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Yang X, Geng F. Corticotropin-releasing factor signaling and its potential role in the prefrontal cortex-dependent regulation of anxiety. J Neurosci Res 2023; 101:1781-1794. [PMID: 37592912 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.25238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Revised: 04/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/06/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023]
Abstract
A large body of literature has highlighted the significance of the corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) system in the regulation of neuropsychiatric diseases. Anxiety disorders are among the most common neuropsychiatric disorders. An increasing number of studies have demonstrated that the CRF family mediates and regulates the development and maintenance of anxiety. Thus, the CRF family is considered to be a potential target for the treatment of anxiety disorders. The prefrontal cortex (PFC) plays a role in the occurrence and development of anxiety, and both CRF and CRF-R1 are widely expressed in the PFC. This paper begins by reviewing CRF-related signaling pathways and their different roles in anxiety and related processes. Then, the role of the CRF system in other neuropsychiatric diseases is reviewed and the potential role of PFC CRF signaling in the regulation of anxiety disorders is discussed. Although other signaling pathways are potentially involved in the process of anxiety, CRF in the PFC primarily modulates anxiety disorders through the activation of corticotropin-releasing factor type1 receptors (CRF-R1) and the excitation of the cAMP/PKA signaling pathway. Moreover, the main signaling pathways of CRF involved in sex differentiation in the PFC appear to be different. In summary, this review suggests that the CRF system in the PFC plays a critical role in the occurrence of anxiety. Thus, CRF signaling is of great significance as a potential target for the treatment of stress-related disorders in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Yang
- Department of Physiology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China
- Department of Transfusion Medicine, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Fei Geng
- Department of Physiology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Immunopathology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China
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2
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Luo Q, Chen J, Li Y, Wu Z, Lin X, Yao J, Yu H, Wu H, Peng H. Aberrant static and dynamic functional connectivity of amygdala subregions in patients with major depressive disorder and childhood maltreatment. Neuroimage Clin 2022; 36:103270. [PMID: 36451372 PMCID: PMC9668673 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2022.103270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2022] [Revised: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) with childhood maltreatment is a heterogeneous clinical phenotype of depression with prominent features of brain disconnectivity in areas linked to maltreatment-related emotion processing (e.g., the amygdala). However, static and dynamic alterations of functional connectivity in amygdala subregions have not been investigated in MDD with childhood maltreatment. Here, we explored whether amygdala subregions (i.e., medial amygdala [MeA] and lateral amygdala [LA]) exhibited static functional connectivity (sFC) and dynamic functional connectivity (dFC) disruption, and whether these disruptions were related to childhood maltreatment. We compared sFC and dFC patterns in MDD with childhood maltreatment (n = 48), MDD without childhood maltreatment (n = 30), healthy controls with childhood maltreatment (n = 57), and healthy controls without childhood maltreatment (n = 46). The bilateral MeA and LA were selected as the seeds in the FC analysis. The results revealed a functional connectivity disruption pattern in maltreated MDD patients, characterized by sFC and dFC abnormalities involving the MeA, LA, and theory of mind-related brain areas including the middle occipital area, middle frontal gyrus, superior medial frontal gyrus, angular gyrus, supplementary motor areas, middle temporal gyrus, middle cingulate gyrus, and calcarine gyrus. Significant correlations were detected between impaired dFC patterns and childhood maltreatment. Furthermore, the dFC disruption pattern served as a moderator in the relationship between sexual abuse and depression severity. Our findings revealed neurobiological features of childhood maltreatment, providing new evidence regarding vulnerability to psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qianyi Luo
- Department of Clinical Psychology, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510370, China
| | - Juran Chen
- Department of Clinical Psychology, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510370, China
| | - Yuhong Li
- Department of Clinical Psychology, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510370, China
| | - Zhiyao Wu
- Department of Clinical Psychology, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510370, China
| | - Xinyi Lin
- Department of Clinical Psychology, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510370, China
| | - Jiazheng Yao
- Department of Clinical Psychology, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510370, China
| | - Huiwen Yu
- Department of Clinical Psychology, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510370, China
| | - Huawang Wu
- Department of Radiology, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510370, China,Guangdong Engineering Technology Research Center for Translational Medicine of Mental Disorders, Guangzhou 510370, China,Corresponding authors at: Department of Radiology, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510370, China (H. Wu); Department of Clinical Psychology, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510370, China (H. Peng).
| | - Hongjun Peng
- Department of Clinical Psychology, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510370, China,Guangdong Engineering Technology Research Center for Translational Medicine of Mental Disorders, Guangzhou 510370, China,Corresponding authors at: Department of Radiology, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510370, China (H. Wu); Department of Clinical Psychology, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510370, China (H. Peng).
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3
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Maita I, Roepke TA, Samuels BA. Chronic stress-induced synaptic changes to corticotropin-releasing factor-signaling in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:903782. [PMID: 35983475 PMCID: PMC9378865 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.903782] [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: 03/24/2022] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The sexually dimorphic bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) is comprised of several distinct regions, some of which act as a hub for stress-induced changes in neural circuitry and behavior. In rodents, the anterodorsal BNST is especially affected by chronic exposure to stress, which results in alterations to the corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF)-signaling pathway, including CRF receptors and upstream regulators. Stress increases cellular excitability in BNST CRF+ neurons by potentiating miniature excitatory postsynaptic current (mEPSC) amplitude, altering the resting membrane potential, and diminishing M-currents (a voltage-gated K+ current that stabilizes membrane potential). Rodent anterodorsal and anterolateral BNST neurons are also critical regulators of behavior, including avoidance of aversive contexts and fear learning (especially that of sustained threats). These rodent behaviors are historically associated with anxiety. Furthermore, BNST is implicated in stress-related mood disorders, including anxiety and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders in humans, and may be linked to sex differences found in mood disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabella Maita
- Samuels Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, United States,Neuroscience Graduate Program, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, United States
| | - Troy A. Roepke
- Roepke Laboratory, Department of Animal Sciences, School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, United States
| | - Benjamin A. Samuels
- Samuels Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, United States,*Correspondence: Benjamin A. Samuels,
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4
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Exploring the role of neuropeptides in depression and anxiety. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2022; 114:110478. [PMID: 34801611 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2021.110478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2021] [Revised: 11/13/2021] [Accepted: 11/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Depression is one of the most prevalent forms of mental disorders and is the most common cause of disability in the Western world. Besides, the harmful effects of stress-related mood disorders on the patients themselves, they challenge the health care system with enormous social and economic impacts. Due to the high proportion of patients not responding to existing drugs, finding new treatment strategies has become an important topic in neurobiology, and there is much evidence that neuropeptides are not only involved in the physiology of stress but may also be clinically important. Based on preclinical trial data, new neuropharmaceutical candidates may target neuropeptides and their receptors and are expected to be essential and valuable tools in the treatment of psychiatric disorders. In the current article, we have summarized data obtained from animal models of depressive disorder and transgenic mouse models. We also focus on previously published research data of clinical studies on corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), galanin (GAL), neuropeptide Y (NPY), neuropeptide S (NPS), Oxytocin (OXT), vasopressin (VP), cholecystokinin (CCK), and melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) stress research fields.
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5
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Gaszner T, Farkas J, Kun D, Ujvári B, Berta G, Csernus V, Füredi N, Kovács LÁ, Hashimoto H, Reglődi D, Kormos V, Gaszner B. Fluoxetine treatment supports predictive validity of the three hit model of depression in male PACAP heterozygous mice and underpins the impact of early life adversity on therapeutic efficacy. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2022; 13:995900. [PMID: 36213293 PMCID: PMC9537566 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.995900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
According to the three hit concept of depression, interaction of genetic predisposition altered epigenetic programming and environmental stress factors contribute to the disease. Earlier we demonstrated the construct and face validity of our three hit concept-based mouse model. In the present work, we aimed to examine the predictive validity of our model, the third willnerian criterion. Fluoxetine treatment was applied in chronic variable mild stress (CVMS)-exposed (environmental hit) CD1 mice carrying one mutated allele of pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide gene (genetic hit) that were previously exposed to maternal deprivation (epigenetic hit) vs. controls. Fluoxetine reduced the anxiety level in CVMS-exposed mice in marble burying test, and decreased the depression level in tail suspension test if mice were not deprived maternally. History of maternal deprivation caused fundamental functional-morphological changes in response to CVMS and fluoxetine treatment in the corticotropin-releasing hormone-producing cells of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and central amygdala, in tyrosine-hydroxylase content of ventral tegmental area, in urocortin 1-expressing cells of the centrally projecting Edinger-Westphal nucleus, and serotonergic cells of the dorsal raphe nucleus. The epigenetic background of alterations was approved by altered acetylation of histone H3. Our findings further support the validity of both the three hit concept and that of our animal model. Reversal of behavioral and functional-morphological anomalies by fluoxetine treatment supports the predictive validity of the model. This study highlights that early life stress does not only interact with the genetic and environmental factors, but has strong influence also on therapeutic efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamás Gaszner
- Department of Anatomy, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
- Research Group for Mood Disorders, Centre for Neuroscience & Szentágothai Research Centre, University Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - József Farkas
- Department of Anatomy, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
- Research Group for Mood Disorders, Centre for Neuroscience & Szentágothai Research Centre, University Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Dániel Kun
- Department of Anatomy, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
- Research Group for Mood Disorders, Centre for Neuroscience & Szentágothai Research Centre, University Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Balázs Ujvári
- Department of Anatomy, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
- Research Group for Mood Disorders, Centre for Neuroscience & Szentágothai Research Centre, University Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Gergely Berta
- Department of Medical Biology, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Valér Csernus
- Department of Anatomy, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Nóra Füredi
- Department of Anatomy, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
- Research Group for Mood Disorders, Centre for Neuroscience & Szentágothai Research Centre, University Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - László Ákos Kovács
- Department of Anatomy, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
- Research Group for Mood Disorders, Centre for Neuroscience & Szentágothai Research Centre, University Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Hitoshi Hashimoto
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuropharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
- Molecular Research Center for Children’s Mental Development, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Kanazawa University, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Chiba University and University of Fukui, Suita, Osaka, Japan
- Division of Bioscience, Institute for Datability Science, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
- Transdimensional Life Imaging Division, Institute for Open and Transdisciplinary Research Initiatives, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
- Department of Molecular Pharmaceutical Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Dóra Reglődi
- Department of Anatomy, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
- ELKH-PTE PACAP Research Group Department of Anatomy, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Viktória Kormos
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Medical School & Szentágothai Research Centre, Molecular Pharmacology Research Group, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Balázs Gaszner
- Department of Anatomy, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
- Research Group for Mood Disorders, Centre for Neuroscience & Szentágothai Research Centre, University Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
- *Correspondence: Balázs Gaszner,
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Wang Y, Zhang Y, Shi Z, Di T, Yu W, Chen L. Exposure of male mice to perfluorooctanoic acid induces anxiety-like behaviors by increasing corticotropin-releasing factor in the basolateral amygdala complex. CHEMOSPHERE 2022; 287:132170. [PMID: 34826932 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.132170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Revised: 08/16/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a hazardous environmental pollutant, has been found to enhance hepatic synthesis of fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21). FGF21 can enter the brain and increase the expression of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN). In this study, adult male mice were orally administered PFOA to evaluate how it regulates emotion. Exposure of mice to PFOA (1 mg kg-1 bw) for 10 consecutive days (PFOA-mice) caused anxiety-like behaviors and a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα)-dependent increase in hepatic FGF21 synthesis. The levels of CRF expression in not only PVN but also basolateral amygdala complex (BLA) neurons of PFOA-mice were increased via FGF receptor 1 (FGF-R1) activation. However, the microinjection of FGF-R1 or CRF 1 receptor (CRF-R1) antagonist in the BLA rather than the PVN of PFOA-mice could relieve their anxiety-like behaviors. In addition, external capsule-BLA synaptic transmission in PFOA-mice was enhanced by increasing CRF-R1-mediated presynaptic glutamate release, which was corrected by the blockade of PPARα, FGF-R1 and CRF-R1 or the inhibition of PKA. Furthermore, the threshold of frequency-dependent long-term potentiation (LTP) induction was decreased in the BLA of PFOA-mice, which depended on the activation of PPARα, FGF-R1, CRF-R1, PKA and NMDA receptor (NMDAR), whereas long-term depression (LTD) induction was unchanged. Thus, the results indicate that the exposure of male mice to PFOA (1 mg kg-1 bw) enhances CRF expression in BLA neurons by increasing hepatic FGF21 synthesis, which then enhances CRF-R1-mediated presynaptic glutamate release to facilitate NMDAR-dependent BLA-LTP induction, leading to the production of anxiety-like behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya Wang
- Department of Physiology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China
| | - Yajie Zhang
- Department of Physiology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China
| | - Zhaochun Shi
- Department of Neurology, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Guangzhou Road 300, Nanjing, 210029, China
| | - Tingting Di
- Department of Physiology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China
| | - Wenfeng Yu
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550004, China.
