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Rebelo AP, Abad C, Dohrn MF, Li JJ, Tieu EK, Medina J, Yanick C, Huang J, Zotter B, Young JI, Saporta M, Scherer SS, Walz K, Zuchner S. SORD-deficient rats develop a motor-predominant peripheral neuropathy unveiling novel pathophysiological insights. Brain 2024; 147:3131-3143. [PMID: 38538210 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awae079] [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: 09/20/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Biallelic SORD mutations cause one of the most frequent forms of recessive hereditary neuropathy, estimated to affect ∼10 000 patients in North America and Europe alone. Pathogenic SORD loss-of-function changes in the encoded enzyme sorbitol dehydrogenase result in abnormally high sorbitol levels in cells and serum. How sorbitol accumulation leads to peripheral neuropathy remains to be elucidated. A reproducible animal model for SORD neuropathy is essential to illuminate the pathogenesis of SORD deficiency and for preclinical studies of potential therapies. Therefore, we have generated a Sord knockout (KO), Sord-/-, Sprague Dawley rat, to model the human disease and to investigate the pathophysiology underlying SORD deficiency. We have characterized the phenotype in these rats with a battery of behavioural tests as well as biochemical, physiological and comprehensive histological examinations. Sord-/- rats had remarkably increased levels of sorbitol in serum, CSF and peripheral nerve. Moreover, serum from Sord-/- rats contained significantly increased levels of neurofilament light chain, an established biomarker for axonal degeneration. Motor performance significantly declined in Sord-/- animals starting at ∼7 months of age. Gait analysis evaluated with video motion-tracking confirmed abnormal gait patterns in the hindlimbs. Motor nerve conduction velocities of the tibial nerves were slowed. Light and electron microscopy of the peripheral nervous system revealed degenerating myelinated axons, de- and remyelinated axons, and a likely pathognomonic finding-enlarged 'ballooned' myelin sheaths. These findings mainly affected myelinated motor axons; myelinated sensory axons were largely spared. In summary, Sord-/- rats develop a motor-predominant neuropathy that closely resembles the human phenotype. Our studies revealed novel significant aspects of SORD deficiency, and this model will lead to an improved understanding of the pathophysiology and the therapeutic options for SORD neuropathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriana P Rebelo
- Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation Department of Human Genetics and John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Clemer Abad
- Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation Department of Human Genetics and John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Maike F Dohrn
- Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation Department of Human Genetics and John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA
- Department of Neurology, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen 52074, Germany
| | - Jian J Li
- Department of Neurology, The Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Ethan K Tieu
- Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation Department of Human Genetics and John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Jessica Medina
- Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation Department of Human Genetics and John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Christopher Yanick
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Jingyu Huang
- Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation Department of Human Genetics and John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Brendan Zotter
- Department of Neurology, The Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Juan I Young
- Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation Department of Human Genetics and John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Mario Saporta
- Department of Neurology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Steven S Scherer
- Department of Neurology, The Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Katherina Walz
- Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation Department of Human Genetics and John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA
- IQUIBICEN-CONICET, Faculty of Exact and Natural Sciences-University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires C1428EG4, Argentina
| | - Stephan Zuchner
- Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation Department of Human Genetics and John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA
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Bernstein BJ, Kendricks DR, Fry S, Wilson L, Koopmans B, Loos M, Stevanovic KD, Cushman JD. Sex differences in spontaneous behavior and cognition in mice using an automated behavior monitoring system. Physiol Behav 2024; 283:114595. [PMID: 38810714 PMCID: PMC11246821 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2024.114595] [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: 01/24/2024] [Revised: 05/10/2024] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024]
Abstract
Isolation of sex differences as a key characteristic underlying neurobehavioral differentiation is an essential component of studies in neuroscience. The current study sought to address this concern by observing behavioral differences using an automated home cage system for neurobehavioral assessment, a method rapidly increasing in use due to advances in technology and advantages such as reduced handling stress and cross-lab variability. Sex differences in C57BL/6 mice arose for motor activity and circadian-linked behavior, with females being more active compared to males, and males having a stronger anticipatory increase in activity leading up to the onset of the light phase compared to females. These activity differences were observed not only across the lifespan, but also in different genetic background mouse strains across different testing sites showing the generalizability and robustness of these observed effects. Activity differences were also observed in performance on a spatial learning and reversal task with females making more responses and receiving a corresponding elevation in reward pellets. Notably, there were no sex differences in learning nor achieved accuracy, suggesting these observed effects were predominantly in activity. The outcomes of this study align with previous reports showcasing differences in activity between males and females. The comparison across strains and testing sites showed robust and reproducible differences in behavior between female and male mice that are relevant to consider when designing behavioral studies. Furthermore, the observed sex differences in performance on the learning and reversal procedure raise concern for interpretation of behavior differences between sexes due to the attribution of these differences to motor activity rather than cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Briana J Bernstein
- Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20007, USA
| | - Dalisa R Kendricks
- Neurobiology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Science (NIEHS), National Institute of Health, NC, USA
| | - Sydney Fry
- University of Colorado School of Medicine, University of Colorado, CO, USA
| | - Leslie Wilson
- Neurobiology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Science (NIEHS), National Institute of Health, NC, USA
| | - Bastijn Koopmans
- Sylics (Synaptologics B.V.), Bilthoven, the Netherlands; InnoSer Nederland B.V., Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Maarten Loos
- Sylics (Synaptologics B.V.), Bilthoven, the Netherlands; InnoSer Nederland B.V., Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Korey D Stevanovic
- Neurobiology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Science (NIEHS), National Institute of Health, NC, USA
| | - Jesse D Cushman
- Neurobiology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Science (NIEHS), National Institute of Health, NC, USA.
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Tekin M, Shen H, Smith SS. Sex differences in motor learning flexibility are accompanied by sex differences in mushroom spine pruning of the mouse primary motor cortex during adolescence. Front Neurosci 2024; 18:1420309. [PMID: 39040633 PMCID: PMC11262054 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1420309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2024] [Accepted: 06/24/2024] [Indexed: 07/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Although males excel at motor tasks requiring strength, females exhibit greater motor learning flexibility. Cognitive flexibility is associated with low baseline mushroom spine densities achieved by pruning which can be triggered by α4βδ GABAA receptors (GABARs); defective synaptic pruning impairs this process. Methods We investigated sex differences in adolescent pruning of mushroom spine pruning of layer 5 pyramidal cells of primary motor cortex (L5M1), a site essential for motor learning, using microscopic evaluation of Golgi stained sections. We assessed α4GABAR expression using immunohistochemical and electrophysiological techniques (whole cell patch clamp responses to 100 nM gaboxadol, selective for α4βδ GABARs). We then compared performance of groups with different post-pubertal mushroom spine densities on motor learning (constant speed) and learning flexibility (accelerating speed following constant speed) rotarod tasks. Results Mushroom spines in proximal L5M1 of female mice decreased >60% from PND35 (puberty onset) to PND56 (Pubertal: 2.23 ± 0.21 spines/10 μm; post-pubertal: 0.81 ± 0.14 spines/10 μm, P < 0.001); male mushroom spine density was unchanged. This was due to greater α4βδ GABAR expression in the female (P < 0.0001) because α4 -/- mice did not exhibit mushroom spine pruning. Although motor learning was similar for all groups, only female wild-type mice (low mushroom spine density) learned the accelerating rotarod task after the constant speed task (P = 0.006), a measure of motor learning flexibility. Conclusions These results suggest that optimal motor learning flexibility of female mice is associated with low baseline levels of post-pubertal mushroom spine density in L5M1 compared to male and female α4 -/- mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Tekin
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY, United States
- Graduate Program in Neural and Behavioral Science, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY, United States
| | - Hui Shen
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Sheryl S. Smith
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY, United States
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Yadav-Samudrala BJ, Dodson H, Ramineni S, Kim E, Poklis JL, Lu D, Ignatowska-Jankowska BM, Lichtman AH, Fitting S. Cannabinoid receptor 1 positive allosteric modulator ZCZ011 shows differential effects on behavior and the endocannabinoid system in HIV-1 Tat transgenic female and male mice. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0305868. [PMID: 38913661 PMCID: PMC11195999 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0305868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/26/2024] Open
Abstract
The cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1R) is a promising therapeutic target for various neurodegenerative diseases, including HIV-1-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND). However, the therapeutic potential of CB1R by direct activation is limited due to its psychoactive side effects. Therefore, research has focused on indirectly activating the CB1R by utilizing positive allosteric modulators (PAMs). Studies have shown that CB1R PAMs (ZCZ011 and GAT211) are effective in mouse models of Huntington's disease and neuropathic pain, and hence, we assess the therapeutic potential of ZCZ011 in a well-established mouse model of neuroHIV. The current study investigates the effect of chronic ZCZ011 treatment (14 days) on various behavioral paradigms and the endocannabinoid system in HIV-1 Tat transgenic female and male mice. Chronic ZCZ011 treatment (10 mg/kg) did not alter body mass, locomotor activity, or anxiety-like behavior regardless of sex or genotype. However, differential effects were noted in hot plate latency, motor coordination, and recognition memory in female mice only, with ZCZ011 treatment increasing hot plate latency and improving motor coordination and recognition memory. Only minor effects or no alterations were seen in the endocannabinoid system and related lipids except in the cerebellum, where the effect of ZCZ011 was more pronounced in female mice. Moreover, AEA and PEA levels in the cerebellum were positively correlated with improved motor coordination in female mice. In summary, these findings indicate that chronic ZCZ011 treatment has differential effects on antinociception, motor coordination, and memory, based on sex and HIV-1 Tat expression, making CB1R PAMs potential treatment options for HAND without the psychoactive side effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barkha J. Yadav-Samudrala
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Hailey Dodson
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Shreya Ramineni
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Elizabeth Kim
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Justin L. Poklis
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Dai Lu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Texas A&M, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | | | - Aron H. Lichtman
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Sylvia Fitting
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
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Hernandez AR, Parker E, Babar M, Banerjee A, Ding S, Simley A, Buford TW. Microbiome-driven alterations in metabolic pathways and impaired cognition in aged female TgF344-AD rats. AGING BRAIN 2024; 5:100119. [PMID: 38881651 PMCID: PMC11179252 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbas.2024.100119] [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: 01/15/2024] [Revised: 05/09/2024] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) not only affects cognition and neuropathology, but several other facets capable of negatively impacting quality of life and potentially driving impairments, including altered gut microbiome (GMB) composition and metabolism. Aged (20 + mo) female TgF344-AD and wildtype rats were cognitively characterized on several tasks incorporating several cognitive domains, including task acquisition, object recognition memory, anxiety-like behaviors, and spatial navigation. Additionally, metabolic phenotyping, GMB sequencing throughout the intestinal tract (duodenum, jejunum, ileum, colon, and feces), neuropathological burden assessment and marker gene functional abundance predictions (PICRUSt2) were conducted. TgF344-AD rats demonstrated significant cognitive impairment in multiple domains, as well as regionally specific GMB dysbiosis. Relationships between peripheral factors were investigated using Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA), revealing correlations between GMB changes and both cognitive and metabolic factors. Moreover, communities of gut microbes contributing to essential metabolic pathways were significantly altered in TgF344-AD rats. These data indicate dysbiosis may affect cognitive outcomes in AD through alterations in metabolism-related enzymatic pathways that are necessary for proper brain function. Moreover, these changes were mostly observed in intestinal segments required for carbohydrate digestion, not fecal samples. These data support the targeting of intestinal and microbiome health for the treatment of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abbi R Hernandez
- Department of Medicine, Division of Geriatrics, Gerontology & Palliative Care, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35205, USA
| | - Erik Parker
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Indiana University-Bloomington, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - Maham Babar
- Department of Medicine, Division of Geriatrics, Gerontology & Palliative Care, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35205, USA
| | - Anisha Banerjee
- Department of Medicine, Division of Geriatrics, Gerontology & Palliative Care, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35205, USA
| | - Sarah Ding
- Department of Medicine, Division of Geriatrics, Gerontology & Palliative Care, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35205, USA
| | - Alexis Simley
- Department of Medicine, Division of Geriatrics, Gerontology & Palliative Care, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35205, USA
| | - Thomas W Buford
- Department of Medicine, Division of Geriatrics, Gerontology & Palliative Care, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35205, USA
- Birmingham/Atlanta VA GRECC, Birmingham VA Medical Center, Birmingham, AL 35244, USA
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Mabry S, Bradshaw JL, Gardner JJ, Wilson EN, Cunningham RL. Sex-dependent effects of chronic intermittent hypoxia: implication for obstructive sleep apnea. Biol Sex Differ 2024; 15:38. [PMID: 38664845 PMCID: PMC11044342 DOI: 10.1186/s13293-024-00613-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) affects 10-26% of adults in the United States with known sex differences in prevalence and severity. OSA is characterized by elevated inflammation, oxidative stress (OS), and cognitive dysfunction. However, there is a paucity of data regarding the role of sex in the OSA phenotype. Prior findings suggest women exhibit different OSA phenotypes than men, which could result in under-reported OSA prevalence in women. To examine the relationship between OSA and sex, we used chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH) to model OSA in rats. We hypothesized that CIH would produce sex-dependent phenotypes of inflammation, OS, and cognitive dysfunction, and these sex differences would be dependent on mitochondrial oxidative stress (mtOS). METHODS Adult male and female Sprague Dawley rats were exposed to CIH or normoxia for 14 days to examine the impact of sex on CIH-associated circulating inflammation (IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10, TNF-α), circulating steroid hormones, circulating OS, and behavior (recollective and spatial memory; gross and fine motor function; anxiety-like behaviors; and compulsive behaviors). Rats were implanted with osmotic minipumps containing either a mitochondria-targeting antioxidant (MitoTEMPOL) or saline vehicle 1 week prior to CIH initiation to examine how inhibiting mtOS would affect the CIH phenotype. RESULTS Sex-specific differences in CIH-induced inflammation, OS, motor function, and compulsive behavior were observed. In female rats, CIH increased inflammation (plasma IL-6 and IL-6/IL-10 ratio) and impaired fine motor function. Conversely, CIH elevated circulating OS and compulsivity in males. These sex-dependent effects of CIH were blocked by inhibiting mtOS. Interestingly, CIH impaired recollective memory in both sexes but these effects were not mediated by mtOS. No effects of CIH were observed on spatial memory, gross motor function, or anxiety-like behavior, regardless of sex. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicate that the impact of CIH is dependent on sex, such as an inflammatory response and OS response in females and males, respectively, that are mediated by mtOS. Interestingly, there was no effect of sex or mtOS in CIH-induced impairment of recollective memory. These results indicate that mtOS is involved in the sex differences observed in CIH, but a different mechanism underlies CIH-induced memory impairments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steve Mabry
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, System College of Pharmacy, University of North Texas Health Science Center, 3500 Camp Bowie Boulevard, Fort Worth, TX, 76107-2699, USA
| | - Jessica L Bradshaw
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, System College of Pharmacy, University of North Texas Health Science Center, 3500 Camp Bowie Boulevard, Fort Worth, TX, 76107-2699, USA
| | - Jennifer J Gardner
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, System College of Pharmacy, University of North Texas Health Science Center, 3500 Camp Bowie Boulevard, Fort Worth, TX, 76107-2699, USA
| | - E Nicole Wilson
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, System College of Pharmacy, University of North Texas Health Science Center, 3500 Camp Bowie Boulevard, Fort Worth, TX, 76107-2699, USA
| | - Rebecca L Cunningham
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, System College of Pharmacy, University of North Texas Health Science Center, 3500 Camp Bowie Boulevard, Fort Worth, TX, 76107-2699, USA.
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Mabry S, Bradshaw JL, Gardner JJ, Wilson EN, Cunningham R. Sex-dependent effects of chronic intermittent hypoxia: Implication for obstructive sleep apnea. RESEARCH SQUARE 2024:rs.3.rs-3898670. [PMID: 38352622 PMCID: PMC10862974 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3898670/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
Background Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) affects 10-26% of adults in the United States with known sex differences in prevalence and severity. OSA is characterized by elevated inflammation, oxidative stress (OS), and cognitive dysfunction. However, there is a paucity of data regarding the role of sex in the OSA phenotype. Prior findings suggest women exhibit different OSA phenotypes than men, which could result in under-reported OSA prevalence in women. To examine the relationship between OSA and sex, we used chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH) to model OSA in rats. We hypothesized that CIH would produce sex-dependent phenotypes of inflammation, OS, and cognitive dysfunction, and these sex differences would be dependent on mitochondrial oxidative stress (mtOS). Methods Adult male and female Sprague Dawley rats were exposed to CIH or normoxia for 14 days to examine the impact of sex on CIH-associated circulating inflammation (IL-1β, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, TNF-α), circulating OS, and behavior (recollective and spatial memory; gross and fine motor function; anxiety-like behaviors; and compulsive behaviors). A subset of rats was implanted with osmotic minipumps containing either a mitochondria-targeting antioxidant (MitoTEMPOL) or saline vehicle 1 week prior to CIH initiation to examine how inhibiting mtOS would affect the CIH phenotype. Results Sex-specific differences in CIH-induced inflammation, OS, motor function, and compulsive behavior were observed. In female rats, CIH increased inflammation (plasma IL-6 and IL-6/IL-10 ratio) and impaired fine motor function. Conversely, CIH elevated circulating OS and compulsivity in males. These sex-dependent effects of CIH were blocked by inhibiting mtOS. Interestingly, CIH impaired recollective memory in both sexes but these effects were not mediated by mtOS. No effects of CIH were observed on spatial memory, gross motor function, or anxiety-like behavior, regardless of sex. Conclusions Our results indicate that the impact of CIH is dependent on sex, such as an inflammatory response and OS response in females and males, respectively, that are mediated by mtOS. Interestingly, there was no effect of sex or mtOS in CIH-induced impairment of recollective memory. These results indicate that mtOS is involved in the sex differences observed in CIH, but a different mechanism underlies CIH-induced memory impairments.
