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Cobb-Lewis D, George A, Hu S, Packard K, Song M, Nikitah I, Nguyen-Lopez O, Tesone E, Rowden J, Wang J, Opendak M. The lateral habenula integrates age and experience to promote social transitions in developing rats. Cell Rep 2024; 43:114556. [PMID: 39096491 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114556] [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: 01/20/2024] [Revised: 05/29/2024] [Accepted: 07/13/2024] [Indexed: 08/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Early caregiving adversity (ECA) is associated with social behavior deficits and later development of psychopathology. However, the infant neural substrates of ECA are poorly understood. The lateral habenula (LHb), a highly conserved brain region with consistent links to adult psychopathology, is understudied in development, when the brain is most vulnerable to environmental impacts. Here, we describe the structural and functional ontogeny of the LHb and its behavioral role in infant and juvenile rat pups. We show that the LHb promotes a developmental transition in social approach behavior under threat as typically reared infants mature. By contrast, we show that ECA disrupts habenular ontogeny, including volume, protein expression, firing properties, and corticohabenular connectivity. Furthermore, inhibiting a specific corticohabenular projection rescues infant social approach deficits following ECA. Together, these results identify immediate biomarkers of ECA in the LHb and highlight this region as a site of early social processing and behavior control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dana Cobb-Lewis
- Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Anne George
- Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Shannon Hu
- Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | | | - Mingyuan Song
- Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | | | - Oliver Nguyen-Lopez
- Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Emily Tesone
- Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Jhanay Rowden
- Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Julie Wang
- Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Maya Opendak
- Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
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2
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Lyons-Ruth K, Chasson M, Khoury J, Ahtam B. Reconsidering the nature of threat in infancy: Integrating animal and human studies on neurobiological effects of infant stress. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 163:105746. [PMID: 38838878 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2024] [Revised: 05/25/2024] [Accepted: 06/01/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
Early life stress has been associated with elevated risk for later psychopathology. One mechanism that may contribute to such long-term risk is alterations in amygdala development, a brain region critical to stress responsivity. Yet effects of stress on the amygdala during human infancy, a period of particularly rapid brain development, remain largely unstudied. In order to model how early stressors may affect infant amygdala development, several discrepancies across the existing literatures on early life stress among rodents and early threat versus deprivation among older human children and adults need to be reconciled. We briefly review the key findings of each of these literatures. We then consider them in light of emerging findings from studies of human infants regarding relations among maternal caregiving, infant cortisol response, and infant amygdala volume. Finally, we advance a developmental salience model of how early threat may impact the rapidly developing infant brain, a model with the potential to integrate across these divergent literatures. Future work to assess the value of this model is also proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karlen Lyons-Ruth
- Department of Psychiatry, Cambridge Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 1493 Cambridge St, Cambridge, MA 02468, USA.
| | - Miriam Chasson
- Department of Psychiatry, Cambridge Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 1493 Cambridge St, Cambridge, MA 02468, USA.
| | - Jennifer Khoury
- Department of Psychiatry, Cambridge Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 1493 Cambridge St, Cambridge, MA 02468, USA.
| | - Banu Ahtam
- Fetal-Neonatal Neuroimaging & Developmental Science Center, Division of Newborn Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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3
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Cobb-Lewis D, George A, Hu S, Packard K, Song M, Nguyen-Lopez O, Tesone E, Rowden J, Wang J, Opendak M. The lateral habenula integrates age and experience to promote social transitions in developing rats. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.12.575446. [PMID: 38260652 PMCID: PMC10802604 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.12.575446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
Social behavior deficits are an early-emerging marker of psychopathology and are linked with early caregiving quality. However, the infant neural substrates linking early care to social development are poorly understood. Here, we focused on the infant lateral habenula (LHb), a highly-conserved brain region at the nexus between forebrain and monoaminergic circuits. Despite its consistent links to adult psychopathology, this brain region has been understudied in development when the brain is most vulnerable to environmental impacts. In a task combining social and threat cues, suppressing LHb principal neurons had opposing effects in infants versus juveniles, suggesting the LHb promotes a developmental switch in social approach behavior under threat. We observed that early caregiving adversity (ECA) disrupts typical growth curves of LHb baseline structure and function, including volume, firing patterns, neuromodulatory receptor expression, and functional connectivity with cortical regions. Further, we observed that suppressing cortical projections to the LHb rescued social approach deficits following ECA, identifying this microcircuit as a substrate for disrupted social behavior. Together, these results identify immediate biomarkers of ECA in the LHb and highlight this region as a site of early social processing and behavior control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dana Cobb-Lewis
- Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore MD USA 21205
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore MD USA 21205
| | - Anne George
- Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore MD USA 21205
| | - Shannon Hu
- Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore MD USA 21205
| | | | - Mingyuan Song
- Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore MD USA 21205
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore MD USA 21205
| | - Oliver Nguyen-Lopez
- Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore MD USA 21205
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore MD USA 21205
| | - Emily Tesone
- Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore MD USA 21205
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore MD USA 21205
| | - Jhanay Rowden
- Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore MD USA 21205
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore MD USA 21205
| | - Julie Wang
- Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore MD USA 21205
| | - Maya Opendak
- Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore MD USA 21205
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore MD USA 21205
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4
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Alexa AI, Zamfir CL, Bogdănici CM, Oancea A, Maștaleru A, Abdulan IM, Brănișteanu DC, Ciobîcă A, Balmuș M, Stratulat-Alexa T, Ciuntu RE, Severin F, Mocanu M, Leon MM. The Impact of Chronic Stress on Behavior and Body Mass in New Animal Models. Brain Sci 2023; 13:1492. [PMID: 37891859 PMCID: PMC10605805 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13101492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Revised: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
(1) Background: Exposure to different sources of stress can have a significant effect on both psychological and physical processes. (2) Methods: The study took place over a period of 34 days and included a total of 40 animals. Regarding the exposure to chronic stressors, we opted for physiological, non-invasive stressors, e.g., running, swimming, and changes in the intensity of light. An unforeseen stress batch was also created that alternated all these stress factors. The animals were divided into five experimental groups, each consisting of eight individuals. In the context of conducting the open field test for behavioral assessment before and after stress exposure, we aimed to investigate the impact of stress exposure on the affective traits of the animals. We also monitored body mass every two days. (3) Results: The control group exhibited an average increase in weight of approximately 30%. The groups exposed to stress factors showed slower growth rates, the lowest being the running group, recording a rate of 20.55%, and the unpredictable stress group at 24.02%. The anxious behavior intensified in the group with unforeseen stress, in the one with light variations, and in the running group. (4) Conclusions: Our research validates the animal model of intermittent light exposure during the dark phase as a novel method of inducing stress. The modification of some anxiety parameters was observed; they vary according to the type of stress. Body mass was found to increase in all groups, especially in the sedentary groups, likely due to the absence of cognitive, spatial, and social stimuli except for cohabitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anisia Iuliana Alexa
- Department of Surgery II, Discipline of Ophthalmology, “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Iasi, Romania; (A.I.A.); (C.M.B.); (D.C.B.); (R.E.C.)
| | - Carmen Lăcrămioara Zamfir
- Department of Morpho-Funcțional Sciences I, Discipline of Histology, “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Iasi, Romania;
| | - Camelia Margareta Bogdănici
- Department of Surgery II, Discipline of Ophthalmology, “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Iasi, Romania; (A.I.A.); (C.M.B.); (D.C.B.); (R.E.C.)
| | - Andra Oancea
- Department of Medical Specialties I, “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Iasi, Romania; (A.M.); (I.M.A.); (M.M.L.)
| | - Alexandra Maștaleru
- Department of Medical Specialties I, “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Iasi, Romania; (A.M.); (I.M.A.); (M.M.L.)
| | - Irina Mihaela Abdulan
- Department of Medical Specialties I, “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Iasi, Romania; (A.M.); (I.M.A.); (M.M.L.)
| | - Daniel Constantin Brănișteanu
- Department of Surgery II, Discipline of Ophthalmology, “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Iasi, Romania; (A.I.A.); (C.M.B.); (D.C.B.); (R.E.C.)
| | - Alin Ciobîcă
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Biology, “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University Iasi, 700505 Iasi, Romania
- Center of Biomedical Research, Romanian Academy, 700506 Iasi, Romania
- Academy of Romanian Scientists, Str Splaiul Independentei no. 54, Sector 5, 050094 Bucharest, Romania
- Preclinical Department, Apollonia University, Pacurari Street 11, 700511 Iasi, Romania
| | - Miruna Balmuș
- Department of Exact Sciences and Natural Sciences, Institute of Interdisciplinary Research, “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University of Iasi, Alexandru Lapusneanu Street, No. 26, 700057 Iasi, Romania;
| | - Teodora Stratulat-Alexa
- Department of Medical Oncology, Discipline of Oncology-Radiation Therapy, “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Iasi, Romania;
| | - Roxana Elena Ciuntu
- Department of Surgery II, Discipline of Ophthalmology, “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Iasi, Romania; (A.I.A.); (C.M.B.); (D.C.B.); (R.E.C.)
| | - Florentina Severin
- Department of Surgery II, Discipline of Oto Rhino Laryngology, “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Iasi, Romania;
| | - Mădălina Mocanu
- Department of Medical Health III, Discipline of Dermatology, “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Iasi, Romania
| | - Maria Magdalena Leon
- Department of Medical Specialties I, “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Iasi, Romania; (A.M.); (I.M.A.); (M.M.L.)
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Alberry B, Silveira PP. Brain insulin signaling as a potential mediator of early life adversity effects on physical and mental health. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 153:105350. [PMID: 37544390 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Revised: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
In numerous brain structures, insulin signaling modulates the homeostatic processes, sensitivity to reward pathways, executive function, memory, and cognition. Through human studies and animal models, mounting evidence implicates central insulin signaling in the metabolic, physiological, and psychological consequences of early life adversity. In this review, we describe the consequences of early life adversity in the brain where insulin signaling is a key factor and how insulin may moderate the effects of adversity on psychiatric and cardio-metabolic health outcomes. Further understanding of how early life adversity and insulin signaling impact specific brain regions and mental and physical health outcomes will assist in prevention, diagnosis, and potential intervention following early life adversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bonnie Alberry
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Patricia Pelufo Silveira
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; Ludmer Centre for Neuroinformatics and Mental Health, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
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6
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Pradeep P, Kang H, Lee B. Glycosylation and behavioral symptoms in neurological disorders. Transl Psychiatry 2023; 13:154. [PMID: 37156804 PMCID: PMC10167254 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-023-02446-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Revised: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Glycosylation, the addition of glycans or carbohydrates to proteins, lipids, or other glycans, is a complex post-translational modification that plays a crucial role in cellular function. It is estimated that at least half of all mammalian proteins undergo glycosylation, underscoring its importance in the functioning of cells. This is reflected in the fact that a significant portion of the human genome, around 2%, is devoted to encoding enzymes involved in glycosylation. Changes in glycosylation have been linked to various neurological disorders, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, autism spectrum disorder, and schizophrenia. Despite its widespread occurrence, the role of glycosylation in the central nervous system remains largely unknown, particularly with regard to its impact on behavioral abnormalities in brain diseases. This review focuses on examining the role of three types of glycosylation: N-glycosylation, O-glycosylation, and O-GlcNAcylation, in the manifestation of behavioral and neurological symptoms in neurodevelopmental, neurodegenerative, and neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prajitha Pradeep
- Center for Cognition and Sociality, Institute for Basic Science, Daejeon, 34126, South Korea
- IBS School, University of Science and Technology (UST), Daejeon, 34113, South Korea
| | - Hyeyeon Kang
- Center for Cognition and Sociality, Institute for Basic Science, Daejeon, 34126, South Korea
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Information and Biotechnology, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan, 44919, South Korea
| | - Boyoung Lee
- Center for Cognition and Sociality, Institute for Basic Science, Daejeon, 34126, South Korea.
- IBS School, University of Science and Technology (UST), Daejeon, 34113, South Korea.
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Information and Biotechnology, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan, 44919, South Korea.