| | - Ling Chen
- Department of Physiology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China.
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7
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Snyder AE, Silberman Y. Corticotropin releasing factor and norepinephrine related circuitry changes in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis in stress and alcohol and substance use disorders. Neuropharmacology 2021; 201:108814. [PMID: 34624301 PMCID: PMC8578398 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2021.108814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2021] [Revised: 09/12/2021] [Accepted: 09/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) affects around 14.5 million individuals in the United States, with Substance Use Disorder (SUD) affecting an additional 8.3 million individuals. Relapse is a major barrier to effective long-term treatment of this illness with stress often described as a key trigger for a person with AUD or SUD to relapse during a period of abstinence. Two signaling molecules, norepinephrine (NE) and corticotropin releasing factor (CRF), are released during the stress response, and also play important roles in reward behaviors and the addiction process. Within the addiction literature, one brain region in which there has been increasing research focus in recent years is the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST). The BNST is a limbic structure with numerous cytoarchitecturally and functionally different subregions that has been implicated in drug-seeking behaviors and stress responses. This review focuses on drug and stress-related neurocircuitry changes in the BNST, particularly within the CRF and NE systems, with an emphasis on differences and similarities between the major dorsal and ventral BNST subregions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela E Snyder
- Penn State College of Medicine, Department of Neural and Behavioral Sciences, USA
| | - Yuval Silberman
- Penn State College of Medicine, Department of Neural and Behavioral Sciences, USA.
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8
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Sukhareva EV. The role of the corticotropin-releasing hormone and its receptors in the regulation of stress response. Vavilovskii Zhurnal Genet Selektsii 2021; 25:216-223. [PMID: 34901719 PMCID: PMC8627883 DOI: 10.18699/vj21.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Revised: 08/19/2020] [Accepted: 10/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Stress is an essential part of everyday life. The neuropeptide corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH, also
called CRF and corticoliberin) plays a key role in the integration of neuroendocrine, autonomic and behavioral
responses to stress. The activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA axis) by neurons of the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus (PVN), the primary site of synthesis CRH, triggers stress reactions. In addition to the
hypothalamus, CRH is widespread in extrahypothalamic brain structures, where it functions as a neuromodulator
for coordination and interaction between the humoral and behavioral aspects of a stress response. The axons of
neurons expressing CRH are directed to various structures of the brain, where the neuropeptide interacts with
specific receptors (CRHR1, CRHR2) and can affect various mediator systems that work together to transmit signals
to different brain regions to cause many reactions to stress. Moreover, the effect of stress on brain functions varies
from behavioral adaptation to increased survival and increased risk of developing mental disorders. Disturbances
of the CRH system regulation are directly related to such disorders: mental pathologies (depression, anxiety, addictions), deviations of neuroendocrinological functions, inflammation, as well as the onset and development of
neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease. In addition, the role of CRH as a regulator of the neurons
structure in the areas of the developing and mature brain has been established. To date, studies have been conducted in which CRHR1 is a target for antidepressants, which are, in fact, antagonists of this receptor. In this regard,
the study of the participation of the CRH system and its receptors in negative effects on hormone-dependent
systems, as well as the possibility of preventing them, is a promising task of modern physiological genetics. In this
review, attention will be paid to the role of CRH in the regulation of response to stress, as well as to the involvement
of extrahypothalamic CRH in pathophysiology and the correction of mental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- E V Sukhareva
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
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9
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Ruat J, Hartmann A, Heinz DE, Nemcova P, Stoffel R, Deussing JM, Chen A, Wotjak CT. CB1 receptors in corticotropin-releasing factor neurons selectively control the acoustic startle response in male mice. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2021; 20:e12775. [PMID: 34672092 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2021] [Revised: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 09/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The endocannabinoid system is an important regulator of the hormonal and behavioral stress responses, which critically involve corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) and its receptors. While it has been shown that CRF and the cannabinoid type 1 (CB1) receptor are co-localized in several brain regions, the physiological relevance of this co-expression remains unclear. Using double in situ hybridization, we confirmed co-localization in the piriform cortex, the lateral hypothalamic area, the paraventricular nucleus, and the Barrington's nucleus, albeit at low levels. To study the behavioral and physiological implications of this co-expression, we generated a conditional knockout mouse line that selectively lacks the expression of CB1 receptors in CRF neurons. We found no effects on fear and anxiety-related behaviors under basal conditions nor after a traumatic experience. Additionally, plasma corticosterone levels were unaffected at baseline and after restraint stress. Only acoustic startle responses were significantly enhanced in male, but not female, knockout mice. Taken together, the consequences of depleting CB1 in CRF-positive neurons caused a confined hyperarousal phenotype in a sex-dependent manner. The current results suggest that the important interplay between the central endocannabinoid and CRF systems in regulating the organism's stress response is predominantly taking place at the level of CRF receptor-expressing neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Ruat
- Department Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany.,International Max Planck Research School for Translational Psychiatry (IMPRS-TP), Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany.,Research Group Neuronal Plasticity, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Alice Hartmann
- Research Group Neuronal Plasticity, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Daniel E Heinz
- Research Group Neuronal Plasticity, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany.,Max Planck School of Cognition, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Paulina Nemcova
- Research Group Neuronal Plasticity, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Rainer Stoffel
- Department Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Jan M Deussing
- Research Group Molecular Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany.,Scientific Core Unit Genetically Engineered Mouse Models, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Alon Chen
- Department Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany.,Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Carsten T Wotjak
- Research Group Neuronal Plasticity, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany.,Max Planck School of Cognition, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.,Central Nervous System Diseases Research (CNSDR), Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co KG, Biberach an der Riss, Germany
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10
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Furman O, Tsoory M, Chen A. Differential chronic social stress models in male and female mice. Eur J Neurosci 2021; 55:2777-2793. [PMID: 34587653 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2020] [Revised: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Chronic stress creates an allostatic overload that may lead to mood disorders such as anxiety and depression. Modern causes of chronic stress in humans are mostly social in nature, relating to work and relationship stress. Research into neural and molecular mechanisms of vulnerability and resilience following chronic social stress (CSS) is ongoing and uses animal models to discover efficient prevention strategies and treatments. To date, most CSS studies have neglected the female sex and used male-focused aggression-based animal models such as chronic social defeat stress (CSDS). Accumulating evidence on sex differences suggests differences in the stress response, the prevalence of stress-related illness and in response to treatment, indicating that researchers should expand CSS investigation to include female-focused protocols alongside the popular CSDS protocols. Here, we describe a novel female mouse model of CSS and a parallel modified male mouse model of CSDS in C57BL/6 mice. These new models enable the investigation of vulnerability, coping and downstream effectors mediating short-term and long-term consequences of CSS in both sexes. Our data demonstrate differential effects on male and female mice during, soon after, and many weeks after CSS. Female mice are more prone to body weight loss during CSS and hyperactive anxious behaviour following CSS. Both sexes show reduced social interaction, but only stressed male mice show long-term changes in emotional memory and neuroendocrine function. We further discuss future avenues of research using these models to investigate mechanisms pertaining to sensitivity to CSS and treatment response profiles, in a sex-appropriate manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Orit Furman
- Department of Neurobiology, The Ruhman Family Laboratory for Research on the Neurobiology of Stress, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.,Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Michael Tsoory
- Department of Veterinary Resources, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Alon Chen
- Department of Neurobiology, The Ruhman Family Laboratory for Research on the Neurobiology of Stress, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.,Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
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11
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Oliveira LA, Gomes-de-Souza L, Benini R, Wood SK, Crestani CC. Both CRF 1 and CRF 2 receptors in the bed nucleus of stria terminalis are involved in baroreflex impairment evoked by chronic stress in rats. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2021; 105:110009. [PMID: 32535028 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2020.110009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2020] [Revised: 06/05/2020] [Accepted: 06/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Chronic exposure to adverse events has been proposed as a prominent factor involved in etiology and progression of cardiovascular dysfunctions in humans and animals. However, the neurobiological mechanisms involved are still poorly understood. In this sense, chronic stress has been reported to evoke neuroplasticity in corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) neurotransmission in several limbic structures, including the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis. However, a possible involvement of BNST CRF neurotransmission in cardiovascular dysfunctions evoked by chronic stress has never been reported. Thus, this study investigated the involvement of CRF1 and CRF2 receptors within the BNST in cardiovascular changes evoked by chronic stress in rats. We identified that exposure to a 10-day chronic variable stress (CVS) protocol decreased expression of both CRF1 and CRF2 receptors within the BNST. These effects were followed by increased arterial pressure and impairment of baroreflex function, but without changes on heart rate. Bilateral microinjection of either the selective CRF1 receptor antagonist CP376395 or the selective CRF2 receptor antagonist antisauvagine-30 into the BNST did not affect CVS-evoked arterial pressure increase. Nevertheless, BNST treatment with CP376395 decreased both tachycardic and bradycardic responses of the baroreflex in non-stressed rats; but these effects were not identified in chronically stressed animals. BNST pharmacological treatment with antisauvagine-30 decreased the reflex tachycardia in control animals, whereas reflex bradycardic response was increased in CVS animals. Altogether, the results reported in the present study indicate that down regulation of both CRF1 and CRF2 receptors within the BNST is involved in baroreflex impairment evoked by chronic stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leandro A Oliveira
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Araraquara, SP, Brazil; Joint UFSCar-UNESP Graduate Program in Physiological Sciences, Brazil
| | - Lucas Gomes-de-Souza
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Araraquara, SP, Brazil; Joint UFSCar-UNESP Graduate Program in Physiological Sciences, Brazil
| | - Ricardo Benini
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Araraquara, SP, Brazil; Joint UFSCar-UNESP Graduate Program in Physiological Sciences, Brazil
| | - Susan K Wood
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Carlos C Crestani
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Araraquara, SP, Brazil; Joint UFSCar-UNESP Graduate Program in Physiological Sciences, Brazil.
