correlations of Fe and of sulfur (S) with other metals in a sex and tissue-specific manner. Specifically, altered metal levels in lung, but particularly in frontal cortex were found, with reductions produced by Fe in females, but increases produced by Fe + SO2 in males. At PND14, marked changes in brain frontal cortex and striatal neurotransmitter systems were observed, particularly in response to combined Fe + SO2 as compared to Fe only, in glutamatergic and dopaminergic functions that were of opposite directions by sex. Changes in markers of trans-sulfuration in frontal cortex likewise differed in females as compared to males. Residual neurotransmitter changes were limited at PND60. Increases in serum glutathione and Il-1a were female-specific effects of combined Fe + SO2. CONCLUSIONS Collectively, these findings suggest a role for the Fe contamination in air pollution in the observed neurotoxicity of ambient UFPs and that such involvement may be different by chemical mixture. Translation of such results to humans requires verification, and, if found, would suggest a need for regulation of Fe in air for public health protection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marissa Sobolewski
- grid.412750.50000 0004 1936 9166Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642 USA
| | - Katherine Conrad
- grid.412750.50000 0004 1936 9166Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642 USA
| | - Elena Marvin
- grid.412750.50000 0004 1936 9166Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642 USA
| | - Matthew Eckard
- grid.262333.50000000098205004Department of Psychology, Radford University, Radford, VA 24142 USA
| | - Calla M. Goeke
- grid.412750.50000 0004 1936 9166Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642 USA
| | - Alyssa K. Merrill
- grid.412750.50000 0004 1936 9166Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642 USA
| | - Kevin Welle
- grid.412750.50000 0004 1936 9166Proteomics Core, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642 USA
| | - Brian P. Jackson
- grid.254880.30000 0001 2179 2404Department of Earth Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755 USA
| | - Robert Gelein
- grid.412750.50000 0004 1936 9166Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642 USA
| | - David Chalupa
- grid.412750.50000 0004 1936 9166Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642 USA
| | - Günter Oberdörster
- grid.412750.50000 0004 1936 9166Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642 USA
| | - Deborah A. Cory-Slechta
- grid.412750.50000 0004 1936 9166Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642 USA
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Pinizzotto CC, Patwardhan A, Aldarondo D, Kritzer MF. Task-specific effects of biological sex and sex hormones on object recognition memories in a 6-hydroxydopamine-lesion model of Parkinson's disease in adult male and female rats. Horm Behav 2022; 144:105206. [PMID: 35653829 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2022.105206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Revised: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Many patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) experience cognitive or memory impairments with few therapeutic options available to mitigate them. This has fueled interest in determining how factors including sex and sex hormones modulate higher order function in this disease. The objective of this study was to use the Novel Object Recognition (NOR) and Object-in-Place (OiP) paradigms to compare the effects of a bilateral neostriatal 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) lesion model of PD in gonadally intact male and female rats, in orchidectomized male rats and in orchidectomized males supplemented with 17β-estradiol or testosterone propionate on measures of recognition memory similar to those at risk in PD. These studies showed that 6-ODHA lesions impaired discrimination in both tasks in males but not females. Further, 6-OHDA lesions disrupted NOR performance similarly in all males regardless of whether they were gonadally intact, orchidectomized or hormone-supplemented. In contrast, OiP performance was disrupted in males that were orchidectomized or 6-OHDA-lesioned but was spared in orchidectomized and orchidectomized, 6-OHDA lesioned males supplemented with 17β-estradiol. The distinct effects that sex and/or sex hormones have on 6-OHDA lesion-induced NOR vs. OiP deficits identified here also differ from corresponding impacts recently described for 6-OHDA lesion-induced deficits in spatial working memory and episodic memory. Together, the collective data provide strong evidence for effects of sex and sex hormones on cognition and memory in PD as being behavioral task and behavioral domain specific. This specificity could explain why a cohesive clinical picture of endocrine impacts on higher order function in PD has remained elusive.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia C Pinizzotto
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794, USA.
| | - Aishwarya Patwardhan
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794, USA.
| | - Daniel Aldarondo
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794, USA.
| | - Mary F Kritzer
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794, USA.
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Orsini CA, Truckenbrod LM, Wheeler AR. Regulation of sex differences in risk-based decision making by gonadal hormones: Insights from rodent models. Behav Processes 2022; 200:104663. [PMID: 35661794 PMCID: PMC9893517 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2022.104663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Revised: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Men and women differ in their ability to evaluate options that vary in their rewards and the risks that are associated with these outcomes. Most studies have shown that women are more risk averse than men and that gonadal hormones significantly contribute to this sex difference. Gonadal hormones can influence risk-based decision making (i.e., risk taking) by modulating the neurobiological substrates underlying this cognitive process. Indeed, estradiol, progesterone and testosterone modulate activity in the prefrontal cortex, amygdala and nucleus accumbens associated with reward and risk-related information. The use of animal models of decision making has advanced our understanding of the intersection between the behavioral, neural and hormonal mechanisms underlying sex differences in risk taking. This review will outline the current state of this literature, identify the current gaps in knowledge and suggest the neurobiological mechanisms by which hormones regulate risky decision making. Collectively, this knowledge can be used to understand the potential consequences of significant hormonal changes, whether endogenously or exogenously induced, on risk-based decision making as well as the neuroendocrinological basis of neuropsychiatric diseases that are characterized by impaired risk taking, such as substance use disorder and schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin A. Orsini
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA,Department of Neurology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA,Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA,Institute for Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA,Correspondence to: Department of Psychology & Neurology, Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, 108 E. Dean Keaton St., Stop A8000, Austin, TX 78712, USA. (C.A. Orsini)
| | - Leah M. Truckenbrod
- Department of Neurology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA,Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA,Institute for Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Alexa-Rae Wheeler
- Department of Neurology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA,Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA,Institute for Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
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30
