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Milbocker KA, Smith IF, Klintsova AY. Maintaining a Dynamic Brain: A Review of Empirical Findings Describing the Roles of Exercise, Learning, and Environmental Enrichment in Neuroplasticity from 2017-2023. Brain Plast 2024; 9:75-95. [PMID: 38993580 PMCID: PMC11234674 DOI: 10.3233/bpl-230151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Brain plasticity, also termed neuroplasticity, refers to the brain's life-long ability to reorganize itself in response to various changes in the environment, experiences, and learning. The brain is a dynamic organ capable of responding to stimulating or depriving environments, activities, and circumstances from changes in gene expression, release of neurotransmitters and neurotrophic factors, to cellular reorganization and reprogrammed functional connectivity. The rate of neuroplastic alteration varies across the lifespan, creating further challenges for understanding and manipulating these processes to benefit motor control, learning, memory, and neural remodeling after injury. Neuroplasticity-related research spans several decades, and hundreds of reviews have been written and published since its inception. Here we present an overview of the empirical papers published between 2017 and 2023 that address the unique effects of exercise, plasticity-stimulating activities, and the depriving effect of social isolation on brain plasticity and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ian F. Smith
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, University of Delaware, Newark, USA
| | - Anna Y. Klintsova
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, University of Delaware, Newark, USA
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2
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Senba E, Kami K. Exercise therapy for chronic pain: How does exercise change the limbic brain function? NEUROBIOLOGY OF PAIN (CAMBRIDGE, MASS.) 2023; 14:100143. [PMID: 38099274 PMCID: PMC10719519 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynpai.2023.100143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
We are exposed to various external and internal threats which might hurt us. The role of taking flexible and appropriate actions against threats is played by "the limbic system" and at the heart of it there is the ventral tegmental area and nucleus accumbens (brain reward system). Pain-related fear causes excessive excitation of amygdala, which in turn causes the suppression of medial prefrontal cortex, leading to chronification of pain. Since the limbic system of chronic pain patients is functionally impaired, they are maladaptive to their situations, unable to take goal-directed behavior and are easily caught by fear-avoidance thinking. We describe the neural mechanisms how exercise activates the brain reward system and enables chronic pain patients to take goal-directed behavior and overcome fear-avoidance thinking. A key to getting out from chronic pain state is to take advantage of the behavioral switching function of the basal nucleus of amygdala. We show that exercise activates positive neurons in this nucleus which project to the nucleus accumbens and promote reward behavior. We also describe fear conditioning and extinction are affected by exercise. In chronic pain patients, the fear response to pain is enhanced and the extinction of fear memories is impaired, so it is difficult to get out of "fear-avoidance thinking". Prolonged avoidance of movement and physical inactivity exacerbate pain and have detrimental effects on the musculoskeletal and cardiovascular systems. Based on the recent findings on multiple bran networks, we propose a well-balanced exercise prescription considering the adherence and pacing of exercise practice. We conclude that therapies targeting the mesocortico-limbic system, such as exercise therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy, may become promising tools in the fight against chronic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emiko Senba
- Department of Physical Therapy, Osaka Yukioka College of Health Science, 1-1-41 Sojiji, Ibaraki-City, Osaka 567-0801, Japan
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Wakayama Medical University, 811-1 Kimiidera, Wakayama City, Wakayama 641-8509, Japan
| | - Katsuya Kami
- Department of Rehabilitation, Wakayama Faculty of Health Care Sciences, Takarazuka University of Medical and Health Care, 2252 Nakanoshima, Wakayama City, Wakayama 640-8392, Japan
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Wakayama Medical University, 811-1 Kimiidera, Wakayama City, Wakayama 641-8509, Japan
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3
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Ren L, Tai F. Voluntary wheel running ameliorates abnormalities in social behavior induced by social isolation: involvement of neural and neurochemical responses. Neurosci Lett 2023; 806:137241. [PMID: 37031945 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2023.137241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Revised: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023]
Abstract
Social isolation (SI) can lead to devastating behavioral effects. Increasing evidence has demonstrated that physical activity can improve sociability and brain functions, but whether voluntary exercise can ameliorate SI-induced abnormalities in social behavior and its underlying neuronal mechanisms remains unknown. The present study found that SI during adulthood increased aggression in the resident-intruder test and motivation for social exploration in the three-chamber test. Voluntary wheel running (VWR) could reverse the alterations in social behavior induced by SI in male mice. In addition, SI reduced the number of c-Fos-immunoreactive neurons and increased c-Fos/AVP-labeled neurons in the PVN and c-Fos/TPH2-labeled neurons in the DRN. These alterations could be reversed by VWR. Together, our results reveal that voluntary exercise could ameliorate SI-induced negative effects on social behavior, possibly via alterations of neuronal activation in the brain. This finding provides a potential therapy and targets to prevent or treat the psychological diseases associated with abnormalities in social behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Ren
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710119, China
| | - Fadao Tai
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710119, China.