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12
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Somatostatin Neurons of the Bed Nucleus of Stria Terminalis Enhance Associative Fear Memory Consolidation in Mice. J Neurosci 2021; 41:1982-1995. [PMID: 33468566 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1944-20.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2020] [Revised: 11/26/2020] [Accepted: 12/23/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Excessive fear learning and generalized, extinction-resistant fear memories are core symptoms of anxiety and trauma-related disorders. Despite significant evidence from clinical studies reporting hyperactivity of the bed nucleus of stria terminalis (BNST) under these conditions, the role of BNST in fear learning and expression is still not clarified. Here, we tested how BNST modulates fear learning in male mice using a chemogenetic approach. Activation of GABAergic neurons of BNST during fear conditioning or memory consolidation resulted in enhanced cue-related fear recall. Importantly, BNST activation had no acute impact on fear expression during conditioning or recalls, but it enhanced cue-related fear recall subsequently, potentially via altered activity of downstream regions. Enhanced fear memory consolidation could be replicated by selectively activating somatostatin (SOM), but not corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), neurons of the BNST, which was accompanied by increased fear generalization. Our findings suggest the significant modulation of fear memory strength by specific circuits of the BNST.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The bed nucleus of stria terminalis (BNST) mediates different defensive behaviors, and its connections implicate its integrative modulatory role in fear memory formation; however, the involvement of BNST in fear learning has yet to be elucidated in detail. Our data highlight that BNST stimulation enhances fear memory formation without direct effects on fear expression. Our study identified somatostatin (SOM) cells within the extended amygdala as specific neurons promoting fear memory formation. These data underline the importance of anxiety circuits in maladaptive fear memory formation, indicating elevated BNST activity as a potential vulnerability factor to anxiety and trauma-related disorders.
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13
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Hadas R, Gershon E, Cohen A, Atrakchi O, Lazar S, Golani O, Dassa B, Elbaz M, Cohen G, Eilam R, Dekel N, Neeman M. Hyaluronan control of the primary vascular barrier during early mouse pregnancy is mediated by uterine NK cells. JCI Insight 2020; 5:135775. [PMID: 33208556 PMCID: PMC7710306 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.135775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2019] [Accepted: 10/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Successful implantation is associated with a unique spatial pattern of vascular remodeling, characterized by profound peripheral neovascularization surrounding a periembryo avascular niche. We hypothesized that hyaluronan controls the formation of this distinctive vascular pattern encompassing the embryo. This hypothesis was evaluated by genetic modification of hyaluronan metabolism, specifically targeted to embryonic trophoblast cells. The outcome of altered hyaluronan deposition on uterine vascular remodeling and postimplantation development were analyzed by MRI, detailed histological examinations, and RNA sequencing of uterine NK cells. Our experiments revealed that disruption of hyaluronan synthesis, as well as its increased cleavage at the embryonic niche, impaired implantation by induction of decidual vascular permeability, defective vascular sinus folds formation, breach of the maternal-embryo barrier, elevated MMP-9 expression, and interrupted uterine NK cell recruitment and function. Conversely, enhanced deposition of hyaluronan resulted in the expansion of the maternal-embryo barrier and increased diffusion distance, leading to compromised implantation. The deposition of hyaluronan at the embryonic niche is regulated by progesterone-progesterone receptor signaling. These results demonstrate a pivotal role for hyaluronan in successful pregnancy by fine-tuning the periembryo avascular niche and maternal vascular morphogenesis. Hyaluronan fine-tunes the periembryo avascular niche and maternal vascular morphogenesis during implantation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ron Hadas
- Department of Biological Regulation, Weizmann Institute, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Eran Gershon
- Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Center, Israel
| | - Aviad Cohen
- Department of Biological Regulation, Weizmann Institute, Rehovot, Israel.,Department of Gynecology, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Affiliated to the Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Israel
| | - Ofir Atrakchi
- Department of Biological Regulation, Weizmann Institute, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Shlomi Lazar
- Department of Pharmacology, The Israel Institute for Biological Research, Nes Ziona, Israel
| | - Ofra Golani
- Department of Life Sciences Core Facilities and
| | | | - Michal Elbaz
- Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Center, Israel
| | - Gadi Cohen
- Department of Biological Regulation, Weizmann Institute, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Raya Eilam
- Department of Veterinary Resources, Weizmann Institute, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Nava Dekel
- Department of Biological Regulation, Weizmann Institute, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Michal Neeman
- Department of Biological Regulation, Weizmann Institute, Rehovot, Israel
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14
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Beyeler A, Dabrowska J. Neuronal diversity of the amygdala and the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis. HANDBOOK OF BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2020; 26:63-100. [PMID: 32792868 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-815134-1.00003-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Anna Beyeler
- Neurocentre Magendie, French National Institutes of Health (INSERM) unit 1215, Neurocampus of Bordeaux University, Bordeaux, France
| | - Joanna Dabrowska
- Center for the Neurobiology of Stress Resilience and Psychiatric Disorders, Discipline of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, The Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, United States
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15
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Guo Q, Wang L, Yuan W, Li L, Zhang J, Hou W, Yang Y, Zhang X, Cai W, Ma H, Xun Y, Jia R, He Z, Tai F. Different effects of chronic social defeat on social behavior and the brain CRF system in adult male C57 mice with different susceptibilities. Behav Brain Res 2020; 384:112553. [PMID: 32057826 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2020.112553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2019] [Revised: 02/09/2020] [Accepted: 02/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Chronic social defeat stress (CSDS) has been found to produce different impacts on anxiety-like behaviors, spatial cognitive function and memory in rodents with different susceptibilities. However, the impacts of chronic social defeat on social behaviors in adult male mice with different susceptibilities to social defeat and the underlying mechanisms in the brain remain unclear. In the present study, we found that ten days of social defeat reduced the tendency of susceptible adult male C57 mice to approach an unfamiliar individual and increased their avoidance of an unfamiliar CD-1 mouse but had no effects on resilient individuals. In addition, CSDS enhanced anxiety-like behavior in susceptible animals, but produced no effects in the resilient group. Meanwhile, CSDS increased the number of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF)-positive neurons in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus and CRF-R2-positive neurons in the accumbens nucleus shell in both resilient and susceptible animals. CSDS increased the number of CRF-R1-positive neurons and CRF-R1 mRNA expression in the prelimbic cortex (PrL) and the number of CRF-R2-positive neurons in the basolateral amygdala, but reduced the number of CRF-R2-positive neurons and mRNA expression in the PrL in susceptible animals. Therefore, the different effects of CSDS on sociability and anxiety-like behavior in mice with different susceptibilities may be associated with region- and type-specific alterations in CRF receptor levels. These findings help us understand the underlying mechanism by which social stress affects emotion and social behavior and provides an important basis for the treatment of disorders of social and emotional behavior caused by social stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qianqian Guo
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710062, China
| | - Limin Wang
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710062, China
| | - Wei Yuan
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710062, China
| | - Laifu Li
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710062, China
| | - Jing Zhang
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710062, China
| | - Wenjuan Hou
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710062, China
| | - Yang Yang
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710062, China
| | - Xueni Zhang
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710062, China
| | - Wenqi Cai
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710062, China
| | - Huan Ma
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710062, China
| | - YuFeng Xun
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710062, China
| | - Rui Jia
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710062, China
| | - Zhixiong He
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710062, China.
| | - Fadao Tai
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710062, China; Cognition Neuroscience and Learning Division, Key Laboratory of Modern Teaching Technology, Ministry of Education, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710062, China.
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16
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Cohen G, Hadas R, Stefania R, Pagoto A, Ben-Dor S, Kohen F, Longo D, Elbaz M, Dekel N, Gershon E, Aime S, Neeman M. Magnetic Resonance Imaging Reveals Distinct Roles for Tissue Transglutaminase and Factor XIII in Maternal Angiogenesis During Early Mouse Pregnancy. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 2019; 39:1602-1613. [PMID: 31189431 DOI: 10.1161/atvbaha.119.312832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The early embryo implantation is characterized by enhanced uterine vascular permeability at the site of blastocyst attachment, followed by extracellular-matrix remodeling and angiogenesis. Two TG (transglutaminase) isoenzymes, TG2 (tissue TG) and FXIII (factor XIII), catalyze covalent cross-linking of the extracellular-matrix. However, their specific role during embryo implantation is not fully understood. Approach and Results: For mapping the distribution as well as the enzymatic activities of TG2 and FXIII towards blood-borne and resident extracellular-matrix substrates, we synthetized selective and specific low molecular weight substrate analogs for each of the isoenzymes. The implantation sites were challenged by genetically modifying the trophoblast cells in the outer layer of blastocysts, to either overexpress or deplete TG2 or FXIII, and the angiogenic response was studied by dynamic contrast-enhanced-magnetic resonance imaging. Dynamic contrast-enhanced-magnetic resonance imaging revealed a decrease in the permeability of decidual vasculature surrounding embryos in which FXIII were overexpressed in trophoblast cell. Reduction in decidual blood volume fraction was demonstrated when either FXIII or TG2 were overexpressed in embryonic trophoblast cell and was elevated when trophoblast cell was depleted of FXIII. These results were corroborated by histological analysis. CONCLUSIONS In this study, we report on the isoenzyme-specific roles of TG2 and FXIII during the early days of mouse pregnancy and further reveal their involvement in decidual angiogenesis. Our results reveal an important magnetic resonance imaging-detectable function of embryo-derived TG2 and FXIII on regulating maternal angiogenesis during embryo implantation in mice.Visual Overview: An online visual overview is available for this article.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gadi Cohen
- From the Department of Biological Regulation (G.C., R.H., F.K., N.D., M.N.), Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Ron Hadas
- From the Department of Biological Regulation (G.C., R.H., F.K., N.D., M.N.), Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Rachele Stefania
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Torino, Italy (R.S., A.P., D.L., S.A.)
| | - Amerigo Pagoto
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Torino, Italy (R.S., A.P., D.L., S.A.)
| | - Shifra Ben-Dor
- Life Science Core Facilities (S.B.-D.), Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Fortune Kohen
- From the Department of Biological Regulation (G.C., R.H., F.K., N.D., M.N.), Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Dario Longo
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Torino, Italy (R.S., A.P., D.L., S.A.)
| | - Michal Elbaz
- Department of Ruminant Science, Agricultural Research Organization, Bet Dagan, Israel (M.E., E.G.)
| | - Nave Dekel
- From the Department of Biological Regulation (G.C., R.H., F.K., N.D., M.N.), Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Eran Gershon
- Department of Ruminant Science, Agricultural Research Organization, Bet Dagan, Israel (M.E., E.G.)
| | - Silvio Aime
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Torino, Italy (R.S., A.P., D.L., S.A.)
| | - Michal Neeman
- From the Department of Biological Regulation (G.C., R.H., F.K., N.D., M.N.), Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
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17
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Gołyszny M, Obuchowicz E. Are neuropeptides relevant for the mechanism of action of SSRIs? Neuropeptides 2019; 75:1-17. [PMID: 30824124 DOI: 10.1016/j.npep.2019.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2018] [Revised: 01/08/2019] [Accepted: 02/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are drugs of first choice in the therapy of moderate to severe depression and anxiety disorders. Their primary mechanism of action is via influence of the serotonergic (5-HT) system, but a growing amount of data provides evidence for other non-monoaminergic players in SSRI effects. It is assumed that neuropeptides, which play a role as neuromodulators in the CNS, are involved in their mechanism of action. In this review we focus on six neuropeptides: corticotropin-releasing factor - CRF, galanin - GAL, oxytocin - OT, vasopressin - AVP, neuropeptide Y - NPY, and orexins - OXs. First, information about their roles in depression and anxiety disorders are presented. Then, findings describing their interactions with the 5-HT system are summarized. These data provide background for analysis of the results of published preclinical and clinical studies related to SSRI effects on the neuropeptide systems. We also report findings showing how modulation of neuropeptide transmission influences behavioral and neurochemical effects of SSRIs. Finally, future research necessary for enriching our knowledge of SSRI mechanisms of action is proposed. Recognition of new molecular targets for antidepressants will have a significant effect on the development of novel therapeutic strategies for mood-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miłosz Gołyszny
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, Poniatowskiego 15, 40-055 Katowice, Poland
| | - Ewa Obuchowicz
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, Poniatowskiego 15, 40-055 Katowice, Poland.
