1
|
Payet JM, Stevens L, Russo AM, Jaehne EJ, van den Buuse M, Kent S, Lowry CA, Baratta MV, Hale MW. The Role of Dorsal Raphe Nucleus Serotonergic Systems in Emotional Learning and Memory in Male BALB/c Mice. Neuroscience 2023; 534:1-15. [PMID: 37852412 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2023.10.003] [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: 08/14/2023] [Revised: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023]
Abstract
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are the first-line pharmacological treatment for a variety of anxiety-, trauma- and stressor-related disorders. Although they are efficacious, therapeutic improvements require several weeks of treatment and are often associated with an initial exacerbation of symptoms. The dorsal raphe nucleus (DR) has been proposed as an important target for the modulation of emotional responses and the therapeutic effects of SSRIs. Using a fear-conditioning paradigm we aimed to understand how SSRIs affect emotional learning and memory, and their effects on serotonergic circuitry. Adult male BALB/c mice were treated with vehicle (n = 16) or the SSRI fluoxetine (18 mg/kg/d) acutely (n = 16), or chronically (21d, n = 16), prior to fear conditioning. Treatment was stopped, and half of the mice (n = 8/treatment group) were exposed to cued fear memory recall 72 h later. Activation of DR serotonergic neurons during fear conditioning (Experiment 1) or fear memory recall (Experiment 2), was measured using dual-label immunohistochemistry for Tph2 and c-Fos. Acute and chronic fluoxetine treatment reduced associative fear learning without affecting memory recall and had opposite effects on anxiety-like behaviour. Acute fluoxetine decreased serotonergic activity in the DR, while chronic treatment led to serotonergic activity that was indistinguishable from that of control levels in DRD and DRV subpopulations. Chronic fluoxetine facilitated fear extinction, which was associated with rostral DRD inhibition. These findings provide further evidence that SSRIs can alter aspects of learning and memory processes and are consistent with a role for discrete populations of DR serotonergic neurons in regulating fear- and anxiety-related behaviours.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jennyfer M Payet
- Department of Psychology, Counselling and Therapy, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Laura Stevens
- Department of Psychology, Counselling and Therapy, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Adrian M Russo
- Department of Psychology, Counselling and Therapy, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Emily J Jaehne
- Department of Psychology, Counselling and Therapy, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Maarten van den Buuse
- Department of Psychology, Counselling and Therapy, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Stephen Kent
- Department of Psychology, Counselling and Therapy, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Christopher A Lowry
- Department of Integrative Physiology and Centre for Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
| | - Michael V Baratta
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
| | - Matthew W Hale
- Department of Psychology, Counselling and Therapy, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Heesbeen EJ, Bijlsma EY, Verdouw PM, van Lissa C, Hooijmans C, Groenink L. The effect of SSRIs on fear learning: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2023; 240:2335-2359. [PMID: 36847831 PMCID: PMC10593621 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-023-06333-7] [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: 07/04/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 03/01/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are considered first-line medication for anxiety-like disorders such as panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Fear learning plays an important role in the development and treatment of these disorders. Yet, the effect of SSRIs on fear learning are not well known. OBJECTIVE We aimed to systematically review the effect of six clinically effective SSRIs on acquisition, expression, and extinction of cued and contextual conditioned fear. METHODS We searched the Medline and Embase databases, which yielded 128 articles that met the inclusion criteria and reported on 9 human and 275 animal experiments. RESULTS Meta-analysis showed that SSRIs significantly reduced contextual fear expression and facilitated extinction learning to cue. Bayesian-regularized meta-regression further suggested that chronic treatment exerts a stronger anxiolytic effect on cued fear expression than acute treatment. Type of SSRI, species, disease-induction model, and type of anxiety test used did not seem to moderate the effect of SSRIs. The number of studies was relatively small, the level of heterogeneity was high, and publication bias has likely occurred which may have resulted in an overestimation of the overall effect sizes. CONCLUSIONS This review suggests that the efficacy of SSRIs may be related to their effects on contextual fear expression and extinction to cue, rather than fear acquisition. However, these effects of SSRIs may be due to a more general inhibition of fear-related emotions. Therefore, additional meta-analyses on the effects of SSRIs on unconditioned fear responses may provide further insight into the actions of SSRIs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elise J Heesbeen
- Division of Pharmacology, Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Elisabeth Y Bijlsma
- Division of Pharmacology, Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - P Monika Verdouw
- Division of Pharmacology, Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Caspar van Lissa
- Department of Methodology, Tilburg University, Tilburg, Netherlands
| | - Carlijn Hooijmans
- Department of Anaesthesiology, Pain and Palliative Care, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Lucianne Groenink
- Division of Pharmacology, Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Constitutive 5-HT2C receptor knock-out facilitates fear extinction through altered activity of a dorsal raphe-bed nucleus of the stria terminalis pathway. Transl Psychiatry 2022; 12:487. [PMID: 36402746 PMCID: PMC9675804 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-022-02252-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Revised: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Serotonin 2C receptors (5-HT2CRs) are widely distributed throughout the brain and are strongly implicated in the pathophysiology of anxiety disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Although in recent years, a considerable amount of evidence supports 5-HT2CRs facilitating effect on anxiety behavior, the involvement in learned fear responses and fear extinction is rather unexplored. Here, we used a 5-HT2CR knock-out mouse line (2CKO) to gain new insights into the involvement of 5-HT2CRs in the neuronal fear circuitry. Using a cued fear conditioning paradigm, our results revealed that global loss of 5-HT2CRs exclusively accelerates fear extinction, without affecting fear acquisition and fear expression. To investigate the neuronal substrates underlying the extinction enhancing effect, we mapped the immediate-early gene product cFos, a marker for neuronal activity, in the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN), amygdala and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST). Surprisingly, besides extinction-associated changes, our results revealed alterations in neuronal activity even under basal home cage conditions in specific subregions of the DRN and the BNST in 2CKO mice. Neuronal activity in the dorsal BNST was shifted in an extinction-supporting direction due to 5-HT2CR knock-out. Finally, the assessment of DRN-BNST connectivity using antero- and retrograde tracing techniques uncovered a discrete serotonergic pathway projecting from the most caudal subregion of the DRN (DRC) to the anterodorsal portion of the BNST (BNSTad). This serotonergic DRC-BNSTad pathway showed increased neuronal activity in 2CKO mice. Thus, our results provide new insights for the fear extinction network by revealing a specific serotonergic DRC-BNSTad pathway underlying a 5-HT2CR-sensitive mechanism with high significance in the treatment of PTSD.
Collapse
|
4
|
Reich N, Hölscher C. Beyond Appetite: Acylated Ghrelin As A Learning, Memory and Fear Behavior-modulating Hormone. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 143:104952. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2021] [Revised: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 11/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
|
5
|
Uzungil V, Tran H, Aitken C, Wilson C, Opazo CM, Li S, Payet JM, Mawal CH, Bush AI, Hale MW, Hannan AJ, Renoir T. Novel Antidepressant-Like Properties of the Iron Chelator Deferiprone in a Mouse Model of Depression. Neurotherapeutics 2022; 19:1662-1685. [PMID: 35861925 PMCID: PMC9606181 DOI: 10.1007/s13311-022-01257-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Depressed individuals who carry the short allele for the serotonin-transporter-linked promotor region of the gene are more vulnerable to stress and have reduced response to first-line antidepressants such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Since depression severity has been reported to correlate with brain iron levels, the present study aimed to characterise the potential antidepressant properties of the iron chelator deferiprone. Using the serotonin transporter knock-out (5-HTT KO) mouse model, we assessed the behavioural effects of acute deferiprone on the Porsolt swim test (PST) and novelty-suppressed feeding test (NSFT). Brain and blood iron levels were also measured following acute deferiprone. To determine the relevant brain regions activated by deferiprone, we then measured c-Fos expression and applied network-based analyses. We found that deferiprone reduced immobility time in the PST in 5-HTT KO mice and reduced latency to feed in the NSFT in both genotypes, suggesting potential antidepressant-like effects. There was no effect on brain or blood iron levels following deferiprone treatment, potentially indicating an acute iron-independent mechanism. Deferiprone reversed the increase in c-Fos expression induced by swim stress in 5-HTT KO mice in the lateral amygdala. Functional network analyses suggest that hub regions of activity in mice treated with deferiprone include the caudate putamen and prefrontal cortex. The PST-induced increase in network modularity in wild-type mice was not observed in 5-HTT KO mice. Altogether, our data show that the antidepressant-like effects of deferiprone could be acting via an iron-independent mechanism and that these therapeutic effects are underpinned by changes in neuronal activity in the lateral amygdala.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Volkan Uzungil
- Melbourne Brain Centre, Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
| | - Harvey Tran
- Melbourne Brain Centre, Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
| | - Connor Aitken
- Melbourne Brain Centre, Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
| | - Carey Wilson
- Melbourne Brain Centre, Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
| | - Carlos M Opazo
- Melbourne Dementia Research Centre, Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
| | - Shanshan Li
- Melbourne Brain Centre, Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
| | - Jennyfer M Payet
- School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, 3086, Australia
| | - Celeste H Mawal
- Melbourne Dementia Research Centre, Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
| | - Ashley I Bush
- Melbourne Dementia Research Centre, Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
| | - Matthew W Hale
- School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, 3086, Australia
| | - Anthony J Hannan
- Melbourne Brain Centre, Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
- Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
| | - Thibault Renoir
- Melbourne Brain Centre, Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia.
- Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Kim IT, Farb C, Hou M, Prasad S, Talley E, Cook S, Campese VD. General and Specific Aversive Modulation of Active Avoidance Require Central Amygdala. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:879168. [PMID: 35795380 PMCID: PMC9252428 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.879168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2022] [Accepted: 05/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Three studies provide evidence that the central nucleus of the amygdala, a structure with a well-established role in conditioned freezing, is also required for conditioned facilitation of instrumental avoidance in rats. First, the immediate early gene c-Fos was measured following the presentation of a previously shock-paired tone in subjects trained either on an unsignaled avoidance task or not (in addition to tone only presentations in naïve controls). Significantly elevated expression of c-Fos was found in both the avoidance trained and Pavlovian trained conditions relative to naïve controls (but with no difference between the two trained conditions). In a subsequent study, intracranial infusions of muscimol into the central amygdala significantly attenuated the facilitation of shock-avoidance by a shock-paired Pavlovian cue relative to pre-operative responding. The final study used a virogenetic approach to inhibit the central amygdala prior to testing. This treatment eliminated the transfer of motivational control over shock-avoidance by both a shock-paired Pavlovian stimulus, as well as a cue paired with a perceptually distinct aversive event (i.e., klaxon). These findings provide compelling support for a role of central amygdala in producing aversive Pavlovian-instrumental transfer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ian T. Kim
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY, United States
- Behavioral and Neural Sciences Graduate Program, Rutgers University-Newark, Newark, NJ, United States
- Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Rutgers University-Newark, Newark, NJ, United States
| | - Claudia Farb
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Mian Hou
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Sunanda Prasad
- Department of Psychology & Behavioral Sciences, University of Evansville, Evansville, IN, United States
| | - Elyse Talley
- Department of Psychology & Behavioral Sciences, University of Evansville, Evansville, IN, United States
| | - Savannah Cook
- Department of Psychology & Behavioral Sciences, University of Evansville, Evansville, IN, United States
| | - Vincent D. Campese
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Psychology & Behavioral Sciences, University of Evansville, Evansville, IN, United States
- *Correspondence: Vincent D. Campese
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Urien L, Stein N, Ryckman A, Bell L, Bauer EP. Extended amygdala circuits are differentially activated by context fear conditioning in male and female rats. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2021; 180:107401. [PMID: 33581315 PMCID: PMC8076097 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2021.107401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2020] [Revised: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
As the incidence of anxiety disorders is more prevalent in females, comparing the neural underpinnings of anxiety in males and females is imperative. The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) contributes to long-lasting, anxiety-like states including the expression of context fear conditioning. Currently, there is conflicting evidence as to which nuclei of the BNST contribute to these behaviors. The anterolateral portion of the BNST (BNST-AL) located dorsal to the anterior commissure and lateral to the stria terminalis sends robust projections to the central nucleus of the amygdala (CE). Here we asked whether the BNST-AL is active during the expression of context fear conditioning in both male and female rats. At the cellular level, the expression of context fear produced upregulation of the immediate-early gene ARC in the BNST-AL as well as an upregulation of ARC specifically in neurons projecting to the CE, as labeled by the retrograde tracer Fluorogold infused into the CE. However, this pattern of ARC expression was observed in male rats only. Excitotoxic lesions of the BNST reduced context fear expression in both sexes, suggesting that a different set of BNST subnuclei may be recruited by the expression of fear and anxiety-like behaviors in females. Overall, our data highlight the involvement of the BNST-AL in fear expression in males, and suggest that subnuclei of the BNST may be functionally different in male and female rats.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Louise Urien
- Departments of Biology and Neuroscience & Behavior, Barnard College of Columbia University, 3009 Broadway, New York, NY 10027, United States
| | - Nicole Stein
- Departments of Biology and Neuroscience & Behavior, Barnard College of Columbia University, 3009 Broadway, New York, NY 10027, United States
| | - Abigail Ryckman
- Departments of Biology and Neuroscience & Behavior, Barnard College of Columbia University, 3009 Broadway, New York, NY 10027, United States
| | - Lindsey Bell
- Departments of Biology and Neuroscience & Behavior, Barnard College of Columbia University, 3009 Broadway, New York, NY 10027, United States
| | - Elizabeth P Bauer
- Departments of Biology and Neuroscience & Behavior, Barnard College of Columbia University, 3009 Broadway, New York, NY 10027, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Emerging Evidence for Putative Neural Networks and Antecedents of Pediatric Anxiety in the Fetal, Neonatal, and Infant Periods. Biol Psychiatry 2021; 89:672-680. [PMID: 33518264 PMCID: PMC8087150 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2020.11.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Revised: 11/12/2020] [Accepted: 11/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Anxiety disorders are the most prevalent psychiatric disorders in youth and are associated with profound individual impairment and public health costs. Research shows that clinically significant anxiety symptoms manifest in preschool-aged children, and correlates of anxiety symptoms are observable in infancy. Yet, predicting who is at risk for developing anxiety remains an enduring challenge. Predictive biomarkers of anxiety are needed before school age when anxiety symptoms typically consolidate into diagnostic profiles. Increasing evidence indicates that early neural measures implicated in anxiety and anxious temperament may be incorporated with traditional measures of behavioral risk (i.e., behavioral inhibition) to provide more robust classification of pediatric anxiety problems. This review examines the phenomenology of anxiety disorders in early life, highlighting developmental research that interrogates the putative neurocircuitry of pediatric anxiety. First, we discuss enduring challenges in identifying and predicting risk for pediatric anxiety. Second, we summarize emerging evidence for putative neural antecedents and networks underlying risk for pediatric anxiety in the fetal, neonatal, and infant periods that represent novel potential avenues for risk identification and prediction. We focus on evidence examining the importance of early amygdala and extended amygdala circuitry development to the emergence of anxiety. Finally, we discuss the utility of integrating developmental psychopathology and neuroscience to facilitate future research and clinical work.