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Akinbo OI, McNeal N, Hylin M, Hite N, Dagner A, Grippo AJ. The Influence of Environmental Enrichment on Affective and Neural Consequences of Social Isolation Across Development. AFFECTIVE SCIENCE 2022; 3:713-733. [PMID: 36519141 PMCID: PMC9743881 DOI: 10.1007/s42761-022-00131-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Social stress is associated with depression and anxiety, physiological disruptions, and altered brain morphology in central stress circuitry across development. Environmental enrichment strategies may improve responses to social stress. Socially monogamous prairie voles exhibit analogous social and emotion-related behaviors to humans, with potential translational insight into interactions of social stress, age, and environmental enrichment. This study explored the effects of social isolation and environmental enrichment on behaviors related to depression and anxiety, physiological indicators of stress, and dendritic structural changes in amygdala and hippocampal subregions in young adult and aging prairie voles. Forty-nine male prairie voles were assigned to one of six groups divided by age (young adult vs. aging), social structure (paired vs. isolated), and housing environment (enriched vs. non-enriched). Following 4 weeks of these conditions, behaviors related to depression and anxiety were investigated in the forced swim test and elevated plus maze, body and adrenal weights were evaluated, and dendritic morphology analyses were conducted in hippocampus and amygdala subregions. Environmental enrichment decreased immobility duration in the forced swim test, increased open arm exploration in the elevated plus maze, and reduced adrenal/body weight ratio in aging and young adult prairie voles. Age and social isolation influenced dendritic morphology in the basolateral amygdala. Age, but not social isolation, influenced dendritic morphology in the hippocampal dentate gyrus. Environmental enrichment did not influence dendritic morphology in either brain region. These data may inform interventions to reduce the effects of social stressors and age-related central changes associated with affective behavioral consequences in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oreoluwa I. Akinbo
- Department of Psychology, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL 60115 USA
| | - Neal McNeal
- Department of Psychology, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL 60115 USA
| | - Michael Hylin
- Department of Psychology, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL 62901 USA
| | - Natalee Hite
- Department of Physiology, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL, 62901, USA
| | - Ashley Dagner
- Department of Psychology, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL 60115 USA
| | - Angela J. Grippo
- Department of Psychology, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL 60115 USA
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Guven EB, Pranic NM, Unal G. The differential effects of brief environmental enrichment following social isolation in rats. COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2022; 22:818-832. [PMID: 35199313 PMCID: PMC8865499 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-022-00989-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Environmental enrichment (EE) in rodents is associated with a wide range of physiological, affective, and cognitive benefits. A seemingly opposite housing condition, social isolation (SI), is used as a rodent model of stress, negatively affecting several neurobiological mechanisms and hampering cognitive performance. Experimental designs that involve switching between these housing conditions produced mixed results. We evaluated different behavioral and cognitive effects of brief EE following long-term, SI-induced stress. We revealed the influence of enrichment after 30 days of isolation on behavioral despair, anxiety-like behavior, and spatial working memory in adult male Wistar rats and found a substantial anxiolytic effect in the experimental (SI to EE) group. Interestingly, rats exposed to EE also showed increased behavioral despair compared with the control (continuous SI) group. There was no difference in spatial working memory performance at the end of a 5-day water Y-maze (WYM) test. However, the SI to EE animals displayed better memory performance in the first 2 days of the WYM, indicating faster learning. In line with this difference, we recorded significantly more c-Fos-immunopositive (c-Fos+) cells in the retrosplenial and perirhinal cortices of the SI to EE animals. The lateral and basolateral nuclei of the amygdala showed no such difference. These results suggest that brief enrichment following isolation stress leads to differential results in affective and cognitive systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elif Beyza Guven
- Department of Psychology, Behavioral Neuroscience Laboratory, Boğaziçi University, 34342, Istanbul, Turkey
- Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Nicole Melisa Pranic
- Department of Psychology, Behavioral Neuroscience Laboratory, Boğaziçi University, 34342, Istanbul, Turkey
- Department of Psychology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Gunes Unal
- Department of Psychology, Behavioral Neuroscience Laboratory, Boğaziçi University, 34342, Istanbul, Turkey.
