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Krolick KN, Cao J, Gulla EM, Bhardwaj M, Marshall SJ, Zhou EY, Kiss AJ, Choueiry F, Zhu J, Shi H. Subregion-specific transcriptomic profiling of rat brain reveals sex-distinct gene expression impacted by adolescent stress. Neuroscience 2024; 553:19-39. [PMID: 38977070 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2024.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2024] [Revised: 05/14/2024] [Accepted: 07/02/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
Stress during adolescence clearly impacts brain development and function. Sex differences in adolescent stress-induced or exacerbated emotional and metabolic vulnerabilities could be due to sex-distinct gene expression in hypothalamic, limbic, and prefrontal brain regions. However, adolescent stress-induced whole-genome expression changes in key subregions of these brain regions were unclear. In this study, female and male adolescent Sprague Dawley rats received one-hour restraint stress daily from postnatal day (PD) 32 to PD44. Corticosterone levels, body weights, food intake, body composition, and circulating adiposity and sex hormones were measured. On PD44, brain and blood samples were collected. Using RNA-sequencing, sex-specific differences in stress-induced differentially expressed (DE) genes were identified in subregions of the hypothalamus, limbic system, and prefrontal cortex. Canonical pathways reflected well-known sex-distinct maladies and diseases, substantiating the therapeutic potential of the DE genes found in the current study. Thus, we proposed specific sex distinct, adolescent stress-induced transcriptional changes found in the current study as examples of the molecular bases for sex differences witnessed in stress induced or exacerbated emotional and metabolic disorders. Future behavioral studies and single-cell studies are warranted to test the implications of the DE genes identified in this study in sex-distinct stress-induced susceptibilities.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jingyi Cao
- Department of Biology, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056, USA.
| | - Evelyn M Gulla
- Department of Biology, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056, USA.
| | - Meeta Bhardwaj
- Department of Biology, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056, USA.
| | | | - Ethan Y Zhou
- Department of Biology, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056, USA.
| | - Andor J Kiss
- Center for Bioinformatics & Functional Genomics, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056, USA.
| | - Fouad Choueiry
- Department of Human Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
| | - Jiangjiang Zhu
- Department of Human Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; James Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
| | - Haifei Shi
- Department of Biology, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056, USA.
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2
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Chen YH, Wang ZB, Liu XP, Xu JP, Mao ZQ. Sex differences in the relationship between depression and Alzheimer's disease-mechanisms, genetics, and therapeutic opportunities. Front Aging Neurosci 2024; 16:1301854. [PMID: 38903903 PMCID: PMC11188317 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2024.1301854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Depression and Alzheimer's disease (AD) are prevalent neuropsychiatric disorders with intriguing epidemiological overlaps. Their interrelation has recently garnered widespread attention. Empirical evidence indicates that depressive disorders significantly contribute to AD risk, and approximately a quarter of AD patients have comorbid major depressive disorder, which underscores the bidirectional link between AD and depression. A growing body of evidence substantiates pervasive sex differences in both AD and depression: both conditions exhibit a higher incidence among women than among men. However, the available literature on this topic is somewhat fragmented, with no comprehensive review that delineates sex disparities in the depression-AD correlation. In this review, we bridge these gaps by summarizing recent progress in understanding sex-based differences in mechanisms, genetics, and therapeutic prospects for depression and AD. Additionally, we outline key challenges in the field, holding potential for improving treatment precision and efficacy tailored to male and female patients' distinct needs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Han Chen
- The First Clinical Medical School, Hebei North University, Zhangjiakou, China
| | - Zhi-Bo Wang
- Innovation Center for Neurological Disorders and Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Center for Neurological Disorders, Beijing, China
| | - Xi-Peng Liu
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Hebei North, Zhangjiakou, China
| | - Jun-Peng Xu
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Zhi-Qi Mao
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
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3
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Holloway AL, Lerner TN. Hidden variables in stress neurobiology research. Trends Neurosci 2024; 47:9-17. [PMID: 37985263 PMCID: PMC10842876 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2023.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Revised: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
Among the central goals of stress neurobiology research is to understand the mechanisms by which stressors change neural circuit function to precipitate or exacerbate psychiatric symptoms. Yet despite decades of effort, psychiatric medications that target the biological substrates of the stress response are largely lacking. We propose that the clinical advancement of stress response-based therapeutics for psychiatric disorders may be hindered by 'hidden variables' in stress research, including considerations of behavioral study design (stressors and outcome measures), individual variability, sex differences, and the interaction of the body's stress hormone system with endogenous circadian and ultradian rhythms. We highlight key issues and suggest ways forward in stress neurobiology research that may improve the ability to assess stress mechanisms and translate preclinical findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley L Holloway
- Department of Neuroscience, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA; Northwestern University Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program (NUIN), Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Talia N Lerner
- Department of Neuroscience, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA; Northwestern University Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program (NUIN), Evanston, IL, USA.