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Krentzel AA, Proaño SB, Dorris DM, Setzer B, Meitzen J. The estrous cycle and 17β-estradiol modulate the electrophysiological properties of rat nucleus accumbens core medium spiny neurons. J Neuroendocrinol 2022; 34:e13122. [PMID: 35365910 PMCID: PMC9250601 DOI: 10.1111/jne.13122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Revised: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
The nucleus accumbens core is a key nexus within the mammalian brain for integrating the premotor and limbic systems and regulating important cognitive functions such as motivated behaviors. Nucleus accumbens core functions show sex differences and are sensitive to the presence of hormones such as 17β-estradiol (estradiol) in normal and pathological contexts. The primary neuron type of the nucleus accumbens core, the medium spiny neuron (MSN), exhibits sex differences in both intrinsic excitability and glutamatergic excitatory synapse electrophysiological properties. Here, we provide a review of recent literature showing how estradiol modulates rat nucleus accumbens core MSN electrophysiology within the context of the estrous cycle. We review the changes in MSN electrophysiological properties across the estrous cycle and how these changes can be mimicked in response to exogenous estradiol exposure. We discuss in detail recent findings regarding how acute estradiol exposure rapidly modulates excitatory synapse properties in nucleus accumbens core but not caudate-putamen MSNs, which mirror the natural changes seen across estrous cycle phases. These recent insights demonstrate the strong impact of sex-specific estradiol action upon nucleus accumbens core neuron electrophysiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda A. Krentzel
- Department of Biological SciencesNorth Carolina State UniversityRaleighNCUSA
| | - Stephanie B. Proaño
- Neurobiology LaboratoryNational Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, NIHResearch Triangle ParkNCUSA
| | - David M. Dorris
- Department of Biological SciencesNorth Carolina State UniversityRaleighNCUSA
| | - Beverly Setzer
- Graduate Program for Neuroscience and Department of Biomedical EngineeringBoston UniversityBostonMAUSA
| | - John Meitzen
- Department of Biological SciencesNorth Carolina State UniversityRaleighNCUSA
- Comparative Medicine InstituteNorth Carolina State UniversityRaleighNCUSA
- Center for Human Health and the EnvironmentNorth Carolina State UniversityRaleighNCUSA
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31
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Ferris CF. Applications in Awake Animal Magnetic Resonance Imaging. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:854377. [PMID: 35450017 PMCID: PMC9017993 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.854377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
There are numerous publications on methods and applications for awake functional MRI across different species, e.g., voles, rabbits, cats, dogs, and rhesus macaques. Each of these species, most obviously rhesus monkey, have general or unique attributes that provide a better understanding of the human condition. However, much of the work today is done on rodents. The growing number of small bore (≤30 cm) high field systems 7T- 11.7T favor the use of small animals. To that point, this review is primarily focused on rodents and their many applications in awake function MRI. Applications include, pharmacological MRI, drugs of abuse, sensory evoked stimuli, brain disorders, pain, social behavior, and fear.
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Yue Q, Wang K, Guan M, Zhao Z, Li X, Yu P, Mao L. Single-Vesicle Electrochemistry Reveals Sex Difference in Vesicular Storage and Release of Catecholamine. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2022; 61:e202117596. [PMID: 35112448 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202117596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Quantitative measurements of sex difference in vesicle chemistry (i.e., chemical storage and release) at the single-vesicle level are essential to understand sex differences in cognitive behaviors; however, such measurements are very challenging to conventional analytical methods. By using single-vesicle electrochemistry, we find the duration of single exocytotic events of chromaffin cells prepared from male rats is statistically longer than that from female rats, leading to more neurotransmitter released in the male group. Further analysis reveals that a higher percentage of vesicles in the female group release part of the neurotransmitter, i.e., partial release, during exocytosis than that in male group. This sex dimorphism in neurotransmitter release in exocytosis might relate to the sex difference in the expression of voltage-dependent calcium channels and membrane lipid composition. Our finding offers the first experimental evidence that sex dimorphism even exists in vesicle chemistry, providing a brand new viewpoint for understanding the sex dimorphism in exocytosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingwei Yue
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Living Biosystems, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, 100190, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Kai Wang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Living Biosystems, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Ming Guan
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Living Biosystems, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Zhenwen Zhao
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Living Biosystems, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, 100190, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Xianchan Li
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Living Biosystems, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Ping Yu
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Living Biosystems, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, 100190, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Lanqun Mao
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Living Biosystems, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, 100190, China.,College of Chemistry, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
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33
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Yue Q, Wang K, Guan M, Zhao Z, Li X, Yu P, Mao L. Single‐Vesicle Electrochemistry Reveals Sex Difference in Vesicular Storage and Release of Catecholamine. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.202117596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Qingwei Yue
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Living Biosystems Institute of Chemistry Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Beijing 100190 China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing 100049 China
| | - Kai Wang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Living Biosystems Institute of Chemistry Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Beijing 100190 China
| | - Ming Guan
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Living Biosystems Institute of Chemistry Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Beijing 100190 China
| | - Zhenwen Zhao
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Living Biosystems Institute of Chemistry Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Beijing 100190 China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing 100049 China
| | - Xianchan Li
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Living Biosystems Institute of Chemistry Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Beijing 100190 China
| | - Ping Yu
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Living Biosystems Institute of Chemistry Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Beijing 100190 China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing 100049 China
| | - Lanqun Mao
