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Arake M, Ohta H, Nozawa T, Satoh Y, Fujita M, Nakata T, Meredith AL, Shinomiya N, Ishizuka T, Morimoto Y. BK channel dysfunction disrupts attention-controlled behaviors and altered perseverative responses in murine instrumental learning. Behav Brain Res 2024; 468:115015. [PMID: 38670533 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2024.115015] [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: 02/27/2024] [Revised: 04/23/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
This study examined the effect of knockout of KCNMA1 gene, coding for the BK channel, on cognitive and attentional functions in mice, with an aim to better understand its implications for human neurodevelopmental disorders. The study used the 3-choice serial reaction time task (3-CSRTT) to assess the learning performance, attentional abilities, and repetitive behaviors in mice lacking the KCNMA1 gene (KCNMA1-/-) compared to wild-type (WT) controls. Results showed no significant differences in learning accuracy between the two groups. However, KCNMA1-/- mice were more prone to omitting responses to stimuli. In addition, when the timing of cue presentation was randomized, the KCNMA1-/- showed premature responses. Notably, these mice also demonstrated a marked reduction in perseverative responses, which include repeated nose-poke behaviors following decisions. These findings highlight the involvement of the KCNMA1 gene in managing attention, impulsivity, and potentially moderating repetitive actions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masashi Arake
- Department of Physiology, National Defense Medical College, Namiki 3-2, Tokorozawa, Saitama 359-8513, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Ohta
- Department of Pharmacology, National Defense Medical College, Namiki 3-2, Tokorozawa, Saitama 359-8513, Japan.
| | - Takashi Nozawa
- Department of Psychology, Mejiro University, Nakaochiai 4-31-1, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 161-8539, Japan
| | - Yasushi Satoh
- Department of Biochemistry, National Defense Medical College, Namiki 3-2, Tokorozawa, Saitama 359-8513, Japan
| | - Masanori Fujita
- Division of Environmental Medicine, National Defense Medical College, Namiki 3-2, Tokorozawa, Saitama 359-8513, Japan
| | - Takahiro Nakata
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Anatomy, Faculty of Health Promotional Sciences, Tokoha University, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Andrea L Meredith
- Department of Physiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Nariyoshi Shinomiya
- Department of Integrative Physiology and Bio-Nano Medicine, National Defense Medical College, Namiki 3-2, Tokorozawa, Saitama 359-8513, Japan
| | - Toshiaki Ishizuka
- Department of Pharmacology, National Defense Medical College, Namiki 3-2, Tokorozawa, Saitama 359-8513, Japan
| | - Yuji Morimoto
- Department of Physiology, National Defense Medical College, Namiki 3-2, Tokorozawa, Saitama 359-8513, Japan
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2
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Maroon M, Haddad F, Doornaert E, Allman B, Schmid S. Investigating gene-environment interaction on attention in a double-hit model for Autism Spectrum Disorder. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0299380. [PMID: 38748694 PMCID: PMC11095761 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0299380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental behavioral disorder characterized by social, communicative, and motor deficits. There is no single etiological cause for ASD, rather, there are various genetic and environmental factors that increase the risk for ASD. It is thought that some of these factors influence the same underlying neural mechanisms, and that an interplay of both genetic and environmental factors would better explain the pathogenesis of ASD. To better appreciate the influence of genetic-environment interaction on ASD-related behaviours, rats lacking a functional copy of the ASD-linked gene Cntnap2 were exposed to maternal immune activation (MIA) during pregnancy and assessed in adolescence and adulthood. We hypothesized that Cntnap2 deficiency interacts with poly I:C MIA to aggravate ASD-like symptoms in the offspring. In this double-hit model, we assessed attention, a core deficit in ASD due to prefrontal cortical dysfunction. We employed a well-established attentional paradigm known as the 5-choice serial reaction time task (5CSRTT). Cntnap2-/- rats exhibited greater perseverative responses which is indicative of repetitive behaviors. Additionally, rats exposed to poly I:C MIA exhibited premature responses, a marker of impulsivity. The rats exposed to both the genetic and environmental challenge displayed an increase in impulsive activity; however, this response was only elicited in the presence of an auditory distractor. This implies that exacerbated symptomatology in the double-hit model may situation-dependent and not generally expressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melvin Maroon
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Faraj Haddad
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Ella Doornaert
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Brian Allman
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
- Anatomy & Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Susanne Schmid
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
- Anatomy & Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
- Psychology, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
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3
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Gargano A, Olabiyi BF, Palmisano M, Zimmer A, Bilkei-Gorzo A. Possible role of locus coeruleus neuronal loss in age-related memory and attention deficits. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1264253. [PMID: 37694113 PMCID: PMC10492095 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1264253] [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: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Aging is associated with a decline in cognitive abilities, including memory and attention. It is generally accepted that age-related histological changes such as increased neuroinflammatory glial activity and a reduction in the number of specific neuronal populations contribute to cognitive aging. Noradrenergic neurons in the locus coeruleus (LC) undergo an approximately 20 % loss during ageing both in humans and mice, but whether this change contributes to cognitive deficits is not known. To address this issue, we asked whether a similar loss of LC neurons in young animals as observed in aged animals impairs memory and attention, cognitive domains that are both influenced by the noradrenergic system and impaired in aging. Methods For that, we treated young healthy mice with DSP-4, a toxin that specifically kills LC noradrenergic neurons. We compared the performance of DSP-4 treated young mice with the performance of aged mice in models of attention and memory. To do this, we first determined the dose of DSP-4, which causes a similar 20 % neuronal loss as is typical in aged animals. Results Young mice treated with DSP-4 showed impaired attention in the presence of distractor and memory deficits in the 5-choice serial reaction time test (5-CSRTT). Old, untreated mice showed severe deficits in both the 5-CSRTT and in fear extinction tests. Discussion Our data now suggest that a reduction in the number of LC neurons contributes to impaired working memory and greater distractibility in attentional tasks but not to deficits in fear extinction. We hypothesize that the moderate loss of LC noradrenergic neurons during aging contributes to attention deficits and working memory impairments.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Andras Bilkei-Gorzo
- Medical Faculty, Institute of Molecular Psychiatry, University of Bonn, Venusberg-Campus, Bonn, Germany
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4
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Romero-Torres BM, Alvarado-Ramírez YA, Duran-Alonzo SR, Ruiz-Contreras AE, Herrera-Solis A, Amancio-Belmont O, Prospéro-García OE, Méndez-Díaz M. A potential role of hippocampus on impulsivity and alcohol consumption through CB1R. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2023; 225:173558. [PMID: 37088449 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2023.173558] [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: 10/24/2022] [Revised: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 04/25/2023]
Abstract
There are a few studies suggesting that the hippocampus is involved in the regulation of impulsivity, and which attempt to explain drug seeking behavior in addiction. In addition, cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1R) is highly expressed in the hippocampus (HPP). To further understand the potential role of the hippocampal CB1R in impulsive and drug seeking behaviors, we characterized impulsivity in adolescent and adult male rats, by means of a delay discounting task (DDT) by evaluating preference and seeking motivation for alcohol (10 % v/v) consumption, and analyzing CB1R expression in CA1, CA3 and the dentate gyrus (DG) of the HPP as well as in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Our results show that adolescent rats display more impulsive choices than adult rats in the DDT. The k value is statistically higher in adolescents, further supporting that they are more impulsive. Besides, adolescent rats have higher forced and voluntary alcohol consumption and display a higher alcohol conditioned place preference (CPP) vs. adult rats. In addition, CB1R expression in CA3 and the DG is higher in adolescent vs. adult rats. Our data further support the role of the hippocampus in impulsivity with the potential involvement of the endocannabinoid system, considering that CB1R in CA3 and DG is higher in adolescents, who display impulsivity and alcohol seeking and consumption.
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Affiliation(s)
- B M Romero-Torres
- Grupo de Neurociencias, Laboratorio de Canabinoides, Depto. de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico
| | - Y A Alvarado-Ramírez
- Grupo de Neurociencias, Laboratorio de Canabinoides, Depto. de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico
| | - S R Duran-Alonzo
- Grupo de Neurociencias, Laboratorio de Canabinoides, Depto. de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico
| | - A E Ruiz-Contreras
- Laboratorio de Neurogenómica Cognitiva, Coordinación de Psicobiología y Neurociencias, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico
| | - A Herrera-Solis
- Laboratorio Efectos Terapéuticos de los Cannabinoides, Subdirección de Investigación Médica, Hospital General Dr. Manuel Gea González, Mexico
| | - O Amancio-Belmont
- Grupo de Neurociencias, Laboratorio de Canabinoides, Depto. de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico
| | - O E Prospéro-García
- Grupo de Neurociencias, Laboratorio de Canabinoides, Depto. de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico
| | - M Méndez-Díaz
- Grupo de Neurociencias, Laboratorio de Canabinoides, Depto. de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico.
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5
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Kenton JA, Young JW. Preclinical Evaluation of Attention and Impulsivity Relevant to Determining ADHD Mechanisms and Treatments. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2022; 57:291-320. [PMID: 35606639 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2022_340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
People with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) exhibit inattention, hyperactivity, and/or impulsivity. Symptoms of ADHD emerge in childhood and can continue throughout adulthood. Clinical assessments to diagnose ADHD can include administration of continuous performance tests (CPTs). CPTs provide an objective measure of inattention, requiring individuals to respond to targets (attention), and inhibit response to non-targets (impulsivity). When investigating the mechanisms of, and novel treatments for, ADHD it is important to measure such behavioral domains (attention and impulsivity). Some well-established preclinical tasks purport to assess attention in rodents but, unlike CPTs, do not require non-target inhibition, limiting their ADHD-relevance.Recently developed tasks recreate CPTs for rodents. The 5-Choice CPT (5C-CPT) contains non-target stimuli, enabling use of signal detection theory to evaluate performance, consistent with CPTs. The 5C-CPT has been adapted for use in humans, enabling direct cross-species comparisons of performance. A newer task, the rodent CPT (rCPT), is a touchscreen-based analog of CPTs, utilizing symbols instead of a simple stimulus array. Currently, the rCPT may be more akin to a go/no-go task, equally presenting targets/non-targets, although numerous variants exist - a strength. The 5C-CPT and rCPT emulate human CPTs and provide the most up-to-date information on ADHD-relevant studies for understanding attention/impulsivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johnny A Kenton
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Jared W Young
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
- Research Service, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA.
