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Müller TE, Dos Santos MM, Ferreira SA, Claro MT, de Macedo GT, Fontana BD, Barbosa NV. Negative impacts of social isolation on behavior and neuronal functions are recovered after short-term social reintroduction in zebrafish. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2024; 134:111038. [PMID: 38810717 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2024.111038] [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: 11/10/2023] [Revised: 05/16/2024] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024]
Abstract
Recently, social isolation measures were crucial to prevent the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. However, the lack of social interactions affected the population mental health and may have long-term consequences on behavior and brain functions. Here, we evaluated the behavioral, physiological, and molecular effects of a social isolation (SI) in adult zebrafish, and whether the animals recover such changes after their reintroduction to the social environment. Fish were submitted to 12 days of SI, and then reintroduced to social context (SR). Behavioral analyses to evaluate locomotion, anxiety-like and social-related behaviors were performed after SI protocol, and 3 and 6 days after SR. Cortisol and transcript levels from genes involved in neuronal homeostasis (c-fos, egr, bdnf), and serotonergic (5-HT) and dopaminergic (DA) neurotransmission (thp, th) were also measured. SI altered social behaviors in zebrafish such as aggression, social preference, and shoaling. Fish submitted to SI also presented changes in the transcript levels of genes related to neural activity, and 5-HT/DA signaling. Interestingly, most of the behavioral and molecular changes induced by SI were not found again 6 days after SR. Thus, we highlight that SR of zebrafish to their conspecifics played a positive role in social behaviors and in the expression of genes involved in different neuronal signaling pathways that were altered after 12 days of SI. This study brings unprecedented data on the effects of SR in the recovery from SI neurobehavioral alterations, and reinforces the role of zebrafish as a translational model for understanding the neurobiological mechanisms adjacent to SI and resocialization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Talise E Müller
- Laboratory of Toxicological Biochemistry, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Center of Natural and Exact Sciences, Federal University of Santa Maria. 1000 Roraima Avenue, Santa Maria, RS 97105-900, Brazil.; Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Toxicological Biochemistry, Federal University of Santa Maria. 1000 Roraima Avenue, Santa Maria, RS 97105-900, Brazil..
| | - Matheus M Dos Santos
- Laboratory of Toxicological Biochemistry, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Center of Natural and Exact Sciences, Federal University of Santa Maria. 1000 Roraima Avenue, Santa Maria, RS 97105-900, Brazil.; Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Toxicological Biochemistry, Federal University of Santa Maria. 1000 Roraima Avenue, Santa Maria, RS 97105-900, Brazil
| | - Sabrina A Ferreira
- Laboratory of Toxicological Biochemistry, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Center of Natural and Exact Sciences, Federal University of Santa Maria. 1000 Roraima Avenue, Santa Maria, RS 97105-900, Brazil.; Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Toxicological Biochemistry, Federal University of Santa Maria. 1000 Roraima Avenue, Santa Maria, RS 97105-900, Brazil
| | - Mariana T Claro
- Laboratory of Toxicological Biochemistry, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Center of Natural and Exact Sciences, Federal University of Santa Maria. 1000 Roraima Avenue, Santa Maria, RS 97105-900, Brazil.; Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Toxicological Biochemistry, Federal University of Santa Maria. 1000 Roraima Avenue, Santa Maria, RS 97105-900, Brazil
| | - Gabriel T de Macedo
- Laboratory of Toxicological Biochemistry, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Center of Natural and Exact Sciences, Federal University of Santa Maria. 1000 Roraima Avenue, Santa Maria, RS 97105-900, Brazil.; Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Toxicological Biochemistry, Federal University of Santa Maria. 1000 Roraima Avenue, Santa Maria, RS 97105-900, Brazil
| | - Barbara D Fontana
- Department of Biological Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, USA
| | - Nilda V Barbosa
- Laboratory of Toxicological Biochemistry, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Center of Natural and Exact Sciences, Federal University of Santa Maria. 1000 Roraima Avenue, Santa Maria, RS 97105-900, Brazil.; Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Toxicological Biochemistry, Federal University of Santa Maria. 1000 Roraima Avenue, Santa Maria, RS 97105-900, Brazil..
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2
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Gómez-Sotres P, Skupio U, Dalla Tor T, Julio-Kalajzic F, Cannich A, Gisquet D, Bonilla-Del Rio I, Drago F, Puente N, Grandes P, Bellocchio L, Busquets-Garcia A, Bains JS, Marsicano G. Olfactory bulb astrocytes link social transmission of stress to cognitive adaptation in male mice. Nat Commun 2024; 15:7103. [PMID: 39155299 PMCID: PMC11330966 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-51416-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2024] [Accepted: 08/06/2024] [Indexed: 08/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Emotions and behavior can be affected by social chemosignals from conspecifics. For instance, olfactory signals from stressed individuals induce stress-like physiological and synaptic changes in naïve partners. Direct stress also alters cognition, but the impact of socially transmitted stress on memory processes is currently unknown. Here we show that exposure to chemosignals produced by stressed individuals is sufficient to impair memory retrieval in unstressed male mice. This requires astrocyte control of information in the olfactory bulb mediated by mitochondria-associated CB1 receptors (mtCB1). Targeted genetic manipulations, in vivo Ca2+ imaging and behavioral analyses reveal that mtCB1-dependent control of mitochondrial Ca2+ dynamics is necessary to process olfactory information from stressed partners and to define their cognitive consequences. Thus, olfactory bulb astrocytes provide a link between social odors and their behavioral meaning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula Gómez-Sotres
- Universite de Bordeaux, INSERM, U1215 Neurocentre Magendie, Bordeaux, France
| | - Urszula Skupio
- Universite de Bordeaux, INSERM, U1215 Neurocentre Magendie, Bordeaux, France
| | - Tommaso Dalla Tor
- Universite de Bordeaux, INSERM, U1215 Neurocentre Magendie, Bordeaux, France
- Department of Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine and Nursing, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, E-48940, Leioa, Spain
| | | | - Astrid Cannich
- Universite de Bordeaux, INSERM, U1215 Neurocentre Magendie, Bordeaux, France
| | - Doriane Gisquet
- Universite de Bordeaux, INSERM, U1215 Neurocentre Magendie, Bordeaux, France
| | - Itziar Bonilla-Del Rio
- Department of Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine and Nursing, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, E-48940, Leioa, Spain
- Achucarro Basque Center for Neuroscience, Science Park of the UPV/EHU, Leioa, Spain
| | - Filippo Drago
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, Section of Pharmacology, University of Catania, Catania, 95124, Italy
| | - Nagore Puente
- Department of Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine and Nursing, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, E-48940, Leioa, Spain
- Achucarro Basque Center for Neuroscience, Science Park of the UPV/EHU, Leioa, Spain
| | - Pedro Grandes
- Department of Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine and Nursing, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, E-48940, Leioa, Spain
- Achucarro Basque Center for Neuroscience, Science Park of the UPV/EHU, Leioa, Spain
| | - Luigi Bellocchio
- Universite de Bordeaux, INSERM, U1215 Neurocentre Magendie, Bordeaux, France
| | | | - Jaideep S Bains
- Krembil Brain Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada.
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute and Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada.
| | - Giovanni Marsicano
- Universite de Bordeaux, INSERM, U1215 Neurocentre Magendie, Bordeaux, France.
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3
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Castany S, Rosa PB, Shionoya K, Blomqvist A, Engblom D. Social transmission of inflammation in mice. Brain Behav Immun 2024; 120:464-470. [PMID: 38925419 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2024.06.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2024] [Revised: 06/03/2024] [Accepted: 06/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The ability to detect and respond to sickness in others promotes survival. Here we show that mouse dams respond to immune challenged pups by mirroring their inflammatory response. Dams with pups subjected to immune challenge displayed a marked induction of inflammatory mediators in both the brain and the periphery, accompanied by an increase in maternal behaviors and corticosterone levels. This social transmission of inflammation did not require physical contact, and it contributed to the stress hormone response in the dams. In adult dyads, interaction with an immune challenged cagemate did not elicit robust inflammatory signaling but induced an increased responsiveness to a subsequent immune challenge. The identification of social transmission of inflammation, or inflammatory responsiveness, may open new avenues for research on social behavior, just like the description of similar phenomena such as observational fear and transmitted pain has done.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Castany
- Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, 58185 Linköping, Sweden.
| | - Priscila Batista Rosa
- Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, 58185 Linköping, Sweden
| | - Kiseko Shionoya
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, 58185 Linköping, Sweden
| | - Anders Blomqvist
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, 58185 Linköping, Sweden
| | - David Engblom
- Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, 58185 Linköping, Sweden.
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4
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Peng S, Yang X, Meng S, Liu F, Lv Y, Yang H, Kong Y, Xie W, Li M. Dual circuits originating from the ventral hippocampus independently facilitate affective empathy. Cell Rep 2024; 43:114277. [PMID: 38805397 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114277] [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: 07/26/2023] [Revised: 03/24/2024] [Accepted: 05/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Affective empathy enables social mammals to learn and transfer emotion to conspecifics, but an understanding of the neural circuitry and genetics underlying affective empathy is still very limited. Here, using the naive observational fear between cagemates as a paradigm similar to human affective empathy and chemo/optogenetic neuroactivity manipulation in mouse brain, we investigate the roles of multiple brain regions in mouse affective empathy. Remarkably, two neural circuits originating from the ventral hippocampus, previously unknown to function in empathy, are revealed to regulate naive observational fear. One is from ventral hippocampal pyramidal neurons to lateral septum GABAergic neurons, and the other is from ventral hippocampus pyramidal neurons to nucleus accumbens dopamine-receptor-expressing neurons. Furthermore, we identify the naive observational-fear-encoding neurons in the ventral hippocampus. Our findings highlight the potentially diverse regulatory pathways of empathy in social animals, shedding light on the mechanisms underlying empathy circuity and its disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siqi Peng
- School of Life Science and Technology, The Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China
| | - Xiuqi Yang
- School of Life Science and Technology, The Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China
| | - Sibie Meng
- School of Life Science and Technology, The Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China
| | - Fuyuan Liu
- Jiangsu Provincial Joint International Research Laboratory of Medical Information Processing, School of Computer Science and Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China
| | - Yaochen Lv
- School of Life Science and Technology, The Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China
| | - Huiquan Yang
- School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China
| | - Youyong Kong
- Jiangsu Provincial Joint International Research Laboratory of Medical Information Processing, School of Computer Science and Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China
| | - Wei Xie
- School of Life Science and Technology, The Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China; Jiangsu Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong 226001, China
| | - Moyi Li
- School of Life Science and Technology, The Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China; Jiangsu Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong 226001, China.
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5
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Shayan M, Haddadi NS, Shokrian Zeini M, Shokrian Zeini M, Tashak Golroudbari H, Afrooghe A, Ahmadi E, Rashki A, Dehpour AR. Social interactions and olfactory cues are required for contagious itch in mice. Sci Rep 2024; 14:11334. [PMID: 38760368 PMCID: PMC11101621 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-61078-3] [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: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/19/2024] Open
Abstract
The phenomenon of contagious itch, observed in both humans and rodents, remains a topic of ongoing debate concerning its modulators and underlying pathways. This study delves into the relationship between contagious itch and familiar olfactory cues, a non-visual factor contributing to this intriguing behavior. Our findings showed that contagious itch in observer mice occurs during physical interaction with the cagemate itch-demonstrator but not with a stranger demonstrator or in a non-physical encounter condition. Notably, itch-experienced observer mice displayed an increased contagious itch behavior, highlighting the relevance of itch-associated memory in this phenomenon. Furthermore, anosmic observer mice, whether itch-naïve or itch-experienced, displayed no contagious itch behavior. These results demonstrate that the familiar olfactory cues, specifically cagemate body odors, are required for contagious itch behaviors in mice. In line with these behavioral findings, our study reveals increased activity in brain regions associated with olfaction, emotion, and memory during contagious itch, including the olfactory bulb, the amygdala, the hypothalamus, and the hippocampus, with this activity diminished in anosmic mice. In conclusion, our study unveils the critical role of familiar olfactory cues in driving contagious itch in mice, shedding light on the interplay between social factors, sensory perception, and memory in this phenomenon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Shayan
- Experimental Medicine Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Schepens Eye Research Institute of Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Nazgol-Sadat Haddadi
- Experimental Medicine Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Dermatology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Maryam Shokrian Zeini
- Experimental Medicine Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Mohadese Shokrian Zeini
- Experimental Medicine Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Poorsina St., Enghelab Ave., P.O. Box 13145-784, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hasti Tashak Golroudbari
- Experimental Medicine Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Poorsina St., Enghelab Ave., P.O. Box 13145-784, Tehran, Iran
| | - Arya Afrooghe
- Experimental Medicine Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Poorsina St., Enghelab Ave., P.O. Box 13145-784, Tehran, Iran
| | - Elham Ahmadi
- Experimental Medicine Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Poorsina St., Enghelab Ave., P.O. Box 13145-784, Tehran, Iran
| | - Asma Rashki
- Experimental Medicine Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Poorsina St., Enghelab Ave., P.O. Box 13145-784, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ahmad-Reza Dehpour
- Experimental Medicine Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Poorsina St., Enghelab Ave., P.O. Box 13145-784, Tehran, Iran.
