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Santos TB, de Oliveira Coelho CA, Kramer-Soares JC, Frankland PW, Oliveira MGM. Reactivation of encoding ensembles in the prelimbic cortex supports temporal associations. Neuropsychopharmacology 2024; 49:1296-1308. [PMID: 38454052 PMCID: PMC11224261 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-024-01825-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2023] [Revised: 01/14/2024] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
Fear conditioning is encoded by strengthening synaptic connections between the neurons activated by a conditioned stimulus (CS) and those activated by an unconditioned stimulus (US), forming a memory engram, which is reactivated during memory retrieval. In temporal associations, activity within the prelimbic cortex (PL) plays a role in sustaining a short-term, transient memory of the CS, which is associated with the US after a temporal gap. However, it is unknown whether the PL has only a temporary role, transiently representing the CS, or is part of the neuronal ensembles that support the retrieval, i.e., whether PL neurons support both transient, short-term memories and stable, long-term memories. We investigated neuronal ensembles underlying temporal associations using fear conditioning with a 5-s interval between the CS and US (CFC-5s). Controls were trained in contextual fear conditioning (CFC), in which the CS-US overlaps. We used Robust Activity Marking (RAM) to selectively manipulate PL neurons activated by CFC-5s learning and Targeted Recombination in Active Populations (TRAP2) mice to label neurons activated by CFC-5s learning and reactivated by memory retrieval in the amygdala, medial prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, perirhinal cortices (PER) and subiculum. We also computed their co-reactivation to generate correlation-based networks. The optogenetic reactivation or silencing of PL encoding ensembles either promoted or impaired the retrieval of CFC-5s but not CFC. CFC-5s retrieval reactivated encoding ensembles in the PL, PER, and basolateral amygdala. The engram network of CFC-5s had higher amygdala and PER centralities and interconnectivity. The same PL neurons support learning and stable associative memories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thays Brenner Santos
- Departamento de Psicobiologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo - UNIFESP, São Paulo, 04023-062, Brazil.
| | | | - Juliana Carlota Kramer-Soares
- Departamento de Psicobiologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo - UNIFESP, São Paulo, 04023-062, Brazil
- Universidade Cruzeiro do Sul - UNICSUL, São Paulo, 08060-070, Brazil
| | - Paul W Frankland
- Neuroscience and Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, M5G 0A4, Canada
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X8, Canada
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X8, Canada
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X8, Canada
- Child & Brain Development Program, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Toronto, ON, M5G 1M1, Canada
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Sadighi M, Mai L, Xu Y, Boillot M, Targa G, Mottarlini F, Brambilla P, Gass P, Caffino L, Fumagalli F, Homberg JR. Chronic exposure to imipramine induces a switch from depression-like to mania-like behavior in female serotonin transporter knockout rats: Role of BDNF signaling in the infralimbic cortex. J Affect Disord 2024; 351:128-142. [PMID: 38280571 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2024.01.186] [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: 07/25/2023] [Revised: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 01/29/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bipolar disorder (BD) is a highly burdensome psychiatric disorder characterized by alternating states of mania and depression. A major challenge in the clinic is the switch from depression to mania, which is often observed in female BD patients during antidepressant treatment such as imipramine. However, the underlying neural basis is unclear. METHODS To investigate the potential neuronal pathways, serotonin transporter knockout (SERT KO) rats, an experimental model of female BD patients, were subjected to a battery of behavioral tests under chronic treatment of the antidepressant imipramine. In addition, the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and its downstream signaling was examined in the prefrontal cortex. RESULTS Chronic exposure to imipramine reduced anxiety and sociability and problem-solving capacity, and increased thigmotaxis and day/night activity in all animals, but specifically in female SERT KO rats, compared to female wild-type (WT) rats. Further, we found an activation of BDNF-TrkB-Akt pathway signaling in the infralimbic, but not prelimbic, cortex after chronic imipramine treatment in SERT KO, but not WT, rats. LIMITATIONS Repeated testing behaviors could potentially affect the results. Additionally, the imipramine induced changes in behavior and in the BDNF system were measured in separate animals. CONCLUSIONS Our study indicates that female SERT KO rats, which mirror the female BD patients with the 5-HTTLPR s-allele, are at higher risk of a switch to mania-like behaviors under imipramine treatment. Activation of the BDNF-TrkB-Akt pathway in the infralimbic cortex might contribute to this phenotype, but causal evidence remains to be provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mina Sadighi
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Center, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Lingling Mai
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Center, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Yifan Xu
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Center, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Morgane Boillot
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Center, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Giorgia Targa
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences 'Rodolfo Paoletti', Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Francesca Mottarlini
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences 'Rodolfo Paoletti', Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Paolo Brambilla
- Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy; Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Peter Gass
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, RG Animal Models in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Lucia Caffino
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences 'Rodolfo Paoletti', Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Fabio Fumagalli
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences 'Rodolfo Paoletti', Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Judith R Homberg
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Center, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
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Francis-Oliveira J, Higa GSV, Viana FJC, Cruvinel E, Carlos-Lima E, da Silva Borges F, Zampieri TT, Rebello FP, Ulrich H, De Pasquale R. TREK-1 inhibition promotes synaptic plasticity in the prelimbic cortex. Exp Neurol 2024; 373:114652. [PMID: 38103709 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2023.114652] [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: 10/06/2023] [Revised: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/10/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Synaptic plasticity is one of the putative mechanisms involved in the maturation of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) during postnatal development. Early life stress (ELS) affects the shaping of cortical circuitries through impairment of synaptic plasticity supporting the onset of mood disorders. Growing evidence suggests that dysfunctional postnatal maturation of the prelimbic division (PL) of the PFC might be related to the emergence of depression. The potassium channel TREK-1 has attracted particular interest among many factors that modulate plasticity, concerning synaptic modifications that could underlie mood disorders. Studies have found that ablation of TREK-1 increases the resilience to depression, while rats exposed to ELS exhibit higher TREK-1 levels in the PL. TREK-1 is regulated by multiple intracellular transduction pathways including the ones activated by metabotropic receptors. In the hippocampal neurons, TREK-1 interacts with the serotonergic system, one of the main factors involved in the action of antidepressants. To investigate possible mechanisms related to the antidepressant role of TREK-1, we used brain slice electrophysiology to evaluate the effects of TREK-1 pharmacological blockade on synaptic plasticity at PL circuitry. We extended this investigation to animals subjected to ELS. Our findings suggest that in non-stressed animals, TREK-1 activity is required for the reduction of synaptic responses mediated by the 5HT1A receptor activation. Furthermore, we demonstrate that TREK-1 blockade promotes activity-dependent long-term depression (LTD) when acting in synergy with 5HT1A receptor stimulation. On the other hand, in ELS animals, TREK-1 blockade reduces synaptic transmission and facilitates LTD expression. These results indicate that TREK-1 inhibition stimulates synaptic plasticity in the PL and this effect is more pronounced in animals subjected to ELS during postnatal development.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Francis-Oliveira
- Laboratório de Neurofisiologia, Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica, Universidade de São Paulo, Butantã, SP 05508-000, Brazil; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA
| | - Guilherme Shigueto Vilar Higa
- Laboratório de Neurofisiologia, Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica, Universidade de São Paulo, Butantã, SP 05508-000, Brazil; Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Química (USP), Butantã, SP 05508-900, Brazil; Laboratório de Neurogenética, Universidade Federal do ABC, São Bernardo do Campo, SP 09210-580, Brazil
| | - Felipe José Costa Viana
- Laboratório de Neurofisiologia, Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica, Universidade de São Paulo, Butantã, SP 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Emily Cruvinel
- Laboratório de Neurofisiologia, Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica, Universidade de São Paulo, Butantã, SP 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Estevão Carlos-Lima
- Laboratório de Neurofisiologia, Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica, Universidade de São Paulo, Butantã, SP 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Fernando da Silva Borges
- Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY 11203, USA
| | - Thais Tessari Zampieri
- Laboratório de Neurofisiologia, Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica, Universidade de São Paulo, Butantã, SP 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Fernanda Pereira Rebello
- Laboratório de Neurofisiologia, Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica, Universidade de São Paulo, Butantã, SP 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Henning Ulrich
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Química (USP), Butantã, SP 05508-900, Brazil
| | - Roberto De Pasquale
- Laboratório de Neurofisiologia, Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica, Universidade de São Paulo, Butantã, SP 05508-000, Brazil.
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Antolasic EJ, Jaehne EJ, van den Buuse M. Interaction of Brain-derived Neurotrophic Factor, Exercise, and Fear Extinction: Implications for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder. Curr Neuropharmacol 2024; 22:543-556. [PMID: 37491857 PMCID: PMC10845100 DOI: 10.2174/1570159x21666230724101321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Revised: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) plays an important role in brain development, neural plasticity, and learning and memory. The Val66Met single-nucleotide polymorphism is a common genetic variant that results in deficient activity-dependent release of BDNF. This polymorphism and its impact on fear conditioning and extinction, as well as on symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), have been of increasing research interest over the last two decades. More recently, it has been demonstrated that regular physical activity may ameliorate impairments in fear extinction and alleviate symptoms in individuals with PTSD via an action on BDNF levels and that there are differential responses to exercise between the Val66Met genotypes. This narrative literature review first describes the theoretical underpinnings of the development and persistence of intrusive and hypervigilance symptoms commonly seen in PTSD and their treatment. It then discusses recent literature on the involvement of BDNF and the Val66Met polymorphism in fear conditioning and extinction and its involvement in PTSD diagnosis and severity. Finally, it investigates research on the impact of physical activity on BDNF secretion, the differences between the Val66Met genotypes, and the effect on fear extinction learning and memory and symptoms of PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily J. Antolasic
- School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Emily J. Jaehne
- School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
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Shafiee A, Jafarabady K, Mohammadi I, Rajai S. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels in panic disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Brain Behav 2024; 14:e3349. [PMID: 38376041 PMCID: PMC10757897 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.3349] [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: 05/26/2023] [Revised: 09/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/21/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The existing literature on the association between brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) protein levels and panic disorder presents inconsistent findings. This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to synthesize the available evidence and determine the overall effect of BDNF protein levels in individuals diagnosed with panic disorder. METHODS A comprehensive literature search was conducted using electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, Scopus, PsycINFO, and Web of Science) from inception to April 21, 2023. The search strategy included relevant keywords and medical subject headings terms related to BDNF, panic disorder, and protein levels. A random-effects model was used for the meta-analysis, and subgroup analyses were performed to explore heterogeneity. Publication bias was assessed using funnel plots and statistical tests. RESULTS A total of 12 studies met the inclusion criteria. The meta-analysis demonstrated a significant decrease in BDNF protein levels in individuals with panic disorder (SMD = -.53, 95% CI: -1.02 to -.04, p < .001; I2 : 92%). The results of subgroup and meta-regression analyses were not statistically significant. No significant publication bias was observed based on the results of Egger's regression test (p-value = .3550). CONCLUSION This systematic review and meta-analysis provide evidence of lower BDNF protein levels in individuals diagnosed with panic disorder compared to healthy controls. The findings suggest a potential role for BDNF dysregulation in the pathophysiology of panic disorder. Further research is warranted to elucidate the underlying mechanisms and potential therapeutic implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arman Shafiee
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental HealthAlborz University of Medical SciencesKarajIran
- Student Research Committee, School of MedicineAlborz University of Medical SciencesKarajIran
| | - Kyana Jafarabady
- Student Research Committee, School of MedicineAlborz University of Medical SciencesKarajIran
| | - Ida Mohammadi
- School of MedicineShahid Beheshti University of Medical SciencesTehranIran
| | - Shahryar Rajai
- School of MedicineShahid Beheshti University of Medical SciencesTehranIran
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Jaehne EJ, Antolasic EJ, Creutzberg KC, Begni V, Riva MA, van den Buuse M. Impaired fear memory in a rat model of the Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Val66Met polymorphism is reversed by chronic exercise. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2023; 203:107779. [PMID: 37269900 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2023.107779] [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: 10/25/2022] [Revised: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
The brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) Val66Met polymorphism is associated with reduced activity-dependent BDNF release in the brain and has been implicated in fear and anxiety disorders, including post-traumatic stress disorder. Exercise has been shown to have benefits in affective disorders but the role of BDNF Val66Met remains unclear. Male and female BDNF Val66Met rats were housed in automated running-wheel cages from weaning while controls were housed in standard cages. During adulthood, all rats underwent standard three-day fear conditioning testing, with three tone/shock pairings on day 1 (acquisition), and extinction learning and memory (40 tones/session) on day 2 and day 3. Expression of BDNF and stress-related genes were measured in the frontal cortex. Extinction testing on day 2 revealed significantly lower freezing in response to initial cue exposure in control Met/Met rats, reflecting impaired fear memory. This deficit was reversed in both male and female Met/Met rats exposed to exercise. There were no genotype effects on acquisition or extinction of fear, however chronic exercise increased freezing in all groups at every stage of testing. Exercise furthermore led to increased expression of Bdnf in the prefrontal cortex of females and its isoforms in both sexes, as well as increased expression of FK506 binding protein 51 (Fkpb5) in females and decreased expression of Serum/glucocorticoid-regulated kinase (Sgk1) in males independent of genotype. These results show that the Met/Met genotype of the Val66Met polymorphism affects fear memory, and that chronic exercise selectively reverses this genotype effect. Chronic exercise also led to an overall increase in freezing in all genotypes which may contribute to results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily J Jaehne
- Department of Psychology, Counselling and Therapy, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Emily J Antolasic
- Department of Psychology, Counselling and Therapy, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Kerstin C Creutzberg
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Veronica Begni
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Marco A Riva
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy; Biological Psychiatry Laboratory, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy
| | - Maarten van den Buuse
- Department of Psychology, Counselling and Therapy, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia; Department of Pharmacology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
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Conte C, Baldi E, Bucherelli C, di Vito R, Petri D, Traina G. Modulation of synapse-related gene expression in the cerebellum and prefrontal cortex of rats subjected to the contextual fear conditioning paradigm. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2023:107776. [PMID: 37236300 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2023.107776] [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: 09/30/2022] [Revised: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 05/21/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
The contextual fear conditioning (CFC) paradigm is the most productive approach for understanding the neurobiology of learning and memory as it allows to follow the evolution of memory traces of a conditioned stimulus and a specific context. The formation of long-term memory involves alterations in synaptic efficacy and neural transmission. It is known that the prefrontal cortex (PFC) exerts top-down control over subcortical structures to regulate behavioural responses. Moreover, cerebellar structures are involved in storing conditioned responses. The purpose of this research was to determine if the response to conditioning and stressful challenge is associated with alterations in synapse-related genes mRNA levels in the PFC, cerebellar vermis (V), and hemispheres (H) of young adult male rats. Four groups of Wistar rats were examined: naïve, CFC, shock only (SO), and exploration (EXPL). The behavioural response was evaluated by measuring the total freezing duration. Real-Time PCR was employed to quantify mRNA levels of some genes involved in synaptic plasticity. The results obtained from this study showed alterations in gene expression in different synapse-related genes after exposure to stressful stimuli and positioning to new environment. In conclusion, conditioning behavioural stimuli change the expression profile of molecules involved in neural transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmela Conte
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Perugia, Via Romana, 06126, Perugia, Italy.