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6
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Negrón-Moreno PN, Diep DT, Guoynes CD, Sidorov MS. Dissociating motor impairment from five-choice serial reaction time task performance in a mouse model of Angelman syndrome. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:968159. [PMID: 36212189 PMCID: PMC9539753 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.968159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Angelman syndrome (AS) is a single-gene neurodevelopmental disorder associated with cognitive and motor impairment, seizures, lack of speech, and disrupted sleep. AS is caused by loss-of-function mutations in the UBE3A gene, and approaches to reinstate functional UBE3A are currently in clinical trials in children. Behavioral testing in a mouse model of AS (Ube3a m-/p+ ) represents an important tool to assess the effectiveness of current and future treatments preclinically. Existing behavioral tests effectively model motor impairments, but not cognitive impairments, in Ube3a m-/p+ mice. Here we tested the hypothesis that the 5-choice serial reaction time task (5CSRTT) can be used to assess cognitive behaviors in Ube3a m-/p+ mice. Ube3a m-/p+ mice had more omissions during 5CSRTT training than wild-type littermate controls, but also showed impaired motor function including open field hypoactivity and delays in eating pellet rewards. Motor impairments thus presented an important confound for interpreting this group difference in omissions. We report that despite hypoactivity during habituation, Ube3a m-/p+ mice had normal response latencies to retrieve rewards during 5CSRTT training. We also accounted for delays in eating pellet rewards by assessing omissions solely on trials where eating delays would not impact results. Thus, the increase in omissions in Ube3a m-/p+ mice is likely not caused by concurrent motor impairments. This work underscores the importance of considering how known motor impairments in Ube3a m-/p+ mice may affect behavioral performance in other domains. Our results also provide guidance on how to design a 5CSRTT protocol that is best suited for future studies in Ube3a mutants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola N Negrón-Moreno
- University of Puerto Rico-Cayey, Cayey, PR, United States.,Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - David T Diep
- University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, MD, United States.,Center for Neuroscience Research, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Caleigh D Guoynes
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Michael S Sidorov
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States.,Center for Neuroscience Research, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States.,Departments of Pediatrics and Pharmacology and Physiology, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, DC, United States
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7
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Szekely E, Jolicoeur-Martineau A, Atkinson L, Levitan RD, Steiner M, Lydon JE, Fleming AS, Kennedy JL, Wazana A. The Interplay Between Prenatal Adversity, Offspring Dopaminergic Genes, and Early Parenting on Toddler Attentional Function. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 15:701971. [PMID: 34413728 PMCID: PMC8370126 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.701971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Few studies have explored the complex gene-by-prenatal environment-by-early postnatal environment interactions that underlie the development of attentional competence. Here, we examined if variation in dopamine-related genes interacts with prenatal adversity to influence toddler attentional competence and whether this influence is buffered by early positive maternal behavior. Methods: From the Maternal Adversity, Vulnerability and Neurodevelopment cohort, 134 participants (197 when imputing missing data) had information on prenatal adversity (prenatal stressful life events, prenatal maternal depressive symptoms, and birth weight), five dopamine-related genes (DAT1, DRD4, DRD2, COMT, BDNF), observed maternal parenting behavior at 6 months and parent-rated toddler attentional competence at 18 and 24 months. The Latent Environmental and Genetic Interaction (LEGIT) approach was used to examine genes-by-prenatal environment-by-postnatal environment interactions while controlling for sociodemographic factors and postnatal depression. Results: Our hypothesis of a three-way interaction between prenatal adversity, dopamine-related genes, and early maternal parenting behavior was not confirmed. However, consistent two-way interactions emerged between prenatal adversity and dopamine-related genes; prenatal adversity and maternal parenting behavior, and dopamine-related genes and maternal parenting behavior in relation to toddler attentional competence. Significant interaction effects were driven by the DAT1, COMT, and BDNF genotypes; prenatal stressful life events; maternal sensitivity, tactile stimulation, vocalization, and infant-related activities. Conclusions: Multiple dopamine-related genes affected toddler attentional competence and they did so in interaction with prenatal adversity and the early rearing environment, separately. Effects were already visible in young children. Several aspects of early maternal parenting have been identified as potential targets for intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eszter Szekely
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University Faculty of Medicine, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Alexia Jolicoeur-Martineau
- Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, QC, Canada.,MILA-Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Department of Computer Sciences, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Leslie Atkinson
- Department of Psychology, Ryerson University, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Robert D Levitan
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Meir Steiner
