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Andero R, Jovanovic T, Stein MB, Shalev AY. What I was thinking/what I would do differently: Biological markers and mechanisms of mental health. J Trauma Stress 2024. [PMID: 39205469 DOI: 10.1002/jts.23083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2024] [Revised: 06/07/2024] [Accepted: 06/08/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
At the 39th meeting of the International Society of Traumatic Stress Studies, four leading scientists and clinicians were invited to reflect on their careers, focusing on the biological mechanisms and markers of traumatic stress. Dr. Raul Andero has contributed to understanding how stress alters memory networks in the brain, influencing the development of novel treatments. Dr. Tanja Jovanovic has pioneered the measurement and mechanistic understanding of fear learning, bridging basic and clinical research. Dr. Murray B. Stein has scaled up clinical and lab observations to large populations, refining the field's understanding of traumatic stress. Dr. Arieh Y Shalev has shaped the definition of traumatic stress, pioneering the longitudinal investigation of stress and integrating advanced computational methods to identify individuals at risk. These panelists were asked to reflect on their initial problems, ambitions, concerns, and unexpected challenges, as well as the influence of their work, on new research trajectories. Their insights provide valuable lessons about the process and content of their work, and their pioneering efforts have significantly advanced our understanding of the biological mechanisms and markers of traumatic stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raül Andero
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica En Red en Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Unitat de Neurociència Traslacional, Parc Taulí Hospital Universitari, Institut d'Investigació i Innovació Parc Taulí (I3PT), Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
- Departament de Psicobiologia i de Metodologia de les Ciències de la Salut, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Catalan Institute for Research and Advances Studies (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Tanja Jovanovic
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Murray B Stein
- Department of Psychiatry and School of Public Health, University of California-San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Arieh Y Shalev
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
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Irizarry-Méndez N, Criado-Marrero M, Hernandez A, Colón M, Porter JT. Reducing FKBP51 Expression in the Ventral Hippocampus Decreases Auditory Fear Conditioning in Male Rats. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:7097. [PMID: 39000204 PMCID: PMC11241630 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25137097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2024] [Revised: 06/18/2024] [Accepted: 06/20/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Fear conditioning evokes a physiologic release of glucocorticoids that assists learning. As a cochaperone in the glucocorticoid receptor complex, FKBP51 modulates stress-induced glucocorticoid signaling and may influence conditioned fear responses. This study combines molecular and behavioral approaches to examine whether locally reducing FKBP51 expression in the ventral hippocampus is sufficient to affect fear-related behaviors. We hypothesized that reducing FKBP51 expression in the VH would increase glucocorticoid signaling to alter auditory fear conditioning. Adult male rats were injected with an adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector expressing short hairpin - RNAs (shRNA) targeting FKBP5 into the ventral hippocampus to reduce FKBP5 levels or a control AAV. Infusion of FKBP5-shRNA into the ventral hippocampus decreased auditory fear acquisition and recall. Although animals injected with FKBP5-shRNA showed less freezing during extinction recall, the difference was due to a reduced fear recall rather than improved extinction. Reducing ventral hippocampus FKBP51 did not affect exploratory behavior in either the open field test or the elevated zero maze test but did increase passive behavior in the forced swim test, suggesting that the reduction in auditory fear recall was not due to more active responses to acute stress. Furthermore, lower ventral hippocampus FKBP51 levels did not alter corticosterone release in response to restraint stress, suggesting that the reduced fear recall was not due to lower corticosterone release. Our findings suggest FKBP51 in the ventral hippocampus plays a selective role in modulating fear-learning processes and passive behavioral responses to acute stress rather than hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis reactivity or exploratory responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nashaly Irizarry-Méndez
- Department of Basic Sciences, Ponce Research Institute, Ponce Health Sciences University, Ponce 00716, Puerto Rico; (N.I.-M.)
| | | | - Anixa Hernandez
- Department of Basic Sciences, Ponce Research Institute, Ponce Health Sciences University, Ponce 00716, Puerto Rico; (N.I.-M.)
| | - Maria Colón
- Department of Basic Sciences, Ponce Research Institute, Ponce Health Sciences University, Ponce 00716, Puerto Rico; (N.I.-M.)
| | - James T. Porter
- Department of Basic Sciences, Ponce Research Institute, Ponce Health Sciences University, Ponce 00716, Puerto Rico; (N.I.-M.)
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Klausing AD, Fukuwatari T, DeAngeli N, Bucci DJ, Schwarcz R. Adrenalectomy exacerbates stress-induced impairment in fear discrimination: A causal role for kynurenic acid? Biochem Pharmacol 2024:116350. [PMID: 38852644 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2024.116350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2024] [Revised: 05/28/2024] [Accepted: 06/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
Impaired activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary axis and reduced blood levels of glucocorticoids (GCs) are signature features of stress-related maladies. Recent evidence suggests a possible role of the tryptophan metabolite kynurenic acid (KYNA) in this context. Here we investigated possible causal relationships in adult male rats, using stress-induced fear discrimination as a translationally relevant behavioral outcome measure. One week following adrenalectomy (ADX) or sham surgery, animals were for 2 h either physically restrained or exposed to a predator odor, which caused a much milder stress response. Extracellular KYNA levels were determined before, during and after stress by in vivo microdialysis in the prefrontal cortex. Separate cohorts underwent a fear discrimination procedure starting immediately after stress termination. Different auditory conditioned stimuli (CS) were either paired with a foot shock (CS+) or non-reinforced (CS-). One week later, fear was assessed by re-exposing the animals to each CS. Separate groups of rats were treated with the KYNA synthesis inhibitor BFF-816 prior to stress initiation to test a causal role of KYNA in fear discrimination. Restraint stress raised extracellular KYNA levels by ∼85 % in ADX rats for several hours, and these animals were unable to discriminate between CS+ and CS-. Both effects were prevented by BFF-816 and were not observed after exposure to predator odor or in sham-operated rats. These findings suggest that a causal connection exists between adrenal function, stress-induced KYNA increases, and behavioral deficits. Pharmacological inhibition of KYNA synthesis may therefore be an attractive, novel option for the treatment of stress-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex D Klausing
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Tsutomu Fukuwatari
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Nicole DeAngeli
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA
| | - David J Bucci
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA
| | - Robert Schwarcz
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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Vanderhoof SO, Vincent CJ, Beaver JN, Latsko MS, Aguilar-Alvarez R, Jasnow AM. Corticosterone after early adolescent stress prevents social avoidance, aversive behavior, and morphine-conditioned place preference in adulthood. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2024:10.1007/s00213-024-06616-7. [PMID: 38805040 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-024-06616-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
RATIONALE Stress during childhood or adolescence increases vulnerability to psychiatric disorders in adults. In adult rodents, the delayed effects of stress can increase anxiety-like behavior. These effects, however, can be prevented with post-stress administration of corticosterone (CORT). The effectiveness of CORT in preventing adolescent stress-induced emotional behavior alterations in adulthood has yet to be investigated. OBJECTIVES Here, we investigated the interactions between early adolescent stress and exogenous corticosterone on adult social, aversive, and drug-seeking behavior in mice, which are translationally related to symptoms associated with psychiatric and substance abuse disorders. METHODS AND RESULTS A single administration of CORT in drinking water (400ug/mL) for 24 h after social defeat or context fear conditioning prevents defeat-induced social avoidance, alters fear processing, prevents adolescent stress-induced anhedonia, and prevents stress-potentiated morphine place preference in adulthood. Exogenous CORT did not immediately prevent stress-induced potentiation of morphine conditioned-place preference in adolescents but did so in adult mice. However, when administered to adolescent mice, CORT also prevented the incubation of morphine-conditioned place preference into adulthood. Lastly, exogenous CORT administration blunted endogenous corticosterone but was unrelated to freezing behavior during a fear test. CONCLUSIONS This is the first demonstration of adolescent post-stress CORT promoting socio-emotional resilience and preventing drug-seeking behavior. Our data suggest elevated corticosterone after a stress experience promotes resilience for at least 40 days across the developmental transition from adolescence to adulthood and is effective for socio-emotional and drug-seeking behavior. These results are critical for understanding how adolescent stress impacts emotional and drug-seeking behavior into adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha O Vanderhoof
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Brain Health Research Institute, Kent State University, Kent, USA
| | - Carly J Vincent
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, USA
| | - Jasmin N Beaver
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Brain Health Research Institute, Kent State University, Kent, USA
| | - Maeson S Latsko
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Brain Health Research Institute, Kent State University, Kent, USA
| | - Ricardo Aguilar-Alvarez
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, USA
| | - Aaron M Jasnow
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, USA.
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Eachus H, Ryu S. Glucocorticoid effects on the brain: from adaptive developmental plasticity to allostatic overload. J Exp Biol 2024; 227:jeb246128. [PMID: 38449327 PMCID: PMC10949071 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.246128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
Exposure to stress during early life may alter the developmental trajectory of an animal by a mechanism known as adaptive plasticity. For example, to enhance reproductive success in an adverse environment, it is known that animals accelerate their growth during development. However, these short-term fitness benefits are often associated with reduced longevity, a phenomenon known as the growth rate-lifespan trade-off. In humans, early life stress exposure compromises health later in life and increases disease susceptibility. Glucocorticoids (GCs) are major stress hormones implicated in these processes. This Review discusses the evidence for GC-mediated adaptive plasticity in development, leading to allostatic overload in later life. We focus on GC-induced effects on brain structure and function, including neurogenesis; highlight the need for longitudinal studies; and discuss approaches to identify molecular mechanisms mediating GC-induced alteration of the brain developmental trajectory leading to adult dysfunctions. Further understanding of how stress and GC exposure can alter developmental trajectories at the molecular and cellular level is of critical importance to reduce the burden of mental and physical ill health across the life course.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen Eachus
- Living Systems Institute & Department of Clinical and Biomedical Sciences, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK
| | - Soojin Ryu
- Living Systems Institute & Department of Clinical and Biomedical Sciences, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK
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Hong X, Miao K, Cao W, Lv J, Yu C, Huang T, Sun D, Liao C, Pang Y, Hu R, Pang Z, Yu M, Wang H, Wu X, Liu Y, Gao W, Li L. Association of psychological distress and DNA methylation: A 5-year longitudinal population-based twin study. Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2024; 78:51-59. [PMID: 37793011 DOI: 10.1111/pcn.13606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Revised: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023]
Abstract
AIM To identify the psychological distress (PD)-associated 5'-cytosine-phosphate-guanine-3' sites (CpGs), and investigate the temporal relationship between dynamic changes in DNA methylation (DNAm) and PD. METHODS This study included 1084 twins from the Chinese National Twin Register (CNTR). The CNTR conducted epidemiological investigations and blood withdrawal twice in 2013 and 2018. These included twins were used to perform epigenome-wide association studies (EWASs) and to validate the previously reported PD-associated CpGs selected from previous EWASs in PubMed, Embase, and the EWAS catalog. Next, a cross-lagged study was performed to examine the temporality between changes in DNAm and PD in 308 twins who completed both 2013 and 2018 surveys. RESULTS The EWAS analysis of our study identified 25 CpGs. In the validation analysis, 741 CpGs from 29 previous EWASs on PD were selected for validation, and 101 CpGs were validated to be significant at a false discovery rate <0.05. The cross-lagged analysis found a unidirectional path from PD to DNAm at 14 CpGs, while no sites showed significance from DNAm to PD. CONCLUSIONS This study identified and validated PD-related CpGs in a Chinese twin population, and suggested that PD may be the cause of changes in DNAm over time. The findings provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying PD pathophysiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuanming Hong
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Epidemiology of Major Diseases, Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Ke Miao
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Epidemiology of Major Diseases, Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Weihua Cao
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Epidemiology of Major Diseases, Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Jun Lv
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Epidemiology of Major Diseases, Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Canqing Yu
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Epidemiology of Major Diseases, Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Tao Huang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Epidemiology of Major Diseases, Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Dianjianyi Sun
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Epidemiology of Major Diseases, Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Chunxiao Liao
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Epidemiology of Major Diseases, Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Yuanjie Pang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Epidemiology of Major Diseases, Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Runhua Hu
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Epidemiology of Major Diseases, Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Zengchang Pang
- Qingdao Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Qingdao, China
| | - Min Yu
- Zhejiang Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, China
| | - Hua Wang
- Jiangsu Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Nanjing, China
| | - Xianping Wu
- Sichuan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Chengdu, China
| | - Yu Liu
- Heilongjiang Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Harbin, China
| | - Wenjing Gao
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Epidemiology of Major Diseases, Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Liming Li
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Epidemiology of Major Diseases, Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing, China
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Seo JH, Kim ST, Jeon S, Kang JI, Kim SJ. Sex-dependent association of DNA methylation of HPA axis-related gene FKBP5 with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2023; 158:106404. [PMID: 37769537 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2023.106404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2022] [Revised: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
AIMS Although hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis dysregulation in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) has been reported, epigenetic changes in HPA axis-related genes have not been well studied in OCD. The present study investigated whether the epigenetic regulation of FK506-binding protein 51 gene (FKBP5) intron 7 is associated with OCD status in each sex. In addition, relationships among the DNA methylation levels of FKBP5 intron 7, OCD status and early-life trauma were explored. METHODS A total of 267 patients with OCD and 201 controls aged between 18 and 40 years were recruited. Demographic and clinical assessment, FKBP5 rs1360780 genotyping, and pyrosequencing of FKBP5 intron 7 were conducted. DNA was extracted from peripheral blood leucocytes. First, multivariate analysis of covariance for differential DNA methylation levels between OCD patients and controls was conducted with adjustment for FKBP5 rs1360780 genotype, early-life trauma, depressive symptoms, and age as covariates in each sex. Next, path analysis was conducted to determine the mediation effects of DNA methylation levels of FKBP5 between early-life trauma and OCD status. In addition, sensitivity analyses for medication and lifetime major depression were also performed. RESULTS DNA methylation at the FKBP5 intron 7 CpG site was significantly lower in men with OCD, compared to controls (mean difference -1.33%, 95% CI -2.11 to -0.55, p < 0.001). The results remained significant for drug naïve or free subjects (mean difference -1.27%, 95% CI -2.18 to -0.37, p = 0.006, in men) and for subjects without lifetime major depressive disorder (mean difference -1.60%, 95% CI -2.54 to -0.66, p < 0.001, in men). The mediation effect of DNA methylation levels was not significant between early-life trauma and OCD status. CONCLUSION These findings suggest that epigenetic factors of HPA axis-related gene FKBP5 may play a role in the pathogenesis of OCD. Further studies are needed to determine how altered DNA methylation of FKBP5 intron 7 and HPA axis function are involved in OCD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Ho Seo
- Department of Psychiatry, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, Wonju, South Korea; Institute of Behavioral Science in Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Shin Tae Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea; Institute of Behavioral Science in Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Sumoa Jeon
- Institute of Behavioral Science in Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Jee In Kang