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Hernandez AR, Barrett ME, Lubke KN, Maurer AP, Burke SN. A long-term ketogenic diet in young and aged rats has dissociable effects on prelimbic cortex and CA3 ensemble activity. Front Aging Neurosci 2023; 15:1274624. [PMID: 38155737 PMCID: PMC10753023 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2023.1274624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Age-related cognitive decline has been linked to distinct patterns of cellular dysfunction in the prelimbic cortex (PL) and the CA3 subregion of the hippocampus. Because higher cognitive functions require both structures, selectively targeting a neurobiological change in one region, at the expense of the other, is not likely to restore normal behavior in older animals. One change with age that both the PL and CA3 share, however, is a reduced ability to utilize glucose, which can produce aberrant neural activity patterns. Methods The current study used a ketogenic diet (KD) intervention, which reduces the brain's reliance on glucose, and has been shown to improve cognition, as a metabolic treatment for restoring neural ensemble dynamics in aged rats. Expression of the immediate-early genes Arc and Homer1a were used to quantify the neural ensembles that were active in the home cage prior to behavior, during a working memory/biconditional association task, and a continuous spatial alternation task. Results Aged rats on the control diet had increased activity in CA3 and less ensemble overlap in PL between different task conditions than did the young animals. In the PL, the KD was associated with increased activation of neurons in the superficial cortical layers, establishing a clear link between dietary macronutrient content and frontal cortical activity. The KD did not lead to any significant changes in CA3 activity. Discussion These observations suggest that the availability of ketone bodies may permit the engagement of compensatory mechanisms in the frontal cortices that produce better cognitive outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abbi R. Hernandez
- Division of Gerontology, Geriatrics, and Palliative Care, Department of Medicine, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Maya E. Barrett
- Department of Psychology, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, United States
| | - Katelyn N. Lubke
- Department of Neuroscience, McKnight Brain Institute, and Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Andrew P. Maurer
- Department of Neuroscience, McKnight Brain Institute, and Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Sara N. Burke
- Department of Neuroscience, McKnight Brain Institute, and Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
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Rebelo AP, Abad C, Dohrn MF, Li JJ, Tieu E, Medina J, Yanick C, Huang J, Zotter B, Young JI, Saporta M, Scherer SS, Walz K, Zuchner S. Sord deficient rats develop a motor-predominant peripheral neuropathy unveiling novel pathophysiological insights. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.05.570001. [PMID: 38106042 PMCID: PMC10723320 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.05.570001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Biallelic SORD mutations cause one of the most frequent forms of recessive hereditary neuropathy, estimated to affect approximately 10,000 patients in North America and Europe alone. Pathogenic SORD loss-of-function changes in the encoded enzyme sorbitol dehydrogenase result in abnormally high sorbitol levels in cells and serum. How sorbitol accumulation leads to peripheral neuropathy remains to be elucidated. A reproducible animal model for SORD neuropathy is essential to illuminate the pathogenesis of SORD deficiency and for preclinical studies of potential therapies. Therefore, we have generated a Sord knockout (KO), Sord -/- , Sprague Dawley rat, to model the human disease and to investigate the pathophysiology underlying SORD deficiency. We have characterized the phenotype in these rats with a battery of behavioral tests as well as biochemical, physiological, and comprehensive histological examinations. Sord -/- rats had remarkably increased levels of sorbitol in serum, cerebral spinal fluid (CSF), and peripheral nerve. Moreover, serum from Sord -/- rats contained significantly increased levels of neurofilament light chain, NfL, an established biomarker for axonal degeneration. Motor performance significantly declined in Sord -/- animals starting at ∼7 months of age. Gait analysis evaluated with video motion tracking confirmed abnormal gait patterns in the hindlimbs. Motor nerve conduction velocities of the tibial nerves were slowed. Light and electron microscopy of the peripheral nervous system revealed degenerating myelinated axons, de- and remyelinated axons, and a likely pathognomonic finding - enlarged "ballooned" myelin sheaths. These findings mainly affected myelinated motor axons; myelinated sensory axons were largely spared. In summary, Sord -/- rats develop a motor-predominant neuropathy that closely resembles the human phenotype. Our studies revealed novel significant aspects of SORD deficiency, and this model will lead to an improved understanding of the pathophysiology and the therapeutic options for SORD neuropathy.
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Bariselli S, Mateo Y, Reuveni N, Lovinger DM. Gestational ethanol exposure impairs motor skills in female mice through dysregulated striatal dopamine and acetylcholine function. Neuropsychopharmacology 2023; 48:1808-1820. [PMID: 37188849 PMCID: PMC10579353 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-023-01594-4] [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: 12/14/2022] [Revised: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 04/21/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Fetal alcohol exposure has deleterious consequences on the motor skills of patients affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) and in pre-clinical models of gestational ethanol exposure (GEE). Deficits in striatal cholinergic interneurons (CINs) and dopamine function impair action learning and execution, yet the effects of GEE on acetylcholine (ACh) and striatal dopamine release remain unexplored. Here, we report that alcohol exposure during the first ten postnatal days (GEEP0-P10), which mimics ethanol consumption during the last gestational trimester in humans, induces sex-specific anatomical and motor skill deficits in female mice during adulthood. Consistent with these behavioral impairments, we observed increased stimulus evoked-dopamine levels in the dorsolateral striatum (DLS) of GEEP0-P10 female, but not male, mice. Further experiments revealed sex-specific deficits in β2-containing nicotinic ACh receptor (nAChR)-modulation of electrically evoked dopamine release. Moreover, we found a reduced decay of ACh transients and a decreased excitability of striatal CINs in DLS of GEEP0-P10 females, indicating striatal CIN dysfunctions. Finally, the administration of varenicline, a β2-containing nAChR partial agonist, and chemogenetic-mediated increase in CIN activity improved motor performance in adult GEEP0-P10 females. Altogether, these data shed new light on GEE-induced striatal deficits and establish potential pharmacological and circuit-specific interventions to ameliorate motor symptoms of FASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastiano Bariselli
- Laboratory for Integrative Neuroscience (LIN), NIH-NIAAA, 5625 Fishers Lane, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
| | - Yolanda Mateo
- Laboratory for Integrative Neuroscience (LIN), NIH-NIAAA, 5625 Fishers Lane, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Noa Reuveni
- Laboratory for Integrative Neuroscience (LIN), NIH-NIAAA, 5625 Fishers Lane, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - David M Lovinger
- Laboratory for Integrative Neuroscience (LIN), NIH-NIAAA, 5625 Fishers Lane, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
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11
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Baumgartner NE, Biraud MC, Lucas EK. Sex differences in socioemotional behavior and changes in ventral hippocampal transcription across aging in C57Bl/6J mice. Neurobiol Aging 2023; 130:141-153. [PMID: 37524006 PMCID: PMC10629502 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2023.05.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Revised: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023]
Abstract
Socioemotional health is positively correlated with improved cognitive and physical aging. Despite known sex differences in socioemotional behaviors and the trajectory of aging, the interactive effects between sex and aging on socioemotional outcomes are poorly understood. We performed the most comprehensive assessment of sex differences in socioemotional behaviors in C57Bl/6J mice across aging to date. Compared to males, females exhibited decreased anxiety-like behavior and social preference but increased social recognition. With age, anxiety-like behavior, cued threat memory generalization, and social preference increased in both sexes. To investigate potential neural mechanisms underlying these behavioral changes, we analyzed transcriptional neuropathology markers in the ventral hippocampus and found age-related changes in genes related to activated microglia, angiogenesis, and cytokines. Sex differences emerged in the timing, direction, and magnitude of these changes, independent of reproductive senescence in aged females. Interestingly, female-specific upregulation of autophagy-related genes correlated with age-related behavioral changes selectively in females. These novel findings reveal critical sex differences in trajectories of ventral hippocampal aging that may contribute to sex- and age-related differences in socioemotional outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina E Baumgartner
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA; Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Mandy C Biraud
- Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Elizabeth K Lucas
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA; Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA.