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - John E Lydon
- Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Alison S Fleming
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | | | - Ashley Wazana
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University Faculty of Medicine, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Centre for Child Development and Mental Health, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, QC, Canada
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8
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Ciampoli M, Scheggia D, Papaleo F. Automatic Intra-/Extra-Dimensional Attentional Set-Shifting Task in Adolescent Mice. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 15:704684. [PMID: 34349628 PMCID: PMC8326460 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.704684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Accepted: 06/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Adolescence is a developmental period crucial for the maturation of higher-order cognitive functions. Indeed, adolescence deficits in executive functions are strong predictors of increased vulnerability to several mental disabilities later in life. Here, we tested adolescent mice in a fully-automated attentional set-shifting task equivalent to the humans' Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) and the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery Intra-/Extra-Dimensional set-shift task (ID/ED). Compared to an adult, adolescent mice required more time to complete the task (≈16 days), and a higher percentage failed to finish the entire task. Nevertheless, adolescent mice completing this demanding task showed an increased effort in solving the extradimensional shift stage (EDS) compared to previous stages. Moreover, we found that this paradigm can be used to detect early cognitive dysfunctions in adolescent genetically modified mice. Thus, this automatic paradigm provides a further tool to assess attentional control in adolescent mice, and the development of dysfunctional executive functions from adolescence to adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariasole Ciampoli
- Genetics of Cognition Laboratory, Neuroscience Area, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genoa, Italy
| | - Diego Scheggia
- Genetics of Cognition Laboratory, Neuroscience Area, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genoa, Italy.,Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Francesco Papaleo
- Genetics of Cognition Laboratory, Neuroscience Area, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genoa, Italy.,Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
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9
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Cerantola S, Caputi V, Contarini G, Mereu M, Bertazzo A, Bosi A, Banfi D, Mantini D, Giaroni C, Giron MC. Dopamine Transporter Genetic Reduction Induces Morpho-Functional Changes in the Enteric Nervous System. Biomedicines 2021; 9:biomedicines9050465. [PMID: 33923250 PMCID: PMC8146213 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9050465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Revised: 04/19/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Antidopaminergic gastrointestinal prokinetics are indeed commonly used to treat gastrointestinal motility disorders, although the precise role of dopaminergic transmission in the gut is still unclear. Since dopamine transporter (DAT) is involved in several brain disorders by modulating extracellular dopamine in the central nervous system, this study evaluated the impact of DAT genetic reduction on the morpho-functional integrity of mouse small intestine enteric nervous system (ENS). In DAT heterozygous (DAT+/-) and wild-type (DAT+/+) mice (14 ± 2 weeks) alterations in small intestinal contractility were evaluated by isometrical assessment of neuromuscular responses to receptor and non-receptor-mediated stimuli. Changes in ENS integrity were studied by real-time PCR and confocal immunofluorescence microscopy in longitudinal muscle-myenteric plexus whole-mount preparations (). DAT genetic reduction resulted in a significant increase in dopamine-mediated effects, primarily via D1 receptor activation, as well as in reduced cholinergic response, sustained by tachykininergic and glutamatergic neurotransmission via NMDA receptors. These functional anomalies were associated to architectural changes in the neurochemical coding and S100β immunoreactivity in small intestine myenteric plexus. Our study provides evidence that genetic-driven DAT defective activity determines anomalies in ENS architecture and neurochemical coding together with ileal dysmotility, highlighting the involvement of dopaminergic system in gut disorders, often associated to neurological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Cerantola
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy; (S.C.); (V.C.); (M.M.); (A.B.)
| | - Valentina Caputi
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy; (S.C.); (V.C.); (M.M.); (A.B.)
- Department of Poultry Science, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72704, USA
| | - Gabriella Contarini
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, 95131 Catania, Italy;
| | - Maddalena Mereu
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy; (S.C.); (V.C.); (M.M.); (A.B.)
| | - Antonella Bertazzo
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy; (S.C.); (V.C.); (M.M.); (A.B.)
| | - Annalisa Bosi
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Insubria, 21100 Varese, Italy; (A.B.); (D.B.); (C.G.)
| | - Davide Banfi
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Insubria, 21100 Varese, Italy; (A.B.); (D.B.); (C.G.)
| | - Dante Mantini
- IRCCS San Camillo Hospital, 30126 Venice, Italy; or
- Motor Control and Neuroplasticity Research Group, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Cristina Giaroni
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Insubria, 21100 Varese, Italy; (A.B.); (D.B.); (C.G.)
| | - Maria Cecilia Giron
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy; (S.C.); (V.C.); (M.M.); (A.B.)