Collapse
|
9
|
Yamauchi T, Yoshioka T, Yamada D, Hamano T, Ohashi M, Matsumoto M, Iio K, Ikeda M, Kamei M, Otsuki T, Sato Y, Nii K, Suzuki M, Ichikawa H, Nagase H, Iriyama S, Yoshizawa K, Nishino S, Miyazaki S, Saitoh A. Cold-restraint stress–induced ultrasonic vocalization as a novel tool to measure anxiety in mice. Biol Pharm Bull 2021; 45:268-275. [DOI: 10.1248/bpb.b21-00776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tsugumi Yamauchi
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokyo University of Science
| | - Toshinori Yoshioka
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokyo University of Science
| | - Daisuke Yamada
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokyo University of Science
| | - Takumi Hamano
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokyo University of Science
| | - Misaki Ohashi
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokyo University of Science
| | - Maki Matsumoto
- Laboratory of Bioinformatics, Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokyo University of Science
| | - Keita Iio
- International Institute for Integrative Sleep Medicine (WPI-IIIS), University of Tsukuba
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Hiroko Ichikawa
- Laboratory of Psychology, Noda Division, Institute of Arts and Sciences, Tokyo University of Science
| | - Hiroshi Nagase
- International Institute for Integrative Sleep Medicine (WPI-IIIS), University of Tsukuba
| | - Satoshi Iriyama
- Laboratory of Quantum information dynamics, Department of Information Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, Tokyo University of Science
| | - Kazumi Yoshizawa
- Laboratory of Disease Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokyo University of Science
| | | | - Satoru Miyazaki
- Laboratory of Bioinformatics, Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokyo University of Science
| | - Akiyoshi Saitoh
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokyo University of Science
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Hessel M, Pape HC, Seidenbecher T. Stimulation of 5-HT receptors in anterodorsal BNST guides fear to predictable and unpredictable threat. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2020; 39:56-69. [PMID: 32873441 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2020.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2020] [Revised: 08/10/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Through pharmacological manipulation of the serotonergic (5-Hydroxytryptamin, 5-HT) system, combined with behavioral analysis, we tested the hypothesis that fear responses to predictable and unpredictable threat are regulated through stimulation of 5-HT receptors (5-HT-R) in the anterodorsal section of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (adBNST). Local adBNST application of 5-HT1A-R antagonist WAY100635 and 5-HT1B-R antagonist NAS-181 before fear retrieval enhanced freezing, 24 h after predictable fear conditioning. In contrast, increased fear responses to unpredictable threat were blocked by 5-HT1A-R agonist Buspirone (given before conditioning or retrieval) and 5-HT1B-R agonist CP-94253 (applied before training). Prolonged fear responses were also blocked by local application of the 5-HT2A-R antagonist R-96544 before fear retrieval, and conversely, local application of the 5-HT2A-R agonist NBOH-2C-CN hydrochloride before fear retrieval enhanced freezing 24 h after predictable conditioning, indicating augmented fear responses. Activation of inhibitory 5-HT1A- or 5-HT1B-Rs and the blockade of the excitatory 5-HT2A-R before unpredictable fear conditioning significantly reduced freezing during retrieval. The results from this study suggest that modulation of inhibitory 5-HT1A/1B-R and/or excitatory 5-HT2A-R activity in the adBNST may represent potential targets for the development of new treatment strategies in anxiety disorders. In addition, this study supports the validity and reliability of the mouse model of modulated fear to predictable and unpredictable threats to study mechanisms of fear and anxiety in combination with pharmacological manipulations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Margarita Hessel
- Institute of Physiology I, Westfälische Wilhelms-University Münster, Robert-Koch-Str. 27a, D-48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Hans-Christian Pape
- Institute of Physiology I, Westfälische Wilhelms-University Münster, Robert-Koch-Str. 27a, D-48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Thomas Seidenbecher
- Institute of Physiology I, Westfälische Wilhelms-University Münster, Robert-Koch-Str. 27a, D-48149 Münster, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Psychological mechanisms and functions of 5-HT and SSRIs in potential therapeutic change: Lessons from the serotonergic modulation of action selection, learning, affect, and social cognition. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 119:138-167. [PMID: 32931805 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2020] [Revised: 08/31/2020] [Accepted: 09/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Uncertainty regarding which psychological mechanisms are fundamental in mediating SSRI treatment outcomes and wide-ranging variability in their efficacy has raised more questions than it has solved. Since subjective mood states are an abstract scientific construct, only available through self-report in humans, and likely involving input from multiple top-down and bottom-up signals, it has been difficult to model at what level SSRIs interact with this process. Converging translational evidence indicates a role for serotonin in modulating context-dependent parameters of action selection, affect, and social cognition; and concurrently supporting learning mechanisms, which promote adaptability and behavioural flexibility. We examine the theoretical basis, ecological validity, and interaction of these constructs and how they may or may not exert a clinical benefit. Specifically, we bridge crucial gaps between disparate lines of research, particularly findings from animal models and human clinical trials, which often seem to present irreconcilable differences. In determining how SSRIs exert their effects, our approach examines the endogenous functions of 5-HT neurons, how 5-HT manipulations affect behaviour in different contexts, and how their therapeutic effects may be exerted in humans - which may illuminate issues of translational models, hierarchical mechanisms, idiographic variables, and social cognition.
Collapse
|
12
|
Bernabe CS, Caliman IF, Truitt WA, Molosh AI, Lowry CA, Hay-Schmidt A, Shekhar A, Johnson PL. Using loss- and gain-of-function approaches to target amygdala-projecting serotonergic neurons in the dorsal raphe nucleus that enhance anxiety-related and conditioned fear behaviors. J Psychopharmacol 2020; 34:400-411. [PMID: 32153226 PMCID: PMC9678127 DOI: 10.1177/0269881119900981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The central serotonergic system originating from the dorsal raphe nucleus (DR) plays a critical role in anxiety and trauma-related disorders such as posttraumatic stress disorder. Although many studies have investigated the role of serotonin (5-HT) within pro-fear brain regions such as the amygdala, the majority of these studies have utilized non-selective pharmacological approaches or poorly understood lesioning techniques which limit their interpretation. AIM Here we investigated the role of amygdala-projecting 5-HT neurons in the DR in innate anxiety and conditioned fear behaviors. METHODS To achieve this goal, we utilized (1) selective lesion of 5-HT neurons projecting to the amygdala with saporin toxin conjugated to anti-serotonin transporter (SERT) injected into the amygdala, and (2) optogenetic excitation of amygdala-projecting DR cell bodies with a combination of a retrogradely transported canine adenovirus-expressing Cre-recombinase injected into the amygdala and a Cre-dependent-channelrhodopsin injected into the DR. RESULTS While saporin treatment lesioned both local amygdalar 5-HT fibers and neurons in the DR as well as reduced conditioned fear behavior, optical activation of amygdala-projecting DR neurons enhanced anxious behavior and conditioned fear response. CONCLUSION Collectively, these studies support the hypothesis that amygdala-projecting 5-HT neurons in the DR represent an anxiety and fear-on network.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cristian S. Bernabe
- Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, Institute of Psychiatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA,Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Institute of Psychiatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Izabela F. Caliman
- Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, Institute of Psychiatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - William A. Truitt
- Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, Institute of Psychiatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA,Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Institute of Psychiatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Andrei I. Molosh
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Institute of Psychiatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA,Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Christopher A. Lowry
- Department of Integrative Physiology and Center for Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | | | - Anantha Shekhar
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Institute of Psychiatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA,Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Philip L. Johnson
- Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, Institute of Psychiatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA,Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Institute of Psychiatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA,Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Beyeler A, Dabrowska J. Neuronal diversity of the amygdala and the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis. HANDBOOK OF BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2020; 26:63-100. [PMID: 32792868 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-815134-1.00003-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Anna Beyeler
- Neurocentre Magendie, French National Institutes of Health (INSERM) unit 1215, Neurocampus of Bordeaux University, Bordeaux, France
| | - Joanna Dabrowska
- Center for the Neurobiology of Stress Resilience and Psychiatric Disorders, Discipline of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, The Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, United States
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Effects of plus-maze experience and chlordiazepoxide on anxiety-like behavior and serotonin neural activity in the dorsal raphe nucleus in rats. Behav Pharmacol 2020; 30:208-219. [PMID: 30169377 DOI: 10.1097/fbp.0000000000000423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The extent to which rats express anxiety-like behavior on the elevated plus-maze (EPM) depends on their previous maze experience. Open-arm avoidance develops in maze-experienced rats, and is often accompanied by a diminished anxiolytic response to benzodiazepines. Regions of the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) were examined in male Sprague-Dawley rats using c-Fos and serotonin immunohistochemistry following a single exposure, a second exposure or no exposure to the EPM. We then examined the effect of the benzodiazepine anxiolytic chlordiazepoxide (CDP, 5 mg/kg) on EPM behavior and DRN neural activity. Enhanced open-arm avoidance was evident on the second EPM trial in both experiments. The observed pattern of c-Fos expression suggests that the first exposure to the maze activates serotonin cells in the rostral and dorsal regions of the DRN and that only the dorsal subregion is activated by a second exposure. CDP increased open-arm exploration during the first trial, which corresponded to decreased 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) activity in the rostral and ventral subregions of the DRN. However, 5-HT activity in the DRN was reduced in rats on the second maze trial compared with the first trial, when CDP had no effect on open-arm exploration. These results suggest that open-arm avoidance in maze-experienced rats can be characterized as a coping response that is mediated by specific populations of 5-HT neurons in the DRN.