- Department of Psychiatry, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea; Institute of Behavioral Science in Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
| | - Se Joo Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea; Institute of Behavioral Science in Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
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Monari S, Guillot de Suduiraut I, Grosse J, Zanoletti O, Walker SE, Mesquita M, Wood TC, Cash D, Astori S, Sandi C. Blunted Glucocorticoid Responsiveness to Stress Causes Behavioral and Biological Alterations That Lead to Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Vulnerability. Biol Psychiatry 2023:S0006-3223(23)01590-1. [PMID: 37743003 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2023.09.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Revised: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Understanding why only a subset of trauma-exposed individuals develop posttraumatic stress disorder is critical for advancing clinical strategies. A few behavioral (deficits in fear extinction) and biological (blunted glucocorticoid levels, small hippocampal size, and rapid-eye-movement sleep [REMS] disturbances) traits have been identified as potential vulnerability factors. However, whether and to what extent these traits are interrelated and whether one of them could causally engender the others are not known. METHODS In a genetically selected rat model of reduced corticosterone responsiveness to stress, we explored posttraumatic stress disorder-related biobehavioral traits using ex vivo magnetic resonance imaging, cued fear conditioning, and polysomnographic recordings combined with in vivo photometric measurements. RESULTS We showed that genetic selection for blunted glucocorticoid responsiveness led to a correlated multitrait response, including impaired fear extinction (observed in males but not in females), small hippocampal volume, and REMS disturbances, supporting their interrelatedness. Fear extinction deficits and concomitant disruptions in REMS could be normalized through postextinction corticosterone administration, causally implicating glucocorticoid deficiency in two core posttraumatic stress disorder-related risk factors and manifestations. Furthermore, reduced REMS was accompanied by higher norepinephrine levels in the hippocampal dentate gyrus that were also reversed by postextinction corticosterone treatment. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicate a predominant role for glucocorticoid deficiency over the contribution of reduced hippocampal volume in engendering both REMS alterations and associated deficits in fear extinction consolidation, and they causally implicate blunted glucocorticoids in sustaining neurophysiological disturbances that lead to fear extinction deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Monari
- Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics, Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Isabelle Guillot de Suduiraut
- Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics, Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland; Synapsy Center for Neuroscience and Mental Health Research, School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Jocelyn Grosse
- Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics, Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland; Synapsy Center for Neuroscience and Mental Health Research, School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Olivia Zanoletti
- Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics, Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland; Synapsy Center for Neuroscience and Mental Health Research, School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Sophie E Walker
- Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics, Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Michel Mesquita
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Tobias C Wood
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Diana Cash
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Simone Astori
- Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics, Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland; Synapsy Center for Neuroscience and Mental Health Research, School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Carmen Sandi
- Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics, Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland; Synapsy Center for Neuroscience and Mental Health Research, School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
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Li Y, Zhi W, Qi B, Wang L, Hu X. Update on neurobiological mechanisms of fear: illuminating the direction of mechanism exploration and treatment development of trauma and fear-related disorders. Front Behav Neurosci 2023; 17:1216524. [PMID: 37600761 PMCID: PMC10433239 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1216524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Fear refers to an adaptive response in the face of danger, and the formed fear memory acts as a warning when the individual faces a dangerous situation again, which is of great significance to the survival of humans and animals. Excessive fear response caused by abnormal fear memory can lead to neuropsychiatric disorders. Fear memory has been studied for a long time, which is of a certain guiding effect on the treatment of fear-related disorders. With continuous technological innovations, the study of fear has gradually shifted from the level of brain regions to deeper neural (micro) circuits between brain regions and even within single brain regions, as well as molecular mechanisms. This article briefly outlines the basic knowledge of fear memory and reviews the neurobiological mechanisms of fear extinction and relapse, which aims to provide new insights for future basic research on fear emotions and new ideas for treating trauma and fear-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Li
- College of Education, Hebei University, Baoding, China
- Laboratory of Experimental Pathology, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Weijia Zhi
- Laboratory of Experimental Pathology, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Bing Qi
- College of Education, Hebei University, Baoding, China
| | - Lifeng Wang
- Laboratory of Experimental Pathology, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Xiangjun Hu
- College of Education, Hebei University, Baoding, China
- Laboratory of Experimental Pathology, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Beijing, China
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10
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Yusupov N, van Doeselaar L, Röh S, Wiechmann T, Ködel M, Sauer S, Rex-Haffner M, Schmidt MV, Binder EB. Extensive evaluation of DNA methylation of functional elements in the murine Fkbp5 locus using high-accuracy DNA methylation measurement via targeted bisulfite sequencing. Eur J Neurosci 2023; 58:2662-2676. [PMID: 37414581 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Revised: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023]
Abstract
FKBP5 is an important stress-regulatory gene implicated in stress-related psychiatric diseases. Single nucleotide polymorphisms of the FKBP5 gene were shown to interact with early life stress to alter the glucocorticoid-related stress response and moderate disease risk. Demethylation of cytosine-phosphate-guanine-dinucleotides (CpGs) in regulatory glucocorticoid-responsive elements was suggested to be the mediating epigenetic mechanism for long-term stress effects, but studies on Fkbp5 DNA methylation (DNAm) in rodents are so far limited. We evaluated the applicability of high-accuracy DNA methylation measurement via targeted bisulfite sequencing (HAM-TBS), a next-generation sequencing-based technology, to allow a more in-depth characterisation of the DNA methylation of the murine Fkbp5 locus in three different tissues (blood, frontal cortex and hippocampus). In this study, we not only increased the number of evaluated sites in previously described regulatory regions (in introns 1 and 5), but also extended the evaluation to novel, possibly relevant regulatory regions of the gene (in intron 8, the transcriptional start site, the proximal enhancer and CTCF-binding sites within the 5'UTR). We here describe the assessment of HAM-TBS assays for a panel of 157 CpGs with possible functional relevance in the murine Fkbp5 gene. DNAm profiles were tissue-specific, with lesser differences between the two brain regions than between the brain and blood. Moreover, we identified DNAm changes in the Fkbp5 locus after early life stress exposure in the frontal cortex and blood. Our findings indicate that HAM-TBS is a valuable tool for broader exploration of the DNAm of the murine Fkbp5 locus and its involvement in the stress response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natan Yusupov
- Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
- International Max Planck Research School for Translational Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Lotte van Doeselaar
- International Max Planck Research School for Translational Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
- Research Group Neurobiology of Stress Resilience, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Simone Röh
- Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Tobias Wiechmann
- Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Maik Ködel
- Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Susann Sauer
- Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Monika Rex-Haffner
- Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Mathias V Schmidt
- Research Group Neurobiology of Stress Resilience, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Elisabeth B Binder
- Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
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11
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Malekpour M, Shekouh D, Safavinia ME, Shiralipour S, Jalouli M, Mortezanejad S, Azarpira N, Ebrahimi ND. Role of FKBP5 and its genetic mutations in stress-induced psychiatric disorders: an opportunity for drug discovery. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1182345. [PMID: 37398599 PMCID: PMC10313426 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1182345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Stress-induced mental health disorders are affecting many people around the world. However, effective drug therapy for curing psychiatric diseases does not occur sufficiently. Many neurotransmitters, hormones, and mechanisms are essential in regulating the body's stress response. One of the most critical components of the stress response system is the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. The FKBP prolyl isomerase 51 (FKBP51) protein is one of the main negative regulators of the HPA axis. FKBP51 negatively regulates the cortisol effects (the end product of the HPA axis) by inhibiting the interaction between glucocorticoid receptors (GRs) and cortisol, causing reduced transcription of downstream cortisol molecules. By regulating cortisol effects, the FKBP51 protein can indirectly regulate the sensitivity of the HPA axis to stressors. Previous studies have indicated the influence of FKBP5 gene mutations and epigenetic changes in different psychiatric diseases and drug responses and recommended the FKBP51 protein as a drug target and a biomarker for psychological disorders. In this review, we attempted to discuss the effects of the FKBP5 gene, its mutations on different psychiatric diseases, and drugs affecting the FKBP5 gene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahdi Malekpour
- Student Research Committee, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
- Transplant Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Dorsa Shekouh
- Student Research Committee, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | | | - Shadi Shiralipour
- Student Research Committee, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Maryam Jalouli
- Student Research Committee, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Sahar Mortezanejad
- Student Research Committee, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Negar Azarpira
- Transplant Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
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12
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Cuciureanu M, Caratașu CC, Gabrielian L, Frăsinariu OE, Checheriță LE, Trandafir LM, Stanciu GD, Szilagyi A, Pogonea I, Bordeianu G, Soroceanu RP, Andrițoiu CV, Anghel MM, Munteanu D, Cernescu IT, Tamba BI. 360-Degree Perspectives on Obesity. MEDICINA (KAUNAS, LITHUANIA) 2023; 59:1119. [PMID: 37374323 DOI: 10.3390/medicina59061119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Revised: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
Abstract
Alarming statistics show that the number of people affected by excessive weight has surpassed 2 billion, representing approximately 30% of the world's population. The aim of this review is to provide a comprehensive overview of one of the most serious public health problems, considering that obesity requires an integrative approach that takes into account its complex etiology, including genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors. Only an understanding of the connections between the many contributors to obesity and the synergy between treatment interventions can ensure satisfactory outcomes in reducing obesity. Mechanisms such as oxidative stress, chronic inflammation, and dysbiosis play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of obesity and its associated complications. Compounding factors such as the deleterious effects of stress, the novel challenge posed by the obesogenic digital (food) environment, and the stigma associated with obesity should not be overlooked. Preclinical research in animal models has been instrumental in elucidating these mechanisms, and translation into clinical practice has provided promising therapeutic options, including epigenetic approaches, pharmacotherapy, and bariatric surgery. However, more studies are necessary to discover new compounds that target key metabolic pathways, innovative ways to deliver the drugs, the optimal combinations of lifestyle interventions with allopathic treatments, and, last but not least, emerging biological markers for effective monitoring. With each passing day, the obesity crisis tightens its grip, threatening not only individual lives but also burdening healthcare systems and societies at large. It is high time we took action as we confront the urgent imperative to address this escalating global health challenge head-on.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Cuciureanu
- Department of Pharmacology, "Grigore T. Popa" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Iasi, Romania
| | - Cătălin-Cezar Caratașu
- Department of Pharmacology, "Grigore T. Popa" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Iasi, Romania
- Center for Advanced Research and Development in Experimental Medicine (CEMEX), "Grigore T. Popa" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Iasi, Romania
| | - Levon Gabrielian
- Department of Anatomy and Pathology, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide 5000, Australia
| | - Otilia Elena Frăsinariu
- Department of Mother and Child, "Grigore T. Popa" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Iasi, Romania
| | - Laura Elisabeta Checheriță
- 2nd Dental Medicine Department, "Grigore T. Popa" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Iasi, Romania
| | - Laura Mihaela Trandafir
- Department of Mother and Child, "Grigore T. Popa" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Iasi, Romania
| | - Gabriela Dumitrița Stanciu
- Center for Advanced Research and Development in Experimental Medicine (CEMEX), "Grigore T. Popa" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Iasi, Romania
| | - Andrei Szilagyi
- Center for Advanced Research and Development in Experimental Medicine (CEMEX), "Grigore T. Popa" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Iasi, Romania
| | - Ina Pogonea
- Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology, "Nicolae Testemiţanu" State University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 2004 Chisinau, Moldova
| | - Gabriela Bordeianu
- Department of Biochemistry, "Grigore T. Popa" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Iasi, Romania
| | - Radu Petru Soroceanu
- Department of Surgery, "Grigore T. Popa" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Iasi, Romania
| | - Călin Vasile Andrițoiu
- Specialization of Nutrition and Dietetics, "Vasile Goldis" Western University of Arad, 310025 Arad, Romania
| | - Maria Mihalache Anghel
- Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology, "Nicolae Testemiţanu" State University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 2004 Chisinau, Moldova
| | - Diana Munteanu
- Institute of Mother and Child, "Nicolae Testemiţanu" State University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 2062 Chisinau, Moldova
| | - Irina Teodora Cernescu
- Department of Pharmacology, "Grigore T. Popa" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Iasi, Romania
| | - Bogdan Ionel Tamba
- Department of Pharmacology, "Grigore T. Popa" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Iasi, Romania
- Center for Advanced Research and Development in Experimental Medicine (CEMEX), "Grigore T. Popa" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Iasi, Romania
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13
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Molina P, Andero R, Armario A. Restraint or immobilization: a comparison of methodologies for restricting free movement in rodents and their potential impact on physiology and behavior. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 151:105224. [PMID: 37156310 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Revised: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Restriction of free movement has historically been used as a model for inducing acute and chronic stress in laboratory animals. This paradigm is one of the most widely employed experimental procedures for basic research studies of stress-related disorders. It is easy to implement, and it rarely involves any physical harm to the animal. Many different restraint methods have been developed with variations in the apparatuses used and the degree of limitation of movement. Unfortunately, very few studies directly compare the differential impact of the distinct protocols. Additionally, restraint and immobilization terms are not differentiated and are sometimes used interchangeably in the literature. This review offers evidence of great physiological differences in the impact of distinct restraint procedures in rats and mice and emphasizes the need for a standardized language on this topic. Moreover, it illustrates the necessity of additional systematic studies that compare the effects of the distinct restraint methodologies, which would help to decide better which procedure should be used depending on the objectives of each particular study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia Molina
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain; Animal Physiology Unit, School of Biosciences, Department of Cellular Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain
| | - Raül Andero
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain; Deparment of Psychobiology and Methodology of Health Sciences, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain; CIBERSAM, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spain; Unitat de Neurociència Traslacional, Parc Taulí Hospital Universitari, Institut d'Investigació i Innovació Parc Taulí I3PT, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain; ICREA, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Antonio Armario
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain; Animal Physiology Unit, School of Biosciences, Department of Cellular Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain; CIBERSAM, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spain; Unitat de Neurociència Traslacional, Parc Taulí Hospital Universitari, Institut d'Investigació i Innovació Parc Taulí I3PT, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain.