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12
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Szumlinski KK, Herbert JN, Mejia Espinoza B, Madory LE, Scudder SL. Alcohol-drinking during later life by C57BL/6J mice induces sex- and age-dependent changes in hippocampal and prefrontal cortex expression of glutamate receptors and neuropathology markers. ADDICTION NEUROSCIENCE 2023; 7:100099. [PMID: 37396410 PMCID: PMC10310297 DOI: 10.1016/j.addicn.2023.100099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
Heavy drinking can induce early-onset dementia and increase the likelihood of the progression and severity of Alzheimer's Disease and related dementias (ADRD). Recently, we showed that alcohol-drinking by mature adult C57BL/6J mice induces more signs of cognitive impairment in females versus males without worsening age-related cognitive decline in aged mice. Here, we immunoblotted for glutamate receptors and protein markers of ADRD-related neuropathology within the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex (PFC) of these mice after three weeks of alcohol withdrawal to determine protein correlates of alcohol-induced cognitive decline. Irrespective of alcohol history, age-related changes in protein expression included a male-specific decline in hippocampal glutamate receptors and an increase in the expression of a beta-site amyloid precursor protein cleaving enzyme (BACE) isoform in the PFC as well as a sex-independent increase in hippocampal amyloid precursor protein. Alcohol-drinking was associated with altered expression of glutamate receptors in the hippocampus in a sex-dependent manner, while all glutamate receptor proteins exhibited significant alcohol-related increases in the PFC of both sexes. Expression of BACE isoforms and phosphorylated tau varied in the PFC and hippocampus based on age, sex, and drinking history. The results of this study indicate that withdrawal from a history of alcohol-drinking during later life induces sex- and age-selective effects on glutamate receptor expression and protein markers of ADRD-related neuropathology within the hippocampus and PFC of potential relevance to the etiology, treatment and prevention of alcohol-induced dementia and Alzheimer's Disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen K. Szumlinski
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-9660, USA
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-9625, USA
- Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-9625, USA
| | - Jessica N. Herbert
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-9660, USA
| | - Brenda Mejia Espinoza
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-9660, USA
| | - Lauren E. Madory
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-9660, USA
| | - Samantha L. Scudder
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-9660, USA
- Department of Psychology, California State University Dominguez Hills, Carson, CA 90747, USA
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13
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Shan HM, Maurer MA, Schwab ME. Four-parameter analysis in modified Rotarod test for detecting minor motor deficits in mice. BMC Biol 2023; 21:177. [PMID: 37592249 PMCID: PMC10433596 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-023-01679-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Rotarod test with commercial apparatus is widely used to assess locomotor performance, balance and motor learning as well as the deficits resulting from diverse neurological disorders in laboratory rodents due to its simplicity and objectivity. Traditionally, the test ends when rodents drop from the accelerating, turning rod, and the only parameter used commonly is "latency to fall". The values of individual animals can often vary greatly. RESULTS In the present study, we established a procedure for mice with 4 consecutive days of training with 4 trials per day and modified the testing procedure by placing the mice back on the rod repeatedly after each fall until the trial ends (5 min). Data from the fourth training day as baseline results showed that the second, third and fourth trial were more consistent than the first, probably due to habituation or learning. There was no difference between the second, third and fourth trial, two trials may be sufficient in testing. We also introduced 3 additional read-outs: Longest duration on the rod (s), Maximal distance covered (cm), and Number of falls to better evaluate the motor capacity over the 5 min of testing. We then used this 4-parameter analysis to capture the motor deficits of mice with mild to moderate traumatic brain injuries (by a weight dropping on the skull (Marmarou model)). We found that normalization of data to individual baseline performance was needed to reduce individual differences, and 4 trials were more sensitive than two to show motor deficits. The parameter of Maximal distance was the best in detecting statistically significant long-term motor deficits. CONCLUSIONS These results show that by making adjustments to the protocol and employing a more refined analysis, it is possible to expand a widely used routine behavioral test with additional accessible parameters that detect relevant deficits in a model of mild to moderate traumatic brain injury. The modified Rotarod test maybe a valuable tool for better preclinical evaluations of drugs and therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui-Min Shan
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Michael A Maurer
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Martin E Schwab
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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14
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Babu V, Bahari R, Laban N, Kulaga J, Abdul Z, Zakkar B, Al-Najjar A, Lesus J, Al-Rifai AAR, Sattar H, Irukulla S, Gunniya P, Requena T, Lysakowski A. RotaRod and acoustic startle reflex performance of two potential mouse models for Meniere's disease. Eur J Neurosci 2023; 58:2708-2723. [PMID: 37461313 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16083] [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: 01/26/2023] [Revised: 06/11/2023] [Accepted: 06/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2023]
Abstract
Meniere's disease (MD) is a disorder of the inner ear characterized by chronic episodes of vertigo, tinnitus, increased aural pressure, and sensorineural hearing loss. Causes of MD are unknown, but endolymphatic hydrops is a hallmark. In addition, 5%-15% of MD cases have been identified as familial. Whole-genome sequencing studies of individuals with familial MD identified DTNA and FAM136A as candidate genes for autosomal dominant inheritance of MD. Although the exact roles of these genes in MD are unknown, FAM136A encodes a mitochondrial protein, and DTNA encodes a cytoskeletal protein involved in synapse formation and maintenance, important for maintaining the blood-brain barrier. It is also associated with a particular aquaporin. We tested vestibular and auditory function in dtna and fam136a knockout (KO) mice, using RotaRod and startle reflex-based clicker tests, respectively. Three-factor analysis of variance (ANOVA) results indicated that sex, age, and genotype were significantly correlated with reduced mean latencies to fall ("latencies") for male dtna KO mice, while only age was a significant factor for fam136a KO mice. Fam136a KO mice lost their hearing months before WTs (9-11 months vs. 15-20 months). In male dtna KO mice, divergence in mean latencies compared with other genotypes was first evident at 4 months of age, with older males having an even greater decrease. Our results indicate that fam136a gene mutations generate hearing problems, while dtna gene mutations produce balance deficits. Both mouse models should help to elucidate hearing loss and balance-related symptoms associated with MD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vidya Babu
- University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Rose Bahari
- University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Nora Laban
- University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Jacob Kulaga
- University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Zahid Abdul
- University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Basil Zakkar
- University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Ahmad Al-Najjar
- University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Joseph Lesus
- University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | | | - Heba Sattar
- University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Suhitha Irukulla
- University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Pranav Gunniya
- University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Teresa Requena
- Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Anna Lysakowski
- University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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15
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Truckenbrod LM, Cooper EM, Orsini CA. Cognitive mechanisms underlying decision making involving risk of explicit punishment in male and female rats. COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2023; 23:248-275. [PMID: 36539558 PMCID: PMC10065932 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-022-01052-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Individuals engage in the process of risk-based decision making on a daily basis to navigate various aspects of life. There are, however, individual differences in this form of decision making, with some individuals exhibiting preference for riskier choices (risk taking) and others exhibiting preference for safer choices (risk aversion). Recent work has shown that extremes in risk taking (e.g., excessive risk taking or risk aversion) are not only cognitive features of neuropsychiatric diseases, but may in fact predispose individuals to the development of such diseases. To better understand individual differences in risk taking, and thus the mechanisms by which they confer disease vulnerability, the current study investigated the cognitive contributions to risk taking in both males and females. Rats were first behaviorally characterized in a decision-making task involving risk of footshock punishment and then tested on a battery of cognitive behavioral assays. Individual variability in risk taking was compared with performance on these tasks. Consistent with prior work, females were more risk averse than males. With the exception of the Set-shifting Task, there were no sex differences in performance on other cognitive assays. There were, however, sex-dependent associations between risk taking and specific cognitive measures. Greater risk taking was associated with better cognitive flexibility in males whereas greater risk aversion was associated with better working memory in females. Collectively, these findings reveal that distinct cognitive mechanisms are associated with risk taking in males and females, which may account for sex differences in this form of decision making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leah M Truckenbrod
- Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Emily M Cooper
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Caitlin A Orsini
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.
- Department of Neurology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, The University of Texas at Austin, 1601B Trinity Street, Austin, TX, 78712, USA.
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16
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Suarez LM, Diaz-Del Cerro E, Felix J, Gonzalez-Sanchez M, Ceprian N, Guerra-Perez N, G Novelle M, Martinez de Toda I, De la Fuente M. Sex differences in neuroimmunoendocrine communication. Involvement on longevity. Mech Ageing Dev 2023; 211:111798. [PMID: 36907251 DOI: 10.1016/j.mad.2023.111798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2022] [Revised: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/13/2023]
Abstract
Endocrine, nervous, and immune systems work coordinately to maintain the global homeostasis of the organism. They show sex differences in their functions that, in turn, contribute to sex differences beyond reproductive function. Females display a better control of the energetic metabolism and improved neuroprotection and have more antioxidant defenses and a better inflammatory status than males, which is associated with a more robust immune response than that of males. These differences are present from the early stages of life, being more relevant in adulthood and influencing the aging trajectory in each sex and may contribute to the different life lifespan between sexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luz M Suarez
- Department of Genetics, Physiology, and Microbiology (Unit of Animal Physiology), Faculty of Biology, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Estefania Diaz-Del Cerro
- Department of Genetics, Physiology, and Microbiology (Unit of Animal Physiology), Faculty of Biology, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain; Institute of Investigation Hospital 12 Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain
| | - Judith Felix
- Department of Genetics, Physiology, and Microbiology (Unit of Animal Physiology), Faculty of Biology, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain; Institute of Investigation Hospital 12 Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain
| | - Monica Gonzalez-Sanchez
- Department of Genetics, Physiology, and Microbiology (Unit of Animal Physiology), Faculty of Biology, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain; Institute of Investigation Hospital 12 Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain
| | - Noemi Ceprian
- Department of Genetics, Physiology, and Microbiology (Unit of Animal Physiology), Faculty of Biology, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain; Institute of Investigation Hospital 12 Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain
| | - Natalia Guerra-Perez
- Department of Genetics, Physiology, and Microbiology (Unit of Animal Physiology), Faculty of Biology, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain; Institute of Investigation Hospital 12 Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain
| | - Marta G Novelle
- Department of Genetics, Physiology, and Microbiology (Unit of Animal Physiology), Faculty of Biology, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain
| | - Irene Martinez de Toda
- Department of Genetics, Physiology, and Microbiology (Unit of Animal Physiology), Faculty of Biology, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain; Institute of Investigation Hospital 12 Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain
| | - Monica De la Fuente
- Department of Genetics, Physiology, and Microbiology (Unit of Animal Physiology), Faculty of Biology, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain; Institute of Investigation Hospital 12 Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain.