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7
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Ferrara NC, Opendak M. Amygdala circuit transitions supporting developmentally-appropriate social behavior. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2023; 201:107762. [PMID: 37116857 PMCID: PMC10204580 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2023.107762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2023] [Revised: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 04/22/2023] [Indexed: 04/30/2023]
Abstract
Social behaviors dynamically change throughout the lifespan alongside the maturation of neural circuits. The basolateral region of the amygdala (BLA), in particular, undergoes substantial maturational changes from birth throughout adolescence that are characterized by changes in excitation, inhibition, and dopaminergic modulation. In this review, we detail the trajectory through which BLA circuits mature and are influenced by dopaminergic systems to guide transitions in social behavior in infancy and adolescence using data from rodents. In early life, social behavior is oriented towards approaching the attachment figure, with minimal BLA involvement. Around weaning age, dopaminergic innervation of the BLA introduces avoidance of novel peers into rat pups' behavioral repertoire. In adolescence, social behavior transitions towards peer-peer interactions with a high incidence of social play-related behaviors. This transition coincides with an increasing role of the BLA in the regulation of social behavior. Adolescent BLA maturation can be characterized by an increasing integration and function of local inhibitory GABAergic circuits and their engagement by the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Manipulation of these transitions using viral circuit dissection techniques and early adversity paradigms reveals the sensitivity of this system and its role in producing age-appropriate social behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole C Ferrara
- Discipline of Physiology and Biophysics, Department of Foundational Sciences and Humanities, Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, USA; Center for Neurobiology of Stress Resilience and Psychiatric Disorders, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Maya Opendak
- Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA; Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Johns Hopkins Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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8
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Abstract
Frameworks of emotional development have tended to focus on how environmental factors shape children's emotion understanding. However, individual experiences of emotion represent a complex interplay between both external environmental inputs and internal somatovisceral signaling. Here, we discuss the importance of afferent signals and coordination between central and peripheral mechanisms in affective response processing. We propose that incorporating somatovisceral theories of emotions into frameworks of emotional development can inform how children understand emotions in themselves and others. We highlight promising directions for future research on emotional development incorporating this perspective, namely afferent cardiac processing and interoception, immune activation, physiological synchrony, and social touch.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly E Faig
- Department of Psychology, Hamilton College, 198 College Hill Road, Clinton, NY 13502
| | - Karen E Smith
- Department of Psychology, the University of Wisconsin, 1500 Highland Blvd, Madison, WI, 53705
| | - Stephanie J Dimitroff
- Department of Psychology, Universität Konstanz, Universitätsstraße 10, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
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Maletta T, Palummieri M, Correa J, Holahan MR. Preadolescent exposure to a sexually mature, unrelated male rat reduces postadolescent social recognition memory and CA2 c-Fos labeling. Front Behav Neurosci 2023; 17:1104866. [PMID: 36778132 PMCID: PMC9908592 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1104866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Social memory involves social recognition: the ability to discriminate between two or more conspecifics when one has been previously encountered. The CA2 region of the hippocampus has been implicated in social memory, as lesions and dysfunction to this area lead to social memory impairments. A variety of psychogenic manipulations during postnatal sensitive developmental periods are associated with social memory impairments later in life. Methods In this study, we exposed preadolescent rats to a sexually, mature unrelated male and examined whether this was associated with changes in postadolescent social memory and c-Fos labeling in the CA2 region. Male and female Long-Evans rats were exposed to a male, adult rat on postnatal days 19-21 (P19-21). Social memory was measured during the postadolescent period and defined as increased interactions towards a novel age-matched rat in contrast to a previously-encountered age-matched rat. After the test, rats were euthanized and brain tissue was then collected to quantify c-Fos labeling within the CA2 region. Results Compared to home cage controls and controls not exposed to the adult male, male and female rats exposed to the unrelated adult during preadolescence were unable to discriminate between a novel and previously encountered conspecific during the postadolescent test showing social memory deficits. The groups that showed social recognition deficits also had significantly fewer c-Fos-positive cells within the CA2 region compared to the control groups. Discussion These findings indicate that threatening psychogenic encounters during preadolescence can have detrimental long-term effects on social memory potentially via disrupted activity in the CA2 hippocampal region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresa Maletta
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | | | - Jeff Correa
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada
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10
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Points of divergence on a bumpy road: early development of brain and immune threat processing systems following postnatal adversity. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:269-283. [PMID: 35705633 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01658-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Revised: 05/16/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Lifelong indices of maladaptive behavior or illness often stem from early physiological aberrations during periods of dynamic development. This is especially true when dysfunction is attributable to early life adversity (ELA), when the environment itself is unsuitable to support development of healthy behavior. Exposure to ELA is strongly associated with atypical sensitivity and responsivity to potential threats-a characteristic that could be adaptive in situations where early adversity prepares individuals for lifelong danger, but which often manifests in difficulties with emotion regulation and social relationships. By synthesizing findings from animal research, this review will consider threat sensitivity through the lenses of associated corticolimbic brain circuitry and immune mechanisms, both of which are immature early in life to maximize adaptation for protection against environmental challenges to an individual's well-being. The forces that drive differential development of corticolimbic circuits include caretaking stimuli, physiological and psychological stressors, and sex, which influences developmental trajectories. These same forces direct developmental processes of the immune system, which bidirectionally communicates with sensory systems and emotion regulation circuits within the brain. Inflammatory signals offer a further force influencing the timing and nature of corticolimbic plasticity, while also regulating sensitivity to future threats from the environment (i.e., injury or pathogens). The early development of these systems programs threat sensitivity through juvenility and adolescence, carving paths for probable function throughout adulthood. To strategize prevention or management of maladaptive threat sensitivity in ELA-exposed populations, it is necessary to fully understand these early points of divergence.
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11
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Pardo GVE, Alfaro Saca EE, Becerra Flores CT, Delgado Casós WF, Pacheco-Otalora LF. Limited bedding nesting paradigm alters maternal behavior and pup's early developmental milestones but did not induce anxiety- or depressive-like behavior in two different inbred mice. Dev Psychobiol 2023; 65:e22357. [PMID: 36567650 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2022] [Revised: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Animal models are crucial to understanding the mechanisms underlying the deleterious consequences of early-life stress. Here, we aimed to examine the effect of the limited bedding nesting (LBN) paradigm on early life development milestones and anxiety- and/or depression-like behavior in adolescent and adult mice from two inbred mice of both sexes. C57BL/6NCrl and BALB/c litters were exposed to the LBN paradigm postnatal day (PND) 2-9. Maternal behavior recording occurred on PND 3-9, and pups were weighed daily and examined to verify the eye-opening on PND 10-22. The male and female offspring underwent evaluation in the open field test, elevated plus-maze, and the forced swimming test during adolescence (PND 45-49) and adulthood (PND 75-79). We found that LBN impaired the maternal behavior patterns of both strain dams, mainly on C57BL/6NCrl strain. Also, LBN delayed the pup's eye-opening time and reduced body weight gain, impacting C57BL/6NCrl pups more. We also found that LBN decreased anxiety-related indices in adolescent and adult male but not female mice of both strains. Furthermore, LBN decreased depression-related indices only adolescent female and male BALB/c and female but not male C57BL/6NCrl mice. These findings reinforce the evidence that the LBN paradigm impairs the maternal behavior pattern and pup's early developmental milestones but does not induce anxiety- or depressive-like behavior outcomes during later life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace V E Pardo
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Neurociencia, Instituto Científico de Investigación, Universidad Andina del Cusco, Cuzco, Peru
| | - Eros Emanuel Alfaro Saca
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Neurociencia, Instituto Científico de Investigación, Universidad Andina del Cusco, Cuzco, Peru
| | | | - Walter Fares Delgado Casós
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Neurociencia, Instituto Científico de Investigación, Universidad Andina del Cusco, Cuzco, Peru
| | - Luis F Pacheco-Otalora
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Neurociencia, Instituto Científico de Investigación, Universidad Andina del Cusco, Cuzco, Peru
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12
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Sex differences in addiction-relevant behavioral outcomes in rodents following early life stress. ADDICTION NEUROSCIENCE 2023; 6. [PMID: 37101684 PMCID: PMC10124992 DOI: 10.1016/j.addicn.2023.100067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
In humans, exposure to early life stress (ELS) is an established risk factor for the development of substance use disorders (SUDs) during later life. Similarly, rodents exposed to ELS involving disrupted mother-infant interactions, such as maternal separation (MS) or adverse caregiving due to scarcity-adversity induced by limited bedding and nesting (LBN) conditions, also exhibit long-term alterations in alcohol and drug consumption. In both humans and rodents, there is a range of addiction-related behaviors that are associated with drug use and even predictive of subsequent SUDs. In rodents, these include increased anxiety-like behavior, impulsivity, and novelty-seeking, altered alcohol and drug intake patterns, as well as disrupted reward-related processes involving consummatory and social behaviors. Importantly, the expression of these behaviors often varies throughout the lifespan. Moreover, preclinical studies suggest that sex differences play a role in how exposure to ELS impacts reward and addiction-related phenotypes as well as underlying brain reward circuitry. Here, addiction-relevant behavioral outcomes and mesolimbic dopamine (DA) dysfunction resulting from ELS in the form of MS and LBN are discussed with a focus on age- and sex-dependent effects. Overall, these findings suggest that ELS may increase susceptibility for later life drug use and SUDs by interfering with the normal maturation of reward-related brain and behavioral function.
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13
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Williams AV, Flowers J, Coates KS, Ingram A, Hehn AT, Dupuis M, Wimmer ME, Venniro M, Bangasser DA. Early resource scarcity alters motivation for natural rewards in a sex- and reinforcer-dependent manner. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2022; 239:3929-3937. [PMID: 36301314 PMCID: PMC9817039 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-022-06264-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Early life adversity impacts reward-related behaviors, including reward seeking for drugs of abuse. However, the effects of early stress on natural rewards, such as food and social rewards, which have strong implications for symptoms of psychiatric conditions such as major depressive disorder (MDD), are understudied. To fill this gap, we used the limited bedding and nesting (LBN) procedure to assess the impact of early resource scarcity on motivational drive for both food and social rewards in rats. METHODS Male and female Long Evans rats were reared in either an LBN environment, with limited nesting materials and no enrichment, from their postnatal day 2-9 or control environment with ample nesting materials and enrichment. As adults, they were tested for reward-seeking behavior on progressive ratio operant tasks: food reward (sucrose) or social reward (access to a same-sex/age conspecific). RESULTS We observed sex differences in the impact of LBN on motivation for natural rewards. In males, LBN increased motivation for both a sucrose and social reward. In females, LBN reduced motivation for sucrose but had no effect on social reward. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that the effects of LBN on motivation for natural rewards are both sex- and reinforcer-dependent, with males and females showing differential motivation for food and social rewards following early scarcity. Our previous data revealed an LBN-driven reduction in motivation for morphine in males and no effect in females, highlighting the reinforcer-dependent impact of early resource scarcity on motivated behavior more widely.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexia V Williams
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, 19122, USA
| | - James Flowers
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, 19122, USA
| | - Kennedy S Coates
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, 19122, USA
| | - Atiba Ingram
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, 19122, USA
| | - Alexandra T Hehn
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, 19122, USA
| | - Molly Dupuis
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, 19122, USA
| | - Mathieu E Wimmer
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, 19122, USA
| | - Marco Venniro
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - Debra A Bangasser
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, 19122, USA.
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, GA, 30303-5030, Atlanta, USA.