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Skirzewski M, Molotchnikoff S, Hernandez LF, Maya-Vetencourt JF. Multisensory Integration: Is Medial Prefrontal Cortex Signaling Relevant for the Treatment of Higher-Order Visual Dysfunctions? Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 14:806376. [PMID: 35110996 PMCID: PMC8801884 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2021.806376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2021] [Accepted: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
In the mammalian brain, information processing in sensory modalities and global mechanisms of multisensory integration facilitate perception. Emerging experimental evidence suggests that the contribution of multisensory integration to sensory perception is far more complex than previously expected. Here we revise how associative areas such as the prefrontal cortex, which receive and integrate inputs from diverse sensory modalities, can affect information processing in unisensory systems via processes of down-stream signaling. We focus our attention on the influence of the medial prefrontal cortex on the processing of information in the visual system and whether this phenomenon can be clinically used to treat higher-order visual dysfunctions. We propose that non-invasive and multisensory stimulation strategies such as environmental enrichment and/or attention-related tasks could be of clinical relevance to fight cerebral visual impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Skirzewski
- Rodent Cognition Research and Innovation Core, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Stéphane Molotchnikoff
- Département de Sciences Biologiques, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Département de Génie Electrique et Génie Informatique, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Luis F. Hernandez
- Knoebel Institute for Healthy Aging, University of Denver, Denver, CO, United States
| | - José Fernando Maya-Vetencourt
- Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
- Centre for Synaptic Neuroscience, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Genova, Italy
- *Correspondence: José Fernando Maya-Vetencourt
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Hylin MJ, Watanasriyakul WT, Hite N, McNeal N, Grippo AJ. Morphological changes in the basolateral amygdala and behavioral disruptions associated with social isolation. Behav Brain Res 2022; 416:113572. [PMID: 34499940 PMCID: PMC8492539 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2021] [Revised: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Social isolation and the disruption of established social bonds contribute to several physical and psychological health issues. Animal models are a useful tool for investigating consequences of social stress, including social isolation. The current study examined morphological changes in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) and affect-related behavioral and endocrine changes due to prolonged social isolation, using the translational prairie vole model (Microtus ochrogaster). Adult male prairie voles were either socially paired (control) or isolated from a same-sex sibling for 4 weeks. Following this 4-week period, a subset of animals (n = 6 per condition) underwent a series of behavioral tasks to assess affective, social, and stress-coping behaviors. Plasma was collected following the last behavioral task for stressor-induced endocrine assays. Brains were collected from a separate subset of animals (n = 10 per condition) following the 4-week social housing period for dendritic structure analyses in the BLA. Social isolation was associated with depressive- and anxiety-like behaviors, as well as elevated oxytocin reactivity following a social stressor. Social isolation was also associated with altered amount of dendritic material in the BLA, with an increase in spine density. These results provide further evidence that social isolation may lead to the development of affective disorders. Dysfunction in the oxytocin system and BLA remodeling may mediate these behavioral changes. Further research will promote an understanding of the connections between oxytocin function and structural changes in the BLA in the context of social stress. This research can facilitate novel treatments for alleviating or preventing behavioral and physiological consequences of social stressors in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J. Hylin
- Department of Psychology, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL, 62901
| | | | - Natalee Hite
- Department of Physiology, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL, 62901
| | - Neal McNeal
- Department of Psychology, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, 60115
| | - Angela J. Grippo
- Department of Psychology, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, 60115,Author for Correspondence: Angela J. Grippo, Ph.D.Department of PsychologyNorthern Illinois University1425 W. Lincoln HighwayDeKalb, IL, 60115 815-753-0372
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8