Collapse
|
15
|
Marcinkiewcz CA, Bierlein-De La Rosa G, Dorrier CE, McKnight M, DiBerto JF, Pati D, Gianessi CA, Hon OJ, Tipton G, McElligott ZA, Delpire E, Kash TL. Sex-Dependent Modulation of Anxiety and Fear by 5-HT 1A Receptors in the Bed Nucleus of the Stria Terminalis. ACS Chem Neurosci 2019; 10:3154-3166. [PMID: 31140276 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.8b00594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT) coordinates behavioral responses to stress through a variety of presynaptic and postsynaptic receptors distributed across functionally diverse neuronal networks in the central nervous system. Efferent 5-HT projections from the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) to the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) are generally thought to enhance anxiety and aversive learning by activating 5-HT2C receptor (5-HT2CR) signaling in the BNST, although an opposing role for postsynaptic 5-HT1A receptors has recently been suggested. In the present study, we sought to delineate a role for postsynaptic 5-HT1A receptors in the BNST in aversive behaviors using a conditional knockdown of the 5-HT1A receptor. Both males and females were tested to dissect out sex-specific effects. We found that male mice have significantly reduced fear memory recall relative to female mice and inactivation of 5-HT1A receptor in the BNST increases contextual fear conditioning in male mice so that they resemble the females. This coincided with an increase in neuronal excitability in males, suggesting that 5-HT1A receptor deletion may enhance contextual fear recall by disinhibiting fear memory circuits in the BNST. Interestingly, 5-HT1A receptor knockdown did not significantly alter anxiety-like behavior in male or female mice, which is in agreement with previous findings that anxiety and fear are modulated by dissociable circuits in the BNST. Overall, these results suggest that BNST 5-HT1A receptors do not significantly alter behavior under basal conditions, but can act as a molecular brake that buffer against excessive activation of aversive circuits in more threatening contexts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Catherine A. Marcinkiewcz
- Department of Pharmacology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242, United States
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | | | - Cayce E. Dorrier
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Mackenzie McKnight
- Department of Pharmacology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242, United States
| | - Jeffrey F. DiBerto
- Curriculum in Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Dipanwati Pati
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Carol A. Gianessi
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Olivia J. Hon
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
- Curriculum in Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Greg Tipton
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Zoe A. McElligott
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
- Curriculum in Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Eric Delpire
- Department of Anesthesiology, School of Medicine, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, United States
| | - Thomas L. Kash
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
- Curriculum in Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Waider J, Popp S, Mlinar B, Montalbano A, Bonfiglio F, Aboagye B, Thuy E, Kern R, Thiel C, Araragi N, Svirin E, Schmitt-Böhrer AG, Corradetti R, Lowry CA, Lesch KP. Serotonin Deficiency Increases Context-Dependent Fear Learning Through Modulation of Hippocampal Activity. Front Neurosci 2019; 13:245. [PMID: 31068767 PMCID: PMC6491456 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2019.00245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2018] [Accepted: 03/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) system dysfunction is implicated in exaggerated fear responses triggering various anxiety-, stress-, and trauma-related disorders. However, the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. Here, we investigated the impact of constitutively inactivated 5-HT synthesis on context-dependent fear learning and extinction using tryptophan hydroxylase 2 (Tph2) knockout mice. Fear conditioning and context-dependent fear memory extinction paradigms were combined with c-Fos imaging and electrophysiological recordings in the dorsal hippocampus (dHip). Tph2 mutant mice, completely devoid of 5-HT synthesis in brain, displayed accelerated fear memory formation and increased locomotor responses to foot shock. Furthermore, recall of context-dependent fear memory was increased. The behavioral responses were associated with increased c-Fos expression in the dHip and resistance to foot shock-induced impairment of hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP). In conclusion, increased context-dependent fear memory resulting from brain 5-HT deficiency involves dysfunction of the hippocampal circuitry controlling contextual representation of fear-related behavioral responses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jonas Waider
- Division of Molecular Psychiatry, Center of Mental Health, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Sandy Popp
- Division of Molecular Psychiatry, Center of Mental Health, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Boris Mlinar
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research, and Child Health, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Alberto Montalbano
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research, and Child Health, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Francesco Bonfiglio
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research, and Child Health, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Benjamin Aboagye
- Division of Molecular Psychiatry, Center of Mental Health, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Elisabeth Thuy
- Division of Molecular Psychiatry, Center of Mental Health, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Raphael Kern
- Division of Molecular Psychiatry, Center of Mental Health, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Christopher Thiel
- Division of Molecular Psychiatry, Center of Mental Health, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Naozumi Araragi
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany.,Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Evgeniy Svirin
- Division of Molecular Psychiatry, Center of Mental Health, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.,Laboratory of Psychiatric Neurobiology, Institute of Molecular Medicine, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Angelika G Schmitt-Böhrer
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, Center of Mental Health, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Renato Corradetti
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research, and Child Health, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Christopher A Lowry
- Department of Integrative Physiology and Center for Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - Klaus-Peter Lesch
- Division of Molecular Psychiatry, Center of Mental Health, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.,Laboratory of Psychiatric Neurobiology, Institute of Molecular Medicine, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russia.,Department of Translational Psychiatry, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Enhanced discriminative aversive learning and amygdala responsivity in 5-HT transporter mutant mice. Transl Psychiatry 2019; 9:139. [PMID: 30996249 PMCID: PMC6470159 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-019-0476-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2018] [Revised: 02/07/2019] [Accepted: 02/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic variation in the human serotonin transporter (5-HTT) has been linked to altered fear learning but the data are inconsistent and the mechanism is unclear. The present study investigated conditioned aversive learning in 5-HTT knockout (KO) mice while simultaneously recording neural network activity (theta oscillations) and hemodynamic responses (tissue oxygen delivery) from the amygdala, a brain region necessary for forming fearful memories. Conditioned aversive learning was measured using a discrimination learning task in which one auditory cue was paired with foot-shock, whereas a second auditory cue was not. Compared with wild-type mice, 5-HTTKO mice exhibited faster discrimination learning. This effect was associated with stronger theta frequency oscillations and greater hemodynamic changes in the amygdala in response to both the emotionally relevant cues and the unconditioned foot-shock stimulus. Furthermore, hemodynamic responses to the unconditioned stimulus predicted behavioral discrimination performance the following day. Acute pharmacological 5-HTT blockade in wild-type mice produced a similar effect, to the extent that administration of citalopram during the fear conditioning sessions enhanced fear memory recall. Collectively, our data argue that loss of 5-HTT function enhances amygdala responsivity to aversive events and facilitates learning for emotionally relevant cues.
Collapse
|
18
|
Meloni EG, Kaye KT, Venkataraman A, Carlezon WA. PACAP increases Arc/Arg 3.1 expression within the extended amygdala after fear conditioning in rats. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2018; 157:24-34. [PMID: 30458282 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2018.11.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2018] [Revised: 11/09/2018] [Accepted: 11/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The stress-related neuropeptide pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) is implicated in neuromodulation of learning and memory. PACAP can alter synaptic plasticity and has direct actions on neurons in the amygdala and hippocampus that could contribute to its acute and persistent effects on the consolidation and expression of conditioned fear. We recently demonstrated that intracerebroventricular (ICV) infusion of PACAP prior to fear conditioning (FC) results in initial amnestic-like effects followed by hyper-expression of conditioned freezing with repeated testing, and analyses of immediate-early gene c-Fos expression suggested that the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA), but not the lateral/basolateral amygdala (LA/BLA) or hippocampus, are involved in these PACAP effects. Here, we extend that work by examining the expression of the synaptic plasticity marker activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein (Arc/Arg 3.1) after PACAP administration and FC. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were implanted with cannula for ICV infusion of PACAP-38 (1.5 µg) or vehicle followed by FC and tests for conditioned freezing. One hour after FC, Arc protein expression was significantly elevated in the CeA and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), interconnected structures that are key elements of the extended amygdala, in rats that received the combination of PACAP + FC. In contrast, Arc expression within the subdivisions of the hippocampus, or the LA/BLA, were unchanged. A subpopulation of Arc-positive cells in both the CeA and BNST also express PKCdelta, an intracellular marker that has been used to identify microcircuits that gate conditioned fear in the CeA. Consistent with our previous findings, on the following day conditioned freezing behavior was reduced in rats that had been given the combination of PACAP + FC-an amnestic-like effect-and Arc expression levels had returned to baseline. Given the established role of Arc in modifying synaptic plasticity and memory formation, our findings suggest that PACAP-induced overexpression of Arc following fear conditioning may disrupt neuroplastic changes within populations of CeA and BNST neurons normally responsible for encoding fear-related cues that, in this case, results in altered fear memory consolidation. Hence, PACAP systems may represent an axis on which stress and experience-driven neurotransmission converge to alter emotional memory, and mediate pathologies that are characteristic of psychiatric illnesses such as post-traumatic stress disorder.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Edward G Meloni
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School and McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA 02478, United States.