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14
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Garvin MM, Bolton JL. Sex-specific behavioral outcomes of early-life adversity and emerging microglia-dependent mechanisms. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:1013865. [PMID: 36268470 PMCID: PMC9577368 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.1013865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Early-life adversity (ELA) is known to alter brain circuit maturation as well as increase vulnerability to cognitive and emotional disorders. However, the importance of examining sex as a biological variable when researching the effects of ELA has not been considered until recently. This perspective discusses the sex-specific behavioral outcomes of ELA in both humans and animal models, then proposes microglia-mediated mechanisms as a potential underlying cause. Recent work in rodent models suggests that ELA provokes cognitive deficits, anhedonia, and alcohol abuse primarily in males, whereas females exhibit greater risk-taking and opioid addiction-related behaviors. In addition, emerging evidence identifies microglia as a key target of ELA. For example, we have recently shown that ELA inhibits microglial synapse engulfment and process dynamics in male mice, leading to an increase in excitatory synapse number onto corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH)-expressing neurons in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN) and aberrant stress responses later in life. However, ELA-induced synaptic rewiring of neural circuits differs in females during development, resulting in divergent behavioral outcomes. Thus, examining the role of microglia in the sex-specific mechanisms underlying ELA-induced neuropsychiatric disorders is an important topic for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jessica L. Bolton
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, United States
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15
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Packard K, Opendak M. Rodent models of early adversity: Impacts on developing social behavior circuitry and clinical implications. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:918862. [PMID: 35990728 PMCID: PMC9385963 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.918862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 07/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Flexible and context-appropriate social functioning is key for survival across species. This flexibility also renders social behavior highly plastic, particularly during early development when attachment to caregiver can provide a template for future social processing. As a result, early caregiving adversity can have unique and lasting impacts on social behavior and even confer vulnerability to psychiatric disorders. However, the neural circuit mechanisms translating experience to outcome remain poorly understood. Here, we consider social behavior scaffolding through the lens of reward and threat processing. We begin by surveying several complementary rodent models of early adversity, which together have highlighted impacts on neural circuits processing social cues. We next explore these circuits underlying perturbed social functioning with focus on dopamine (DA) and its role in regions implicated in social and threat processing such as the prefrontal cortex (PFC), basolateral amygdala (BLA) and the lateral habenula (LHb). Finally, we turn to human populations once more to examine how altered DA signaling and LHb dysfunction may play a role in social anhedonia, a common feature in diagnoses such as schizophrenia and major depressive disorder (MDD). We argue that this translational focus is critical for identifying specific features of adversity that confer heightened vulnerability for clinical outcomes involving social cue processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine Packard
- Department of Neuroscience, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Maya Opendak
- Department of Neuroscience, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
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16
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Edwards MJ, Stanley CR, Hosie CA, Richdon S, Price E, Wormell D, Smith TE. Social roles influence cortisol levels in captive Livingstone's fruit bats (Pteropus livingstonii). Horm Behav 2022; 144:105228. [PMID: 35772196 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2022.105228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2022] [Revised: 05/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
A critical component of conserving and housing species ex situ is an explicit scientific understanding of the physiological underpinnings of their welfare. Cortisol has been repeatedly linked to stress, and therefore used as an indicator of welfare for many species. In order to measure cortisol in the Livingstone's fruit bat (Pteropus livingstonii; a critically endangered keystone species) without disturbing the captive population, we have developed and validated a non-invasive, novel hormone extraction procedure and faecal glucocorticoid assay. A total of 92 faecal samples, 73 from the P. livingstonii breeding colony at Jersey Zoo, Channel Islands and 19 samples from P. livingstonii housed at Bristol Zoological Gardens, UK, have been collected and analyzed. Mixed-effect modelling of the influence of physiological state variables on cortisol concentration revealed that lactating females had higher cortisol levels than non-lactating females, indicating that our assay is measuring biologically relevant hormone concentrations. Males and older bats also had higher cortisol than non-lactating females and younger individuals. Further analysis applied social network methodology to compare the cortisol levels of bats with different social roles. We found that individuals that linked social groups possessed higher than average cortisol levels and conversely, individuals with high-quality, positive relationships had lower cortisol levels. These results demonstrate, for the first time in a bat species, social mediation of stress hormones. Lastly, the frequency of vocalisation was found to positively correlate with cortisol concentration in males, suggesting that this behaviour may be used by animal management as a visual indicator of a bat's hormonal status. Hence, this research has provided unique insights and empirical scientific knowledge regarding the relationship between the physiology and social behaviour of P. livingstonii, therefore allowing for recommendations to be made to optimise bat welfare at the individual level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morgan J Edwards
- Animal Behaviour and Welfare Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Chester, Chester CH1 4BJ, UK.
| | - Christina R Stanley
- Animal Behaviour and Welfare Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Chester, Chester CH1 4BJ, UK.
| | - Charlotte A Hosie
- Animal Behaviour and Welfare Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Chester, Chester CH1 4BJ, UK.
| | - Sarah Richdon
- Institute of Conservation Science & Learning, Bristol Zoological Society, Clifton, Bristol BS8 3HA, UK.
| | - Eluned Price
- Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, Trinity, Jersey JE3 6AP, UK.
| | - Dominic Wormell
- Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, Trinity, Jersey JE3 6AP, UK.
| | - Tessa E Smith
- Animal Behaviour and Welfare Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Chester, Chester CH1 4BJ, UK.
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17
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Viaux-Savelon S, Guedeney A, Deprez A. Infant Social Withdrawal Behavior: A Key for Adaptation in the Face of Relational Adversity. Front Psychol 2022; 13:809309. [PMID: 35795430 PMCID: PMC9252517 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.809309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 04/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
As a result of evolution, human babies are born with outstanding abilities for human communication and cooperation. The other side of the coin is their great sensitivity to any clear and durable violation in their relationship with caregivers. Infant sustained social withdrawal behavior (ISSWB) was first described in infants who had been separated from their caregivers, as in Spitz's description of “hospitalism” and “anaclitic depression.” Later, ISSWB was pointed to as a major clinical psychological feature in failure-to-thrive infants. Fraiberg also described freezing behavior as one of the earliest modes of infant defense in the face of adverse situations threatening the infant's ability to synchronize with caregivers. We hypothesize that ISSWB behaviors are associated with poor vagal brake functioning and that an impaired social engagement system is induced by an impoverished and/or dangerous environment. Recent research using animal models highlight the neurobiology and the genetics of the social Approach/Withdrawal Behavior in infants. The present paper is therefore a plea for social withdrawal behavior to be attributed a more important role as a major psychological defensive mechanism in infancy, and for research into early development and early intervention to make more practical and theoretical use of this concept, thus decreasing the challenge of translation in social neurosciences. This work presents several situations involving developmental hazards in which assessment of ISSWB by means of the Alarm Distress Baby Scale (ADBB) has proven useful, i.e., malnutrition, effects of major maternal depression and or traumatization, assessing social withdrawal in infants with an chronic organic illness (congenital heart disease, Prader-Willi syndrome, cleft lip and/or palate Prader-Willy syndrome, Fetal alcohol syndrome) or assessing ISSWB in out of home placed infants during parental visitation. Relationships between ISSWB and other biophysiological behavioral systems are discussed, particularly links with attachment processes and Porges's polyvagal theory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvie Viaux-Savelon
- Institut des Sciences Cognitives Marc Jeannerod, UMR 5229 CNRS, University Hospital Croix Rousse, HCL, Lyon, France
- *Correspondence: Sylvie Viaux-Savelon
| | - Antoine Guedeney
- Groupe Hospitalier Universitaire AP-HP Nord, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Alexandra Deprez
- Institut de Psychologie Laboratoire de Psychopathologie et Processus de Santé, LPPS, EA 4057, Université de Paris, Paris, France
- B-Families Sarl, Luxembourg, Luxembourg
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18
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Levis SC, Birnie MT, Bolton JL, Perrone CR, Montesinos JS, Baram TZ, Mahler SV. Enduring disruption of reward and stress circuit activities by early-life adversity in male rats. Transl Psychiatry 2022; 12:251. [PMID: 35705547 PMCID: PMC9200783 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-022-01988-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Revised: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In humans, early-life adversity (ELA) such as trauma, poverty, and chaotic environment is linked to increased risk of later-life emotional disorders including depression and substance abuse. These disorders involve underlying disruption of reward circuits and likely vary by sex. Accordingly, we previously found that ELA leads to anhedonia for natural rewards and cocaine in male rodents, whereas in females ELA instead increases vulnerability to addiction-like use of opioid drugs and palatable food. While these findings suggest that ELA-induced disruption of reward circuitry may differ between the sexes, the specific circuit nodes that are influenced by ELA in either sex remain poorly understood. Here, in adult male Sprague-Dawley rats, we ask how ELA impacts opioid addiction-relevant behaviors that we previously tested after ELA in females. We probe potential circuit mechanisms in males by assessing opioid-associated neuronal activation in stress and reward circuit nodes including nucleus accumbens (NAc), amygdala, medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), and paraventricular thalamus. We find that ELA diminishes opioid-seeking behaviors in males, and alters heroin-induced activation of NAc, PFC, and amygdala, suggesting a potential circuit-based mechanism. These studies demonstrate that ELA leads to behavioral and neurobiological disruptions consistent with anhedonia in male rodents, unlike the increased opioid seeking we previously saw in females. Our findings, taken together with our prior work, suggest that men and women could face qualitatively different mental health consequences of ELA, which may be essential for individually tailoring future intervention strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophia C Levis
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.
- Department of Neurobiology & Behavior, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.
| | - Matthew T Birnie
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Jessica L Bolton
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Christina R Perrone
- Department of Neurobiology & Behavior, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Johanna S Montesinos
- Department of Neurobiology & Behavior, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Tallie Z Baram
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Stephen V Mahler
- Department of Neurobiology & Behavior, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
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19
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Bosch K, Sbrini G, Burattini I, Nieuwenhuis D, Calabrese F, Schubert D, Henckens MJAG, Homberg JR. Repeated testing modulates chronic unpredictable mild stress effects in male rats. Behav Brain Res 2022; 432:113960. [PMID: 35697177 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2022.113960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Revised: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Depression is a highly prevalent, debilitating mental disorder. Chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) is the most widely applied model to study this affliction in rodents. While studies incorporating CUMS prior to an intervention often require long-lasting stress effects that persist after exposure is ceased, the longevity of these effects is rarely studied. Additionally, it is unclear whether behavioural assessments can be performed before and after interventions without repeated testing effects. In rats, we investigated CUMS effects on components of depressive-like behaviour both acutely after stress cessation and after a recovery period, as well as effects of repeated testing. We observed acute disruptions of the circadian locomotor rhythm and a reduced sucrose preference immediately after CUMS exposure. While circadian locomotor rhythm effects persisted up until four weeks after stress cessation, independently of repeated testing, sucrose preference effects did not. Interestingly, CUMS animals tested once after a recovery period of four weeks showed reduced anxiety-like behaviour in the open field and elevated plus maze compared to their control group and repeatedly-tested CUMS animals. These findings suggest that distinct CUMS-induced components of depressive-like behaviour are affected differentially by recovery time and repeated testing; these aspects should be considered carefully in future study designs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kari Bosch
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 EN Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
| | - Giulia Sbrini
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Irene Burattini
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Desirée Nieuwenhuis
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 EN Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Francesca Calabrese
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Dirk Schubert
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 EN Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Marloes J A G Henckens
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 EN Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Judith R Homberg
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 EN Nijmegen, the Netherlands
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20
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Stressed rats fail to exhibit avoidance reactions to innately aversive social calls. Neuropsychopharmacology 2022; 47:1145-1155. [PMID: 34848856 PMCID: PMC9018727 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-021-01230-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2021] [Revised: 10/01/2021] [Accepted: 10/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Disruptions in amygdalar function, a brain area involved in encoding emotionally salient information, has been implicated in stress-related affective disorders. Earlier animal studies on the behavioral consequences of stress-induced abnormalities in the amygdala focused on learned behaviors using fear conditioning paradigms. If and how stress affects unconditioned, innate fear responses to ethologically natural aversive stimuli remains unexplored. Hence, we subjected rats to aversive ultrasonic vocalization calls emitted on one end of a linear track. Unstressed control rats exhibited a robust avoidance response by spending more time away from the source of the playback calls. Unexpectedly, prior exposure to chronic immobilization stress prevented this avoidance reaction, rather than enhancing it. Further, this stress-induced impairment extended to other innately aversive stimuli, such as white noise and electric shock in an inhibitory avoidance task. However, conditioned fear responses were enhanced by the same stress. Inactivation of the basolateral amygdala (BLA) in control rats prevented this avoidance reaction evoked by the playback. Consistent with this, analysis of the immediate early gene cFos revealed higher activity in the BLA of control, but not stressed rats, after exposure to the playback. Further, in vivo recordings in freely behaving control rats exposed to playback showed enhanced theta activity in the BLA, which also was absent in stressed rats. These findings offer a new framework for studying stress-induced alterations in amygdala-dependent maladaptive responses to more naturally threatening and emotionally relevant social stimuli. The divergent impact of stress on defensive responses--impaired avoidance responses together with increased conditioned fear--also has important implications for models of learned helplessness and depression.