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18
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Miles OW, Maren S. Role of the Bed Nucleus of the Stria Terminalis in PTSD: Insights From Preclinical Models. Front Behav Neurosci 2019; 13:68. [PMID: 31024271 PMCID: PMC6461014 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2018] [Accepted: 03/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) afflicts approximately 8% of the United States population and represents a significant public health burden, but the underlying neural mechanisms of this and other anxiety- and stressor-related disorders are largely unknown. Within the last few decades, several preclinical models of PSTD have been developed to help elucidate the mechanisms underlying dysregulated fear states. One brain area that has emerged as a critical mediator of stress-related behavioral processing in both clinical and laboratory settings is the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST). The BNST is interconnected with essential emotional processing regions, including prefrontal cortex, hippocampus and amygdala. It is activated by stressor exposure and undergoes neurochemical and morphological alterations as a result of stressor exposure. Stress-related neuro-peptides including corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) and pituitary adenylate cyclase activating peptide (PACAP) are also abundant in the BNST, further implicating an involvement of BNST in stress responses. Behaviorally, the BNST is critical for acquisition and expression of fear and is well positioned to regulate fear relapse after periods of extinction. Here, we consider the role of the BNST in stress and memory processes in the context of preclinical models of PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia W. Miles
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
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19
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Chistiakov DA, Chekhonin VP. Early-life adversity-induced long-term epigenetic programming associated with early onset of chronic physical aggression: Studies in humans and animals. World J Biol Psychiatry 2019; 20:258-277. [PMID: 28441915 DOI: 10.1080/15622975.2017.1322714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Objectives: To examine whether chronic physical aggression (CPA) in adulthood can be epigenetically programmed early in life due to exposure to early-life adversity. Methods: Literature search of public databases such as PubMed/MEDLINE and Scopus. Results: Children/adolescents susceptible for CPA and exposed to early-life abuse fail to efficiently cope with stress that in turn results in the development of CPA later in life. This phenomenon was observed in humans and animal models of aggression. The susceptibility to aggression is a complex trait that is regulated by the interaction between environmental and genetic factors. Epigenetic mechanisms mediate this interaction. Subjects exposed to stress early in life exhibited long-term epigenetic programming that can influence their behaviour in adulthood. This programming affects expression of many genes not only in the brain but also in other systems such as neuroendocrine and immune. Conclusions: The propensity to adult CPA behaviour in subjects experienced to early-life adversity is mediated by epigenetic programming that involves long-term systemic epigenetic alterations in a whole genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dimitry A Chistiakov
- a Department of Fundamental and Applied Neurobiology , Serbsky Federal Medical Research Center of Psychiatry and Narcology , Moscow , Russia
| | - Vladimir P Chekhonin
- a Department of Fundamental and Applied Neurobiology , Serbsky Federal Medical Research Center of Psychiatry and Narcology , Moscow , Russia.,b Department of Medical Nanobiotechnology , Pirogov Russian State Medical University (RSMU) , Moscow , Russia
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20
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Itoga CA, Chen Y, Fateri C, Echeverry PA, Lai JM, Delgado J, Badhon S, Short A, Baram TZ, Xu X. New viral-genetic mapping uncovers an enrichment of corticotropin-releasing hormone-expressing neuronal inputs to the nucleus accumbens from stress-related brain regions. J Comp Neurol 2019; 527:2474-2487. [PMID: 30861133 DOI: 10.1002/cne.24676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2018] [Revised: 02/14/2019] [Accepted: 03/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) is an essential, evolutionarily-conserved stress neuropeptide. In addition to hypothalamus, CRH is expressed in brain regions including amygdala and hippocampus where it plays crucial roles in modulating the function of circuits underlying emotion and cognition. CRH+ fibers are found in nucleus accumbens (NAc), where CRH modulates reward/motivation behaviors. CRH actions in NAc may vary by the individual's stress history, suggesting roles for CRH in neuroplasticity and adaptation of the reward circuitry. However, the origin and extent of CRH+ inputs to NAc are incompletely understood. We employed viral genetic approaches to map both global and CRH+ projection sources to NAc in mice. We injected into NAc variants of a new designer adeno-associated virus that permits robust retrograde access to NAc-afferent projection neurons. Cre-dependent viruses injected into CRH-Cre mice enabled selective mapping of CRH+ afferents. We employed anterograde AAV1-directed axonal tracing to verify NAc CRH+ fiber projections and established the identity of genetic reporter-labeled cells via validated antisera against native CRH. We quantified the relative contribution of CRH+ neurons to total NAc-directed projections. Combined retrograde and anterograde tracing identified the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus, bed nucleus of stria terminalis, basolateral amygdala, and medial prefrontal cortex as principal sources of CRH+ projections to NAc. CRH+ NAc afferents were selectively enriched in NAc-projecting brain regions involved in diverse aspects of the sensing, processing and memory of emotionally salient events. These findings suggest multiple, complex potential roles for the molecularly-defined, CRH-dependent circuit in modulation of reward and motivation behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christy A Itoga
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, California
| | - Yuncai Chen
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, California.,Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, California
| | - Cameron Fateri
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, California
| | - Paula A Echeverry
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, California
| | - Jennifer M Lai
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, California
| | - Jasmine Delgado
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, California
| | - Shapatur Badhon
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, California
| | - Annabel Short
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, California.,Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, California
| | - Tallie Z Baram
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, California.,Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, California
| | - Xiangmin Xu
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, California.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, California.,Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Irvine, California
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21
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Zelikowsky M, Hui M, Karigo T, Choe A, Yang B, Blanco MR, Beadle K, Gradinaru V, Deverman BE, Anderson DJ. The Neuropeptide Tac2 Controls a Distributed Brain State Induced by Chronic Social Isolation Stress. Cell 2019; 173:1265-1279.e19. [PMID: 29775595 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2018.03.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 162] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2017] [Revised: 01/29/2018] [Accepted: 03/15/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Chronic social isolation causes severe psychological effects in humans, but their neural bases remain poorly understood. 2 weeks (but not 24 hr) of social isolation stress (SIS) caused multiple behavioral changes in mice and induced brain-wide upregulation of the neuropeptide tachykinin 2 (Tac2)/neurokinin B (NkB). Systemic administration of an Nk3R antagonist prevented virtually all of the behavioral effects of chronic SIS. Conversely, enhancing NkB expression and release phenocopied SIS in group-housed mice, promoting aggression and converting stimulus-locked defensive behaviors to persistent responses. Multiplexed analysis of Tac2/NkB function in multiple brain areas revealed dissociable, region-specific requirements for both the peptide and its receptor in different SIS-induced behavioral changes. Thus, Tac2 coordinates a pleiotropic brain state caused by SIS via a distributed mode of action. These data reveal the profound effects of prolonged social isolation on brain chemistry and function and suggest potential new therapeutic applications for Nk3R antagonists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moriel Zelikowsky
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering 156-29, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.
| | - May Hui
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering 156-29, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Tomomi Karigo
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering 156-29, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Andrea Choe
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering 156-29, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Bin Yang
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering 156-29, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Mario R Blanco
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering 156-29, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Keith Beadle
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering 156-29, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Viviana Gradinaru
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering 156-29, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Benjamin E Deverman
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering 156-29, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - David J Anderson
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering 156-29, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA; Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute for Neuroscience, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.