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Salinas-Velarde ID, Bernal-Morales B, Pacheco-Cabrera P, Sánchez-Aparicio P, Pascual-Mathey LI, Venebra-Muñoz A. Lower ΔFosB expression in the dopaminergic system after stevia consumption in rats housed under environmental enrichment conditions. Brain Res Bull 2021; 177:172-180. [PMID: 34624462 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2021.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2021] [Revised: 09/12/2021] [Accepted: 10/01/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Environmental enrichment (EE) has been proven to reduce drug seeking and the development of addiction-related behaviors in rodent models, but the effects of EE on natural reward acquisition in the form of sweet beverages are poorly understood. Accumulating evidence shows that the intake of sugar, the main ingredient of sweet beverages, alters the dopaminergic system, leading to addiction-related physiological and molecular changes. Sugar in sweet beverages has been replaced with natural sweeteners, such as stevia extract, which has greater sweetener potential but no energy content. Our research group found that sucralose consumption increased the expression of ΔFosB in reward-related nuclei, suggesting activation of the dopaminergic system. The present study assessed the effects of EE on stevia consumption and the expression of ΔFosB in the nucleus accumbens, caudate putamen, and prefrontal cortex. Sixteen male Wistar rats, 21 days old, were randomly assigned to an EE group (n = 8) or standard environment (SE) group (n = 8) and reared for 30 days. On postnatal day 52 (PND52), the brains of four animals in each housing condition were extracted to determine basal ΔFosB levels. Stevia consumption with intermittent access and ΔFosB immunoreactivity were measured for 21 days in the remainder of the rats. Compared with SE animals, EE animals exhibited a reduction of stevia consumption and alterations of ΔFosB immunoreactivity in the reward system. These results indicate that EE reduces stevia consumption and the stevia-induced ΔFosB expression, suggesting addiction-related changes in dopaminergic nuclei, which may be interpreted as a neuroprotective effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- I Daniel Salinas-Velarde
- Laboratory of Neurobiology of Addiction and Brain Plasticity, Faculty of Sciences, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, State of Mexico, Mexico.
| | - Blandina Bernal-Morales
- Laboratory of Neuropharmacology, Institute for Neuroethology, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico.
| | - Pablo Pacheco-Cabrera
- Institute for Biomedical Research, Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico; Institute for Neuroethology, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico.
| | - Pedro Sánchez-Aparicio
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Zootechnics, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Mexico.
| | - Luz I Pascual-Mathey
- School of Pharmaceutic Biological Chemistry, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico.
| | - Arturo Venebra-Muñoz
- Laboratory of Neurobiology of Addiction and Brain Plasticity, Faculty of Sciences, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, State of Mexico, Mexico.
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Yin SW, Meng YL, Li C, Wang Y. Enriched environment for offspring improves learning and memory impairments induced by sevoflurane exposure during the second trimester of pregnancy. Neural Regen Res 2021; 17:1293-1298. [PMID: 34782574 PMCID: PMC8643064 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.327347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies in animals indicate that sevoflurane exposure in the second trimester of pregnancy has harmful effects on the learning and memory of offspring. Whether an enriched environment can reverse the damage of sevoflurane exposure in the second trimester of pregnancy on the learning and memory of rat offspring remains unclear. In this study, rats at 14 days of pregnancy were exposed to 3.5% sevoflurane for 2 hours and their offspring were treated with an enriched environment for 20 successive days. We found that the enriched environment for offspring increased nestin and Ki67 levels in hippocampal tissue, increased hippocampal neurogenesis, inhibited glycogen synthase kinase 3β activity, and increased the expression of cell proliferation-related β-catenin and apoptosis-related Bcl-2, indicating that an enriched environment reduces sevoflurane-induced damage by increasing the proliferation of stem cells in the hippocampus. These findings suggest that an enriched environment can reverse the effects of sevoflurane inhaled by rats during the second trimester of pregnancy on learning and memory of offspring. This study was approved by the Animal Ethics Committee of Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University (approval No. 2018PS07K) on January 2, 2018.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shao-Wei Yin
- Department of Obstetrics, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China
| | - Yi-Lin Meng
- Department of Obstetrics, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China
| | - Chuang Li
- Department of Obstetrics, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China