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6
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Eraslan E, Castelhano-Carlos MJ, Amorim L, Soares-Cunha C, Rodrigues AJ, Sousa N. Physiological and behavioral contagion/buffering effects of chronic unpredictable stress in a socially enriched environment: A preliminary study. Neurobiol Stress 2024; 30:100635. [PMID: 38645599 PMCID: PMC11031999 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2024.100635] [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: 01/17/2024] [Revised: 03/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Rodents are sensitive to the emotional state of conspecifics. While the presence of affiliative social partners mitigates the physiological response to stressors (buffering), the partners of stressed individuals show behavioral and endocrine changes indicating that stress parameters can be transmitted across the group members (contagion). In this study, we investigated the social contagion/buffering phenomena in behavior and neuroendocrine mechanisms after exposure to chronic stress, in groups of rats living in the PhenoWorld (PhW). Three groups were tested (8 stressed rats, 8 unstressed rats, and a mixed group with 4 and 4) and these were analyzed under 4 conditions: stressed (pure stress group, n = 8), unstressed (naive control group, n = 8), stressed from mixed group (stressed companion group, n = 8), unstressed from mixed group (unstressed companion group, n = 8. While naive control animals remained undisturbed, pure stress group animals were all exposed to stress. Half of the animals under the mixed-treatment condition were exposed to stress (stressed companion group) and cohabitated with their unstressed partners (unstressed companion group). We confirmed the well-established chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) effects in physiological, behavioral, and neuroendocrine endpoints; body weight gain, open arm entries and time in EPM, and oxytocin receptor expression levels in the amygdala decreased by stress exposure, whereas adrenal weight was increased by stress. Furthermore, we found that playing, rearing and solitary resting behaviors decreased, whereas huddling behavior increased by CUS. In addition, we detected significant increases (stress-buffering) in body weight gain and huddling behaviors between pure stress and stress companion animals, and significant stress contagion effects in emotional behavior and oxytocin receptor expression levels between naive control and control companion groups. Hence, we demonstrate buffering and contagion effects were evident in physiological parameters, emotional behaviors, and social home-cage behaviors of rats and we suggest a possible mediation of these effects by oxytocin neurotransmission. In conclusion, the results herein suggest that the stress status of animals living in the same housing environment influences the behavior of the group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evren Eraslan
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's – PT Government Associate Laboratory, Guimarães, Portugal
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Physiology, Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Magda J. Castelhano-Carlos
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's – PT Government Associate Laboratory, Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Liliana Amorim
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's – PT Government Associate Laboratory, Guimarães, Portugal
- P5 Clinical Digital Center, Braga, Portugal
| | - Carina Soares-Cunha
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's – PT Government Associate Laboratory, Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Ana J. Rodrigues
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's – PT Government Associate Laboratory, Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Nuno Sousa
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's – PT Government Associate Laboratory, Guimarães, Portugal
- P5 Clinical Digital Center, Braga, Portugal
- Clinical Academic Center (2CA), Braga, Portugal
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7
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Granton E, Brown L, Defaye M, Moazen P, Almblad H, Randall TE, Rich JD, Geppert A, Abdullah NS, Hassanabad MF, Hiroki CH, Farias R, Nguyen AP, Schubert C, Lou Y, Andonegui G, Iftinca M, Raju D, Vargas MA, Howell PL, Füzesi T, Bains J, Kurrasch D, Harrison JJ, Altier C, Yipp BG. Biofilm exopolysaccharides alter sensory-neuron-mediated sickness during lung infection. Cell 2024; 187:1874-1888.e14. [PMID: 38518773 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.03.001] [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: 06/09/2023] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/24/2024]
Abstract
Infections of the lung cause observable sickness thought to be secondary to inflammation. Signs of sickness are crucial to alert others via behavioral-immune responses to limit contact with contagious individuals. Gram-negative bacteria produce exopolysaccharide (EPS) that provides microbial protection; however, the impact of EPS on sickness remains uncertain. Using genome-engineered Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) strains, we compared EPS-producers versus non-producers and a virulent Escherichia coli (E. coli) lung infection model in male and female mice. EPS-negative P. aeruginosa and virulent E. coli infection caused severe sickness, behavioral alterations, inflammation, and hypothermia mediated by TLR4 detection of the exposed lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in lung TRPV1+ sensory neurons. However, inflammation did not account for sickness. Stimulation of lung nociceptors induced acute stress responses in the paraventricular hypothalamic nuclei by activating corticotropin-releasing hormone neurons responsible for sickness behavior and hypothermia. Thus, EPS-producing biofilm pathogens evade initiating a lung-brain sensory neuronal response that results in sickness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elise Granton
- Department of Critical Care, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Calvin, Phoebe and Joan Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Luke Brown
- Department of Critical Care, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Calvin, Phoebe and Joan Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Manon Defaye
- Calvin, Phoebe and Joan Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Inflammation Research Network, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Parisa Moazen
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Department of Medical Genetics, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Henrik Almblad
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Trevor E Randall
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Jacquelyn D Rich
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Andrew Geppert
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Nasser S Abdullah
- Calvin, Phoebe and Joan Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Inflammation Research Network, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Mortaza F Hassanabad
- Department of Critical Care, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Calvin, Phoebe and Joan Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Carlos H Hiroki
- Department of Critical Care, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Calvin, Phoebe and Joan Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Raquel Farias
- Department of Critical Care, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Calvin, Phoebe and Joan Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Angela P Nguyen
- Department of Critical Care, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Calvin, Phoebe and Joan Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Courtney Schubert
- Department of Critical Care, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Calvin, Phoebe and Joan Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Yuefei Lou
- Department of Critical Care, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Calvin, Phoebe and Joan Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Graciela Andonegui
- Department of Critical Care, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Calvin, Phoebe and Joan Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Mircea Iftinca
- Calvin, Phoebe and Joan Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Inflammation Research Network, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Deepa Raju
- Program in Molecular Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Mario A Vargas
- Program in Molecular Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - P Lynne Howell
- Program in Molecular Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Tamás Füzesi
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Cumming School of Medicine Optogenetics Core Facility, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Jaideep Bains
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Krembil Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada.
| | - Deborah Kurrasch
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Department of Medical Genetics, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
| | - Joe Jonathan Harrison
- Calvin, Phoebe and Joan Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
| | - Christophe Altier
- Calvin, Phoebe and Joan Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Inflammation Research Network, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
| | - Bryan G Yipp
- Department of Critical Care, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Calvin, Phoebe and Joan Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
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8
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Breton JM, Cort Z, Demaestri C, Critz M, Nevins S, Downend K, Ofray D, Romeo RD, Bath KG. Early life adversity reduces affiliative behavior with a stressed cagemate and leads to sex-specific alterations in corticosterone responses in adult mice. Horm Behav 2024; 158:105464. [PMID: 38070354 PMCID: PMC10872397 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2023.105464] [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: 07/21/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Experiencing early life adversity (ELA) alters stress physiology and increases the risk for developing psychiatric disorders. The social environment can influence dynamics of stress responding and buffer and/or transfer stress across individuals. Yet, the impact of ELA on sensitivity to the stress of others and social behavior following stress is unknown. Here, to test the impact of ELA on social and physiological responses to stress, circulating blood corticosterone (CORT) and social behaviors were assessed in adult male and female mice reared under limited bedding and nesting (LBN) or control conditions. To induce stress, one cagemate of a pair-housed cage underwent a footshock paradigm and was then returned to their unshocked partner. CORT was measured in both groups of mice 20 or 90 min after stress exposure, and social behaviors were recorded and analyzed. ELA rearing influenced the CORT response to stress in a sex-specific manner. In males, both control and ELA-reared mice exhibited similar stress transfer to unshocked cagemates and similar CORT dynamics. In contrast, ELA females showed a heightened stress transfer to unshocked cagemates, and sustained elevation of CORT relative to controls, indicating enhanced stress contagion and a failure to terminate the stress response. Behaviorally, ELA females displayed decreased allogrooming and increased investigative behaviors, while ELA males showed reduced huddling. Together, these findings demonstrate that ELA influenced HPA axis dynamics, social stress contagion and social behavior. Further research is needed to unravel the underlying mechanisms and long-term consequences of ELA on stress systems and their impact on behavioral outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jocelyn M Breton
- Columbia University, Department of Psychiatry, New York, NY, USA; New York State Psychiatric Institute, Division of Developmental Neuroscience, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Zoey Cort
- Barnard College of Columbia University, Department of Neuroscience and Behavior, New York, NY, USA
| | - Camila Demaestri
- Columbia University, Department of Psychiatry, New York, NY, USA
| | - Madalyn Critz
- Columbia University, Department of Psychiatry, New York, NY, USA; New York State Psychiatric Institute, Division of Developmental Neuroscience, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Samuel Nevins
- Brown University, Department of Cognitive, Linguistic and Psychological Sciences, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Kendall Downend
- Barnard College of Columbia University, Department of Neuroscience and Behavior, New York, NY, USA
| | - Dayshalis Ofray
- Columbia University, Department of Psychiatry, New York, NY, USA; New York State Psychiatric Institute, Division of Developmental Neuroscience, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Russell D Romeo
- Barnard College of Columbia University, Department of Neuroscience and Behavior, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kevin G Bath
- Columbia University, Department of Psychiatry, New York, NY, USA; New York State Psychiatric Institute, Division of Developmental Neuroscience, New York, NY, 10032, USA.
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9
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Pluma-Pluma A, García G, Murbartián J. Chronic restraint stress and social transfer of stress produce tactile allodynia mediated by the HMGB1/TNFα/TNFR1 pathway in female and male rats. Physiol Behav 2024; 274:114418. [PMID: 38042454 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2023.114418] [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: 09/13/2023] [Revised: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/04/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies have shown the relevance of high mobility group box 1 protein (HMGB1) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) in nerve or tissue injury-induced nociception. However, the role of these proteins in chronic stress and social transfer of stress (STS)-induced dysfunctional pain is not entirely known. The aim of this study was to determine the participation of the spinal HMGB1-TNFα signaling pathway and TNFα receptor 1 (TNFR1) in rats subjected to chronic restraint stress (CRS) and STS. Non-stressed female and male rats in contact with CRS rats increased sniffing behavior of the anogenital area, behavior related to STS. Rats subjected to CRS and STS reduced 50 % withdrawal threshold and reached the value of tactile allodynia after 21 days of stress. Rats return to the basal withdrawal threshold after 30 days without stress and return to allodynia values in only 5 days of stress sessions (priming). Female and male rats subjected to 28 days of CRS or STS were intrathecal injected with glycyrrhizin (inhibitor of HMGB1), thalidomide (inhibitor of the TNFα synthesis), and R7050 (TNFR1 antagonist), in all the cases, an antiallodynic effect was observed. Rats under CRS or STS enhanced HMGB1 and TNFR1 protein expression in DRG and dorsal spinal cord. Data suggest that the spinal HMGB1/TNFα/TNFR1 signaling pathway plays a relevant role in the maintenance of CRS and STS-induced nociceptive hypersensitivity in rats. These proteins could be helpful in developing pain treatments for fibromyalgia in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro Pluma-Pluma
- Departamento de Farmacobiología, Cinvestav, Calzada de los Tenorios 235, Colonia Granjas Coapa, 14330, South Campus, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Guadalupe García
- Departamento de Farmacobiología, Cinvestav, Calzada de los Tenorios 235, Colonia Granjas Coapa, 14330, South Campus, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Janet Murbartián
- Departamento de Farmacobiología, Cinvestav, Calzada de los Tenorios 235, Colonia Granjas Coapa, 14330, South Campus, Mexico City, Mexico.