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14
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On making (and turning adaptive to) maladaptive aversive memories in laboratory rodents. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 147:105101. [PMID: 36804263 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2022] [Revised: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023]
Abstract
Fear conditioning and avoidance tasks usually elicit adaptive aversive memories. Traumatic memories are more intense, generalized, inflexible, and resistant to attenuation via extinction- and reconsolidation-based strategies. Inducing and assessing these dysfunctional, maladaptive features in the laboratory are crucial to interrogating posttraumatic stress disorder's neurobiology and exploring innovative treatments. Here we analyze over 350 studies addressing this question in adult rats and mice. There is a growing interest in modeling several qualitative and quantitative memory changes by exposing already stressed animals to freezing- and avoidance-related tests or using a relatively high aversive training magnitude. Other options combine aversive/fearful tasks with post-acquisition or post-retrieval administration of one or more drugs provoking neurochemical or epigenetic alterations reported in the trauma aftermath. It is potentially instructive to integrate these procedures and incorporate the measurement of autonomic and endocrine parameters. Factors to consider when defining the organismic and procedural variables, partially neglected aspects (sex-dependent differences and recent vs. remote data comparison) and suggestions for future research (identifying reliable individual risk and treatment-response predictors) are discussed.
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15
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Singewald N, Sartori SB, Reif A, Holmes A. Alleviating anxiety and taming trauma: Novel pharmacotherapeutics for anxiety disorders and posttraumatic stress disorder. Neuropharmacology 2023; 226:109418. [PMID: 36623804 PMCID: PMC10372846 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2023.109418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Revised: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Psychiatric disorders associated with psychological trauma, stress and anxiety are a highly prevalent and increasing cause of morbidity worldwide. Current therapeutic approaches, including medication, are effective in alleviating symptoms of anxiety disorders and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), at least in some individuals, but have unwanted side-effects and do not resolve underlying pathophysiology. After a period of stagnation, there is renewed enthusiasm from public, academic and commercial parties in designing and developing drug treatments for these disorders. Here, we aim to provide a snapshot of the current state of this field that is written for neuropharmacologists, but also practicing clinicians and the interested lay-reader. After introducing currently available drug treatments, we summarize recent/ongoing clinical assessment of novel medicines for anxiety and PTSD, grouped according to primary neurochemical targets and their potential to produce acute and/or enduring therapeutic effects. The evaluation of putative treatments targeting monoamine (including psychedelics), GABA, glutamate, cannabinoid, cholinergic and neuropeptide systems, amongst others, are discussed. We emphasize the importance of designing and clinically assessing new medications based on a firm understanding of the underlying neurobiology stemming from the rapid advances being made in neuroscience. This includes harnessing neuroplasticity to bring about lasting beneficial changes in the brain rather than - as many current medications do - produce a transient attenuation of symptoms, as exemplified by combining psychotropic/cognitive enhancing drugs with psychotherapeutic approaches. We conclude by noting some of the other emerging trends in this promising new phase of drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Singewald
- Institute of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck (CMBI), Leopold Franzens University Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.
| | - Simone B Sartori
- Institute of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck (CMBI), Leopold Franzens University Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Andreas Reif
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Andrew Holmes
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
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16
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Xia M, Yan R, Kim MH, Xu X. Tet Enzyme-Mediated Response in Environmental Stress and Stress-Related Psychiatric Diseases. Mol Neurobiol 2023; 60:1594-1608. [PMID: 36534335 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-022-03168-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Mental disorders caused by stress have become a worldwide public health problem. These mental disorders are often the results of a combination of genes and environment, in which epigenetic modifications play a crucial role. At present, the genetic and epigenetic mechanisms of mental disorders such as posttraumatic stress disorder or depression caused by environmental stress are not entirely clear. Although many epigenetic modifications affect gene regulation, the most well-known modification in eukaryotic cells is the DNA methylation of CpG islands. Stress causes changes in DNA methylation in the brain to participate in the neuronal function or mood-modulating behaviors, and these epigenetic modifications can be passed on to offspring. Ten-eleven translocation (Tet) enzymes are the 5-methylcytosine (5mC) hydroxylases of DNA, which recognize 5mC on the DNA sequence and oxidize it to 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC), 5-formylcytosine (5fC), and 5-carboxylcytosine (5caC). Tet regulates gene expression at the transcriptional level through the demethylation of DNA. This review will elaborate on the molecular mechanism and the functions of Tet enzymes in environmental stress-related disorders and discuss future research directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meiling Xia
- Departments of Neurology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou City, 215006, China.,Department of Physiology and Biomedical Sciences, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul City, 03080, Korea
| | - Rui Yan
- Institute of Neuroscience, Soochow University, Suzhou City, China
| | - Myoung-Hwan Kim
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Sciences, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul City, 03080, Korea.
| | - Xingshun Xu
- Departments of Neurology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou City, 215006, China. .,Institute of Neuroscience, Soochow University, Suzhou City, China. .,Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases, Soochow University, Suzhou City, China.
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17
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Glucocorticoid-based pharmacotherapies preventing PTSD. Neuropharmacology 2023; 224:109344. [PMID: 36402246 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a highly disabling psychiatric condition that may arise after exposure to acute and severe trauma. It is a highly prevalent mental disorder worldwide, and the current treatment options for these patients remain limited due to low effectiveness. The time window right after traumatic events provides clinicians with a unique opportunity for preventive interventions against potential deleterious alterations in brain function that lead to PTSD. Some studies pointed out that PTSD patients present an abnormal function of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis that may contribute to a vulnerability toward PTSD. Moreover, glucocorticoids have arisen as a promising option for preventing the disorder's development when administered in the aftermath of trauma. The present work compiles the recent findings of glucocorticoid administration for the prevention of a PTSD phenotype, from human studies to animal models of PTSD. Overall, glucocorticoid-based therapies for preventing PTSD demonstrated moderate evidence in terms of efficacy in both clinical and preclinical studies. Although clinical studies point out that glucocorticoids may not be effective for all patients' subpopulations, those with adequate traits might greatly benefit from them. Preclinical studies provide precise insight into the mechanisms mediating this preventive effect, showing glucocorticoid-based prevention to reduce long-lasting behavioral and neurobiological abnormalities caused by traumatic stress. However, further research is needed to delineate the precise mechanisms and the extent to which these interventions can translate into lower PTSD rates and morbidity. This article is part of the Special Issue on 'Fear, Anxiety and PTSD'.
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18
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The infralimbic mineralocorticoid blockage prevents the stress-induced impairment of aversive memory extinction in rats. Transl Psychiatry 2022; 12:343. [PMID: 35999226 PMCID: PMC9399104 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-022-02118-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Revised: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Individuals deal with adversity and return to a normal lifestyle when adversity ends. Nevertheless, in specific cases, traumas may be preceded by memory distortions in stress-related malaises, and memory extinction impairment is strictly associated with the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. Glucocorticoids (GCs), the central stress mediator, target mineralocorticoid (MR) and glucocorticoid (GR) receptors and coordinate stress responses. Despite MRs being present in brain regions essential to cognition, emotions, and initial stress processing, such as the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), most studies attempt to elucidate the stress-induced deleterious actions of GCs via GR. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the relationship between stress, infralimbic mPFC (IL), and memory and how MR-mediated intracellular signaling influences this relationship and modulates memory extinction. We observed that acutely restraint-stressed male Wistar rats showed high corticosterone (CORT) levels, and previous intra-IL-spironolactone administration (a selective MR antagonist) decreased it 60 min after the stress started. Intra-IL-CORT118335, a novel mixed MR/GR selective modulator, increased CORT throughout stress exposure. Ten days after stress, all rats increased freezing in the memory retrieval test and acquired the aversive contextual memory. During the extinction test, intra-IL injection of spironolactone, but not CORT118335, prevented the stress-impaired memory extinction, suggesting that the IL-MR activity controls CORT concentration, and it is crucial to the establishment of late extinction impairment. Also, the concomitant GR full activation overrode MR blockage. It increased CORT levels leading to the stress-induced extinction memory impairment, reinforcing that the MR/GR balance is crucial to predicting stress-induced behavioral outcomes.
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19
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Zheng L, Pang Q, Xu H, Guo H, Liu R, Wang T. The Neurobiological Links between Stress and Traumatic Brain Injury: A Review of Research to Date. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23179519. [PMID: 36076917 PMCID: PMC9455169 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23179519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2022] [Revised: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 08/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurological dysfunctions commonly occur after mild or moderate traumatic brain injury (TBI). Although most TBI patients recover from such a dysfunction in a short period of time, some present with persistent neurological deficits. Stress is a potential factor that is involved in recovery from neurological dysfunction after TBI. However, there has been limited research on the effects and mechanisms of stress on neurological dysfunctions due to TBI. In this review, we first investigate the effects of TBI and stress on neurological dysfunctions and different brain regions, such as the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, amygdala, and hypothalamus. We then explore the neurobiological links and mechanisms between stress and TBI. Finally, we summarize the findings related to stress biomarkers and probe the possible diagnostic and therapeutic significance of stress combined with mild or moderate TBI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lexin Zheng
- Department of Forensic Medicine, School of Basic Medicine and Biological Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Qiuyu Pang
- Department of Forensic Medicine, School of Basic Medicine and Biological Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Heng Xu
- Department of Forensic Medicine, School of Basic Medicine and Biological Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Hanmu Guo
- Department of Forensic Medicine, School of Basic Medicine and Biological Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Rong Liu
- Department of Forensic Medicine, School of Basic Medicine and Biological Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Tao Wang
- Department of Forensic Medicine, School of Basic Medicine and Biological Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
- Shanghai Key Lab of Forensic Medicine, Key Lab of Forensic Science, Ministry of Justice, China (Academy of Forensic Science), Shanghai 200063, China
- Correspondence:
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20
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Pharmacological Implications of Adjusting Abnormal Fear Memory: Towards the Treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2022; 15:ph15070788. [PMID: 35890087 PMCID: PMC9322538 DOI: 10.3390/ph15070788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2022] [Revised: 06/20/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a unique clinical mental abnormality presenting a cluster of symptoms in which patients primarily experience flashbacks, nightmares and uncontrollable thoughts about the event that triggered their PTSD. Patients with PTSD may also have comorbid depression and anxiety in an intractable and long-term course, which makes establishing a comprehensive treatment plan difficult and complicated. The present article reviews current pharmacological manipulations for adjusting abnormal fear memory. The roles of the central monoaminergic systems (including serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine) within the fear circuit areas and the involvement of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and glucocorticoid receptor (GR) are explored based on attempts to integrate current clinical and preclinical basic studies. In this review, we explain how these therapeutic paradigms function based on their connections to stages of the abnormal fear memory process from condition to extinction. This may provide useful translational interpretations for clinicians to manage PTSD.