| | - Elisabetta Baldi
- Dipartimento di Medicina Sperimentale e Clinica, Università di Firenze, Viale G.B. Morgagni, 63, 50134, Firenze, Italy.
| | - Corrado Bucherelli
- Dipartimento di Medicina Sperimentale e Clinica, Università di Firenze, Viale G.B. Morgagni, 63, 50134, Firenze, Italy.
| | - Raffaella di Vito
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Perugia, Via Romana, 06126, Perugia, Italy.
| | - Davide Petri
- Dipartimento di Ricerca Traslazionale e delle Nuove Tecnologie in Medicina e Chirurgia, via San Zeno 37, 56123 Pisa, Italy.
| | - Giovanna Traina
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Perugia, Via Romana, 06126, Perugia, Italy.
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Sun G, Lin CH, Mei G, Gu J, Fan SF, Liu X, Liu R, Liu XW, Chen XS, Zhou C, Yi X, Jin P, Chang CP, Lin XJ. Recovery of neurosurgical high-frequency electroporation injury in the canine brain can be accelerated by 7,8-dihydroxyflavone. Biomed Pharmacother 2023; 160:114372. [PMID: 36773524 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.114372] [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: 11/16/2022] [Revised: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although traumatic brain injury (TBI) occurs in a very short time, the biological consequence of a TBI, such as Alzheimer's disease, may last a lifetime. To date, effective interventions are not available to improve recovery from a TBI. Herein we aimed to ascertain whether recovery of neurosurgical high-frequency irreversible electroporation (HFIRE) injury in brain tissues can be accelerated by 7,8-dihydroxyflavone (7,8-DHF). METHODS The HFIRE injury was induced in the right parietal cortex of 8 adult healthy and neurologically intact male dogs. Two weeks before HFIRE injury, each dog was administered orally with or without 7,8-DHF (30 mg/kg) once daily for consecutive 2 weeks (n = 4 for each group). The values of blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption, brain edema, and cerebral infarction volumes were measured. The concentrations of beta-amyloid, interleukin-1β, interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α in the cerebrospinal fluid were measured biochemically. RESULTS The BBB disruption, brain edema, infarction volumes, and maximal cross-section area caused by HFIRE injury in canine brain were significantly attenuated by 7,8-DHF therapy (P < 0.0001). Additionally, 7,8-DHF significantly reduced the HFIRE-induced cerebral overproduction of beta-amyloid and proinflammatory cytokines in the cerebrospinal fluid (P < 0.0001) in dogs with HFIRE. CONCLUSIONS Recovery of neurosurgical HFIRE injury in canine brain tissues can be accelerated by 7,8-DHT via ameliorating BBB disruption as well as cerebral overproduction of both beta-amyloid and proinflammatory cytokines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gang Sun
- Department of Medical Imaging, The 960(th) Hospital of Joint Logistics Support Force of PLA, Shandong Province, P.R. China; Key Laboratory of Military Medical Psychology and Stress Biology of PLA, Shandong Province, P.R. China.
| | - Cheng-Hsien Lin
- Department of Medicine, Mackay Medical College, New Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Medical Research, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan.
| | - Guiping Mei
- Guangzhou Huaxia Vocational College, Guangdong Province, P.R. China
| | - Jia Gu
- Suzhou Powersite Electric Co., Ltd, Jiangsu Province, P.R. China
| | - Sheng-Fang Fan
- Suzhou Powersite Electric Co., Ltd, Jiangsu Province, P.R. China
| | - Xiaohong Liu
- Department of Pathology, The 960(th) Hospital of Joint Logistics Support Force of PLA, Shandong Province, P.R. China
| | - Ruoxu Liu
- Institute of Military Cognition and Brain Sciences, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Academy of Military Sciences, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Xun-Wei Liu
- Department of Medical Imaging, The 960(th) Hospital of Joint Logistics Support Force of PLA, Shandong Province, P.R. China
| | - Xiao-Sen Chen
- Department of Pathology, The 960(th) Hospital of Joint Logistics Support Force of PLA, Shandong Province, P.R. China
| | - Cheng Zhou
- Department of Pathology, The 960(th) Hospital of Joint Logistics Support Force of PLA, Shandong Province, P.R. China
| | - Xueqing Yi
- Department of Medical Imaging, The 960(th) Hospital of Joint Logistics Support Force of PLA, Shandong Province, P.R. China
| | - Peng Jin
- Department of Medical Imaging, The 960(th) Hospital of Joint Logistics Support Force of PLA, Shandong Province, P.R. China
| | - Ching-Ping Chang
- Department of Medical Research, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan.
| | - Xiao-Jing Lin
- Department of Medical Imaging, The 960(th) Hospital of Joint Logistics Support Force of PLA, Shandong Province, P.R. China; Key Laboratory of Military Medical Psychology and Stress Biology of PLA, Shandong Province, P.R. China.
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Silva F, Masella G, Madeira MF, Duarte CB, Santos M. TrkC Intracellular Signalling in the Brain Fear Network During the Formation of a Contextual Fear Memory. Mol Neurobiol 2023; 60:3507-3521. [PMID: 36882590 PMCID: PMC10122637 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-023-03292-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023]
Abstract
Learned fear is orchestrated by a brain fear network that comprises the amygdala, hippocampus and the medial prefrontal cortex. Synaptic plasticity within this network is critical for the formation of proper fear memories. Known for their role in the promotion of synaptic plasticity, neurotrophins position as obvious candidates in the regulation of fear processes. Indeed, recent evidence from our laboratory and others associates dysregulated signalling through neurotrophin-3 and its receptor TrkC with the pathophysiology of anxiety and fear-related disorders. Here, we put wild-type C57Bl/6J mice through a contextual fear conditioning paradigm in order to characterize TrkC activation and expression in the main brain regions involved in (learned) fear - amygdala, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex - during the formation of a fear memory. We report an overall decreased activation of TrkC in the fear network during fear consolidation and reconsolidation. During reconsolidation, hippocampal TrkC downregulation was accompanied by a decrease in the expression and activation of Erk, a critical signalling pathway in fear conditioning. Moreover, we did not find evidence that the observed decrease of TrkC activation was caused by altered expression of dominant negative form of TrkC, neurotrophin-3, or the PTP1B phosphatase. Our results indicate hippocampal TrkC inactivation through Erk signalling as a potential mechanism in the regulation of contextual fear memory formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisca Silva
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Research, University of Coimbra (iiiUC), Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Gianluca Masella
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Research, University of Coimbra (iiiUC), Coimbra, Portugal
| | | | - Carlos B Duarte
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Mónica Santos
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Research, University of Coimbra (iiiUC), Coimbra, Portugal.
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Brown A, Villaruel FR, Chaudhri N. Neural correlates of recall and extinction in a rat model of appetitive Pavlovian conditioning. Behav Brain Res 2023; 440:114248. [PMID: 36496079 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2022.114248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2022] [Revised: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Extinction is a fundamental form of inhibitory learning that is important for adapting to changing environmental contingencies. While numerous studies have investigated the neural correlates of extinction using Pavlovian fear conditioning and appetitive operant reward-seeking procedures, less is known about the neural circuitry mediating the extinction of appetitive Pavlovian responding. Here, we aimed to generate an extensive brain activation map of extinction learning in a rat model of appetitive Pavlovian conditioning. Male Long-Evans rats were trained to associate a conditioned stimulus (CS; 20 s white noise) with the delivery of a 10% sucrose unconditioned stimulus (US; 0.3 ml/CS) to a fluid port. Control groups also received CS presentations, but sucrose was delivered either during the inter-trial interval or in the home-cage. After conditioning, 1 or 6 extinction sessions were conducted in which the CS was presented but sucrose was withheld. We performed Fos immunohistochemistry and network connectivity analyses on a set of cortical, striatal, thalamic, and amygdalar brain regions. Neural activity in the prelimbic cortex, ventral orbitofrontal cortex, nucleus accumbens core, and paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus was greater during recall relative to extinction. Conversely, prolonged extinction following 6 sessions induced increased neural activity in the infralimbic cortex, medial orbitofrontal cortex, and nucleus accumbens shell compared to home-cage controls. All these structures were similarly recruited during recall on the first extinction session. These findings provide novel evidence for the contribution of brain areas and neural networks that are differentially involved in the recall versus extinction of appetitive Pavlovian conditioned responding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexa Brown
- Center for Studies in Behavioural Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
| | - Franz R Villaruel
- Center for Studies in Behavioural Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Nadia Chaudhri
- Center for Studies in Behavioural Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada
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11
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Niedringhaus M, West EA. Prelimbic cortex neural encoding dynamically tracks expected outcome value. Physiol Behav 2022; 256:113938. [PMID: 35944659 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2022.113938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2022] [Revised: 08/04/2022] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Animals must modify their behavior based on updated expected outcomes in a changing environment. Prelimbic cortex (PrL) neural encoding during learning predicts, and is necessary for, appropriately altering behavior based on a new expected outcome value following devaluation. We aimed to determine how PrL neural activity encodes reward predictive cues after the expected outcome value of those cues is decreased following conditioned taste aversion. In one post-devaluation session, rats were tested under extinction to determine their ability to alter their behavior to the expected outcome values (i.e., extinction test). In a second post-devaluation session, rats were tested with the newly devalued outcome delivered so that the rats experienced the updated outcome value within the session (i.e., re-exposure test). We found that PrL neural encoding of the cue associated with the devalued reward predicted the ability of rats to suppress behavior in the extinction test session, but not in the re-exposure test session. While all rats were able to successfully devalue the outcome during conditioned taste aversion, a subset of rats continued to consume the devalued outcome in the re-exposure test session. We found differential patterns of PrL neural encoding in the population of rats that did not avoid the devalued outcome during the re-exposure test compared to the rats that successfully avoided the devalued outcome. Our findings suggest that PrL neural encoding dynamically tracks expected outcome values, and differential neural encoding in the PrL to reward predictive cues following expected outcome value changes may contribute to distinct behavioral phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Niedringhaus
- Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine, Stratford, NJ, 08084
| | - Elizabeth A West
- Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine, Stratford, NJ, 08084; Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine, Stratford, NJ, 08084.