| | - Karen T Kaye
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School and McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA 02478, United States
| | - Archana Venkataraman
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School and McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA 02478, United States
| | - William A Carlezon
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School and McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA 02478, United States
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Avesar D, Stephens EK, Gulledge AT. Serotonergic Regulation of Corticoamygdalar Neurons in the Mouse Prelimbic Cortex. Front Neural Circuits 2018; 12:63. [PMID: 30131678 PMCID: PMC6090182 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2018.00063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2018] [Accepted: 07/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuromodulatory transmitters, such as serotonin (5-HT), selectively regulate the excitability of subpopulations of cortical projection neurons to gate cortical output to specific target regions. For instance, in the mouse prelimbic cortex, 5-HT selectively excites commissurally projecting (COM) intratelencephalic neurons via activation of 5-HT2A (2A) receptors, while simultaneously inhibiting, via 5-HT1A (1A) receptors, corticofugally projecting pyramidal neurons targeting the pons. Here we characterize the physiology, morphology, and serotonergic regulation of corticoamygdalar (CAm) projection neurons in the mouse prelimbic cortex. Layer 5 CAm neurons shared a number of physiological and morphological characteristics with COM neurons, including higher input resistances, smaller HCN-channel mediated responses, and sparser dendritic arbors than corticopontine neurons. Across cortical lamina, CAm neurons also resembled COM neurons in their serotonergic modulation; focally applied 5-HT (100 μM; 1 s) generated 2A-receptor-mediated excitation, or 1A- and 2A-dependent biphasic responses, in ipsilaterally and contralaterally projecting CAm neurons. Serotonergic excitation depended on extrinsic excitatory drive, as 5-HT failed to depolarize CAm neurons from rest, but could enhance the number of action potentials generated by simulated barrages of synaptic input. Finally, using dual tracer injections, we identified double-labeled CAm/COM neurons that displayed primarily excitatory or biphasic responses to 5-HT. Overall, our findings reveal that prelimbic CAm neurons in layer 5 overlap, at least partially, with COM neurons, and that neurons projecting to either, or both targets, exhibit 2A-dependent serotonergic excitation. These results suggest that 5-HT, acting at 2A receptors, may promote cortical output to the amygdala.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Allan T. Gulledge
- Department of Molecular and Systems Biology, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, United States
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Payet JM, Burnie E, Sathananthan NJ, Russo AM, Lawther AJ, Kent S, Lowry CA, Hale MW. Exposure to Acute and Chronic Fluoxetine has Differential Effects on Sociability and Activity of Serotonergic Neurons in the Dorsal Raphe Nucleus of Juvenile Male BALB/c Mice. Neuroscience 2018; 386:1-15. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2018.06.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2018] [Revised: 06/05/2018] [Accepted: 06/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
|
21
|
Janeček M, Dabrowska J. Oxytocin facilitates adaptive fear and attenuates anxiety responses in animal models and human studies-potential interaction with the corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) system in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST). Cell Tissue Res 2018; 375:143-172. [PMID: 30054732 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-018-2889-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2018] [Accepted: 07/04/2018] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Despite its relatively well-understood role as a reproductive and pro-social peptide, oxytocin (OT) tells a more convoluted story in terms of its modulation of fear and anxiety. This nuanced story has been obscured by a great deal of research into the therapeutic applications of exogenous OT, driving more than 400 ongoing clinical trials. Drawing from animal models and human studies, we review the complex evidence concerning OT's role in fear learning and anxiety, clarifying the existing confusion about modulation of fear versus anxiety. We discuss animal models and human studies demonstrating the prevailing role of OT in strengthening fear memory to a discrete signal or cue, which allows accurate and rapid threat detection that facilitates survival. We also review ostensibly contrasting behavioral studies that nonetheless provide compelling evidence of OT attenuating sustained contextual fear and anxiety-like behavior, arguing that these OT effects on the modulation of fear vs. anxiety are not mutually exclusive. To disambiguate how endogenous OT modulates fear and anxiety, an understudied area compared to exogenous OT, we survey behavioral studies utilizing OT receptor (OTR) antagonists. Based on emerging evidence about the role of OTR in rat dorsolateral bed nucleus of stria terminalis (BNST) and elsewhere, we postulate that OT plays a critical role in facilitating accurate discrimination between stimuli representing threat and safety. Supported by human studies, we demonstrate that OT uniquely facilitates adaptive fear but reduces maladaptive anxiety. Last, we explore the limited literature on endogenous OT and its interaction with corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) with a special emphasis on the dorsolateral BNST, which may hold the key to the neurobiology of phasic fear and sustained anxiety.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael Janeček
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, 60064, USA
| | - Joanna Dabrowska
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, 60064, USA. .,Department of Neuroscience, Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, 60064, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Mazzone CM, Pati D, Michaelides M, DiBerto J, Fox JH, Tipton G, Anderson C, Duffy K, McKlveen JM, Hardaway JA, Magness ST, Falls WA, Hammack SE, McElligott ZA, Hurd YL, Kash TL. Acute engagement of G q-mediated signaling in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis induces anxiety-like behavior. Mol Psychiatry 2018; 23:143-153. [PMID: 27956747 PMCID: PMC5468515 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2016.218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2015] [Revised: 09/21/2016] [Accepted: 10/11/2016] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) is a brain region important for regulating anxiety-related behavior in both humans and rodents. Here we used a chemogenetic strategy to investigate how engagement of G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling cascades in genetically defined GABAergic BNST neurons modulates anxiety-related behavior and downstream circuit function. We saw that stimulation of vesicular γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) transporter (VGAT)-expressing BNST neurons using hM3Dq, but neither hM4Di nor rM3Ds designer receptors exclusively activated by a designer drug (DREADD), promotes anxiety-like behavior. Further, we identified that activation of hM3Dq receptors in BNST VGAT neurons can induce a long-term depression-like state of glutamatergic synaptic transmission, indicating DREADD-induced changes in synaptic plasticity. Further, we used DREADD-assisted metabolic mapping to profile brain-wide network activity following activation of Gq-mediated signaling in BNST VGAT neurons and saw increased activity within ventral midbrain structures, including the ventral tegmental area and hindbrain structures such as the locus coeruleus and parabrachial nucleus. These results highlight that Gq-mediated signaling in BNST VGAT neurons can drive downstream network activity that correlates with anxiety-like behavior and points to the importance of identifying endogenous GPCRs within genetically defined cell populations. We next used a microfluidics approach to profile the receptorome of single BNST VGAT neurons. This approach yielded multiple Gq-coupled receptors that are associated with anxiety-like behavior and several potential novel candidates for regulation of anxiety-like behavior. From this, we identified that stimulation of the Gq-coupled receptor 5-HT2CR in the BNST is sufficient to elevate anxiety-like behavior in an acoustic startle task. Together, these results provide a novel profile of receptors within genetically defined BNST VGAT neurons that may serve as therapeutic targets for regulating anxiety states and provide a blueprint for examining how G-protein-mediated signaling in a genetically defined cell type can be used to assess behavior and brain-wide circuit function.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christopher M. Mazzone
- Neurobiology Curriculum, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
| | - Dipanwita Pati
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
| | - Michael Michaelides
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029
- Department of Psychiatry, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029
- Biobehavioral Imaging and Molecular Neuropsychopharmacology Unit, Neuroimaging Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore, MD 21224
| | - Jeffrey DiBerto
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
| | - James H. Fox
- Department of Psychology, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405
| | - Gregory Tipton
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
| | - Carlton Anderson
- Center for Gastrointestinal Biology and Disease, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
| | - Kelly Duffy
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
| | - Jessica M. McKlveen
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
| | - J. Andrew Hardaway
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
| | - Scott T. Magness
- Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, and Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
| | - William A. Falls
- Department of Psychology, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405
| | | | - Zoe A. McElligott
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
| | - Yasmin L. Hurd
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029
- Department of Psychiatry, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029
| | - Thomas L. Kash
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC, 27599
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Electrolytic post-training lesions of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis block startle potentiation in a cued fear conditioning procedure. Brain Struct Funct 2017; 223:1839-1848. [PMID: 29249047 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-017-1591-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2017] [Accepted: 12/07/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Existing neuroanatomical models argue that the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST) principally mediates sustained, long-lasting fear or anxiety responses, but not shorter, phasic fear responses, although recent studies paint a more complex picture. In the current study, we evaluated the effect of post-training electrolytic BST lesions in a cued fear conditioning protocol with relatively short (10 s) tones. We hypothesized that the BST would not play a crucial role in the expression of fear upon re-exposure to the conditioned tones. Tone fear memory was primarily assessed through fear-potentiated startle. In addition, freezing measurements were obtained throughout the test sessions. In a series of three experiments, we explored the effects of BST lesions, taking into consideration contextual influences on cued fear expression (using (dis)similar training and test contexts) and temporal involvement of the BST in the consolidation of fear learning (lesion induction 3 or 27 h after fear conditioning). In all three experiments, we found that post-training electrolytic lesions of the BST significantly reduced fear-potentiated startle, implying a deficit in differentiation between tone and context. These results are surprising and challenge the general consensus on the lack of BST involvement in cued fear. We discuss several alternative explanations that may account for these unexpected findings.