- IRCCS San Camillo Hospital, 30126 Venice, Italy; or
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-049-827-5091; Fax: +39-049-827-5093
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10
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Lloyd K, Reyes T. High fat diet consumption restricted to adolescence has minimal effects on adult executive function that vary by sex. Nutr Neurosci 2020; 25:801-811. [PMID: 32840166 DOI: 10.1080/1028415x.2020.1809879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Early life environment can have a lasting effect on brain development and behavior. Diet is a potent environmental factor that can positively or negatively affect neurodevelopment, and unfortunately, the likelihood of a poor diet is high during adolescence. Adverse effects of adolescent high fat diet have been observed on reward-related behaviors, reversal learning, and hippocampal-dependent learning tasks in rodents when tested in adulthood. The prefrontal cortex (PFC) continues to develop throughout adolescence and is thus vulnerable to environmental insults such as poor diet. Therefore, we sought to examine the effects of a high fat diet (HFD) consumed only during adolescence on later life adult PFC-dependent executive function. Male and female mice were fed a HFD (60% energy from fat) during either early or late adolescence then switched to standard chow and tested in a battery of touchscreen-based operant tests of executive function in adulthood. Contrary to our prediction of an adverse effect of HFD, there was no effect of adolescent HFD in males, and females showed faster learning and decreased inattention in adulthood. We conclude that the effects of adolescent-limited HFD on adult executive function are mild, positive, and vary by sex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelsey Lloyd
- Pharmacology and Systems Physiology, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Teresa Reyes
- Pharmacology and Systems Physiology, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
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11
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DIY-NAMIC Behavior: A High-Throughput Method to Measure Complex Phenotypes in the Homecage. eNeuro 2020; 7:ENEURO.0160-20.2020. [PMID: 32561574 PMCID: PMC7358334 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0160-20.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2020] [Revised: 05/31/2020] [Accepted: 06/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Complex behavioral assessment is necessary to comprehensively assess in vivo manipulations in rodent models for neuropsychiatric disorders. Operant behavioral paradigms provide rich datasets and allow for the careful analysis of behavioral phenotypes. However, one major limitation in these studies is the expense and work-load that are required using traditional methods. The equipment for commercial operant boxes can be prohibitively expensive, and the daily experimenter effort and mouse costs required for these studies is extensive. Rodents are generally trained on task-specific paradigms for months, tested every day for 5–7 d/week. Additionally, appetitive paradigms usually require food restriction and are also commonly run in the non-active light phase of the rodent circadian rhythm. These limitations make operant behavioral testing especially difficult during adolescence, a time period of interest with regards to the development of adult-like phenotypes and a high-risk period for the development of neuropsychiatric disorders, including those which involve impulsive behavior. In order to address these issues, we developed an automated, inexpensive, open-source method which allows the implementation of most standard operant paradigms in the homecage of rodents in shorter time frames without food restriction, and with much less experimenter effort. All construction and code for the do-it-yourself Nautiyal Automated Modular Instrumental Conditioning (DIY-NAMIC) system are open source. We demonstrate their utility here by measuring impulsive behavior in a pharmacology experiment, as well as in adolescent mice.
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Morè L, Lauterborn JC, Papaleo F, Brambilla R. Enhancing cognition through pharmacological and environmental interventions: Examples from preclinical models of neurodevelopmental disorders. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 110:28-45. [PMID: 30981451 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2018] [Revised: 02/04/2019] [Accepted: 02/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
In this review we discuss the role of environmental and pharmacological treatments to enhance cognition with special regards to neurodevelopmental related disorders and aging. How the environment influences brain structure and function, and the interactions between rearing conditions and gene expression, are fundamental questions that are still poorly understood. We propose a model that can explain some of the discrepancies in findings for effects of environmental enrichment on outcome measures. Evidence of a direct causal correlation of nootropics and treatments that enhanced cognition also will be presented, and possible molecular mechanisms that include neurotrophin signaling and downstream pathways underlying these processes are discussed. Finally we review recent findings achieved with a wide set of behavioral and cognitive tasks that have translational validity to humans, and should be useful for future work on devising appropriate therapies. As will be discussed, the collective findings suggest that a combinational therapeutic approach of environmental enrichment and nootropics could be particularly successful for improving learning and memory in both developmental disorders and normal aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo Morè
- School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Central Lancashire, PR1 2XT, Preston, UK.
| | - Julie C Lauterborn
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92617, USA.
| | - Francesco Papaleo
- Genetics of Cognition Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego, 30, 16163, Genova, Italy.
| | - Riccardo Brambilla
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute (NMHRI), Division of Neuroscience, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, CF24 4HQ, Cardiff, UK.
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13
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Favorable effects of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in attentional control and conversion rate to psychosis in 22q11.2 deletion syndrome. Neuropharmacology 2020; 168:107995. [PMID: 32057798 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2020.107995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2019] [Revised: 02/05/2020] [Accepted: 02/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Omega-3-polyunsaturated-fatty-acids were suggested against cognitive dysfunctions and conversion to psychosis. However, a recent multicenter trial found no effect in reducing conversion rates in individuals at risk of developing schizophrenia. Patients' genetic heterogeneity and the timing of treatment might influence omega-3 efficacy. Here, we addressed the impact of omega-3 early treatment in both mice and human subjects with a 22q11.2 genetic hemi-deletion (22q11DS), characterized by cognitive dysfunctions and high penetrance of schizophrenia. We first tested the behavioural and cognitive consequences of adolescent exposure to normal or omega-3-enriched diets in wild-type and 22q11DS (LgDel/+) mice. We then contrasted mouse data with those gathered from sixty-two patients with 22q11DS exposed to a normal diet or supplemented with omega-3 during pre-adolescence/adolescence. Adolescent omega-3 exposure had no effects in wild-type mice. However, this treatment ameliorated distractibility deficits revealed in LgDel/+ mice by the Five Choice Serial Reaction Time Task (5CSRTT). The omega-3 improvement in LgDel/+ mice was selective, as no other generalized cognitive and non-cognitive effects were evident. Similarly, omega-3-exposed 22q11DS patients showed long-lasting improvements on distractibility as revealed by the continuous performance test (CPT). Moreover, omega-3-exposed 22q11DS patients showed less risk of developing an Ultra High Risk status and lower conversion rate to psychosis. Our convergent mouse-human findings represent a first analysis on the effects of omega-3 early treatment in 22q11DS. The beneficial effects in attentional control and transition to psychosis could support the early use of omega-3 supplementation in the 22q11DS population.