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10
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Kaplan HS, Logeman BL, Zhang K, Santiago C, Sohail N, Naumenko S, Ho Sui SJ, Ginty DD, Ren B, Dulac C. Sensory Input, Sex, and Function Shape Hypothalamic Cell Type Development. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.23.576835. [PMID: 38328205 PMCID: PMC10849564 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.23.576835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
Mammalian behavior and physiology undergo dramatic changes in early life. Young animals rely on conspecifics to meet their homeostatic needs, until weaning and puberty initiate nutritional independence and sex-specific social interactions, respectively. How neuronal populations regulating homeostatic functions and social behaviors develop and mature during these transitions remains unclear. We used paired transcriptomic and chromatin accessibility profiling to examine the developmental trajectories of neuronal populations in the hypothalamic preoptic region, where cell types with key roles in physiological and behavioral control have been identified1-6. These data reveal a remarkable diversity of developmental trajectories shaped by the sex of the animal, and the location and behavioral or physiological function of the corresponding cell types. We identify key stages of preoptic development, including the perinatal emergence of sex differences, postnatal maturation and subsequent refinement of signaling networks, and nonlinear transcriptional changes accelerating at the time of weaning and puberty. We assessed preoptic development in various sensory mutants and find a major role for vomeronasal sensing in the timing of preoptic cell type maturation. These results provide novel insights into the development of neurons controlling homeostatic functions and social behaviors and lay ground for examining the dynamics of these functions in early life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harris S. Kaplan
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Brandon L. Logeman
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Kai Zhang
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Center for Epigenomics, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Current address: Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Celine Santiago
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 220 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Noor Sohail
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Serhiy Naumenko
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
- Newborn Screening Ontario, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Shannan J. Ho Sui
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - David D. Ginty
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 220 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Bing Ren
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Center for Epigenomics, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Catherine Dulac
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
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11
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Savani R, Park E, Busannagari N, Lu Y, Kwon H, Wang L, Pang Z. Metabolic and behavioral alterations associated with viral vector-mediated toxicity in the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus. Biosci Rep 2024; 44:BSR20231846. [PMID: 38227343 PMCID: PMC10830444 DOI: 10.1042/bsr20231846] [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: 10/25/2023] [Revised: 01/14/2024] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 01/17/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Combining adeno-associated virus (AAV)-mediated expression of Cre recombinase with genetically modified floxed animals is a powerful approach for assaying the functional role of genes in regulating behavior and metabolism. Extensive research in diverse cell types and tissues using AAV-Cre has shown it can save time and avoid developmental compensation as compared to using Cre driver mouse line crossings. We initially sought to study the impact of ablation of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) in the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus (PVN) using intracranial AAV-Cre injection in adult animals. METHODS In this study, we stereotactically injected AAV8-hSyn-Cre or a control AAV8-hSyn-GFP both Crh-floxed and wild-type mouse PVN to assess behavioral and metabolic impacts. We then used immunohistochemical markers to systematically evaluate the density of hypothalamic peptidergic neurons and glial cells. RESULTS We found that delivery of one specific preparation of AAV8-hSyn-Cre in the PVN led to the development of obesity, hyperphagia, and anxiety-like behaviors. This effect occurred independent of sex and in both floxed and wild-type mice. We subsequently found that AAV8-hSyn-Cre led to neuronal cell death and gliosis at the site of viral vector injections. These behavioral and metabolic deficits were dependent on injection into the PVN. An alternatively sourced AAV-Cre did not reproduce the same results. CONCLUSIONS Our findings reveal that delivery of a specific batch of AAV-Cre could lead to cellular toxicity and lesions in the PVN that cause robust metabolic and behavioral impacts. These alterations can complicate the interpretation of Cre-mediated gene knockout and highlight the need for rigorous controls.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rohan Savani
- The Child Health Institute of New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, U.S.A
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Undergraduate Program, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, U.S.A
| | - Erin Park
- The Child Health Institute of New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, U.S.A
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Undergraduate Program, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, U.S.A
| | - Nidhi Busannagari
- The Child Health Institute of New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, U.S.A
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Undergraduate Program, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, U.S.A
| | - Yi Lu
- The Child Health Institute of New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, U.S.A
| | - Hyokjoon Kwon
- Department of Medicine, Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, U.S.A
| | - Le Wang
- The Child Health Institute of New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, U.S.A
| | - Zhiping P. Pang
- The Child Health Institute of New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, U.S.A
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, U.S.A
- Department of Pediatrics, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, U.S.A
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12
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Savani R, Park E, Busannagari N, Lu Y, Kwon H, Wang L, Pang ZP. Metabolic and behavioral alterations associated with viral vector-mediated toxicity in the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.10.26.564009. [PMID: 37961695 PMCID: PMC10634907 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.26.564009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Objective Combining adeno-associated virus (AAV)-mediated expression of Cre recombinase with genetically modified floxed animals is a powerful approach for assaying the functional role of genes in regulating behavior and metabolism. Extensive research in diverse cell types and tissues using AAV-Cre has shown it can save time and avoid developmental compensation as compared to using Cre driver mouse line crossings. We initially sought to study the impact of ablation of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) in the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus (PVN) using intracranial AAV-Cre injection in adult animals. Methods In this study, we stereotactically injected AAV8-hSyn-Cre or a control AAV8-hSyn-GFP both Crh-floxed and wild-type mouse PVN to assess behavioral and metabolic impacts. We then used immunohistochemical markers to systematically evaluate the density of hypothalamic peptidergic neurons and glial cells. Results We found that delivery of one specific preparation of AAV8-hSyn-Cre in the PVN led to the development of obesity, hyperphagia, and anxiety-like behaviors. This effect occurred independent of sex and in both floxed and wild-type mice. We subsequently found that AAV8-hSyn-Cre led to neuronal cell death and gliosis at the site of viral vector injections. These behavioral and metabolic deficits were dependent on injection into the PVN. An alternatively sourced AAV-Cre did not reproduce the same results. Conclusions Our findings reveal that delivery of a specific batch of AAV-Cre could lead to cellular toxicity and lesions in the PVN that cause robust metabolic and behavioral impacts. These alterations can complicate the interpretation of Cre-mediated gene knockout and highlight the need for rigorous controls.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rohan Savani
- The Child Health Institute of New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Undergraduate Program, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Erin Park
- The Child Health Institute of New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Undergraduate Program, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Nidhi Busannagari
- The Child Health Institute of New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Undergraduate Program, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Yi Lu
- The Child Health Institute of New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Hyokjoon Kwon
- Department of Medicine, Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA
| | - Le Wang
- The Child Health Institute of New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Zhiping P. Pang
- The Child Health Institute of New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
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13
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Füzesi T, Rasiah NP, Rosenegger DG, Rojas-Carvajal M, Chomiak T, Daviu N, Molina LA, Simone K, Sterley TL, Nicola W, Bains JS. Hypothalamic CRH neurons represent physiological memory of positive and negative experience. Nat Commun 2023; 14:8522. [PMID: 38129411 PMCID: PMC10739955 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44163-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Recalling a salient experience provokes specific behaviors and changes in the physiology or internal state. Relatively little is known about how physiological memories are encoded. We examined the neural substrates of physiological memory by probing CRHPVN neurons of mice, which control the endocrine response to stress. Here we show these cells exhibit contextual memory following exposure to a stimulus with negative or positive valence. Specifically, a negative stimulus invokes a two-factor learning rule that favors an increase in the activity of weak cells during recall. In contrast, the contextual memory of positive valence relies on a one-factor rule to decrease activity of CRHPVN neurons. Finally, the aversive memory in CRHPVN neurons outlasts the behavioral response. These observations provide information about how specific physiological memories of aversive and appetitive experience are represented and demonstrate that behavioral readouts may not accurately reflect physiological changes invoked by the memory of salient experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamás Füzesi
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute & Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
- CSM Optogenetics Core Facility, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Neilen P Rasiah
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute & Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - David G Rosenegger
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute & Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Mijail Rojas-Carvajal
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute & Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Taylor Chomiak
- CSM Optogenetics Core Facility, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Núria Daviu
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute & Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Leonardo A Molina
- CSM Optogenetics Core Facility, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Kathryn Simone
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute & Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Toni-Lee Sterley
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute & Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Wilten Nicola
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute & Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Jaideep S Bains
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute & Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada.
- Krembil Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada.
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14
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Kos A, Lopez JP, Bordes J, de Donno C, Dine J, Brivio E, Karamihalev S, Luecken MD, Almeida-Correa S, Gasperoni S, Dick A, Miranda L, Büttner M, Stoffel R, Flachskamm C, Theis FJ, Schmidt MV, Chen A. Early life adversity shapes social subordination and cell type-specific transcriptomic patterning in the ventral hippocampus. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadj3793. [PMID: 38039370 PMCID: PMC10691768 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adj3793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/03/2023]
Abstract
Adverse events in early life can modulate the response to additional stressors later in life and increase the risk of developing psychiatric disorders. The underlying molecular mechanisms responsible for these effects remain unclear. Here, we uncover that early life adversity (ELA) in mice leads to social subordination. Using single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq), we identified cell type-specific changes in the transcriptional state of glutamatergic and GABAergic neurons in the ventral hippocampus of ELA mice after exposure to acute social stress in adulthood. These findings were reflected by an alteration in excitatory and inhibitory synaptic transmission induced by ELA in response to acute social stress. Finally, enhancing the inhibitory network function through transient diazepam treatment during an early developmental sensitive period reversed the ELA-induced social subordination. Collectively, this study significantly advances our understanding of the molecular, physiological, and behavioral alterations induced by ELA, uncovering a previously unknown cell type-specific vulnerability to ELA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aron Kos
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Juan Pablo Lopez
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Joeri Bordes
- Research Group Neurobiology of Stress Resilience, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Carlo de Donno
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
- Institute of Computational Biology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany
- Department of Mathematics, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Julien Dine
- Department of Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Elena Brivio
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
- International Max Planck Research School for Translational Psychiatry (IMPRS-TP), Munich, Germany
| | - Stoyo Karamihalev
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
- International Max Planck Research School for Translational Psychiatry (IMPRS-TP), Munich, Germany
| | - Malte D. Luecken
- Institute of Computational Biology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany
- Institute of Lung Health and Immunity, Helmholtz Munich, Munich, Germany
| | | | - Serena Gasperoni
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Alec Dick
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Lucas Miranda
- International Max Planck Research School for Translational Psychiatry (IMPRS-TP), Munich, Germany
- Department of Statistical Genetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Maren Büttner
- Institute of Computational Biology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany
- Department of Mathematics, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Rainer Stoffel
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Cornelia Flachskamm
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Fabian J. Theis
- Institute of Computational Biology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany
- Department of Mathematics, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Mathias V. Schmidt
- Research Group Neurobiology of Stress Resilience, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Alon Chen
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
- Department of Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
- Department of Molecular Neuroscience, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
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15
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Keysers C, Gazzola V. Vicarious Emotions of Fear and Pain in Rodents. AFFECTIVE SCIENCE 2023; 4:662-671. [PMID: 38156261 PMCID: PMC10751282 DOI: 10.1007/s42761-023-00198-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023]
Abstract
Affective empathy, the ability to share the emotions of others, is an important contributor to the richness of our emotional experiences. Here, we review evidence that rodents show signs of fear and pain when they witness the fear and pain of others. This emotional contagion creates a vicarious emotion in the witness that mirrors some level of detail of the emotion of the demonstrator, including its valence and the vicinity of threats, and depends on brain regions such as the cingulate, amygdala, and insula that are also at the core of human empathy. Although it remains impossible to directly know how witnessing the distress of others feels for rodents, and whether this feeling is similar to the empathy humans experience, the similarity in neural structures suggests some analogies in emotional experience across rodents and humans. These neural homologies also reveal that feeling distress while others are distressed must serve an evolutionary purpose strong enough to warrant its stability across ~ 100 millions of years. We propose that it does so by allowing observers to set in motion the very emotions that have evolved to prepare them to deal with threats - with the benefit of triggering them socially, by harnessing conspecifics as sentinels, before the witness personally faces that threat. Finally, we discuss evidence that rodents can engage in prosocial behaviors that may be motivated by vicarious distress or reward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Keysers