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12
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7,8-Dihydroxyflavone accelerates recovery of Brown-Sequard syndrome in adult female rats with spinal cord lateral hemisection. Biomed Pharmacother 2022; 153:113397. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2022.113397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2022] [Revised: 07/04/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
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13
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Hong J, Jeong Y, Heo WD. The Neurotrophic Receptor Tyrosine Kinase in MEC-mPFC Neurons Contributes to Remote Memory Consolidation. J Neurosci 2022; 42:6605-6619. [PMID: 35863892 PMCID: PMC9410758 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2433-21.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2021] [Revised: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The PFC is thought to be the region where remote memory is recalled. However, the neurotrophic receptors that underlie the remote memory remain largely unknown. Here, we benefited from auto-assembly split Cre to accomplish the neural projection-specific recombinase activity without spontaneous leakage. Deletion of tropomyosin receptor kinase B (TrkB) in neurons projecting from the medial entorhinal cortex to the mPFC displayed reduced remote memory recall from the male mice, but the recent recall was intact. We found that the TrkB deletion attenuates the participation of mPFC cells in the remote fear memory recall. The disruption of remote recall was attributed to reduced reactivation of cells in the mPFC. Notably, TrkB deletion seriously inhibited experience-dependent maturation of oligodendroglia in the PFC, resulting in defects in remote recall that were rescued by clemastine administration. Together, our data suggest that TrkB in intercortical circuits functions in remote memory consolidation.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Retrieving the past experiences or events is essential for the ones to lead life. The investigations performed in the rodent model have disclosed that the systems consolidation of memory accompanying changes of cortical circuits and transcriptome is required for maintaining the memory for a long time. In this study, the split Cre with TrkBflox/flox mice were subjected to discover that TrkB in the neurons plays a role in remote memory consolidation. We evaluated the contextual fear memory and labeled cells, which revealed deletion of TrkB interrupts newborn oligodendrocyte and reactivation of cells in mPFC at remote recall. Our data provide the implication that remote memory is relevant to neurotrophic receptor signaling as well as its influence on non-neuronal cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jongryul Hong
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Yeonji Jeong
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Won Do Heo
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
- Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology Institute for the BioCentury, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
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14
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Yang S, Zhu G. 7,8-Dihydroxyflavone and Neuropsychiatric Disorders: A Translational Perspective from the Mechanism to Drug Development. Curr Neuropharmacol 2022; 20:1479-1497. [PMID: 34525922 PMCID: PMC9881092 DOI: 10.2174/1570159x19666210915122820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2021] [Revised: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 09/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
7,8-Dihydroxyflavone (7,8-DHF) is a kind of natural flavonoid with the potential to cross the blood-brain barrier. 7,8-DHF effectively mimics the effect of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the brain to selectively activate tyrosine kinase receptor B (TrkB) and downstream signaling pathways, thus playing a neuroprotective role. The preclinical effects of 7,8-DHF have been widely investigated in neuropsychiatric disorders, including Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), depression, and memory impairment. Besides the effect on TrkB, 7,8-DHF could also function through fighting against oxidative stress, cooperating with estrogen receptors, or regulating intestinal flora. This review focuses on the recent experimental studies on depression, neurodegenerative diseases, and learning and memory functions. Additionally, the structural modification and preparation of 7,8-DHF were also concluded and proposed, hoping to provide a reference for the follow-up research and clinical drug development of 7,8-DHF in the field of neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaojie Yang
- Key Laboratory of Xin’an Medicine, the Ministry of Education, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, Anhui, 230038, China
| | - Guoqi Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Xin’an Medicine, the Ministry of Education, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, Anhui, 230038, China,Address correspondence to this author at the Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Meishan Road 103, Hefei 230038, China; E-mail:
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15
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Narvaes RF, Nachtigall EG, Marcondes LA, Izquierdo I, Myskiw JDC, Furini CR. Involvement of medial prefrontal cortex canonical Wnt/β-catenin and non-canonical Wnt/Ca2+ signaling pathways in contextual fear memory in male rats. Behav Brain Res 2022; 430:113948. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2022.113948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2021] [Revised: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
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16
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An epigenetic mechanism for over-consolidation of fear memories. Mol Psychiatry 2022; 27:4893-4904. [PMID: 36127428 PMCID: PMC9763112 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01758-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Revised: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Excessive fear is a hallmark of anxiety disorders, a major cause of disease burden worldwide. Substantial evidence supports a role of prefrontal cortex-amygdala circuits in the regulation of fear and anxiety, but the molecular mechanisms that regulate their activity remain poorly understood. Here, we show that downregulation of the histone methyltransferase PRDM2 in the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex enhances fear expression by modulating fear memory consolidation. We further show that Prdm2 knock-down (KD) in neurons that project from the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex to the basolateral amygdala (dmPFC-BLA) promotes increased fear expression. Prdm2 KD in the dmPFC-BLA circuit also resulted in increased expression of genes involved in synaptogenesis, suggesting that Prdm2 KD modulates consolidation of conditioned fear by modifying synaptic strength at dmPFC-BLA projection targets. Consistent with an enhanced synaptic efficacy, we found that dmPFC Prdm2 KD increased glutamatergic release probability in the BLA and increased the activity of BLA neurons in response to fear-associated cues. Together, our findings provide a new molecular mechanism for excessive fear responses, wherein PRDM2 modulates the dmPFC -BLA circuit through specific transcriptomic changes.
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17
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Infralimbic BDNF signaling is necessary for the beneficial effects of extinction on set shifting in stressed rats. Neuropsychopharmacology 2022; 47:507-515. [PMID: 34497360 PMCID: PMC8674269 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-021-01171-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2021] [Revised: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Current pharmacotherapies for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and major depressive disorder (MDD) are ineffective for many patients, and often do not restore cognitive dysfunction associated with these disorders. Behavioral therapies, such as exposure therapy, can be effective for treatment-resistant patients. The mechanisms underlying exposure therapy are not well-understood. Fear extinction as an intervention after chronic stress can model the beneficial effects of exposure therapy in rats. Extinction requires neuronal activity and protein synthesis in the infralimbic (IL) cortex for its beneficial effects. We hypothesized that extinction requires Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) activity in the IL cortex to reverse stress-induced cognitive flexibility impairments. Extinction learning reversed set-shifting deficits induced by Chronic Unpredictable Stress (CUS), tested 24 h after extinction. Blocking BDNF signaling in the IL cortex during extinction by local administration of a neutralizing antibody prevented the beneficial effects of extinction on set shifting after stress. Extinction induced activation of the BDNF TrkB receptor, and signaling pathways associated with BDNF (Akt and Erk). Administration of exogenous BDNF into IL cortex in the absence of extinction was sufficient to reverse the effects of stress on set shifting. The effects of extinction were prevented by blocking either Erk or Akt signaling in the IL cortex, whereas the effects of exogenous BDNF were dependent on Erk, but not Akt, signaling. Our observations suggest that BDNF-Erk signaling induced by extinction underlies plastic changes that can reverse or counteract the effects of chronic stress in the IL cortex.