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Living Biosystems Institute of Chemistry Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Beijing 100190 China
- College of Chemistry Beijing Normal University Beijing 100875 China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing 100049 China
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34
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Heuberger LS, Gobbi S, Weber SC, Graf G, Tobler PN, Asarian L, Geary N, Roth M, Leeners B. Is It Worth It? Obesity Affects Snack Food Valuation Across the Menstrual Cycle. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:800976. [PMID: 35250448 PMCID: PMC8889102 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.800976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2021] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The importance of menstrual cycle physiology in appetite and obesity is poorly understood. We investigated the effects of body mass index (BMI), menstrual cycle phase and sweet and salty taste on monetary valuation of snack foods. Methods We recruited 72 women and after the application of in- and exclusion criteria 31 participants with healthy weight and 25 with obesity remained. The participants completed a willingness to pay (WTP) task to measure subjective value of 30 snack food items in the pre-ovulatory and mid-luteal cycle phases. Results Generalized linear mixed model (GLMM) analysis revealed that BMI, cycle phase and snack taste interacted to influence WTP (−0.15 [−0.22, −0.03], p = 0.002). Hence, WTP was inversely related to BMI, but the strength of the relation depended on cycle phase and taste. The WTP of participants with healthy weight for salty taste changed across cycle phase but the WTP for sweet taste was not affected by cycle phase. Moreover, the cycle effect for the salty snacks ceased in participants with obesity. Conclusion The inverse effect of BMI on WTP valuation of snack foods contrasts with the positive effect of BMI on pleasantness ratings for milkshakes by the same women that we previously reported. This indicates that the two measures reflect different aspects of food-related valuative processing in obesity. Furthermore, the WTP data suggest that the selection of salty snacks may differ from that of sweet snacks in the pre-ovulatory phase of the menstrual cycle for individuals of healthy weight. The cycle phase does not seem to affect food valuation of participants with obesity. These findings are relevant to understanding and treating obesity in women.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Susanna Gobbi
- Zurich Center for Neuroeconomics, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Susanna C. Weber
- Zurich Center for Neuroeconomics, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Gwendolyn Graf
- Department of Reproductive Endocrinology, University Hospital of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Philippe N. Tobler
- Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich, Switzerland
- Zurich Center for Neuroeconomics, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Lori Asarian
- Department of Medicine, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, United States
| | | | - Mareike Roth
- Department of Reproductive Endocrinology, University Hospital of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Brigitte Leeners
- Department of Reproductive Endocrinology, University Hospital of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Reproductive Endocrinology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- *Correspondence: Brigitte Leeners,
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35
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Shigemoto Y, Matsuda H, Kimura Y, Chiba E, Ohnishi M, Nakaya M, Maikusa N, Ogawa M, Mukai Y, Takahashi Y, Sako K, Toyama H, Inui Y, Taki Y, Nagayama H, Ono K, Kono A, Sekiguchi K, Hirano S, Sato N. Voxel-based analysis of age and gender effects on striatal [ 123I] FP-CIT binding in healthy Japanese adults. Ann Nucl Med 2022; 36:460-467. [PMID: 35174441 DOI: 10.1007/s12149-022-01725-9] [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: 12/12/2021] [Accepted: 02/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Although previous studies have investigated age and gender effects on striatal subregional dopamine transporter (DaT) binding, these studies were mostly based on a conventional regions of interest-based analysis. Here, we investigated age and gender effects on striatal DaT binding at the voxel level, using a multicenter database of [(123)I] N-omega-fluoropropyl-2beta-carbomethoxy-3beta-{4-iodophenyl}nortropane ([(123)I] FP-CIT)-single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) scans in 256 healthy Japanese adults. METHODS We used the Southampton method to calculate the specific binding ratios (SBRs) of each subject's striatum and then converted the [123I] FP-CIT SPECT images to quantitative SBRs images. To investigate the effects of age and gender effects on striatal DaT binding, we performed a voxel-based analysis using statistical parametric mapping. Gender differences were also compared between young to middle-aged subjects and elderly subjects (age threshold: 60 years). RESULTS When all subjects were explored as a group, DaT binding throughout the striatum decreased with advancing age. Among all subjects, the females showed higher DaT binding in the bilateral caudate compared to the males. In the young to middle-aged subjects, the females showed higher DaT binding throughout the striatum (with a slight caudate predominance) versus the males. In the elderly, there were no gender differences in striatal DaT binding. CONCLUSION Our findings of striatal subregional age- and gender-related differences may provide useful information to construct a more detailed DaT database in healthy Japanese subjects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoko Shigemoto
- Department of Radiology, National Center Hospital of Neurology and Psychiatry, 4-1-1, Ogawa-Higashi, Kodaira, Tokyo, 187-8551, Japan.,Drug Discovery and Cyclotron Research Center, Southern TOHOKU Research Institute for Neuroscience, Koriyama, 963-8052, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Matsuda
- Department of Radiology, National Center Hospital of Neurology and Psychiatry, 4-1-1, Ogawa-Higashi, Kodaira, Tokyo, 187-8551, Japan. .,Drug Discovery and Cyclotron Research Center, Southern TOHOKU Research Institute for Neuroscience, Koriyama, 963-8052, Japan. .,Southern TOHOKU Research Institute for Neuroscience, Shin-Otemachi Building 6F (621), 2-2-1, Otemachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 199-0004, Japan.
| | - Yukio Kimura
- Department of Radiology, National Center Hospital of Neurology and Psychiatry, 4-1-1, Ogawa-Higashi, Kodaira, Tokyo, 187-8551, Japan
| | - Emiko Chiba
- Department of Radiology, National Center Hospital of Neurology and Psychiatry, 4-1-1, Ogawa-Higashi, Kodaira, Tokyo, 187-8551, Japan
| | - Masahiro Ohnishi
- Department of Radiology, National Center Hospital of Neurology and Psychiatry, 4-1-1, Ogawa-Higashi, Kodaira, Tokyo, 187-8551, Japan
| | - Moto Nakaya
- Department of Radiology, National Center Hospital of Neurology and Psychiatry, 4-1-1, Ogawa-Higashi, Kodaira, Tokyo, 187-8551, Japan
| | - Norihide Maikusa
- Department of Radiology, National Center Hospital of Neurology and Psychiatry, 4-1-1, Ogawa-Higashi, Kodaira, Tokyo, 187-8551, Japan
| | - Masayo Ogawa
- Department of Radiology, National Center Hospital of Neurology and Psychiatry, 4-1-1, Ogawa-Higashi, Kodaira, Tokyo, 187-8551, Japan
| | - Yohei Mukai
- Department of Neurology, National Center Hospital of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yuji Takahashi
- Department of Neurology, National Center Hospital of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kazuya Sako
- Department of Neurology, Nakamura Memorial Hospital, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Toyama
- Department of Radiology, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Japan
| | - Yoshitaka Inui
- Department of Radiology, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Japan