- Social Brain Lab, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Netherlands Academy of Art and Sciences, Meibergdreef 47, 1105 BA Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Valeria Gazzola
- Social Brain Lab, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Netherlands Academy of Art and Sciences, Meibergdreef 47, 1105 BA Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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16
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Petrie GN, Balsevich G, Füzesi T, Aukema RJ, Driever WPF, van der Stelt M, Bains JS, Hill MN. Disruption of tonic endocannabinoid signalling triggers cellular, behavioural and neuroendocrine responses consistent with a stress response. Br J Pharmacol 2023; 180:3146-3159. [PMID: 37482931 DOI: 10.1111/bph.16198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 06/11/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Endocannabinoid (eCB) signalling gates many aspects of the stress response, including the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. The HPA axis is controlled by corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) producing neurons in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN). Disruption of eCB signalling increases drive to the HPA axis, but the mechanisms subserving this process are poorly understood. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH Using an array of cellular, endocrine and behavioural readouts associated with activation of CRH neurons in the PVN, we evaluated the contributions of tonic eCB signalling to the generation of a stress response. KEY RESULTS The CB1 receptor antagonist/inverse agonist AM251, neutral antagonist NESS243 and NAPE PLD inhibitor LEI401 all uniformly increased Fos in the PVN, unmasked stress-linked behaviours, such as grooming, and increased circulating CORT, recapitulating the effects of stress. Similar effects were also seen after direct administration of AM251 into the PVN, while optogenetic inhibition of PVN CRH neurons ameliorated stress-like behavioural changes produced by disruption of eCB signalling. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS These data indicate that under resting conditions, constitutive eCB signalling restricts activation of the HPA axis through local regulation of CRH neurons in the PVN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gavin N Petrie
- Neuroscience Program, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research and Education, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Georgia Balsevich
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research and Education, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Tamás Füzesi
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Robert J Aukema
- Neuroscience Program, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research and Education, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Wouter P F Driever
- Department of Molecular Physiology, LIC, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Mario van der Stelt
- Department of Molecular Physiology, LIC, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Jaideep S Bains
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research and Education, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Matthew N Hill
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research and Education, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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17
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Jiang J, Tan S, Feng X, Peng Y, Long C, Yang L. Distinct ACC Neural Mechanisms Underlie Authentic and Transmitted Anxiety Induced by Maternal Separation in Mice. J Neurosci 2023; 43:8201-8218. [PMID: 37845036 PMCID: PMC10697407 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0558-23.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Revised: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/18/2023] Open
Abstract
It is known that humans and rodents are capable of transmitting stress to their naive partners via social interaction. However, a comprehensive understanding of transmitted stress, which may differ from authentic stress, thus revealing unique neural mechanisms of social interaction resulting from transmitted stress and the associated anxiety, is missing. We used, in the present study, maternal separation (MS) as a stress model to investigate whether MS causes abnormal behavior in adolescence. A key concern in the analysis of stress transmission is whether the littermates of MS mice who only witness MS stress ("Partners") exhibit behavioral abnormalities similar to those of MS mice themselves. Of special interest is the establishment of the neural mechanisms underlying transmitted stress and authentic stress. The results show that Partners, similar to MS mice, exhibit anxiety-like behavior and hyperalgesia after witnessing littermates being subjected to early-life repetitive MS. Electrophysiological analysis revealed that mice subjected to MS demonstrate a reduction in both the excitatory and inhibitory synaptic activities of parvalbumin interneurons (PVINs) in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). However, Partners differed from MS mice in showing an increase in the number and excitability of GABAergic PVINs in the ACC and in the ability of chemogenetic PVIN inactivation to eliminate abnormal behavior. Furthermore, the social transfer of anxiety-like behavior required intact olfactory, but not visual, perception. This study suggests a functional involvement of ACC PVINs in mediating the distinct neural basis of transmitted anxiety.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is a critical brain area in physical and social pain and contributes to the exhibition of abnormal behavior. ACC glutamatergic neurons have been shown to encode transmitted stress, but it remains unclear whether inhibitory ACC neurons also play a role. We evaluate, in this study, ACC neuronal, synaptic and network activities and uncover a critical role of parvalbumin interneurons (PVINs) in the expression of transmitted stress in adolescent mice who had witnessed MS of littermates in infancy. Furthermore, inactivation of ACC PVINs blocks transmitted stress. The results suggest that emotional contagion has a severe effect on brain function, and identify a potential target for the treatment of transmitted anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinxiang Jiang
- School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China
- School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Shuyi Tan
- School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Xiaoyi Feng
- School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Yigang Peng
- School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Cheng Long
- School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Li Yang
- School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China
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18
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Lai TT, Liou CW, Tsai YH, Lin YY, Wu WL. Butterflies in the gut: the interplay between intestinal microbiota and stress. J Biomed Sci 2023; 30:92. [PMID: 38012609 PMCID: PMC10683179 DOI: 10.1186/s12929-023-00984-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Psychological stress is a global issue that affects at least one-third of the population worldwide and increases the risk of numerous psychiatric disorders. Accumulating evidence suggests that the gut and its inhabiting microbes may regulate stress and stress-associated behavioral abnormalities. Hence, the objective of this review is to explore the causal relationships between the gut microbiota, stress, and behavior. Dysbiosis of the microbiome after stress exposure indicated microbial adaption to stressors. Strikingly, the hyperactivated stress signaling found in microbiota-deficient rodents can be normalized by microbiota-based treatments, suggesting that gut microbiota can actively modify the stress response. Microbiota can regulate stress response via intestinal glucocorticoids or autonomic nervous system. Several studies suggest that gut bacteria are involved in the direct modulation of steroid synthesis and metabolism. This review provides recent discoveries on the pathways by which gut microbes affect stress signaling and brain circuits and ultimately impact the host's complex behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tzu-Ting Lai
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, 1 University Rd., Tainan, 70101, Taiwan
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, 1 University Rd., Tainan, 70101, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Wei Liou
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, 1 University Rd., Tainan, 70101, Taiwan
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, 1 University Rd., Tainan, 70101, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Hsuan Tsai
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, 1 University Rd., Tainan, 70101, Taiwan
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, 1 University Rd., Tainan, 70101, Taiwan
| | - Yuan-Yuan Lin
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, 1 University Rd., Tainan, 70101, Taiwan
| | - Wei-Li Wu
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, 1 University Rd., Tainan, 70101, Taiwan.
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, 1 University Rd., Tainan, 70101, Taiwan.
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19
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Zhang S, Zhang YD, Shi DD, Wang Z. Therapeutic uses of oxytocin in stress-related neuropsychiatric disorders. Cell Biosci 2023; 13:216. [PMID: 38017588 PMCID: PMC10683256 DOI: 10.1186/s13578-023-01173-6] [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: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Oxytocin (OXT), produced and secreted in the paraventricular nucleus and supraoptic nucleus of magnocellular and parvocellular neurons. The diverse presence and activity of oxytocin suggests a potential for this neuropeptide in the pathogenesis and treatment of stress-related neuropsychiatric disorders (anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)). For a more comprehensive understanding of the mechanism of OXT's anti-stress action, the signaling cascade of OXT binding to targeting stress were summarized. Then the advance of OXT treatment in depression, anxiety, PTSD and the major projection region of OXT neuron were discussed. Further, the efficacy of endogenous and exogenous OXT in stress responses were highlighted in this review. To augment the level of OXT in stress-related neuropsychiatric disorders, current biological strategies were summarized to shed a light on the treatment of stress-induced psychiatric disorders. We also conclude some of the major puzzles in the therapeutic uses of OXT in stress-related neuropsychiatric disorders. Although some questions remain to be resolved, OXT has an enormous potential therapeutic use as a hormone that regulates stress responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sen Zhang
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 600 Wan Ping Nan Road, Shanghai, 200030, China
- College of Physical Education and Health, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ying-Dan Zhang
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 600 Wan Ping Nan Road, Shanghai, 200030, China
| | - Dong-Dong Shi
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 600 Wan Ping Nan Road, Shanghai, 200030, China.
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
| | - Zhen Wang
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 600 Wan Ping Nan Road, Shanghai, 200030, China.
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
- Institute of Psychological and Behavioral Science, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
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20
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Neira S, Lee S, Hassanein LA, Sides T, D'Ambrosio SL, Boyt KM, Bains JS, Kash TL. Impact and Role of Hypothalamic Corticotropin Releasing Hormone Neurons in Withdrawal from Chronic Alcohol Consumption in Female and Male Mice. J Neurosci 2023; 43:7657-7667. [PMID: 37833068 PMCID: PMC10634552 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1153-23.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Revised: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Worldwide, alcohol use and abuse are a leading risk of mortality, causing 5.3% of all deaths (World Health Organization, 2022). The endocrine stress system, initiated by the peripheral release of corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) from primarily glutamatergic neurons in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN), is profoundly linked with alcohol use, abuse, and relapse (Blaine and Sinha, 2017). These PVN CRH-releasing (PVNCRH) neurons are essential for peripheral and central stress responses (Rasiah et al., 2023), but little is known about how alcohol affects these neurons. Here, we show that two-bottle choice alcohol consumption blunts the endocrine-mediated corticosterone response to stress during acute withdrawal in female mice. Conversely, using slice electrophysiology, we demonstrate that acute withdrawal engenders a hyperexcitable phenotype of PVNCRH neurons in females that is accompanied by increased glutamatergic transmission in both male and female mice. GABAergic synaptic transmission was unaffected by alcohol history. We then tested whether chemogenetic inhibition of PVNCRH neurons would restore stress response in female mice with a history of alcohol drinking in the looming disk test, which mimics an approaching predator threat. Accordingly, inhibition of PVNCRH neurons reduced active escape in hM4Di alcohol history mice only. This study indicates that stress-responsive PVNCRH neurons in females are particularly affected by a history of alcohol consumption. Interestingly, women have indicated an increase in heavy alcohol use to cope with stress (Rodriguez et al., 2020), perhaps pointing to a potential underlying mechanism in alcohol-mediated changes to PVNCRH neurons that alter stress response.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus neurons that release corticotropin releasing hormone (PVNCRH) are vital for stress response. These neurons have been understudied in relation to alcohol and withdrawal despite profound relations between stress, alcohol use disorders (AUD), and relapse. In this study, we use a variety of techniques to show that acute withdrawal from a history of alcohol impacts peripheral stress response, PVNCRH neurons, and behavior. Specifically, PVNCRH are in a hyperactive state during withdrawal, which drives an increase in active stress coping behaviors in female mice only. Understanding how alcohol use and withdrawal affects stress responding PVNCRH neurons may contribute to finding new potential targets for the treatment of alcohol use disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofia Neira
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599
| | - Sophia Lee
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599
| | - Leslie A Hassanein
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599
| | - Tori Sides
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599
| | - Shannon L D'Ambrosio
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599
| | - Kristen M Boyt
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599
| | - Jaideep S Bains
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute and Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Thomas L Kash
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599
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21
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Ng AJ, Vincelette LK, Li J, Brady BH, Christianson JP. Serotonin modulates social responses to stressed conspecifics via insular 5-HT 2C receptors in rat. Neuropharmacology 2023; 236:109598. [PMID: 37230216 PMCID: PMC10330840 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2023.109598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2023] [Revised: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Behaviors associated with distress can affect the anxiety-like states in observers and this social transfer of affect shapes social interactions among stressed individuals. We hypothesized that social reactions to stressed individuals engage the serotonergic dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) which promotes anxiety-like behavior via postsynaptic action of serotonin at serotonin 2C (5-HT2C) receptors in the forebrain. First, we inhibited the DRN by administering an agonist (8-OH-DPAT, 1 μg in 0.5 μL) for the inhibitory 5-HT1A autoreceptors which silences 5-HT neuronal activity. 8-OH-DPAT prevented the approach and avoidance, respectively, of stressed juvenile (PN30) or stressed adult (PN60) conspecifics in the social affective preference (SAP) test in rats. Similarly, systemic administration of a 5-HT2C receptor antagonist (SB242084, 1 mg/kg, i.p.) prevented approach and avoidance of stressed juvenile or adult conspecifics, respectively. Seeking a locus of 5-HT2C action, we considered the posterior insular cortex which is critical for social affective behaviors and rich with 5-HT2C receptors. SB242084 administered directly into the insular cortex (5 μM in 0.5 μL bilaterally) interfered with the typical approach and avoidance behaviors observed in the SAP test. Finally, using fluorescent in situ hybridization, we found that 5-HT2C receptor mRNA (htr2c) is primarily colocalized with mRNA associated with excitatory glutamatergic neurons (vglut1) in the posterior insula. Importantly, the results of these treatments were the same in male and female rats. These data suggest that interactions with stressed others require the serotonergic DRN and that serotonin modulates social affective decision-making via action at insular 5-HT2C receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra J Ng
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, Boston College, 140 Commonwealth Ave, Chestnut Hill, MA, 02467, USA.