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Young JW, Geyer MA, Halberstadt AL, van Enkhuizen J, Minassian A, Khan A, Perry W, Eyler LT. Convergent neural substrates of inattention in bipolar disorder patients and dopamine transporter-deficient mice using the 5-choice CPT. Bipolar Disord 2020; 22:46-58. [PMID: 31025493 PMCID: PMC6815232 DOI: 10.1111/bdi.12786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Bipolar disorder (BD) is a debilitating psychiatric illness affecting 2%-5% of the population. Although mania is the cardinal feature of BD, inattention and related cognitive dysfunction are observed across all stages. Since cognitive dysfunction confers poor functional outcome in patients, understanding the relevant neural mechanisms remains key to developing novel-targeted therapeutics. METHODS The 5-choice continuous performance test (5C-CPT) is a mouse and fMRI-compatible human attentional task, requiring responding to target stimuli while inhibiting responding to nontarget stimuli, as in clinical CPTs. This task was used to delineate systems-level neural deficits in BD contributing to inattentive performance in human subjects with BD as well as mouse models with either parietal cortex (PC) lesions or reduced dopamine transporter (DAT) expression. RESULTS Mania BD participants exhibited severe 5C-CPT impairment. Euthymic BD patients exhibited modestly impaired 5C-CPT. High impulsivity BD subjects exhibited reduced PC activation during target and nontarget responding compared with healthy participants. In mice, bilateral PC lesions impaired both target and nontarget responding. In the DAT knockdown mouse model of BD mania, knockdown mice exhibited severely impaired 5C-CPT performance versus wildtype littermates. CONCLUSIONS These data support the role of the PC in inattention in BD-specifically regarding identifying the appropriate response to target vs nontarget stimuli. Moreover, the findings indicate that severely reduced DAT function/hyperdopaminergia recreates the attentional deficits observed in BD mania patients. Determining the contribution of DAT in the PC to attention may provide a future target for treatment development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jared W. Young
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive MC 0804, La Jolla, CA 92093-0804
- Desert-Pacific Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA
| | - Mark A. Geyer
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive MC 0804, La Jolla, CA 92093-0804
- Desert-Pacific Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA
| | - Adam L. Halberstadt
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive MC 0804, La Jolla, CA 92093-0804
| | - Jordy van Enkhuizen
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive MC 0804, La Jolla, CA 92093-0804
- Division of Pharmacology, Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University, Universiteitsweg 99, 3584 CG Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Arpi Minassian
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive MC 0804, La Jolla, CA 92093-0804
| | - Asma Khan
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive MC 0804, La Jolla, CA 92093-0804
| | - William Perry
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive MC 0804, La Jolla, CA 92093-0804
| | - Lisa T. Eyler
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive MC 0804, La Jolla, CA 92093-0804
- Desert-Pacific Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA
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Castellani G, Contarini G, Mereu M, Albanesi E, Devroye C, D'Amore C, Ferretti V, De Martin S, Papaleo F. Dopamine-mediated immunomodulation affects choroid plexus function. Brain Behav Immun 2019; 81:138-150. [PMID: 31175999 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2019.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2019] [Revised: 05/11/2019] [Accepted: 06/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Immune system alterations have been implicated in various dopamine-related disorders, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). How immunity might be influenced by dopaminergic dysfunction and impact on clinically-relevant behaviors is still uncertain. We performed a peripheral and cerebral immunophenotyping in mice bearing dopaminergic alteration produced by genetic liability (hypofunction of the dopamine transporter DAT) and psychostimulant (amphetamine) administration. We found that DAT hypofunction influences immune tolerance by increasing functional Tregs and adrenomedullin levels in the thymus and spleen, while reducing microglia activation and infiltration of brain monocyte-derived macrophages (mo-MΦ). Remarkably, both DAT hypofunction and amphetamine treatment are associated with a weaker activation of the choroid plexus (CP) gateway. Conversely, amphetamine reactivated the CP in the setting of DAT hypofunction, paralleling its paradoxical ADHD-relevant behavioral effects. These findings add new knowledge on dopaminergic immunopharmacology and support the immunomodulation of CP functionality as a promising therapeutic strategy for neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Castellani
- Genetics of Cognition Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego, 30, 16163 Genova, Italy; Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, L.go Meneghetti, 2, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Gabriella Contarini
- Genetics of Cognition Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego, 30, 16163 Genova, Italy; Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, L.go Meneghetti, 2, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Maddalena Mereu
- Genetics of Cognition Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego, 30, 16163 Genova, Italy; Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, L.go Meneghetti, 2, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Ennio Albanesi
- Genetics of Cognition Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego, 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Céline Devroye
- Genetics of Cognition Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego, 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Claudio D'Amore
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, L.go Meneghetti, 2, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Valentina Ferretti
- Genetics of Cognition Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego, 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Sara De Martin
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, L.go Meneghetti, 2, 35131 Padova, Italy.
| | - Francesco Papaleo
- Genetics of Cognition Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego, 30, 16163 Genova, Italy.