| | - Yasuyuki Taki
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and Radiology, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Nagayama
- Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, Nippon Medical School Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kenjiro Ono
- Division of Neurology, Department of Internal Medicine, Showa University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Neurology and Neurobiology of Aging, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Atsushi Kono
- Department of Radiology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan
| | - Kenji Sekiguchi
- Division of Neurology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan
| | - Shigeki Hirano
- Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Noriko Sato
- Department of Radiology, National Center Hospital of Neurology and Psychiatry, 4-1-1, Ogawa-Higashi, Kodaira, Tokyo, 187-8551, Japan
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Prenatal Amphetamine-Induced Dopaminergic Alteration in a Gender- and Estrogen-Dependent Manner. Neurochem Res 2022; 47:1317-1328. [PMID: 35147850 DOI: 10.1007/s11064-022-03531-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2021] [Revised: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/15/2022] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Prenatal exposure to amphetamine induces changes in dopamine receptors in mesolimbic areas and alters locomotor response to amphetamine during adulthood. Sex differences have been reported in amphetamine-induced brain activity and stress sensitivity. We evaluated the effects of prenatal amphetamine exposure on locomotor activity, dopamine receptors and tyrosine hydroxylase mRNA expression in nucleus accumbens and caudate-putamen in response to amphetamine challenge in adult female and male rats. The role of estrogen in the response to restraint stress was analyzed in ovariectomized, prenatally amphetamine-exposed rats. Pregnant rats were treated with D-amphetamine during days 15-21 of gestation. Nucleus accumbens and caudate-putamen were processed for mRNA determination by real-time PCR. In nucleus accumbens, higher mRNA dopamine (D3) receptor expression was found in basal and D-amphetamine-challenge conditions in female than male, and prenatal amphetamine increased the difference. No sex differences were observed in caudate-putamen. Basal saline-treated females showed higher locomotor activity than males. Amphetamine challenge in prenatally amphetamine-exposed rats increased locomotor activity in males and reduced it in females. In nucleus accumbens, estrogen diminished mRNA D1, D2 and D3 receptor expression in basal, and D1 and D3 in ovariectomized stressed rats. Estrogen prevented the increase in tyrosine hydroxylase expression induced by stress in ovariectomized prenatally exposed rats. In conclusion, estrogen modulates mRNA levels of D1, D2 and D3 receptors and tyrosine hydroxylase expression in nucleus accumbens; prenatal amphetamine-exposure effects on D3 receptors and behavioral responses were gender dependent.
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Mihalčíková L, Ochozková A, Šlamberová R. Does paternal methamphetamine exposure affect the behavior of rat offspring during development and in adulthood? Physiol Res 2021; 70:S419-S430. [PMID: 35099260 DOI: 10.33549/physiolres.934814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Methamphetamine (MA) is one of the most abused psychostimulants in the Czech Republic and worldwide. Previous studies have demonstrated the adverse effects of maternal drug abuse. However, the father's contribution as a parent and donor of the half genetic information is unclear. The present study aimed to examine the effect of paternal MA exposure on behavioral development and locomotor activity in rat offspring. MA was administrated subcutaneously for 30 days at a dose of 5 mg/kg to adult male rats. The impact of paternal MA exposure on rat pups was investigated using behavioral tests during development and locomotor activity tests in adulthood. Prior to testing, adult offspring were exposed to an acute challenge dose of MA (1 mg/kg) to examine the possible sensitizing effect of the paternal treatment. Our results found no significant differences in behavioral development or locomotor activity in adulthood of offspring linked to paternal MA application. These results differ from the effects induced by maternal MA application. Further, our results demonstrated a significant increase in locomotor activity on the Laboras test after acute MA application. When comparing sex differences, females showed more activity than males in adulthood, whereas males were more active during development.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Mihalčíková
- Department of Physiology, Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.
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Riccardi E, Blasi E, Zwergel C, Mai A, Morena M, Campolongo P. Sex-dependent Effects of the Drugs of Abuse Amphetamine and the Smart Drug 3,4-Methylenedioxypyrovalerone on Fear Memory Generalization in Rats. Neuroscience 2021; 497:107-117. [PMID: 34968670 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2021.12.027] [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: 09/16/2021] [Revised: 12/19/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
In recent years there has been an increase in the development of new synthetic drugs, among which the "bath salt" 3,4-methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV), a psychostimulant with a mechanism of action similar to those of cocaine and amphetamine, stands out. Drugs of abuse have been consistently shown to affect memory function in male rodents. We have recently shown that amphetamine and MDPV induce generalization of fear memory in an inhibitory avoidance discrimination task in male rats. Although abuse of illicit drugs is more prevalent in men than in women, several studies have demonstrated that females are more vulnerable to the effects of drugs of abuse than males and the effects caused by substance dependence on memory in females are still under-investigated. Thus, we examined the effects of subchronic amphetamine or MDPV administrations on memory in a contextual fear conditioning/generalization paradigm in adult male and female rats. Animals were given daily subchronic injections of the drugs, starting 6 days prior the beginning of the behavioral procedures until the end of the paradigm. On day 1 of the experimental protocol, all rats were exposed to a safe context and, the day after, to a slightly different chamber where they received an unsignaled footshock. Twenty-four and forty-eight hours later, freezing behavior and emission of 22 kHz-ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) were measured in the two different contexts to assess fear memory retention and generalization. Our results indicate that MDPV treatment altered freezing in both sexes, USVs were affected by amphetamine in males while by MDPV in females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleonora Riccardi
- Dept. of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; European Center for Brain Research (CERC), Santa Lucia Foundation, 00143 Rome, Italy
| | - Eleonora Blasi
- Dept. of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; European Center for Brain Research (CERC), Santa Lucia Foundation, 00143 Rome, Italy
| | - Clemens Zwergel
- Dept. of Drug Chemistry & Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; Dept. of Precision Medicine, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, 80138 Naples, Italy
| | - Antonello Mai
- Dept. of Drug Chemistry & Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Morena
- Dept. of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; European Center for Brain Research (CERC), Santa Lucia Foundation, 00143 Rome, Italy
| | - Patrizia Campolongo
- Dept. of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; European Center for Brain Research (CERC), Santa Lucia Foundation, 00143 Rome, Italy.