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4
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Parel ST, Bennett SN, Cheng CJ, Timmermans OC, Fiori LM, Turecki G, Peña CJ. Transcriptional signatures of early-life stress and antidepressant treatment efficacy. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2305776120. [PMID: 38011563 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2305776120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Individuals with a history of early-life stress (ELS) tend to have an altered course of depression and lower treatment response rates. Research suggests that ELS alters brain development, but the molecular changes in the brain following ELS that may mediate altered antidepressant response have not been systematically studied. Sex and gender also impact the risk of depression and treatment response. Here, we leveraged existing RNA sequencing datasets from 1) blood samples from depressed female- and male-identifying patients treated with escitalopram or desvenlafaxine and assessed for treatment response or failure; 2) the nucleus accumbens (NAc) of female and male mice exposed to ELS and/or adult stress; and 3) the NAc of mice after adult stress, antidepressant treatment with imipramine or ketamine, and assessed for treatment response or failure. We find that transcriptomic signatures of adult stress after a history of ELS correspond with transcriptomic signatures of treatment nonresponse, across species and multiple classes of antidepressants. Transcriptomic correspondence with treatment outcome was stronger among females and weaker among males. We next pharmacologically tested these predictions in our mouse model of early-life and adult social defeat stress and treatment with either chronic escitalopram or acute ketamine. Among female mice, the strongest predictor of behavior was an interaction between ELS and ketamine treatment. Among males, however, early experience and treatment were poor predictors of behavior, mirroring our bioinformatic predictions. These studies provide neurobiological evidence for molecular adaptations in the brain related to sex and ELS that contribute to antidepressant treatment response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sero Toriano Parel
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544
| | - Shannon N Bennett
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544
| | - Cindy J Cheng
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544
| | | | - Laura M Fiori
- Douglas Institute, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, QC H4H 1R3, Canada
| | - Gustavo Turecki
- Douglas Institute, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, QC H4H 1R3, Canada
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5
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Šagud M, Madžarac Z, Nedic Erjavec G, Šimunović Filipčić I, Mikulić FL, Rogić D, Bradaš Z, Bajs Janović M, Pivac N. The Associations of Neutrophil-Lymphocyte, Platelet-Lymphocyte, Monocyte-Lymphocyte Ratios and Immune-Inflammation Index with Negative Symptoms in Patients with Schizophrenia. Biomolecules 2023; 13:biom13020297. [PMID: 36830666 PMCID: PMC9952992 DOI: 10.3390/biom13020297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2022] [Revised: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), monocyte-lymphocyte ratio (MLR) and systemic immune-inflammation index (SII index) are increasingly used as indicators of inflammation in different conditions, including schizophrenia. However, their relationship with negative symptoms, including anhedonia, is largely unknown. Included were 200 patients with schizophrenia and 134 healthy controls (HC), assessed for physical anhedonia (PA), using the Revised Physical Anhedonia Scale (RPAS), and social anhedonia (SA) by the Revised Social Anhedonia Scale (RSAS). Patients were rated by the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), the Clinical Assessment Interview for Negative Symptoms (CAINS) and the Brief Negative Symptom Scale (BNSS). Most of the negative symptoms were in a weak to moderate positive correlations with blood cell inflammatory ratios, namely, between NLR and MLR with PANSS negative scale, CAINS, and BNSS, and in male patients, between PLR and PANSS negative scale and CAINS. Fewer correlations were detected in females, but also in a positive direction. An exception was SA, given the negative correlation between its severity and the SII index in females, and its presence and higher PLR in males. While different negative symptoms were associated with subclinical inflammation, the relationship between SA and lower inflammatory markers deserves further exploration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Šagud
- School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychological Medicine, University Hospital Centre Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Zoran Madžarac
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychological Medicine, University Hospital Centre Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | | | - Ivona Šimunović Filipčić
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychological Medicine, University Hospital Centre Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
- Faculty of Dental Medicine and Health, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, 31000 Osijek, Croatia
| | | | - Dunja Rogić
- Department for Laboratory Diagnostics, University Hospital Centre Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Zoran Bradaš
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychological Medicine, University Hospital Centre Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Maja Bajs Janović
- School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychological Medicine, University Hospital Centre Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Nela Pivac
- Rudjer Boskovic Institute, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
- Correspondence:
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6
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Das SC, Schulmann A, Callor WB, Jerominski L, Panicker MM, Christensen ED, Bunney WE, Williams ME, Coon H, Vawter MP. Altered transcriptomes, cell type proportions, and dendritic spine morphology in hippocampus of suicide deaths. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2023:2023.01.28.23285121. [PMID: 36778310 PMCID: PMC9915834 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.28.23285121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Suicide is a condition resulting from complex environmental and genetic risks that affect millions of people globally. Both structural and functional studies identified the hippocampus as one of the vulnerable brain regions contributing to suicide risk. Here, we have identified the hippocampal transcriptomes, gene ontology, cell type proportions, dendritic spine morphology, and transcriptomic signature in iPSC-derived neuronal precursor cells (NPCs) and neurons in postmortem brain tissue from suicide deaths. The hippocampal tissue transcriptomic data revealed that NPAS4 gene expression was downregulated while ALDH1A2, NAAA, and MLXIPL gene expressions were upregulated in tissue from suicide deaths. The gene ontology identified 29 significant pathways including NPAS4-associated gene ontology terms "excitatory post-synaptic potential", "regulation of postsynaptic membrane potential" and "long-term memory" indicating alteration of glutamatergic synapses in the hippocampus of suicide deaths. The cell type deconvolution identified decreased excitatory neuron proportion and an increased inhibitory neuron proportion providing evidence of excitation/inhibition imbalance in the hippocampus of suicide deaths. In addition, suicide deaths had increased dendric spine density, due to an increase of thin (relatively unstable) dendritic spines, compared to controls. The transcriptomes of iPSC-derived hippocampal-like NPCs and neurons revealed 31 and 33 differentially expressed genes in NPC and neurons, respectively, of suicide deaths. The suicide-associated differentially expressed genes in NPCs were RELN, CRH, EMX2, OXTR, PARM1 and IFITM2 which overlapped with previously published results. The previously-known suicide-associated differentially expressed genes in differentiated neurons were COL1A1, THBS1, IFITM2, AQP1, and NLRP2. Together, these findings would help better understand the hippocampal neurobiology of suicide for identifying therapeutic targets to prevent suicide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sujan C. Das
- Functional Genomics Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry & Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | | | - William B. Callor
- Utah State Office of Medical Examiner, Utah Department of Health, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Leslie Jerominski
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Mitradas M. Panicker
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, USA
| | - Erik D. Christensen
- Utah State Office of Medical Examiner, Utah Department of Health, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - William E. Bunney
- Department of Psychiatry & Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Megan E. Williams
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, University of Utah School of Medicine, UT, USA
| | - Hilary Coon
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Marquis P. Vawter
- Functional Genomics Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry & Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
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7
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Petrican R, Paine AL, Escott-Price V, Shelton KH. Overlapping brain correlates of superior cognition among children at genetic risk for Alzheimer's disease and/or major depressive disorder. Sci Rep 2023; 13:984. [PMID: 36653486 PMCID: PMC9849214 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-28057-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Early life adversity (ELA) tends to accelerate neurobiological ageing, which, in turn, is thought to heighten vulnerability to both major depressive disorder (MDD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD). The two conditions are putatively related, with MDD representing either a risk factor or early symptom of AD. Given the substantial environmental susceptibility of both disorders, timely identification of their neurocognitive markers could facilitate interventions to prevent clinical onset. To this end, we analysed multimodal data from the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development study (ages 9-10 years). To disentangle genetic from correlated genetic-environmental influences, while also probing gene-adversity interactions, we compared adoptees, a group generally exposed to substantial ELA, with children raised by their biological families via genetic risk scores (GRS) from genome-wide association studies. AD and MDD GRSs predicted overlapping and widespread neurodevelopmental alterations associated with superior fluid cognition. Specifically, among adoptees only, greater AD GRS were related to accelerated structural maturation (i.e., cortical thinning) and higher MDD GRS were linked to delayed functional neurodevelopment, as reflected in compensatory brain activation on an inhibitory control task. Our study identifies compensatory mechanisms linked to MDD risk and highlights the potential cognitive benefits of accelerated maturation linked to AD vulnerability in late childhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raluca Petrican
- Institute of Population Health, Department of Psychology, University of Liverpool, Bedford Street South, Liverpool, L69 7ZA, UK.
| | - Amy L Paine
- School of Psychology, Cardiff University, 70 Park Place, Cardiff, CF10 3AT, UK
| | - Valentina Escott-Price
- Division of Neuroscience and Mental Health, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Maindy Road, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ, UK
| | - Katherine H Shelton
- School of Psychology, Cardiff University, 70 Park Place, Cardiff, CF10 3AT, UK
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8
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Helman TJ, Headrick JP, Stapelberg NJC, Braidy N. The sex-dependent response to psychosocial stress and ischaemic heart disease. Front Cardiovasc Med 2023; 10:1072042. [PMID: 37153459 PMCID: PMC10160413 DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2023.1072042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Stress is an important risk factor for modern chronic diseases, with distinct influences in males and females. The sex specificity of the mammalian stress response contributes to the sex-dependent development and impacts of coronary artery disease (CAD). Compared to men, women appear to have greater susceptibility to chronic forms of psychosocial stress, extending beyond an increased incidence of mood disorders to include a 2- to 4-fold higher risk of stress-dependent myocardial infarction in women, and up to 10-fold higher risk of Takotsubo syndrome-a stress-dependent coronary-myocardial disorder most prevalent in post-menopausal women. Sex differences arise at all levels of the stress response: from initial perception of stress to behavioural, cognitive, and affective responses and longer-term disease outcomes. These fundamental differences involve interactions between chromosomal and gonadal determinants, (mal)adaptive epigenetic modulation across the lifespan (particularly in early life), and the extrinsic influences of socio-cultural, economic, and environmental factors. Pre-clinical investigations of biological mechanisms support distinct early life programming and a heightened corticolimbic-noradrenaline-neuroinflammatory reactivity in females vs. males, among implicated determinants of the chronic stress response. Unravelling the intrinsic molecular, cellular and systems biological basis of these differences, and their interactions with external lifestyle/socio-cultural determinants, can guide preventative and therapeutic strategies to better target coronary heart disease in a tailored sex-specific manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tessa J. Helman
- Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing, School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, NSW, Sydney, Australia
- Correspondence: Tessa J. Helman
| | - John P. Headrick
- Schoolof Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, Griffith University, Southport, QLD, Australia
| | | | - Nady Braidy
- Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing, School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, NSW, Sydney, Australia