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Contarini G, Ferretti V, Papaleo F. Acute Administration of URB597 Fatty Acid Amide Hydrolase Inhibitor Prevents Attentional Impairments by Distractors in Adolescent Mice. Front Pharmacol 2019; 10:787. [PMID: 31379568 PMCID: PMC6658611 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2019.00787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2019] [Accepted: 06/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The maturation of attentional control during adolescence might influence later functional outcome or predisposition to psychiatric disorders. During adolescence, the cannabinoid system is particularly sensitive to pharmacological challenges, with potential impact on cognitive functions. Here, we used a recently validated five-choice serial reaction time task protocol to test adolescent C57BL/6J mice. We showed that the pharmacological inhibition (by URB597) of the fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH), the major enzyme implicated in anandamide degradation, prevented cognitive disruptions induced by distracting cues in adolescent mice. In particular, these protective effects were indicated by increased accuracy and correct responses and decreased premature responses selectively in the distractor trials. Notably, at the relatively low dose used, we detected no effects in other cognitive, motor, or incentive measures nor long-lasting or rebound effects of FAAH inhibition in cognitive functions. Overall, these data provide initial evidence of selective procognitive effects of FAAH inhibition in measures of attentional control in adolescent mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriella Contarini
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Genetics of Cognition Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
| | - Valentina Ferretti
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Genetics of Cognition Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
| | - Francesco Papaleo
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Genetics of Cognition Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
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Mortimer N, Ganster T, O'Leary A, Popp S, Freudenberg F, Reif A, Soler Artigas M, Ribasés M, Ramos-Quiroga JA, Lesch KP, Rivero O. Dissociation of impulsivity and aggression in mice deficient for the ADHD risk gene Adgrl3: Evidence for dopamine transporter dysregulation. Neuropharmacology 2019; 156:107557. [PMID: 30849401 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2019.02.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2018] [Revised: 02/26/2019] [Accepted: 02/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Adhesion G protein-coupled receptor L3 (ADGRL3, LPHN3) has putative roles in neuronal migration and synapse function. Various polymorphisms in ADGRL3 have been linked with an increased risk of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In this study, we examined the characteristics of Adgrl3-deficient mice in multiple behavioural domains related to ADHD: locomotive activity, impulsivity, gait, visuospatial and recognition memory, sociability, anxiety-like behaviour and aggression. Additionally, we investigated the effect of Adgrl3-depletion at the transcriptomic level by RNA-sequencing three ADHD-relevant brain regions: prefrontal cortex (PFC), hippocampus and striatum. Adgrl3-/- mice show increased locomotive activity across all tests and subtle gait abnormalities. These mice also show impairments across spatial memory and learning domains, alongside increased levels of impulsivity and sociability with decreased aggression. However, these alterations were absent in Adgrl3+/- mice. Across all brain regions tested, the numbers of genes found to exhibit differential expression was relatively small, indicating a specific pathway of action, rather than a broad neurobiological perturbation. Gene-set analysis of differential expression in the PFC detected a number of ADHD-relevant pathways including dopaminergic synapses as well as cocaine and amphetamine addiction. The Slc6a3 gene coding for the dopamine transporter was the most dysregulated gene in the PFC. Unexpectedly, several neurohormone/peptides which are typically only expressed in the hypothamalus were found to be dysregulated in the striatum. Our study further validates Adgrl3 constitutive knockout mice as an experimental model of ADHD while providing neuroanatomical targets for future studies involving ADGRL3 modified models. This article is part of the Special Issue entitled 'Current status of the neurobiology of aggression and impulsivity'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niall Mortimer
- Division of Molecular Psychiatry, Center of Mental Health, University of Würzburg, Germany; Psychiatric Genetics Unit, Group of Psychiatry, Mental Health and Addiction, Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Psychiatry, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Tatjana Ganster
- Division of Molecular Psychiatry, Center of Mental Health, University of Würzburg, Germany
| | - Aet O'Leary
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany; Department of Psychoneuropharmacology, Institute of Psychology, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Sandy Popp
- Division of Molecular Psychiatry, Center of Mental Health, University of Würzburg, Germany
| | - Florian Freudenberg
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Andreas Reif
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - María Soler Artigas
- Psychiatric Genetics Unit, Group of Psychiatry, Mental Health and Addiction, Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Psychiatry, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain; Biomedical Network Research Centre on Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marta Ribasés
- Psychiatric Genetics Unit, Group of Psychiatry, Mental Health and Addiction, Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Psychiatry, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain; Biomedical Network Research Centre on Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Josep Antoni Ramos-Quiroga
- Psychiatric Genetics Unit, Group of Psychiatry, Mental Health and Addiction, Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Psychiatry, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain; Biomedical Network Research Centre on Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Psychiatry and Legal Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Klaus-Peter Lesch
- Division of Molecular Psychiatry, Center of Mental Health, University of Würzburg, Germany; Laboratory of Psychiatric Neurobiology, Institute of Molecular Medicine, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russia; Department of Translational Neuroscience, School of Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Olga Rivero
- Division of Molecular Psychiatry, Center of Mental Health, University of Würzburg, Germany.
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Let's call the whole thing off: evaluating gender and sex differences in executive function. Neuropsychopharmacology 2019; 44:86-96. [PMID: 30143781 PMCID: PMC6235899 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-018-0179-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 124] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2018] [Revised: 07/30/2018] [Accepted: 08/06/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The executive functions allow for purposeful, deliberate, and intentional interactions with the world-attention and focus, impulse control, decision making, and working memory. These measures have been correlated with academic outcomes and quality of life, and are impacted by deleterious environmental events throughout the life span, including gestational and early life insults. This review will address the topic of sex differences in executive function including a discussion of differences arising in response to developmental programming. Work on gender differences in human studies and sex differences in animal research will be reviewed. Overall, we find little support for significant gender or sex differences in executive function. An important variable that factors into the interpretation of potential sex differences include differing developmental trajectories. We conclude by discussing future directions for the field and a brief discussion of biological mechanisms.