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Portella AK, Papantoni A, Joseph AT, Chen L, Lee RS, Silveira PP, Dube L, Carnell S. Genetically-predicted prefrontal DRD4 gene expression modulates differentiated brain responses to food cues in adolescent girls and boys. Sci Rep 2021; 11:24094. [PMID: 34916545 PMCID: PMC8677785 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-02797-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The dopamine receptor 4 (DRD4) in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) acts to modulate behaviours including cognitive control and motivation, and has been implicated in behavioral inhibition and responsivity to food cues. Adolescence is a sensitive period for the development of habitual eating behaviors and obesity risk, with potential mediation by development of the PFC. We previously found that genetic variations influencing DRD4 function or expression were associated with measures of laboratory and real-world eating behavior in girls and boys. Here we investigated brain responses to high energy–density (ED) and low-ED food cues using an fMRI task conducted in the satiated state. We used the gene-based association method PrediXcan to estimate tissue-specific DRD4 gene expression in prefrontal brain areas from individual genotypes. Among girls, those with lower vs. higher predicted prefrontal DRD4 expression showed lesser activation to high-ED and low-ED vs. non-food cues in a distributed network of regions implicated in attention and sensorimotor processing including middle frontal gyrus, and lesser activation to low-ED vs non-food cues in key regions implicated in valuation including orbitofrontal cortex and ventromedial PFC. In contrast, males with lower vs. higher predicted prefrontal DRD4 expression showed minimal differences in food cue response, namely relatively greater activation to high-ED and low-ED vs. non-food cues in the inferior parietal lobule. Our data suggest sex-specific effects of prefrontal DRD4 on brain food responsiveness in adolescence, with modulation of distributed regions relevant to cognitive control and motivation observable in female adolescents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andre K Portella
- Desautels Faculty of Management, McGill Center for the Convergence of Health and Economics, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Postgraduate Program in Pediatrics, Universidade Federal de Ciencias da Saude de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Afroditi Papantoni
- Department of Nutrition, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Antoneta T Joseph
- McGill Centre for the Convergence of Health and Economics (MCCHE), McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Liuyi Chen
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Division of Psychiatric Neuroimaging, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Richard S Lee
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Patricia P Silveira
- Ludmer Centre for Neuroinformatics and Mental Health, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Laurette Dube
- Desautels Faculty of Management, McGill Center for the Convergence of Health and Economics, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Susan Carnell
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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40
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Chen CS, Knep E, Han A, Ebitz RB, Grissom N. Sex differences in learning from exploration. eLife 2021; 10:69748. [PMID: 34796870 PMCID: PMC8794469 DOI: 10.7554/elife.69748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Sex-based modulation of cognitive processes could set the stage for individual differences in vulnerability to neuropsychiatric disorders. While value-based decision making processes in particular have been proposed to be influenced by sex differences, the overall correct performance in decision making tasks often show variable or minimal differences across sexes. Computational tools allow us to uncover latent variables that define different decision making approaches, even in animals with similar correct performance. Here, we quantify sex differences in mice in the latent variables underlying behavior in a classic value-based decision making task: a restless 2-armed bandit. While male and female mice had similar accuracy, they achieved this performance via different patterns of exploration. Male mice tended to make more exploratory choices overall, largely because they appeared to get 'stuck' in exploration once they had started. Female mice tended to explore less but learned more quickly during exploration. Together, these results suggest that sex exerts stronger influences on decision making during periods of learning and exploration than during stable choices. Exploration during decision making is altered in people diagnosed with addictions, depression, and neurodevelopmental disabilities, pinpointing the neural mechanisms of exploration as a highly translational avenue for conferring sex-modulated vulnerability to neuropsychiatric diagnoses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cathy S Chen
- University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, United States
| | - Evan Knep
- University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, United States
| | - Autumn Han
- University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, United States
| | - R Becket Ebitz
- Department of Neurosciences, Princeton University, Princeton, United States
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41
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Poisson CL, Engel L, Saunders BT. Dopamine Circuit Mechanisms of Addiction-Like Behaviors. Front Neural Circuits 2021; 15:752420. [PMID: 34858143 PMCID: PMC8631198 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2021.752420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Addiction is a complex disease that impacts millions of people around the world. Clinically, addiction is formalized as substance use disorder (SUD), with three primary symptom categories: exaggerated substance use, social or lifestyle impairment, and risky substance use. Considerable efforts have been made to model features of these criteria in non-human animal research subjects, for insight into the underlying neurobiological mechanisms. Here we review evidence from rodent models of SUD-inspired criteria, focusing on the role of the striatal dopamine system. We identify distinct mesostriatal and nigrostriatal dopamine circuit functions in behavioral outcomes that are relevant to addictions and SUDs. This work suggests that striatal dopamine is essential for not only positive symptom features of SUDs, such as elevated intake and craving, but also for impairments in decision making that underlie compulsive behavior, reduced sociality, and risk taking. Understanding the functional heterogeneity of the dopamine system and related networks can offer insight into this complex symptomatology and may lead to more targeted treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carli L. Poisson
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
- Medical Discovery Team on Addiction, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
| | - Liv Engel
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
- Medical Discovery Team on Addiction, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
| | - Benjamin T. Saunders
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
- Medical Discovery Team on Addiction, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
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42