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21
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Miller L, Bodemeier Loayza Careaga M, Handa RJ, Wu TJ. The Effects of Chronic Variable Stress and Photoperiod Alteration on the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis Response and Behavior of Mice. Neuroscience 2022; 496:105-118. [PMID: 35700818 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2022.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Revised: 06/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis mediates the physiological response to stressors and also synchronizes different physiological systems to environmental cues. Changes in day length (i.e., photoperiod) as well as chronic exposure to stressors are known to impact the HPA axis activity regulating the levels of glucocorticoid hormones. Over-exposure to inappropriate levels of glucocorticoids has been implicated in increased disease risk. In the present study, we examined the impact of chronic stress, using a chronic variable stress (CVS) paradigm, in combination with changes in photoperiod on physiological and behavioral measures, as well as on the reactivity and regulation of the HPA axis, in male and female mice. Six weeks of CVS, regardless of the photoperiod condition, decreased the body weight and attenuated the HPA axis reactivity to an acute stressor in both sexes. The attenuated HPA axis reactivity observed in stressed animals was related to reduced Pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) mRNA levels in the pituitary of females. The gene expression analyses of key regulators of the HPA axis also indicated a sex-dependent effect with opposite patterns in the pituitary and adrenal glands. CVS effects on behavior were limited and related to an anxiety-like phenotype in both sexes, regardless of photoperiod condition. Our findings highlight sex-specific differences in the HPA axis and also sex-dependent effects of CVS on physiological parameters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Miller
- Department of Gynecologic Surgery and Obstetrics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States; Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc., Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Mariella Bodemeier Loayza Careaga
- Department of Gynecologic Surgery and Obstetrics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States; Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc., Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Robert J Handa
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
| | - T John Wu
- Department of Gynecologic Surgery and Obstetrics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States; Program in Neuroscience, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States.
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22
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Lin CC, Cheng PY, Hsiao M, Liu YP. Effects of RU486 in Treatment of Traumatic Stress-Induced Glucocorticoid Dysregulation and Fear-Related Abnormalities: Early versus Late Intervention. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23105494. [PMID: 35628305 PMCID: PMC9141845 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23105494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Revised: 05/08/2022] [Accepted: 05/08/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Central glucocorticoid receptor (GR) activity is enhanced following traumatic events, playing a key role in the stress-related cognitive abnormalities of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). GR antagonists are expected to have potential as pharmacological agents to treat PTSD-related symptoms such as anxiety and fear memory disruption. However, an incubation period is usually required and stress-induced abnormalities do not develop immediately following the trauma; thus, the optimal intervention timing should be considered. Single prolonged stress (SPS) was employed as a rodent PTSD model to examine the effects of early or late (1–7 versus 8–14 days after the SPS) sub-chronic RU486 (a GR antagonist) administration. Behaviorally, fear conditioning and anxiety behavior were assessed using the fear-conditioning test and elevated T-maze (ETM), respectively. Neurochemically, the expressions of GR, FK506-binding proteins 4 and 5 (FKBP4 and FKBP5), and early growth response-1 (Egr-1) were assessed in the hippocampus, medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), amygdala, and hypothalamus, together with the level of plasma corticosterone. Early RU486 administration could inhibit SPS-induced behavioral abnormalities and glucocorticoid system dysregulation by reversing the SPS-induced fear extinction deficit, and preventing SPS-reduced plasma corticosterone levels and SPS-induced Egr-1 overexpression in the hippocampus. Early RU486 administration following SPS also increased the FKBP5 level in the hippocampus and hypothalamus. Finally, both early and late RU486 administration inhibited the elevated hippocampal FKBP4 level and hypothalamus GR level in the SPS rats. Early intervention with a GR antagonist aids in the correction of traumatic stress-induced fear and anxiety dysregulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen-Cheng Lin
- Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Graduate Institute of Physiology, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei 11490, Taiwan;
- Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan;
| | - Pao-Yun Cheng
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Graduate Institute of Physiology, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei 11490, Taiwan;
| | - Michael Hsiao
- Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan;
| | - Yia-Ping Liu
- Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Graduate Institute of Physiology, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei 11490, Taiwan;
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Graduate Institute of Physiology, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei 11490, Taiwan;
- Department of Psychiatry, Cheng Hsin General Hospital, Taipei 11220, Taiwan
- Department of Psychiatry, Tri-Service General Hospital, Taipei 11490, Taiwan
- Correspondence:
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Glavonic E, Mitic M, Adzic M. Hallucinogenic drugs and their potential for treating fear-related disorders: Through the lens of fear extinction. J Neurosci Res 2022; 100:947-969. [PMID: 35165930 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.25017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2021] [Revised: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Fear-related disorders, mainly phobias and post-traumatic stress disorder, are highly prevalent, debilitating disorders that pose a significant public health problem. They are characterized by aberrant processing of aversive experiences and dysregulated fear extinction, leading to excessive expression of fear and diminished quality of life. The gold standard for treating fear-related disorders is extinction-based exposure therapy (ET), shown to be ineffective for up to 35% of subjects. Moreover, ET combined with traditional pharmacological treatments for fear-related disorders, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, offers no further advantage to patients. This prompted the search for ways to improve ET outcomes, with current research focused on pharmacological agents that can augment ET by strengthening fear extinction learning. Hallucinogenic drugs promote reprocessing of fear-imbued memories and induce positive mood and openness, relieving anxiety and enabling the necessary emotional engagement during psychotherapeutic interventions. Mechanistically, hallucinogens induce dynamic structural and functional neuroplastic changes across the fear extinction circuitry and temper amygdala's hyperreactivity to threat-related stimuli, effectively mitigating one of the hallmarks of fear-related disorders. This paper provides the first comprehensive review of hallucinogens' potential to alleviate symptoms of fear-related disorders by focusing on their effects on fear extinction and the underlying molecular mechanisms. We overview both preclinical and clinical studies and emphasize the advantages of hallucinogenic drugs over current first-line treatments. We highlight 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine and ketamine as the most effective therapeutics for fear-related disorders and discuss the potential molecular mechanisms responsible for their potency with implications for improving hallucinogen-assisted psychotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilija Glavonic
- Department of Molecular Biology and Endocrinology, "VINČA" Institute of Nuclear Sciences-National Institute of thе Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Milos Mitic
- Department of Molecular Biology and Endocrinology, "VINČA" Institute of Nuclear Sciences-National Institute of thе Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Miroslav Adzic
- Department of Molecular Biology and Endocrinology, "VINČA" Institute of Nuclear Sciences-National Institute of thе Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
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Wang J, Zhao H, Girgenti MJ. Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Brain Transcriptomics: Convergent Genomic Signatures Across Biological Sex. Biol Psychiatry 2022; 91:6-13. [PMID: 33840456 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2021.02.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Revised: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
While a definitive understanding of the molecular pathology of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is far from a current reality, it has become increasingly clear that many of the molecular effects of PTSD are sex specific. Women are twice as likely as men to develop PTSD after a traumatic event, and neurobiological evidence suggests that there are structural differences between the brains of males versus females with PTSD. Recent advances in genomic technologies have begun to shed light on the sex-specific molecular determinants of PTSD, which seem to be governed predominantly by dysfunction of GABAergic (gamma-aminobutyric acidergic) signaling and immune function. We review the current state of the field of PTSD genomics focusing on the effect of sex. We provide an overview of difference in heritability of PTSD based on sex, how difference in gene regulation based on sex impacts the PTSD brain, and what is known about genomic regulation that is dysregulated in specific cell types in PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiawei Wang
- Program of Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut; Department of Biostatistics, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Hongyu Zhao
- Program of Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut; Department of Biostatistics, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Matthew J Girgenti
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut; Psychiatry Service, Veterans Administration Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, Connecticut; Veterans Administration National Center for PTSD, West Haven, Connecticut.
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Analysis of the cerebellar molecular stress response led to first evidence of a role for FKBP51 in brain FKBP52 expression in mice and humans. Neurobiol Stress 2021; 15:100401. [PMID: 34632006 PMCID: PMC8488056 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2021.100401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2021] [Revised: 09/05/2021] [Accepted: 09/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
As the cerebellar molecular stress response is understudied, we assessed protein expression levels of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis regulators and neurostructural markers in the cerebellum of a male PTSD mouse model and of unstressed vs. stressed male FK506 binding protein 51 (Fkbp5) knockout (KO) vs. wildtype mice. We explored the translatability of our findings in the Fkbp5 KO model to the situation in humans by correlating mRNA levels of candidates with those of FKBP5 in two whole transcriptome datasets of post-mortem human cerebellum and in blood of unstressed and stressed humans. Fkbp5 deletion rescued the stress-induced loss in hippocampal, prefrontal cortical, and, possibly, also cerebellar FKBP52 expression and modulated post-stress cerebellar expression levels of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and possibly (trend) also of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). Accordingly, expression levels of genes encoding for these three genes correlated with those of FKBP5 in human post-mortem cerebellum, while other neurostructural markers were not related to Fkbp5 either in mouse or human cerebellum. Also, gene expression levels of the two immunophilins correlated inversely in the blood of unstressed and stressed humans. We found transient changes in FKBP52 and persistent changes in GR and GFAP in the cerebellum of PTSD-like mice. Altogether, upon elucidating the cerebellar stress response we found first evidence for a novel facet of HPA axis regulation, i.e., the ability of FKBP51 to modulate the expression of its antagonist FKBP52 in the mouse and, speculatively, also in the human brain and blood and, moreover, detected long-term single stress-induced changes in expression of cerebellar HPA axis regulators and neurostructural markers of which some might contribute to the role of the cerebellum in fear extinction.