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Bolton JL, Short AK, Simeone KA, Daglian J, Baram TZ. Programming of Stress-Sensitive Neurons and Circuits by Early-Life Experiences. Front Behav Neurosci 2019; 13:30. [PMID: 30833892 PMCID: PMC6387907 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2018] [Accepted: 02/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Early-life experiences influence brain structure and function long-term, contributing to resilience or vulnerability to stress and stress-related disorders. Therefore, understanding the mechanisms by which early-life experiences program specific brain cells and circuits to shape life-long cognitive and emotional functions is crucial. We identify the population of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH)-expressing neurons in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) as a key, early target of early-life experiences. Adverse experiences increase excitatory neurotransmission onto PVN CRH cells, whereas optimal experiences, such as augmented and predictable maternal care, reduce the number and function of glutamatergic inputs onto this cell population. Altered synaptic neurotransmission is sufficient to initiate large-scale, enduring epigenetic re-programming within CRH-expressing neurons, associated with stress resilience and additional cognitive and emotional outcomes. Thus, the mechanisms by which early-life experiences influence the brain provide tractable targets for intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica L Bolton
- Departments of Pediatrics, Anatomy/Neurobiology, Neurology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Annabel Katherine Short
- Departments of Pediatrics, Anatomy/Neurobiology, Neurology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Kristina A Simeone
- Departments of Pediatrics, Anatomy/Neurobiology, Neurology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Jennifer Daglian
- Departments of Pediatrics, Anatomy/Neurobiology, Neurology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Tallie Z Baram
- Departments of Pediatrics, Anatomy/Neurobiology, Neurology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
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Dedic N, Chen A, Deussing JM. The CRF Family of Neuropeptides and their Receptors - Mediators of the Central Stress Response. Curr Mol Pharmacol 2018; 11:4-31. [PMID: 28260504 PMCID: PMC5930453 DOI: 10.2174/1874467210666170302104053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2015] [Revised: 11/26/2015] [Accepted: 08/03/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Background: Dysregulated stress neurocircuits, caused by genetic and/or environmental changes, underlie the development of many neuropsychiatric disorders. Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) is the major physiological activator of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and conse-quently a primary regulator of the mammalian stress response. Together with its three family members, urocortins (UCNs) 1, 2, and 3, CRF integrates the neuroendocrine, autonomic, metabolic and behavioral responses to stress by activating its cognate receptors CRFR1 and CRFR2. Objective: Here we review the past and current state of the CRF/CRFR field, ranging from pharmacologi-cal studies to genetic mouse models and virus-mediated manipulations. Results: Although it is well established that CRF/CRFR1 signaling mediates aversive responses, includ-ing anxiety and depression-like behaviors, a number of recent studies have challenged this viewpoint by revealing anxiolytic and appetitive properties of specific CRF/CRFR1 circuits. In contrast, the UCN/CRFR2 system is less well understood and may possibly also exert divergent functions on physiol-ogy and behavior depending on the brain region, underlying circuit, and/or experienced stress conditions. Conclusion: A plethora of available genetic tools, including conventional and conditional mouse mutants targeting CRF system components, has greatly advanced our understanding about the endogenous mecha-nisms underlying HPA system regulation and CRF/UCN-related neuronal circuits involved in stress-related behaviors. Yet, the detailed pathways and molecular mechanisms by which the CRF/UCN-system translates negative or positive stimuli into the final, integrated biological response are not completely un-derstood. The utilization of future complementary methodologies, such as cell-type specific Cre-driver lines, viral and optogenetic tools will help to further dissect the function of genetically defined CRF/UCN neurocircuits in the context of adaptive and maladaptive stress responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Dedic
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Kraepelinstr, 2-10, 80804 Munich. Germany
| | - Alon Chen
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Kraepelinstr, 2-10, 80804 Munich. Germany
| | - Jan M Deussing
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Kraepelinstr, 2-10, 80804 Munich. Germany
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Deussing JM, Chen A. The Corticotropin-Releasing Factor Family: Physiology of the Stress Response. Physiol Rev 2018; 98:2225-2286. [DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00042.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 127] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The physiological stress response is responsible for the maintenance of homeostasis in the presence of real or perceived challenges. In this function, the brain activates adaptive responses that involve numerous neural circuits and effector molecules to adapt to the current and future demands. A maladaptive stress response has been linked to the etiology of a variety of disorders, such as anxiety and mood disorders, eating disorders, and the metabolic syndrome. The neuropeptide corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) and its relatives, the urocortins 1–3, in concert with their receptors (CRFR1, CRFR2), have emerged as central components of the physiological stress response. This central peptidergic system impinges on a broad spectrum of physiological processes that are the basis for successful adaptation and concomitantly integrate autonomic, neuroendocrine, and behavioral stress responses. This review focuses on the physiology of CRF-related peptides and their cognate receptors with the aim of providing a comprehensive up-to-date overview of the field. We describe the major molecular features covering aspects of gene expression and regulation, structural properties, and molecular interactions, as well as mechanisms of signal transduction and their surveillance. In addition, we discuss the large body of published experimental studies focusing on state-of-the-art genetic approaches with high temporal and spatial precision, which collectively aimed to dissect the contribution of CRF-related ligands and receptors to different levels of the stress response. We discuss the controversies in the field and unravel knowledge gaps that might pave the way for future research directions and open up novel opportunities for therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan M. Deussing
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany; and Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Alon Chen
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany; and Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
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25
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Wang X, Shen C, Chen X, Wang J, Cui X, Wang Y, Zhang H, Tang L, Lu S, Fei J, Wang Z. Tafa-2 plays an essential role in neuronal survival and neurobiological function in mice. Acta Biochim Biophys Sin (Shanghai) 2018; 50:984-995. [PMID: 30137205 PMCID: PMC6185136 DOI: 10.1093/abbs/gmy097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2018] [Accepted: 07/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Tafa is a family of small secreted proteins with conserved cysteine residues and restricted expression in the brain. It is composed of five highly homologous genes referred to as Tafa-1 to -5. Among them, Tafa-2 is identified as one of the potential genes responsible for intellectual deficiency in a patient with mild mental retardation. To investigate the biological function of Tafa-2 in vivo, Tafa-2 knockout mice were generated. The mutant mice grew and developed normally but exhibited impairments in spatial learning and memory in Morris water maze test and impairments in short- and long-term memory in novel object recognition test, accompanied with increased level of anxiety-like behaviors in open-field test and elevated plus maze test, and decreased level of depression-like behaviors in forced-swim test and tail-suspension test. Further examinations revealed that Tafa-2 deficiency causes severe neuronal reduction and increased apoptosis in the brain of Tafa-2-/- mice via downregulation of PI3K/Akt and MAPK/Erk pathways. Conformably, the expression levels of CREB target genes including BDNF, c-fos and NF1, and CBP were found to be reduced in the brain of Tafa-2-/- mice. Taken together, our data indicate that Tafa-2 may function as a neurotrophic factor essential for neuronal survival and neurobiological functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiyi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, Research Center for Experimental Medicine, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine (SJTUSM), Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Research Center for Model Organisms, Shanghai, China
| | - Chunling Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, Research Center for Experimental Medicine, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine (SJTUSM), Shanghai, China
| | - Xuejiao Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, Research Center for Experimental Medicine, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine (SJTUSM), Shanghai, China
| | - Jinjin Wang
- Shanghai Research Center for Model Organisms, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaofang Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, Research Center for Experimental Medicine, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine (SJTUSM), Shanghai, China
| | - Yicheng Wang
- Shanghai Research Center for Model Organisms, Shanghai, China
| | - Hongxin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, Research Center for Experimental Medicine, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine (SJTUSM), Shanghai, China
| | - Lingyun Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, Research Center for Experimental Medicine, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine (SJTUSM), Shanghai, China
| | - Shunyuan Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, Research Center for Experimental Medicine, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine (SJTUSM), Shanghai, China
| | - Jian Fei
- Shanghai Research Center for Model Organisms, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhugang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, Research Center for Experimental Medicine, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine (SJTUSM), Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Research Center for Model Organisms, Shanghai, China
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Janeček M, Dabrowska J. Oxytocin facilitates adaptive fear and attenuates anxiety responses in animal models and human studies-potential interaction with the corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) system in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST). Cell Tissue Res 2018; 375:143-172. [PMID: 30054732 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-018-2889-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2018] [Accepted: 07/04/2018] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Despite its relatively well-understood role as a reproductive and pro-social peptide, oxytocin (OT) tells a more convoluted story in terms of its modulation of fear and anxiety. This nuanced story has been obscured by a great deal of research into the therapeutic applications of exogenous OT, driving more than 400 ongoing clinical trials. Drawing from animal models and human studies, we review the complex evidence concerning OT's role in fear learning and anxiety, clarifying the existing confusion about modulation of fear versus anxiety. We discuss animal models and human studies demonstrating the prevailing role of OT in strengthening fear memory to a discrete signal or cue, which allows accurate and rapid threat detection that facilitates survival. We also review ostensibly contrasting behavioral studies that nonetheless provide compelling evidence of OT attenuating sustained contextual fear and anxiety-like behavior, arguing that these OT effects on the modulation of fear vs. anxiety are not mutually exclusive. To disambiguate how endogenous OT modulates fear and anxiety, an understudied area compared to exogenous OT, we survey behavioral studies utilizing OT receptor (OTR) antagonists. Based on emerging evidence about the role of OTR in rat dorsolateral bed nucleus of stria terminalis (BNST) and elsewhere, we postulate that OT plays a critical role in facilitating accurate discrimination between stimuli representing threat and safety. Supported by human studies, we demonstrate that OT uniquely facilitates adaptive fear but reduces maladaptive anxiety. Last, we explore the limited literature on endogenous OT and its interaction with corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) with a special emphasis on the dorsolateral BNST, which may hold the key to the neurobiology of phasic fear and sustained anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Janeček
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, 60064, USA
| | - Joanna Dabrowska
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, 60064, USA. .,Department of Neuroscience, Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, 60064, USA.
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27
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Cerebellar Learning Properties Are Modulated by the CRF Receptor. J Neurosci 2018; 38:6751-6765. [PMID: 29934353 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.3106-15.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2015] [Revised: 04/17/2018] [Accepted: 04/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) and its type 1 receptor (CRFR1) play an important role in the responses to stressful challenges. Despite the well established expression of CRFR1 in granular cells (GrCs), its role in procedural motor performance and memory formation remains elusive. To investigate the role of CRFR1 expression in cerebellar GrCs, we used a mouse model depleted of CRFR1 in these cells. We detected changes in the cellular learning mechanisms in GrCs depleted of CRFR1 in that they showed changes in intrinsic excitability and long-term synaptic plasticity. Analysis of cerebella transcriptome obtained from KO and control mice detected prominent alterations in the expression of calcium signaling pathways components. Moreover, male mice depleted of CRFR1 specifically in GrCs showed accelerated Pavlovian associative eye-blink conditioning, but no differences in baseline motor performance, locomotion, or fear and anxiety-related behaviors. Our findings shed light on the interplay between stress-related central mechanisms and cerebellar motor conditioning, highlighting the role of the CRF system in regulating particular forms of cerebellar learning.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Although it is known that the corticotropin-releasing factor type 1 receptor (CRFR1) is highly expressed in the cerebellum, little attention has been given to its role in cerebellar functions in the behaving animal. Moreover, most of the attention was directed at the effect of CRF on Purkinje cells at the cellular level and, to this date, almost no data exist on the role of this stress-related receptor in other cerebellar structures. Here, we explored the behavioral and cellular effect of granular cell-specific ablation of CRFR1 We found a profound effect on learning both at the cellular and behavioral levels without an effect on baseline motor skills.
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28
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Ezra-Nevo G, Volk N, Ramot A, Kuehne C, Tsoory M, Deussing J, Chen A. Inferior olive CRF plays a role in motor performance under challenging conditions. Transl Psychiatry 2018; 8:107. [PMID: 29802362 PMCID: PMC5970254 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-018-0145-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2017] [Revised: 02/05/2018] [Accepted: 02/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
A well-coordinated stress response is pivotal for an organisms' survival. Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) is an essential component of the emotional and neuroendocrine stress response, however its role in cerebellar functions is poorly understood. Here, we explore the role of CRF in the inferior olive (IO) nucleus, which is a major source of input to the cerebellum. Using a CRF reporter line, in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry, we demonstrate very high levels of the CRF neuropeptide expression throughout the IO sub-regions. By generating and characterizing IO-specific CRF knockdown and partial IO-CRF knockout, we demonstrate that reduction in IO-CRF levels is sufficient to induce motor deficiency under challenging conditions, irrespective of basal locomotion or anxiety-like behavior. Furthermore, we show that chronic social defeat stress induces a persistent decrease in IO-CRF levels, and that IO-CRF mRNA is upregulated shortly following stressful situations that demand a complex motor response. Taken together our results indicate a role for IO-CRF in challenge-induced motor responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gili Ezra-Nevo
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804, Munich, Germany
| | - Naama Volk
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804, Munich, Germany
| | - Assaf Ramot
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804, Munich, Germany
| | - Claudia Kuehne
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804, Munich, Germany
| | - Michael Tsoory
- Department of Veterinary Resources, Weizmann Institute of Science, 76100, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Jan Deussing
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804, Munich, Germany
| | - Alon Chen
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel.
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804, Munich, Germany.