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9
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Williams AV, Peña CJ, Ramos-Maciel S, Laman-Maharg A, Ordoñez-Sanchez E, Britton M, Durbin-Johnson B, Settles M, Hao R, Yokoyama S, Xu C, Luo PX, Dwyer T, Bhela S, Black AM, Labonté B, Serafini RA, Ruiz A, Neve RL, Zachariou V, Nestler EJ, Trainor BC. Comparative Transcriptional Analyses in the Nucleus Accumbens Identifies RGS2 as a Key Mediator of Depression-Related Behavior. Biol Psychiatry 2022; 92:942-951. [PMID: 36075764 PMCID: PMC9794384 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2022.06.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Revised: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Major depressive disorder is one of the most commonly diagnosed mental illnesses worldwide, with a higher prevalence in women than in men. Although currently available pharmacological therapeutics help many individuals, they are not effective for most. Animal models have been important for the discovery of molecular alterations in stress and depression, but difficulties in adapting animal models of depression for females has impeded progress in developing novel therapeutic treatments that may be more efficacious for women. METHODS Using the California mouse social defeat model, we took a multidisciplinary approach to identify stress-sensitive molecular targets that have translational relevance for women. We determined the impact of stress on transcriptional profiles in male and female California mouse nucleus accumbens (NAc) and compared these results with data from postmortem samples of the NAc from men and women diagnosed with major depressive disorder. RESULTS Our cross-species computational analyses identified Rgs2 (regulator of G protein signaling 2) as a transcript downregulated by social defeat stress in female California mice and in women with major depressive disorder. RGS2 plays a key role in signal regulation of neuropeptide and neurotransmitter receptors. Viral vector-mediated overexpression of Rgs2 in the NAc restored social approach and sucrose preference in stressed female California mice. CONCLUSIONS These studies show that Rgs2 acting in the NAc has functional properties that translate to changes in anxiety- and depression-related behavior. Future studies should investigate whether targeting Rgs2 represents a novel target for treatment-resistant depression in women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexia V Williams
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California
| | - Catherine J Peña
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York; Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton, New Jersey
| | | | | | - Evelyn Ordoñez-Sanchez
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California; Department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Monica Britton
- Bioinformatics Core Facility, UC Davis Genome Center, University of California, Davis, Davis, California
| | | | - Matt Settles
- Bioinformatics Core Facility, UC Davis Genome Center, University of California, Davis, Davis, California
| | - Rebecca Hao
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California
| | - Sae Yokoyama
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California
| | - Christine Xu
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California
| | - Pei X Luo
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California
| | - Tjien Dwyer
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California
| | - Shanu Bhela
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California
| | - Alexis M Black
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California
| | - Benoit Labonté
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York; Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Laval University, Québec, Quebec, Canada
| | - Randal Alex Serafini
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Anne Ruiz
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Rachael L Neve
- Gene Delivery Technology Core, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Venetia Zachariou
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Eric J Nestler
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Brian C Trainor
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California.
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10
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Fabian CB, Seney ML, Joffe ME. Sex differences and hormonal regulation of metabotropic glutamate receptor synaptic plasticity. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2022; 168:311-347. [PMID: 36868632 PMCID: PMC10392610 DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2022.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Striking sex differences exist in presentation and incidence of several psychiatric disorders. For example, major depressive disorder is more prevalent in women than men, and women who develop alcohol use disorder progress through drinking milestones more rapidly than men. With regards to psychiatric treatment responses, women respond more favorably to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors than men, whereas men have better outcomes when prescribed tricyclic antidepressants. Despite such well-documented biases in incidence, presentation, and treatment response, sex as a biological variable has long been neglected in preclinical and clinical research. An emerging family of druggable targets for psychiatric diseases, metabotropic glutamate (mGlu) receptors are G-protein coupled receptors broadly distributed throughout the central nervous system. mGlu receptors confer diverse neuromodulatory actions of glutamate at the levels of synaptic plasticity, neuronal excitability, and gene transcription. In this chapter, we summarize the current preclinical and clinical evidence for sex differences in mGlu receptor function. We first highlight basal sex differences in mGlu receptor expression and function and proceed to describe how gonadal hormones, notably estradiol, regulate mGlu receptor signaling. We then describe sex-specific mechanisms by which mGlu receptors differentially modulate synaptic plasticity and behavior in basal states and models relevant for disease. Finally, we discuss human research findings and highlight areas in need of further research. Taken together, this review emphasizes how mGlu receptor function and expression can differ across sex. Gaining a more complete understanding of how sex differences in mGlu receptor function contribute to psychiatric diseases will be critical in the development of novel therapeutics that are effective in all individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carly B Fabian
- Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States; Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States; Translational Neuroscience Program, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Marianne L Seney
- Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States; Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States; Translational Neuroscience Program, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Max E Joffe
- Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States; Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States; Translational Neuroscience Program, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States.