| | - Lindsay K Vincelette
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, Boston College, 140 Commonwealth Ave, Chestnut Hill, MA, 02467, USA
| | - Jiayi Li
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, Boston College, 140 Commonwealth Ave, Chestnut Hill, MA, 02467, USA
| | - Bridget H Brady
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, Boston College, 140 Commonwealth Ave, Chestnut Hill, MA, 02467, USA
| | - John P Christianson
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, Boston College, 140 Commonwealth Ave, Chestnut Hill, MA, 02467, USA
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22
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Lameu EL, Rasiah NP, Baimoukhametova DV, Loewen SP, Bains JS, Nicola W. Particle-swarm based modelling reveals two distinct classes of CRH PVN neurons. J Physiol 2023; 601:3151-3171. [PMID: 36223200 DOI: 10.1113/jp283133] [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: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Electrophysiological recordings can provide detailed information of single neurons' dynamical features and shed light on their response to stimuli. Unfortunately, rapidly modelling electrophysiological data for inferring network-level behaviours remains challenging. Here, we investigate how modelled single neuron dynamics leads to network-level responses in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN), a critical nucleus for the mammalian stress response. Recordings of corticotropin releasing hormone neurons from the PVN (CRHPVN ) were performed using whole-cell current-clamp. These, neurons, which initiate the endocrine response to stress, were rapidly and automatically fit to a modified adaptive exponential integrate-and-fire model (AdEx) with particle swarm optimization (PSO). All CRHPVN neurons were accurately fit by the AdEx model with PSO. Multiple sets of parameters were found that reliably reproduced current-clamp traces for any single neuron. Despite multiple solutions, the dynamical features of the models such as the rheobase, fixed points, and bifurcations, were shown to be stable across fits. We found that CRHPVN neurons can be divided into two subtypes according to their bifurcation at the onset of firing: CRHPVN -integrators and CRHPVN -resonators. The existence of CRHPVN -resonators was then directly confirmed in a follow-up patch-clamp hyperpolarization protocol which readily induced post-inhibitory rebound spiking in 33% of patched neurons. We constructed networks of CRHPVN model neurons to investigate the network level responses of CRHPVN neurons. We found that CRHPVN -resonators maintain baseline firing in networks even when all inputs are inhibitory. The dynamics of a small subset of CRHPVN neurons may be critical to maintaining a baseline firing tone in the PVN. KEY POINTS: Corticotropin-releasing hormone neurons (CRHPVN ) in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus act as the final neural controllers of the stress response. We developed a computational modelling platform that uses particle swarm optimization to rapidly and accurately fit biophysical neuron models to patched CRHPVN neurons. A model was fitted to each patched neuron without the use of dynamic clamping, or other procedures requiring sophisticated inputs and fitting algorithms. Any neuron undergoing standard current clamp step protocols for a few minutes can be fitted by this procedure The dynamical analysis of the modelled neurons shows that CRHPVN neurons come in two specific 'flavours': CRHPVN -resonators and CRHPVN -integrators. We directly confirmed the existence of these two classes of CRHPVN neurons in subsequent experiments. Network simulations show that CRHPVN -resonators are critical to retaining the baseline firing rate of the entire network of CRHPVN neurons as these cells can fire rebound spikes and bursts in the presence of strong inhibitory synaptic input.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ewandson L Lameu
- Cell Biology and Anatomy Department, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Neilen P Rasiah
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Dinara V Baimoukhametova
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Spencer P Loewen
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Jaideep S Bains
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Wilten Nicola
- Cell Biology and Anatomy Department, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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23
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Dawson M, Terstege DJ, Jamani N, Tsutsui M, Pavlov D, Bugescu R, Epp JR, Leinninger GM, Sargin D. Hypocretin/orexin neurons encode social discrimination and exhibit a sex-dependent necessity for social interaction. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112815. [PMID: 37459234 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Revised: 05/20/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The hypothalamus plays a crucial role in the modulation of social behavior by encoding internal states. The hypothalamic hypocretin/orexin neurons, initially identified as regulators of sleep and appetite, are important for emotional and motivated behaviors. However, their role in social behavior remains unclear. Using fiber photometry and behavioral analysis, we show here that hypocretin neurons differentially encode social discrimination based on the nature of social encounters. The optogenetic inhibition of hypocretin neuron activity or blocking of hcrt-1 receptors reduces the amount of time mice are engaged in social interaction in males but not in females. Reduced hcrt-1 receptor signaling during social interaction is associated with altered activity in the insular cortex and ventral tegmental area in males. Our data implicating hypocretin neurons as sexually dimorphic regulators within social networks have significant implications for the treatment of neuropsychiatric diseases with social dysfunction, particularly considering varying prevalence among sexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Dawson
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Dylan J Terstege
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Naila Jamani
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Mio Tsutsui
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Dmitrii Pavlov
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Raluca Bugescu
- Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Jonathan R Epp
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Gina M Leinninger
- Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Derya Sargin
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
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24
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Breton JM, Cort Z, Demaestri C, Critz M, Nevins S, Downend K, Ofray D, Romeo RD, Bath KG. Early life adversity reduces affiliative behavior towards a distressed cagemate and leads to sex-specific alterations in corticosterone responses. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.07.20.549876. [PMID: 37502995 PMCID: PMC10370200 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.20.549876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Experiencing early life adversity (ELA) alters stress physiology and increases the risk for developing psychiatric disorders. The social environment can influence dynamics of stress responding and buffer and/or transfer stress across individuals. Yet, the impact of ELA on sensitivity to the stress of others and social behavior following stress is unknown. Here, to test the impact of ELA on social and physiological responses to stress, circulating blood corticosterone (CORT) and social behaviors were assessed in adult male and female mice reared under limited bedding and nesting (LBN) or control conditions. To induce stress, one cagemate of a pair-housed cage underwent a footshock paradigm and was then returned to their unshocked partner. CORT was measured in both mice 20 or 90 minutes after stress exposure, and social behaviors were recorded and analyzed. ELA rearing influenced the CORT response to stress in a sex-specific manner. In males, both control and ELA-reared mice exhibited similar stress transfer to unshocked cagemates and similar CORT dynamics. In contrast, ELA females showed a heightened stress transfer to unshocked cagemates, and sustained elevation of CORT relative to controls, indicating enhanced stress contagion and a failure to terminate the stress response. Behaviorally, ELA females displayed decreased allogrooming and increased investigative behaviors, while ELA males showed reduced huddling. Together, these findings demonstrate that ELA influenced HPA axis dynamics, social stress contagion and social behavior. Further research is needed to unravel the underlying mechanisms and long-term consequences of ELA on stress systems and their impact on behavioral outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jocelyn M Breton
- Columbia University, Department of Psychiatry, New York, NY, USA
| | - Zoey Cort
- Barnard College of Columbia University, Department of Neuroscience and Behavior, New York, NY, USA
| | - Camila Demaestri
- Columbia University, Department of Psychiatry, New York, NY, USA
| | - Madalyn Critz
- Columbia University, Department of Psychiatry, New York, NY, USA
| | - Samuel Nevins
- Brown University, Department of Cognitive, Linguistic and Psychological Sciences, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Kendall Downend
- Barnard College of Columbia University, Department of Neuroscience and Behavior, New York, NY, USA
| | - Dayshalis Ofray
- Columbia University, Department of Psychiatry, New York, NY, USA
| | - Russell D Romeo
- Barnard College of Columbia University, Department of Neuroscience and Behavior, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kevin G Bath
- Columbia University, Department of Psychiatry, New York, NY, USA
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25
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Ketlyn Lazzarim M, Luiza Paiva Krepel G, Zolet D, Fantin Sardi N, José Polato Gomes H, Jacson Martynhak B. Social buffering reduces fear expression in Wistar rats when tested in pairs, but not when retested alone. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2023:107798. [PMID: 37422207 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2023.107798] [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: 02/04/2023] [Revised: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/10/2023]
Abstract
Social buffering is a phenomenon in which the stress response of an individual can be reduced by the presence of another individual. However, little is known about the effect of social buffering on aversive after memory extinction, especially when animals are tested alone afterwards. The aim of this study was to verify the social buffering effect in rats during the extinction session of the contextual fear conditioning model and the fear response when animals are tested alone in the following day. Animals were divided into subjects and associates, with the subjects undergoing the fear conditioning protocol and the associates paired with the subjects during the fear extinction session. Across five different experiments, we tested moderate and high intensity contextual fear conditioning protocols, as well four variations of pairs: (i) two conditioned subjects, (ii) a conditioned subject and a non-conditioned associate, (iii) a conditioned subject and an associate who observed the conditioning of the partner and (iv) two conditioned subjects, with one treated with diazepam. The social buffering effect was found efficient to reduce the fear memory expression during the fear extinction session. In the moderate intensity protocol, the reduction in freezing time occurred only in subjects accompanied by non-conditioned associates and observer associates. In the high intensity protocol, the social buffering effect occurred in subjects accompanied by either conditioned or non-conditioned associates, although the effect was more evident in the presence of non-conditioned subjects. Treatment of the conditioned associates with diazepam did not improve the social buffering effect. Moreover, social buffering effects were not correlated with self-grooming or prosocial behaviors, which indicates that the presence of another animal might decrease freezing by promotion of exploratory activity. Finally, the social buffering effect was not observed in the extinction test, either because the extinction was too effective in the moderate intensity protocol or because the extinction was equally ineffective in the high intensity protocol. Our results suggest that social buffering does not improve fear extinction consolidation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Daniela Zolet
- Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná, Curitiba, Parana, Brazil
| | - Natalia Fantin Sardi
- Department of Physiology, Federal University of Parana, Curitiba, Parana, Brazil
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26
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Lim KY, Hong W. Neural mechanisms of comforting: Prosocial touch and stress buffering. Horm Behav 2023; 153:105391. [PMID: 37301130 PMCID: PMC10853048 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2023.105391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2023] [Revised: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Comforting is a crucial form of prosocial behavior that is important for maintaining social unity and improving the physical and emotional well-being of social species. It is often expressed through affiliative social touch toward someone in distress, providing relief for their distressed state. In the face of increasing global distress, these actions are paramount to the continued improvement of individual welfare and the collective good. Understanding the neural mechanisms responsible for promoting actions focused on benefitting others is particularly important and timely. Here, we review prosocial comforting behavior, emphasizing synthesizing recent studies carried out using rodent models. We discuss its underlying behavioral expression and motivations, and then explore both the neurobiology of prosocial comforting in a helper animal and the neurobiology of stress relief following social touch in a recipient as part of a feedback loop interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kayla Y Lim
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Biological Chemistry, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Weizhe Hong
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Biological Chemistry, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
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27
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Smith-Osborne L, Duong A, Resendez A, Palme R, Fadok JP. Female dominance hierarchies influence responses to psychosocial stressors. Curr Biol 2023; 33:1535-1549.e5. [PMID: 37003262 PMCID: PMC10321215 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.03.020] [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: 10/26/2022] [Revised: 01/26/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023]
Abstract
Social species form dominance hierarchies to ensure survival and promote reproductive success. Traditionally studied in males, rodent hierarchies are considered despotic, and dominant social rank results from a history of winning agonistic encounters. By contrast, female hierarchies are thought to be less despotic, and rank is conferred by intrinsic traits. Both social buffering and elevated social status confer resilience to depression, anxiety, and other consequences of chronic stress. Here, we investigate whether female social hierarchies and individual traits related to social rank likewise influence stress resilience. We observe the formation of dyadic female hierarchies under varying conditions of ambient light and circadian phase and subject mice to two forms of chronic psychosocial stress: social isolation or social instability. We find that stable female hierarchies emerge rapidly in dyads. Individual behavioral and endocrinological traits are characteristic of rank, some of which are circadian phase dependent. Further, female social rank is predicted by behavior and stress status prior to social introduction. Other behavioral characteristics suggest that rank is motivation-based, indicating that female rank identity serves an evolutionarily relevant purpose. Rank is associated with alterations in behavior in response to social instability stress and prolonged social isolation, but the different forms of stress produce disparate rank responses in endocrine status. Histological examination of c-Fos protein expression identified brain regions that respond to social novelty or social reunion following chronic isolation in a rank-specific manner. Collectively, female rank is linked to neurobiology, and hierarchies exert context-specific influence upon stress outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lydia Smith-Osborne
- Department of Psychology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA; Tulane National Primate Research Center, Covington, LA 70433, USA.
| | - Anh Duong
- Department of Psychology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA; Neuroscience Program, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA
| | - Alexis Resendez
- Department of Psychology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA; Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA
| | - Rupert Palme
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinärplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria
| | - Jonathan P Fadok
- Department of Psychology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA; Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA.
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28
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Rasiah NP, Loewen SP, Bains JS. Windows into stress: a glimpse at emerging roles for CRH PVN neurons. Physiol Rev 2023; 103:1667-1691. [PMID: 36395349 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00056.2021] [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] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The corticotropin-releasing hormone cells in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (CRHPVN) control the slow endocrine response to stress. The synapses on these cells are exquisitely sensitive to acute stress, leveraging local signals to leave a lasting imprint on this system. Additionally, recent work indicates that these cells also play key roles in the control of distinct stress and survival behaviors. Here we review these observations and provide a perspective on the role of CRHPVN neurons as integrative and malleable hubs for behavioral, physiological, and endocrine responses to stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neilen P Rasiah
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Spencer P Loewen
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Jaideep S Bains
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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29
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Power EM, Ganeshan D, Iremonger KJ. Estradiol regulates voltage-gated potassium currents in corticotropin-releasing hormone neurons. J Exp Biol 2023; 226:287072. [PMID: 36805713 PMCID: PMC10038157 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.245222] [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: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023]
Abstract
Corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) neurons are the primary neural population controlling the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the secretion of adrenal stress hormones. Previous work has demonstrated that stress hormone secretion can be regulated by circulating levels of estradiol. However, the effect of estradiol on CRH neuron excitability is less clear. Here, we show that chronic estradiol replacement following ovariectomy increases two types of potassium channel currents in CRH neurons: fast inactivating voltage-gated A-type K+ channel currents (IA) and non-inactivating M-type K+ channel currents (IM). Despite the increase in K+ currents following estradiol replacement, there was no overall change in CRH neuron spiking excitability assessed with either frequency-current curves or current ramps. Together, these data reveal a complex picture whereby ovariectomy and estradiol replacement differentially modulate distinct aspects of CRH neuron and HPA axis function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmet M Power
- Centre for Neuroendocrinology, Department of Physiology, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin9016, New Zealand
| | - Dharshini Ganeshan
- Centre for Neuroendocrinology, Department of Physiology, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin9016, New Zealand
| | - Karl J Iremonger
- Centre for Neuroendocrinology, Department of Physiology, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin9016, New Zealand
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30
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Lei H, Shu H, Xiong R, He T, Lv J, Liu J, Pi G, Ke D, Wang Q, Yang X, Wang JZ, Yang Y. Poststress social isolation exerts anxiolytic effects by activating the ventral dentate gyrus. Neurobiol Stress 2023; 24:100537. [PMID: 37081927 PMCID: PMC10112178 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2023.100537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Revised: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/25/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
After aversive stress, people either choose to return to their previously familiar social environment or tend to adopt temporary social withdrawal to buffer negative emotions. However, which behavior intervention is more appropriate and when remain elusive. Here, we unexpectedly found that stressed mice experiencing social isolation exhibited less anxiety than those experiencing social contact. Within the first 24 h after returning to their previous social environment, mice experienced acute restraint stress (ARS) displayed low social interest but simultaneously received excessive social disturbance from their cage mates, indicating a critical time window for social isolation to balance the conflict. To screen brain regions that were differentially activated between the poststress social isolation and poststress social contact groups, we performed ΔFosB immunostaining and found that ΔFosB + signals were remarkably increased in the vDG of poststress social isolation group compared with poststress social contact group. There were no significant differences between the two groups in the other anxiety- and social-related brain regions, such as prelimbic cortex, infralimbic cortex, nucleus accumbens, etc. These data indicate that vDG is closely related to the differential phenotypes between the poststress social isolation and poststress social contact groups. Electrophysiological recording, further, revealed a higher activity of vDG in the poststress social isolation group than the poststress social contact group. Chemogenetically inhibiting vDG excitatory neurons within the first 24 h after ARS completely abolished the anxiolytic effects of poststress social isolation, while stimulating vDG excitatory neurons remarkably reduced anxiety-like behaviors in the poststress social contact group. Together, these data suggest that the activity of vDG excitatory neurons is essential and sufficient to govern the anxiolytic effect of poststress social isolation. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report to uncover a beneficial role of temporal social isolation in acute stress-induced anxiety. In addition to the critical 24-h time window, activation of vDG is crucial for ameliorating anxiety through poststress social isolation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huiyang Lei
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry of China/Hubei Province for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Huaqing Shu
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China
- Corresponding author.