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29
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Lalonde R, Strazielle C. Neuroanatomical pathways underlying the effects of hypothalamo-hypophysial-adrenal hormones on exploratory activity. Rev Neurosci 2018; 28:617-648. [PMID: 28609296 DOI: 10.1515/revneuro-2016-0075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2016] [Accepted: 02/16/2017] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
When injected via the intracerebroventricular route, corticosterone-releasing hormone (CRH) reduced exploration in the elevated plus-maze, the center region of the open-field, and the large chamber in the defensive withdrawal test. The anxiogenic action of CRH in the elevated plus-maze also occurred when infused in the basolateral amygdala, ventral hippocampus, lateral septum, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, nucleus accumbens, periaqueductal grey, and medial frontal cortex. The anxiogenic action of CRH in the defensive withdrawal test was reproduced when injected in the locus coeruleus, while the amygdala, hippocampus, lateral septum, nucleus accumbens, and lateral globus pallidus contribute to center zone exploration in the open-field. In addition to elevated plus-maze and open-field tests, the amygdala appears as a target region for CRH-mediated anxiety in the elevated T-maze. Thus, the amygdala is the principal brain region identified with these three tests, and further research must identify the neural circuits underlying this form of anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Catherine Strazielle
- , Laboratoire 'Stress, Immunité, Pathogènes' EA 7300 and Service de Microscopie Electronique, Faculté de Médecine
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30
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Pałasz A, Janas-Kozik M, Borrow A, Arias-Carrión O, Worthington JJ. The potential role of the novel hypothalamic neuropeptides nesfatin-1, phoenixin, spexin and kisspeptin in the pathogenesis of anxiety and anorexia nervosa. Neurochem Int 2018; 113:120-136. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2017.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2017] [Revised: 12/13/2017] [Accepted: 12/14/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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31
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Bolton JL, Molet J, Regev L, Chen Y, Rismanchi N, Haddad E, Yang DZ, Obenaus A, Baram TZ. Anhedonia Following Early-Life Adversity Involves Aberrant Interaction of Reward and Anxiety Circuits and Is Reversed by Partial Silencing of Amygdala Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone Gene. Biol Psychiatry 2018; 83:137-147. [PMID: 29033027 PMCID: PMC5723546 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2017.08.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 132] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2017] [Revised: 08/29/2017] [Accepted: 08/29/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Anhedonia, the diminished ability to experience pleasure, is an important dimensional entity linked to depression, schizophrenia, and other emotional disorders, but its origins and mechanisms are poorly understood. We have previously identified anhedonia, manifest as decreased sucrose preference and social play, in adolescent male rats that experienced chronic early-life adversity/stress (CES). Here we probed the molecular, cellular, and circuit processes underlying CES-induced anhedonia and tested them mechanistically. METHODS We examined functional brain circuits and neuronal populations activated by social play in adolescent CES and control rats. Structural connectivity between stress- and reward-related networks was probed using high-resolution diffusion tensor imaging, and cellular/regional activation was probed using c-Fos. We employed viral-genetic approaches to reduce corticotropin-releasing hormone (Crh) expression in the central nucleus of the amygdala in anhedonic rats, and tested for anhedonia reversal in the same animals. RESULTS Sucrose preference was reduced in adolescent CES rats. Social play, generally considered an independent measure of pleasure, activated brain regions involved in reward circuitry in both control and CES groups. In CES rats, social play activated Crh-expressing neurons in the central nucleus of the amygdala, typically involved in anxiety/fear, indicating aberrant functional connectivity of pleasure/reward and fear circuits. Diffusion tensor imaging tractography revealed increased structural connectivity of the amygdala to the medial prefrontal cortex in CES rats. Crh-short hairpin RNA, but not control short hairpin RNA, given into the central nucleus of the amygdala reversed CES-induced anhedonia without influencing other emotional measures. CONCLUSIONS These findings robustly demonstrate aberrant interactions of stress and reward networks after early-life adversity and suggest mechanistic roles for Crh-expressing amygdala neurons in emotional deficits portending major neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica L. Bolton
- Department of Anatomy/Neurobiology, University of California- Irvine,Department of Pediatrics, University of California- Irvine
| | - Jenny Molet
- Department of Anatomy/Neurobiology, University of California- Irvine,Department of Pediatrics, University of California- Irvine
| | - Limor Regev
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California- Irvine
| | - Yuncai Chen
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California- Irvine
| | - Neggy Rismanchi
- Department of Anatomy/Neurobiology, University of California- Irvine
| | | | - Derek Z. Yang
- Department of Anatomy/Neurobiology, University of California- Irvine
| | - Andre Obenaus
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California- Irvine
| | - Tallie Z. Baram
- Department of Anatomy/Neurobiology, University of California- Irvine,Department of Pediatrics, University of California- Irvine,Corresponding Author: Tallie Z. Baram, MD, PhD, Pediatrics and Anatomy/Neurobiology, University of California-Irvine, Medical Sciences I, ZOT: 4475, Irvine, CA 92697-4475, USA, Tel: 949.824.6478; Fax: 949.824.1106;
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Melatonin Augments the Effects of Fluoxetine on Depression-Like Behavior and Hippocampal BDNF-TrkB Signaling. Neurosci Bull 2017; 34:303-311. [PMID: 29086908 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-017-0189-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2017] [Accepted: 09/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Depression is a debilitating psychiatric disorder with a huge socioeconomic burden, and its treatment relies on antidepressants including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Recently, the melatonergic system that is closely associated with the serotonergic system has been implicated in the pathophysiology and treatment of depression. However, it remains unknown whether combined treatment with SSRI and melatonin has synergistic antidepressant effects. In this study, we applied a sub-chronic restraint stress paradigm, and evaluated the potential antidepressant effects of combined fluoxetine and melatonin in adult male mice. Sub-chronic restraint stress (6 h/day for 10 days) induced depression-like behavior as shown by deteriorated fur state, increased latency to groom in the splash test, and increased immobility time in the forced-swim test. Repeated administration of either fluoxetine or melatonin at 10 mg/kg during stress exposure failed to prevent depression-like phenotypes. However, combined treatment with fluoxetine and melatonin at the selected dose attenuated stress-induced behavioral abnormalities. Moreover, we found that the antidepressant effects of combined treatment were associated with the normalization of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)-tropomyosin receptor kinase B (TrkB) signaling in the hippocampus, but not in the prefrontal cortex. Our findings suggest that combined fluoxetine and melatonin treatment exerts synergistic antidepressant effects possibly by restoring hippocampal BDNF-TrkB signaling.
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Construct and face validity of a new model for the three-hit theory of depression using PACAP mutant mice on CD1 background. Neuroscience 2017; 354:11-29. [PMID: 28450265 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2017.04.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2016] [Revised: 04/06/2017] [Accepted: 04/13/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Major depression is a common cause of chronic disability. Despite decades of efforts, no equivocally accepted animal model is available for studying depression. We tested the validity of a new model based on the three-hit concept of vulnerability and resilience. Genetic predisposition (hit 1, mutation of pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide, PACAP gene), early-life adversity (hit 2, 180-min maternal deprivation, MD180) and chronic variable mild stress (hit 3, CVMS) were combined. Physical, endocrinological, behavioral and functional morphological tools were used to validate the model. Body- and adrenal weight changes as well as corticosterone titers proved that CVMS was effective. Forced swim test indicated increased depression in CVMS PACAP heterozygous (Hz) mice with MD180 history, accompanied by elevated anxiety level in marble burying test. Corticotropin-releasing factor neurons in the oval division of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis showed increased FosB expression, which was refractive to CVMS exposure in wild-type and Hz mice. Urocortin1 neurons became over-active in CMVS-exposed PACAP knock out (KO) mice with MD180 history, suggesting the contribution of centrally projecting Edinger-Westphal nucleus to the reduced depression and anxiety level of stressed KO mice. Serotoninergic neurons of the dorsal raphe nucleus lost their adaptation ability to CVMS in MD180 mice. In conclusion, the construct and face validity criteria suggest that MD180 PACAP HZ mice on CD1 background upon CVMS may be used as a reliable model for the three-hit theory.
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34
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Dabrowska J, Martinon D, Moaddab M, Rainnie DG. Targeting Corticotropin-Releasing Factor Projections from the Oval Nucleus of the Bed Nucleus of the Stria Terminalis Using Cell-Type Specific Neuronal Tracing Studies in Mouse and Rat Brain. J Neuroendocrinol 2016; 28:10.1111/jne.12442. [PMID: 27805752 PMCID: PMC5362295 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2016] [Revised: 10/19/2016] [Accepted: 10/30/2016] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) is known to play a critical role in mediating the behavioural and autonomic responses to stressors. The oval nucleus of the BNST (BNSTov) contains cell bodies that synthesise the stress hormone corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF). Although afferent fibres originating from the BNSTov have been shown to innervate several key structures of the neuroendocrine and central autonomic system, the question remains as to whether some of these fibres are CRF-positive. To directly address this question, we injected a 'floxed' anterograde tracer (rAAV5/EF1a-DIO-mCherry) into the BNSTov of CRFp3.0CreGFP transgenic mice, which express a green fluorescent protein (GFP) under the control of the CRF promoter. Serial sections were then analysed for the presence of double-labelled fibres in potential projection sites. To determine whether CRF neurons in the rat BNSTov send comparable projections, we infused rat BNSTov with an adeno-associated viral vector (AAV) in which the human synapsin promoter drives enhanced GFP expression. We then used CRF immunoreactivity to examine double-labelled fluorescent fibres and axon terminals in projection sites from brain sections of the AAV-infused rats. We have observed several terminal fields in the mouse and rat brain with double-labelled fibres in the Dorsal raphe nucleus (DRD), the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus and, to a lesser extent, in the ventral tegmental area. We found double-labelled terminal boutons in the nucleus accumbens shell, prelimbic cortex and posterior basolateral nucleus of the amygdala. The most intense double-labelling was found in midbrain, including substantia nigra pars compacta, red nucleus, periaqueductal grey and pontine nuclei, as well as DRD. The results of the present study indicate that CRF neurons are the output neurons of the BNSTov and they send projections not only to the centres of neuroendocrine and autonomic regulation, but also regions modulating reward and motivation, vigilance and motor function, as well as affective behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Dabrowska
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, 60064, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, 60064, USA
- Correspondence should be directed to: ,
| | - Daisy Martinon
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, 60064, USA
| | - Mahsa Moaddab
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, 60064, USA
| | - Donald G. Rainnie
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Division of Behavioral Neuroscience and Psychiatric Disorders, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA
- Correspondence should be directed to: ,
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The CRF System as a Therapeutic Target for Neuropsychiatric Disorders. Trends Pharmacol Sci 2016; 37:1045-1054. [PMID: 27717506 DOI: 10.1016/j.tips.2016.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2016] [Revised: 09/07/2016] [Accepted: 09/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The major neuropsychiatric disorders are devastating illnesses that are only modestly responsive to treatment. Improving the treatment of these conditions will require innovative new strategies that depart from previously focused-on pharmacological mechanisms. Considerable preclinical and clinical data indicate corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) signaling as a target for new psychotropic drug development. Here we review alterations in the CRF system reported in several psychiatric conditions. We also examine the preclinical work that has dissected the distinctive roles of CRF receptors in specific circuits relevant to these disorders. We further describe the clinical trials of CRF1 receptor antagonists that have been conducted. Although these clinical trials have thus far met with limited therapeutic success, the unfolding complexity of the CRF system promises many future directions for studying its role in the etiology and treatment of neuropsychiatric conditions.