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17
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Gaynor LS, Ravi M, Zequeira S, Hampton AM, Pyon WS, Smith S, Colon-Perez LM, Pompilus M, Bizon JL, Maurer AP, Febo M, Burke SN. Touchscreen-Based Cognitive Training Alters Functional Connectivity Patterns in Aged But Not Young Male Rats. eNeuro 2023; 10:ENEURO.0329-22.2023. [PMID: 36754628 PMCID: PMC9961373 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0329-22.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Revised: 12/31/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Age-related cognitive decline is related to cellular and systems-level disruptions across multiple brain regions. Because age-related cellular changes within different structures do not show the same patterns of dysfunction, interventions aimed at optimizing function of large-scale brain networks may show greater efficacy at improving cognitive outcomes in older adults than traditional pharmacotherapies. The current study aimed to leverage a preclinical rat model of aging to determine whether cognitive training in young and aged male rats with a computerized paired-associates learning (PAL) task resulted in changes in global resting-state functional connectivity. Moreover, seed-based functional connectivity was used to examine resting state connectivity of cortical areas involved in object-location associative memory and vulnerable in old age, namely the medial temporal lobe (MTL; hippocampal cortex and perirhinal cortex), retrosplenial cortex (RSC), and frontal cortical areas (prelimbic and infralimbic cortices). There was an age-related increase in global functional connectivity between baseline and post-training resting state scans in aged, cognitively trained rats. This change in connectivity following cognitive training was not observed in young animals, or rats that traversed a track for a reward between scan sessions. Relatedly, an increase in connectivity between perirhinal and prelimbic cortices, as well as reduced reciprocal connectivity within the RSC, was found in aged rats that underwent cognitive training, but not the other groups. Subnetwork activation was associated with task performance across age groups. Greater global functional connectivity and connectivity between task-relevant brain regions may elucidate compensatory mechanisms that can be engaged by cognitive training.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leslie S Gaynor
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158
| | - Meena Ravi
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610
- McKnight Brain Institute and College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610
| | - Sabrina Zequeira
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610
- McKnight Brain Institute and College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610
| | - Andreina M Hampton
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610
| | - Wonn S Pyon
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610
- McKnight Brain Institute and College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610
| | - Samantha Smith
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610
- McKnight Brain Institute and College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610
| | - Luis M Colon-Perez
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX 76107
| | - Marjory Pompilus
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610
| | - Jennifer L Bizon
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610
- McKnight Brain Institute and College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610
| | - Andrew P Maurer
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610
- McKnight Brain Institute and College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610
| | - Marcelo Febo
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610
- McKnight Brain Institute and College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610
| | - Sara N Burke
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610
- McKnight Brain Institute and College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610
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18
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Scarrott JM, Alves-Cruzeiro J, Marchi PM, Webster CP, Yang ZL, Karyka E, Marroccella R, Coldicott I, Thomas H, Azzouz M. Ap4b1-knockout mouse model of hereditary spastic paraplegia type 47 displays motor dysfunction, aberrant brain morphology and ATG9A mislocalization. Brain Commun 2023; 5:fcac335. [PMID: 36632189 PMCID: PMC9825813 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcac335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Revised: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Mutations in any one of the four subunits (ɛ4, β4, μ4 and σ4) comprising the adaptor protein Complex 4 results in a complex form of hereditary spastic paraplegia, often termed adaptor protein Complex 4 deficiency syndrome. Deficits in adaptor protein Complex 4 complex function have been shown to disrupt intracellular trafficking, resulting in a broad phenotypic spectrum encompassing severe intellectual disability and progressive spastic paraplegia of the lower limbs in patients. Here we report the presence of neuropathological hallmarks of adaptor protein Complex 4 deficiency syndrome in a clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats-mediated Ap4b1-knockout mouse model. Mice lacking the β4 subunit, and therefore lacking functional adaptor protein Complex 4, have a thin corpus callosum, enlarged lateral ventricles, motor co-ordination deficits, hyperactivity, a hindlimb clasping phenotype associated with neurodegeneration, and an abnormal gait. Analysis of autophagy-related protein 9A (a known cargo of the adaptor protein Complex 4 in these mice shows both upregulation of autophagy-related protein 9A protein levels across multiple tissues, as well as a striking mislocalization of autophagy-related protein 9A from a generalized cytoplasmic distribution to a marked accumulation in the trans-Golgi network within cells. This mislocalization is present in mature animals but is also in E15.5 embryonic cortical neurons. Histological examination of brain regions also shows an accumulation of calbindin-positive spheroid aggregates in the deep cerebellar nuclei of adaptor protein Complex 4-deficient mice, at the site of Purkinje cell axonal projections. Taken together, these findings show a definitive link between loss-of-function mutations in murine Ap4b1 and the development of symptoms consistent with adaptor protein Complex 4 deficiency disease in humans. Furthermore, this study provides strong evidence for the use of this model for further research into the aetiology of adaptor protein Complex 4 deficiency in humans, as well as its use for the development and testing of new therapeutic modalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph M Scarrott
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), Department of Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2HQ, UK
| | - João Alves-Cruzeiro
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), Department of Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2HQ, UK
- URI Neuroscience Institute, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Paolo M Marchi
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), Department of Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2HQ, UK
- URI Neuroscience Institute, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Christopher P Webster
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), Department of Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2HQ, UK
- URI Neuroscience Institute, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Zih-Liang Yang
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), Department of Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2HQ, UK
- URI Neuroscience Institute, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Evangelia Karyka
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), Department of Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2HQ, UK
- URI Neuroscience Institute, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Raffaele Marroccella
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), Department of Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2HQ, UK
| | - Ian Coldicott
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), Department of Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2HQ, UK
- URI Neuroscience Institute, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Hannah Thomas
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), Department of Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2HQ, UK
- URI Neuroscience Institute, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Mimoun Azzouz
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), Department of Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2HQ, UK
- URI Neuroscience Institute, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
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19
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Hussain S, Lesscher HMD, Day DJ, Ellenbroek BA. Genetics and epigenetics: paternal adolescent ethanol consumption in serotonin transporter knock-out rats and offspring sensitivity to ethanol. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2022; 239:3145-3159. [PMID: 35939082 PMCID: PMC9481507 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-022-06195-5] [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] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is shown to have an overall heritability of around 50%. One of the genes associated with AUD is SLC6A4 (solute carrier family 6 member A4) which codes for the serotonin transporter (SERT). The study looked at serotonin dysfunction on ethanol consumption in adolescents and the subsequent intergenerational effects of drinking by using a rat model: SERT+/+ (regular functioning), SERT+/- (50% transporter reduction) and SERT-/- (complete reduction). OBJECTIVES We investigated sex and genotype differences in ethanol consumption in SERT knock-out Wistar rats (F0) followed by studying behaviour in the offspring (F1) of the male drinkers to assess effects of paternal alcohol consumption. METHODS An intermittent access two-bottle choice paradigm (IA2BC) was used to yield ethanol drinking behaviour in F0 adolescent Wistar rats. The highest drinking males were mated to alcohol-naive females and their offspring were compared with controls. Drinking behaviour (IA2BC) and ethanol-induced motor coordination effects (via rotarod) were measured in the F1s. RESULTS F0 drinking saw no SERT genotype differences in males. However, females consumed higher volumes of ethanol compared to males, with SERT-/- females showing the highest intake. A clearer genotype effect was seen in the F1 animals, with reduction in SERT activity leading to enhanced ethanol intake in both sexes. Importantly, paternal exposure to ethanol significantly reduced the ethanol induced motor side effects in offspring, independent of sex and genotype. CONCLUSIONS These indicate a difference in the way genetic factors may act across sexes and suggest the involvement of epigenetic mechanisms in the intergenerational effects of alcohol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sahir Hussain
- School of Psychology, Victoria University of Wellington, PO Box 600, 6104, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Heidi M D Lesscher
- Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Utrecht, Yalelaan 2, 3584 CM, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Darren J Day
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, PO Box 600, 6104, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Bart A Ellenbroek
- School of Psychology, Victoria University of Wellington, PO Box 600, 6104, Wellington, New Zealand.