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21
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Graf N, Zanca RM, Song W, Zeldin E, Raj R, Sullivan RM. Neurobiology of Parental Regulation of the Infant and Its Disruption by Trauma Within Attachment. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:806323. [PMID: 35464143 PMCID: PMC9022471 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.806323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2021] [Accepted: 03/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The complex process of regulating physiological functions and homeostasis during external and internal disruptions develops slowly in altricial species, with parental care functioning as a co-regulator of infant physiological and emotional homeostasis. Here, we review our current understanding of the infant's use of parental behaviors for neurobehavioral regulation and its disruption with harsh parental care. Taking a cross-species view, we briefly review the human developmental literature that highlights the importance of the caregiver in scaffolding the child's physiological and emotional regulation, especially under threat and stress. We then use emerging corresponding animal literature within the phylogenetically preserved attachment system to help define neural systems supporting caregiver regulation and its supporting causal mechanism to provide translational bridges to inform causation and mechanisms impossible to define in children. Next, we briefly review animal research highlighting the impact of specific sensory stimuli imbedded in parental care as important for infant physiological and emotion regulation. We then highlight the importance of parental sensory stimuli gaining hedonic value to go beyond simple sensory stimuli to further impact neurobehavioral regulation, with poor quality of care compromising the infant's ability to use these cues for regulation. Clinically, parental regulation of the infant is correlated with later-life neurobehavioral outcome and quality of life. We suggest an understanding of this parental regulation of the infant's immediate neurobehavioral functioning within the context of attachment quality, that may provide insights into the complex processes during early life, initiating the pathway to pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Graf
- Psychology Department and Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY, United States,*Correspondence: Nina Graf,
| | - Roseanna M. Zanca
- Emotional Brain Institute, The Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, United States,Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Wei Song
- Psychology Department and Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Elizabeth Zeldin
- Psychology Department and Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Roshni Raj
- Psychology Department and Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Regina M. Sullivan
- Psychology Department and Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY, United States,Emotional Brain Institute, The Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, United States,Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, United States,Regina M. Sullivan,
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22
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Granata LE, Valentine A, Hirsch JL, Brenhouse HC. Infant ultrasonic vocalizations predict adolescent social behavior in rats: Effects of early life adversity. Dev Psychobiol 2022; 64:e22260. [PMID: 35312059 PMCID: PMC9340574 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Revised: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Early life adversity (ELA) increases risk for psychopathologies that often manifest during adolescence and involve disrupted social functioning. ELA affects development of the prefrontal cortex (PFC), which plays a role in social behavior. PFC oxytocin and vasopressin are important regulators of, first, mother-infant attachment, and, later, social behavior, and are implicated in psychiatric disorders. Here, we tested whether infant social communication is predictive of PFC development and adolescent social behavior. We used the limited bedding (LB) ELA model in rats during postnatal days (P)2-14, and measured isolation-induced ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) at P10 to characterize differences in an early social response. Rats were tested for dyadic social interaction in adolescence (P34). Adolescent oxytocin receptor (Oxtr) and arginine-vasopressin receptor 1a mRNA were measured in the PFC. Relationships between infant USVs, adolescent behavior, and gene expression were assessed. LB-reared rats exhibited fewer USVs at P10. While social behaviors were not robustly affected by rearing, fewer total and complex-type infant USVs predicted fewer interactions in adolescence. LB increased Oxtr in both sexes but Oxtr was not directly predicted by USVs. Findings support the use of USVs as indicators of differential early life experience in rodents, toward further characterization of early factors associated with vulnerability.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jason L. Hirsch
- Department of Psychology Northeastern University Boston MA USA
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23
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Birnie MT, Levis SC, Mahler SV, Baram TZ. Developmental Trajectories of Anhedonia in Preclinical Models. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2022; 58:23-41. [PMID: 35156184 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2021_299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
This chapter discusses how the complex concept of anhedonia can be operationalized and studied in preclinical models. It provides information about the development of anhedonia in the context of early-life adversity, and the power of preclinical models to tease out the diverse molecular, epigenetic, and network mechanisms that are responsible for anhedonia-like behaviors.Specifically, we first discuss the term anhedonia, reviewing the conceptual components underlying reward-related behaviors and distinguish anhedonia pertaining to deficits in motivational versus consummatory behaviors. We then describe the repertoire of experimental approaches employed to study anhedonia-like behaviors in preclinical models, and the progressive refinement over the past decade of both experimental instruments (e.g., chemogenetics, optogenetics) and conceptual constructs (salience, valence, conflict). We follow with an overview of the state of current knowledge of brain circuits, nodes, and projections that execute distinct aspects of hedonic-like behaviors, as well as neurotransmitters, modulators, and receptors involved in the generation of anhedonia-like behaviors. Finally, we discuss the special case of anhedonia that arises following early-life adversity as an eloquent example enabling the study of causality, mechanisms, and sex dependence of anhedonia.Together, this chapter highlights the power, potential, and limitations of using preclinical models to advance our understanding of the origin and mechanisms of anhedonia and to discover potential targets for its prevention and mitigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew T Birnie
- Departments of Anatomy/Neurobiology and Pediatrics, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Sophia C Levis
- Departments of Anatomy/Neurobiology and Neurobiology/Behavior, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Stephen V Mahler
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Tallie Z Baram
- Departments of Anatomy/Neurobiology and Pediatrics, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.
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24
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Postpartum scarcity-adversity disrupts maternal behavior and induces a hypodopaminergic state in the rat dam and adult female offspring. Neuropsychopharmacology 2022; 47:488-496. [PMID: 34703012 PMCID: PMC8674224 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-021-01210-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Revised: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Postpartum adversity is among the strongest predictors for the emergence of postpartum depression (PPD) in humans and a translational risk factor employed in rodent models. Parental care is disturbed under conditions of environmental adversity, including low resource environments, and in PPD. Nonetheless, the neural changes associated with these adversity-induced maladaptive behavioral states remain poorly understood. Postpartum scarcity-adversity can be modeled in rats by providing the dam with limited bedding and nesting (LBN) materials, which mimics the effects of a stressful low resource environment in potentiating maltreatment/neglect in humans. Indeed, LBN exposure from postpartum days (PD) 2-9 increased adverse maternal behaviors, impaired pup retrieval, and increased passive stress coping responses. Since mesolimbic dopamine (DA) activity is an important mechanism for motivated maternal behavior and is implicated in PPD, we assessed the impact of postpartum scarcity-adversity on in vivo electrophysiological properties of ventral tegmental area (VTA) DA neurons at two timepoints. We found reduced numbers of active VTA DA neurons in LBN dams at PD 9-10 but not PD-21, suggesting a transient impact on VTA population activity in LBN dams. Finally, we assessed the impact of early life scarcity-adversity on VTA DA function by conducting VTA recordings in adult female offspring and found a long-lasting attenuation in DA activity. These findings highlight a link between adversity-induced deficits in DA function and disrupted maternal behavior, suggesting the VTA/mesolimbic DA system as a potential mechanism by which postpartum scarcity-adversity drives aberrant maternal behavior, and early postnatal programming of adult VTA function in the offspring.
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25
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Opendak M, Raineki C, Perry RE, Rincón-Cortés M, Song SC, Zanca RM, Wood E, Packard K, Hu S, Woo J, Martinez K, Vinod KY, Brown RW, Deehan GA, Froemke RC, Serrano PA, Wilson DA, Sullivan RM. Bidirectional control of infant rat social behavior via dopaminergic innervation of the basolateral amygdala. Neuron 2021; 109:4018-4035.e7. [PMID: 34706218 PMCID: PMC8988217 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.09.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2020] [Revised: 07/08/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Social interaction deficits seen in psychiatric disorders emerge in early-life and are most closely linked to aberrant neural circuit function. Due to technical limitations, we have limited understanding of how typical versus pathological social behavior circuits develop. Using a suite of invasive procedures in awake, behaving infant rats, including optogenetics, microdialysis, and microinfusions, we dissected the circuits controlling the gradual increase in social behavior deficits following two complementary procedures-naturalistic harsh maternal care and repeated shock alone or with an anesthetized mother. Whether the mother was the source of the adversity (naturalistic Scarcity-Adversity) or merely present during the adversity (repeated shock with mom), both conditions elevated basolateral amygdala (BLA) dopamine, which was necessary and sufficient in initiating social behavior pathology. This did not occur when pups experienced adversity alone. These data highlight the unique impact of social adversity as causal in producing mesolimbic dopamine circuit dysfunction and aberrant social behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maya Opendak
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA; Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA; Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
| | - Charlis Raineki
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA; Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA; Department of Psychology, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON L2S 3A1, Canada
| | - Rosemarie E Perry
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA; Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA; Department of Applied Psychology, New York University, New York, NY 10012, USA
| | - Millie Rincón-Cortés
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA; Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA; Department of Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh PA 15260, USA
| | - Soomin C Song
- Skirball Institute for Biomolecular Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; Neuroscience Institute, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Roseanna M Zanca
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA; Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA; Department of Psychology, CUNY Hunter College, New York, 10016, USA; The Graduate Center of CUNY, New York, 10016, USA
| | - Emma Wood
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA; Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA
| | - Katherine Packard
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA; Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA
| | - Shannon Hu
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA; Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA
| | - Joyce Woo
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA; Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA
| | - Krissian Martinez
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - K Yaragudri Vinod
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA; Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA; Analytical Psychopharmacology, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA
| | - Russell W Brown
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN 37614, USA
| | - Gerald A Deehan
- Department of Psychology, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN 37614, USA
| | - Robert C Froemke
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA; Skirball Institute for Biomolecular Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; Neuroscience Institute, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; Department of Otolaryngology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Peter A Serrano
- Department of Psychology, CUNY Hunter College, New York, 10016, USA; The Graduate Center of CUNY, New York, 10016, USA
| | - Donald A Wilson
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA; Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA; Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Regina M Sullivan
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA; Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA; Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA.
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Wendel KM, Short AK, Noarbe BP, Haddad E, Palma AM, Yassa MA, Baram TZ, Obenaus A. Early life adversity in male mice sculpts reward circuits. Neurobiol Stress 2021; 15:100409. [PMID: 34746338 PMCID: PMC8554344 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2021.100409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Revised: 09/24/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Early life adversity (ELA) comprises a wide variety of negative experiences during early life and has been linked to cognitive impairments, reduced experiences of pleasure (anhedonia), and other long-term consequences implying that ELA impacts the reward circuitry. In this study, we focused on the projections from the dorsal raphe (DR) to the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and on to the nucleus accumbens (NAcc), an important pathway within the reward circuit. We hypothesized that ELA alters connectivity within the DR-VTA-NAcc pathway, associated with deficient reward seeking behaviors in adulthood. We used the limited bedding and nesting model to induce ELA in mice and measured reward-related behaviors in adulthood using the three-chamber social interaction and sucrose preference tests. High resolution ex vivo diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) was acquired and processed for regional DTI metrics, including tractography to assess circuit organization. We found brain-wide changes in radial diffusivity (RD) and altered connectivity of the reward circuit in the ELA group. DR-VTA-NAcc circuit tractography and axial diffusivity (AD) along this tract exhibited dispersed organization where AD was increased in the VTA segment. Behaviorally, ELA elicited a social anhedonia-like phenotype in adulthood with decreased direct social approach and time spent with peers in the three-chamber task, and no overt differences in sucrose preference. Our findings suggest that reward circuits, assessed using DTI, are altered following ELA and that these changes may reflect enduring reward deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kara M. Wendel
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine School of Medicine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Annabel K. Short
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine School of Medicine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Brenda P. Noarbe
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine School of Medicine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Elizabeth Haddad
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine School of Medicine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Anton M. Palma
- Institute for Clinical and Translational Science, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Michael A. Yassa
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine School of Biological Sciences, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Tallie Z. Baram
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine School of Medicine, Irvine, CA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine School of Medicine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Andre Obenaus
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine School of Medicine, Irvine, CA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine School of Medicine, Irvine, CA, USA
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27
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Parker KN, Donovan MH, Smith K, Noble-Haeusslein LJ. Traumatic Injury to the Developing Brain: Emerging Relationship to Early Life Stress. Front Neurol 2021; 12:708800. [PMID: 34484104 PMCID: PMC8416304 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2021.708800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2021] [Accepted: 07/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the high incidence of brain injuries in children, we have yet to fully understand the unique vulnerability of a young brain to an injury and key determinants of long-term recovery. Here we consider how early life stress may influence recovery after an early age brain injury. Studies of early life stress alone reveal persistent structural and functional impairments at adulthood. We consider the interacting pathologies imposed by early life stress and subsequent brain injuries during early brain development as well as at adulthood. This review outlines how early life stress primes the immune cells of the brain and periphery to elicit a heightened response to injury. While the focus of this review is on early age traumatic brain injuries, there is also a consideration of preclinical models of neonatal hypoxia and stroke, as each further speaks to the vulnerability of the brain and reinforces those characteristics that are common across each of these injuries. Lastly, we identify a common mechanistic trend; namely, early life stress worsens outcomes independent of its temporal proximity to a brain injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaila N. Parker
- Department of Neurology, Dell Medical School, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
- Department of Psychology, Behavioral Neuroscience, College of Liberal Arts, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
| | - Michael H. Donovan
- Department of Neurology, Dell Medical School, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
- Department of Psychology, Behavioral Neuroscience, College of Liberal Arts, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
| | - Kylee Smith
- Department of Neurology, Dell Medical School, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
- Department of Psychology, Behavioral Neuroscience, College of Liberal Arts, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
| | - Linda J. Noble-Haeusslein
- Department of Neurology, Dell Medical School, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
- Department of Psychology, Behavioral Neuroscience, College of Liberal Arts, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
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28
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Zhang L, Cheng Y, Wu S, Lu Y, Xue Z, Chen X, Chen D, Zhang B, Qiu Z, Jiang H. Molecular taxonomy of the primate amygdala via single-nucleus RNA sequencing analysis. Sci Bull (Beijing) 2021; 66:1379-1383. [PMID: 36654362 DOI: 10.1016/j.scib.2021.01.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2020] [Revised: 10/26/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Lei Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200011, China.
| | - Yanyong Cheng
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200011, China
| | - Shihao Wu
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Key Laboratory of Primate Neurobiology, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China; Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
| | - Yufeng Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Zhenyu Xue
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200011, China
| | - Xiao Chen
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200011, China
| | - Dai Chen
- Shanghai Novel Bio-Pharm Technology Co., LTD, Shanghai 201114, China
| | - Bo Zhang
- Shanghai Novel Bio-Pharm Technology Co., LTD, Shanghai 201114, China
| | - Zilong Qiu
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Key Laboratory of Primate Neurobiology, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China; National Clinical Research Center for Aging and Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200040, China.
| | - Hong Jiang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200011, China.