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18
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Alexandra Kredlow M, Fenster RJ, Laurent ES, Ressler KJ, Phelps EA. Prefrontal cortex, amygdala, and threat processing: implications for PTSD. Neuropsychopharmacology 2022; 47:247-259. [PMID: 34545196 PMCID: PMC8617299 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-021-01155-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 39.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2021] [Revised: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 08/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Posttraumatic stress disorder can be viewed as a disorder of fear dysregulation. An abundance of research suggests that the prefrontal cortex is central to fear processing-that is, how fears are acquired and strategies to regulate or diminish fear responses. The current review covers foundational research on threat or fear acquisition and extinction in nonhuman animals, healthy humans, and patients with posttraumatic stress disorder, through the lens of the involvement of the prefrontal cortex in these processes. Research harnessing advances in technology to further probe the role of the prefrontal cortex in these processes, such as the use of optogenetics in rodents and brain stimulation in humans, will be highlighted, as well other fear regulation approaches that are relevant to the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder and involve the prefrontal cortex, namely cognitive regulation and avoidance/active coping. Despite the large body of translational research, many questions remain unanswered and posttraumatic stress disorder remains difficult to treat. We conclude by outlining future research directions related to the role of the prefrontal cortex in fear processing and implications for the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. Alexandra Kredlow
- grid.38142.3c000000041936754XDepartment of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA USA
| | - Robert J. Fenster
- grid.38142.3c000000041936754XDivision of Depression and Anxiety, McLean Hospital; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA USA
| | - Emma S. Laurent
- grid.38142.3c000000041936754XDepartment of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA USA
| | - Kerry J. Ressler
- grid.38142.3c000000041936754XDivision of Depression and Anxiety, McLean Hospital; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA USA
| | - Elizabeth A. Phelps
- grid.38142.3c000000041936754XDepartment of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA USA
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19
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Joseph NF, Zucca A, Wingfield JL, Espadas I, Page D, Puthanveettil SV. Molecular motor KIF3B in the prelimbic cortex constrains the consolidation of contextual fear memory. Mol Brain 2021; 14:162. [PMID: 34749771 PMCID: PMC8573985 DOI: 10.1186/s13041-021-00873-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Accepted: 10/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the role of the prelimbic cortex in contextual fear memory remain elusive. Here we examined the kinesin family of molecular motor proteins (KIFs) in the prelimbic cortex for their role in mediating contextual fear, a form of associative memory. KIFs function as critical mediators of synaptic transmission and plasticity by their ability to modulate microtubule function and transport of gene products. However, the regulation and function of KIFs in the prelimbic cortex insofar as mediating memory consolidation is not known. We find that within one hour of contextual fear conditioning, the expression of KIF3B is upregulated in the prelimbic but not the infralimbic cortex. Importantly, lentiviral-mediated knockdown of KIF3B in the prelimbic cortex produces deficits in consolidation while reducing freezing behavior during extinction of contextual fear. We also find that the depletion of KIF3B increases spine density within prelimbic neurons. Taken together, these results illuminate a key role for KIF3B in the prelimbic cortex as far as mediating contextual fear memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadine F Joseph
- The Skaggs Graduate School of Chemical and Biological Sciences, Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA.,Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, FL, 33458, USA
| | - Aya Zucca
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, FL, 33458, USA
| | - Jenna L Wingfield
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, FL, 33458, USA
| | - Isabel Espadas
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, FL, 33458, USA
| | - Damon Page
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, FL, 33458, USA
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20
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Mouly AM, Bouillot C, Costes N, Zimmer L, Ravel N, Litaudon P. PET Metabolic Imaging of Time-Dependent Reorganization of Olfactory Cued Fear Memory Networks in Rats. Cereb Cortex 2021; 32:2717-2728. [PMID: 34668524 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2021] [Revised: 09/15/2021] [Accepted: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Memory consolidation involves reorganization at both the synaptic and system levels. The latter involves gradual reorganization of the brain regions that support memory and has been mostly highlighted using hippocampal-dependent tasks. The standard memory consolidation model posits that the hippocampus becomes gradually less important over time in favor of neocortical regions. In contrast, this reorganization of circuits in amygdala-dependent tasks has been less investigated. Moreover, this question has been addressed using primarily lesion or cellular imaging approaches thus precluding the comparison of recent and remote memory networks in the same animals. To overcome this limitation, we used microPET imaging to characterize, in the same animals, the networks activated during the recall of a recent versus remote memory in an olfactory cued fear conditioning paradigm. The data highlighted the drastic difference between the extents of the two networks. Indeed, although the recall of a recent odor fear memory activates a large network of structures spanning from the prefrontal cortex to the cerebellum, significant activations during remote memory retrieval are limited to the piriform cortex. These results strongly support the view that amygdala-dependent memories also undergo system-level reorganization, and that sensory cortical areas might participate in the long-term storage of emotional memories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne-Marie Mouly
- Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, CNRS UMR 5292, INSERM U1028, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Bron Cedex 69675, France
| | | | | | - Luc Zimmer
- Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, CNRS UMR 5292, INSERM U1028, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Bron Cedex 69675, France.,CERMEP-Life Imaging, Bron Cedex 69677, France.,Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon 69002, France
| | - Nadine Ravel
- Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, CNRS UMR 5292, INSERM U1028, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Bron Cedex 69675, France
| | - Philippe Litaudon
- Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, CNRS UMR 5292, INSERM U1028, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Bron Cedex 69675, France
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21
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Liao J, Chen C, Ahn EH, Liu X, Li H, Edgington-Mitchell LE, Lu Z, Ming S, Ye K. Targeting both BDNF/TrkB pathway and delta-secretase for treating Alzheimer's disease. Neuropharmacology 2021; 197:108737. [PMID: 34343610 PMCID: PMC8478860 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2021.108737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2021] [Revised: 07/19/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common dementia, and no disease-modifying therapeutic agents are currently available. BDNF/TrkB signaling is impaired in AD and is associated with prominent delta-secretase (δ-secretase, also known as asparaginyl endopeptidase or legumain) activation, which simultaneously cleaves both APP and Tau and promotes Aβ production and neurofibrillary tangles (NFT) pathologies. Here we show that the optimized δ-secretase inhibitor (#11a) or TrkB receptor agonist (CF3CN) robustly blocks δ-secretase activity separately, and their combination synergistically blunts δ-secretase, exhibiting promising therapeutic efficacy in 3xTg AD mouse model. The optimal δ-secretase inhibitor reveals demonstrable brain exposure and oral bioavailability, suppressing APP N585 and Tau N368 cleavage by δ-secretase. Strikingly, CF3CN treatment evidently escalates BDNF levels. Both #11a and CF3CN display strong in vivo PK/PD properties and ability to suppress δ-secretase activity in the brain. Orally administrated CF3CN strongly activates TrkB that triggers active Akt to phosphorylate δ-secretase T322, preventing its proteolytic activation and mitigating AD pathologies. #11a or CF3CN significantly diminishes AD pathogenesis and improves cognitive functions with the combination exhibiting the maximal effect. Thus, our data support that these derivatives are strong pharmaceutical candidates for the treatment of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianming Liao
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Department of Neurosurgery, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430060, Hubei Province, China
| | - Chun Chen
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Eun Hee Ahn
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Xia Liu
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Hua Li
- School of Pharmacy, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei Province, China
| | - Laura E Edgington-Mitchell
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3052, Australia; Drug Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria, 3052, Australia; Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, New York University College of Dentistry, Bluestone Center for Clinical Research, New York, NY, 10010, USA
| | - Zhonghua Lu
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Molecular Biology of Neural Development, The Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Shuping Ming
- First Clinical College, Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, Wuhan, 430060, Hubei Province, China.
| | - Keqiang Ye
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
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22
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Chen C, Ahn EH, Liu X, Wang ZH, Luo S, Liao J, Ye K. Optimized TrkB Agonist Ameliorates Alzheimer's Disease Pathologies and Improves Cognitive Functions via Inhibiting Delta-Secretase. ACS Chem Neurosci 2021; 12:2448-2461. [PMID: 34106682 PMCID: PMC8269693 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.1c00181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
![]()
BDNF/TrkB neurotropic pathway, essential for neural synaptic plasticity and survival,
is deficient in neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s disease (AD).
Our previous works support that BDNF diminishes AD pathologies by inhibiting
delta-secretase, a crucial age-dependent protease that simultaneously cleaves both APP
and Tau and promotes AD pathologies, via Akt phosphorylation. Small molecular TrkB
receptor agonist 7,8-dihydroxyflavone (7,8-DHF) binds and activates the receptor and its
downstream signaling, exerting therapeutic efficacy toward AD. In the current study, we
optimize 7,8-DHF pharmacokinetic characteristics via medicinal chemistry to obtain a
synthetic derivative CF3CN that interacts with the TrkB LRM/CC2 domain.
CF3CN possesses improved druglike features, including oral bioavailability
and half-life, compared to those of the lead compound. CF3CN activates TrkB
neurotrophic signaling in primary neurons and mouse brains. Oral administration of
CF3CN blocks delta-secretase activation, attenuates AD pathologies, and
alleviates cognitive dysfunctions in 5xFAD. Notably, chronic treatment of
CF3CN reveals no demonstrable toxicity. Hence, CF3CN represents a
promising preclinical candidate for treating the devastating neurodegenerative
disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun Chen
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Emory University School of Medicine Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
| | - Eun H. Ahn
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Emory University School of Medicine Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
| | - Xia Liu
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Emory University School of Medicine Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
| | - Zhi-Hao Wang
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Emory University School of Medicine Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
| | - Shilin Luo
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Emory University School of Medicine Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
| | - Jianming Liao
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Emory University School of Medicine Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
- Department of Neurosurgery, Renmin Hospital, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei Province 430060, China
| | - Keqiang Ye
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Emory University School of Medicine Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
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23
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Sun W, Yang Y, Chen X, Cheng Y, Li X, An L. Light Promotes Neural Correlates of Fear Memory via Enhancing Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) Expression in the Prelimbic Cortex. ACS Chem Neurosci 2021; 12:1802-1810. [PMID: 33961393 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.1c00081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Exposure to light has been shown to enhance vigilance and improve working memory, possibly due to changes in prefrontal function. Ample evidence supports the critical role of prefrontal cortex (PFC) in fear memory performance. However, the effects of light on memory processing and its potential mechanisms remain unclear. Here, through rats exposure conditioned to light at different memory phases, we sought evidence for the influences by employing behavioral tests, pharmacological infusions, immunoblotting, and electrophysiological recording. Exposure to light immediately following conditioning of 30 min or longer could effectively improve consolidation of fear memory without altering short-term memory or upgrading the original fear. The absence of significant freezing during baseline and intertrial interval periods ruled out the possibility of a general induction of freezing by light. Meanwhile, rats exposed to light in homecages or conditioning chambers exhibited a similar memory phenotype, indicating that light specifically enhanced the fear stimulus rather than the contextual environment. Furthermore, light exposure elevated the training-induced brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression in the prelimbic, but not infralimbic, subregion of the PFC. Moreover, the BDNF-TrkB pathway, but not the BDNF-p75NTR pathway, was involved in light-mediated fear memory. The enhancement in BDNF activity effectively facilitated firing correlates of prelimbic pyramidal neurons but not fast-spiking interneurons. Blocking the training-induced BDNF by its antibody abolished the effects of light on neural function and fear memory. Therefore, our findings indicate that light enhances training-induced BDNF expression that promotes the neural correlate of memory function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Sun
- Behavioral Neuroscience Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guiyang 550001, China
- Department of Pediatric, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guiyang 550001, China
| | - Yang Yang
- Department of Pediatric, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guiyang 550001, China
| | - Xiao Chen
- Behavioral Neuroscience Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guiyang 550001, China
| | - Yan Cheng
- Behavioral Neuroscience Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guiyang 550001, China
- Department of Pediatric, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guiyang 550001, China
| | - Xiaolian Li
- Department of Neurology, Jinan Rehabilitation Hospital, Jinan 250013, China
| | - Lei An
- Behavioral Neuroscience Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guiyang 550001, China
- Department of Pediatric, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guiyang 550001, China
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guiyang 550001, China
- Department of Physiology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon S7N 5E5, Canada
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24
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Bouton ME, Maren S, McNally GP. BEHAVIORAL AND NEUROBIOLOGICAL MECHANISMS OF PAVLOVIAN AND INSTRUMENTAL EXTINCTION LEARNING. Physiol Rev 2021; 101:611-681. [PMID: 32970967 PMCID: PMC8428921 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00016.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 146] [Impact Index Per Article: 48.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
This article reviews the behavioral neuroscience of extinction, the phenomenon in which a behavior that has been acquired through Pavlovian or instrumental (operant) learning decreases in strength when the outcome that reinforced it is removed. Behavioral research indicates that neither Pavlovian nor operant extinction depends substantially on erasure of the original learning but instead depends on new inhibitory learning that is primarily expressed in the context in which it is learned, as exemplified by the renewal effect. Although the nature of the inhibition may differ in Pavlovian and operant extinction, in either case the decline in responding may depend on both generalization decrement and the correction of prediction error. At the neural level, Pavlovian extinction requires a tripartite neural circuit involving the amygdala, prefrontal cortex, and hippocampus. Synaptic plasticity in the amygdala is essential for extinction learning, and prefrontal cortical inhibition of amygdala neurons encoding fear memories is involved in extinction retrieval. Hippocampal-prefrontal circuits mediate fear relapse phenomena, including renewal. Instrumental extinction involves distinct ensembles in corticostriatal, striatopallidal, and striatohypothalamic circuits as well as their thalamic returns for inhibitory (extinction) and excitatory (renewal and other relapse phenomena) control over operant responding. The field has made significant progress in recent decades, although a fully integrated biobehavioral understanding still awaits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark E Bouton
- Department of Psychological Science, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont
| | - Stephen Maren
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
| | - Gavan P McNally
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
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25
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Barros II, Leão V, Santis JO, Rosa RCA, Brotto DB, Storti CB, Siena ÁDD, Molfetta GA, Silva WA. Non-Syndromic Intellectual Disability and Its Pathways: A Long Noncoding RNA Perspective. Noncoding RNA 2021; 7:ncrna7010022. [PMID: 33799572 PMCID: PMC8005948 DOI: 10.3390/ncrna7010022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2020] [Revised: 12/05/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Non-syndromic intellectual disability (NS-ID or idiopathic) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder that represents a global health issue. Although many efforts have been made to characterize it and distinguish it from syndromic intellectual disability (S-ID), the highly heterogeneous aspect of this disorder makes it difficult to understand its etiology. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) comprise a large group of transcripts that can act through various mechanisms and be involved in important neurodevelopmental processes. In this sense, comprehending the roles they play in this intricate context is a valuable way of getting new insights about how NS-ID can arise and develop. In this review, we attempt to bring together knowledge available in the literature about lncRNAs involved with molecular and cellular pathways already described in intellectual disability and neural function, to better understand their relevance in NS-ID and the regulatory complexity of this disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabela I. Barros
- Department of Genetics at the Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Avenida Bandeirantes 3900, Monte Alegre, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo 14049-900, Brazil; (I.I.B.); (V.L.); (J.O.S.); (R.C.A.R.); (D.B.B.); (C.B.S.); (Á.D.D.S.); (G.A.M.)
| | - Vitor Leão
- Department of Genetics at the Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Avenida Bandeirantes 3900, Monte Alegre, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo 14049-900, Brazil; (I.I.B.); (V.L.); (J.O.S.); (R.C.A.R.); (D.B.B.); (C.B.S.); (Á.D.D.S.); (G.A.M.)