| | - Rui Xiong
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry of China/Hubei Province for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Ting He
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry of China/Hubei Province for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Jingru Lv
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry of China/Hubei Province for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Jiale Liu
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry of China/Hubei Province for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Guilin Pi
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry of China/Hubei Province for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Dan Ke
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry of China/Hubei Province for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Qun Wang
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry of China/Hubei Province for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Xifei Yang
- Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Shenzhen, Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 8 Longyuan Road, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Jian-Zhi Wang
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry of China/Hubei Province for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
- Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, 226000, China
- Corresponding author. Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry of China/Hubei Province for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Ying Yang
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry of China/Hubei Province for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
- Corresponding author.
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Rieger NS, Ng AJ, Lee S, Brady BH, Christianson JP. Maternal immune activation alters social affective behavior and sensitivity to corticotropin releasing factor in male but not female rats. Horm Behav 2023; 149:105313. [PMID: 36706685 PMCID: PMC9974777 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2023.105313] [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: 07/05/2022] [Revised: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Prenatal infection increases risk for neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism in offspring. In rodents, prenatal administration of the viral mimic Polyinosinic: polycytidylic acid (Poly I: C) allows for investigation of developmental consequences of gestational sickness on offspring social behavior and neural circuit function. Because maternal immune activation (MIA) disrupts cortical development and sociability, we examined approach and avoidance in a rat social affective preference (SAP) task. Following maternal Poly I:C (0.5 mg/kg) injection on gestational day 12.5, male adult offspring (PN 60-64) exhibited atypical social interactions with stressed conspecifics whereas female SAP behavior was unaffected by maternal Poly I:C. Social responses to stressed conspecifics depend upon the insular cortex where corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) modulates synaptic transmission and SAP behavior. We characterized insular field excitatory postsynaptic potentials (fEPSP) in adult offspring of Poly I:C or control treated dams. Male MIA offspring showed decreased sensitivity to CRF (300 nM) while female MIA offspring showed greater sensitivity to CRF compared to sham offspring. These sex specific effects appear to be behaviorally relevant as CRF injected into the insula of male and female rats prior to social exploration testing had no effect in MIA male offspring but increased social interaction in female MIA offspring. We examined the cellular distribution of CRF receptor mRNA but found no effect of maternal Poly I:C in the insula. Together, these experiments reveal sex specific effects of prenatal infection on offspring responses to social affective stimuli and identify insular CRF signaling as a novel neurobiological substrate for autism risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathaniel S Rieger
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Boston College, 140 Commonwealth Avenue, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA
| | - Alexandra J Ng
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Boston College, 140 Commonwealth Avenue, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA
| | - Shanon Lee
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Boston College, 140 Commonwealth Avenue, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA
| | - Bridget H Brady
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Boston College, 140 Commonwealth Avenue, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA
| | - John P Christianson
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Boston College, 140 Commonwealth Avenue, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA.
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Ng AJ, Vincelette LK, Li J, Brady BH, Christianson JP. Serotonin modulates social responses to stressed conspecifics via insular 5-HT 2C receptors in rat. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.02.18.529065. [PMID: 36824837 PMCID: PMC9949146 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.18.529065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/21/2023]
Abstract
Social interaction allows for the transfer of affective states among individuals, and the behaviors and expressions associated with pain and fear can evoke anxiety-like states in observers which shape subsequent social interactions. We hypothesized that social reactions to stressed individuals engage the serotonergic dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) which promotes anxiety-like behavior via postsynaptic action of serotonin at serotonin 2C (5-HT 2C ) receptors in the forebrain. First, we inhibited the DRN by administering an agonist (8-OH-DPAT, 1µg in 0.5µL) for the inhibitory 5-HT 1A autoreceptors which silences 5-HT neuronal activity via G-protein coupled inward rectifying potassium channels. 8-OH-DPAT prevented the approach and avoidance, respectively, of stressed juvenile (PN30) or stressed adult (PN50) conspecifics in the social affective preference (SAP) test in rats. Similarly, systemic administration of a 5-HT 2C receptor antagonist (SB242084, 1mg/kg, i.p.) prevented approach and avoidance of stressed juvenile or adult conspecifics, respectively. Seeking a locus of 5-HT 2C action, we considered the posterior insular cortex which is critical for social affective behaviors and rich with 5-HT 2C receptors. SB242084 administered directly into the insular cortex (5µM bilaterally in 0.5µL ) interfered with the typical approach and avoidance behaviors observed in the SAP test. Finally, using fluorescent in situ hybridization, we found that 5-HT 2C receptor mRNA ( htr2c) is primarily colocalized with mRNA associated with excitatory glutamatergic neurons ( vglut1 ) in the posterior insula. Importantly, the results of these treatments were the same in male and female rats. These data suggest that interactions with stressed others require the serotonergic DRN and that serotonin modulates social affective decision-making via action at insular 5-HT 2C receptors.
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Neural mechanism underlying depressive-like state associated with social status loss. Cell 2023; 186:560-576.e17. [PMID: 36693374 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2022.12.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Revised: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Downward social mobility is a well-known mental risk factor for depression, but its neural mechanism remains elusive. Here, by forcing mice to lose against their subordinates in a non-violent social contest, we lower their social ranks stably and induce depressive-like behaviors. These rank-decline-associated depressive-like behaviors can be reversed by regaining social status. In vivo fiber photometry and single-unit electrophysiological recording show that forced loss, but not natural loss, generates negative reward prediction error (RPE). Through the lateral hypothalamus, the RPE strongly activates the brain's anti-reward center, the lateral habenula (LHb). LHb activation inhibits the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) that controls social competitiveness and reinforces retreats in contests. These results reveal the core neural mechanisms mutually promoting social status loss and depressive behaviors. The intertwined neuronal signaling controlling mPFC and LHb activities provides a mechanistic foundation for the crosstalk between social mobility and psychological disorder, unveiling a promising target for intervention.
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Ramandi D, Michelson NJ, Raymond LA, Murphy TH. Chronic multiscale resolution of mouse brain networks using combined mesoscale cortical imaging and subcortical fiber photometry. NEUROPHOTONICS 2023; 10:015001. [PMID: 36694618 PMCID: PMC9867602 DOI: 10.1117/1.nph.10.1.015001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
SIGNIFICANCE Genetically encoded optical probes to image calcium levels in neurons in vivo are used widely as a real-time measure of neuronal activity in the brain. Mesoscale calcium imaging through a cranial window provides a method of studying the interaction of circuit activity between cortical areas but lacks access to subcortical regions. AIM We have developed an optical and surgical preparation that preserves wide-field imaging of the cortical surface while also permitting access to specific subcortical networks. APPROACH This was achieved using an optical fiber implanted in the striatum, along with a bilateral widefield cranial window, enabling simultaneous mesoscale cortical imaging and subcortical fiber photometry recording of calcium signals in a transgenic animal expressing GCaMP. Subcortical signals were collected from the dorsal regions of the striatum. We combined this approach with multiple sensory-motor tasks, including specific auditory and visual stimulation, and video monitoring of animal movements and pupillometry during head-fixed behaviors. RESULTS We found high correlations between cortical and striatal activity in response to sensory stimulation or movement. Furthermore, spontaneous activity recordings revealed that specific motifs of cortical activity are correlated with presynaptic activity recorded in the striatum, enabling us to select for corticostriatal activity motifs. CONCLUSION We believe that this method can be utilized to reveal not only global patterns but also cell-specific connectivity that provides insight into corticobasal ganglia circuit organization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Ramandi
- University of British Columbia, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, Department of Psychiatry, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Nicholas J. Michelson
- University of British Columbia, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, Department of Psychiatry, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Lynn A. Raymond
- University of British Columbia, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, Department of Psychiatry, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Timothy H. Murphy
- University of British Columbia, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, Department of Psychiatry, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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35
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Markov DD, Novosadova EV. Chronic Unpredictable Mild Stress Model of Depression: Possible Sources of Poor Reproducibility and Latent Variables. BIOLOGY 2022; 11:1621. [PMID: 36358321 PMCID: PMC9687170 DOI: 10.3390/biology11111621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Revised: 10/29/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 08/10/2023]
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is one of the most common mood disorders worldwide. A lack of understanding of the exact neurobiological mechanisms of depression complicates the search for new effective drugs. Animal models are an important tool in the search for new approaches to the treatment of this disorder. All animal models of depression have certain advantages and disadvantages. We often hear that the main drawback of the chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) model of depression is its poor reproducibility, but rarely does anyone try to find the real causes and sources of such poor reproducibility. Analyzing the articles available in the PubMed database, we tried to identify the factors that may be the sources of the poor reproducibility of CUMS. Among such factors, there may be chronic sleep deprivation, painful stressors, social stress, the difference in sex and age of animals, different stress susceptibility of different animal strains, handling quality, habituation to stressful factors, various combinations of physical and psychological stressors in the CUMS protocol, the influence of olfactory and auditory stimuli on animals, as well as the possible influence of various other factors that are rarely taken into account by researchers. We assume that careful inspection of these factors will increase the reproducibility of the CUMS model between laboratories and allow to make the interpretation of the obtained results and their comparison between laboratories to be more adequate.
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Jabarin R, Netser S, Wagner S. Beyond the three-chamber test: toward a multimodal and objective assessment of social behavior in rodents. Mol Autism 2022; 13:41. [PMID: 36284353 PMCID: PMC9598038 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-022-00521-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
MAIN: In recent years, substantial advances in social neuroscience have been realized, including the generation of numerous rodent models of autism spectrum disorder. Still, it can be argued that those methods currently being used to analyze animal social behavior create a bottleneck that significantly slows down progress in this field. Indeed, the bulk of research still relies on a small number of simple behavioral paradigms, the results of which are assessed without considering behavioral dynamics. Moreover, only few variables are examined in each paradigm, thus overlooking a significant portion of the complexity that characterizes social interaction between two conspecifics, subsequently hindering our understanding of the neural mechanisms governing different aspects of social behavior. We further demonstrate these constraints by discussing the most commonly used paradigm for assessing rodent social behavior, the three-chamber test. We also point to the fact that although emotions greatly influence human social behavior, we lack reliable means for assessing the emotional state of animals during social tasks. As such, we also discuss current evidence supporting the existence of pro-social emotions and emotional cognition in animal models. We further suggest that adequate social behavior analysis requires a novel multimodal approach that employs automated and simultaneous measurements of multiple behavioral and physiological variables at high temporal resolution in socially interacting animals. We accordingly describe several computerized systems and computational tools for acquiring and analyzing such measurements. Finally, we address several behavioral and physiological variables that can be used to assess socio-emotional states in animal models and thus elucidate intricacies of social behavior so as to attain deeper insight into the brain mechanisms that mediate such behaviors. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, we suggest that combining automated multimodal measurements with machine-learning algorithms will help define socio-emotional states and determine their dynamics during various types of social tasks, thus enabling a more thorough understanding of the complexity of social behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renad Jabarin
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel.