Collapse
|
24
|
Goode TD, Maren S. Role of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis in aversive learning and memory. Learn Mem 2017; 24:480-491. [PMID: 28814474 PMCID: PMC5580527 DOI: 10.1101/lm.044206.116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2017] [Accepted: 06/30/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Surviving threats in the environment requires brain circuits for detecting (or anticipating) danger and for coordinating appropriate defensive responses (e.g., increased cardiac output, stress hormone release, and freezing behavior). The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) is a critical interface between the "affective forebrain"-including the amygdala, ventral hippocampus, and medial prefrontal cortex-and the hypothalamic and brainstem areas that have been implicated in neuroendocrine, autonomic, and behavioral responses to actual or anticipated threats. However, the precise contribution of the BNST to defensive behavior is unclear, both in terms of the antecedent stimuli that mobilize BNST activity and the consequent defensive reactions. For example, it is well known that the BNST is essential for contextual fear conditioning, but dispensable for fear conditioning to discrete conditioned stimuli (CSs), at least as indexed by freezing behavior. However, recent evidence suggests that there are circumstances in which contextual freezing may persist independent of the BNST. Furthermore, the BNST is involved in the reinstatement (or relapse) of conditioned freezing to extinguished discrete CSs. As such, there are critical gaps in understanding how the BNST contributes to fundamental processes involved in Pavlovian fear conditioning. Here, we attempt to provide an integrative account of BNST function in fear conditioning. We discuss distinctions between unconditioned stress and conditioned fear and the role of BNST circuits in organizing behaviors associated with these states. We propose that the BNST mediates conditioned defensive responses-not based on the modality or duration of the antecedent threat or the duration of the behavioral response to the threat-but rather as consequence the ability of an antecedent stimulus to predict when an aversive outcome will occur (i.e., its temporal predictability). We argue that the BNST is not uniquely mobilized by sustained threats or uniquely involved in organizing sustained fear responses. In contrast, we argue that the BNST is involved in organizing fear responses to stimuli that poorly predict when danger will occur, no matter the duration, modality, or complexity of those stimuli. The concepts discussed in this review are critical to understanding the contribution of the human BNST to fear and anxiety disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Travis D Goode
- Institute for Neuroscience and the Department of Psychology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843-3474, USA
| | - Stephen Maren
- Institute for Neuroscience and the Department of Psychology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843-3474, USA
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Bonaventure P, Dugovic C, Shireman B, Preville C, Yun S, Lord B, Nepomuceno D, Wennerholm M, Lovenberg T, Carruthers N, Fitz SD, Shekhar A, Johnson PL. Evaluation of JNJ-54717793 a Novel Brain Penetrant Selective Orexin 1 Receptor Antagonist in Two Rat Models of Panic Attack Provocation. Front Pharmacol 2017; 8:357. [PMID: 28649201 PMCID: PMC5465257 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2017.00357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2017] [Accepted: 05/24/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Orexin neurons originating in the perifornical and lateral hypothalamic area are highly reactive to anxiogenic stimuli and have strong projections to anxiety and panic-associated circuitry. Recent studies support a role for the orexin system and in particular the orexin 1 receptor (OX1R) in coordinating an integrative stress response. However, no selective OX1R antagonist has been systematically tested in two preclinical models of using panicogenic stimuli that induce panic attack in the majority of people with panic disorder, namely an acute hypercapnia-panic provocation model and a model involving chronic inhibition of GABA synthesis in the perifornical hypothalamic area followed by intravenous sodium lactate infusion. Here we report on a novel brain penetrant, selective and high affinity OX1R antagonist JNJ-54717793 (1S,2R,4R)-7-([(3-fluoro-2-pyrimidin-2-ylphenyl)carbonyl]-N-[5-(trifluoromethyl)pyrazin-2-yl]-7-azabicyclo[2.2.1]heptan-2-amine). JNJ-54717793 is a high affinity/potent OX1R antagonist and has an excellent selectivity profile including 50 fold versus the OX2R. Ex vivo receptor binding studies demonstrated that after oral administration JNJ-54717793 crossed the blood brain barrier and occupied OX1Rs in the rat brain. While JNJ-54717793 had minimal effect on spontaneous sleep in rats and in wild-type mice, its administration in OX2R knockout mice, selectively promoted rapid eye movement sleep, demonstrating target engagement and specific OX1R blockade. JNJ-54717793 attenuated CO2 and sodium lactate induced panic-like behaviors and cardiovascular responses without altering baseline locomotor or autonomic activity. These data confirm that selective OX1R antagonism may represent a novel approach of treating anxiety disorders, with no apparent sedative effects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Brock Shireman
- Janssen Research & Development, LLC, San DiegoCA, United States
| | - Cathy Preville
- Janssen Research & Development, LLC, San DiegoCA, United States
| | - Sujin Yun
- Janssen Research & Development, LLC, San DiegoCA, United States
| | - Brian Lord
- Janssen Research & Development, LLC, San DiegoCA, United States
| | | | | | | | | | - Stephanie D. Fitz
- Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, IndianapolisIN, United States
| | - Anantha Shekhar
- Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, IndianapolisIN, United States
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, IndianapolisIN, United States
| | - Philip L. Johnson
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, IndianapolisIN, United States
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, IndianapolisIN, United States
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Frijling JL. Preventing PTSD with oxytocin: effects of oxytocin administration on fear neurocircuitry and PTSD symptom development in recently trauma-exposed individuals. Eur J Psychotraumatol 2017; 8:1302652. [PMID: 28451068 PMCID: PMC5400019 DOI: 10.1080/20008198.2017.1302652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2017] [Revised: 03/01/2017] [Accepted: 02/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating psychiatric disorder which develops in approximately 10% of trauma-exposed individuals. Currently, there are few early preventive interventions available for PTSD. Intranasal oxytocin administration early posttrauma may prevent PTSD symptom development, as oxytocin administration was previously found to beneficially impact neurobiological (e.g. amygdala reactivity) and socio-emotional PTSD vulnerability factors. Objective: The overall aim of this dissertation was to investigate the potential of intranasal oxytocin administration as early preventive intervention for PTSD. Methods: We performed a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study to assess the acute effects of a single administration of oxytocin on the functional fear neurocircuitry - consisting of the amygdala and (pre)frontal brain regions - in recently trauma-exposed emergency department patients (range n = 37-41). In addition, we performed a multicentre randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial (RCT) to assess the efficacy of repeated intranasal oxytocin administration early after trauma for preventing PTSD symptom development up to six months posttrauma (n = 107). Results: In our fMRI experiments we observed acutely increased amygdala reactivity to fearful faces and attenuated amygdala-ventromedial and ventrolateral prefrontal cortex functional connectivity after a single oxytocin administration in recently trauma-exposed individuals. However, in our RCT we found that repeated intranasal oxytocin administration early posttrauma reduced subsequent PTSD symptom development in recently trauma-exposed emergency department patients with high acute PTSD symptoms. Conclusions: These findings indicate that repeated intranasal oxytocin is a promising early preventive intervention for PTSD for individuals at increased risk for PTSD due to high acute symptom severity. Administration frequency dependent effects of oxytocin or the effects of oxytocin administration on salience processing may serve as explanatory frameworks for the contrasting oxytocin effects on anxiety-related measures in our clinical and neuroimaging studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jessie L Frijling
- Department of Psychiatry, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Pelrine E, Pasik SD, Bayat L, Goldschmiedt D, Bauer EP. 5-HT2C receptors in the BNST are necessary for the enhancement of fear learning by selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2016; 136:189-195. [PMID: 27773594 PMCID: PMC5126982 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2016.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2016] [Revised: 10/07/2016] [Accepted: 10/19/2016] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are widely prescribed to treat anxiety and depression, yet they paradoxically increase anxiety during initial treatment. Acute administration of these drugs prior to learning can also enhance Pavlovian cued fear conditioning. This potentiation has been previously reported to depend upon the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST). Here, using temporary inactivation, we confirmed that the BNST is not necessary for the acquisition of cued or contextual fear memory. Systemic administration of the SSRI citalopram prior to fear conditioning led to an upregulation of the immediate early gene Arc (activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein) in the oval nucleus of the BNST, and a majority of these neurons expressed the 5-HT2C receptor. Finally, local infusions of a 5-HT2C receptor antagonist directly into the oval nucleus of the BNST prevented the fear memory-enhancing effects of citalopram. These findings highlight the ability of the BNST circuitry to be recruited into gating fear and anxiety-like behaviors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eliza Pelrine
- Biology Department, Barnard College, New York, NY 10027, United States
| | - Sara Diana Pasik
- Biology Department, Barnard College, New York, NY 10027, United States
| | - Leyla Bayat
- Biology Department, Barnard College, New York, NY 10027, United States
| | | | - Elizabeth P Bauer
- Biology Department, Barnard College, New York, NY 10027, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Sanders J, Mayford M. Chronic fluoxetine dissociates contextual from auditory fear memory. Neurosci Lett 2016; 632:152-6. [PMID: 27592057 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2016.08.057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2016] [Revised: 08/18/2016] [Accepted: 08/30/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Fluoxetine is a medication used to treat Major Depressive Disorder and other psychiatric conditions. These experiments studied the effects of chronic fluoxetine treatment on the contextual versus auditory fear memory of mice. We found that chronic fluoxetine treatment of adult mice impaired their contextual fear memory, but spared auditory fear memory. Hippocampal perineuronal nets, which are involved in contextual fear memory plasticity, were unaltered by fluoxetine treatment. These data point to a selective inability to form contextual fear memory as a result of fluoxetine treatment, and they suggest that a blunting of hippocampal-mediated aversive memory may be a therapeutic action for this medication.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jeff Sanders
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0603, United States.
| | - Mark Mayford
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0603, United States
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Serotonin engages an anxiety and fear-promoting circuit in the extended amygdala. Nature 2016; 537:97-101. [PMID: 27556938 PMCID: PMC5124365 DOI: 10.1038/nature19318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 299] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2015] [Accepted: 07/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT) is a neurotransmitter that has an essential role in the regulation of emotion. The precise circuits through which aversive states are orchestrated by 5-HT, however, have not yet been defined. Here we show that 5-HT from the dorsal raphe nucleus (5-HTDRN) enhances fear and anxiety and activates a subpopulation of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) neurons in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (CRFBNST). Specifically, 5-HTDRN projections to the BNST, via actions at 5-HT2C receptors (5-HT2CRs), engage a CRFBNST inhibitory microcircuit that silences anxiolytic BNST outputs to the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and lateral hypothalamus (LH). Further, we demonstrate that this CRFBNST inhibitory circuit underlies aversive behavior following acute exposure to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). This early aversive effect is mediated via the corticotrophin releasing factor type 1 receptor (CRF1R) given that CRF1R antagonism is sufficient to prevent acute SSRI-induced enhancements in aversive learning. These results reveal an essential 5-HTDRN→CRFBNST circuit governing fear and anxiety and provide a potential mechanistic explanation for the clinical observation of early adverse events to SSRI treatment in some patients with anxiety disorders1,2.