| | - Jessica O. Santis
- Department of Genetics at the Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Avenida Bandeirantes 3900, Monte Alegre, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo 14049-900, Brazil; (I.I.B.); (V.L.); (J.O.S.); (R.C.A.R.); (D.B.B.); (C.B.S.); (Á.D.D.S.); (G.A.M.)
| | - Reginaldo C. A. Rosa
- Department of Genetics at the Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Avenida Bandeirantes 3900, Monte Alegre, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo 14049-900, Brazil; (I.I.B.); (V.L.); (J.O.S.); (R.C.A.R.); (D.B.B.); (C.B.S.); (Á.D.D.S.); (G.A.M.)
| | - Danielle B. Brotto
- Department of Genetics at the Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Avenida Bandeirantes 3900, Monte Alegre, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo 14049-900, Brazil; (I.I.B.); (V.L.); (J.O.S.); (R.C.A.R.); (D.B.B.); (C.B.S.); (Á.D.D.S.); (G.A.M.)
| | - Camila B. Storti
- Department of Genetics at the Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Avenida Bandeirantes 3900, Monte Alegre, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo 14049-900, Brazil; (I.I.B.); (V.L.); (J.O.S.); (R.C.A.R.); (D.B.B.); (C.B.S.); (Á.D.D.S.); (G.A.M.)
| | - Ádamo D. D. Siena
- Department of Genetics at the Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Avenida Bandeirantes 3900, Monte Alegre, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo 14049-900, Brazil; (I.I.B.); (V.L.); (J.O.S.); (R.C.A.R.); (D.B.B.); (C.B.S.); (Á.D.D.S.); (G.A.M.)
| | - Greice A. Molfetta
- Department of Genetics at the Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Avenida Bandeirantes 3900, Monte Alegre, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo 14049-900, Brazil; (I.I.B.); (V.L.); (J.O.S.); (R.C.A.R.); (D.B.B.); (C.B.S.); (Á.D.D.S.); (G.A.M.)
| | - Wilson A. Silva
- Department of Genetics at the Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Avenida Bandeirantes 3900, Monte Alegre, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo 14049-900, Brazil; (I.I.B.); (V.L.); (J.O.S.); (R.C.A.R.); (D.B.B.); (C.B.S.); (Á.D.D.S.); (G.A.M.)
- National Institute of Science and Technology in Stem Cell and Cell Therapy and Center for Cell Based Therapy, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Rua Tenente Catão Roxo, 2501, Monte Alegre, Ribeirão Preto 14051-140, Brazil
- Center for Integrative Systems Biology-CISBi, NAP/USP, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Rua Catão Roxo, 2501, Monte Alegre, Ribeirão Preto 14051-140, Brazil
- Department of Medicine at the Midwest State University of Paraná-UNICENTRO, and Guarapuava Institute for Cancer Research, Rua Fortim Atalaia, 1900, Cidade dos Lagos, Guarapuava 85100-000, Brazil
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +55-16-3315-3293
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Ghanbarian H, Aghamiri S, Eftekhary M, Wagner N, Wagner KD. Small Activating RNAs: Towards the Development of New Therapeutic Agents and Clinical Treatments. Cells 2021; 10:cells10030591. [PMID: 33800164 PMCID: PMC8001863 DOI: 10.3390/cells10030591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2021] [Revised: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Small double-strand RNA (dsRNA) molecules can activate endogenous genes via an RNA-based promoter targeting mechanism. RNA activation (RNAa) is an evolutionarily conserved mechanism present in diverse eukaryotic organisms ranging from nematodes to humans. Small activating RNAs (saRNAs) involved in RNAa have been successfully used to activate gene expression in cultured cells, and thereby this emergent technique might allow us to develop various biotechnological applications, without the need to synthesize hazardous construct systems harboring exogenous DNA sequences. Accordingly, this thematic issue aims to provide insights into how RNAa cellular machinery can be harnessed to activate gene expression leading to a more effective clinical treatment of various diseases.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Brain/cytology
- Brain/growth & development
- Brain/metabolism
- Genetic Therapy/methods
- Humans
- MicroRNAs/genetics
- MicroRNAs/metabolism
- Muscle Development/genetics
- Muscular Atrophy, Spinal/genetics
- Muscular Atrophy, Spinal/metabolism
- Muscular Atrophy, Spinal/pathology
- Muscular Atrophy, Spinal/therapy
- Myocardium/cytology
- Myocardium/metabolism
- Myocytes, Cardiac/cytology
- Myocytes, Cardiac/metabolism
- Neoplasm Proteins/genetics
- Neoplasm Proteins/metabolism
- Neoplasms/genetics
- Neoplasms/metabolism
- Neoplasms/pathology
- Neoplasms/therapy
- Nerve Tissue Proteins/genetics
- Nerve Tissue Proteins/metabolism
- Neurogenesis/genetics
- Neurons/cytology
- Neurons/metabolism
- Promoter Regions, Genetic
- RNA, Double-Stranded/genetics
- RNA, Double-Stranded/metabolism
- RNA, Double-Stranded/therapeutic use
- RNA, Small Untranslated/genetics
- RNA, Small Untranslated/metabolism
- RNA, Small Untranslated/therapeutic use
- Survival of Motor Neuron 1 Protein/genetics
- Survival of Motor Neuron 1 Protein/metabolism
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Affiliation(s)
- Hossein Ghanbarian
- Cellular and Molecular Biology Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 19857-17443, Iran;
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 19839-63113, Iran;
| | - Shahin Aghamiri
- Student Research Committee, Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 19839-63113, Iran;
| | - Mohamad Eftekhary
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 19839-63113, Iran;
| | - Nicole Wagner
- Université Côte d’Azur, CNRS, INSERM, iBV, 06107 Nice, France
- Correspondence: (N.W.); (K.-D.W.); Tel.: +33-493-3776-65 (K.-D.W.)
| | - Kay-Dietrich Wagner
- Université Côte d’Azur, CNRS, INSERM, iBV, 06107 Nice, France
- Correspondence: (N.W.); (K.-D.W.); Tel.: +33-493-3776-65 (K.-D.W.)
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Van Schuerbeek A, Vanderhasselt MA, Baeken C, Pierre A, Smolders I, Van Waes V, De Bundel D. Effects of repeated anodal transcranial direct current stimulation on auditory fear extinction in C57BL/6J mice. Brain Stimul 2021; 14:250-260. [PMID: 33454396 DOI: 10.1016/j.brs.2021.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2020] [Revised: 01/07/2021] [Accepted: 01/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Trauma-based psychotherapy is a first line treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) but not all patients achieve long-term remission. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) received considerable attention as a neuromodulation method that may improve trauma-based psychotherapy. OBJECTIVE We explored the effects of repeated anodal tDCS over the prefrontal cortex (PFC) on fear extinction in mice as a preclinical model for trauma-based psychotherapy. METHODS We performed auditory fear conditioning with moderate or high shock intensity on C57BL6/J mice. Next, mice received anodal tDCS (0.2 mA, 20 min) or sham stimulation over the PFC twice daily for five consecutive days. Extinction training was performed by repeatedly exposing mice to the auditory cue the day after the last stimulation session. Early and late retention of extinction were evaluated one day and three weeks after extinction training respectively. RESULTS We observed no significant effect of tDCS on the acquisition or retention of fear extinction in mice subjected to fear conditioning with moderate intensity. However, when the intensity of fear conditioning was high, tDCS significantly lowered freezing during the acquisition of extinction, regardless of the extinction protocol. Moreover, when tDCS was combined with a strong extinction protocol, we also observed a significant improvement of early extinction recall. Finally, we found that tDCS reduced generalized fear induced by contextual cues when the intensity of conditioning is high and extinction training limited. CONCLUSIONS Our data provide a rationale to further explore anodal tDCS over the PFC as potential support for trauma-based psychotherapy for PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andries Van Schuerbeek
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Research Group Experimental Pharmacology, Center for Neurosciences (C4N), Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090, Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Marie-Anne Vanderhasselt
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Universiteit Gent - C, Heymanslaan 10, 9000, Gent, Belgium.
| | - Chris Baeken
- Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology, Ghent Experimental Psychiatry (GHEP) Lab, Universiteit Gent - C, Heymanslaan 10, 9000, Gent, Belgium; Department of Psychiatry, UZBrussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090, Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Anouk Pierre
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Research Group Experimental Pharmacology, Center for Neurosciences (C4N), Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Ilse Smolders
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Research Group Experimental Pharmacology, Center for Neurosciences (C4N), Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090, Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Vincent Van Waes
- Laboratory of Clinical and Integrative Neuroscience, EA481, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 19 rue Ambroise Paré, 25030, Besancon, Cedex, France.
| | - Dimitri De Bundel
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Research Group Experimental Pharmacology, Center for Neurosciences (C4N), Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090, Brussels, Belgium.