| | - Shai Netser
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Shlomo Wagner
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
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37
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Wu YE, Hong W. Neural basis of prosocial behavior. Trends Neurosci 2022; 45:749-762. [PMID: 35853793 PMCID: PMC10039809 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2022.06.008] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2022] [Revised: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
The ability to behave in ways that benefit other individuals' well-being is among the most celebrated human characteristics crucial for social cohesiveness. Across mammalian species, animals display various forms of prosocial behaviors - comforting, helping, and resource sharing - to support others' emotions, goals, and/or material needs. In this review, we provide a cross-species view of the behavioral manifestations, proximate and ultimate drives, and neural mechanisms of prosocial behaviors. We summarize key findings from recent studies in humans and rodents that have shed light on the neural mechanisms underlying different processes essential for prosocial interactions, from perception and empathic sharing of others' states to prosocial decisions and actions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ye Emily Wu
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Biological Chemistry, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Weizhe Hong
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Biological Chemistry, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
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38
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Toyoshima M, Okuda E, Hasegawa N, Kaseda K, Yamada K. Socially Transferred Stress Experience Modulates Social Affective Behaviors in Rats. Neuroscience 2022; 502:68-76. [PMID: 36064051 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2022.08.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Revised: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Social communication of affective states between individuals, as well as actual experiences, influences their internal states and behaviors. Although prior stress experiences promote empathy-like behaviors, it remains unclear whether the social transmission of stress events modulates these behaviors. Here, we provide evidence that transferred stress experiences from cage mates modulate socioaffective approach-avoidance behaviors in rats. Male Wistar-Imamichi rats were assigned to one of five experimental groups (Control (n = 15); no shock with shocked cage mates (n = 15); low (0.1 mA, n = 15), middle (0.5 mA, n = 14), and high shock (1.0 mA, n = 14)). Except for the naïve and housed with stressed mate groups, rats received two foot-shocks (5 s for each). The next day, the subjects were allowed to explore two unfamiliar conspecifics; one was a naïve, while the other was a distressed conspecific that received two foot-shocks (1.0 mA, 5 s) immediately before the test. Rats that were housed with stressed mates, as well as those that experienced a higher intensity of foot-shocks, were more likely to approach, while naïve rats avoided, a distressed conspecific. These results suggest that socially transferred stress shifts socioaffective response styles from avoidance to approach toward a stressed conspecific in rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michimasa Toyoshima
- Institute of Psychology and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8577, Japan; JSPS Research Fellow, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Chiyoda, Tokyo 102-0083, Japan.
| | - Eri Okuda
- Institute of Psychology and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8577, Japan
| | - Natsu Hasegawa
- Institute of Psychology and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8577, Japan
| | - Kodai Kaseda
- Institute of Psychology and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8577, Japan
| | - Kazuo Yamada
- Institute of Psychology and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8577, Japan.
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Kietzman HW, Trinoskey-Rice G, Blumenthal SA, Guo JD, Gourley SL. Social incentivization of instrumental choice in mice requires amygdala-prelimbic cortex-nucleus accumbens connectivity. Nat Commun 2022; 13:4768. [PMID: 35970891 PMCID: PMC9378688 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-32388-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Social experiences influence decision making, including decision making lacking explicit social content, yet mechanistic factors are unclear. We developed a new procedure, social incentivization of future choice (SIFC). Female mice are trained to nose poke for equally-preferred foods, then one food is paired with a novel conspecific, and the other with a novel object. Mice later respond more for the conspecific-associated food. Thus, prior social experience incentivizes later instrumental choice. SIFC is pervasive, occurring following multiple types of social experiences, and is not attributable to warmth or olfactory cues alone. SIFC requires the prelimbic prefrontal cortex (PL), but not the neighboring orbitofrontal cortex. Further, inputs from the basolateral amygdala to the PL and outputs to the nucleus accumbens are necessary for SIFC, but not memory for a conspecific. Basolateral amygdala→PL connections may signal the salience of social information, leading to the prioritization of coincident rewards via PL→nucleus accumbens outputs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henry W Kietzman
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Gracy Trinoskey-Rice
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Sarah A Blumenthal
- Department of Psychiatry, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Jidong D Guo
- Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Shannon L Gourley
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
- Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
- Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, USA.
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Jang M, Jung T, Jeong Y, Byun Y, Noh J. Oxytocin modulation in the medial prefrontal cortex of pair-exposed rats during fear conditioning. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2022; 141:105752. [PMID: 35367716 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2022.105752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Revised: 03/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Social buffering is the phenomenon, in which stress and fear reactions caused by exposure to stressful stimuli when animals are exposed to homogeneous relationships are attenuated. Social buffering reduces fear memory behavior such as escape, avoidance, and freezing behavior in rodents due to social existence. Here, we aimed to determine alterations of fear behavior and neural activity in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) in response to the presence of another rat in fear-exposed conditions and to confirm the role of oxytocin in mPFC in regulating social buffering. METHODS We performed a passive avoidance test and determined positive c-Fos expression in single- and pair-exposed rats. Anisomycin (a protein synthesis inhibitor) and oxytocin receptor regulators (carbetocin; agonist and atosiban; antagonist) were microinjected into the mPFC to clarify the role of oxytocin in the mPFC. RESULTS While single-exposed rats showed a significant increase in both freezing and passive avoidance behaviors compared to control rats, pair-exposed rats showed significantly less fear behavior compared to single-exposed rats. The c-Fos expression in the prelimbic (PL) mPFC was significantly increased in pair-exposed rats compared to that in control and single-exposed rats. The pair-exposed effect was blocked by anisomycin injections into the PL mPFC of pair-exposed rats. Furthermore, when a carbetocin was injected into the PL mPFC in single-exposed rats, fear behavior was decreased, and these changes were blocked by atosiban. DISCUSSION Our findings suggest that reduction of fear-related behavior induced by acute pair-exposure is mediated by oxytocin receptors in the PL mPFC. Pair exposure with conspecifics during fear-inducing situations helps coping with fear by significantly increasing the role of oxytocin in the PL mPFC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minji Jang
- Department of Science Education, Dankook University, 152 Jukjeon-ro, Suji-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do 16890, Republic of Korea
| | - Taesub Jung
- Department of Science Education, Dankook University, 152 Jukjeon-ro, Suji-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do 16890, Republic of Korea
| | - Yujeong Jeong
- Department of Science Education, Dankook University, 152 Jukjeon-ro, Suji-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do 16890, Republic of Korea
| | - Younsoo Byun
- Department of Science Education, Dankook University, 152 Jukjeon-ro, Suji-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do 16890, Republic of Korea
| | - Jihyun Noh
- Department of Science Education, Dankook University, 152 Jukjeon-ro, Suji-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do 16890, Republic of Korea.
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Ichiyama A, Mestern S, Benigno GB, Scott KE, Allman BL, Muller L, Inoue W. State-dependent activity dynamics of hypothalamic stress effector neurons. eLife 2022; 11:76832. [PMID: 35770968 PMCID: PMC9278954 DOI: 10.7554/elife.76832] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The stress response necessitates an immediate boost in vital physiological functions from their homeostatic operation to an elevated emergency response. However, the neural mechanisms underlying this state-dependent change remain largely unknown. Using a combination of in vivo and ex vivo electrophysiology with computational modeling, we report that corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) neurons in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN), the effector neurons of hormonal stress response, rapidly transition between distinct activity states through recurrent inhibition. Specifically, in vivo optrode recording shows that under non-stress conditions, CRHPVN neurons often fire with rhythmic brief bursts (RB), which, somewhat counterintuitively, constrains firing rate due to long (~2 s) interburst intervals. Stressful stimuli rapidly switch RB to continuous single spiking (SS), permitting a large increase in firing rate. A spiking network model shows that recurrent inhibition can control this activity-state switch, and more broadly the gain of spiking responses to excitatory inputs. In biological CRHPVN neurons ex vivo, the injection of whole-cell currents derived from our computational model recreates the in vivo-like switch between RB and SS, providing direct evidence that physiologically relevant network inputs enable state-dependent computation in single neurons. Together, we present a novel mechanism for state-dependent activity dynamics in CRHPVN neurons.
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SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT IMPROVES THE CYTOKINE PROFILE AND LYMPHOPROLIFERATIVE RESPONSE IN CHRONOLOGICALLY OLD AND PREMATURELY AGING MICE. Mech Ageing Dev 2022; 206:111692. [PMID: 35760213 DOI: 10.1016/j.mad.2022.111692] [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: 01/18/2022] [Revised: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Among the age-associated changes in the immune system, the most evident is the decrease in proliferative responses of lymphocytes to mitogenic stimuli, which is accompanied by the loss of cytokine network homeostasis. Chronic low-grade inflammatory stress, termed as sterile inflammation, is also observed during aging. In chronologically and prematurely aging mice, cohabitation with adult animals for two months favored improvements in several immune functions. This study aimed to determine whether cohabitation could restore several cytokine networks, improve lymphoproliferative responses to mitogens, and diminish sterile inflammation. Chronologically old mice (76±4 weeks) and prematurely aging mice (33±4 weeks) (PAM and TH-HZ) were cohabited with adults (without premature aging) for two months. Subsequently, lymphoproliferation in both basal (unstimulated) conditions and in the presence of mitogenic stimuli lipopolysaccharide A (LPS) or concanavalin A (ConA) was analyzed in cultures of peritoneal leukocytes for 48h. Cytokine secretions (IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-6, IL-10, and IL-17) in these cultures were also evaluated. The results showed that cohabitation restored the levels of these cytokines in old and prematurely aging mice and improved the subsequent lymphoproliferative responses. In addition, this social strategy diminished sterile inflammation and decreased inflammatory stress in unstimulated conditions. Therefore, this strategy seems to be capable of restoring the relevant immune function of lymphocytes and reducing the inflammatory stress, which are the improvements required for an adequate immune response.
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Keysers C, Knapska E, Moita MA, Gazzola V. Emotional contagion and prosocial behavior in rodents. Trends Cogn Sci 2022; 26:688-706. [PMID: 35667978 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2022.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Revised: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Empathy is critical to adjusting our behavior to the state of others. The past decade dramatically deepened our understanding of the biological origin of this capacity. We now understand that rodents robustly show emotional contagion for the distress of others via neural structures homologous to those involved in human empathy. Their propensity to approach others in distress strengthens this effect. Although rodents can also learn to favor behaviors that benefit others via structures overlapping with those of emotional contagion, they do so less reliably and more selectively. Together, this suggests evolution selected mechanisms for emotional contagion to prepare animals for dangers by using others as sentinels. Such shared emotions additionally can, under certain circumstances, promote prosocial behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Keysers
- Social Brain Lab, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Netherlands Academy of Art and Sciences, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Ewelina Knapska
- Laboratory of Emotions' Neurobiology, Center of Excellence for Neural Plasticity and Brain Disorders BRAINCITY, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Marta A Moita
- Champalimaud Neuroscience Progamme, Champalimaud Foundation, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Valeria Gazzola
- Social Brain Lab, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Netherlands Academy of Art and Sciences, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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Brandl HB, Pruessner JC, Farine DR. The social transmission of stress in animal collectives. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20212158. [PMID: 35538776 PMCID: PMC9091854 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.2158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The stress systems are powerful mediators between the organism's systemic dynamic equilibrium and changes in its environment beyond the level of anticipated fluctuations. Over- or under-activation of the stress systems' responses can impact an animal's health, survival and reproductive success. While physiological stress responses and their influence on behaviour and performance are well understood at the individual level, it remains largely unknown whether-and how-stressed individuals can affect the stress systems of other group members, and consequently their collective behaviour. Stressed individuals could directly signal the presence of a stressor (e.g. via an alarm call or pheromones), or an acute or chronic activation of the stress systems could be perceived by others (as an indirect cue) and spread via social contagion. Such social transmission of stress responses could then amplify the effects of stressors by impacting social interactions, social dynamics and the collective performance of groups. As the neuroendocrine pathways of the stress response are highly conserved among vertebrates, transmission of physiological stress states could be more widespread among non-human animals than previously thought. We therefore suggest that identifying the extent to which stress transmission modulates animal collectives represents an important research avenue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanja B. Brandl
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Collective Behaviour, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jens C. Pruessner
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Psychology, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Damien R. Farine
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Collective Behaviour, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia
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Rieger NS, Varela JA, Ng AJ, Granata L, Djerdjaj A, Brenhouse HC, Christianson JP. Insular cortex corticotropin-releasing factor integrates stress signaling with social affective behavior. Neuropsychopharmacology 2022; 47:1156-1168. [PMID: 35220413 PMCID: PMC9018766 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-022-01292-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Revised: 01/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Impairments in identifying and responding to the emotions of others manifest in a variety of psychopathologies. Therefore, elaborating the neurobiological mechanisms that underpin social responses to social emotions, or social affective behavior, is a translationally important goal. The insular cortex is consistently implicated in stress-related social and anxiety disorders, which are associated with diminished ability to make and use inferences about the emotions of others to guide behavior. We investigated how corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), a neuromodulator evoked upon exposure to stressed conspecifics, influenced the insula. We hypothesized that social affective behavior requires CRF signaling in the insular cortex in order to detect stress in social interactions. In acute slices from male and female rats, CRF depolarized insular pyramidal neurons. In males, but not females, CRF suppressed presynaptic GABAergic inhibition leading to greater excitatory synaptic efficacy in a CRF receptor 1 (CRF1)- and cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1)-dependent fashion. In males only, insular CRF increased social investigation, and CRF1 and CB1 antagonists interfered with social interactions with stressed conspecifics. To investigate the molecular and cellular basis for the effect of CRF we examined insular CRF1 and CB1 mRNAs and found greater total insula CRF1 mRNA in females but greater CRF1 and CB1 mRNA colocalization in male insular cortex glutamatergic neurons that suggest complex, sex-specific organization of CRF and endocannabinoid systems. Together these results reveal a new mechanism by which stress and affect contribute to social affective behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathaniel S Rieger
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, Boston College, 140 Commonwealth Ave, Chestnut Hill, MA, 02467, USA
| | - Juan A Varela
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, Boston College, 140 Commonwealth Ave, Chestnut Hill, MA, 02467, USA
| | - Alexandra J Ng
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, Boston College, 140 Commonwealth Ave, Chestnut Hill, MA, 02467, USA
| | - Lauren Granata
- Psychology Department, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Avenue, 115 Richards Hall, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Anthony Djerdjaj
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, Boston College, 140 Commonwealth Ave, Chestnut Hill, MA, 02467, USA
| | - Heather C Brenhouse
- Psychology Department, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Avenue, 115 Richards Hall, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - John P Christianson
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, Boston College, 140 Commonwealth Ave, Chestnut Hill, MA, 02467, USA.