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11
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Touchant M, Labonté B. Sex-Specific Brain Transcriptional Signatures in Human MDD and Their Correlates in Mouse Models of Depression. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:845491. [PMID: 35592639 PMCID: PMC9110970 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.845491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2021] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is amongst the most devastating psychiatric conditions affecting several millions of people worldwide every year. Despite the importance of this disease and its impact on modern societies, still very little is known about the etiological mechanisms. Treatment strategies have stagnated over the last decades and very little progress has been made to improve the efficiency of current therapeutic approaches. In order to better understand the disease, it is necessary for researchers to use appropriate animal models that reproduce specific aspects of the complex clinical manifestations at the behavioral and molecular levels. Here, we review the current literature describing the use of mouse models to reproduce specific aspects of MDD and anxiety in males and females. We first describe some of the most commonly used mouse models and their capacity to display unique but also shared features relevant to MDD. We then transition toward an integral description, combined with genome-wide transcriptional strategies. The use of these models reveals crucial insights into the molecular programs underlying the expression of stress susceptibility and resilience in a sex-specific fashion. These studies performed on human and mouse tissues establish correlates into the mechanisms mediating the impact of stress and the extent to which different mouse models of chronic stress recapitulate the molecular changes observed in depressed humans. The focus of this review is specifically to highlight the sex differences revealed from different stress paradigms and transcriptional analyses both in human and animal models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maureen Touchant
- CERVO Brain Research Centre, Québec, QC, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Benoit Labonté
- CERVO Brain Research Centre, Québec, QC, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
- *Correspondence: Benoit Labonté
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12
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Newton DF, Oh H, Shukla R, Misquitta K, Fee C, Banasr M, Sibille E. Chronic Stress Induces Coordinated Cortical Microcircuit Cell-Type Transcriptomic Changes Consistent With Altered Information Processing. Biol Psychiatry 2022; 91:798-809. [PMID: 34861977 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2021.10.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Revised: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 10/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Information processing in cortical cell microcircuits involves regulation of excitatory pyramidal (PYR) cells by inhibitory somatostatin- (SST), parvalbumin-, and vasoactive intestinal peptide-expressing interneurons. Human postmortem and rodent studies show impaired PYR cell dendritic morphology and decreased SST cell markers in major depressive disorder or after chronic stress. However, knowledge of coordinated changes across microcircuit cell types is virtually absent. METHODS We investigated the transcriptomic effects of unpredictable chronic mild stress (UCMS) on distinct microcircuit cell types in the medial prefrontal cortex (cingulate regions 24a, 24b, and 32) in mice. C57BL/6 mice, exposed to UCMS or control housing for 5 weeks, were assessed for anxiety- and depressive-like behaviors. Microcircuit cell types were laser microdissected and processed for RNA sequencing. RESULTS UCMS induced predicted elevations in behavioral emotionality in mice. DESeq2 analysis revealed unique differentially expressed genes in each cell type after UCMS. Presynaptic functions, oxidative stress response, metabolism, and translational regulation were differentially dysregulated across cell types, whereas nearly all cell types showed downregulated postsynaptic gene signatures. Across the cortical microcircuit, we observed a shift from a distributed transcriptomic coordination across cell types in control mice toward UCMS-induced increased coordination between PYR, SST, and parvalbumin cells and a hub-like role for PYR cells. Finally, we identified a microcircuit-wide coexpression network enriched in synaptic, bioenergetic, and oxidative stress response genes that correlated with UCMS-induced behaviors. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest cell-specific deficits, microcircuit-wide synaptic reorganization, and a shift in cells regulating the cortical excitation-inhibition balance, suggesting increased coordinated regulation of PYR cells by SST and parvalbumin cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dwight F Newton
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute of the Centre of Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Hyunjung Oh
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute of the Centre of Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Rammohan Shukla
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute of the Centre of Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Neurosciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio
| | - Keith Misquitta
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute of the Centre of Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Corey Fee
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute of the Centre of Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Mounira Banasr
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute of the Centre of Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Etienne Sibille
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute of the Centre of Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
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13
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Caradonna SG, Zhang TY, O’Toole N, Shen MJ, Khalil H, Einhorn NR, Wen X, Parent C, Lee FS, Akil H, Meaney MJ, McEwen BS, Marrocco J. Genomic modules and intramodular network concordance in susceptible and resilient male mice across models of stress. Neuropsychopharmacology 2022; 47:987-999. [PMID: 34848858 PMCID: PMC8938529 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-021-01219-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Revised: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The multifactorial etiology of stress-related disorders necessitates a constant interrogation of the molecular convergences in preclinical models of stress that use disparate paradigms as stressors spanning from environmental challenges to genetic predisposition to hormonal signaling. Using RNA-sequencing, we investigated the genomic signatures in the ventral hippocampus common to mouse models of stress. Chronic oral corticosterone (CORT) induced increased anxiety- and depression-like behavior in wild-type male mice and male mice heterozygous for the gene coding for brain-derived neurotrophic factor Val66Met, a variant associated with genetic susceptibility to stress. In a separate set of male mice, chronic social defeat stress (CSDS) led to a susceptible or a resilient population, whose proportion was dependent on housing conditions, namely standard housing or enriched environment. Rank-rank-hypergeometric overlap (RRHO), a threshold-free approach that ranks genes by their p value and effect size direction, was used to identify genes from a continuous gradient of significancy that were concordant across groups. In mice treated with CORT and in standard-housed susceptible mice, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were concordant for gene networks involved in neurotransmission, cytoskeleton function, and vascularization. Weighted gene co-expression analysis generated 54 gene hub modules and revealed two modules in which both CORT and CSDS-induced enrichment in DEGs, whose function was concordant with the RRHO predictions, and correlated with behavioral resilience or susceptibility. These data showed transcriptional concordance across models in which the stress coping depends upon hormonal, environmental, or genetic factors revealing common genomic drivers that embody the multifaceted nature of stress-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salvatore G. Caradonna
- grid.134907.80000 0001 2166 1519Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY USA
| | - Tie-Yuan Zhang
- grid.14709.3b0000 0004 1936 8649Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC Canada
| | - Nicholas O’Toole
- grid.14709.3b0000 0004 1936 8649Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC Canada
| | - Mo-Jun Shen
- grid.452264.30000 0004 0530 269XSingapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Huzefa Khalil
- grid.214458.e0000000086837370Michigan Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI USA
| | - Nathan R. Einhorn
- grid.134907.80000 0001 2166 1519Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY USA
| | - Xianglan Wen
- grid.14709.3b0000 0004 1936 8649Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC Canada
| | - Carine Parent
- grid.14709.3b0000 0004 1936 8649Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC Canada
| | - Francis S. Lee
- grid.5386.8000000041936877XDepartment of Psychiatry, Sackler Institute for Developmental Psychobiology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY USA
| | - Huda Akil
- grid.214458.e0000000086837370Michigan Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI USA
| | - Michael J. Meaney
- grid.14709.3b0000 0004 1936 8649Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC Canada ,grid.452264.30000 0004 0530 269XSingapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Singapore, Singapore ,grid.4280.e0000 0001 2180 6431Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, Singapore, Singapore ,grid.14709.3b0000 0004 1936 8649Sackler Program for Epigenetics & Psychobiology, McGill University, Montreal, QC Canada
| | - Bruce S. McEwen
- grid.134907.80000 0001 2166 1519Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY USA
| | - Jordan Marrocco
- Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA.