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Notaras M, van den Buuse M. Neurobiology of BDNF in fear memory, sensitivity to stress, and stress-related disorders. Mol Psychiatry 2020; 25:2251-2274. [PMID: 31900428 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-019-0639-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 183] [Impact Index Per Article: 45.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2019] [Revised: 12/01/2019] [Accepted: 12/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is widely accepted for its involvement in resilience and antidepressant drug action, is a common genetic locus of risk for mental illnesses, and remains one of the most prominently studied molecules within psychiatry. Stress, which arguably remains the "lowest common denominator" risk factor for several mental illnesses, targets BDNF in disease-implicated brain regions and circuits. Altered stress-related responses have also been observed in animal models of BDNF deficiency in vivo, and BDNF is a common downstream intermediary for environmental factors that potentiate anxiety- and depressive-like behavior. However, BDNF's broad functionality has manifested a heterogeneous literature; likely reflecting that BDNF plays a hitherto under-recognized multifactorial role as both a regulator and target of stress hormone signaling within the brain. The role of BDNF in vulnerability to stress and stress-related disorders, such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), is a prominent example where inconsistent effects have emerged across numerous models, labs, and disciplines. In the current review we provide a contemporary update on the neurobiology of BDNF including new data from the behavioral neuroscience and neuropsychiatry literature on fear memory consolidation and extinction, stress, and PTSD. First we present an overview of recent advances in knowledge on the role of BDNF within the fear circuitry, as well as address mounting evidence whereby stress hormones interact with endogenous BDNF-TrkB signaling to alter brain homeostasis. Glucocorticoid signaling also acutely recruits BDNF to enhance the expression of fear memory. We then include observations that the functional common BDNF Val66Met polymorphism modulates stress susceptibility as well as stress-related and stress-inducible neuropsychiatric endophenotypes in both man and mouse. We conclude by proposing a BDNF stress-sensitivity hypothesis, which posits that disruption of endogenous BDNF activity by common factors (such as the BDNF Val66Met variant) potentiates sensitivity to stress and, by extension, vulnerability to stress-inducible illnesses. Thus, BDNF may induce plasticity to deleteriously promote the encoding of fear and trauma but, conversely, also enable adaptive plasticity during extinction learning to suppress PTSD-like fear responses. Ergo regulators of BDNF availability, such as the Val66Met polymorphism, may orchestrate sensitivity to stress, trauma, and risk of stress-induced disorders such as PTSD. Given an increasing interest in personalized psychiatry and clinically complex cases, this model provides a framework from which to experimentally disentangle the causal actions of BDNF in stress responses, which likely interact to potentiate, produce, and impair treatment of, stress-related psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Notaras
- Center for Neurogenetics, Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Maarten van den Buuse
- School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia. .,College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia. .,Department of Pharmacology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
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29
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de Lima MAX, Baldo MVC, Canteras NS. Revealing a Cortical Circuit Responsive to Predatory Threats and Mediating Contextual Fear Memory. Cereb Cortex 2020; 29:3074-3090. [PMID: 30085040 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhy173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2018] [Revised: 06/27/2018] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The ventral part of the anteromedial thalamic nucleus (AMv) receives substantial inputs from hypothalamic sites that are highly responsive to a live predator or its odor trace and represents an important thalamic hub for conveying predatory threat information to the cerebral cortex. In the present study, we begin by examining the cortico-amygdalar-hippocampal projections of the main AMv cortical targets, namely, the caudal prelimbic, rostral anterior cingulate, and medial visual areas, as well as the rostral part of the ventral retrosplenial area, one of the main targets of the anterior cingulate area. We observed that these areas form a clear cortical network. Next, we revealed that in animals exposed to a live cat, all of the elements of this circuit presented a differential increase in Fos, supporting the idea of a predator threat-responsive cortical network. Finally, we showed that bilateral cytotoxic lesions in each element of this cortical network did not change innate fear responses but drastically reduced contextual conditioning to the predator-associated environment. Overall, the present findings suggest that predator threat has an extensive representation in the cerebral cortex and revealed a cortical network that is responsive to predatory threats and exerts a critical role in processing fear memory.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marcus Vinicius C Baldo
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo; São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Newton Sabino Canteras
- Department of Anatomy, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo; São Paulo, SP, Brazil
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Chen WB, Pan HQ, He Y, Wang XH, Zhang WH, Pan BX. Rap1b but not Rap1a in the forebrain is required for learned fear. Cell Biosci 2020; 10:107. [PMID: 32944221 PMCID: PMC7488763 DOI: 10.1186/s13578-020-00469-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2020] [Accepted: 09/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Fear is an adaptive response across species in the face of threatening cues. It can be either innate or learned through postnatal experience. We have previously shown that genetic deletion of both Rap1a and Rap1b, two isoforms of small GTPase Rap1 in forebrain, causes impairment in auditory fear conditioning. However, the specific roles of these two isoforms are not yet known. Results In the present study, employing mice with forebrain-restricted deletion of Rap1a or Rap1b, we found that they are both dispensable for normal acquisition of fear learning. However, Rap1b but not Rap1a knockout (KO) mice displayed impairment in the retrieval of learned fear. Subsequently, we found that the expression of c-Fos, a marker of neuronal activity, is specifically decreased in prelimbic cortex (PL) of Rap1b KO mice after auditory fear conditioning, while remained unaltered in the amygdala and infralimbic cortex (IL). On the other hand, neither Rap1a nor Rap1b knockout altered the innate fear of mice in response to their predator odor, 2,5-Dihydro-2,4,5-Trimethylthiazoline (TMT). Conclusion Thus, our results indicate that it is Rap1b but not Rap1a involved in the retrieval process of fear learning, and the learned but not innate fear requires Rap1 signaling in forebrain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Bing Chen
- School of Life Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031 China.,Institute of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031 China
| | - Han-Qing Pan
- School of Life Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031 China.,Institute of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031 China
| | - Ye He
- Institute of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031 China.,Center for Basic Medical Experiment, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031 China
| | - Xue-Hui Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031 China.,Institute of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031 China
| | - Wen-Hua Zhang
- Institute of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031 China
| | - Bing-Xing Pan
- School of Life Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031 China.,Institute of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031 China.,Department of Ophthalmology, The 2nd Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330006 China
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Grella SL, Fortin AH, McKissick O, Leblanc H, Ramirez S. Odor modulates the temporal dynamics of fear memory consolidation. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020; 27:150-163. [PMID: 32179657 PMCID: PMC7079569 DOI: 10.1101/lm.050690.119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2019] [Accepted: 12/31/2019] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Systems consolidation (SC) theory proposes that recent, contextually rich memories are stored in the hippocampus (HPC). As these memories become remote, they are believed to rely more heavily on cortical structures within the prefrontal cortex (PFC), where they lose much of their contextual detail and become schematized. Odor is a particularly evocative cue for intense remote memory recall and despite these memories being remote, they are highly contextual. In instances such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), intense remote memory recall can occur years after trauma, which seemingly contradicts SC. We hypothesized that odor may shift the organization of salient or fearful memories such that when paired with an odor at the time of encoding, they are delayed in the de-contextualization process that occurs across time, and retrieval may still rely on the HPC, where memories are imbued with contextually rich information, even at remote time points. We investigated this by tagging odor- and non-odor-associated fear memories in male c57BL/6 mice and assessed recall and c-Fos expression in the dorsal CA1 (dCA1) and prelimbic cortex (PL) 1 or 21 d later. In support of SC, our data showed that recent memories were more dCA1-dependent whereas remote memories were more PL-dependent. However, we also found that odor influenced this temporal dynamic, biasing the memory system from the PL to the dCA1 when odor cues were present. Behaviorally, inhibiting the dCA1 with activity-dependent DREADDs had no effect on recall at 1 d and unexpectedly caused an increase in freezing at 21 d. Together, these findings demonstrate that odor can shift the organization of fear memories at the systems level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie L Grella
- Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA
| | - Amanda H Fortin
- Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA
| | - Olivia McKissick
- Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA
| | - Heloise Leblanc
- Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA
| | - Steve Ramirez
- Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA
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Benko J, Vranková S. Natural Psychoplastogens As Antidepressant Agents. Molecules 2020; 25:E1172. [PMID: 32150976 PMCID: PMC7179157 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25051172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2019] [Revised: 02/28/2020] [Accepted: 03/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Increasing prevalence and burden of major depressive disorder presents an unavoidable problem for psychiatry. Existing antidepressants exert their effect only after several weeks of continuous treatment. In addition, their serious side effects and ineffectiveness in one-third of patients call for urgent action. Recent advances have given rise to the concept of psychoplastogens. These compounds are capable of fast structural and functional rearrangement of neural networks by targeting mechanisms previously implicated in the development of depression. Furthermore, evidence shows that they exert a potent acute and long-term positive effects, reaching beyond the treatment of psychiatric diseases. Several of them are naturally occurring compounds, such as psilocybin, N,N-dimethyltryptamine, and 7,8-dihydroxyflavone. Their pharmacology and effects in animal and human studies were discussed in this article.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakub Benko
- Center of Experimental Medicine, Institute of Normal and Pathological Physiology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, 841 04 Bratislava, Slovakia;
- Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, 813 72 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Stanislava Vranková
- Center of Experimental Medicine, Institute of Normal and Pathological Physiology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, 841 04 Bratislava, Slovakia;
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33
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Activation of medial orbitofrontal cortex abolishes fear extinction and interferes with fear expression in rats. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2020; 169:107170. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2020.107170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2019] [Revised: 12/27/2019] [Accepted: 01/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Kamimura I, Kaneko R, Morita H, Mogi K, Kikusui T. Microbial colonization history modulates anxiety-like and complex social behavior in mice. Neurosci Res 2020; 168:64-75. [PMID: 32017965 DOI: 10.1016/j.neures.2020.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2019] [Revised: 12/27/2019] [Accepted: 01/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Microbiome composition has a pivotal role in neurobehavioral development. However, there is limited information about the role of the microbiome in sociability of mice in complex social contexts. Germ-free (GF) mice were reared in a microbiota-free environment until postnatal day 21 and then transferred to a room containing specific pathogen free (SPF) mice. At 9 weeks old, group social behaviors were measured for three GF mice and three SPF mice unfamiliar to each other. GF mice spent less time in the center area of the arena and there were longer inter-individual distances compared with SPF mice. GF mice also had decreased brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and increased ΔFosB mRNA in the prefrontal cortex compared to SPF mice. There were differences in the gut microbiome composition between GF and SPF mice; however, if cohabitating after weaning, then their microbiome composition became equivalent and group differences in behavior and BDNF and ΔFosB mRNA expression disappeared. These results demonstrate that the bacterial community can modulate neural systems that are involved in sociability and anxiety during the developmental period and suggest that sociability and anxiety can be shaped depending on the microbiome environment through interaction with conspecifics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Itsuka Kamimura
- Department of Animal Science and Biotechnology, Azabu University, Japan
| | - Ryou Kaneko
- Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University, Japan
| | - Hidetoshi Morita
- Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University, Japan
| | - Kazutaka Mogi
- Department of Animal Science and Biotechnology, Azabu University, Japan
| | - Takefumi Kikusui
- Department of Animal Science and Biotechnology, Azabu University, Japan.
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Tohyama S, Matsuda S, Mizutani A. Sex-dependent opposite effects of a tropomyosin-related kinase B receptor (TrkB) agonist 7,8-dihydroxyflavone on cued fear extinction in mice. Neurosci Lett 2019; 715:134670. [PMID: 31805374 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2019.134670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2019] [Revised: 11/16/2019] [Accepted: 11/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Tropomyosin-related kinase B receptor (TrkB) is one of the new candidate receptors for drugs targeting psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders. Recently, 7,8-dihydroxyflavone (7,8-DHF) has been identified as a selective TrkB agonist that crosses the blood-brain barrier after oral or intraperitoneal administration, and it enhances cued fear extinction in male rodents. However, its effects on females remain unclear. Preclinical research including both sexes is important for the development of treatment, particularly, for stress-related disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder because such disorders are more prevalent in women. Therefore, we investigated the effects of 7,8-DHF on cued and contextual fear extinction in both male and female mice. Here we demonstrated that the administration of 7,8-DHF before each extinction session attenuated cued fear extinction in females; conversely, it enhanced cued fear extinction in males. However, administration of 7,8-DHF immediately after each extinction session did not affect cued fear extinction in either sex. Moreover, in contextual fear extinction, administration of 7,8-DHF before each extinction session did not affect fear extinction in either sex. Thus, 7,8-DHF showed sex-dependent opposite effects on cued fear extinction in mice when administered before but not immediately after each extinction session. Our results could contribute to the development of pharmacotherapy involving 7,8-DHF, particularly for stress-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suguru Tohyama
- Department of Pharmacotherapeutics, Showa Pharmaceutical University, 3-3165, Higashi-Tamagawagakuen, Machida, Tokyo 194-8543, Japan
| | - Shingo Matsuda
- Department of Pharmacotherapeutics, Showa Pharmaceutical University, 3-3165, Higashi-Tamagawagakuen, Machida, Tokyo 194-8543, Japan; Department of Cognitive Behavioral Physiology, Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chiba, Chiba 260-8670, Japan; Department of Ultrastructural Research, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, 4-1-1 Ogawahigashi, Kodaira, Tokyo 187-8502, Japan.