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29
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Chakraborti A, Graham C, Chehade S, Vashi B, Umfress A, Kurup P, Vickers B, Chen HA, Telange R, Berryhill T, Van Der Pol W, Powell M, Barnes S, Morrow C, Smith DL, Mukhtar MS, Watts S, Kennedy G, Bibb J. High Fructose Corn Syrup-Moderate Fat Diet Potentiates Anxio-Depressive Behavior and Alters Ventral Striatal Neuronal Signaling. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:669410. [PMID: 34121997 PMCID: PMC8187874 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.669410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 04/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The neurobiological mechanisms that mediate psychiatric comorbidities associated with metabolic disorders such as obesity, metabolic syndrome and diabetes remain obscure. High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is widely used in beverages and is often included in food products with moderate or high fat content that have been linked to many serious health issues including diabetes and obesity. However, the impact of such foods on the brain has not been fully characterized. Here, we evaluated the effects of long-term consumption of a HFCS-Moderate Fat diet (HFCS-MFD) on behavior, neuronal signal transduction, gut microbiota, and serum metabolomic profile in mice to better understand how its consumption and resulting obesity and metabolic alterations relate to behavioral dysfunction. Mice fed HFCS-MFD for 16 weeks displayed enhanced anxiogenesis, increased behavioral despair, and impaired social interactions. Furthermore, the HFCS-MFD induced gut microbiota dysbiosis and lowered serum levels of serotonin and its tryptophan-based precursors. Importantly, the HFCS-MFD altered neuronal signaling in the ventral striatum including reduced inhibitory phosphorylation of glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β), increased expression of ΔFosB, increased Cdk5-dependent phosphorylation of DARPP-32, and reduced PKA-dependent phosphorylation of the GluR1 subunit of the AMPA receptor. These findings suggest that HFCS-MFD-induced changes in the gut microbiota and neuroactive metabolites may contribute to maladaptive alterations in ventral striatal function that underlie neurobehavioral impairment. While future studies are essential to further evaluate the interplay between these factors in obesity and metabolic syndrome-associated behavioral comorbidities, these data underscore the important role of peripheral-CNS interactions in diet-induced behavioral and brain function. This study also highlights the clinical need to address neurobehavioral comorbidities associated with obesity and metabolic syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayanabha Chakraborti
- Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Christopher Graham
- Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Sophie Chehade
- Department of Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Bijal Vashi
- Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Alan Umfress
- Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Pradeep Kurup
- Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Benjamin Vickers
- Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - H. Alexander Chen
- Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Rahul Telange
- Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Taylor Berryhill
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Alabama at Birmingham Medical Center, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - William Van Der Pol
- Center for Clinical and Translational Science, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Mickie Powell
- Department of Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Stephen Barnes
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Alabama at Birmingham Medical Center, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Casey Morrow
- Department of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Daniel L. Smith
- Department of Nutrition Sciences, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - M. Shahid Mukhtar
- Department of Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Stephen Watts
- Department of Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Gregory Kennedy
- Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - James Bibb
- Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
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30
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Early life stress and neural development: Implications for understanding the developmental effects of COVID-19. COGNITIVE AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2021; 22:643-654. [PMID: 33891280 PMCID: PMC8063781 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-021-00901-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Chronic and/or extreme stress in childhood, often referred to as early life stress, is associated with a wide range of long-term effects on development. Given this, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to concern about how stress due to the pandemic will affect children's development and mental health. Although early life stress has been linked to altered functioning of a number of neural and biological systems, there is a wide range of variability in children's outcomes. The mechanisms that influence these individual differences are still not well understood. In the past, studies of stress in childhood focused on the type of events that children encountered in their lives. We conducted a review of the literature to formulate a new perspective on the effects of early life stress on development. This new, topological model, may increase understanding of the potential effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on children's development. This model is oriented on children's perceptions of their environment and their social relationships, rather than specific events. These factors influence central and peripheral nervous system development, changing how children interpret, adapt, and respond to potentially stressful events, with implications for children's mental and physical health outcomes.
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31
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Levis SC, Mahler SV, Baram TZ. The Developmental Origins of Opioid Use Disorder and Its Comorbidities. Front Hum Neurosci 2021; 15:601905. [PMID: 33643011 PMCID: PMC7904686 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2021.601905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Opioid use disorder (OUD) rarely presents as a unitary psychiatric condition, and the comorbid symptoms likely depend upon the diverse risk factors and mechanisms by which OUD can arise. These factors are heterogeneous and include genetic predisposition, exposure to prescription opioids, and environmental risks. Crucially, one key environmental risk factor for OUD is early life adversity (ELA). OUD and other substance use disorders are widely considered to derive in part from abnormal reward circuit function, which is likely also implicated in comorbid mental illnesses such as depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. ELA may disrupt reward circuit development and function in a manner predisposing to these disorders. Here, we describe new findings addressing the effects of ELA on reward circuitry that lead to OUD and comorbid disorders, potentially via shared neural mechanisms. We discuss some of these OUD-related problems in both humans and animals. We also highlight the increasingly apparent, crucial contribution of biological sex in mediating the range of ELA-induced disruptions of reward circuitry which may confer risk for the development of OUD and comorbid neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophia C. Levis
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Stephen V. Mahler
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Tallie Z. Baram
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
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32
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Alteba S, Portugalov A, Hillard CJ, Akirav I. Inhibition of Fatty Acid Amide Hydrolase (FAAH) During Adolescence and Exposure to Early Life Stress may Exacerbate Depression-like Behaviors in Male and Female Rats. Neuroscience 2021; 455:89-106. [PMID: 33359656 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2020.12.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2020] [Revised: 12/13/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Early-life stress (ELS) is associated with later onset of depression. Early cannabis use may be a risk factor that interacts with environmental factors to increase the risk of psychopathologies. We aimed to examine the long-term effects of ELS on depression- and anxiety-like behavior, and examine whether chronic fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) inhibition during mid-adolescence could ameliorate or exacerbate ELS effects on behavior. Male and female rats were exposed to ELS during post-natal days (P) 7-14, injected with the FAAH inhibitor URB597 (0.4 mg/kg, i.p.) or vehicle for 2 weeks during mid-adolescence (P30-45) or late-adolescence (P45-60). Rats were tested in adulthood for behavior and alterations in CB1 receptors (CB1r) and glucocorticoid receptors (GRs) in the brains' stress circuit. ELS produced decreased social preference, impaired social recognition, increased learned helplessness and anxiety-like behavior. Administering URB597 during mid-adolescence did not prevent the deleterious long-term effects of ELS on behavior in males and females. When URB597 was administered during late-adolescence, it ameliorated ELS-induced depression- and anxiety-like behavior. Moreover, in males, ELS and URB597 decreased CB1r levels in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and CA1 and GRs in the PFC and basolateral amygdala (BLA). In females, ELS and URB decreased CB1r in the BLA and GRs in the CA1 and BLA. The findings suggest that mid-adolescence, as opposed to late-adolescence, may not be a potential developmental period for chronic treatment with FAAH inhibitors and that sex-dependent alterations in CB1r and GRs expression in the BLA-PFC-CA1 circuit may contribute to the depressive behavioral phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shirley Alteba
- School of Psychological Sciences, Department of Psychology, University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel; The Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center (IBBR), University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel
| | - Anna Portugalov
- School of Psychological Sciences, Department of Psychology, University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel; The Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center (IBBR), University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel
| | - Cecilia J Hillard
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Neuroscience Research Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee 53226, USA
| | - Irit Akirav
- School of Psychological Sciences, Department of Psychology, University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel; The Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center (IBBR), University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel.