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14
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Olave FA, Aguayo FI, Román-Albasini L, Corrales WA, Silva JP, González PI, Lagos S, García MA, Alarcón-Mardones M, Rojas PS, Xu X, Cidlowski JA, Aliaga E, Fiedler J. Chronic restraint stress produces sex-specific behavioral and molecular outcomes in the dorsal and ventral rat hippocampus. Neurobiol Stress 2022; 17:100440. [PMID: 35252485 PMCID: PMC8894263 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2022.100440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Revised: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Stress-related disorders display differences at multiple levels according to sex. While most studies have been conducted in male rodents, less is known about comparable outcomes in females. In this study, we found that the chronic restraint stress model (2.5 h/day for 14 days) triggers different somatic responses in male and female adult rats. Chronic restraint produced a loss in sucrose preference and novel location preference in male rats. However, chronic restraint failed to produce loss of sucrose preference in females, while it improved spatial performance. We then characterized the molecular responses associated with these behaviors in the hippocampus, comparing the dorsal and ventral poles. Notably, sex- and hippocampal pole-specific transcriptional signatures were observed, along with a significant concordance between the female ventral and male dorsal profiles. Functional enrichment analysis revealed both shared and specific terms associated with each pole and sex. By looking into signaling pathways that were associated with these terms, we found an ample array of sex differences in the dorsal and, to a lesser extent, in the ventral hippocampus. These differences were mainly present in synaptic TrkB signaling, Akt pathway, and glutamatergic receptors. Unexpectedly, the effects of stress on these pathways were rather minimal and mostly dissociated from the sex-specific behavioral outcomes. Our study suggests that female rats are resilient and males susceptible to the restraint stress exposure in the sucrose preference and object location tests, while the activity of canonical signaling pathways is primarily determined by sex rather than stress in the dorsal and ventral hippocampus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felipe A. Olave
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neurogenetics. Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Universidad de Chile, Independencia, 8380492, Santiago, Chile
| | - Felipe I. Aguayo
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neurogenetics. Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Universidad de Chile, Independencia, 8380492, Santiago, Chile
| | - Luciano Román-Albasini
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neurogenetics. Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Universidad de Chile, Independencia, 8380492, Santiago, Chile
| | - Wladimir A. Corrales
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neurogenetics. Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Universidad de Chile, Independencia, 8380492, Santiago, Chile
| | - Juan P. Silva
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neurogenetics. Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Universidad de Chile, Independencia, 8380492, Santiago, Chile
| | - Pablo I. González
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neurogenetics. Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Universidad de Chile, Independencia, 8380492, Santiago, Chile
| | - Sara Lagos
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neurogenetics. Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Universidad de Chile, Independencia, 8380492, Santiago, Chile
| | - María A. García
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neurogenetics. Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Universidad de Chile, Independencia, 8380492, Santiago, Chile
| | - Matías Alarcón-Mardones
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neurogenetics. Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Universidad de Chile, Independencia, 8380492, Santiago, Chile
| | - Paulina S. Rojas
- Escuela de Química y Farmacia, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Xiaojiang Xu
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709, USA
| | - John A. Cidlowski
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709, USA
| | - Esteban Aliaga
- Medical Technology School and the Neuropsychology and Cognitive Neurosciences Research Center (CINPSI-Neurocog), Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca, Chile
- Corresponding author. Medical Technology School, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca, Chile.
| | - Jenny Fiedler
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neurogenetics. Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Universidad de Chile, Independencia, 8380492, Santiago, Chile
- Corresponding author. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universidad de Chile, Santiago. Chile.
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15
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Seney ML, Nestler EJ. Introduction to Special Issue: Insight Into Sex Differences in Neuropsychiatric Syndromes From Transcriptomic Analyses. Biol Psychiatry 2022; 91:3-5. [PMID: 34857105 PMCID: PMC8887677 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2021.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Marianne L. Seney
- Department of Psychiatry and Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Eric J. Nestler
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
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16
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Rainville JR, Lipuma T, Hodes GE. Translating the Transcriptome: Sex Differences in the Mechanisms of Depression and Stress, Revisited. Biol Psychiatry 2022; 91:25-35. [PMID: 33865609 PMCID: PMC10197090 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2021.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2020] [Revised: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The past decade has produced a plethora of studies examining sex differences in the transcriptional profiles of stress and mood disorders. As we move forward from accepting the existence of extensive molecular sex differences in the brain to exploring the purpose of these sex differences, our approach must become more systemic and less reductionist. Earlier studies have examined specific brain regions and/or cell types. To use this knowledge to develop the next generation of personalized medicine, we need to comprehend how transcriptional changes across the brain and/or the body relate to each other. We provide an overview of the relationships between baseline and depression/stress-related transcriptional sex differences and explore contributions of preclinically identified mechanisms and their impacts on behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer R Rainville
- Department of Neuroscience, Virginia Polytechnic and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia
| | - Timothy Lipuma
- Department of Neuroscience, Virginia Polytechnic and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia
| | - Georgia E Hodes
- Department of Neuroscience, Virginia Polytechnic and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia.