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20
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Hernandez AR, Watson C, Federico QP, Fletcher R, Brotgandel A, Buford TW, Carter CS, Burke SN. Twelve Months of Time-Restricted Feeding Improves Cognition and Alters Microbiome Composition Independent of Macronutrient Composition. Nutrients 2022; 14:3977. [PMID: 36235630 PMCID: PMC9572159 DOI: 10.3390/nu14193977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Revised: 09/12/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Declining health, gut dysbiosis, and cognitive impairments are hallmarks of advanced age. While caloric restriction is known to robustly extend the healthspan and alter gut microbiome composition, it is difficult maintain. Time-restricted feeding or changes in dietary macronutrient composition could be feasible alternatives for enhancing late life cognitive and physical health that are easier to comply with for extended periods of time. To investigate this possibility, 8-month-old rats were placed on time-restricted feeding with a ketogenic or micronutrient- and calorically matched control diet for 13 months. A third group of rats was permitted to eat standard chow ad libitum during this time. At 22 months, all rats were tested on a biconditional association task and fecal samples were collected for microbiome composition analysis. Regardless of dietary composition, time-restricted-fed rats had better cognitive performance than ad libitum-fed rats. This observation could not be accounted for by differences in motivation, procedural or sensorimotor impairments. Additionally, there were significant differences in gut microbiome diversity and composition between all diet conditions. Allobaculum abundance was associated with cognitive task performance, indicating a link between gut health and cognitive outcomes in aged subjects. Overall, time restricted feeding had the largest influence on cognitive performance in aged rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abbi R. Hernandez
- Department of Medicine, Division of Gerontology, Geriatrics, and Palliative Care, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35205, USA
| | - Cory Watson
- Department of Neuroscience and McKnight, Brain Institute College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Quinten P. Federico
- Department of Neuroscience and McKnight, Brain Institute College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Rachel Fletcher
- Department of Neuroscience and McKnight, Brain Institute College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Armen Brotgandel
- Department of Neuroscience and McKnight, Brain Institute College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Thomas W. Buford
- Department of Medicine, Division of Gerontology, Geriatrics, and Palliative Care, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35205, USA
- Birmingham/Atlanta Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Birmingham VA Medical Center, Birmingham, AL 35205, USA
| | - Christy S. Carter
- Department of Medicine, Division of Gerontology, Geriatrics, and Palliative Care, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35205, USA
| | - Sara N. Burke
- Department of Neuroscience and McKnight, Brain Institute College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
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Long-term sulforaphane-treatment restores redox homeostasis and prevents cognitive decline in middleaged female and male rats, but cannot revert previous damage in old animals. Biogerontology 2022; 23:587-613. [PMID: 35960458 DOI: 10.1007/s10522-022-09984-9] [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: 05/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Aging is a complex and detrimental process, which disrupts most organs and systems within the organisms. The nervous system is morphologically and functionally affected during normal aging, and oxidative stress has been involved in age-related damage, leading to cognitive decline and neurodegenerative processes. Sulforaphane (SFN) is a hormetin that activates the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory responses. So, we aimed to evaluate if SFN long-term treatment was able to prevent age-associated cognitive decline in adult and old female and male rats. Memory was evaluated in adult (15-month-old), and old (21-month-old) female and male Wistar rats after three months of SFN treatment. Young rats (4-month-old) were used as age controls. The antioxidant response induction, the redox state (GSH/GSSG), and oxidative damage were determined in the brain cortex (Cx) and hippocampus (Hc). Our results showed that SFN restored redox homeostasis in the Cx and Hc of adult rats, thus preventing cognitive decline in both sexes; however, the redox responses were not the same in males and females. Old rats were not able to recover their redox state as adults did, but they had a mild improvement. These results suggest that SFN mainly prevents rather than reverts neural damage; though, there might also be a range of opportunities to use hormetins like SFN, to improve redox modulation in old animals.
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22
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Taoro-González L, Pereda D, Valdés-Baizabal C, González-Gómez M, Pérez JA, Mesa-Herrera F, Canerina-Amaro A, Pérez-González H, Rodríguez C, Díaz M, Marin R. Effects of Dietary n-3 LCPUFA Supplementation on the Hippocampus of Aging Female Mice: Impact on Memory, Lipid Raft-Associated Glutamatergic Receptors and Neuroinflammation. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:7430. [PMID: 35806435 PMCID: PMC9267073 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23137430] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2022] [Revised: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA), essential molecules whose precursors must be dietary supplied, are highly represented in the brain contributing to numerous neuronal processes. Recent findings have demonstrated that LCPUFA are represented in lipid raft microstructures, where they favor molecular interactions of signaling complexes underlying neuronal functionality. During aging, the brain lipid composition changes affecting the lipid rafts' integrity and protein signaling, which may induce memory detriment. We investigated the effect of a n-3 LCPUFA-enriched diet on the cognitive function of 6- and 15-months-old female mice. Likewise, we explored the impact of dietary n-3 LCPUFAs on hippocampal lipid rafts, and their potential correlation with aging-induced neuroinflammation. Our results demonstrate that n-3 LCPUFA supplementation improves spatial and recognition memory and restores the expression of glutamate and estrogen receptors in the hippocampal lipid rafts of aged mice to similar profiles than young ones. Additionally, the n-3 LCPUFA-enriched diet stabilized the lipid composition of the old mice's hippocampal lipid rafts to the levels of young ones and reduced the aged-induced neuroinflammatory markers. Hence, we propose that n-3 LCPUFA supplementation leads to beneficial cognitive performance by "rejuvenating" the lipid raft microenvironment that stabilizes the integrity and interactions of memory protein players embedded in these microdomains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Taoro-González
- Research Unit, Hospital Universitario de Canarias, 38320 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain;
- Instituto de Tecnologías Biomédicas de Canarias (ITB), University of La Laguna, 38200 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain; (M.G.-G.); (C.R.)
| | - Daniel Pereda
- Laboratory of Cellular Neurobiology, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Section of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of La Laguna, 38200 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain; (D.P.); (C.V.-B.); (A.C.-A.)
- Associate Research Unit ULL-CSIC, Membrane Physiology and Biophysics in Neurodegenerative and Cancer Diseases, University of La Laguna, 38200 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
| | - Catalina Valdés-Baizabal
- Laboratory of Cellular Neurobiology, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Section of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of La Laguna, 38200 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain; (D.P.); (C.V.-B.); (A.C.-A.)
- Associate Research Unit ULL-CSIC, Membrane Physiology and Biophysics in Neurodegenerative and Cancer Diseases, University of La Laguna, 38200 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
| | - Miriam González-Gómez
- Instituto de Tecnologías Biomédicas de Canarias (ITB), University of La Laguna, 38200 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain; (M.G.-G.); (C.R.)
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of La Laguna, 38200 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain;
- Instituto de Neurociencia Cognitiva (NeuroCog), University of La Laguna, 38205 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
| | - José A. Pérez
- Department of Animal Biology, Edaphology and Geology, University of La Laguna, 38200 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain;
| | - Fátima Mesa-Herrera
- Laboratory of Membrane Physiology and Biophysics, Department of Animal Biology, Edaphology and Geology, University of La Laguna, 38200 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain;
| | - Ana Canerina-Amaro
- Laboratory of Cellular Neurobiology, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Section of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of La Laguna, 38200 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain; (D.P.); (C.V.-B.); (A.C.-A.)
- Associate Research Unit ULL-CSIC, Membrane Physiology and Biophysics in Neurodegenerative and Cancer Diseases, University of La Laguna, 38200 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
| | - Herminia Pérez-González
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of La Laguna, 38200 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain;
| | - Covadonga Rodríguez
- Instituto de Tecnologías Biomédicas de Canarias (ITB), University of La Laguna, 38200 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain; (M.G.-G.); (C.R.)
- Department of Animal Biology, Edaphology and Geology, University of La Laguna, 38200 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain;
| | - Mario Díaz
- Instituto de Neurociencia Cognitiva (NeuroCog), University of La Laguna, 38205 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Sciences, University of La Laguna, 38200 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
- IUETSP (Instituto Universitario de Enfermedades Tropicales y Salud Pública de Canarias), University of La Laguna, 38200 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
| | - Raquel Marin
- Laboratory of Cellular Neurobiology, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Section of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of La Laguna, 38200 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain; (D.P.); (C.V.-B.); (A.C.-A.)
- Associate Research Unit ULL-CSIC, Membrane Physiology and Biophysics in Neurodegenerative and Cancer Diseases, University of La Laguna, 38200 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
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Abstract
Sex and gender differences are seen in cognitive disturbances in a variety of neurological and psychiatry diseases. Men are more likely to have cognitive symptoms in schizophrenia whereas women are more likely to have more severe cognitive symptoms with major depressive disorder and Alzheimer's disease. Thus, it is important to understand sex and gender differences in underlying cognitive abilities with and without disease. Sex differences are noted in performance across various cognitive domains - with males typically outperforming females in spatial tasks and females typically outperforming males in verbal tasks. Furthermore, there are striking sex differences in brain networks that are activated during cognitive tasks and in learning strategies. Although rarely studied, there are also sex differences in the trajectory of cognitive aging. It is important to pay attention to these sex differences as they inform researchers of potential differences in resilience to age-related cognitive decline and underlying mechanisms for both healthy and pathological cognitive aging, depending on sex. We review literature on the progressive neurodegenerative disorder, Alzheimer's disease, as an example of pathological cognitive aging in which human females show greater lifetime risk, neuropathology, and cognitive impairment, compared to human males. Not surprisingly, the relationships between sex and cognition, cognitive aging, and Alzheimer's disease are nuanced and multifaceted. As such, this chapter will end with a discussion of lifestyle factors, like education and diet, as modifiable factors that can alter cognitive aging by sex. Understanding how cognition changes across age and contributing factors, like sex differences, will be essential to improving care for older adults.