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Eachus H, Choi MK, Ryu S. The Effects of Early Life Stress on the Brain and Behaviour: Insights From Zebrafish Models. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:657591. [PMID: 34368117 PMCID: PMC8335398 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.657591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The early life period represents a window of increased vulnerability to stress, during which exposure can lead to long-lasting effects on brain structure and function. This stress-induced developmental programming may contribute to the behavioural changes observed in mental illness. In recent decades, rodent studies have significantly advanced our understanding of how early life stress (ELS) affects brain development and behaviour. These studies reveal that ELS has long-term consequences on the brain such as impairment of adult hippocampal neurogenesis, altering learning and memory. Despite such advances, several key questions remain inadequately answered, including a comprehensive overview of brain regions and molecular pathways that are altered by ELS and how ELS-induced molecular changes ultimately lead to behavioural changes in adulthood. The zebrafish represents a novel ELS model, with the potential to contribute to answering some of these questions. The zebrafish offers some important advantages such as the ability to non-invasively modulate stress hormone levels in a whole animal and to visualise whole brain activity in freely behaving animals. This review discusses the current status of the zebrafish ELS field and its potential as a new ELS model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen Eachus
- Living Systems Institute and College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Min-Kyeung Choi
- Living Systems Institute and College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Soojin Ryu
- Living Systems Institute and College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom.,Institute of Human Genetics, University Medical Center, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
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27
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Bolshakov AP, Tret'yakova LV, Kvichansky AA, Gulyaeva NV. Glucocorticoids: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde of Hippocampal Neuroinflammation. BIOCHEMISTRY (MOSCOW) 2021; 86:156-167. [PMID: 33832414 DOI: 10.1134/s0006297921020048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Glucocorticoids (GCs) are an important component of adaptive response of an organism to stressogenic stimuli, a typical stress response being accompanied by elevation of GC levels in blood. Anti-inflammatory effects of GCs are widely used in clinical practice, while pro-inflammatory effects of GCs are believed to underlie neurodegeneration. This is particularly critical for the hippocampus, brain region controlling both cognitive function and emotions/affective behavior, and selectively vulnerable to neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration. The hippocampus is believed to be the main target of GCs since it has the highest density of GC receptors potentially underlying high sensitivity of hippocampal cells to severe stress. In this review, we analyzed the results of studies on pro- and anti-inflammatory effects of GCs in the hippocampus in different models of stress and stress-related pathologies. The available data form a sophisticated, though often quite phenomenological, picture of a modulatory role of GCs in hippocampal neuroinflammation. Understanding the dual nature of GC-mediated effects as well as causes and mechanisms of switching can provide us with effective approaches and tools to avert hippocampal neuroinflammatory events and as a result to prevent and treat brain diseases, both neurological and psychiatric. In the framework of a mechanistic view, we propose a new hypothesis describing how the anti-inflammatory effects of GCs may transform into the pro-inflammatory ones. According to it, long-term elevation of GC level or preliminary treatment with GC triggers accumulation of FKBP51 protein that suppresses activity of GC receptors and activates pro-inflammatory cascades, which, finally, leads to enhanced neuroinflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexey P Bolshakov
- Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 117485, Russia
| | - Liya V Tret'yakova
- Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 117485, Russia
| | - Alexey A Kvichansky
- Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 117485, Russia
| | - Natalia V Gulyaeva
- Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 117485, Russia. .,Research and Clinical Center for Neuropsychiatry of Moscow Healthcare Department, Moscow, 115419, Russia
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28
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Lohoff FW, Roy A, Jung J, Longley M, Rosoff DB, Luo A, O'Connell E, Sorcher JL, Sun H, Schwandt M, Hodgkinson CA, Goldman D, Momenan R, McIntosh AM, Adams MJ, Walker RM, Evans KL, Porteous D, Smith AK, Lee J, Muench C, Charlet K, Clarke TK, Kaminsky ZA. Epigenome-wide association study and multi-tissue replication of individuals with alcohol use disorder: evidence for abnormal glucocorticoid signaling pathway gene regulation. Mol Psychiatry 2021; 26:2224-2237. [PMID: 32398718 PMCID: PMC7658001 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-020-0734-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2019] [Revised: 03/13/2020] [Accepted: 04/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a chronic debilitating disorder with limited treatment options and poorly defined pathophysiology. There are substantial genetic and epigenetic components; however, the underlying mechanisms contributing to AUD remain largely unknown. We conducted the largest DNA methylation epigenome-wide association study (EWAS) analyses currently available for AUD (total N = 625) and employed a top hit replication (N = 4798) using a cross-tissue/cross-phenotypic approach with the goal of identifying novel epigenetic targets relevant to AUD. Results show that a network of differentially methylated regions in glucocorticoid signaling and inflammation-related genes were associated with alcohol use behaviors. A top probe consistently associated across all cohorts was located in the long non-coding RNA growth arrest specific five gene (GAS5) (p < 10-24). GAS5 has been implicated in regulating transcriptional activity of the glucocorticoid receptor and has multiple functions related to apoptosis, immune function and various cancers. Endophenotypic analyses using peripheral cortisol levels and neuroimaging paradigms showed that methylomic variation in GAS5 network-related probes were associated with stress phenotypes. Postmortem brain analyses documented increased GAS5 expression in the amygdala of individuals with AUD. Our data suggest that alcohol use is associated with differential methylation in the glucocorticoid system that might influence stress and inflammatory reactivity and subsequently risk for AUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Falk W Lohoff
- Section on Clinical Genomics and Experimental Therapeutics, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
| | - Arunima Roy
- Royal's Institute of Mental Health Research, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Jeesun Jung
- Section on Clinical Genomics and Experimental Therapeutics, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Martha Longley
- Section on Clinical Genomics and Experimental Therapeutics, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Daniel B Rosoff
- Section on Clinical Genomics and Experimental Therapeutics, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Audrey Luo
- Section on Clinical Genomics and Experimental Therapeutics, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Emma O'Connell
- Section on Clinical Genomics and Experimental Therapeutics, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Jill L Sorcher
- Section on Clinical Genomics and Experimental Therapeutics, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Hui Sun
- Office of the Clinical Director, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Melanie Schwandt
- Office of the Clinical Director, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Colin A Hodgkinson
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - David Goldman
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Reza Momenan
- Clinical Neuroimaging Research Core, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Andrew M McIntosh
- Division of Psychiatry, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Mark J Adams
- Division of Psychiatry, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Rosie M Walker
- Medical Genetic Section, Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Medical Research Council Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Kathryn L Evans
- Medical Genetic Section, Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Medical Research Council Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - David Porteous
- Medical Genetic Section, Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Medical Research Council Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Alicia K Smith
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Jisoo Lee
- Section on Clinical Genomics and Experimental Therapeutics, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Christine Muench
- Section on Clinical Genomics and Experimental Therapeutics, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Katrin Charlet
- Section on Clinical Genomics and Experimental Therapeutics, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Toni-Kim Clarke
- Division of Psychiatry, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Zachary A Kaminsky
- Royal's Institute of Mental Health Research, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
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29
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Florido A, Velasco ER, Soto-Faguás CM, Gomez-Gomez A, Perez-Caballero L, Molina P, Nadal R, Pozo OJ, Saura CA, Andero R. Sex differences in fear memory consolidation via Tac2 signaling in mice. Nat Commun 2021; 12:2496. [PMID: 33941789 PMCID: PMC8093426 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-22911-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2020] [Accepted: 03/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Memory formation is key for brain functioning. Uncovering the memory mechanisms is helping us to better understand neural processes in health and disease. Moreover, more specific treatments for fear-related disorders such as posttraumatic stress disorder and phobias may help to decrease their negative impact on mental health. In this line, the Tachykinin 2 (Tac2) pathway in the central amygdala (CeA) has been shown to be sufficient and necessary for the modulation of fear memory consolidation. CeA-Tac2 antagonism and its pharmacogenetic temporal inhibition impair fear memory in male mice. Surprisingly, we demonstrate here the opposite effect of Tac2 blockade on enhancing fear memory consolidation in females. Furthermore, we show that CeA-testosterone in males, CeA-estradiol in females and Akt/GSK3β/β-Catenin signaling both mediate the opposite-sex differential Tac2 pathway regulation of fear memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Florido
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
- Departament de Psicobiologia i de Metodologia de les Ciències de la Salut, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
| | - E R Velasco
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
| | - C M Soto-Faguás
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
- Department de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Facultat de Medicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - A Gomez-Gomez
- Integrative Pharmacology and Systems Neuroscience Research Group, Neurosciences Research Program, IMIM (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute), Barcelona, Spain
| | - L Perez-Caballero
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
- Departament de Psicobiologia i de Metodologia de les Ciències de la Salut, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
| | - P Molina
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
- Unitat de Fisiologia Animal, Departament de Biologia Cel·lular, Fisiologia i Immunologia. Facultat de Biociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
| | - R Nadal
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
- Departament de Psicobiologia i de Metodologia de les Ciències de la Salut, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica En Red en Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Unitat de Neurociència Traslacional, Parc Taulí Hospital Universitari, Institut d'Investigació i Innovació Parc Taulí (I3PT), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
| | - O J Pozo
- Integrative Pharmacology and Systems Neuroscience Research Group, Neurosciences Research Program, IMIM (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute), Barcelona, Spain
| | - C A Saura
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
- Department de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Facultat de Medicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - R Andero
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain.
- Departament de Psicobiologia i de Metodologia de les Ciències de la Salut, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain.
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica En Red en Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.
- Unitat de Neurociència Traslacional, Parc Taulí Hospital Universitari, Institut d'Investigació i Innovació Parc Taulí (I3PT), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain.
- ICREA, Pg. Lluís Companys 23, Barcelona, Spain.
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30
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Navarro-Zaragoza J, Martínez-Laorden E, Teruel-Fernández FJ, Gómez-Murcia V, Cánovas A, Milanés MV, Laorden ML, Almela P. Naloxone-induced conditioned place aversion score and extinction period are higher in C57BL/6J morphine-dependent mice than in Swiss: Role of HPA axis. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2021; 201:173106. [PMID: 33444599 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2021.173106] [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: 12/12/2019] [Revised: 01/01/2021] [Accepted: 01/02/2021] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Intense associative memories develop between drug-paired contextual cues and the drug withdrawal associated aversive feeling. They have been suggested to contribute to the high rate of relapse. Our study was aimed to elucidate the involvement of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis activity in the expression and extinction of aversive memory in Swiss and C57BL/6J (B6) mice. The animals were rendered dependent on morphine by i.p. injection of increasing doses of morphine (10-60 mg/kg). The negative state associated with naloxone (1 mg/kg s.c.) precipitated morphine withdrawal was examined by using conditioned place aversion (CPA) paradigm. B6 mice obtained a higher aversion score and took longer to extinguish the aversive memory than Swiss mice. In addition, corticosterone levels were increased after CPA expression. Moreover, corticosterone levels were decreased during CPA extinction in Swiss mice without changes in B6 mice. Pre-treatment with the selective CRF1 receptor antagonist CP-154,526 before naloxone, impaired morphine-withdrawal aversive memory acquisition and decreased the extinction period. CP-154,526 also antagonized the increased levels of corticosterone observed after CPA expression in Swiss mice, without any changes in B6 mice. These results indicate that HPA axis could be a critical factor governing opioid withdrawal memory storage and retrieval, but in a strain or stock-specific manner. The differences observed between Swiss and B6 mice suggest that the treatment of addictive disorders should consider different individual predisposition to associate the aversive learning with the context.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - E Martínez-Laorden
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | | | - Victoria Gómez-Murcia
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - Alberto Cánovas
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | | | - María-Luisa Laorden
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - Pilar Almela
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
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31
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Cox OH, Song HY, Garrison-Desany HM, Gadiwalla N, Carey JL, Menzies J, Lee RS. Characterization of glucocorticoid-induced loss of DNA methylation of the stress-response gene Fkbp5 in neuronal cells. Epigenetics 2021; 16:1377-1397. [PMID: 33319620 DOI: 10.1080/15592294.2020.1864169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Exposure to stress or glucocorticoids (GCs) is associated with epigenetic and transcriptional changes in genes that either mediate or are targets of GC signalling. FKBP5 (FK506 binding protein 5) is one such gene that also plays a central role in negative feedback regulation of GC signalling and several stress-related psychiatric disorders. In this study, we sought to examine how the mouse Fkbp5 gene is regulated in a neuronal context and identify requisite factors that can mediate the epigenetic sequelae of excess GC exposure. Mice treated with GCs were used to establish the widespread changes in DNA methylation (DNAm) and expression of Fkbp5 across four brain regions. Then two cell lines were used to test the persistence, decay, and functional significance of GC-induced methylation changes near two GC response elements (GREs) in the fifth intron of Fkbp5. We also tested the involvement of DNMT1, cell proliferation, and MeCP2 in mediating the effect of GCs on DNAm and gene activation. DNAm changes at some CpGs persist while others decay, and reduced methylation states are associated with a more robust transcriptional response. Importantly, the ability to undergo GC-induced DNAm loss is tied to DNMT1 function during cell division. Further, GC-induced DNAm loss is associated with reduced binding of MeCP2 at intron 5 and a physical interaction between the fifth intron and promoter of Fkbp5. Our results highlight several key factors at the Fkbp5 locus that may have important implications for GC- or stress-exposure during early stages of neurodevelopment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia H Cox
- The Mood Disorders Center, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Ha Young Song
- The Mood Disorders Center, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Henri M Garrison-Desany
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Nuriya Gadiwalla
- The Mood Disorders Center, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jenny L Carey
- The Mood Disorders Center, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Julia Menzies
- The Mood Disorders Center, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Richard S Lee
- The Mood Disorders Center, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
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Algamal M, Pearson AJ, Hahn-Townsend C, Burca I, Mullan M, Crawford F, Ojo JO. Repeated unpredictable stress and social isolation induce chronic HPA axis dysfunction and persistent abnormal fear memory. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2021; 104:110035. [PMID: 32682873 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2020.110035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2020] [Revised: 07/08/2020] [Accepted: 07/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The lack of progress in the psychopharmacological treatment of stress-related disorders such as PTSD is an ongoing crisis due to its negative socioeconomic implications. Current PTSD pharmacotherapy relies on a few FDA approved medications used primarily for depression which offer only symptomatic relief and show limited efficacy. As the population of PTSD patients is growing, the identification of effective etiology-based treatments for the condition is a high priority. This requires an in-depth understanding of the neurobiological and behavioral outcomes of stress in translationally relevant animal models. In this study, we use neuroendocrine, biochemical and behavioral measures to assess the HPA axis function and fear-memory deficits in a mouse model of chronic stress. The chronic stress procedures involved exposure to 21 days of repeated unpredictable stress (RUS), including predator stress, restraint and foot shock, followed by chronic social isolation. We show that mice exposed to our stress paradigm demonstrate exaggerated fear memory recall and blunted HPA axis functionality at one month after RUS. Our neuroendocrinal testing suggests that the attenuated stress response in our model may be related to an alteration in the adrenal MC2 receptor reactivity. While there was no noticeable change in pituitary negative feedback regulation mechanisms, CRH and phosphorylated Glucocorticoid receptors levels were altered in the hypothalamus. We also show that chronic supplementation with a peripheral glucocorticoid receptor agonist (low-dose dexamethasone) after RUS partially restores a number of stress-related behavioral deficits in the RUS model. This suggests a direct relationship between HPA axis function and behavior in our model. Our findings emphasize the importance of the adrenal receptors as a target for HPA axis dysfunction in stress and fear-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moustafa Algamal
- Roskamp Institute, 2040 Whitfield Ave, Sarasota, FL 34243, USA; The Open University, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom; James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital, Tampa, FL, United States.
| | - Andrew J Pearson
- Roskamp Institute, 2040 Whitfield Ave, Sarasota, FL 34243, USA; The Open University, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom; James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital, Tampa, FL, United States.
| | | | - Ioana Burca
- Roskamp Institute, 2040 Whitfield Ave, Sarasota, FL 34243, USA.
| | - Michael Mullan
- Roskamp Institute, 2040 Whitfield Ave, Sarasota, FL 34243, USA; The Open University, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom.
| | - Fiona Crawford
- Roskamp Institute, 2040 Whitfield Ave, Sarasota, FL 34243, USA; The Open University, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom; James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital, Tampa, FL, United States.
| | - Joseph O Ojo
- Roskamp Institute, 2040 Whitfield Ave, Sarasota, FL 34243, USA; The Open University, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom; James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital, Tampa, FL, United States.