| | - Akihiro Mizutani
- Department of Pharmacotherapeutics, Showa Pharmaceutical University, 3-3165, Higashi-Tamagawagakuen, Machida, Tokyo 194-8543, Japan
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Hallock HL, Quillian HM, Mai Y, Maynard KR, Hill JL, Martinowich K. Manipulation of a genetically and spatially defined sub-population of BDNF-expressing neurons potentiates learned fear and decreases hippocampal-prefrontal synchrony in mice. Neuropsychopharmacology 2019; 44:2239-2246. [PMID: 31170726 PMCID: PMC6898598 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-019-0429-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2019] [Revised: 05/10/2019] [Accepted: 05/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) signaling regulates synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus (HC) and prefrontal cortex (PFC), and has been extensively linked with fear memory expression in rodents. Notably, disrupting BDNF production from promoter IV-derived transcripts enhances fear expression in mice, and decreases fear-associated HC-PFC synchrony, suggesting that Bdnf transcription from promoter IV plays a key role in HC-PFC function during fear memory retrieval. To better understand how promoter IV-derived BDNF controls HC-PFC connectivity and fear expression, we generated a viral construct that selectively targets cells expressing promoter IV-derived Bdnf transcripts ("p4-cells") for tamoxifen-inducible Cre-mediated recombination (AAV8-p4Bdnf-ERT2CreERT2-PEST). Using this construct, we found that ventral hippocampal (vHC) p4-cells are recruited during fear expression, and that activation of these cells causes exaggerated fear expression that co-occurs with disrupted vHC-PFC synchrony in mice. Our data highlight how this novel construct can be used to interrogate genetically defined cell types that selectively contribute to BDNF-dependent behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henry L. Hallock
- grid.429552.dThe Lieber Institute for Brain Development, 855N. Wolfe St., Suite 300, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Henry M. Quillian
- grid.429552.dThe Lieber Institute for Brain Development, 855N. Wolfe St., Suite 300, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Yishan Mai
- grid.429552.dThe Lieber Institute for Brain Development, 855N. Wolfe St., Suite 300, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Kristen R. Maynard
- grid.429552.dThe Lieber Institute for Brain Development, 855N. Wolfe St., Suite 300, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Julia L. Hill
- grid.429552.dThe Lieber Institute for Brain Development, 855N. Wolfe St., Suite 300, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Keri Martinowich
- The Lieber Institute for Brain Development, 855N. Wolfe St., Suite 300, Baltimore, MD, USA. .,Department of Psychiatry, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA. .,Department of Neuroscience, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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Uniyal A, Singh R, Akhtar A, Dhaliwal J, Kuhad A, Sah SP. Pharmacological rewriting of fear memories: A beacon for post-traumatic stress disorder. Eur J Pharmacol 2019; 870:172824. [PMID: 31778672 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2019.172824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2019] [Revised: 11/13/2019] [Accepted: 11/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychopathological response that develops after exposure to an extreme life-threatening traumatic event. Its prevalence ranges from 0.5% to 14.5% worldwide. Due to the complex pathophysiology of PTSD, currently available treatment approaches are associated with high chances of failure, thus further research to identify better pharmacotherapeutic approaches is needed. The traumatic event associated with fear memories plays an important role in the development of PTSD and could be considered as the main culprit. PTSD patient feels frightened in a safe environment as the memories of the traumatic event are revisited. Neurocircuit involving normal processing of fear memories get disturbed in PTSD hence making a fear memory to remain to dominate even after years of trauma. Persistence of fear memories could be explained by acquisition, re-(consolidation) and extinction triad as all of these processes have been widely explored in preclinical as well as clinical studies and set a therapeutic platform for fear memory associated disorders. This review focuses on neurocircuit and pathophysiology of PTSD in context to fear memories and pharmacological targeting of fear memory for the management of PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ankit Uniyal
- Pharmacology Division, University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, UGC-CAS, Panjab University, Chandigarh, 160014, India; Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering & Technology, Indian Institute of Technology (B.H.U.) Varanasi, 221005, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Raghunath Singh
- Pharmacology Division, University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, UGC-CAS, Panjab University, Chandigarh, 160014, India
| | - Ansab Akhtar
- Pharmacology Division, University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, UGC-CAS, Panjab University, Chandigarh, 160014, India
| | - Jatinder Dhaliwal
- Pharmacology Division, University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, UGC-CAS, Panjab University, Chandigarh, 160014, India
| | - Anurag Kuhad
- Pharmacology Division, University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, UGC-CAS, Panjab University, Chandigarh, 160014, India
| | - Sangeeta Pilkhwal Sah
- Pharmacology Division, University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, UGC-CAS, Panjab University, Chandigarh, 160014, India.
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Ribeiro DE, Casarotto PC, Staquini L, Pinto E Silva MA, Biojone C, Wegener G, Joca S. Reduced P2X receptor levels are associated with antidepressant effect in the learned helplessness model. PeerJ 2019; 7:e7834. [PMID: 31656696 PMCID: PMC6812674 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.7834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2019] [Accepted: 09/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Purinergic receptors, especially P2RX, are associated to the severity of symptoms in patients suffering from depressive and bipolar disorders, and genetic deletion or pharmacological blockade of P2RX7 induces antidepressant-like effect in preclinical models. However, there is scarce evidence about the alterations in P2RX7 or P2RX4 levels and in behavioral consequences induced by previous exposure to stress, a major risk factor for depression in humans. In the present study, we evaluated the effect of imipramine (IMI) on P2RX7 and P2RX4 levels in dorsal and ventral hippocampus as well as in the frontal cortex of rats submitted to the pretest session of learned helplessness (LH) paradigm. Repeated, but not acute administration of IMI (15 mg/kg ip) reduced the levels of both P2RX7 and P2RX4 in the ventral, but not in dorsal hippocampus or frontal cortex. In addition, we tested the effect of P2RX7/P2RX4 antagonist brilliant blue G (BBG: 25 or 50 mg/kg ip) on the LH paradigm. We observed that repeated (7 days) but not acute (1 day) treatment with BBG (50 mg) reduced the number of failures to escape the shocks in the test session, a parameter mimicked by the same regimen of IMI treatment. Taken together, our data indicates that pharmacological blockade or decrease in the expression of P2RX7 is associated to the antidepressant-like behavior observed in the LH paradigm after repeated drug administration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deidiane Elisa Ribeiro
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.,Department of Clinical Medicine, Translational Neuropsychiatry Unit, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.,Department of Biochemistry, Chemistry Institute, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Laura Staquini
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Maria Augusta Pinto E Silva
- Department of Physics and Chemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Caroline Biojone
- Neuroscience Center-HILIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Gregers Wegener
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Translational Neuropsychiatry Unit, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Samia Joca
- Department of Physics and Chemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.,Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies (AIAS), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
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39
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Prefrontal cortex neuronal ensembles encoding fear drive fear expression during long-term memory retrieval. Sci Rep 2019; 9:10709. [PMID: 31341176 PMCID: PMC6656710 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-47095-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2019] [Accepted: 07/09/2019] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The prefrontal cortex is an important regulator of fear expression in humans and rodents. Specifically, the rodent prelimbic (PL) prefrontal cortex drives fear expression during both encoding and retrieval of fear memory. Neuronal ensembles have been proposed to function as memory encoding units, and their re-activation is thought to be necessary for memory retrieval and expression of conditioned behavior. However, it remains unclear whether PL cortex neuronal ensembles that encode fear memory contribute to long-term fear expression during memory retrieval. To address this, we employed a viral-mediated TRAP (Targeted Recombination in Active Population) technology to target PL cortex ensembles active during fear conditioning and expressed the inhibitory Gi-DREADD in fear-encoding ensembles. Male and female rats were trained to lever press for food and subjected to Pavlovian delay fear conditioning, then 28 days later, they underwent a fear memory retrieval test. Chemogenetic inhibition of TRAPed PL cortex ensembles reduced conditioned suppression of food seeking in females, but not males. Neither context nor tone freezing behavior was altered by this manipulation during the same retrieval test. Thus, fear-encoding ensembles in PL cortex drive long-term fear expression in a sex and fear modality dependent manner.
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40
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Meis S, Endres T, Munsch T, Lessmann V. The Relation Between Long-Term Synaptic Plasticity at Glutamatergic Synapses in the Amygdala and Fear Learning in Adult Heterozygous BDNF-Knockout Mice. Cereb Cortex 2019; 28:1195-1208. [PMID: 28184413 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhx032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2016] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) heterozygous knockout mice (BDNF+/- mice) show fear learning deficits from 3 months of age onwards. Here, we addressed the question how this learning deficit correlates with altered long-term potentiation (LTP) in the cortical synaptic input to the lateral amygdala (LA) and at downstream intra-amygdala synapses in BDNF+/- mice. Our results reveal that the fear learning deficit in BDNF+/- mice was not paralleled by a loss of LTP, neither at cortical inputs to the LA nor at downstream intra-amygdala glutamatergic synapses. As we did observe early fear memory (30 min after training) in BDNF+/- mice while long-term memory (24 h post-training) was absent, the stable LTP in cortico-LA and downstream synapses is in line with the intact acquisition of fear memories. Ex vivo recordings in acute slices of fear-conditioned wildtype (WT) mice revealed that fear learning induces long-lasting changes at cortico-LA synapses that occluded generation of LTP 4 and 24 h after training. Overall, our data show that the intact LTP in the tested amygdala circuits is consistent with intact acquisition of fear memories in both WT and BDNF+/- mice. In addition, the lack of learning-induced long-term changes at cortico-LA synapses in BDNF+/- mice parallels the observed deficit in fear memory consolidation.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Meis
- Institut für Physiologie, Otto-von-Guericke-Universität, D-39120 Magdeburg, Germany.,Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Universitätsplatz 2, D-39106 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - T Endres
- Institut für Physiologie, Otto-von-Guericke-Universität, D-39120 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - T Munsch
- Institut für Physiologie, Otto-von-Guericke-Universität, D-39120 Magdeburg, Germany.,Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Universitätsplatz 2, D-39106 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - V Lessmann
- Institut für Physiologie, Otto-von-Guericke-Universität, D-39120 Magdeburg, Germany.,Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Universitätsplatz 2, D-39106 Magdeburg, Germany
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41
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Velasco ER, Florido A, Milad MR, Andero R. Sex differences in fear extinction. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2019; 103:81-108. [PMID: 31129235 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.05.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2018] [Revised: 03/08/2019] [Accepted: 05/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Despite the exponential increase in fear research during the last years, few studies have included female subjects in their design. The need to include females arises from the knowledge gap of mechanistic processes underlying the behavioral and neural differences observed in fear extinction. Moreover, the exact contribution of sex and hormones in relation to learning and behavior is still largely unknown. Insights from this field could be beneficial as fear-related disorders are twice as prevalent in women compared to men. Here, we review an up-to-date summary of animal and human studies in adulthood that report sex differences in fear extinction from a structural and functional approach. Furthermore, we describe how these factors could contribute to the observed sex differences in fear extinction during normal and pathological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- E R Velasco
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain
| | - A Florido
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain
| | - M R Milad
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, USA
| | - R Andero
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain; CIBERSAM, Corporació Sanitaria Parc Taulí, Sabadell, Spain; Department of Psychobiology and Methodology of Health Sciences, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain.
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42
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Cazares VA, Rodriguez G, Parent R, Ouillette L, Glanowska KM, Moore SJ, Murphy GG. Environmental variables that ameliorate extinction learning deficits in the 129S1/SvlmJ mouse strain. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2019; 18:e12575. [PMID: 30973205 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2018] [Revised: 03/28/2019] [Accepted: 04/09/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Fear conditioning is an associative learning process by which organisms learn to avoid environmental stimuli that are predictive of aversive outcomes. Fear extinction learning is a process by which avoidance of fear-conditioned stimuli is attenuated when the environmental stimuli is no longer predictive of the aversive outcome. Aberrant fear conditioning and extinction learning are key elements in the development of several anxiety disorders. The 129S1 inbred strain of mice is used as an animal model for maladaptive fear learning because this strain has been shown to generalize fear to other nonaversive stimuli and is less capable of extinguishing fear responses relative to other mouse strains, such as the C57BL/6. Here we report new environmental manipulations that enhance fear and extinction learning, including the ability to discriminate between an aversively paired tone and a neutral tone, in both the 129S1 and C57BL/6 strains of mice. Specifically, we show that discontinuous ("pipped") tone stimuli significantly enhance within-session extinction learning and the discrimination between neutral and aversively paired stimuli in both strains. Furthermore, we find that extinction training in novel contexts significantly enhances the consolidation and recall of extinction learning for both strains. Cumulatively, these results underscore how environmental changes can be leveraged to ameliorate maladaptive learning in animal models and may advance cognitive and behavioral therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor A Cazares
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology and Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Genesis Rodriguez
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology and Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Rachel Parent
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology and Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Lara Ouillette
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology and Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | | | - Shannon J Moore
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology and Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Geoffrey G Murphy
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology and Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
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Kikusui T, Kanbara N, Ozaki M, Hirayama N, Ida K, Tokita M, Tanabe N, Mitsuyama K, Abe H, Yoshida M, Nagasawa M, Mogi K. Early weaning increases anxiety via brain-derived neurotrophic factor signaling in the mouse prefrontal cortex. Sci Rep 2019; 9:3991. [PMID: 30850750 PMCID: PMC6408497 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-40530-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2018] [Accepted: 02/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Deprivation of maternal care during early development markedly affects emotional development, but the underlying neuromolecular mechanisms are not fully understood. In a mouse model of disrupted mother-infant relationship, early weaning causes long-term impacts on pups to exhibit increased corticosterone secretion, anxiety, and stress responses in their adulthood. Revealing the molecular mechanisms behind it would beneficial to ameliorating mental problems caused by abuse in childhood. We report that normalizing circulating corticosterone in early-weaned mice, either in adulthood or soon after weaning, ameliorated anxiety levels assessed in the plus maze test. Administering a glucocorticoid receptor antagonist into the prefrontal cortex (PFC) reversed the effects of early weaning, whereas administering corticosterone increased anxiety levels, suggesting that the PFC is corticosterone’s target brain region. In the PFCs of early-weaned mice, we observed prolonged reductions in the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and associated mRNAs. Anxiety in early-weaned mice was ameliorated by pretreatment with BDNF or a BDNF receptor agonist. In summary, early weaning increased anxiety levels by modulating glucocorticoid and BDNF signaling in the PFC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takefumi Kikusui
- Companion Animal Research, School of Veterinary Medicine, Azabu University, Sagamihara, 252-5201, Japan
| | - Natsumi Kanbara
- Companion Animal Research, School of Veterinary Medicine, Azabu University, Sagamihara, 252-5201, Japan
| | - Mariya Ozaki
- Companion Animal Research, School of Veterinary Medicine, Azabu University, Sagamihara, 252-5201, Japan
| | - Nozomi Hirayama
- Companion Animal Research, School of Veterinary Medicine, Azabu University, Sagamihara, 252-5201, Japan
| | - Kumiko Ida
- Companion Animal Research, School of Veterinary Medicine, Azabu University, Sagamihara, 252-5201, Japan
| | - Mika Tokita
- Companion Animal Research, School of Veterinary Medicine, Azabu University, Sagamihara, 252-5201, Japan
| | - Naho Tanabe
- Companion Animal Research, School of Veterinary Medicine, Azabu University, Sagamihara, 252-5201, Japan
| | - Kuriko Mitsuyama
- Companion Animal Research, School of Veterinary Medicine, Azabu University, Sagamihara, 252-5201, Japan
| | - Hatsuki Abe
- Companion Animal Research, School of Veterinary Medicine, Azabu University, Sagamihara, 252-5201, Japan
| | - Miki Yoshida
- Companion Animal Research, School of Veterinary Medicine, Azabu University, Sagamihara, 252-5201, Japan
| | - Miho Nagasawa
- Companion Animal Research, School of Veterinary Medicine, Azabu University, Sagamihara, 252-5201, Japan
| | - Kazutaka Mogi
- Companion Animal Research, School of Veterinary Medicine, Azabu University, Sagamihara, 252-5201, Japan.