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Hernandez AR, Hoffman JM, Hernandez CM, Cortes CJ, Jumbo-Lucioni P, Baxter MG, Esser KA, Liu AC, McMahon LL, Bizon JL, Burke SN, Buford TW, Carter CS. Reuniting the Body "Neck Up and Neck Down" to Understand Cognitive Aging: The Nexus of Geroscience and Neuroscience. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2022; 77:e1-e9. [PMID: 34309630 PMCID: PMC8751793 DOI: 10.1093/gerona/glab215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Abbi R Hernandez
- Division of Gerontology, Geriatrics and Palliative Care, School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA.,UAB Center for Exercise Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA.,Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), USA
| | | | - Caesar M Hernandez
- Department of Cellular, Development, and Integrative Biology, School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA
| | - Constanza J Cortes
- UAB Center for Exercise Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA.,Department of Cellular, Development, and Integrative Biology, School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA.,UAB Nathan Shock Center for the Basic Biology of Aging, University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA.,Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA
| | - Patricia Jumbo-Lucioni
- Department of Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA.,Pharmaceutical, Social, and Administrative Sciences, McWhorter School of Pharmacy, Samford University, Birmingham, Alabama,USA
| | - Mark G Baxter
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Karyn A Esser
- Department of Physiology and Functional Genomics, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, USA
| | - Andrew C Liu
- Department of Physiology and Functional Genomics, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, USA
| | - Lori L McMahon
- UAB Center for Exercise Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA.,Department of Cellular, Development, and Integrative Biology, School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA.,UAB Nathan Shock Center for the Basic Biology of Aging, University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA.,UAB Integrative Center for Aging Research, University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA
| | - Jennifer L Bizon
- Department of Neuroscience and Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, USA
| | - Sara N Burke
- Department of Neuroscience and Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, USA
| | - Thomas W Buford
- Division of Gerontology, Geriatrics and Palliative Care, School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA.,UAB Center for Exercise Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA.,UAB Nathan Shock Center for the Basic Biology of Aging, University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA.,UAB Integrative Center for Aging Research, University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA.,Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, Birmingham VA Medical Center, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Christy S Carter
- Division of Gerontology, Geriatrics and Palliative Care, School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA.,UAB Center for Exercise Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA.,UAB Nathan Shock Center for the Basic Biology of Aging, University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA.,UAB Integrative Center for Aging Research, University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA
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25
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Hoffman JM, Hernandez CM, Hernandez AR, Bizon JL, Burke SN, Carter CS, Buford TW. Bridging the Gap: A Geroscience Primer for Neuroscientists With Potential Collaborative Applications. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2022; 77:e10-e18. [PMID: 34653247 PMCID: PMC8751800 DOI: 10.1093/gerona/glab314] [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: 10/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
While neurodegenerative diseases can strike at any age, the majority of afflicted individuals are diagnosed at older ages. Due to the important impact of age in disease diagnosis, the field of neuroscience could greatly benefit from the many of the theories and ideas from the biology of aging-now commonly referred as geroscience. As discussed in our complementary perspective on the topic, there is often a "silo-ing" between geroscientists who work on understanding the mechanisms underlying aging and neuroscientists who are studying neurodegenerative diseases. While there have been some strong collaborations between the biology of aging and neuroscientists, there is still great potential for enhanced collaborative effort between the 2 fields. To this end, here, we review the state of the geroscience field, discuss how neuroscience could benefit from thinking from a geroscience perspective, and close with a brief discussion on some of the "missing links" between geroscience and neuroscience and how to remedy them. Notably, we have a corresponding, concurrent review from the neuroscience perspective. Our overall goal is to "bridge the gap" between geroscience and neuroscience such that more efficient, reproducible research with translational potential can be conducted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica M Hoffman
- Department of Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Caesar M Hernandez
- Department of Cellular, Development, and Integrative Biology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Abbi R Hernandez
- Department of Medicine, Division of Gerontology, Geriatrics and Palliative Care, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Jennifer L Bizon
- Department of Neuroscience and Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Sara N Burke
- Department of Neuroscience and Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Christy S Carter
- Department of Medicine, Division of Gerontology, Geriatrics and Palliative Care, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA.,Nathan Shock Center for Excellence in the Basic Biology of Aging, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Thomas W Buford
- Department of Medicine, Division of Gerontology, Geriatrics and Palliative Care, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA.,Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, Birmingham Veteran's Affairs Medical Center, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
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26
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Smith SM, Zequeira S, Ravi M, Johnson SA, Hampton AM, Ross AM, Pyon W, Maurer AP, Bizon JL, Burke SN. Age-related impairments on the touchscreen paired associates learning (PAL) task in male rats. Neurobiol Aging 2022; 109:176-191. [PMID: 34749169 PMCID: PMC9351724 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2021.09.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Revised: 09/25/2021] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Discovery research in rodent models of cognitive aging is instrumental for identifying mechanisms of behavioral decline in old age that can be therapeutically targeted. Clinically relevant behavioral paradigms, however, have not been widely employed in aged rats. The current study aimed to bridge this translational gap by testing cognition in a cross-species touchscreen-based platform known as paired-associates learning (PAL) and then utilizing a trial-by-trial behavioral analysis approach. This study found age-related deficits in PAL task acquisition in male rats. Furthermore, trial-by-trial analyses and testing rats on a novel interference version of PAL suggested that age-related impairments were not due to differences in vulnerability to an irrelevant distractor, motivation, or to forgetting. Rather, impairment appeared to arise from vulnerability to accumulating, proactive interference, with aged animals performing worse than younger rats in later trial blocks within a single testing session. The detailed behavioral analysis employed in this study provides new insights into the etiology of age-associated cognitive deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha M Smith
- Department of Neuroscience, Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL, USA; Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences, Neuroscience Concentration, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Sabrina Zequeira
- Department of Neuroscience, Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL, USA; Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences, Neuroscience Concentration, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Meena Ravi
- Department of Neuroscience, Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Sarah A Johnson
- Department of Neuroscience and Center for Neurodegenerative Disease and Therapeutics, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Andriena M Hampton
- Department of Neuroscience, Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Aleyna M Ross
- Department of Neuroscience, Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL, USA; Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences, Neuroscience Concentration, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Wonn Pyon
- Department of Neuroscience, Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL, USA; Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences, Neuroscience Concentration, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Andrew P Maurer
- Department of Neuroscience, Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Jennifer L Bizon
- Department of Neuroscience, Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Sara N Burke
- Department of Neuroscience, Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL, USA; Institute on Aging, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
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27
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Zhvania MG, Japaridze N, Tizabi Y, Lomidze N, Pochkhidze N, Lordkipanidze T. Age-related cognitive decline in rats is sex and context dependent. Neurosci Lett 2021; 765:136262. [PMID: 34560192 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2021.136262] [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: 06/30/2021] [Revised: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 09/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Previously, we had observed age-related cognitive decline in male rats compared to adolescent and adult rats. This was shown in both a multi-branched maze test (MBM), as well as in the Morris water maze test (MWM). In the present study, we compared the behavior of similar age groups in both male and female rats using the same paradigms. The results confirmed the increase in errors and time spent in MBM in aged male rats compared to other age groups. However, no such differences were observed in female rats. In the acquisition phase of MWM, aged male rats did not differ significantly from the other two groups in terms of time spent in quadrants, whereas aged female rats spent significantly more time in quadrants compared to the other 2 age groups. Aged male rats also travelled significantly more than the other 2 age groups during the acquisition phase, whereas no such differences were observed in female rats. In both short term (30 min post acquisition) and long term (24 h after acquisition) retrieval phases of MWM, significant gender-related differences were also observed in all age groups. These findings suggest gender- and context-dependent alterations in cognitive functions during aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mzia G Zhvania
- School of Natural Sciences and Medicine, Ilia State University, 3/5 K/Cholokashvili Avenue, 0162 Tbilisi, Georgia; Department of Neuron Ultrastructure and Nanoarchitecture, Ivane Beritashvili Center of Experimental Biomedicine, 14 Gotua Street, 9160 Tbilisi, Georgia.