| | - Yuan Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China
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Normann MC, Cox M, Akinbo OI, Watanasriyakul WT, Kovalev D, Ciosek S, Miller T, Grippo AJ. Differential paraventricular nucleus activation and behavioral responses to social isolation in prairie voles following environmental enrichment with and without physical exercise. Soc Neurosci 2021; 16:375-390. [PMID: 33947321 DOI: 10.1080/17470919.2021.1926320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Social stressors produce neurobiological and emotional consequences in social species. Environmental interventions, such as environmental enrichment and exercise, may modulate physiological and behavioral stress responses. The present study investigated the benefits of environmental enrichment and exercise against social stress in the socially monogamous prairie vole. Female prairie voles remained paired with a sibling (control) or were isolated from a sibling for 4 weeks. The isolated groups were assigned to isolated sedentary, isolated with environmental enrichment, or isolated with both enrichment and exercise conditions. Behaviors related to depression, anxiety, and sociality were investigated using the forced swim test (FST), elevated plus maze (EPM), and a social crowding stressor (SCS), respectively. cFos expression was evaluated in stress-related circuitry following the SCS. Both enrichment and enrichment with exercise protected against depression-relevant behaviors in the FST and social behavioral disruptions in the SCS, but only enrichment with exercise protected against anxiety-related behaviors in the EPM and altered cFos expression in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus in isolated prairie voles. Enrichment may improve emotion-related and social behaviors, however physical exercise may be an important component of environmental strategies for protecting against anxiety-related behaviors and reducing neural activation as a function of social stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marigny C Normann
- Department of Psychology, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, USA
| | - Miranda Cox
- Department of Psychology, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, USA
| | - Oreoluwa I Akinbo
- Department of Psychology, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, USA
| | | | - Dmitry Kovalev
- Department of Psychology, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, USA
| | - Sarah Ciosek
- Department of Psychology, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, USA
| | - Thomas Miller
- Department of Psychology, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, USA
| | - Angela J Grippo
- Department of Psychology, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, USA
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Maejima H, Kitahara M, Takamatsu Y, Mani H, Inoue T. Effects of exercise and pharmacological inhibition of histone deacetylases (HDACs) on epigenetic regulations and gene expressions crucial for neuronal plasticity in the motor cortex. Brain Res 2020; 1751:147191. [PMID: 33152341 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2020.147191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2020] [Revised: 10/21/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
The objective of this study was to examine the effect of epigenetic treatment using an histone deacetylases (HDAC) inhibitor in addition to aerobic exercise on the epigenetic markers and neurotrophic gene expressions in the motor cortex, to find a more enriched brain pre-conditioning for motor learning in neurorehabilitation. ICR mice were divided into four groups based on two factors: HDAC inhibition and exercise. Intraperitoneal administration of an HDAC inhibitor (1.2 g/kg sodium butyrate, NaB) and treadmill exercise (approximately at 10 m/min for 60 min) were conducted five days a week for four weeks. NaB administration inhibited total HDAC activity and enhanced acetylation level of histones specifically in histone H4, accompanying the increase of transcription levels of immediate-early genes (IEGs) (c-fos and Arc) and neurotrophins (BDNF and NT-4) crucial for neuroplasticity in the motor cortex. However, exercise enhanced HDAC activity and acetylation level of histone H4 and H3 without the modification of transcription levels. In addition, there were no synergic effects between HDAC inhibition and the exercise regime on the gene expressions. This study showed that HDAC inhibition could present more enriched condition for neuroplasticity to the motor cortex. However, exercise-induced neurotrophic gene expressions could depend on exercise regimen based on the intensity, the term etc. Therefore, this study has a novelty suggesting that pharmacological HDAC inhibition could be an alternative potent approach to present a neuronal platform with enriched neuroplasticity for motor learning and motor recovery, however, an appropriate exercise regimen is expected in this approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroshi Maejima
- Department of Rehabilitation Science, Faculty of Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, Kita 12 Nishi 5, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan.