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44
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Pereira LM, de Castro CM, Guerra LTL, Queiroz TM, Marques JT, Pereira GS. Hippocampus and Prefrontal Cortex Modulation of Contextual Fear Memory Is Dissociated by Inhibiting De Novo Transcription During Late Consolidation. Mol Neurobiol 2019; 56:5507-5519. [DOI: 10.1007/s12035-018-1463-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2018] [Accepted: 12/18/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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45
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Transcranial direct current stimulation induces hippocampal metaplasticity mediated by brain-derived neurotrophic factor. Neuropharmacology 2019; 144:358-367. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2018.11.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2018] [Revised: 10/05/2018] [Accepted: 11/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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46
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Tang S, Graham BM. Reproductive experience alters the involvement of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors in fear extinction, but not fear conditioning, in female Sprague Dawley rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2019; 236:251-264. [PMID: 29959460 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-018-4956-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2018] [Accepted: 06/19/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Recently, evidence has emerged showing that the behavioural and hormonal features of fear extinction are altered as a result of reproductive experience in both rats and humans. The current set of experiments sought to determine whether reproductive experience also alters the molecular features of fear extinction. In adult male rats, it has been widely demonstrated that the activation of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDAR) is essential for fear extinction. We therefore compared the involvement of NMDAR in fear extinction between nulliparous (virgin) and primiparous (reproductively experienced) female rats. Nulliparous and primiparous females received systemic administrations of either MK-801 (a non-competitive NMDAR antagonist) or saline prior to extinction training. MK-801 was found to impair extinction recall in nulliparous females, but not primiparous females. When the same dose of MK-801 was administered prior to conditioning, both groups of rats showed impaired recall of conditioning the following day. The results of these experiments indicate that the extinction, but not the acquisition of fear, may become NMDAR-independent following reproductive experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha Tang
- School of Psychology, UNSW, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia.
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47
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Reichelt AC, Loughman A, Bernard A, Raipuria M, Abbott KN, Dachtler J, Van TTH, Moore RJ. An intermittent hypercaloric diet alters gut microbiota, prefrontal cortical gene expression and social behaviours in rats. Nutr Neurosci 2018; 23:613-627. [DOI: 10.1080/1028415x.2018.1537169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Amy C. Reichelt
- School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Bundoora, Victoria, 3083, Australia
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, 30 Royal Parade, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
- BrainsCAN, Western University, 1151 Richmond St, London, Ontario, N6A 3K7, Canada
| | - Amy Loughman
- School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Bundoora, Victoria, 3083, Australia
- Food and Mood Centre, Deakin University, Geelong, 3220, Victoria, Australia
| | - Ashton Bernard
- School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Bundoora, Victoria, 3083, Australia
- Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Mukesh Raipuria
- School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Bundoora, Victoria, 3083, Australia
- Children’s Cancer Institute, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, 2052, Australia
| | - Kirsten N Abbott
- School of Psychology, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, 2052, Australia
| | - James Dachtler
- Department of Psychology, Durham University, South Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK
| | - Thi Thu Hao Van
- School of Applied Science, RMIT University, Bundoora, Victoria, 3083, Australia
| | - Robert J. Moore
- School of Applied Science, RMIT University, Bundoora, Victoria, 3083, Australia
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PSD95 and nNOS interaction as a novel molecular target to modulate conditioned fear: relevance to PTSD. Transl Psychiatry 2018; 8:155. [PMID: 30108200 PMCID: PMC6092346 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-018-0208-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2018] [Accepted: 06/10/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Stimulation of N-methyl-D-aspartic acid receptors (NMDARs) and the resulting increase of nitric oxide (NO) production are critical for fear memory formation. Following NMDAR activation, efficient production of NO requires linking the 95 kDa postsynaptic density protein (PSD95), a scaffolding protein to neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS). A variety of previously studied NMDAR antagonists and NOS inhibitors can disrupt fear conditioning, but they also affect many other CNS functions such as motor activity, anxiety, and learning. We hypothesized that disrupting nNOS and PSD95 interaction in the amygdala, a critical site for fear memory formation, will reduce conditioned fear. Our results show that systemic treatment with ZL006, a compound that disrupts PSD95/nNOS binding, attenuates fear memory compared to its inactive isomer ZL007. Co-immunoprecipitation after fear conditioning showed a robust increase in the amygdala PSD95/nNOS binding, which was blocked by systemic pre-administration of ZL006. Treatment of amygdala slices with ZL006 also impaired long-term potentiation (LTP), a cellular signature of synaptic plasticity. Direct intra-amygdala infusion of ZL006 also attenuated conditioned fear. Finally, unlike NMDAR antagonist MK-801, ZL006 does not affect locomotion, social interaction, object recognition memory, and spatial memory. These findings support the hypothesis that disrupting the PSD95/nNOS interaction downstream of NMDARs selectively reduces fear memory, and highlights PSD95/nNOS interaction as a novel target for fear-related disorders, such as posttraumatic stress disorder.
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Levy MJF, Boulle F, Steinbusch HW, van den Hove DLA, Kenis G, Lanfumey L. Neurotrophic factors and neuroplasticity pathways in the pathophysiology and treatment of depression. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2018; 235:2195-2220. [PMID: 29961124 PMCID: PMC6061771 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-018-4950-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 162] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2018] [Accepted: 06/18/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Depression is a major health problem with a high prevalence and a heavy socioeconomic burden in western societies. It is associated with atrophy and impaired functioning of cortico-limbic regions involved in mood and emotion regulation. It has been suggested that alterations in neurotrophins underlie impaired neuroplasticity, which may be causally related to the development and course of depression. Accordingly, mounting evidence suggests that antidepressant treatment may exert its beneficial effects by enhancing trophic signaling on neuronal and synaptic plasticity. However, current antidepressants still show a delayed onset of action, as well as lack of efficacy. Hence, a deeper understanding of the molecular and cellular mechanisms involved in the pathophysiology of depression, as well as in the action of antidepressants, might provide further insight to drive the development of novel fast-acting and more effective therapies. Here, we summarize the current literature on the involvement of neurotrophic factors in the pathophysiology and treatment of depression. Further, we advocate that future development of antidepressants should be based on the neurotrophin theory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marion J F Levy
- Centre de Psychiatrie et Neurosciences (Inserm U894), Université Paris Descartes, 102-108 rue de la santé, 75014, Paris, France
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- EURON-European Graduate School of Neuroscience, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Fabien Boulle
- Centre de Psychiatrie et Neurosciences (Inserm U894), Université Paris Descartes, 102-108 rue de la santé, 75014, Paris, France
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- EURON-European Graduate School of Neuroscience, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Harry W Steinbusch
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- EURON-European Graduate School of Neuroscience, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Daniël L A van den Hove
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- EURON-European Graduate School of Neuroscience, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Gunter Kenis
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- EURON-European Graduate School of Neuroscience, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Laurence Lanfumey
- Centre de Psychiatrie et Neurosciences (Inserm U894), Université Paris Descartes, 102-108 rue de la santé, 75014, Paris, France.
- EURON-European Graduate School of Neuroscience, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
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50
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Simone JJ, Baumbach JL, McCormick CM. Sex-specific effects of CB1 receptor antagonism and stress in adolescence on anxiety, corticosterone concentrations, and contextual fear in adulthood in rats. Int J Dev Neurosci 2018; 69:119-131. [PMID: 30063953 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2018.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2018] [Revised: 07/23/2018] [Accepted: 07/26/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
There is a paucity of research regarding the role of endogenous cannabinoid signalling in adolescence on brain and behaviour development. We previously demonstrated effects of repeated CB1 receptor antagonism in adolescence on socioemotional behaviours and neural protein expression 24-48 h after the last drug administration in female rats, with no effect in males. Here we investigate whether greater effects would be manifested after a lengthier delay. In Experiment 1, male and female rats were administered either 1 mg / kg of the CB1 receptor-selective antagonist AM251, vehicle (VEH), or did not receive injections (NoINJ) daily on postnatal days (PND) 30-44 either alone (no adolescent confinement stress; noACS), or in tandem with 1 h ACS. On PND 70, adolescent AM251 exposure reduced anxiety in an elevated plus maze in males, irrespective of ACS, with no effects in females. On PND 73, there were no group differences in either sex in plasma corticosterone concentrations before or after 30 min of restraint stress, although injection stress resulted in higher baseline concentrations in males. Brains were collected on PND 74, with negligible effects of either AM251 or ACS on protein markers of synaptic plasticity and of the endocannabinoid system in the hippocampus and medial prefrontal cortex. In Experiment 2, rats from both sexes were treated with vehicle or AM251 on PND 30-44 and were tested for contextual fear conditioning and extinction in adulthood. AM251 females had greater fear recall than VEH females 24 h after conditioning, with no group differences in within- or between-session fear extinction. There were no group differences in long-term extinction memory, although AM251 females froze more during a reconditioning trial compared with VEH females. There were no group differences on any of the fear conditioning measures in males. Together, these findings indicate a modest, sex-specific role of CB1 receptor signalling in adolescence on anxiety-like behaviour in males and conditioned fear behaviour in females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan J Simone
- Department of Biological Sciences, Brock University, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, St. Catharines, Ontario, L2S 3A1, Canada.
| | - Jennet L Baumbach
- Department of Psychology, Brock University, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, St. Catharines, Ontario, L2S 3A1, Canada.
| | - Cheryl M McCormick
- Department of Biological Sciences, Brock University, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, St. Catharines, Ontario, L2S 3A1, Canada; Department of Psychology, Brock University, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, St. Catharines, Ontario, L2S 3A1, Canada; Center for Neuroscience, Brock University, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, St. Catharines, Ontario, L2S 3A1, Canada.
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