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Chakraborty P, Datta S, McEwen BS, Chattarji S. Corticosterone after acute stress prevents the delayed effects on the amygdala. Neuropsychopharmacology 2020; 45:2139-2146. [PMID: 32629457 PMCID: PMC7784883 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-020-0758-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2020] [Revised: 06/05/2020] [Accepted: 06/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Even a single 2-hour episode of immobilization stress is known to trigger anxiety-like behavior and increase spine-density in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) of rats 10 days later. This delayed build-up of morphological and behavioral effects offers a stress-free time window of intervention after acute stress, which we used to test a protective role for glucocorticoids against stress. We observed that post-stress corticosterone, given 1 day after acute stress in drinking water, reversed enhanced anxiety-like behavior 10 days later. Quantification of spine-density on Golgi-stained BLA principal neurons showed that the same intervention also prevented the increase in spine numbers in the amygdala, at the same delayed time-point. Further, stress elevated serum corticosterone levels in rats that received vehicle in the drinking water. However, when stress was followed 24 h later by corticosterone in the drinking water, the surge in corticosterone was prevented. Together, these observations suggest that corticosterone, delivered through drinking water even 24 h after acute stress, is capable of reversing the delayed enhancing effects on BLA synaptic connectivity and anxiety-like behavior. Strikingly, although the immobilization-induced surge in corticosterone by itself has delayed detrimental effects on amygdalar structure and function, there exists a window of opportunity even after stress to mitigate its impact with a second surge of exogenously administered corticosterone. This provides a framework in the amygdala for analyzing how the initial physiological and endocrine processes triggered by traumatic stress eventually give rise to debilitating emotional symptoms, as well as the protective effects of glucocorticoids against their development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prabahan Chakraborty
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bangalore, 560065, India
- Institut de Genomique Fonctionnelle, Inserm U1191, CNRS UMR5203, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, 34090, France
| | - Siddhartha Datta
- Centre for Brain Development and Repair, Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Bangalore, 560065, India
| | - Bruce S McEwen
- Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Sumantra Chattarji
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bangalore, 560065, India.
- Centre for Brain Development and Repair, Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Bangalore, 560065, India.
- Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, 10065, USA.
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, Deanery of Biomedical Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Hugh Robson Building, 15 George Square, Edinburgh, EH89XD, UK.
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, GKVK Campus, Bellary Road, Bangalore, Karnataka, 560065, India.
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Zimmer C, Hanson HE, Wildman DE, Uddin M, Martin LB. FKBP5: A Key Mediator of How Vertebrates Flexibly Cope with Adversity. Bioscience 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biaa114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Flexibility in the regulation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis is an important mediator of stress resilience as it helps organisms adjust to, avoid, or compensate for acute and chronic challenges across changing environmental contexts. Glucocorticoids remain the favorite metric from medicine to conservation biology to attempt to quantify stress resilience despite the skepticism around their consistency in relation to individual health, welfare, and fitness. We suggest that a cochaperone molecule related to heat shock proteins and involved in glucocorticoid receptor activity, FKBP5, may mediate HPA flexibility and therefore stress resilience because it affects how individuals can regulate glucocorticoids and therefore capacitates their abilities to adjust phenotypes appropriately to prevailing, adverse conditions. Although the molecule is well studied in the biomedical literature, FKBP5 research in wild vertebrates is limited. In the present article, we highlight the potential major role of FKBP5 as mediator of HPA axis flexibility in response to adversity in humans and lab rodents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cedric Zimmer
- Global and Planetary Health Department of the College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida
| | - Haley E Hanson
- Global and Planetary Health Department of the College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida
| | - Derek E Wildman
- Global and Planetary Health Department of the College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida
| | - Monica Uddin
- Global and Planetary Health Department of the College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida
| | - Lynn B Martin
- Global and Planetary Health Department of the College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida
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Notaras M, van den Buuse M. Neurobiology of BDNF in fear memory, sensitivity to stress, and stress-related disorders. Mol Psychiatry 2020; 25:2251-2274. [PMID: 31900428 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-019-0639-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 183] [Impact Index Per Article: 45.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2019] [Revised: 12/01/2019] [Accepted: 12/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is widely accepted for its involvement in resilience and antidepressant drug action, is a common genetic locus of risk for mental illnesses, and remains one of the most prominently studied molecules within psychiatry. Stress, which arguably remains the "lowest common denominator" risk factor for several mental illnesses, targets BDNF in disease-implicated brain regions and circuits. Altered stress-related responses have also been observed in animal models of BDNF deficiency in vivo, and BDNF is a common downstream intermediary for environmental factors that potentiate anxiety- and depressive-like behavior. However, BDNF's broad functionality has manifested a heterogeneous literature; likely reflecting that BDNF plays a hitherto under-recognized multifactorial role as both a regulator and target of stress hormone signaling within the brain. The role of BDNF in vulnerability to stress and stress-related disorders, such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), is a prominent example where inconsistent effects have emerged across numerous models, labs, and disciplines. In the current review we provide a contemporary update on the neurobiology of BDNF including new data from the behavioral neuroscience and neuropsychiatry literature on fear memory consolidation and extinction, stress, and PTSD. First we present an overview of recent advances in knowledge on the role of BDNF within the fear circuitry, as well as address mounting evidence whereby stress hormones interact with endogenous BDNF-TrkB signaling to alter brain homeostasis. Glucocorticoid signaling also acutely recruits BDNF to enhance the expression of fear memory. We then include observations that the functional common BDNF Val66Met polymorphism modulates stress susceptibility as well as stress-related and stress-inducible neuropsychiatric endophenotypes in both man and mouse. We conclude by proposing a BDNF stress-sensitivity hypothesis, which posits that disruption of endogenous BDNF activity by common factors (such as the BDNF Val66Met variant) potentiates sensitivity to stress and, by extension, vulnerability to stress-inducible illnesses. Thus, BDNF may induce plasticity to deleteriously promote the encoding of fear and trauma but, conversely, also enable adaptive plasticity during extinction learning to suppress PTSD-like fear responses. Ergo regulators of BDNF availability, such as the Val66Met polymorphism, may orchestrate sensitivity to stress, trauma, and risk of stress-induced disorders such as PTSD. Given an increasing interest in personalized psychiatry and clinically complex cases, this model provides a framework from which to experimentally disentangle the causal actions of BDNF in stress responses, which likely interact to potentiate, produce, and impair treatment of, stress-related psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Notaras
- Center for Neurogenetics, Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Maarten van den Buuse
- School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia. .,College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia. .,Department of Pharmacology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
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Ding J, Chen X, da Silva MS, Lingeman J, Han F, Meijer OC. Effects of RU486 treatment after single prolonged stress depend on the post-stress interval. Mol Cell Neurosci 2020; 108:103541. [PMID: 32858150 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcn.2020.103541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2020] [Revised: 08/17/2020] [Accepted: 08/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The Single Prolonged Stress protocol is considered a model for PTSD, as it induces long lasting changes in rat behaviour and endocrine regulation. Previous work demonstrated that some of these changes can be prevented by treatment with the glucocorticoid receptor antagonist RU486, administered a week after the stressor. The current study evaluated the effects of an earlier intervention with RU486, as evaluated 1 week after SPS-exposure. Most RU486 effects occurred independent of prior stress, except for the reversal of a stress-induced increase in locomotor behaviour. The accompanying changes in gene expression depended on gene, brain region, and time. DNA methylation of the robustly down-regulated Fkbp5 gene was dissociated of changes in mRNA expression. The findings reinforce the long term effects of GR antagonist treatment, but also emphasize the need to evaluate changes over time to allow the identification of robust correlates between gene expression and behavioural/endocrine outcome of stressful experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinlan Ding
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands; Einthoven Laboratory for Experimental Vascular Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands; PTSD Lab, Department of Histology and Embryology, Basic Medical College, China Medical University, Shenyang, PR China
| | - Xinzhao Chen
- PTSD Lab, Department of Histology and Embryology, Basic Medical College, China Medical University, Shenyang, PR China
| | - Marcia Santos da Silva
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands; Einthoven Laboratory for Experimental Vascular Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Jolanthe Lingeman
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands; Einthoven Laboratory for Experimental Vascular Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Fang Han
- PTSD Lab, Department of Histology and Embryology, Basic Medical College, China Medical University, Shenyang, PR China.
| | - Onno C Meijer
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands; Einthoven Laboratory for Experimental Vascular Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands.
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Bierer LM, Bader HN, Daskalakis NP, Lehrner A, Provençal N, Wiechmann T, Klengel T, Makotkine I, Binder EB, Yehuda R. Intergenerational Effects of Maternal Holocaust Exposure on FKBP5 Methylation. Am J Psychiatry 2020; 177:744-753. [PMID: 32312110 DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2019.19060618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE There is growing evidence that exposure to trauma prior to conception can affect offspring. The authors have reported that adult offspring of Holocaust survivors showed lower methylation of FK506 binding protein 5 (FKBP5) intron 7, site 6 compared with Jewish comparison volunteers. The present study sought to replicate this finding in a larger sample and to examine parental and offspring correlates of observed effects. METHODS Cytosine methylation was measured in blood using pyrosequencing. The independent replication sample consisted of 125 Holocaust offspring and 31 control subjects. Additional analyses, performed in a larger sample of 147 offspring and 40 control subjects that included the 31 previously studied participants, examined associations of parental trauma-related variables (i.e., sex of the exposed parent, parental posttraumatic stress disorder, age at Holocaust exposure) and offspring characteristics (i.e., childhood trauma exposure, lifetime psychiatric diagnoses, psychotropic medication use, FKBP5 rs1360780 genotype, FKBP5 gene expression, and neuroendocrine measures) with offspring FKBP5 methylation. RESULTS FKBP5 site 6 methylation was significantly lower in Holocaust offspring than in control subjects, an effect associated with maternal Holocaust exposure in childhood and with lower offspring self-reported anxiety symptoms. FKBP5 gene expression was elevated in Holocaust offspring. FKBP5 methylation was associated with indices of glucocorticoid sensitivity but not with basal FKBP5 gene expression. CONCLUSIONS This study replicates and extends the previously observed decrement in FKBP5 intron 7, site 6 methylation in Holocaust offspring. The predominance of this effect in offspring of mothers exposed during childhood implicates maternal developmental programming as a putative mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda M Bierer
- Mental Health Care Center, James J. Peters VA Medical Center, Bronx, N.Y. (Bierer, Bader, Lehrner, Makotkine, Yehuda); Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York (Bierer, Bader, Daskalakis, Lehrner, Makotkine, Yehuda); McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, Mass. (Daskalakis, Klengel); Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany (Klengel); Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max-Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich (Provençal, Wiechmann, Binder); Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, and British Columbia Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia (Provençal); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta (Binder)
| | - Heather N Bader
- Mental Health Care Center, James J. Peters VA Medical Center, Bronx, N.Y. (Bierer, Bader, Lehrner, Makotkine, Yehuda); Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York (Bierer, Bader, Daskalakis, Lehrner, Makotkine, Yehuda); McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, Mass. (Daskalakis, Klengel); Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany (Klengel); Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max-Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich (Provençal, Wiechmann, Binder); Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, and British Columbia Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia (Provençal); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta (Binder)
| | - Nikolaos P Daskalakis
- Mental Health Care Center, James J. Peters VA Medical Center, Bronx, N.Y. (Bierer, Bader, Lehrner, Makotkine, Yehuda); Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York (Bierer, Bader, Daskalakis, Lehrner, Makotkine, Yehuda); McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, Mass. (Daskalakis, Klengel); Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany (Klengel); Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max-Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich (Provençal, Wiechmann, Binder); Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, and British Columbia Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia (Provençal); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta (Binder)
| | - Amy Lehrner
- Mental Health Care Center, James J. Peters VA Medical Center, Bronx, N.Y. (Bierer, Bader, Lehrner, Makotkine, Yehuda); Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York (Bierer, Bader, Daskalakis, Lehrner, Makotkine, Yehuda); McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, Mass. (Daskalakis, Klengel); Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany (Klengel); Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max-Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich (Provençal, Wiechmann, Binder); Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, and British Columbia Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia (Provençal); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta (Binder)
| | - Nadine Provençal
- Mental Health Care Center, James J. Peters VA Medical Center, Bronx, N.Y. (Bierer, Bader, Lehrner, Makotkine, Yehuda); Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York (Bierer, Bader, Daskalakis, Lehrner, Makotkine, Yehuda); McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, Mass. (Daskalakis, Klengel); Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany (Klengel); Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max-Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich (Provençal, Wiechmann, Binder); Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, and British Columbia Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia (Provençal); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta (Binder)
| | - Tobias Wiechmann
- Mental Health Care Center, James J. Peters VA Medical Center, Bronx, N.Y. (Bierer, Bader, Lehrner, Makotkine, Yehuda); Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York (Bierer, Bader, Daskalakis, Lehrner, Makotkine, Yehuda); McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, Mass. (Daskalakis, Klengel); Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany (Klengel); Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max-Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich (Provençal, Wiechmann, Binder); Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, and British Columbia Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia (Provençal); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta (Binder)
| | - Torsten Klengel