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Henckens MJAG, Deussing JM, Chen A. Region-specific roles of the corticotropin-releasing factor-urocortin system in stress. Nat Rev Neurosci 2016; 17:636-51. [PMID: 27586075 DOI: 10.1038/nrn.2016.94] [Citation(s) in RCA: 167] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Dysregulation of the corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF)-urocortin (UCN) system has been implicated in stress-related psychopathologies such as depression and anxiety. It has been proposed that CRF-CRF receptor type 1 (CRFR1) signalling promotes the stress response and anxiety-like behaviour, whereas UCNs and CRFR2 activation mediate stress recovery and the restoration of homeostasis. Recent findings, however, provide clear evidence that this view is overly simplistic. Instead, a more complex picture has emerged that suggests that there are brain region- and cell type-specific effects of CRFR signalling that are influenced by the individual's prior experience and that shape molecular, cellular and ultimately behavioural responses to stressful challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marloes J A G Henckens
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel.,Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804 Munich, Germany.,Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Jan M Deussing
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804 Munich, Germany
| | - Alon Chen
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel.,Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804 Munich, Germany
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Qi X, Guzhva L, Yang Z, Febo M, Shan Z, Wang KKW, Bruijnzeel AW. Overexpression of CRF in the BNST diminishes dysphoria but not anxiety-like behavior in nicotine withdrawing rats. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2016; 26:1378-1389. [PMID: 27461514 PMCID: PMC5067082 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2016.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2016] [Revised: 06/06/2016] [Accepted: 07/02/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Smoking cessation leads to dysphoria and anxiety, which both increase the risk for relapse. This negative affective state is partly mediated by an increase in activity in brain stress systems. Recent studies indicate that prolonged viral vector-mediated overexpression of stress peptides diminishes stress sensitivity. Here we investigated whether the overexpression of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) diminishes nicotine withdrawal symptoms in rats. The effect of nicotine withdrawal on brain reward function was investigated with an intracranial self-stimulation (ICSS) procedure. Anxiety-like behavior was investigated in the elevated plus maze test and a large open field. An adeno-associated virus (AAV) pseudotype 2/5 vector was used to overexpress CRF in the lateral BNST and nicotine dependence was induced using minipumps. Administration of the nicotinic receptor antagonist mecamylamine and cessation of nicotine administration led to a dysphoria-like state, which was prevented by the overexpression of CRF in the BNST. Nicotine withdrawal also increased anxiety-like behavior in the elevated plus maze test and large open field test and slightly decreased locomotor activity in the open field. The overexpression of CRF in the BNST did not prevent the increase in anxiety-like behavior or decrease in locomotor activity. The overexpression of CRF increased CRF1 and CRF2 receptor gene expression and increased the CRF2/CRF1 receptor ratio. In conclusion, the overexpression of CRF in the BNST prevents the dysphoria-like state associated with nicotine withdrawal and increases the CRF2/CRF1 receptor ratio, which may diminish the negative effects of CRF on mood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoli Qi
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Lidia Guzhva
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Zhihui Yang
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Marcelo Febo
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Zhiying Shan
- Department of Physiology and Functional Genomics, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Kevin K W Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Adriaan W Bruijnzeel
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA.
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Koob GF. Corticotropin-Releasing Factor From Rodents to Primates: Translational Hope Expresses Itself, Pun Intended. Biol Psychiatry 2016; 80:340-2. [PMID: 27499011 PMCID: PMC6145175 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2016.06.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2016] [Accepted: 06/22/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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Kalin NH, Fox AS, Kovner R, Riedel MK, Fekete EM, Roseboom PH, Tromp DPM, Grabow BP, Olsen ME, Brodsky EK, McFarlin DR, Alexander AL, Emborg ME, Block WF, Fudge JL, Oler JA. Overexpressing Corticotropin-Releasing Factor in the Primate Amygdala Increases Anxious Temperament and Alters Its Neural Circuit. Biol Psychiatry 2016; 80:345-55. [PMID: 27016385 PMCID: PMC4967405 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2016.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2015] [Revised: 12/23/2015] [Accepted: 01/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Nonhuman primate models are critical for understanding mechanisms underlying human psychopathology. We established a nonhuman primate model of anxious temperament (AT) for studying the early-life risk to develop anxiety and depression. Studies have identified the central nucleus of the amygdala (Ce) as an essential component of AT's neural substrates. Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) is expressed in the Ce, has a role in stress, and is linked to psychopathology. Here, in young rhesus monkeys, we combined viral vector technology with assessments of anxiety and multimodal neuroimaging to understand the consequences of chronically increased CRF in the Ce region. METHODS Using real-time intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging-guided convection-enhanced delivery, five monkeys received bilateral dorsal amygdala Ce-region infusions of adeno-associated virus serotype 2 containing the CRF construct. Their cagemates served as unoperated control subjects. AT, regional brain metabolism, resting functional magnetic resonance imaging, and diffusion tensor imaging were assessed before and 2 months after viral infusions. RESULTS Dorsal amygdala CRF overexpression significantly increased AT and metabolism within the dorsal amygdala. Additionally, we observed changes in metabolism in other AT-related regions, as well as in measures of functional and structural connectivity. CONCLUSIONS This study provides a translational roadmap that is important for understanding human psychopathology by combining molecular manipulations used in rodents with behavioral phenotyping and multimodal neuroimaging measures used in humans. The results indicate that chronic CRF overexpression in primates not only increases AT but also affects metabolism and connectivity within components of AT's neural circuitry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ned H Kalin
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI,Neuroscience Training Program, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI,Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, Madison, WI
| | - Andrew S Fox
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI
| | - Rothem Kovner
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI,Neuroscience Training Program, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI
| | | | - Eva M Fekete
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI
| | - Patrick H Roseboom
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI,Neuroscience Training Program, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI
| | - Do P M Tromp
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI,Neuroscience Training Program, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI
| | | | - Miles E Olsen
- Department of Medical Physics, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI
| | - Ethan K Brodsky
- Department of Medical Physics, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI,inseRT MRI, Inc
| | | | - Andrew L Alexander
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI,Department of Medical Physics, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI,inseRT MRI, Inc
| | - Marina E Emborg
- Neuroscience Training Program, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI,Department of Medical Physics, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI,Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, Madison, WI
| | - Walter F Block
- Department of Medical Physics, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI,inseRT MRI, Inc
| | - Julie L Fudge
- Departments of Neurobiology and Anatomy, and Psychiatry, University of Rochester Medical Center
| | - Jonathan A Oler
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin.
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40
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Rovaris DL, Aroche AP, da Silva BS, Kappel DB, Pezzi JC, Levandowski ML, Hess ARB, Schuch JB, de Almeida RMM, Grassi-Oliveira R, Bau CHD. Glucocorticoid receptor gene modulates severity of depression in women with crack cocaine addiction. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2016; 26:1438-1447. [PMID: 27397864 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2016.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2016] [Revised: 05/03/2016] [Accepted: 06/18/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Crack cocaine addicted inpatients that present more severe withdrawal symptoms also exhibit higher rates of depressive symptoms. There is strong evidence that the identification of genetic variants in depression is potentialized when reducing phenotypic heterogeneity by studying selected groups. Since depression has been associated to dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, this study evaluated the effects of SNPs in stress-related genes on depressive symptoms of crack cocaine addicts at early abstinence and over the detoxification treatment (4th, 11th and 18th day post admission). Also, the role of these SNPs on the re-hospitalization rates after 2.5 years of follow-up was studied. One hundred eight-two women were enrolled and eight SNPs in four genes (NR3C2, NR3C1, FKBP5 and CRHR1) were genotyped. A significant main effect of NR3C1-rs41423247 was found, where the C minor allele increased depressive symptoms at early abstinence. This effect remained significant after 10,000 permutations to account for multiple SNPs tested (P=0.0077). There was no effect of rs41423247 on the course of detoxification treatment, but a slight effect of rs41423247 at late abstinence was detected (P=0.0463). This analysis suggests that the presence of at least one C allele is worse at early abstinence, while only CC genotype appears to increase depressive symptoms at late abstinence. Also, a slight effect of rs41423247 C minor allele increasing the number of re-hospitalizations after 2.5 years was found (P=0.0413). These findings are in agreement with previous studies reporting an influence of rs41423247 on sensitivity to glucocorticoids and further elucidate its resulting effects on depressive-related traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego L Rovaris
- Department of Genetics, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Angelita P Aroche
- Department of Genetics, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil; Health Sciences Institute, Universidade Feevale, Novo Hamburgo, Brazil
| | - Bruna S da Silva
- Department of Genetics, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Djenifer B Kappel
- Department of Genetics, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Júlio C Pezzi
- Postgraduate Program in Health Sciences, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Mateus L Levandowski
- Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Lab (DCNL), Post-Graduate Program in Psychology, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Brazil
| | - Adriana R B Hess
- Institute of Psychology, Laboratory of Experimental Psychology, Neuroscience and Behavior (LPNeC), Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Jaqueline B Schuch
- Department of Genetics, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Rosa M M de Almeida
- Institute of Psychology, Laboratory of Experimental Psychology, Neuroscience and Behavior (LPNeC), Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo Grassi-Oliveira
- Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Lab (DCNL), Post-Graduate Program in Psychology, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Brazil
| | - Claiton H D Bau
- Department of Genetics, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
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Reduced response to chronic mild stress in PACAP mutant mice is associated with blunted FosB expression in limbic forebrain and brainstem centers. Neuroscience 2016; 330:335-58. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2016.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2015] [Revised: 06/03/2016] [Accepted: 06/03/2016] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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42
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Jee C, Goncalves JF, LeBoeuf B, Garcia LR. CRF-like receptor SEB-3 in sex-common interneurons potentiates stress handling and reproductive drive in C. elegans. Nat Commun 2016; 7:11957. [PMID: 27321013 PMCID: PMC4915151 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms11957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2015] [Accepted: 05/13/2016] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Environmental conditions can modulate innate behaviours. Although male Caenorhabditis elegans copulation can be perturbed in the presence of stress, the mechanisms underlying its decision to sustain copulation are unclear. Here we describe a mating interference assay, which quantifies the persistence of male C. elegans copulation in noxious blue light. We show that between copulations, the male escapes from blue light illumination at intensities over 370 μW mm−2. This response is attenuated in mutants with constitutive activation of the corticotropin-releasing factor receptor family homologue SEB-3. We show that activation of this receptor causes sex-common glutamatergic lumbar ganglion interneurons (LUA) to potentiate downstream male-specific reproduction circuits, allowing copulatory behaviours to partially override the light-induced escape responses in the male. SEB-3 activation in LUA also potentiates copulation during mild starvation. We suggest that SEB-3 activation allows C. elegans to acclimate to the environment and thus continue to execute innate behaviours even under non-optimal conditions. Innate animal behaviours can be negatively regulated by environmental stressors. Jee et al. show that suppression of male C. elegans copulation behaviour by noxious light can be overcome by activation of SEB-3, a homologue of the stress-associated mammalian corticotropin-releasing factor receptor family.