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33
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Fan J, Liu W, Xia J, Li S, Gao F, Zhu J, Han Y, Zhou H, Liao H, Yi J, Tan C, Zhu X. Childhood trauma is associated with elevated anhedonia and altered core reward circuitry in major depression patients and controls. Hum Brain Mapp 2021; 42:286-297. [PMID: 33030766 PMCID: PMC7775998 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2019] [Revised: 09/15/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Childhood trauma (CT) is a well-established risk factor for major depressive disorder (MDD). However, the underlying mechanism linking CT and MDD remains not fully understood. The present study tested the hypothesis that CT have effects on specific types of anhedonia in depression via reward system. To do so, we evaluated different aspects of anhedonia and resting-state functional connectivity (FC) in reward system among 66 patients with MDD (44 with moderate-to-severe and 22 with no or low CT), and 57 healthy controls (HC; 23 with moderate-to-severe and 34 with no or low CT). Results showed that MDD patients with moderate-to-severe CT suffered more severe state anhedonic depression than patients with no or low level of CT. Individuals with moderate-to-severe CT, irrespective of MDD diagnosis, had elevated physical, social and anticipatory but not consummatory trait anhedonia, and demonstrated decreased left nucleus accumbens (NAcc)-right orbital frontal cortex (OFC) and left ventral caudate-left OFC connectivity compared to those with no or low exposure. Left NAcc-right OFC connectivity mediated relationship between CT and state anhedonia in MDD. The total altered ventral striatum (VS)-OFC connectivity mediated links between CT and physical trait anhedonia in HC. These findings highlight specific types of anhedonia and the core reward system as targets of CT. Blunted hedonic responses via decreased coupling within core reward system may be involved in the mechanism of depression following CT. Implications for clinical interventions are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Fan
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya HospitalCentral South UniversityChangshaHunanChina
- Medical Psychological InstituteCentral South UniversityChangshaHunanChina
- National Clinical Research Center for Mental DisordersChangshaHunanChina
| | - Wanting Liu
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya HospitalCentral South UniversityChangshaHunanChina
| | - Jie Xia
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya HospitalCentral South UniversityChangshaHunanChina
| | - Sihui Li
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya HospitalCentral South UniversityChangshaHunanChina
| | - Feng Gao
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya HospitalCentral South UniversityChangshaHunanChina
| | - Jiang Zhu
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya HospitalCentral South UniversityChangshaHunanChina
| | - Yan Han
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya HospitalCentral South UniversityChangshaHunanChina
| | - Huan Zhou
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya HospitalCentral South UniversityChangshaHunanChina
| | - Haiyan Liao
- Department of Radiology, The Second Xiangya HospitalCentral South UniversityChangshaHunanChina
| | - Jinyao Yi
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya HospitalCentral South UniversityChangshaHunanChina
| | - Changlian Tan
- Department of Radiology, The Second Xiangya HospitalCentral South UniversityChangshaHunanChina
| | - Xiongzhao Zhu
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya HospitalCentral South UniversityChangshaHunanChina
- Medical Psychological InstituteCentral South UniversityChangshaHunanChina
- National Clinical Research Center for Mental DisordersChangshaHunanChina
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34
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Ito T, Hiramatsu Y, Mouri A, Yoshigai T, Takahashi A, Yoshimi A, Mamiya T, Ozaki N, Noda Y. Involvement of PKCβI-SERT activity in stress vulnerability of mice exposed to twice-swim stress. Neurosci Res 2021; 171:83-91. [PMID: 33460682 DOI: 10.1016/j.neures.2021.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 12/29/2020] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Stress vulnerability and pathogenic mechanisms in stress-related disorders are strongly associated with the functions of serotonin transporter (SERT). SERT phosphorylation induces a reduction of the serotonin (5-HT, 5-hydroxytryptamine) transport properties, its phosphorylation regulated by protein kinase C (PKC). However, the functional relationship between regulated SERT activity by PKC and stress vulnerability remains unclear. Here, we investigated whether the functional regulation of SERT by PKC was involved in stress vulnerability using mice exposed to twice-swim stress that exhibited the impairment of social behaviors. The mild-swim stress (6 min) given just before the social interaction test did not affect the social behaviors of mice. However, mice exposed to strong-swim stress (15 min) became vulnerable to the mild-swim stress, and subsequent social behaviors were impaired. Chelerythrine, a PKC inhibitor, exacerbated decreased sociality in mice exposed to acute mild-swim stress. Phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA), a PKC activator, ameliorated the impairment of social behaviors in mice exposed to twice-swim stress. Phosphorylated PKCβI or SERT and 5-HT levels were decreased in the prefrontal cortex of twice-stressed mice. These decreases were attenuated by PMA. Our findings demonstrate that mice exposed to twice-swim stress developed stress vulnerability, which may be involved in the regulation of SERT phosphorylation and 5-HT levels accompanying PKCβI activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takahiro Ito
- Division of Clinical Sciences and Neuropsychopharmacology, Meijo University Faculty and Graduate School of Pharmacy, 150 Yagotoyama, Tempaku-ku, Nagoya, 468-8503, Japan
| | - Yuka Hiramatsu
- Division of Clinical Sciences and Neuropsychopharmacology, Meijo University Faculty and Graduate School of Pharmacy, 150 Yagotoyama, Tempaku-ku, Nagoya, 468-8503, Japan
| | - Akihiro Mouri
- Department of Regulatory Science for Evaluation & Development of Pharmaceuticals and Devices, Graduate School of Health Science, Fujita Health University, 1-98 Dengakugakubo, Kutsukake-cho, Toyoake, Aichi, 470-1192, Japan
| | - Takuya Yoshigai
- Division of Clinical Sciences and Neuropsychopharmacology, Meijo University Faculty and Graduate School of Pharmacy, 150 Yagotoyama, Tempaku-ku, Nagoya, 468-8503, Japan
| | - Ayaki Takahashi
- Division of Clinical Sciences and Neuropsychopharmacology, Meijo University Faculty and Graduate School of Pharmacy, 150 Yagotoyama, Tempaku-ku, Nagoya, 468-8503, Japan
| | - Akira Yoshimi
- Division of Clinical Sciences and Neuropsychopharmacology, Meijo University Faculty and Graduate School of Pharmacy, 150 Yagotoyama, Tempaku-ku, Nagoya, 468-8503, Japan
| | - Takayoshi Mamiya
- Department of Chemical Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Meijo University, 150 Yagotoyama, Tempaku-ku, Nagoya, 468-8503, Japan
| | - Norio Ozaki
- Department of Psychiatry, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya, 466-8560, Japan
| | - Yukihiro Noda
- Division of Clinical Sciences and Neuropsychopharmacology, Meijo University Faculty and Graduate School of Pharmacy, 150 Yagotoyama, Tempaku-ku, Nagoya, 468-8503, Japan; Department of Psychiatry, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya, 466-8560, Japan.
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35
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Neural meaning making, prediction, and prefrontal-subcortical development following early adverse caregiving. Dev Psychopathol 2021; 32:1563-1578. [PMID: 33427163 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579420001169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Early adversities that are caregiving-related (crEAs) are associated with a significantly increased risk for mental health problems. Recent neuroscientific advances have revealed alterations in medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC)-subcortical circuitry following crEAs. While this work has identified alterations in affective operations (e.g., perceiving, reacting, controlling, learning) associated with mPFC-subcortical circuitry, this circuitry has a much broader function extending beyond operations. It plays a primary role in affective meaning making, involving conceptual-level, schematized knowledge to generate predictions about the current environment. This function of mPFC-subcortical circuitry motivates asking whether mPFC-subcortical phenotypes following crEAs support semanticized knowledge content (or the concept-level knowledge) and generate predictive models. I present a hypothesis motivated by research findings across four different lines of work that converge on mPFC-subcortical neuroanatomy, including (a) the neurobiology supporting emotion regulation processes in adulthood, (b) the neurobiology that is activated by caregiving cues during development, (c) the neurobiology that is altered by crEAs, and (d) the neurobiology of semantic-based meaning making. I hypothesize that the affective behaviors following crEAs result in part from affective semantic memory processes supported by mPFC-subcortical circuitry that over the course of development, construct affective schemas that generate meaning making and guide predictions. I use this opportunity to review some of the literature on mPFC-subcortical circuit development following crEAs to illustrate the motivation behind this hypothesis. Long recognized by clinical science and cognitive neuroscience, studying schema-based processes may be particularly helpful for understanding how affective meaning making arises from developmental trajectories of mPFC-subcortical circuitry.
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Fontana BD, Müller TE, Cleal M, de Abreu MS, Norton WHJ, Demin KA, Amstislavskaya TG, Petersen EV, Kalueff AV, Parker MO, Rosemberg DB. Using zebrafish (Danio rerio) models to understand the critical role of social interactions in mental health and wellbeing. Prog Neurobiol 2021; 208:101993. [PMID: 33440208 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2021.101993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2020] [Revised: 11/24/2020] [Accepted: 01/05/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Social behavior represents a beneficial interaction between conspecifics that is critical for maintaining health and wellbeing. Dysfunctional or poor social interaction are associated with increased risk of physical (e.g., vascular) and psychiatric disorders (e.g., anxiety, depression, and substance abuse). Although the impact of negative and positive social interactions is well-studied, their underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Zebrafish have well-characterized social behavior phenotypes, high genetic homology with humans, relative experimental simplicity and the potential for high-throughput screens. Here, we discuss the use of zebrafish as a candidate model organism for studying the fundamental mechanisms underlying social interactions, as well as potential impacts of social isolation on human health and wellbeing. Overall, the growing utility of zebrafish models may improve our understanding of how the presence and absence of social interactions can differentially modulate various molecular and physiological biomarkers, as well as a wide range of other behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara D Fontana
- Brain and Behaviour Laboratory, School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Portsmouth, UK.
| | - Talise E Müller
- Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Toxicological Biochemistry, Natural and Exact Sciences Center, Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil; Laboratory of Experimental Neuropscychobiology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Natural and Exact Sciences Center, Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil
| | - Madeleine Cleal
- Brain and Behaviour Laboratory, School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Portsmouth, UK
| | - Murilo S de Abreu
- Bioscience Institute, University of Passo Fundo, Passo Fundo, Brazil
| | - William H J Norton
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology and Behaviour, College of Medicine, Biological Sciences and Psychology, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK; The International Zebrafish Neuroscience Research Consortium (ZNRC), Slidell, LA, USA
| | - Konstantin A Demin
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, Almazov National Medical Research Center, St. Petersburg, Russia; Institute of Translational Biomedicine, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia; Scientific Research Center of Radiology and Surgical Technologies, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | | | - Elena V Petersen
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Neuroscience and Bioscreening, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Moscow, Russia
| | - Allan V Kalueff
- School of Pharmacy, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing, China; Ural Federal University, Ekaterinburg, Russia
| | - Matthew O Parker
- Brain and Behaviour Laboratory, School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Portsmouth, UK; The International Zebrafish Neuroscience Research Consortium (ZNRC), Slidell, LA, USA
| | - Denis B Rosemberg
- Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Toxicological Biochemistry, Natural and Exact Sciences Center, Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil; Laboratory of Experimental Neuropscychobiology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Natural and Exact Sciences Center, Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil; The International Zebrafish Neuroscience Research Consortium (ZNRC), Slidell, LA, USA.
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Smith KE, Pollak SD. Rethinking Concepts and Categories for Understanding the Neurodevelopmental Effects of Childhood Adversity. PERSPECTIVES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2021; 16:67-93. [PMID: 32668190 PMCID: PMC7809338 DOI: 10.1177/1745691620920725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 159] [Impact Index Per Article: 53.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Discovering the processes through which early adverse experiences affect children's nervous-system development, health, and behavior is critically important for developing effective interventions. However, advances in our understanding of these processes have been constrained by conceptualizations that rely on categories of adversity that are overlapping, have vague boundaries, and lack consistent biological evidence. Here, we discuss central problems in understanding the link between early-life adversity and children's brain development. We conclude by suggesting alternative formulations that hold promise for advancing knowledge about the neurobiological mechanisms through which adversity affects human development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen E. Smith
- Department of Psychology and Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin–Madison
| | - Seth D. Pollak
- Department of Psychology and Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin–Madison
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38
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Smith KE, Pollak SD. Early life stress and development: potential mechanisms for adverse outcomes. J Neurodev Disord 2020; 12:34. [PMID: 33327939 PMCID: PMC7745388 DOI: 10.1186/s11689-020-09337-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 148] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2019] [Accepted: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chronic and/or extreme stress in early life, often referred to as early adversity, childhood trauma, or early life stress, has been associated with a wide range of adverse effects on development. However, while early life stress has been linked to negative effects on a number of neural systems, the specific mechanisms through which early life stress influences development and individual differences in children's outcomes are still not well understood. MAIN TEXT The current paper reviews the existing literature on the neurobiological effects of early life stress and their ties to children's psychological and behavioral development. CONCLUSIONS Early life stress has persistent and pervasive effects on prefrontal-hypothalamic-amygdala and dopaminergic circuits that are at least partially mediated by alterations in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis function. However, to date, this research has primarily utilized methods of assessment that focus solely on children's event exposures. Incorporating assessment of factors that influence children's interpretation of stressors, along with stressful events, has the potential to provide further insight into the mechanisms contributing to individual differences in neurodevelopmental effects of early life stress. This can aid in further elucidating specific mechanisms through which these neurobiological changes influence development and contribute to risk for psychopathology and health disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen E Smith
- Department of Psychology and Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1500 S Highland Blvd, Rm 399, Madison, WI, 53705, USA.