| | - Nadezhda Japaridze
- Department of Neuron Ultrastructure and Nanoarchitecture, Ivane Beritashvili Center of Experimental Biomedicine, 14 Gotua Street, 9160 Tbilisi, Georgia; School of Medicine, New Vision University, 1A Evgeni Mikeladze Street, 0159 Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - Yousef Tizabi
- Department of Pharmacology, Howard University College of Medicine, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Nino Lomidze
- School of Natural Sciences and Medicine, Ilia State University, 3/5 K/Cholokashvili Avenue, 0162 Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - Nino Pochkhidze
- School of Natural Sciences and Medicine, Ilia State University, 3/5 K/Cholokashvili Avenue, 0162 Tbilisi, Georgia; Department of Neuron Ultrastructure and Nanoarchitecture, Ivane Beritashvili Center of Experimental Biomedicine, 14 Gotua Street, 9160 Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - Tamar Lordkipanidze
- School of Natural Sciences and Medicine, Ilia State University, 3/5 K/Cholokashvili Avenue, 0162 Tbilisi, Georgia; Department of Neuron Ultrastructure and Nanoarchitecture, Ivane Beritashvili Center of Experimental Biomedicine, 14 Gotua Street, 9160 Tbilisi, Georgia
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28
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Lomidze N, Zhvania MG, Tizabi Y, Japaridze N, Pochkhidze N, Rzayev F, Gasimov E. Age‐related behavioral and ultrastructural changes in the rat amygdala. Dev Neurobiol 2020; 80:433-442. [DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2020] [Revised: 10/03/2020] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Nino Lomidze
- School of Life Sciences and Medicine Ilia State University Tbilisi GA USA
| | - Mzia G. Zhvania
- School of Life Sciences and Medicine Ilia State University Tbilisi GA USA
- Department of Brain Ultrastructure and Nanoarchitecture Ivane Beritashvili Center of Experimental Biomedicine Tbilisi GA USA
| | - Yousef Tizabi
- Department of Pharmacology Howard University College of Medicine Washington DC USA
| | - Nadezhda Japaridze
- Department of Brain Ultrastructure and Nanoarchitecture Ivane Beritashvili Center of Experimental Biomedicine Tbilisi GA USA
- Medical School New Vision University Tbilisi Georgia
| | - Nino Pochkhidze
- Department of Brain Ultrastructure and Nanoarchitecture Ivane Beritashvili Center of Experimental Biomedicine Tbilisi GA USA
| | - Fuad Rzayev
- Department of Histology, Embryology and Cytology Azerbaijan Medical University Baku Baku Azerbaijan
| | - Eldar Gasimov
- Department of Histology, Embryology and Cytology Azerbaijan Medical University Baku Baku Azerbaijan
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29
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Hernandez AR, Truckenbrod LM, Barrett ME, Lubke KN, Clark BJ, Burke SN. Age-Related Alterations in Prelimbic Cortical Neuron Arc Expression Vary by Behavioral State and Cortical Layer. Front Aging Neurosci 2020; 12:588297. [PMID: 33192482 PMCID: PMC7655965 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2020.588297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 10/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Prefrontal cortical and medial temporal lobe connectivity is critical for higher cognitive functions that decline in older adults. Likewise, these cortical areas are among the first to show anatomical, functional, and biochemical alterations in advanced age. The prelimbic subregion of the prefrontal cortex and the perirhinal cortex of the medial temporal lobe are densely reciprocally connected and well-characterized as undergoing age-related neurobiological changes that correlate with behavioral impairment. Despite this fact, it remains to be determined how changes within these brain regions manifest as alterations in their functional connectivity. In our previous work, we observed an increased probability of age-related dysfunction for perirhinal cortical neurons that projected to the prefrontal cortex in old rats compared to neurons that were not identified as projection neurons. The current study was designed to investigate the extent to which aged prelimbic cortical neurons also had altered patterns of Arc expression during behavior, and if this was more evident in those cells that had long-range projections to the perirhinal cortex. The expression patterns of the immediate-early gene Arc were quantified in behaviorally characterized rats that also received the retrograde tracer cholera toxin B (CTB) in the perirhinal cortex to identify projection neurons to this region. As in our previous work, the current study found that CTB+ cells were more active than those that did not have the tracer. Moreover, there were age-related reductions in prelimbic cortical neuron Arc expression that correlated with a reduced ability of aged rats to multitask. Unlike the perirhinal cortex, however, the age-related reduction in Arc expression was equally likely in CTB+ and CTB- negative cells. Thus, the selective vulnerability of neurons with long-range projections to dysfunction in old age may be a unique feature of the perirhinal cortex. Together, these observations identify a mechanism involving prelimbic-perirhinal cortical circuit disruption in cognitive aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abbi R. Hernandez
- Department of Medicine, Division of Gerontology, Geriatrics, and Palliative Care, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Leah M. Truckenbrod
- Department of Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
| | - Maya E. Barrett
- Department of Neuroscience, McKnight Brain Institute, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Katelyn N. Lubke
- Department of Neuroscience, McKnight Brain Institute, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Benjamin J. Clark
- Department of Psychology, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, United States
| | - Sara N. Burke
- Department of Neuroscience, McKnight Brain Institute, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States,*Correspondence: Sara N. Burke,
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Hernandez AR, Winesett SP, Federico QP, Williams SA, Burke SN, Clark DJ. A Cross-species Model of Dual-Task Walking in Young and Older Humans and Rats. Front Aging Neurosci 2020; 12:276. [PMID: 32982717 PMCID: PMC7492995 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2020.00276] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2020] [Accepted: 08/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Dual-task walking is common in daily life but becomes more difficult with aging. Little is known about the neurobiological mechanisms affecting competing cognitive demands. Translational studies with human and animal models are needed to address this gap. This pilot study investigated the feasibility of implementing a novel cross-species dual-task model in humans and rats and aimed to establish preliminary evidence that the model induces a dual-task cost. Methods: Young and older humans and rats performed an object discrimination task (OD), a baseline task of typical walking (baseline), an alternation turning task on a Figure 8 walking course (Alt), and a dual-task combining object discrimination with the alternation task (AltOD). Primary behavioral assessments including walking speed and correct selections for object discrimination and turning direction. In humans, left prefrontal cortex activity was measured with functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Results: Human subjects generally performed well on all tasks, but the older adults exhibited a trend for a slowing of walking speed immediately before the turning decision for Alt and AltOD compared to baseline. Older adults also had heightened prefrontal activity relative to young adults for the Alt and AltOD tasks. Older rodents required more training than young rodents to learn the alternation task. When tested on AltOD with and without a 15-s delay between trials, older rodents exhibited a substantial performance deficit for the delayed version on the initial day of testing. Old rats, however, did not show a significant slowing in walking speed with increasing task demand, as was evident in the young rats. Discussion: This study demonstrates the feasibility and challenges associated with implementing a cross-species dual-task model. While there was preliminary evidence of dual-task cost in both humans and rats, the magnitude of effects was small and not consistent across species. This is likely due to the relative ease of each task in humans and the walking component in rats not being sufficiently challenging. Future versions of this test should make the cognitive tasks more challenging and the motor task in rats more complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abbi R Hernandez
- Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Steven P Winesett
- Department of Applied Physiology and Kinesiology, College of Health and Human Performance, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Quinten P Federico
- Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Sonora A Williams
- College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Sara N Burke
- Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - David J Clark
- Department of Aging and Geriatric Research, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States.,Brain Rehabilitation Research Center, Malcom Randall VA Medical Center, Gainesville, FL, United States
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Zhang ZZ, Zhuang ZQ, Sun SY, Ge HH, Wu YF, Cao L, Xia L, Yang QG, Wang F, Chen GH. Effects of Prenatal Exposure to Inflammation Coupled With Stress Exposure During Adolescence on Cognition and Synaptic Protein Levels in Aged CD-1 Mice. Front Aging Neurosci 2020; 12:157. [PMID: 32774299 PMCID: PMC7381390 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2020.00157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2020] [Accepted: 05/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Age-associated impairment of spatial learning and memory (AISLM) presents substantial challenges to our health and society. Increasing evidence has indicated that embryonic exposure to inflammation accelerates the AISLM, and this can be attributable, at least partly, to changed synaptic plasticity associated with the activities of various proteins. However, it is still uncertain whether social psychological factors affect this AISLM and/or the expression of synaptic protein-associated genes. Synaptotagmin-1 (Syt1) and activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein (Arc) are two synaptic proteins closely related to cognitive functions. In this study, pregnant CD-1 mice received daily intraperitoneal injections of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (50 μg/kg) or normal saline at days 15-17 of gestation, and half of the offspring of each group were then subjected to stress for 28 days in adolescence. The Morris water maze (MWM) test was used to separately evaluate spatial learning and memory at 3 and 15 months of age, while western blotting and RNAscope assays were used to measure the protein and mRNA levels of Arc and Syt1 in the hippocampus. The results showed that, at 15 months of age, control mice had worse cognitive ability and higher protein and mRNA levels of Arc and Syt1 than their younger counterparts. Embryonic exposure to inflammation or exposure to stress in adolescence aggravated the AISLM, as well as the age-related increase in Arc and Syt1 expression. Moreover, the hippocampal protein and mRNA levels of Arc and Syt1 were significantly correlated with the performance in the learning and memory periods of the MWM test, especially in the mice that had suffered adverse insults in early life. Our findings indicated that prenatal exposure to inflammation or stress exposure in adolescence exacerbated the AISLM and age-related upregulation of Arc and Syt1 expression, and these effects were linked to cognitive impairments in CD-1 mice exposed to adverse factors in early life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhe-Zhe Zhang
- Department of Neurology or Department of Critical Care, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Zhan-Qiang Zhuang
- Department of Neurology (Sleep Disorders), The Affiliated Chaohu Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Shi-Yu Sun
- Department of Neurology (Sleep Disorders), The Affiliated Chaohu Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - He-Hua Ge
- Department of Neurology (Sleep Disorders), The Affiliated Chaohu Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Yong-Fang Wu
- Department of Neurology (Sleep Disorders), The Affiliated Chaohu Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Lei Cao
- Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Lan Xia
- Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Qi-Gang Yang
- Department of Neurology or Department of Critical Care, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Fang Wang
- Department of Neurology or Department of Critical Care, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Gui-Hai Chen
- Department of Neurology (Sleep Disorders), The Affiliated Chaohu Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
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