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Arunogiri S, Crossin R, Rizzo D, Walker L, Ridley K, Gurvich C. A systematic review of the effect of ovarian sex hormones on stimulant use in females. Addict Biol 2021; 26:e13079. [PMID: 34374475 DOI: 10.1111/adb.13079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Revised: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Stimulant use disorder is associated with significant global health burden. Despite evidence for sex differences in the development and maintenance of stimulant use disorder, few studies have focused on mechanisms underpinning distinct trajectories in females versus males, including the effect of the ovarian sex hormones estrogen and progesterone. This review aimed to identify and synthesise the existing preclinical and clinical literature on the effect of ovarian sex hormones on stimulant consumption in females. A systematic search of peer-reviewed literature identified 1593 articles, screened using the following inclusion criteria: (1) adult female humans or animals, (2) using stimulant drugs, (3) ovarian sex hormones were administered exogenously OR were measured in a validated manner and (4) with stimulant consumption as an outcome measure. A total of 50 studies (3 clinical and 47 preclinical) met inclusion criteria. High-estrogen (low progesterone) phases of the menstrual/estrus cycle were associated with increased stimulant use in preclinical studies, while there were no clinical studies examining estrogen and stimulant consumption. Consistent preclinical evidence supported progesterone use reducing stimulant consumption, which was also identified in one clinical study. The review was limited by inconsistent data reporting across studies and different protocols across preclinical laboratory paradigms. Importantly, almost all studies examined cocaine use, with impact on methamphetamine use a significant gap in the existing evidence. Given the safety and tolerability profile of progesterone, further research is urgently needed to address this gap, to explore the potential therapeutic utility of progesterone as a treatment for stimulant use disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shalini Arunogiri
- Monash Addiction Research Centre and Eastern Health Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences Monash University Richmond Victoria Australia
- Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre, Central Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences Monash University and the Alfred Hospital Melbourne Victoria Australia
- Turning Point, Eastern Health Richmond Victoria Australia
| | - Rose Crossin
- Department of Population Health University of Otago Christchurch New Zealand
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health University of Melbourne Parkville Victoria Australia
| | - Davinia Rizzo
- Monash Addiction Research Centre and Eastern Health Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences Monash University Richmond Victoria Australia
- Turning Point, Eastern Health Richmond Victoria Australia
| | - Leigh Walker
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health University of Melbourne Parkville Victoria Australia
| | - Kelly Ridley
- West Australian Country Health Service Albany Western Australia Australia
| | - Caroline Gurvich
- Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre, Central Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences Monash University and the Alfred Hospital Melbourne Victoria Australia
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43
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Individual differences in dopamine uptake in the dorsomedial striatum prior to cocaine exposure predict motivation for cocaine in male rats. Neuropsychopharmacology 2021; 46:1757-1767. [PMID: 33953341 PMCID: PMC8357974 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-021-01009-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2020] [Revised: 03/27/2021] [Accepted: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
A major theme of addiction research has focused on the neural substrates of individual differences in the risk for addiction; however, little is known about how vulnerable populations differ from those that are relatively protected. Here, we prospectively measured dopamine (DA) neurotransmission prior to cocaine exposure to predict the onset and course of cocaine use. Using in vivo voltammetry, we first generated baseline profiles of DA release and uptake in the dorsomedial striatum (DMS) and nucleus accumbens of drug-naïve male rats prior to exposing them to cocaine using conditioned place preference (CPP) or operant self-administration. We found that the innate rate of DA uptake in the DMS strongly predicted motivation for cocaine and drug-primed reinstatement, but not CPP, responding when "price" was low, or extinction. We then assessed the impact of baseline variations in DA uptake on cocaine potency in the DMS using ex vivo voltammetry in naïve rats and in rats with DA transporter (DAT) knockdown. DA uptake in the DMS of naïve rats predicted the neurochemical response to cocaine, such that rats with innately faster rates of DA uptake demonstrated higher cocaine potency at the DAT and rats with DAT knockdown displayed reduced potency compared to controls. Together, these data demonstrate that inherent variability in DA uptake in the DMS predicts the behavioral response to cocaine, potentially by altering the apparent potency of cocaine.
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Ródenas-González F, Blanco-Gandía MDC, Pascual M, Molari I, Guerri C, López JM, Rodríguez-Arias M. A limited and intermittent access to a high-fat diet modulates the effects of cocaine-induced reinstatement in the conditioned place preference in male and female mice. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2021; 238:2091-2103. [PMID: 33786639 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-021-05834-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2020] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Palatable food and drugs of abuse activate common neurobiological pathways and numerous studies suggest that fat consumption increases vulnerability to drug abuse. In addition, preclinical reports show that palatable food may relieve craving for drugs, showing that an ad libitum access to a high-fat diet (HFD) can reduce cocaine-induced reinstatement. OBJECTIVE The main aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of a limited and intermittent exposure to HFD administered during the extinction and reinstatement processes of a cocaine-induced conditioned place preference (CPP). METHODS Male and female mice underwent the 10 mg/kg cocaine CPP. From post-conditioning onwards, animals were divided into four groups: SD (standard diet); HFD-MWF with 2-h access to the HFD on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays; HFD-24h, with 1-h access every day; and HFD-Ext with 1-h access to the HFD before each extinction session. RESULTS Our results showed that all HFD administrations blocked reinstatement in males, while only the HFD-MWF was able to inhibit reinstatement in females. In addition, HFD-Ext males needed fewer sessions to extinguish the preference, which suggests that administration of fat before being exposed to the environmental cues is effective to extinguish drug-related memories. HFD did not affect Oprμ gene expression but increased CB1r gene expression in the striatum in HFD-Ext males. CONCLUSIONS These results support that palatable food could act as an alternative reward to cocaine, accelerating extinction and blocking reinstatement, these effects being sex specific.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Ródenas-González
- Unit of Research Psychobiology of Drug Dependence, Department of Psychobiology, Facultad de Psicología, Universitat de Valencia, Avda. Blasco Ibáñez, 21, 46010, Valencia, Spain
| | | | - María Pascual
- Unit of Research Psychobiology of Drug Dependence, Department of Psychobiology, Facultad de Psicología, Universitat de Valencia, Avda. Blasco Ibáñez, 21, 46010, Valencia, Spain
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Pathology of Alcohol, Principe Felipe Research Center, C/Eduardo Primo Yúfera 3, 46012, Valencia, Spain
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Universitat de Valencia, Valencia, Spain
- Red Temática de Investigación Cooperativa en Salud (RETICS-Trastornos Adictivos), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, MICINN and FEDER, Madrid, Spain
| | - Irene Molari
- Unit of Research Psychobiology of Drug Dependence, Department of Psychobiology, Facultad de Psicología, Universitat de Valencia, Avda. Blasco Ibáñez, 21, 46010, Valencia, Spain
| | - Consuelo Guerri
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Pathology of Alcohol, Principe Felipe Research Center, C/Eduardo Primo Yúfera 3, 46012, Valencia, Spain
- Red Temática de Investigación Cooperativa en Salud (RETICS-Trastornos Adictivos), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, MICINN and FEDER, Madrid, Spain
| | - José Miñarro López
- Unit of Research Psychobiology of Drug Dependence, Department of Psychobiology, Facultad de Psicología, Universitat de Valencia, Avda. Blasco Ibáñez, 21, 46010, Valencia, Spain
- Red Temática de Investigación Cooperativa en Salud (RETICS-Trastornos Adictivos), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, MICINN and FEDER, Madrid, Spain
| | - Marta Rodríguez-Arias
- Unit of Research Psychobiology of Drug Dependence, Department of Psychobiology, Facultad de Psicología, Universitat de Valencia, Avda. Blasco Ibáñez, 21, 46010, Valencia, Spain.