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17
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de Abreu MS, Costa F, Giacomini ACVV, Demin KA, Zabegalov KN, Maslov GO, Kositsyn YM, Petersen EV, Strekalova T, Rosemberg DB, Kalueff AV. Towards Modeling Anhedonia and Its Treatment in Zebrafish. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2021; 25:293-306. [PMID: 34918075 PMCID: PMC9017771 DOI: 10.1093/ijnp/pyab092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2021] [Revised: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Mood disorders, especially depression, are a major cause of human disability. The loss of pleasure (anhedonia) is a common, severely debilitating symptom of clinical depression. Experimental animal models are widely used to better understand depression pathogenesis and to develop novel antidepressant therapies. In rodents, various experimental models of anhedonia have already been developed and extensively validated. Complementing rodent studies, the zebrafish (Danio rerio) is emerging as a powerful model organism to assess pathobiological mechanisms of affective disorders, including depression. Here, we critically discuss the potential of zebrafish for modeling anhedonia and studying its molecular mechanisms and translational implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Murilo S de Abreu
- School of Pharmacy, Southwest University, Chongqing, China,Bioscience Institute, University of Passo Fundo, Passo Fundo, RS, Brazil,Laboratory of Cell and Molecular Biology and Neurobiology, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Moscow, Russia
| | - Fabiano Costa
- Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Toxicological Biochemistry, Natural and Exact Sciences Center, Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Brazil
| | - Ana C V V Giacomini
- Bioscience Institute, University of Passo Fundo, Passo Fundo, RS, Brazil,Graduate Program in Environmental Sciences, University of Passo Fundo, Passo Fundo, RS, Brazil
| | - Konstantin A Demin
- Drug Screening Platform, School of Pharmacy, Southwest University, Chongqing, China,Ural Federal University, Ekaterinburg, Russia,Institute of Experimental Medicine, Almazov National Medical Research Centre, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | | | - Gleb O Maslov
- Ural Federal University, Ekaterinburg, Russia,Neurobiology Program, Sirius University of Science and Technology, Sochi, Russia
| | - Yuriy M Kositsyn
- Neurobiology Program, Sirius University of Science and Technology, Sochi, Russia
| | - Elena V Petersen
- Laboratory of Cell and Molecular Biology and Neurobiology, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Moscow, Russia
| | - Tatiana Strekalova
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Maastricht Medical Center Annadal, Maastricht, Netherlands,Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, University of Maastricht, Maasticht, the Netherlands,Laboratory of Psychiatric Neurobiology, Institute of Molecular Medicine and Department of Normal Physiology, Sechenov 1st Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russia,Institute of General Pathology and Pathophysiology, Moscow, Russia
| | - Denis B Rosemberg
- Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Toxicological Biochemistry, Natural and Exact Sciences Center, Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Brazil,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Natural and Exact Sciences Center, Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Brazil
| | - Allan V Kalueff
- School of Pharmacy, Southwest University, Chongqing, China,Drug Screening Platform, School of Pharmacy, Southwest University, Chongqing, China,Ural Federal University, Ekaterinburg, Russia,Russian Research Center of Radiology and Surgical Technologies, Ministry of Healthcare of Russian Federation, St. Petersburg, Russia,Institute of Experimental Medicine, Almazov National Medical Research Centre, St. Petersburg, Russia,Novosibirsk State University, Novosibisk, Russia,Scientific Research Institute of Neurosciences and Medicine, Novosibirsk, Russia,Correspondence: Allan V. Kalueff, PhD, School of Pharmacy, Southwest University, Chongqing, China ()
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18
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Sikes-Keilp C, Rubinow DR. In search of sex-related mediators of affective illness. Biol Sex Differ 2021; 12:55. [PMID: 34663459 PMCID: PMC8524875 DOI: 10.1186/s13293-021-00400-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Sex differences in the rates of affective disorders have been recognized for decades. Studies of physiologic sex-related differences in animals and humans, however, have generally yielded little in terms of explaining these differences. Furthermore, the significance of these findings is difficult to interpret given the dynamic, integrative, and highly context-dependent nature of human physiology. In this article, we provide an overview of the current literature on sex differences as they relate to mood disorders, organizing existing findings into five levels at which sex differences conceivably influence physiology relevant to affective states. These levels include the following: brain structure, network connectivity, signal transduction, transcription/translation, and epigenesis. We then evaluate the importance and limitations of this body of work, as well as offer perspectives on the future of research into sex differences. In creating this overview, we attempt to bring perspective to a body of research that is complex, poorly synthesized, and far from complete, as well as provide a theoretical framework for thinking about the role that sex differences ultimately play in affective regulation. Despite the overall gaps regarding both the underlying pathogenesis of affective illness and the role of sex-related factors in the development of affective disorders, it is evident that sex should be considered as an important contributor to alterations in neural function giving rise to susceptibility to and expression of depression.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - David R Rubinow
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
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19
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Seney ML, Kim SM, Glausier JR, Hildebrand MA, Xue X, Zong W, Wang J, Shelton MA, Phan BN, Srinivasan C, Pfenning AR, Tseng GC, Lewis DA, Freyberg Z, Logan RW. Transcriptional Alterations in Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex and Nucleus Accumbens Implicate Neuroinflammation and Synaptic Remodeling in Opioid Use Disorder. Biol Psychiatry 2021; 90:550-562. [PMID: 34380600 PMCID: PMC8463497 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2021.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2021] [Revised: 06/07/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prevalence rates of opioid use disorder (OUD) have increased dramatically, accompanied by a surge of overdose deaths. While opioid dependence has been extensively studied in preclinical models, an understanding of the biological alterations that occur in the brains of people who chronically use opioids and who are diagnosed with OUD remains limited. To address this limitation, RNA sequencing was conducted on the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens, regions heavily implicated in OUD, from postmortem brains in subjects with OUD. METHODS We performed RNA sequencing on the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens from unaffected comparison subjects (n = 20) and subjects diagnosed with OUD (n = 20). Our transcriptomic analyses identified differentially expressed transcripts and investigated the transcriptional coherence between brain regions using rank-rank hypergeometric orderlap. Weighted gene coexpression analyses identified OUD-specific modules and gene networks. Integrative analyses between differentially expressed transcripts and genome-wide association study datasets using linkage disequilibrium scores assessed the genetic liability of psychiatric-related phenotypes in OUD. RESULTS Rank-rank hypergeometric overlap analyses revealed extensive overlap in transcripts between the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens in OUD, related to synaptic remodeling and neuroinflammation. Identified transcripts were enriched for factors that control proinflammatory cytokine, chondroitin sulfate, and extracellular matrix signaling. Cell-type deconvolution implicated a role for microglia as a potential driver for opioid-induced neuroplasticity. Linkage disequilibrium score analysis suggested genetic liabilities for risky behavior, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and depression in subjects with OUD. CONCLUSIONS Overall, our findings suggest connections between the brain's immune system and opioid dependence in the human brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marianne L Seney