Collapse
|
30
|
Johnson PL, Molosh A, Fitz SD, Arendt D, Deehan GA, Federici LM, Bernabe C, Engleman EA, Rodd ZA, Lowry CA, Shekhar A. Pharmacological depletion of serotonin in the basolateral amygdala complex reduces anxiety and disrupts fear conditioning. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2016; 138:174-9. [PMID: 26476009 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2015.09.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2015] [Revised: 09/28/2015] [Accepted: 09/29/2015] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
The basolateral and lateral amygdala nuclei complex (BLC) is implicated in a number of emotional responses including conditioned fear and social anxiety. Based on previous studies demonstrating that enhanced serotonin release in the BLC leads to increased anxiety and fear responses, we hypothesized that pharmacologically depleting serotonin in the BLC using 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine (5,7-DHT) injections would lead to diminished anxiety and disrupted fear conditioning. To test this hypothesis, 5,7-DHT(a serotonin-depleting agent) was bilaterally injected into the BLC. Desipramine (a norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor) was systemically administered to prevent non-selective effects on norepinephrine. After 5days, 5-7-DHT-treated rats showed increases in the duration of social interaction (SI) time, suggestive of reduced anxiety-like behavior. We then used a cue-induced fear conditioning protocol with shock as the unconditioned stimulus and tone as the conditioned stimulus for rats pretreated with bilateral 5,7-DHT, or vehicle, injections into the BLC. Compared to vehicle-treated rats, 5,7-DHT rats had reduced acquisition of fear during conditioning (measured by freezing time during tone), also had reduced fear retrieval/recall on subsequent testing days. Ex vivo analyses revealed that 5,7-DHT reduced local 5-HT concentrations in the BLC by ~40% without altering local norepinephrine or dopamine concentrations. These data provide additional support for 5-HT playing a critical role in modulating anxiety-like behavior and fear-associated memories through its actions within the BLC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Philip L Johnson
- Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA; Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA,.
| | - Andrei Molosh
- Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA; Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Stephanie D Fitz
- Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Dave Arendt
- Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Gerald A Deehan
- Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Lauren M Federici
- Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA; Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Cristian Bernabe
- Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Eric A Engleman
- Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Zachary A Rodd
- Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA; Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Christopher A Lowry
- Department of Integrative Physiology and Center for Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Anantha Shekhar
- Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA; Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Daldrup T, Lesting J, Meuth P, Seidenbecher T, Pape HC. Neuronal correlates of sustained fear in the anterolateral part of the bed nucleus of stria terminalis. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2016; 131:137-46. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2016.03.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2015] [Revised: 03/24/2016] [Accepted: 03/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
|
32
|
Abstract
Fear memory is the best-studied form of memory. It was thoroughly investigated in the past 60 years mostly using two classical conditioning procedures (contextual fear conditioning and fear conditioning to a tone) and one instrumental procedure (one-trial inhibitory avoidance). Fear memory is formed in the hippocampus (contextual conditioning and inhibitory avoidance), in the basolateral amygdala (inhibitory avoidance), and in the lateral amygdala (conditioning to a tone). The circuitry involves, in addition, the pre- and infralimbic ventromedial prefrontal cortex, the central amygdala subnuclei, and the dentate gyrus. Fear learning models, notably inhibitory avoidance, have also been very useful for the analysis of the biochemical mechanisms of memory consolidation as a whole. These studies have capitalized on in vitro observations on long-term potentiation and other kinds of plasticity. The effect of a very large number of drugs on fear learning has been intensively studied, often as a prelude to the investigation of effects on anxiety. The extinction of fear learning involves to an extent a reversal of the flow of information in the mentioned structures and is used in the therapy of posttraumatic stress disorder and fear memories in general.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Izquierdo
- National Institute of Translational Neuroscience, National Research Council of Brazil, and Memory Center, Brain Institute, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Cristiane R. G. Furini
- National Institute of Translational Neuroscience, National Research Council of Brazil, and Memory Center, Brain Institute, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Jociane C. Myskiw
- National Institute of Translational Neuroscience, National Research Council of Brazil, and Memory Center, Brain Institute, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Lebow MA, Chen A. Overshadowed by the amygdala: the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis emerges as key to psychiatric disorders. Mol Psychiatry 2016; 21:450-63. [PMID: 26878891 PMCID: PMC4804181 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2016.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 416] [Impact Index Per Article: 52.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2015] [Revised: 11/19/2015] [Accepted: 12/15/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) is a center of integration for limbic information and valence monitoring. The BNST, sometimes referred to as the extended amygdala, is located in the basal forebrain and is a sexually dimorphic structure made up of between 12 and 18 sub-nuclei. These sub-nuclei are rich with distinct neuronal subpopulations of receptors, neurotransmitters, transporters and proteins. The BNST is important in a range of behaviors such as: the stress response, extended duration fear states and social behavior, all crucial determinants of dysfunction in human psychiatric diseases. Most research on stress and psychiatric diseases has focused on the amygdala, which regulates immediate responses to fear. However, the BNST, and not the amygdala, is the center of the psychogenic circuit from the hippocampus to the paraventricular nucleus. This circuit is important in the stimulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Thus, the BNST has been largely overlooked with respect to its possible dysregulation in mood and anxiety disorders, social dysfunction and psychological trauma, all of which have clear gender disparities. In this review, we will look in-depth at the anatomy and projections of the BNST, and provide an overview of the current literature on the relevance of BNST dysregulation in psychiatric diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- M A Lebow
- grid.13992.300000 0004 0604 7563Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel ,grid.419548.50000 0000 9497 5095Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max-Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - A Chen
- grid.13992.300000 0004 0604 7563Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel ,grid.419548.50000 0000 9497 5095Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max-Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Avery SN, Clauss JA, Blackford JU. The Human BNST: Functional Role in Anxiety and Addiction. Neuropsychopharmacology 2016; 41:126-41. [PMID: 26105138 PMCID: PMC4677124 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2015.185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 191] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2015] [Revised: 05/03/2015] [Accepted: 06/17/2015] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
The consequences of chronic stress on brain structure and function are far reaching. Whereas stress can produce short-term adaptive changes in the brain, chronic stress leads to long-term maladaptive changes that increase vulnerability to psychiatric disorders, such as anxiety and addiction. These two disorders are the most prevalent psychiatric disorders in the United States, and are typically chronic, disabling, and highly comorbid. Emerging evidence implicates a tiny brain region-the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST)-in the body's stress response and in anxiety and addiction. Rodent studies provide compelling evidence that the BNST plays a central role in sustained threat monitoring, a form of adaptive anxiety, and in the withdrawal and relapse stages of addiction; however, little is known about the role of BNST in humans. Here, we review current evidence for BNST function in humans, including evidence for a role in the production of both adaptive and maladaptive anxiety. We also review preliminary evidence of the role of BNST in addiction in humans. Together, these studies provide a foundation of knowledge about the role of BNST in adaptive anxiety and stress-related disorders. Although the field is in its infancy, future investigations of human BNST function have tremendous potential to illuminate mechanisms underlying stress-related disorders and identify novel neural targets for treatment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- S N Avery
- Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - J A Clauss
- Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - J U Blackford
- Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Kash TL, Pleil KE, Marcinkiewcz CA, Lowery-Gionta EG, Crowley N, Mazzone C, Sugam J, Hardaway JA, McElligott ZA. Neuropeptide regulation of signaling and behavior in the BNST. Mol Cells 2015; 38:1-13. [PMID: 25475545 PMCID: PMC4314126 DOI: 10.14348/molcells.2015.2261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2014] [Accepted: 09/29/2014] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent technical developments have transformed how neuroscientists can probe brain function. What was once thought to be difficult and perhaps impossible, stimulating a single set of long range inputs among many, is now relatively straight-forward using optogenetic approaches. This has provided an avalanche of data demonstrating causal roles for circuits in a variety of behaviors. However, despite the critical role that neuropeptide signaling plays in the regulation of behavior and physiology of the brain, there have been remarkably few studies demonstrating how peptide release is causally linked to behaviors. This is likely due to both the different time scale by which peptides act on and the modulatory nature of their actions. For example, while glutamate release can effectively transmit information between synapses in milliseconds, peptide release is potentially slower [See the excellent review by Van Den Pol on the time scales and mechanisms of release (van den Pol, 2012)] and it can only tune the existing signals via modulation. And while there have been some studies exploring mechanisms of release, it is still not as clearly known what is required for efficient peptide release. Furthermore, this analysis could be complicated by the fact that there are multiple peptides released, some of which may act in contrast. Despite these limitations, there are a number of groups making progress in this area. The goal of this review is to explore the role of peptide signaling in one specific structure, the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, that has proven to be a fertile ground for peptide action.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas L. Kash