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Affiliation(s)
- Changhoon Jee
- Department of Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Texas A&M University, 3258 TAMU, College Station, Texas 77843-3258, USA
| | - Jimmy F Goncalves
- Department of Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Texas A&M University, 3258 TAMU, College Station, Texas 77843-3258, USA
| | - Brigitte LeBoeuf
- Department of Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Texas A&M University, 3258 TAMU, College Station, Texas 77843-3258, USA
| | - L Rene Garcia
- Department of Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Texas A&M University, 3258 TAMU, College Station, Texas 77843-3258, USA
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43
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Early life adversity and serotonin transporter gene variation interact to affect DNA methylation of the corticotropin-releasing factor gene promoter region in the adult rat brain. Dev Psychopathol 2016; 27:123-35. [PMID: 25640835 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579414001345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The interaction between childhood maltreatment and the serotonin transporter (5-HTT) gene linked polymorphic region has been associated with increased risk to develop major depression. This Gene × Environment interaction has furthermore been linked with increased levels of anxiety and glucocorticoid release upon exposure to stress. Both endophenotypes are regulated by the neuropeptide corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) or hormone, which is expressed by the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus, the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, and the central amygdala (CeA). Therefore, we hypothesized that altered regulation of the expression of CRF in these areas represents a major neurobiological mechanism underlying the interaction of early life stress and 5-HTT gene variation. The programming of gene transcription by Gene × Environment interactions has been proposed to involve epigenetic mechanisms such as DNA methylation. In this study, we report that early life stress and 5-HTT genotype interact to affect DNA methylation of the Crf gene promoter in the CeA of adult male rats. Furthermore, we found that DNA methylation of a specific site in the Crf promoter significantly correlated with CRF mRNA levels in the CeA. Moreover, CeA CRF mRNA levels correlated with stress coping behavior in a learned helplessness paradigm. Together, our findings warrant further investigation of the link of Crf promoter methylation and CRF expression in the CeA with behavioral changes that are relevant for psychopathology.
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The role of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate 3-kinase A in regulating emotional behavior and amygdala function. Sci Rep 2016; 6:23757. [PMID: 27053114 PMCID: PMC4823716 DOI: 10.1038/srep23757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2015] [Accepted: 03/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate 3-kinase A (IP3K-A) is a molecule enriched in the brain and neurons that regulates intracellular calcium levels via signaling through the inositol trisphosphate receptor. In the present study, we found that IP3K-A expression is highly enriched in the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA), which plays a pivotal role in the processing and expression of emotional phenotypes in mammals. Genetic abrogation of IP3K-A altered amygdala gene expression, particularly in genes involved in key intracellular signaling pathways and genes mediating fear- and anxiety-related behaviors. In agreement with the changes in amygdala gene expression profiles, IP3K-A knockout (KO) mice displayed more robust responses to aversive stimuli and spent less time in the open arms of the elevated plus maze, indicating high levels of innate fear and anxiety. In addition to behavioral phenotypes, decreased excitatory and inhibitory postsynaptic current and reduced c-Fos immunoreactivity in the CeA of IP3K-A KO mice suggest that IP3K-A has a profound influence on the basal activities of fear- and anxiety-mediating amygdala circuitry. In conclusion, our findings collectively demonstrate that IP3K-A plays an important role in regulating affective states by modulating metabotropic receptor signaling pathways and neural activity in the amygdala.
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45
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Chen A. Genetic Dissection of the Neuroendocrine and Behavioral Responses to Stressful Challenges. STEM CELLS IN NEUROENDOCRINOLOGY 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-41603-8_6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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Arnett MG, Muglia LM, Laryea G, Muglia LJ. Genetic Approaches to Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis Regulation. Neuropsychopharmacology 2016; 41:245-60. [PMID: 26189452 PMCID: PMC4677126 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2015.215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2015] [Revised: 07/09/2015] [Accepted: 07/09/2015] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
The normal function of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, and resultant glucocorticoid (GC) secretion, is essential for human health. Disruption of GC regulation is associated with pathologic, psychological, and physiological disease states such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, hypertension, diabetes, and osteopenia, among others. As such, understanding the mechanisms by which HPA output is tightly regulated in its responses to environmental stressors and circadian cues has been an active area of investigation for decades. Over the last 20 years, however, advances in gene targeting and genome modification in rodent models have allowed the detailed dissection of roles for key molecular mediators and brain regions responsible for this control in vivo to emerge. Here, we summarize work done to elucidate the function of critical neuropeptide systems, GC-signaling targets, and inflammation-associated pathways in HPA axis regulation and behavior, and highlight areas for future investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melinda G Arnett
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Center for Prevention of Preterm Birth, Perinatal Institute, Cincinnati, OH, USA,Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA,Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Center for Prevention of Preterm Birth, Perinatal Institute, 3333 Burnet Avenue, MLC 7009, Attention Melinda Arnett, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA, Tel: +1 513 803 8040, Fax: +1 513 803 5009, E-mail:
| | - Lisa M Muglia
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Center for Prevention of Preterm Birth, Perinatal Institute, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Gloria Laryea
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Center for Prevention of Preterm Birth, Perinatal Institute, Cincinnati, OH, USA,Neuroscience Graduate Program Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Louis J Muglia
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Center for Prevention of Preterm Birth, Perinatal Institute, Cincinnati, OH, USA,Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
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Waters RP, Rivalan M, Bangasser DA, Deussing JM, Ising M, Wood SK, Holsboer F, Summers CH. Evidence for the role of corticotropin-releasing factor in major depressive disorder. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2015; 58:63-78. [PMID: 26271720 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2015.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2014] [Revised: 06/24/2015] [Accepted: 07/24/2015] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a devastating disease affecting over 300 million people worldwide, and costing an estimated 380 billion Euros in lost productivity and health care in the European Union alone. Although a wealth of research has been directed toward understanding and treating MDD, still no therapy has proved to be consistently and reliably effective in interrupting the symptoms of this disease. Recent clinical and preclinical studies, using genetic screening and transgenic rodents, respectively, suggest a major role of the CRF1 gene, and the central expression of CRF1 receptor protein in determining an individual's risk of developing MDD. This gene is widely expressed in brain tissue, and regulates an organism's immediate and long-term responses to social and environmental stressors, which are primary contributors to MDD. This review presents the current state of knowledge on CRF physiology, and how it may influence the occurrence of symptoms associated with MDD. Additionally, this review presents findings from multiple laboratories that were presented as part of a symposium on this topic at the annual 2014 meeting of the International Behavioral Neuroscience Society (IBNS). The ideas and data presented in this review demonstrate the great progress that has been made over the past few decades in our understanding of MDD, and provide a pathway forward toward developing novel treatments and detection methods for this disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - J M Deussing
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - M Ising
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - S K Wood
- University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - F Holsboer
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany; HMNC GmbH, Munich, Germany
| | - Cliff H Summers
- University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD, USA; Sanford School of Medicine, Vermillion, SD, USA.
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Eraslan E, Akyazi I, Erg L-Ekiz E, Matur E. Noise stress changes mRNA expressions of corticotropin-releasing hormone, its receptors in amygdala, and anxiety-related behaviors. Noise Health 2015; 17:141-7. [PMID: 25913553 PMCID: PMC4918649 DOI: 10.4103/1463-1741.155838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Noise is a psychological, environmental stressor that activates limbic sites in the brain. Limbic sites such as the amygdala and the amygdaloid corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) system play an important role in integrating stress response. We investigated the association between noise exposures, CRH-related molecules in the amygdala, and behavioral alterations. In total 54 Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into the following three groups: Control (CON), acute noise exposure (ANE), and chronic noise exposure (CNE). The ANE group was exposed to 100 dB white noise only once in 4 h and the CNE group was exposed to the same for 4 h per day for 30 days. Expression profiles of CRH and its receptors CRH-R1 and CRH-R2 were analyzed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). The same stress procedure was applied to the ANE and CNE groups for behavior testing. The anxiety responses of the animals after acute and chronic stress exposure were measured in the defensive withdrawal test. CNE upregulated CRH and CRH-R1 mRNA levels but downregulated CRH-R2 mRNA levels. ANE led to a decrease in both CRH-R1 and CRH-R2 expression. In the defensive withdrawal test, while the ANE increased, CNE reduced anxiety-like behaviors. The present study shows that the exposure of rats to white noise (100 dB) leads to behavioral alterations and molecule-specific changes in the CRH system. Behavioral alterations can be related to these molecular changes in the amygdala.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evren Eraslan
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey
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Flandreau E, Risbrough V, Lu A, Ableitner M, Geyer MA, Holsboer F, Deussing JM. Cell type-specific modifications of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) and its type 1 receptor (CRF1) on startle behavior and sensorimotor gating. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2015; 53:16-28. [PMID: 25575243 PMCID: PMC4364548 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2014.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2014] [Revised: 11/25/2014] [Accepted: 12/03/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
The corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) family of peptides and receptors coordinates the mammalian endocrine, autonomic, and behavioral responses to stress. Excessive CRF production has been implicated in the etiology of stress-sensitive psychiatric disorders such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which is associated with alterations in startle plasticity. The CRF family of peptides and receptors mediate acute startle response changes during stress, and chronic CRF activation can induce startle abnormalities. To determine what neural circuits modulate startle in response to chronic CRF activation, transgenic mice overexpressing CRF throughout the central nervous system (CNS; CRF-COE(CNS)) or restricted to inhibitory GABAergic neurons (CRF-COE(GABA)) were compared across multiple domains of startle plasticity. CRF overexpression throughout the CNS increased startle magnitude and reduced ability to inhibit startle (decreased habituation and decreased prepulse inhibition (PPI)), similar to previous reports of exogenous effects of CRF. Conversely, CRF overexpression confined to inhibitory neurons decreased startle magnitude but had no effect on inhibitory measures. Acute CRF receptor 1 (CRF1) antagonist treatment attenuated only the effects on startle induced by CNS-specific CRF overexpression. Specific deletion of CRF1 receptors from forebrain principal neurons failed to alter the effects of exogenous CRF or stress on startle, suggesting that these CRF1 expressing neurons are not required for CRF-induced changes in startle behaviors. These data indicate that the effects of CRF activation on startle behavior utilize an extensive neural circuit that includes both forebrain and non-forebrain regions. Furthermore, these findings suggest that the neural source of increased CRF release determines the startle phenotype elicited. It is conceivable that this may explain why disorders characterized by increased CRF in cerebrospinal fluid (e.g. PTSD and major depressive disorder) have distinct symptom profiles in terms of startle reactivity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Victoria Risbrough
- Veterans Administration Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, 3350 La Jolla Village Drive San Diego, CA 92161, USA.
| | - Ailing Lu
- Unit of Innate Immunity, Key Laboratory of Molecular Virology and Immunology Institut Pasteur of Shanghai, Chinese Academy of Sciences. 320 Yue Yang Road, Shanghai, 200031; China. Phone/Fax: 86-21-54923102/54923101
| | - Martin Ableitner
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Kraepelinstrasse 2-10 D-80804, Munich Phone: +49 (0)89 / 30622-645 Fax: +49 (0)89 / 30622-610
| | - Mark A Geyer
- Department of Psychiatry University of California San Diego 9500 Gilman Drive MC 0804 La Jolla, CA 92093-0804 ph (619)543-3582 fx (619)543-2493
| | - Florian Holsboer
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry Kraepelinstr. 2-10 80804 Munich, Germany Phone: +49-89-30622-220 Fax: +49-89-30622-483
| | - Jan M Deussing
- Department Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry Kraepelinstrasse 2-10 D-80804, Munich Phone: +49 (0)89 / 30622-639 Fax: +49 (0)89 / 30622-610
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Kong L, Wu R, Wang L, Feng W, Cao Y, Tai F. Postpartum repeated separation from pups affects the behavior and neuroendocrine parameters of mandarin vole fathers. Physiol Behav 2015; 139:89-96. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2014.11.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2014] [Revised: 11/04/2014] [Accepted: 11/05/2014] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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