| | - Mika Kitahara
- Graduate School of Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, Kita 12 Nishi 5, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan
| | - Yasuyuki Takamatsu
- Department of Rehabilitation Science, Faculty of Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, Kita 12 Nishi 5, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan
| | - Hiroki Mani
- Department of Rehabilitation Science, Faculty of Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, Kita 12 Nishi 5, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan
| | - Takahiro Inoue
- Graduate School of Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, Kita 12 Nishi 5, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan; Research Fellow of Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, 5-3-1 Kojimachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0083, Japan
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12
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Donovan M, Mackey CS, Platt GN, Rounds J, Brown AN, Trickey DJ, Liu Y, Jones KM, Wang Z. Social isolation alters behavior, the gut-immune-brain axis, and neurochemical circuits in male and female prairie voles. Neurobiol Stress 2020; 13:100278. [PMID: 33344730 PMCID: PMC7739176 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2020.100278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2020] [Revised: 11/18/2020] [Accepted: 11/18/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The absence of social support, or social isolation, can be stressful, leading to a suite of physical and psychological health issues. Growing evidence suggests that disruption of the gut-immune-brain axis plays a crucial role in the negative outcomes seen from social isolation stress. However, the mechanisms remain largely unknown. The socially monogamous prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster) has been validated as a useful model for studying negative effects of social isolation on the brain and behaviors, yet how the gut microbiome and central immune system are altered in isolated prairie voles are still unknown. Here, we utilized this social rodent to examine how social isolation stress alters the gut-immune-brain axis and relevant behaviors. Adult male and female prairie voles (n = 48 per sex) experienced social isolation or were cohoused with a same-sex cagemate (control) for six weeks. Thereafter, their social and anxiety-like behaviors, neuronal circuit activation, neurochemical expression, and microgliosis in key brain regions, as well as gut microbiome alterations from the isolation treatment were examined. Social isolation increased anxiety-like behaviors and impaired social affiliation. Isolation also resulted in sex- and brain region-specific alterations in neuronal activation, neurochemical expression, and microgliosis. Further, social isolation resulted in alterations to the gut microbiome that were correlated with key brain and behavioral measures. Our data suggest that social isolation alters the gut-immune-brain axis in a sex-dependent manner and that gut microbes, central glial cells, and neurochemical systems may play a critical, integrative role in mediating negative outcomes from social isolation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meghan Donovan
- Department of Psychology and Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, 1107 W. Call St., Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
- Rocky Mountain Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center, Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center, 1700 N. Wheeling St., Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
| | - Calvin S. Mackey
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, 319 Stadium Dr., Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
| | - Grayson N. Platt
- Department of Psychology and Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, 1107 W. Call St., Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
| | - Jacob Rounds
- Department of Psychology and Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, 1107 W. Call St., Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
| | - Amber N. Brown
- Department of Biological Science Core Facilities, Florida State University, 319 Stadium Dr., Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
| | - Darryl J. Trickey
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, 319 Stadium Dr., Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
| | - Yan Liu
- Department of Psychology and Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, 1107 W. Call St., Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
| | - Kathryn M. Jones
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, 319 Stadium Dr., Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
| | - Zuoxin Wang
- Department of Psychology and Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, 1107 W. Call St., Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
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13
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Noback M, Zhang G, White N, Barrow JC, Carr GV. Post-weaning social isolation increases ΔFosB/FosB protein expression in sex-specific patterns in the prelimbic/infralimbic cortex and hippocampus in mice. Neurosci Lett 2020; 740:135423. [PMID: 33069811 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2020.135423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Revised: 09/11/2020] [Accepted: 10/01/2020] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Social isolation is a growing public health concern across the lifespan. Specifically, isolation early in life, during critical periods of brain development, increases the risk of psychiatric disorders later in life. Previous studies of isolation models in mice have shown distinct neurological abnormalities in various regions of the brain, but the mechanism linking the experience of isolation to these phenotypes is unclear. In this study, we show that ΔFosB, a long-lived transcription factor associated with neuronal activity, chronic stress, and drug-induced neuroplasticity, is upregulated in the prelimbic/infralimbic (PL/IL) region of the cortex and hippocampus of adult C57BL/6J mice transiently isolated for two weeks post-weaning. Additionally, a related transcription factor, FosB, is also increased in the PL/IL in socially isolated females.In contrast, both ΔFosB and FosB are increased in male mice isolated for six weeks from weaning until tissue collection. These results show that short-term isolation during the critical post-weaning period has long-lasting and sex-dependent effects on gene expression in brain and that FosB/ΔFosB expression provides a potential mechanistic link between post-weaning social isolation and associated neurological abnormalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Noback