- Mental Health Care Center, James J. Peters VA Medical Center, Bronx, N.Y. (Bierer, Bader, Lehrner, Makotkine, Yehuda); Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York (Bierer, Bader, Daskalakis, Lehrner, Makotkine, Yehuda); McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, Mass. (Daskalakis, Klengel); Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany (Klengel); Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max-Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich (Provençal, Wiechmann, Binder); Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, and British Columbia Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia (Provençal); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta (Binder)
| | - Iouri Makotkine
- Mental Health Care Center, James J. Peters VA Medical Center, Bronx, N.Y. (Bierer, Bader, Lehrner, Makotkine, Yehuda); Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York (Bierer, Bader, Daskalakis, Lehrner, Makotkine, Yehuda); McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, Mass. (Daskalakis, Klengel); Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany (Klengel); Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max-Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich (Provençal, Wiechmann, Binder); Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, and British Columbia Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia (Provençal); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta (Binder)
| | - Elisabeth B Binder
- Mental Health Care Center, James J. Peters VA Medical Center, Bronx, N.Y. (Bierer, Bader, Lehrner, Makotkine, Yehuda); Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York (Bierer, Bader, Daskalakis, Lehrner, Makotkine, Yehuda); McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, Mass. (Daskalakis, Klengel); Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany (Klengel); Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max-Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich (Provençal, Wiechmann, Binder); Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, and British Columbia Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia (Provençal); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta (Binder)
| | - Rachel Yehuda
- Mental Health Care Center, James J. Peters VA Medical Center, Bronx, N.Y. (Bierer, Bader, Lehrner, Makotkine, Yehuda); Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York (Bierer, Bader, Daskalakis, Lehrner, Makotkine, Yehuda); McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, Mass. (Daskalakis, Klengel); Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany (Klengel); Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max-Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich (Provençal, Wiechmann, Binder); Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, and British Columbia Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia (Provençal); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta (Binder)
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Kuijer EJ, Ferragud A, Milton AL. Retrieval-Extinction and Relapse Prevention: Rewriting Maladaptive Drug Memories? Front Behav Neurosci 2020; 14:23. [PMID: 32153373 PMCID: PMC7044236 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2020.00023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2019] [Accepted: 02/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Addicted individuals are highly susceptible to relapse when exposed to drug-associated conditioned stimuli (CSs; "drug cues") even after extensive periods of abstinence. Until recently, these maladaptive emotional drug memories were believed to be permanent and resistant to change. The rediscovery of the phenomenon of memory reconsolidation-by which retrieval of the memory can, under certain conditions, destabilize the previously stable memory before it restabilizes in its new, updated form-has led to the hypothesis that it may be possible to disrupt the strong maladaptive drug-memories that trigger a relapse. Furthermore, recent work has suggested that extinction training "within the reconsolidation window" may lead to a long-term reduction in relapse without the requirement for pharmacological amnestic agents. However, this so-called "retrieval-extinction" effect has been inconsistently observed in the literature, leading some to speculate that rather than reflecting memory updating, it may be the product of facilitation of extinction. In this mini review article, we will focus on factors that might be responsible for the retrieval-extinction effects on preventing drug-seeking relapse and how inter-individual differences may influence this therapeutically promising effect. A better understanding of the psychological and neurobiological mechanisms underpinning the "retrieval-extinction" paradigm, and individual differences in boundary conditions, should provide insights with the potential to optimize the translation of "retrieval-extinction" to clinical populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eloise J. Kuijer
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Antonio Ferragud
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Amy L. Milton
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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Mikami K, Kiyokawa Y, Ishii A, Takeuchi Y. Social buffering enhances extinction of conditioned fear responses by reducing corticosterone levels in male rats. Horm Behav 2020; 118:104654. [PMID: 31830461 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2019.104654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2019] [Revised: 11/06/2019] [Accepted: 12/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The presence of an affiliative conspecific reduces stress responses to a wide variety of stimuli, which is termed "social buffering." We previously reported that social buffering in male rats ameliorated behavioral responses, as well as hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activation, elicited by an auditory conditioned stimulus (CS). In addition, subjects that experienced social buffering did not show stress responses when re-exposed to the CS the next day in the absence of an accompanying rat. However, the mechanisms underlying this enhancement of between-session extinction are poorly understood. In Experiment 1, we compared corticosterone levels at 0, 10, and 15 min after extinction training. Subjects that experienced social buffering had lower corticosterone levels than subjects that trained alone at the end of extinction training. However, corticosterone levels at 10 and 15 min after training were not affected by the experience of social buffering. These results suggest that a lower level of corticosterone during extinction training had an important role in the enhancement of extinction. To directly assess this, in Experiment 2, we manipulated the corticosterone level during extinction training. We found that a subcutaneous injection of corticosterone before extinction training blocked the enhancement of extinction by social buffering. These results demonstrate that the enhancement is caused by a low level of corticosterone during the training. Taken together, we suggest that social buffering enhances extinction of conditioned fear responses by reducing corticosterone levels in male rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaori Mikami
- Laboratory of Veterinary Ethology, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
| | - Yasushi Kiyokawa
- Laboratory of Veterinary Ethology, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan.
| | - Akiko Ishii
- Laboratory of Veterinary Ethology, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
| | - Yukari Takeuchi
- Laboratory of Veterinary Ethology, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
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Activation of mineralocorticoid receptors facilitate the acquisition of fear memory extinction and impair the generalization of fear memory in diabetic animals. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2020; 237:529-542. [PMID: 31713655 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-019-05388-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2019] [Accepted: 10/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Studies point out a higher prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in individuals with diabetes mellitus. It is known that glucocorticoid (GR) and mineralocorticoid (MR) receptors are implicated in fear memory processes and PTSD. However, there is no preclinical studies addressing the involvement of these receptors on abnormal fear memories related to diabetic condition. OBJECTIVES By inducing a contextual conditioned fear memory, we generate a suitable condition to investigate the extinction and the generalization of the fear memory in streptozotocin-induced diabetic (DBT) rats alongside the expression of the cytosolic and nuclear GR and MR in the hippocampus (HIP) and prefrontal cortex (PFC). Moreover, we investigated the involvement of the MR or GR on the acquisition of fear memory extinction and on the generalization of this fear memory. When appropriate, anxiety-related behavior was evaluated. METHODS Male Wistar rats received one injection of steptozotocin (i.p.) to induce diabetes. After 4 weeks, the animals (DBTs and non-DBTs) were subjected to a conditioned contextual fear protocol. RESULTS The expression of MR and GR in the HIP and PFC was similar among all the groups. The single injection of MR agonist was able to facilitate the acquisition of the impaired fear memory extinction in DBTs animals together with the impairment of its generalization. However, the GR antagonism impaired only the generalization of this fear memory which was blocked by the previous injection of the MR antagonist. All treatments were able to exert anxiolytic-like effects. CONCLUSIONS The results indicate that MR activation in DBT animals disrupts the overconsolidation of aversive memory, without discarding the involvement of emotional behavior in these processes.
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Zhang K, Wang L, Li G, Cao C, Fang R, Liu P, Luo S, Zhang X. Correlation between hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis gene polymorphisms and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms. Horm Behav 2020; 117:104604. [PMID: 31655035 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2019.104604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2019] [Revised: 09/20/2019] [Accepted: 09/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is the main neuroendocrine system that controls stress responses, including fear learning. To further understand the correlation between the HPA axis and stress- and fear-related symptoms in humans, the current study investigated the relationship between HPA axis gene polymorphisms and a stress- and fear-related disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This is the first study that systematically investigates the correlations between HPA axis genes and distinct PTSD symptom clusters. METHODS Participants included 1132 Chinese earthquake survivors (772 women and 360 men). PTSD symptoms were measured by the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5), and the severity (total symptoms) and symptom clusters were calculated according to the hybrid seven-factor model of DSM-5 PTSD. We genotyped eight single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of three HPA axis genes, including FKBP5, CRHR1 and CRHR2. RESULTS The main effects of the CRHR2 SNP rs2267715 were associated with PTSD severity (P = 0.0035) and all PTSD symptom clusters except dysphoric arousal (P ranging from 0.0011 to 0.048). In women, a gene-environment interaction (G × E) effect of FKBP5 (rs3800373 × trauma exposure) was correlated with PTSD severity (P = 0.038), externalizing behaviors, anxious arousal and dysphoric arousal symptoms (P ranging from 0.014 to 0.028); the G × E effect of CRHR1 (rs4458044 × trauma exposure) was associated with anxious arousal symptoms (P = 0.016). In men, a gene-gene interaction (G × G) effect of FKBP5-CRHR1 (rs9470080 × rs4458044) was associated with PTSD severity (P = 0.0091), intrusion, negative affect, externalizing behaviors and anxious arousal (P ranging 0.012-0.049). CONCLUSION Our results systematically revealed that the main effects and G × E and G × G effects of some genetic polymorphisms of HPA axis genes are involved in the severity and distinct symptom clusters of PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kunlin Zhang
- Laboratory for Traumatic Stress Studies and Center for Genetics and BioMedical Informatics Research, CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Beijing 100101, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Li Wang
- Laboratory for Traumatic Stress Studies and Center for Genetics and BioMedical Informatics Research, CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Beijing 100101, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
| | - Gen Li
- Laboratory for Traumatic Stress Studies and Center for Genetics and BioMedical Informatics Research, CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Beijing 100101, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Chengqi Cao
- Laboratory for Traumatic Stress Studies and Center for Genetics and BioMedical Informatics Research, CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Beijing 100101, China; Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Cognitive Science, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Ruojiao Fang
- Laboratory for Traumatic Stress Studies and Center for Genetics and BioMedical Informatics Research, CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Beijing 100101, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Ping Liu
- People's Hospital of Deyang City, Deyang, Sichuan 618000, China
| | - Shu Luo
- People's Hospital of Deyang City, Deyang, Sichuan 618000, China
| | - Xiangyang Zhang
- Laboratory for Traumatic Stress Studies and Center for Genetics and BioMedical Informatics Research, CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Beijing 100101, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
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Transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 promoter methylation and peripheral pain sensitivity in Crohn's disease. Clin Epigenetics 2019; 12:1. [PMID: 31892361 PMCID: PMC6938615 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-019-0796-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2019] [Accepted: 12/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Crohn’s disease is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the gastrointestinal tract associated with abdominal pain and diarrhea. Pain caused by Crohn’s disease likely involves neurogenic inflammation which seems to involve the ion channel transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1). Since the promoter methylation of TRPA1 was shown to influence pain sensitivity, we asked if the expression of TRPA1 is dysregulated in patients suffering from Crohn’s disease. The methylation rates of CpG dinucleotides in the TRPA1 promoter region were determined from DNA derived from whole blood samples of Crohn patients and healthy participants. Quantitative sensory testing was used to examine pain sensitivities. Results Pressure pain thresholds were lower in Crohn patients as compared to healthy participants, and they were also lower in females than in males. They correlated inversely with the methylation rate at the CpG − 628 site of the TRPA1 promoter. This effect was more pronounced in female compared to male Crohn patients. Similar results were found for mechanical pain thresholds. Furthermore, age-dependent effects were detected. Whereas the CpG − 628 methylation rate declined with age in healthy participants, the methylation rate in Crohn patients increased. Pressure pain thresholds increased with age in both cohorts. Conclusions The TRPA1 promoter methylation appears to be dysregulated in patients suffering from Crohn’s disease, and this effect is most obvious when taking gender and age into account. As TRPA1 is regarded to be involved in pain caused by neurogenic inflammation, its aberrant expression may contribute to typical symptoms of Crohn’s disease.
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Differential transcriptional response following glucocorticoid activation in cultured blood immune cells: a novel approach to PTSD biomarker development. Transl Psychiatry 2019; 9:201. [PMID: 31434874 PMCID: PMC6704073 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-019-0539-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2019] [Revised: 06/23/2019] [Accepted: 07/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a condition of stress reactivity, whose clinical manifestations are evident when patients are triggered following exposure to a traumatic event. While baseline differences in gene expression of glucocorticoid signaling and inflammatory cytokines in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) have been associated with PTSD, these alterations do not fully recapitulate the molecular response to physiological triggers, such as stress hormones. Therefore, it is critical to develop new techniques that will capture the dynamic transcriptional response associated with stress-activated conditions relative to baseline conditions. To achieve this goal, cultured PBMCs from combat-exposed veterans with PTSD(+) (n = 10) and without PTSD(-) (n = 10) were incubated with increasing concentrations (vehicle, 2.5 nM, 5 nM, 50 nM) of dexamethasone (DEX). Across diagnosis and dosage, several genes and gene networks were reliable markers of glucocorticoid stimulation (FDR < 5%), including enhanced expression of FKPB5, VIPR1, NR1I3, and apoptosis-related pathways, and reduced expression of NR3C1, STAT1, IRF1, and related inflammatory and cellular stress-responsive pathways. Dose-dependent differential transcriptional changes in several genes were also identified between PTSD+ and PTSD-. Robust changes in expression were observed at 2.5 nM DEX in PTSD- but not PTSD+ participants; whereas, with increasing concentrations (5 nM and 50 nM), several genes were identified to be uniquely up-regulated in PTSD+ but not PTSD- participants. Collectively, these preliminary findings suggest that genome-wide gene expression profiling of DEX-stimulated PBMCs is a promising method for the exploration of the dynamic differential molecular responses to stress hormones in PTSD, and may identify novel markers of altered glucocorticoid signaling and responsivity in PTSD.