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Center for Adolescent Reward, Rhythms, and Sleep, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Sam-Moon Kim
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Center for Adolescent Reward, Rhythms, and Sleep, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Center for Systems Neurogenetics of Addiction, The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, Maine
| | - Jill R Glausier
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Mariah A Hildebrand
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Xiangning Xue
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Wei Zong
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Jiebiao Wang
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Micah A Shelton
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - BaDoi N Phan
- Department of Computational Biology, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Chaitanya Srinivasan
- Department of Computational Biology, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Andreas R Pfenning
- Department of Computational Biology, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Neuroscience Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - George C Tseng
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - David A Lewis
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Zachary Freyberg
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Department of Cell Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Ryan W Logan
- Center for Systems Neurogenetics of Addiction, The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, Maine; Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts; Center for Systems Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts.
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20
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Liu X, Teng T, Li X, Fan L, Xiang Y, Jiang Y, Du K, Zhang Y, Zhou X, Xie P. Impact of Inosine on Chronic Unpredictable Mild Stress-Induced Depressive and Anxiety-Like Behaviors With the Alteration of Gut Microbiota. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 11:697640. [PMID: 34595128 PMCID: PMC8476956 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.697640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Current antidepressants do not confer a clear advantage in children and adolescents with major depressive disorder (MDD). Accumulating evidence highlights the potential antidepressant-like effects of inosine on adult MDD, and gut microbiomes are significantly associated with MDD via the microbiota-gut-brain axis. However, few studies have investigated possible associations between inosine and gut microbiota in adolescents with MDD. The current study investigated the potential antidepressant effects of inosine in adolescent male C57BL/6 mice. After 4 weeks of chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) stimulation, the mice were assessed by body weight, the sucrose preference test (SPT), open field test, and the elevated plus maze (EPM). The microbiota compositions of feces were determined by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Inosine significantly improved CUMS-induced depressive and anxiety-like behaviors in adolescent mice including SPT and EPM results. Fecal microbial composition differed in the CON+saline, CUMS+saline, and CUMS+inosine groups, which were characterized by 126 discriminative amplicon sequence variants belonging to Bacteroidetes and Firmicute at the phylum level and Muribaculaceae and Lachnospiraceae at the family level. Muribaculaceae was positively associated with depressive and anxiety-like behaviors. KEGG functional analysis suggested that inosine might affect gut microbiota through carbohydrate metabolism and lipid metabolism pathways. The results of the study indicated that inosine improved depressive and anxiety-like behaviors in adolescent mice, in conjunction with the alteration of fecal microbial composition. Our findings may provide a novel perspective on the antidepressant effects of inosine in children and adolescents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueer Liu
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.,National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment on Brain Functional Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.,Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurobiology, Chongqing, China
| | - Teng Teng
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.,National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment on Brain Functional Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.,Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurobiology, Chongqing, China
| | - Xuemei Li
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.,National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment on Brain Functional Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.,Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurobiology, Chongqing, China
| | - Li Fan
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.,National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment on Brain Functional Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.,Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurobiology, Chongqing, China
| | - Yajie Xiang
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.,National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment on Brain Functional Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.,Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurobiology, Chongqing, China
| | - Yuanliang Jiang
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment on Brain Functional Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.,Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Kang Du
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment on Brain Functional Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.,Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yuqing Zhang
- Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xinyu Zhou
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment on Brain Functional Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.,Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Peng Xie
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.,National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment on Brain Functional Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.,Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurobiology, Chongqing, China
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Seney ML, Logan RW. Critical roles for developmental hormones and genetic sex in stress-induced transcriptional changes associated with depression. Neuropsychopharmacology 2021; 46:221-222. [PMID: 32770141 PMCID: PMC7689456 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-020-00792-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Marianne L. Seney
- grid.21925.3d0000 0004 1936 9000Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15219 USA
| | - Ryan W. Logan
- grid.21925.3d0000 0004 1936 9000Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15219 USA ,grid.249880.f0000 0004 0374 0039Center for Systems Neurogenetics of Addiction, The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME 04609 USA
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