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Sanmartín-Villar I. Social buffer or avoidance depends on the similarity of stress between queen ants. Curr Zool 2022; 69:181-191. [PMID: 37091993 PMCID: PMC10120981 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoac031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
The association of unrelated ant queens (pleometrosis) is supposed to improve nest foundation and competitiveness under environmental stress, but its evolutionary maintenance is difficult to explain because only one of the queens survives after nest foundation. My aim was to test the potential effect of queen association as a social buffer, i.e. as a mechanism reducing stress and improving fitness due to the benefits of social contact. I analysed the survival, fecundity, and behaviour of isolated and paired Lasius flavus queens exposed and not exposed to stressors (disturbing environmental conditions). I found no difference in survivorship between isolated and paired queens or between stressed and unstressed isolated queens. Groups in which one or two paired queens were stressed showed higher mortality. Unstressed queens died similarly to their stressed nestmates, suggesting stress transmission. A trend suggested that paired queens produced eggs more quickly, but eggs were produced similarly between isolated and paired queens. Social avoidance was observed in groups with one stressed and one unstressed queen. However, the groups with two stressed queens showed the expected behaviours according to social buffering: lower mobility and more interindividual inspection. My findings suggest the synergistic effect of pleometrosis and stress and the dependence of stress level similarity between nestmates on social buffering or rejection on ant queens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iago Sanmartín-Villar
- ECOEVO Lab, Escola de Enxeñaría Forestal, Campus A Xunqueira, Universidade de Vigo, Pontevedra, Galiza, Spain
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Yu H, Miao W, Ji E, Huang S, Jin S, Zhu X, Liu MZ, Sun YG, Xu F, Yu X. Social touch-like tactile stimulation activates a tachykinin 1-oxytocin pathway to promote social interactions. Neuron 2022; 110:1051-1067.e7. [PMID: 35045339 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.12.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2021] [Revised: 08/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
It is well known that affective and pleasant touch promotes individual well-being and facilitates affiliative social communication, although the neural circuit that mediates this process is largely unknown. Here, we show that social-touch-like tactile stimulation (ST) enhances firing of oxytocin neurons in the mouse paraventricular hypothalamus (PVH) and promotes social interactions and positively reinforcing place preference. These results link pleasant somatosensory stimulation to increased social interactions and positive affective valence. We further show that tachykinin 1 (Tac1+) neurons in the lateral and ventrolateral periaqueductal gray (l/vlPAG) send monosynaptic excitatory projections to PVH oxytocin neurons. Functionally, activation of PVH-projecting Tac1+ neurons increases firing of oxytocin neurons, promotes social interactions, and increases preference for the social touch context, whereas reducing activity of Tac1+ neurons abolishes ST-induced oxytocin neuronal firing. Together, these results identify a dipeptidergic pathway from l/vlPAG Tac1+ neurons to PVH oxytocin neurons, through which pleasant sensory experience promotes social behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hang Yu
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Wanying Miao
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - En Ji
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Shajin Huang
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Sen Jin
- Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Xutao Zhu
- Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Ming-Zhe Liu
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yan-Gang Sun
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Fuqiang Xu
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Xiang Yu
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; School of Life Sciences, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, and Peking University McGovern Institute, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; Autism Research Center of Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing 100191, China; Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 102206, China.
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Rieger NS, Worley NB, Ng AJ, Christianson JP. Insular cortex modulates social avoidance of sick rats. Behav Brain Res 2022; 416:113541. [PMID: 34425184 PMCID: PMC8492531 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2021] [Revised: 07/29/2021] [Accepted: 08/18/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Avoidance of sick individuals is vital to the preservation of one's health and preventing transmission of communicable diseases. To do this successfully, one must identify social cues for sickness, which include sickness behaviors and chemosignals, and use this information to orchestrate social interactions. While many social species are highly capable with this process, the neural mechanisms that provide for social responses to sick individuals are only partially understood. To this end, we used a task in which experimental rats were allowed to investigate two conspecifics, one healthy and one sick. To imitate sickness, one conspecific received the viral mimic Polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (Poly I:C) and the other saline. In a 5-minute social preference test, experimental male and female adult rats avoided Poly I:C treated adult conspecifics but did not adjust social interaction in response to Poly I:C treated juvenile conspecifics. Seeking a neural locus of this behavior, we inhibited the insular cortex, a region necessary for social behaviors directed toward conspecifics in distress. Insular cortex inactivation via administration of the GABAA agonist muscimol to experimental rats prior to social preference tests eliminated the preference to avoid sick adult conspecifics. These results suggest that some aspect of conspecific illness may be encoded in the insular cortex which is anatomically positioned to coordinate a situationally appropriate social response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathaniel S Rieger
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Boston College, 140 Commonwealth Avenue, Chestnut Hill, MA, 02467 USA
| | - Nicholas B Worley
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Boston College, 140 Commonwealth Avenue, Chestnut Hill, MA, 02467 USA
| | - Alexandra J Ng
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Boston College, 140 Commonwealth Avenue, Chestnut Hill, MA, 02467 USA
| | - John P Christianson
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Boston College, 140 Commonwealth Avenue, Chestnut Hill, MA, 02467 USA.
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49
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Chun EK, Donovan M, Liu Y, Wang Z. Behavioral, neurochemical, and neuroimmune changes associated with social buffering and stress contagion. Neurobiol Stress 2022; 16:100427. [PMID: 35036478 PMCID: PMC8749234 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2022.100427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2021] [Revised: 12/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/02/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Social buffering can provide protective effects on stress responses and their subsequent negative health outcomes. Although social buffering is beneficial for the recipient, it can also have anxiogenic effects on the provider of the social buffering - a phenomena referred to as stress contagion. Social buffering and stress contagion usually occur together, but they have traditionally been studied independently, thus limiting our understanding of this dyadic social interaction. In the present study, we examined the effects of preventative social buffering and stress contagion in socially monogamous prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster). We tested the hypothesis that this dynamic social interaction is associated with coordinated alterations in behaviors, neurochemical activation, and neuroimmune responses. To do so, adult male prairie voles were stressed via an acute immobilization restraint tube (IMO) either alone (Alone) or with their previously pair-bonded female partner (Partner) in the cage for 1 h. In contrast, females were placed in a cage containing either an empty IMO tube (Empty) or one that contained their pair-bonded male (Partner). Anxiety-like behavior was tested on the elevated plus maze (EPM) following the 60-mins test and brain sections were processed for neurochemical/neuroimmune marker labeling for all subjects. Our data indicate that females in the Partner group were in contact with and sniffed the IMO tube more, showed fewer anxiety-like behaviors, and had a higher level of oxytocin expression in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN) compared to the Empty group females. Males in the Partner group had lower levels of anxiety-like behavior during the EPM test, greater activation of corticotropin-releasing hormone expressing neurons in the PVN, lower activation of serotonin neurons in the dorsal raphe, and lower levels of microgliosis in the nucleus accumbens. Taken together, these data suggest brain region- and neurochemical-specific alterations as well as neuroinflammatory changes that may be involved in the regulation of social buffering and stress contagion behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eileen K. Chun
- Department of Psychology and Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
| | - Meghan Donovan
- Department of Psychology and Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
- Rocky Mountain Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center, Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center, 1700 N Wheeling St, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
| | - Yan Liu
- Department of Psychology and Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
| | - Zuoxin Wang
- Department of Psychology and Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
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Leyrolle Q, Decoeur F, Dejean C, Brière G, Leon S, Bakoyiannis I, Baroux E, Sterley TL, Bosch-Bouju C, Morel L, Amadieu C, Lecours C, St-Pierre MK, Bordeleau M, De Smedt-Peyrusse V, Séré A, Schwendimann L, Grégoire S, Bretillon L, Acar N, Joffre C, Ferreira G, Uricaru R, Thebault P, Gressens P, Tremblay ME, Layé S, Nadjar A. N-3 PUFA deficiency disrupts oligodendrocyte maturation and myelin integrity during brain development. Glia 2022; 70:50-70. [PMID: 34519378 DOI: 10.1002/glia.24088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Revised: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Westernization of dietary habits has led to a progressive reduction in dietary intake of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs). Low maternal intake of n-3 PUFAs has been linked to neurodevelopmental disorders, conditions in which myelination processes are abnormal, leading to defects in brain functional connectivity. Only little is known about the role of n-3 PUFAs in oligodendrocyte physiology and white matter development. Here, we show that lifelong n-3 PUFA deficiency disrupts oligodendrocytes maturation and myelination processes during the postnatal period in mice. This has long-term deleterious consequences on white matter organization and hippocampus-prefrontal functional connectivity in adults, associated with cognitive and emotional disorders. Promoting developmental myelination with clemastine, a first-generation histamine antagonist and enhancer of oligodendrocyte precursor cell differentiation, rescues memory deficits in n-3 PUFA deficient animals. Our findings identify a novel mechanism through which n-3 PUFA deficiency alters brain functions by disrupting oligodendrocyte maturation and brain myelination during the neurodevelopmental period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quentin Leyrolle
- Université de Bordeaux, INRAE, Bordeaux INP, NutriNeuro, Bordeaux, France.,Université de Paris, NeuroDiderot, Inserm, Paris, France
| | - Fanny Decoeur
- Université de Bordeaux, INRAE, Bordeaux INP, NutriNeuro, Bordeaux, France
| | - Cyril Dejean
- Université de Bordeaux, INSERM, Magendie, U1215, F-3300, Bordeaux, France
| | | | - Stephane Leon
- Université de Bordeaux, INRAE, Bordeaux INP, NutriNeuro, Bordeaux, France
| | | | - Emilie Baroux
- Université de Bordeaux, INRAE, Bordeaux INP, NutriNeuro, Bordeaux, France
| | - Tony-Lee Sterley
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute and the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | | | - Lydie Morel
- Université de Bordeaux, INRAE, Bordeaux INP, NutriNeuro, Bordeaux, France
| | - Camille Amadieu
- Université de Bordeaux, INRAE, Bordeaux INP, NutriNeuro, Bordeaux, France
| | - Cynthia Lecours
- Axe Neurosciences, Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec, Université Laval, Québec City, Québec, Canada.,Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Marie-Kim St-Pierre
- Axe Neurosciences, Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec, Université Laval, Québec City, Québec, Canada.,Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Maude Bordeleau
- Axe Neurosciences, Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec, Université Laval, Québec City, Québec, Canada.,Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.,Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montréal, Québec City, Québec, Canada
| | | | - Alexandran Séré
- Université de Bordeaux, INRAE, Bordeaux INP, NutriNeuro, Bordeaux, France
| | | | - Stephane Grégoire
- Eye and Nutrition Research Group, Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, AgroSup Dijon, CNRS, INRAE, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Dijon, France
| | - Lionel Bretillon
- Eye and Nutrition Research Group, Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, AgroSup Dijon, CNRS, INRAE, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Dijon, France
| | - Niyazi Acar
- Eye and Nutrition Research Group, Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, AgroSup Dijon, CNRS, INRAE, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Dijon, France
| | - Corinne Joffre
- Université de Bordeaux, INRAE, Bordeaux INP, NutriNeuro, Bordeaux, France
| | - Guillaume Ferreira
- Université de Bordeaux, INRAE, Bordeaux INP, NutriNeuro, Bordeaux, France
| | - Raluca Uricaru
- CNRS, Bordeaux INP, LaBRI, UMR 5800, F-33400, Talence, France
| | | | | | - Marie-Eve Tremblay
- Axe Neurosciences, Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec, Université Laval, Québec City, Québec, Canada.,Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.,Neurology and Neurosurgery Department, McGill University, Montreal, Québec City, Québec, Canada.,Department of Molecular Medicine, Université Laval, Québec City, Québec, Canada.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Sophie Layé
- Université de Bordeaux, INRAE, Bordeaux INP, NutriNeuro, Bordeaux, France
| | - Agnes Nadjar
- Université de Bordeaux, INRAE, Bordeaux INP, NutriNeuro, Bordeaux, France.,Université de Bordeaux, INSERM, Magendie, U1215, F-3300, Bordeaux, France.,Institut Universitaire de France, Paris, France
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