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Taff CC, Campagna L, Vitousek MN. Genome-wide variation in DNA methylation is associated with stress resilience and plumage brightness in a wild bird. Mol Ecol 2019; 28:3722-3737. [PMID: 31330076 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2019] [Revised: 07/12/2019] [Accepted: 07/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Individuals often differ in their ability to cope with challenging environmental and social conditions. Evidence from model systems suggests that patterns of DNA methylation are associated with variation in coping ability. These associations could arise directly if methylation plays a role in controlling the physiological response to stressors by, among other things, regulating the release of glucocorticoids in response to challenges. Alternatively, the association could arise indirectly if methylation and resilience have a common cause, such as early-life conditions. In either case, methylation might act as a biomarker for coping ability. At present, however, relatively little is known about whether variation in methylation is associated with organismal performance and resilience under natural conditions. We studied genome-wide patterns of DNA methylation in free-living female tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) using methylated DNA immunoprecipitation (MeDIP) and a tree swallow genome that was assembled for this study. We identified areas of the genome that were differentially methylated with respect to social signal expression (breast brightness) and physiological traits (ability to terminate the glucocorticoid stress response through negative feedback). We also asked whether methylation predicted resilience to a subsequent experimentally imposed challenge. Individuals with brighter breast plumage and higher stress resilience had lower methylation at differentially methylated regions across the genome. Thus, widespread differences in methylation predicted both social signal expression and the response to future challenges under natural conditions. These results have implications for predicting individual differences in resilience, and for understanding the mechanistic basis of resilience and its environmental and social mediators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Conor C Taff
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York.,Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
| | - Leonardo Campagna
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York.,Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
| | - Maren N Vitousek
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York.,Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
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Souza RR, Robertson NM, Pruitt DT, Gonzales PA, Hays SA, Rennaker RL, Kilgard MP, McIntyre CK. Vagus nerve stimulation reverses the extinction impairments in a model of PTSD with prolonged and repeated trauma. Stress 2019; 22:509-520. [PMID: 31010369 DOI: 10.1080/10253890.2019.1602604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
We have shown that vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) enhances extinction of conditioned fear and reduces anxiety in rat models of PTSD using moderate stress. However, it is still unclear if VNS can be effective in enhancing extinction of severe fear after prolonged and repeated trauma. Severe fear was induced in adult male rats by combining single prolonged stress (SPS) and protracted aversive conditioning (PAC). After SPS and PAC procedures, rats were implanted with stimulating cuff electrodes, exposed to five days of extinction training with or without VNS, and then tested for extinction retention, return of fear in a new context and reinstatement. The elevated plus maze, open field and startle were used to test anxiety. Sham rats showed no reduction of fear during extensive extinction training. VNS-paired with extinction training reduced freezing at the last extinction session by 70% compared to sham rats. VNS rats exhibited half as much fear as shams, as well as less fear renewal. Sham rats exhibited significantly more anxiety than naive controls, whereas VNS rats did not. These results demonstrate that VNS enhances extinction and reduces anxiety in a severe model of PTSD that combined SPS and a conditioning procedure that is 30 times more intense than the conditioning procedures in previous VNS studies. The broad utility of VNS in enhancing extinction learning in rats and the strong clinical safety record of VNS suggest that VNS holds promise as an adjuvant to exposure-based therapy in people with PTSD and other complex forms of this condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rimenez R Souza
- a Texas Biomedical Device Center , The University of Texas at Dallas , Richardson , TX , USA
- b School of Behavioral Brain Sciences , The University of Texas at Dallas , Richardson , TX , USA
| | - Nicole M Robertson
- a Texas Biomedical Device Center , The University of Texas at Dallas , Richardson , TX , USA
| | - David T Pruitt
- a Texas Biomedical Device Center , The University of Texas at Dallas , Richardson , TX , USA
- b School of Behavioral Brain Sciences , The University of Texas at Dallas , Richardson , TX , USA
- c Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science , The University of Texas at Dallas , Richardson , TX , USA
| | - Phillip A Gonzales
- a Texas Biomedical Device Center , The University of Texas at Dallas , Richardson , TX , USA
| | - Seth A Hays
- a Texas Biomedical Device Center , The University of Texas at Dallas , Richardson , TX , USA
- c Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science , The University of Texas at Dallas , Richardson , TX , USA
| | - Robert L Rennaker
- a Texas Biomedical Device Center , The University of Texas at Dallas , Richardson , TX , USA
- b School of Behavioral Brain Sciences , The University of Texas at Dallas , Richardson , TX , USA
- c Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science , The University of Texas at Dallas , Richardson , TX , USA
| | - Michael P Kilgard
- a Texas Biomedical Device Center , The University of Texas at Dallas , Richardson , TX , USA
- b School of Behavioral Brain Sciences , The University of Texas at Dallas , Richardson , TX , USA
| | - Christa K McIntyre
- a Texas Biomedical Device Center , The University of Texas at Dallas , Richardson , TX , USA
- b School of Behavioral Brain Sciences , The University of Texas at Dallas , Richardson , TX , USA
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Dunlop BW, Wong A. The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in PTSD: Pathophysiology and treatment interventions. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2019; 89:361-379. [PMID: 30342071 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2018.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 118] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2018] [Revised: 10/15/2018] [Accepted: 10/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Questions of how altered functioning of the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis contribute to the development and maintenance of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have been the focus of extensive animal and human research. As a rule, results have been inconsistent across studies, likely due to a variety of confounding variables that have received inadequate attention. Important confounding factors include the effects of early life stress, biological sex, and the glucocorticoid used for interventions. In this manuscript we review: 1) the literature on identified abnormalities of HPA axis function in PTSD, both in terms of basal functioning and as part of challenge paradigms; 2) the role of HPA axis function pre- and immediately post-trauma as a risk factor for PTSD development; 3) the impact of HPA axis genes' allelic variants and epigenetic modifications on PTSD risk; 4) the contributions of HPA axis components to fear learning and extinction; and 5) therapeutic manipulations of the HPA axis to both prevent and treat PTSD, including the role of glucocorticoids as part of medication enhanced psychotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boadie W Dunlop
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
| | - Andrea Wong
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
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Blacker CJ, Frye MA, Morava E, Kozicz T, Veldic M. A Review of Epigenetics of PTSD in Comorbid Psychiatric Conditions. Genes (Basel) 2019; 10:genes10020140. [PMID: 30781888 PMCID: PMC6410143 DOI: 10.3390/genes10020140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2018] [Revised: 02/08/2019] [Accepted: 02/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an acquired psychiatric disorder with functionally impairing physiological and psychological symptoms following a traumatic exposure. Genetic, epigenetic, and environmental factors act together to determine both an individual's susceptibility to PTSD and its clinical phenotype. In this literature review, we briefly review the candidate genes that have been implicated in the development and severity of the PTSD phenotype. We discuss the importance of the epigenetic regulation of these candidate genes. We review the general epigenetic mechanisms that are currently understood, with examples of each in the PTSD phenotype. Our focus then turns to studies that have examined PTSD in the context of comorbid psychiatric disorders or associated social and behavioral stressors. We examine the epigenetic variation in cases or models of PTSD with comorbid depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, psychotic disorders, and substance use disorders. We reviewed the literature that has explored epigenetic regulation in PTSD in adverse childhood experiences and suicide phenotypes. Finally, we review some of the information available from studies of the transgenerational transmission of epigenetic variation in maternal cases of PTSD. We discuss areas pertinent for future study to further elucidate the complex interactions between epigenetic modifications and this complex psychiatric disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caren J Blacker
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
| | - Mark A Frye
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
| | - Eva Morava
- Center for Individualized Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
- Clinical Genomics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
| | - Tamas Kozicz
- Center for Individualized Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
- Clinical Genomics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
| | - Marin Veldic
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
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Estradiol modulation of the renin-angiotensin system and the regulation of fear extinction. Transl Psychiatry 2019; 9:36. [PMID: 30696810 PMCID: PMC6351608 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-019-0374-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2018] [Revised: 12/20/2018] [Accepted: 01/01/2019] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is more prevalent in women than men, yet much remains to be determined regarding the mechanism underlying this sex difference. Clinical and preclinical studies have shown that low estradiol levels during extinction of fear conditioning in rodents (i.e., cue exposure therapy in humans) leads to poor extinction consolidation and increased fear during extinction recall. The renin-angiotensin system (RAS) is also associated with stress-related pathologies, and RAS antagonists can enhance extinction consolidation in males. However, less is known about how estradiol and the RAS converge to alter fear extinction consolidation in females. Since estradiol downregulates the RAS, we determined the role of surgically (via ovariectomy [OVX]) and pharmacologically (via the hormonal contraceptive [HC], levonorgestrel) clamping estradiol at low levels in female rats on fear-related behavior, serum estradiol and angiotensin II (Ang II) levels, and angiotensin II type I receptor (AT1R) binding in the brain. We then tested whether the AT1R antagonist losartan would alter fear-related behavior in an estradiol-dependent manner. We found that both OVX and HC treatment produced extinction consolidation deficits relative to intact female rats in proestrus (when estradiol levels are high), and that losartan treatment mitigated these deficits and reduced freezing. OVX, but not HC, altered AT1R ligand binding, though HC reduced estradiol and increased Ang II levels in plasma. These findings have significant clinical implications, indicating that administration of an AT1R antagonist, especially if estradiol levels are low, prior to an exposure therapy session may improve treatment outcomes in females.
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Zuj DV, Norrholm SD. The clinical applications and practical relevance of human conditioning paradigms for posttraumatic stress disorder. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2019; 88:339-351. [PMID: 30134147 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2018.08.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2018] [Revised: 07/31/2018] [Accepted: 08/15/2018] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
The classical conditioning paradigm of fear learning has spawned a number of experimental variations for the explanation of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) etiology. These paradigms include extinction learning and recall, fear inhibition, fear generalization, and conditioned avoidance. As such, each of these paradigms have significant applications for understanding the development, maintenance, treatment, and relapse of the fear-related features of PTSD. In the present review, we describe each of these conditioning-based paradigms with reference to the clinical applications, and supported by case examples from patients with severe PTSD symptoms. We also review the neurobiological models of conditioning and extinction in animals, psychiatrically healthy humans, and PTSD patients, and discuss the current balance of evidence suggesting a number of biological, behavioral, and cognitive mechanisms/moderators of the conditioning and extinction process in experimental and clinical contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel V Zuj
- Department of Psychology, Swansea University, UK
| | - Seth Davin Norrholm
- Atlanta Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Mental Health Service Line, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, USA.
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Maples-Keller JL, Jovanovic T, Dunlop BW, Rauch S, Yasinski C, Michopoulos V, Coghlan C, Norrholm S, Rizzo AS, Ressler K, Rothbaum BO. When translational neuroscience fails in the clinic: Dexamethasone prior to virtual reality exposure therapy increases drop-out rates. J Anxiety Disord 2019; 61:89-97. [PMID: 30502903 DOI: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2018.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2018] [Revised: 10/11/2018] [Accepted: 10/24/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is characterized by exaggerated expression of fear responses to danger and safety cues. Translational research suggests that dexamethasone facilitates fear extinction in animal and human fear conditioning models. For this randomized, placebo-controlled trial (N = 27), we aimed to translate these findings to the clinic by using virtual reality exposure (VRE) therapy for OEF/OIF/OND veterans with PTSD to determine whether dexamethasone will increase the efficacy of exposure therapy for VRE relative to placebo. VRE sessions involved imaginal exposure to the most traumatic war memories while viewing a computer-generated view of virtual Iraq or Afghanistan with multisensory stimulus options used to match patient's description of the trauma. VRE was effective in reducing PTSD symptoms but there was no interaction with dexamethasone. Drop-out rate was significantly higher in the dexamethasone group, with 10 of 13 (76.9%) participants in this group discontinuing, compared to only 4 of 14 (28.5%) in the placebo group, χ2 = 6.31, p = 0.02. Results indicate that the dexamethasone group may have experienced an increase in PTSD symptoms, particularly re-experiencing, at session 2 following first drug administration. Contrary to study hypotheses, dexamethasone did not enhance exposure therapy outcomes and was associated with increased drop-out. This demonstrates potential pitfalls in translating neuroscience models to the clinic; future research carefully examining glucocorticoid mechanisms involved in therapy augmentation is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica L Maples-Keller
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, United States.
| | - Tanja Jovanovic
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, United States
| | - Boadie W Dunlop
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, United States
| | - Sheila Rauch
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, United States
| | - Carly Yasinski
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, United States
| | - Vasiliki Michopoulos
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, United States
| | - Callan Coghlan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, United States
| | - Seth Norrholm
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, United States
| | - Albert Skip Rizzo
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, United States; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Southern California, United States; Department of Psychiatry, McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical School, United States
| | - Kerry Ressler
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, United States; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Southern California, United States; Department of Psychiatry, McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical School, United States
| | - Barbara O Rothbaum
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, United States
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