| | - Seth D Pollak
- Department of Psychology and Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1500 S Highland Blvd, Rm 399, Madison, WI, 53705, USA
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Perry RE, Braren SH, Opendak M, Brandes-Aitken A, Chopra D, Woo J, Sullivan R, Blair C. Elevated infant cortisol is necessary but not sufficient for transmission of environmental risk to infant social development: Cross-species evidence of mother-infant physiological social transmission. Dev Psychopathol 2020; 32:1696-1714. [PMID: 33427190 PMCID: PMC8951448 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579420001455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Environmental adversity increases child susceptibility to disrupted developmental outcomes, but the mechanisms by which adversity can shape development remain unclear. A translational cross-species approach was used to examine stress-mediated pathways by which poverty-related adversity can influence infant social development. Findings from a longitudinal sample of low-income mother-infant dyads indicated that infant cortisol (CORT) on its own did not mediate relations between early-life scarcity-adversity exposure and later infant behavior in a mother-child interaction task. However, maternal CORT through infant CORT served as a mediating pathway, even when controlling for parenting behavior. Findings using a rodent "scarcity-adversity" model indicated that pharmacologically blocking pup corticosterone (CORT, rodent equivalent to cortisol) in the presence of a stressed mother causally prevented social transmission of scarcity-adversity effects on pup social behavior. Furthermore, pharmacologically increasing pup CORT without the mother present was not sufficient to disrupt pup social behavior. Integration of our cross-species results suggests that elevated infant CORT may be necessary, but without elevated caregiver CORT, may not be sufficient in mediating the effects of environmental adversity on development. These findings underscore the importance of considering infant stress physiology in relation to the broader social context, including caregiver stress physiology, in research and interventional efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosemarie E. Perry
- Department of Applied Psychology, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Stephen H. Braren
- Department of Applied Psychology, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Maya Opendak
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute & Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Divija Chopra
- Department of Applied Psychology, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Joyce Woo
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute & Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Regina Sullivan
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute & Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Clancy Blair
- Department of Applied Psychology, New York University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Population Health, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
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40
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Alteba S, Mizrachi Zer-Aviv T, Tenenhaus A, Ben David G, Adelman J, Hillard CJ, Doron R, Akirav I. Antidepressant-like effects of URB597 and JZL184 in male and female rats exposed to early life stress. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2020; 39:70-86. [PMID: 32891517 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2020.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2020] [Revised: 07/21/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Early life stress (ELS) may increase predisposition to depression. Despite extensive research, there is still a lack of knowledge of how to optimally treat depression. We aimed to establish a role for the endocannabinoid (ECB) system within the hippocampal-nucleus accumbens (NAc) network as a possible effective target in combating the pathophysiological development of depression-like behavior and neuronal alterations that are precipitated by ELS. Male and female rats were exposed to ELS during post-natal days (P) 7-14, injected with the fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) inhibitor URB597 or the monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL) inhibitor JZL184 for 2 weeks during late-adolescence (P45-60). Rats were tested starting at P90 for depressive- and anxiety-like behaviors as well as social preference and recognition; alterations in FAAH and MAGL activity; the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF); and plasticity in the hippocampal-NAc pathway. FAAH and MAGL inhibitors during late-adolescence prevented: (i) the long-term effects of ELS on depression- and anxiety-like behavior and the impairment in social behavior and neuronal plasticity in males and females; (ii) ELS-induced alterations in MAGL activity in males' hippocampus and females' hippocampus and NAc; and (iii) ELS-induced alterations in BDNF in males' hippocampus and NAc and females' hippocampus. Significant correlations were observed between alterations in MAGL and BDNF levels and the behavioral phenotype. The findings suggest that alterations in MAGL activity and BDNF expression in the hippocampal-NAc network contribute to the depressive-like behavioral phenotype in ELS males and females. Moreover, the study suggests FAAH and MAGL inhibitors as potential intervention drugs for depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shirley Alteba
- School of Psychological Sciences, Department of Psychology, University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel; The Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center (IBBR), University of Haifa, Haifa, 3498838, Israel
| | - Tomer Mizrachi Zer-Aviv
- School of Psychological Sciences, Department of Psychology, University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel; The Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center (IBBR), University of Haifa, Haifa, 3498838, Israel
| | - Adi Tenenhaus
- Department of Education and Psychology, The Open University of Israel, Israel
| | - Gilad Ben David
- Department of Education and Psychology, The Open University of Israel, Israel
| | - Jacob Adelman
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Neuroscience Research Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee 53226, USA
| | - Cecilia J Hillard
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Neuroscience Research Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee 53226, USA
| | - Ravid Doron
- Department of Education and Psychology, The Open University of Israel, Israel
| | - Irit Akirav
- School of Psychological Sciences, Department of Psychology, University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel; The Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center (IBBR), University of Haifa, Haifa, 3498838, Israel.
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Chinn GA, Pearn ML, Vutskits L, Mintz CD, Loepke AW, Lee JJ, Chen J, Bosnjak ZJ, Brambrink AM, Jevtovic-Todorovic V, Sun LS, Sall JW. Standards for preclinical research and publications in developmental anaesthetic neurotoxicity: expert opinion statement from the SmartTots preclinical working group. Br J Anaesth 2020; 124:585-593. [PMID: 32145876 PMCID: PMC7424895 DOI: 10.1016/j.bja.2020.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2019] [Revised: 01/06/2020] [Accepted: 01/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
In March 2019, SmartTots, a public-private partnership between the US Food and Drug Administration and the International Anesthesia Research Society, hosted a meeting attended by research experts, anaesthesia journal editors, and government agency representatives to discuss the continued need for rigorous preclinical research and the importance of establishing reporting standards for the field of anaesthetic perinatal neurotoxicity. This group affirmed the importance of preclinical research in the field, and welcomed novel and mechanistic approaches to answer some of the field's largest questions. The attendees concluded that summarising the benefits and disadvantages of specific model systems, and providing guidance for reporting results, would be helpful for designing new experiments and interpreting results across laboratories. This expert opinion report is a summary of these discussions, and includes a focused review of current animal models and reporting standards for the field of perinatal anaesthetic neurotoxicity. This will serve as a practical guide and road map for novel and rigorous experimental work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory A Chinn
- Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Matthew L Pearn
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Laszlo Vutskits
- Department of Anesthesiology, Clinical Pharmacology, Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine, University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Cyrus D Mintz
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Andreas W Loepke
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jennifer J Lee
- Department of Anesthesiology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jerri Chen
- Department of Anesthesiology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Zeljko J Bosnjak
- Department of Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | | | | | - Lena S Sun
- Department of Anesthesiology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jeffrey W Sall
- Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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Moussa-Tooks AB, Larson ER, Gimeno AF, Leishman E, Bartolomeo LA, Bradshaw HB, Green JT, O'Donnell BF, Mackie K, Hetrick WP. Long-Term Aberrations To Cerebellar Endocannabinoids Induced By Early-Life Stress. Sci Rep 2020; 10:7236. [PMID: 32350298 PMCID: PMC7190863 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-64075-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2019] [Accepted: 04/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Emerging evidence points to the role of the endocannabinoid system in long-term stress-induced neural remodeling with studies on stress-induced endocannabinoid dysregulation focusing on cerebral changes that are temporally proximal to stressors. Little is known about temporally distal and sex-specific effects, especially in cerebellum, which is vulnerable to early developmental stress and is dense with cannabinoid receptors. Following limited bedding at postnatal days 2-9, adult (postnatal day 70) cerebellar and hippocampal endocannabinoids, related lipids, and mRNA were assessed, and behavioral performance evaluated. Regional and sex-specific effects were present at baseline and following early-life stress. Limited bedding impaired peripherally-measured basal corticosterone in adult males only. In the CNS, early-life stress (1) decreased 2-arachidonoyl glycerol and arachidonic acid in the cerebellar interpositus nucleus in males only; (2) decreased 2-arachidonoyl glycerol in females only in cerebellar Crus I; and (3) increased dorsal hippocampus prostaglandins in males only. Cerebellar interpositus transcriptomics revealed substantial sex effects, with minimal stress effects. Stress did impair novel object recognition in both sexes and social preference in females. Accordingly, the cerebellar endocannabinoid system exhibits robust sex-specific differences, malleable through early-life stress, suggesting the role of endocannabinoids and stress to sexual differentiation of the brain and cerebellar-related dysfunctions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra B Moussa-Tooks
- Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
- Program in Neuroscience, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Eric R Larson
- Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Alex F Gimeno
- Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Emma Leishman
- Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
- Program in Neuroscience, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Lisa A Bartolomeo
- Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Heather B Bradshaw
- Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
- Program in Neuroscience, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - John T Green
- Department of Psychological Science, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA
| | - Brian F O'Donnell
- Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
- Program in Neuroscience, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Ken Mackie
- Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
- Program in Neuroscience, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
- Linda and Jack Gill Center for Biomolecular Science, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - William P Hetrick
- Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA.
- Program in Neuroscience, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA.
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43
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Savidge LE, Bales KL. An Animal Model for Mammalian Attachment: Infant Titi Monkey ( Plecturocebus cupreus) Attachment Behavior Is Associated With Their Social Behavior as Adults. Front Psychol 2020; 11:25. [PMID: 32047459 PMCID: PMC6997438 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2019] [Accepted: 01/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Close social bonds are integral for good health and longevity in humans and non-human primates (NHPs), yet we have very little understanding of the neurobiological differences between healthy and unhealthy relationships. Our current understanding of social bonding is grounded in Bowlby’s theory of attachment. Work done with human infants and adult couples has suggested that attachment behavior developed in infancy remains stable through development into adulthood. Unfortunately, knowledge of the neurobiological correlates of attachment behavior has been limited due to a lack of animal models with both infant and adult attachments similar to humans. To address this, we measured behavioral responses to separation from their primary attachment figure in infant and adult titi monkeys (Plecturocebus cupreus). In Experiment 1, we tested for a linear relationship between the subject’s response to separation as an infant and their response to separation as an adult. We found greater decreases in infant locomotor behavior in the presence, as opposed to absence, of their primary attachment figure to be indicative of decreased anxiety-like behavior in the presence, as opposed to absence, of their adult pair mates during a novelty response task. In Experiment 2, we increased our sample size, accounted for adverse early experience, and tested a different outcome measure, adult affiliative behavior. We hypothesized that the level of intensity of an infant’s response to separation would explain affiliative behavior with their mate as an adult, but adverse early experience could change this relationship. When we compared infant response to separation to adult affiliative behavior during the first 6 months of their first adult pair bond, we observed a linear relationship for infants with typical early experience, but not for infants with adverse early experience. Infants with a greater change in locomotive behavior between the father and alone conditions were more affiliative with their first adult pair mate. These data support the use of titi monkeys as an appropriate animal model for further investigation of the neurobiology underlying attachment behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Logan E Savidge
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States.,Psychology Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States.,California National Primate Research Center, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Karen L Bales
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States.,California National Primate Research Center, Davis, CA, United States
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44
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Perry RE, Braren SH, Rincón-Cortés M, Brandes-Aitken AN, Chopra D, Opendak M, Alberini CM, Sullivan RM, Blair C. Enhancing Executive Functions Through Social Interactions: Causal Evidence Using a Cross-Species Model. Front Psychol 2019; 10:2472. [PMID: 31803087 PMCID: PMC6877690 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2019] [Accepted: 10/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
It has long been theorized that humans develop higher mental functions, such as executive functions (EFs), within the context of interpersonal interactions and social relationships. Various components of social interactions, such as interpersonal communication, perspective taking, and conforming/adhering to social rules, may create important (and perhaps even necessary) opportunities for the acquisition and continued practice of EF skills. Furthermore, positive and stable relationships facilitate the development and maintenance of EFs across the lifespan. However, experimental studies investigating the extent to which social experiences contribute causally to the development of EFs are lacking. Here, we present experimental evidence that social experiences and the acquisition of social skills influence the development of EFs. Specifically, using a rat model, we demonstrate that following exposure to early-life adversity, a socialization intervention causally improves working memory in peri-adolescence. Our findings combined with the broader literature promote the importance of cultivating social skills in support of EF development and maintenance across the lifespan. Additionally, cross-species research will provide insight into causal mechanisms by which social experiences influence cognitive development and contribute to the development of biologically sensitive interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosemarie E. Perry
- Department of Applied Psychology, New York University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Stephen H. Braren
- Department of Applied Psychology, New York University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Millie Rincón-Cortés
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, United States
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | | | - Divija Chopra
- Department of Applied Psychology, New York University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Maya Opendak
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, United States
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | | | - Regina M. Sullivan
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, United States
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Clancy Blair
- Department of Applied Psychology, New York University, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Population Health, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
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45
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Early Life Trauma Has Lifelong Consequences for Sleep And Behavior. Sci Rep 2019; 9:16701. [PMID: 31723235 PMCID: PMC6853921 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-53241-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2019] [Accepted: 10/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Sleep quality varies widely across individuals, especially during normal aging, with impaired sleep contributing to deficits in cognition and emotional regulation. Sleep can also be impacted by a variety of adverse events, including childhood adversity. Here we examined how early life adverse events impacted later life sleep structure and physiology using an animal model to test the relationship between early life adversity and sleep quality across the life span. Rat pups were exposed to an Adversity-Scarcity model from postnatal day 8–12, where insufficient bedding for nest building induces maternal maltreatment of pups. Polysomnography and sleep physiology were assessed in weaning, early adult and older adults. Early life adversity induced age-dependent disruptions in sleep and behavior, including lifelong spindle decreases and later life NREM sleep fragmentation. Given the importance of sleep in cognitive and emotional functions, these results highlight an important factor driving variation in sleep, cognition and emotion throughout the lifespan that suggest age-appropriate and trauma informed treatment of sleep problems.