- Red Temática de Investigación Cooperativa en Salud (RETICS-Trastornos Adictivos), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, MICINN and FEDER, Madrid, Spain.
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45
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Diekhof EK, Geana A, Ohm F, Doll BB, Frank MJ. The Straw That Broke the Camel's Back: Natural Variations in 17β-Estradiol and COMT-Val158Met Genotype Interact in the Modulation of Model-Free and Model-Based Control. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 15:658769. [PMID: 34305543 PMCID: PMC8297616 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.658769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The sex hormone estradiol has recently gained attention in human decision-making research. Animal studies have already shown that estradiol promotes dopaminergic transmission and thus supports reward-seeking behavior and aspects of addiction. In humans, natural variations of estradiol across the menstrual cycle modulate the ability to learn from direct performance feedback ("model-free" learning). However, it remains unclear whether estradiol also influences more complex "model-based" contributions to reinforcement learning. Here, 41 women were tested twice - in the low and high estradiol state of the follicular phase of their menstrual cycle - with a Two-Step decision task designed to separate model-free from model-based learning. The results showed that in the high estradiol state women relied more heavily on model-free learning, and accomplished reduced performance gains, particularly during the more volatile periods of the task that demanded increased learning effort. In contrast, model-based control remained unaltered by the influence of hormonal state across the group. Yet, when accounting for individual differences in the genetic proxy of the COMT-Val158Met polymorphism (rs4680), we observed that only the participants homozygote for the methionine allele (n = 12; with putatively higher prefrontal dopamine) experienced a decline in model-based control when facing volatile reward probabilities. This group also showed the increase in suboptimal model-free control, while the carriers of the valine allele remained unaffected by the rise in endogenous estradiol. Taken together, these preliminary findings suggest that endogenous estradiol may affect the balance between model-based and model-free control, and particularly so in women with a high prefrontal baseline dopamine capacity and in situations of increased environmental volatility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esther K. Diekhof
- Neuroendocrinology and Human Biology Unit, Department of Biology, Faculty of Mathematics, Informatics and Natural Sciences, Institute of Zoology, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Andra Geana
- Department of Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
- Carney Institute for Brain Science, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
| | - Frederike Ohm
- Neuroendocrinology and Human Biology Unit, Department of Biology, Faculty of Mathematics, Informatics and Natural Sciences, Institute of Zoology, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Bradley B. Doll
- New York University, New York, NY, United States
- Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Michael J. Frank
- Department of Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
- Carney Institute for Brain Science, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
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46
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Mietlicki-Baase EG, Santollo J, Daniels D. Fluid intake, what's dopamine got to do with it? Physiol Behav 2021; 236:113418. [PMID: 33838203 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2021.113418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2021] [Revised: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Maintaining fluid balance is critical for life. The central components that control fluid intake are only partly understood. This contribution to the collection of papers highlighting work by members of the Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior focuses on the role that dopamine has on fluid intake and describes the roles that various bioregulators can have on thirst and sodium appetite by influencing dopamine systems in the brain. The goal of the review is to highlight areas in need of more research and to propose a framework to guide that research. We hope that this framework will inspire researchers in the field to investigate these interesting questions in order to form a more complete understanding of how fluid intake is controlled.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth G Mietlicki-Baase
- Department of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14214, United States; Center for Ingestive Behavior Research, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14260, United States
| | - Jessica Santollo
- Department of Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506, United States
| | - Derek Daniels
- Center for Ingestive Behavior Research, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14260, United States; Department of Psychology, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14260, United States
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47
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Elton A, Faulkner ML, Robinson DL, Boettiger CA. Acute depletion of dopamine precursors in the human brain: effects on functional connectivity and alcohol attentional bias. Neuropsychopharmacology 2021; 46:1421-1431. [PMID: 33727642 PMCID: PMC8209208 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-021-00993-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2020] [Revised: 02/20/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Individuals who abuse alcohol often show exaggerated attentional bias (AB) towards alcohol-related cues, which is thought to reflect reward conditioning processes. Rodent studies indicate that dopaminergic pathways play a key role in conditioned responses to reward- and alcohol-associated cues. However, investigation of the dopaminergic circuitry mediating this process in humans remains limited. We hypothesized that depletion of central dopamine levels in adult alcohol drinkers would attenuate AB and that these effects would be mediated by altered function in frontolimbic circuitry. Thirty-four male participants (22-38 years, including both social and heavy drinkers) underwent a two-session, placebo-controlled, double-blind dopamine precursor depletion procedure. At each visit, participants consumed either a balanced amino acid (control) beverage or an amino acid beverage lacking dopamine precursors (order counterbalanced), underwent resting-state fMRI, and completed behavioral testing on three AB tasks: an alcohol dot-probe task, an alcohol attentional blink task, and a task measuring AB to a reward-conditioned cue. Dopamine depletion significantly diminished AB in each behavioral task, with larger effects among subjects reporting higher levels of binge drinking. The depletion procedure significantly decreased resting-state functional connectivity among ventral tegmental area, striatum, amygdala, and prefrontal regions. Beverage-related AB decreases were mediated by decreases in functional connectivity between the fronto-insular cortex and striatum and, for alcohol AB only, between anterior cingulate cortex and amygdala. The results support a substantial role for dopamine in AB, and suggest specific dopamine-modulated functional connections between frontal, limbic, striatal, and brainstem regions mediate general reward AB versus alcohol AB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Elton
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Biomedical Research Imaging Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Monica L Faulkner
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Donita L Robinson
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Charlotte A Boettiger
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
- Biomedical Research Imaging Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
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48