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins University Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Gongliang Zhang
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins University Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Noelle White
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins University Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - James C Barrow
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins University Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Gregory V Carr
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins University Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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14
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Smail MA, Smith BL, Nawreen N, Herman JP. Differential impact of stress and environmental enrichment on corticolimbic circuits. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2020; 197:172993. [PMID: 32659243 PMCID: PMC7484282 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2020.172993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2020] [Revised: 05/27/2020] [Accepted: 07/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Stress exposure can produce profound changes in physiology and behavior that can impair health and well-being. Of note, stress exposure is linked to anxiety disorders and depression in humans. The widespread impact of these disorders warrants investigation into treatments to mitigate the harmful effects of stress. Pharmacological treatments fail to help many with these disorders, so recent work has focused on non-pharmacological alternatives. One of the most promising of these alternatives is environmental enrichment (EE). In rodents, EE includes social, physical, and cognitive stimulation for the animal, in the form of larger cages, running wheels, and toys. EE successfully reduces the maladaptive effects of various stressors, both as treatment and prophylaxis. While we know that EE can have beneficial effects under stress conditions, the morphological and molecular mechanisms underlying these behavioral effects are still not well understood. EE is known to alter neurogenesis, dendrite development, and expression of neurotrophic growth factors, effects that vary by type of enrichment, age, and sex. To add to this complexity, EE has differential effects in different brain regions. Understanding how EE exerts its protective effects on morphological and molecular levels could hold the key to developing more targeted pharmacological treatments. In this review, we summarize the literature on the morphological and molecular consequences of EE and stress in key emotional regulatory pathways in the brain, the hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, and amygdala. The similarities and differences among these regions provide some insight into stress-EE interaction that may be exploited in future efforts toward prevention of, and intervention in, stress-related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marissa A Smail
- Department of Pharmacology and Systems Physiology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States.
| | - Brittany L Smith
- Department of Pharmacology and Systems Physiology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Nawshaba Nawreen
- Department of Pharmacology and Systems Physiology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - James P Herman
- Department of Pharmacology and Systems Physiology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States; Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States; Department of Neurology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States
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15
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Reguilón MD, Ferrer-Pérez C, Ballestín R, Miñarro J, Rodríguez-Arias M. Voluntary wheel running protects against the increase in ethanol consumption induced by social stress in mice. Drug Alcohol Depend 2020; 212:108004. [PMID: 32408137 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2020.108004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2019] [Revised: 04/06/2020] [Accepted: 04/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Previous studies have shown that exposure to social defeat (SD), a model of social stress, produces a long-term increase in the consumption of ethanol, most likely through an increase in the neuroinflammation response. The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether exposure to physical activity in the form of voluntary wheel running (VWR) could block the increase in ethanol consumption and the neuroinflammatory response induced by social stress. Mice were exposed to either 4 sessions of repeated social defeat (RSD) or a non-stressful experience. During the whole procedure, half of the mice were exposed to controlled physical activity, being allowed 1 h access to a low-profile running wheel three times a week. Three weeks after the last RSD, animals started the oral self-administration (SA) of ethanol (6% EtOH) procedure. Biological samples were taken 4 h after the first and the fourth RSD, 3 weeks after the last RSD, and after the SA procedure. Brain tissue (striatum) was used to determine protein levels of the chemokines fractalkine (CX3CL1) and SDF-1 (CXCL12). RSD induced an increase in ethanol consumption and caused greater motivation to obtain ethanol. The striatal levels of CX3CL1 and CXCL12 were also increased after the last RSD. VWR was able to reverse the increase in ethanol intake induced by social stress and the neuroinflammatory response. In conclusion, our results suggest that VWR could be a promising tool to prevent and reduce the detrimental effects induced by social stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- M D Reguilón
- Department of Psychobiology, Facultad De Psicología, Universitat De Valencia, Avda. Blasco Ibáñez, 21, 46010 Valencia, Spain
| | - C Ferrer-Pérez
- Department of Psychobiology, Facultad De Psicología, Universitat De Valencia, Avda. Blasco Ibáñez, 21, 46010 Valencia, Spain
| | - R Ballestín
- Department of Psychobiology, Facultad De Psicología, Universitat De Valencia, Avda. Blasco Ibáñez, 21, 46010 Valencia, Spain
| | - J Miñarro
- Department of Psychobiology, Facultad De Psicología, Universitat De Valencia, Avda. Blasco Ibáñez, 21, 46010 Valencia, Spain
| | - M Rodríguez-Arias
- Department of Psychobiology, Facultad De Psicología, Universitat De Valencia, Avda. Blasco Ibáñez, 21, 46010 Valencia, Spain.
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