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies and Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill,
USA
| | - Kristen E. Pleil
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies and Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill,
USA
| | - Catherine A. Marcinkiewcz
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies and Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill,
USA
| | - Emily G. Lowery-Gionta
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies and Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill,
USA
| | - Nicole Crowley
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies and Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill,
USA
| | - Christopher Mazzone
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies and Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill,
USA
| | - Jonathan Sugam
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies and Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill,
USA
| | - J. Andrew Hardaway
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies and Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill,
USA
| | - Zoe A. McElligott
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies and Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill,
USA
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Serotonin in fear conditioning processes. Behav Brain Res 2015; 277:68-77. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2014.07.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2014] [Revised: 07/18/2014] [Accepted: 07/21/2014] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
|
37
|
MacDonald K, Feifel D. Oxytocin's role in anxiety: a critical appraisal. Brain Res 2014; 1580:22-56. [PMID: 24468203 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2014.01.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2013] [Revised: 11/21/2013] [Accepted: 01/15/2014] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
A growing literature suggests that the oxytocin (OT) system may play a role in human anxiety states, anxiety-related traits, and moreover, that this system may be a target for the development of novel anxiolytic treatments. However, studies of OT's acute and chronic effects on various aspects of anxiety have produced mixed results. In this forward-looking review, we discuss the myriad phenomena to which the term "anxiety" is applied in the OT literature and the problem this presents developing a coherent picture of OT's role in anxiety. We then survey several different fields of research that support the role of the OT system in human anxiety, including evolutionary perspectives, translational and neuroimaging research, genetic studies, and clinical trials of intranasal OT. As an outgrowth of this data, we propose a "bowtie" model of OT's role at the interface of social attachment and anxiety. We next direct attention to understudied brain regions and neural circuits which may be important to study in OT experiments in humans anxiety disorders. Finally, we conclude by proposing questions and priorities for studying both the clinical potential of OT in anxiety, as well as mechanisms that may underlie this potential. Crucially, these priorities include targeted proof-of-concept clinical trials of IN OT in certain anxiety disorders, including investigations of individual moderators of OT's anxiolytic effects (i.e. sex, genetic factors, and early experience). This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Oxytocin and Social Behav.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kai MacDonald
- University of San Diego, Department of Psychiatry, 140 Arbor Drive, CA 92103, USA.
| | - David Feifel
- University of San Diego, Department of Psychiatry, 140 Arbor Drive, CA 92103, USA
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Abstract
Exposure to an uncontrollable stressor elicits a constellation of physiological and behavioral sequel in laboratory rats that often reflect aspects of anxiety and other emotional disruptions. We review evidence suggesting that plasticity within the serotonergic dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) is critical to the expression of uncontrollable stressor-induced anxiety. Specifically, after uncontrollable stressor exposure subsequent anxiogenic stimuli evoke greater 5-HT release in DRN terminal regions including the amygdala and striatum; and pharmacological blockade of postsynaptic 5-HT(2C) receptors in these regions prevents expression of stressor-induced anxiety. Importantly, the controllability of stress, the presence of safety signals, and a history of exercise mitigate the expression of stressor-induced anxiety. These stress-protective factors appear to involve distinct neural substrates; with stressor controllability requiring the medial prefrontal cortex, safety signals the insular cortex and exercise affecting the 5-HT system directly. Knowledge of the distinct yet converging mechanisms underlying these stress-protective factors could provide insight into novel strategies for the treatment and prevention of stress-related psychiatric disorders.
Collapse
|
39
|
MacDonald K, Feifel D, Brüne M, Lamb K, Wilson MP, Golshan S, MacDonald T. Not disappointed by anxiety: a reply to Cardoso and Ellenbogen's commentary "Oxytocin and psychotherapy: keeping context and person in mind". Psychoneuroendocrinology 2013; 38:3173-5. [PMID: 24035602 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2013.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2013] [Accepted: 08/03/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kai MacDonald
- University of California, San Diego Medical Center, Department of Psychiatry, United States.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
40
|
Karabeg MM, Grauthoff S, Kollert SY, Weidner M, Heiming RS, Jansen F, Popp S, Kaiser S, Lesch KP, Sachser N, Schmitt AG, Lewejohann L. 5-HTT deficiency affects neuroplasticity and increases stress sensitivity resulting in altered spatial learning performance in the Morris water maze but not in the Barnes maze. PLoS One 2013; 8:e78238. [PMID: 24167611 PMCID: PMC3805519 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0078238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2013] [Accepted: 09/11/2013] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether spatial hippocampus-dependent learning is affected by the serotonergic system and stress. Therefore, 5-HTT knockout (-/-), heterozygous (+/-) and wildtype (+/+) mice were subjected to the Barnes maze (BM) and the Morris water maze (WM), the latter being discussed as more aversive. Additionally, immediate early gene (IEG) expression, hippocampal adult neurogenesis (aN), and blood plasma corticosterone were analyzed. While the performance of 5-HTT-/- mice in the BM was undistinguishable from both other genotypes, they performed worse in the WM. However, in the course of the repeated WM trials 5-HTT-/- mice advanced to wildtype level. The experience of a single trial of either the WM or the BM resulted in increased plasma corticosterone levels in all genotypes. After several trials 5-HTT-/- mice exhibited higher corticosterone concentrations compared with both other genotypes in both tests. Corticosterone levels were highest in 5-HTT-/- mice tested in the WM indicating greater aversiveness of the WM and a greater stress sensitivity of 5-HTT deficient mice. Quantitative immunohistochemistry in the hippocampus revealed increased cell counts positive for the IEG products cFos and Arc as well as for proliferation marker Ki67 and immature neuron marker NeuroD in 5-HTT-/- mice compared to 5-HTT+/+ mice, irrespective of the test. Most differences were found in the suprapyramidal blade of the dentate gyrus of the septal hippocampus. Ki67-immunohistochemistry revealed a genotype x environment interaction with 5-HTT genotype differences in naïve controls and WM experience exclusively yielding more Ki67-positive cells in 5-HTT+/+ mice. Moreover, in 5-HTT-/- mice we demonstrate that learning performance correlates with the extent of aN. Overall, higher baseline IEG expression and increased an in the hippocampus of 5-HTT-/- mice together with increased stress sensitivity may constitute the neurobiological correlate of raised alertness, possibly impeding optimal learning performance in the more stressful WM.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Margherita M. Karabeg
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
- Division of Molecular Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Sandra Grauthoff
- Department of Behavioral Biology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
- Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Sina Y. Kollert
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Magdalena Weidner
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Rebecca S. Heiming
- Department of Behavioral Biology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
- Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Friederike Jansen
- Department of Behavioral Biology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
- Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Sandy Popp
- Division of Molecular Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Sylvia Kaiser
- Department of Behavioral Biology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
- Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Klaus-Peter Lesch
- Division of Molecular Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Norbert Sachser
- Department of Behavioral Biology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
- Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Angelika G. Schmitt
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Lars Lewejohann
- Department of Behavioral Biology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
- Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
- Behavioural Biology, University of Osnabrück, Osnabrück, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Burghardt N, Bauer E. Acute and chronic effects of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor treatment on fear conditioning: Implications for underlying fear circuits. Neuroscience 2013; 247:253-72. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2013.05.050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2013] [Revised: 05/14/2013] [Accepted: 05/20/2013] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
|
42
|
Stamatakis AM, Sparta DR, Jennings JH, McElligott ZA, Decot H, Stuber GD. Amygdala and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis circuitry: Implications for addiction-related behaviors. Neuropharmacology 2013; 76 Pt B:320-8. [PMID: 23752096 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2013.05.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2013] [Revised: 05/20/2013] [Accepted: 05/22/2013] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Complex motivated behavioral processes, such as those that can go awry following substance abuse and other neuropsychiatric disorders, are mediated by a distributive network of neurons that reside throughout the brain. Neural circuits within the amygdala regions, such as the basolateral amygdala (BLA), and downstream targets such as the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), are critical neuroanatomical structures for orchestrating emotional behavioral responses that may influence motivated actions such as the reinstatement of drug seeking behavior. Here, we review the functional neurocircuitry of the BLA and the BNST, and discuss how these circuits may guide maladaptive behavioral processes such as those seen in addiction. Thus, further study of the functional connectivity within these brain regions and others may provide insight for the development of new treatment strategies for substance use disorders. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled 'NIDA 40th Anniversary Issue'.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alice M Stamatakis
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; Neurobiology Curriculum, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|