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Cinque S, Zoratto F, Poleggi A, Leo D, Cerniglia L, Cimino S, Tambelli R, Alleva E, Gainetdinov RR, Laviola G, Adriani W. Behavioral Phenotyping of Dopamine Transporter Knockout Rats: Compulsive Traits, Motor Stereotypies, and Anhedonia. Front Psychiatry 2018; 9:43. [PMID: 29520239 PMCID: PMC5826953 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2017] [Accepted: 01/31/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Alterations in dopamine neurotransmission are generally associated with diseases such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Such diseases typically feature poor decision making and lack of control on executive functions and have been studied through the years using many animal models. Dopamine transporter (DAT) knockout (KO) and heterozygous (HET) mice, in particular, have been widely used to study ADHD. Recently, a strain of DAT KO rats has been developed (1). Here, we provide a phenotypic characterization of reward sensitivity and compulsive choice by adult rats born from DAT-HET dams bred with DAT-HET males, in order to further validate DAT KO rats as an animal model for preclinical research. We first tested DAT KO rats' sensitivity to rewarding stimuli, provided by highly appetitive food or sweet water; then, we tested their choice behavior with an Intolerance-to-Delay Task (IDT). During these tests, DAT KO rats appeared less sensitive to rewarding stimuli than wild-type (WT) and HET rats: they also showed a prominent hyperactive behavior with a rigid choice pattern and a wide number of compulsive stereotypies. Moreover, during the IDT, we tested the effects of amphetamine (AMPH) and RO-5203648, a trace amine-associated receptor 1 (TAAR1) partial agonist. AMPH accentuated impulsive behaviors in WT and HET rats, while it had no effect in DAT KO rats. Finally, we measured the levels of tyrosine hydroxylase, dopamine receptor 2 (D2), serotonin transporter, and TAAR1 mRNA transcripts in samples of ventral striatum, finding no significant differences between WT and KO genotypes. Throughout this study, DAT KO rats showed alterations in decision-making processes and in motivational states, as well as prominent motor and oral stereotypies: more studies are warranted to fully characterize and efficiently use them in preclinical research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Cinque
- Center for Behavioral Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
- Department of Neuroscience, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Zoratto
- Center for Behavioral Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Anna Poleggi
- Department of Neuroscience, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Damiana Leo
- Neuroscience and Brain Technologies Department, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genoa, Italy
| | - Luca Cerniglia
- Faculty of Psychology, International Telematic University Uninettuno, Rome, Italy
| | - Silvia Cimino
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Renata Tambelli
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Enrico Alleva
- Center for Behavioral Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Raul R. Gainetdinov
- Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow, Russia
- Institute of Translational Biomedicine, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Giovanni Laviola
- Center for Behavioral Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Walter Adriani
- Center for Behavioral Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
- Faculty of Psychology, International Telematic University Uninettuno, Rome, Italy
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Cho BR, Kwak MJ, Kim WY, Kim JH. Impulsive Action and Impulsive Choice Are Differentially Expressed in Rats Depending on the Age at Exposure to a Gambling Task. Front Psychiatry 2018; 9:503. [PMID: 30386266 PMCID: PMC6198148 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2018] [Accepted: 09/25/2018] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Impulsivity is considered an important feature associated with the development of numerous psychiatric disorders, including addictions. In the behavioral approach, impulsivity can be broadly divided into two distinct subtypes: impulsive action and choice. In the present study, we used a rodent version of the gambling task (rGT) to examine how impulsive action and impulsive choice are differentially influenced by difference in age at exposure (i.e., late adolescents/young adults vs. mature adults) to rGT. Rats were trained in a touch-screen chamber to learn the relationships between 4 light signals on the window of the screen and accompanying reward outcomes or punishments associated with different magnitudes and probabilities. Depending on their stabilized pattern of preference when allowed free choice, rats were categorized into risk-averse or risk-seeking group. While undergoing a series of experimental schemes, including extinction, re-acquisition, and acute cocaine injection, rats were re-tested for their premature response during inter-trial interval and choice preference toward the 4 different windows in rGT. Notably, rats exposed early, compared with those exposed late, to rGT showed increased impulsive action, particularly during re-acquisition period, in all sub-groups. In contrast, rats exposed late, compared with those exposed early, to rGT showed increased impulsive choice after acute cocaine injection, but these results were only obtained in a sub-group pre-categorized as high impulsive and risk-averse. These results suggest that different aspects of impulsivity can be differentially expressed during decision-making, and differentially influenced by the age at exposure to a gambling task.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Ram Cho
- Brain Korea 21 Plus Project for Medical Science, Brain Research Institute, Department of Physiology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Myung Ji Kwak
- Brain Korea 21 Plus Project for Medical Science, Brain Research Institute, Department of Physiology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Wha Young Kim
- Brain Korea 21 Plus Project for Medical Science, Brain Research Institute, Department of Physiology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Jeong-Hoon Kim
- Brain Korea 21 Plus Project for Medical Science, Brain Research Institute, Department of Physiology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
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