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Retrospectively reported childhood physical abuse, systemic inflammation, and resting corticolimbic connectivity in midlife adults. Brain Behav Immun 2019; 82:203-213. [PMID: 31445966 PMCID: PMC6956859 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2019.08.186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2019] [Revised: 08/07/2019] [Accepted: 08/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Childhood abuse confers risk for psychopathology and pathophysiology in midlife through intermediate pathways that remain unclear. Systemic inflammation was tested in the present study as one pathway that may link physical abuse in childhood to the adult functioning of corticolimbic brain circuits broadly implicated in risk for poor mental and physical health. Midlife adults (N = 303; 30-51 years of age; 149 women) without psychiatric, immune, or cardiovascular diagnoses provided retrospective reports of childhood physical abuse. Functional connectivity between corticolimbic brain areas (amygdala, hippocampus, ventromedial prefrontal cortex [vmPFC], anterior cingulate cortex [ACC]) was measured at rest using functional magnetic resonance imaging. Circulating levels of interleukin(IL)-6, a pro-inflammatory cytokine previously linked to childhood abuse and corticolimbic functionality, were measured via blood draw. Consistent with prior studies, retrospectively reported childhood physical abuse was associated positively with circulating IL-6, and negatively with connectivity between the amygdala and vmPFC. IL-6 was also associated negatively with several corticolimbic functional connections, including amygdala-vmPFC connectivity. Moreover, path analyses revealed an indirect effect of IL-6 that partially explained the association between childhood physical abuse and adult amygdala-vmPFC connectivity. Consistent with recent neurobiological models of early life influences on disease risk across the lifespan, associations between childhood physical abuse and adulthood corticolimbic circuit functionality may be partially explained by inflammatory processes.
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Perry RE, Rincón-Cortés M, Braren SH, Brandes-Aitken AN, Opendak M, Pollonini G, Chopra D, Raver CC, Alberini CM, Blair C, Sullivan RM. Corticosterone administration targeting a hypo-reactive HPA axis rescues a socially-avoidant phenotype in scarcity-adversity reared rats. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2019; 40:100716. [PMID: 31704654 PMCID: PMC6939642 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2019.100716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2019] [Revised: 08/07/2019] [Accepted: 10/01/2019] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
It is well-established that children from low-income, under-resourced families are at increased risk of altered social development. However, the biological mechanisms by which poverty-related adversities can “get under the skin” to influence social behavior are poorly understood and cannot be easily ascertained using human research alone. This study utilized a rodent model of “scarcity-adversity,” which encompasses material resource deprivation (scarcity) and reduced caregiving quality (adversity), to explore how early-life scarcity-adversity causally influences social behavior via disruption of developing stress physiology. Results showed that early-life scarcity-adversity exposure increased social avoidance when offspring were tested in a social approach test in peri-adolescence. Furthermore, early-life scarcity-adversity led to blunted hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity as measured via adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and corticosterone (CORT) reactivity following the social approach test. Western blot analysis of brain tissue revealed that glucocorticoid receptor levels in the dorsal (but not ventral) hippocampus and medial prefrontal cortex were significantly elevated in scarcity-adversity reared rats following the social approach test. Finally, pharmacological repletion of CORT in scarcity-adversity reared peri-adolescents rescued social behavior. Our findings provide causal support that early-life scarcity-adversity exposure negatively impacts social development via a hypocorticosteronism-dependent mechanism, which can be targeted via CORT administration to rescue social behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosemarie E Perry
- Department of Applied Psychology, New York University, 627 Broadway, New York, NY 10012, USA.
| | - Millie Rincón-Cortés
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute & Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, 1 Park Ave, New York, NY 10016, USA.
| | - Stephen H Braren
- Department of Applied Psychology, New York University, 627 Broadway, New York, NY 10012, USA.
| | - Annie N Brandes-Aitken
- Department of Applied Psychology, New York University, 627 Broadway, New York, NY 10012, USA.
| | - Maya Opendak
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute & Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, 1 Park Ave, New York, NY 10016, USA.
| | - Gabriella Pollonini
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, 4 Washington Place, New York, NY 10003, USA.
| | - Divija Chopra
- Department of Applied Psychology, New York University, 627 Broadway, New York, NY 10012, USA.
| | - C Cybele Raver
- Department of Applied Psychology, New York University, 627 Broadway, New York, NY 10012, USA.
| | - Cristina M Alberini
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, 4 Washington Place, New York, NY 10003, USA.
| | - Clancy Blair
- Department of Applied Psychology, New York University, 627 Broadway, New York, NY 10012, USA.
| | - Regina M Sullivan
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute & Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, 1 Park Ave, New York, NY 10016, USA.
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Kompier NF, Keysers C, Gazzola V, Lucassen PJ, Krugers HJ. Early Life Adversity and Adult Social Behavior: Focus on Arginine Vasopressin and Oxytocin as Potential Mediators. Front Behav Neurosci 2019; 13:143. [PMID: 31404254 PMCID: PMC6676334 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2019] [Accepted: 06/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Exposure to stress during the early postnatal period (i.e., early life stress, ES) can impact brain physiology and modify individual variability in adult social behavior. Arginine vasopressin (AVP) and oxytocin (OXT) are two centrally released neuropeptides that are involved in shaping essential social behaviors, like aggression, social recognition, and social motivation. AVP and OXT modulate activity in brain regions important for the establishment of social behavior, and may be particularly sensitive to ES. In this review, we discuss whether ES alters the characteristics of the AVP- and OXT- systems in rodents, and whether these changes are associated with later alterations in aggression, social recognition, and social motivation. We have integrated causal studies indicating that (1) ES affects AVP/OXT, and (2) that changing AVP/OXT in affected regions alters social behavior. Although there is encouraging evidence that ES causes AVP- and OXT-system changes, and that these may mediate social behavior, a comprehensive understanding of the exact nature of AVP- and OXT changes and whether they are causal in establishing these behavioral disturbances needs further investigation. As there are indications that ES alters AVP- and OXT characteristics in humans as well, and that these may interact with adult predisposition to psychopathology with social dysfunction, future rodent studies may lay ground for a better understanding of such changes in humans. Ultimately, this may assist in developing therapeutic strategies to target ES effects on social behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nine F. Kompier
- Brain Plasticity Group, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, Center for Neuroscience, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Social Brain Lab, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Christian Keysers
- Social Brain Lab, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Valeria Gazzola
- Social Brain Lab, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Paul J. Lucassen
- Brain Plasticity Group, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, Center for Neuroscience, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Harmen J. Krugers
- Brain Plasticity Group, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, Center for Neuroscience, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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Lin TC, Lo YC, Lin HC, Li SJ, Lin SH, Wu HF, Chu MC, Lee CW, Lin IC, Chang CW, Liu YC, Chen TC, Lin YJ, Ian Shih YY, Chen YY. MR imaging central thalamic deep brain stimulation restored autistic-like social deficits in the rat. Brain Stimul 2019; 12:1410-1420. [PMID: 31324604 DOI: 10.1016/j.brs.2019.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2019] [Revised: 06/23/2019] [Accepted: 07/05/2019] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Social deficit is a core symptom in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Although deep brain stimulation (DBS) has been proposed as a potential treatment for ASD, an ideal target nucleus is yet to be identified. DBS at the central thalamic nucleus (CTN) is known to alter corticostriatal and limbic circuits, and subsequently increase the exploratory motor behaviors, cognitive performance, and skill learning in neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders. OBJECTIVE We first investigated the ability of CTN-DBS to selectively engage distinct brain circuits and compared the spatial distribution of evoked network activity and modulation. Second, we investigated whether CTN-DBS intervention improves social interaction in a valproic acid-exposed ASD rat offspring model. METHODS Brain regions activated through CTN-DBS by using a magnetic resonance (MR)-compatible neural probe, which is capable of inducing site-selective microstimulations during functional MRI (fMRI), were investigated. We then performed functional connectivity MRI, the three-chamber social interaction test, and Western blotting analyses to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of CTN-DBS in an ASD rat offspring model. RESULTS The DBS-evoked fMRI results indicated that the activated brain regions were mainly located in cortical areas, limbic-related areas, and the dorsal striatum. We observed restoration of brain functional connectivity (FC) in corticostriatal and corticolimbic circuits after CTN-DBS, accompanied with increased social interaction and decreased social avoidance in the three-chamber social interaction test. The dopamine D2 receptor decreased significantly after CTN-DBS treatment, suggesting changes in synaptic plasticity and alterations in the brain circuits. CONCLUSIONS Applying CTN-DBS to ASD rat offspring increased FC and altered the synaptic plasticity in the corticolimbic and the corticostriatal circuits. This suggests that CTN-DBS could be an effective treatment for improving the social behaviors of individuals with ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting-Chun Lin
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Yang Ming University, No.155, Sec.2, Linong St, Taipei, 11221, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Yu-Chun Lo
- The Ph.D. Program for Neural Regenerative Medicine, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, No. 250 Wu-Xing St, Taipei, 11031, Taiwan, ROC; Research Center for Brain and Consciousness, Taipei Medical University, Shuang Ho Hospital, No. 291, Zhongzheng Rd, New Taipei City, 23561, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Hui-Ching Lin
- Department and Institute of Physiology, National Yang Ming University, No.155, Sec.2, Linong St, Taipei, 11221, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Ssu-Ju Li
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Yang Ming University, No.155, Sec.2, Linong St, Taipei, 11221, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Sheng-Huang Lin
- Department of Neurology, Tzu Chi General Hospital, Tzu Chi University, No. 707, Sec. 3, Chung Yang Rd, Hualien, 97002, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Han-Fang Wu
- Department and Institute of Physiology, National Yang Ming University, No.155, Sec.2, Linong St, Taipei, 11221, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Ming-Chia Chu
- Department and Institute of Physiology, National Yang Ming University, No.155, Sec.2, Linong St, Taipei, 11221, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Chi-Wei Lee
- The Ph.D. Program for Neural Regenerative Medicine, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, No. 250 Wu-Xing St, Taipei, 11031, Taiwan, ROC; Department and Institute of Physiology, National Yang Ming University, No.155, Sec.2, Linong St, Taipei, 11221, Taiwan, ROC
| | - I-Cheng Lin
- Department of Psychiatry, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, No. 291, Zhongzheng Rd, New Taipei City, 23561, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Ching-Wen Chang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Yang Ming University, No.155, Sec.2, Linong St, Taipei, 11221, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Yin-Chieh Liu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Yang Ming University, No.155, Sec.2, Linong St, Taipei, 11221, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Ting-Chieh Chen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Yang Ming University, No.155, Sec.2, Linong St, Taipei, 11221, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Yu-Ju Lin
- Department of Psychiatry, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, No.21, Sec. 2, Nanya S. Rd, New Taipei City, 22060, Taiwan, ROC.
| | - Yen-Yu Ian Shih
- Departments of Neurology, Biomedical Engineering and Biomedical Research Imaging Center University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 125 Mason Farm Rd, CB# 7513, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - You-Yin Chen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Yang Ming University, No.155, Sec.2, Linong St, Taipei, 11221, Taiwan, ROC; The Ph.D. Program for Neural Regenerative Medicine, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, No. 250 Wu-Xing St, Taipei, 11031, Taiwan, ROC.
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50
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Jacobskind JS, Rosinger ZJ, Brooks ML, Zuloaga DG. Stress-induced neural activation is altered during early withdrawal from chronic methamphetamine. Behav Brain Res 2019; 366:67-76. [PMID: 30902659 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2019.03.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2018] [Revised: 03/18/2019] [Accepted: 03/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Chronic methamphetamine (MA) use can lead to increased symptoms of depression and anxiety during abstinence. Less is known about the specific brain regions that are altered following repeated MA that may be associated with these behavioral perturbations. Furthermore, MA has been reported to recruit and activate microglia in the brain, which may exacerbate stress-associated behavioral changes. In the present study, male and female mice were injected with MA (5 mg/kg) or saline once daily for 10 days, and during early withdrawal were assessed for alterations in immediate early gene (c-Fos) responses to a forced swim stressor. Chronic MA exposure increased floating and decreased swim time in the forced swim test in male and female mice tested 48 h after the final dose, indicating elevated depressive-like behavior. Furthermore, assessment of nest building, a measure of distress or despair-like behavior, revealed a sex-specific effect with only MA-treated females showing impairments. The c-Fos response to forced swim was attenuated by prior MA exposure in the central amygdala, CA3 hippocampal region, prefrontal cortex, and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST). In the BST this attenuation occurred only in males. Neither the total number of microglia or activated microglia were altered by chronic MA exposure in regions examined. The primary findings indicate that chronic MA exposure attenuates activation of select stress-associated brain regions, a dysregulation that might contribute to alterations in mood-related behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason S Jacobskind
- University at Albany, Department of Psychology, Albany, NY 12222, United States
| | - Zachary J Rosinger
- University at Albany, Department of Psychology, Albany, NY 12222, United States
| | - Morgan L Brooks
- University at Albany, Department of Psychology, Albany, NY 12222, United States
| | - Damian G Zuloaga
- University at Albany, Department of Psychology, Albany, NY 12222, United States.
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