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Ethier AR, McKinney TL, Tottenham LS, Gordon JL. The effect of reproductive hormones on women's daily smoking across the menstrual cycle. Biol Sex Differ 2021; 12:41. [PMID: 34112267 PMCID: PMC8194227 DOI: 10.1186/s13293-021-00384-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2020] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Women attempt to quit smoking less often than men and are less likely to maintain abstinence. Reproductive hormones have been postulated as a reason for this sex difference, though this remains to be clarified. Research suggests that estradiol and progesterone may influence nicotine addiction, though various methodologies have led to inconsistent findings. The current study aimed to directly examine the effect of reproductive hormones on women's smoking behavior. METHODS Over the course of one menstrual cycle, twenty-one female smokers recorded the number of cigarettes smoked in a day, as well as their perceived need for and enjoyment of cigarettes smoked. Additionally, they provided 12 urine samples for the measurement of the urinary metabolites of estradiol (estrone-3-glucuronide, E1G) and progesterone (pregnanediol glucuronide, PdG). Multilevel modeling was used to examine the effects of hormone levels as well as hormone change on smoking outcomes. RESULTS When PdG levels were low, they were inversely associated with daily cigarettes smoked. Furthermore, E1G level was negatively associated with both self-reported need for and enjoyment of cigarettes smoked but not the number of cigarettes smoked. Examining the effect of hormonal change on smoking outcomes revealed a significant interaction between change in PdG and E1G on number of cigarettes smoked such that only a simultaneous drop or increase in both hormones was associated with a greater number of cigarettes. Hormonal change effects on need for and enjoyment of cigarettes were not significant. CONCLUSIONS The present study suggests that (1) elevated progesterone levels lessen the propensity to smoke in women, (2) estrogen levels influence women's subjective experience of smoking, and (3) simultaneous drops or increases in these hormones are associated with increased smoking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley R Ethier
- Department of Psychology, University of Regina, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Ty L McKinney
- Department of Psychology, College of Social and Behavioral Science, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | | | - Jennifer L Gordon
- Department of Psychology, University of Regina, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada.
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49
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Karalija N, Papenberg G, Wåhlin A, Johansson J, Andersson M, Axelsson J, Riklund K, Lindenberger U, Nyberg L, Bäckman L. Sex differences in dopamine integrity and brain structure among healthy older adults: Relationships to episodic memory. Neurobiol Aging 2021; 105:272-279. [PMID: 34134056 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2021.04.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2020] [Revised: 04/21/2021] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Normal brain aging is a multidimensional process that includes deterioration in various brain structures and functions, with large heterogeneity in patterns and rates of decline. Sex differences have been reported for various cognitive and brain parameters, but little is known in relation to neuromodulatory aspects of brain aging. We examined sex differences in dopamine D2-receptor (D2DR) availability in relation to episodic memory, but also, grey-matter volumes, white-matter lesions, and cerebral perfusion in healthy older adults (n = 181, age: 64-68 years) from the Cognition, Brain, and Aging study. Women had higher D2DR availability in midbrain and left caudate and putamen, as well as superior episodic memory performance. Controlling for left caudate D2DR availability attenuated sex differences in memory performance. In men, lower left caudate D2DR levels were associated with lower cortical perfusion and higher burden of white-matter lesions, as well as with episodic memory performance. However, sex was not a significant moderator of the reported links to D2DR levels. Our findings suggest that sex differences in multiple associations among DA receptor availability, vascular factors, and structural connectivity contribute to sex differences in episodic memory. Future longitudinal studies need to corroborate these patterns by lead-lag associations. This manuscript is part of the Special Issue entitled 'Cognitive Neuroscience of Healthy and Pathological Aging' edited by Drs. M. N. Rajah, S. Belleville, and R. Cabeza. This article is part of the Virtual Special Issue titled COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE OF HEALTHY AND PATHOLOGICAL AGING. The full issue can be found on ScienceDirect at https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/neurobiology-of-aging/special-issue/105379XPWJP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Karalija
- Department of Radiation Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden; Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
| | - Goran Papenberg
- Aging Research Center, Karolinska Institute & Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Anders Wåhlin
- Department of Radiation Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden; Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Jarkko Johansson
- Department of Radiation Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden; Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Micael Andersson
- Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden; Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Jan Axelsson
- Department of Radiation Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden; Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Katrine Riklund
- Department of Radiation Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden; Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Ulman Lindenberger
- Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany; Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, Berlin, Germany, and London
| | - Lars Nyberg
- Department of Radiation Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden; Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden; Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Lars Bäckman
- Aging Research Center, Karolinska Institute & Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
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Radke AK, Sneddon EA, Frasier RM, Hopf FW. Recent Perspectives on Sex Differences in Compulsion-Like and Binge Alcohol Drinking. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22073788. [PMID: 33917517 PMCID: PMC8038761 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22073788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Revised: 03/31/2021] [Accepted: 04/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder remains a substantial social, health, and economic problem and problem drinking levels in women have been increasing in recent years. Understanding whether and how the underlying mechanisms that drive drinking vary by sex is critical and could provide novel, more targeted therapeutic treatments. Here, we examine recent results from our laboratories and others which we believe provide useful insights into similarities and differences in alcohol drinking patterns across the sexes. Findings for binge intake and aversion-resistant, compulsion-like alcohol drinking are considered, since both are likely significant contributors to alcohol problems in humans. We also describe studies regarding mechanisms that may underlie sex differences in maladaptive alcohol drinking, with some focus on the importance of nucleus accumbens (NAcb) core and shell regions, several receptor types (dopamine, orexin, AMPA-type glutamate), and possible contributions of sex hormones. Finally, we discuss how stressors such as early life stress and anxiety-like states may interact with sex differences to contribute to alcohol drinking. Together, these findings underscore the importance and critical relevance of studying female and male mechanisms for alcohol and co-morbid conditions to gain a true and clinically useful understanding of addiction and neuropsychiatric mechanisms and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna K. Radke
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45040, USA;
- Correspondence:
| | - Elizabeth A. Sneddon
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45040, USA;
| | - Raizel M. Frasier
- Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA; (R.M.F.); (F.W.H.)
| | - Frederic W. Hopf
- Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA; (R.M.F.); (F.W.H.)
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