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Luo PX, Serna Godoy A, Zakharenkov HC, Vang N, Wright EC, Balantac TA, Archdeacon SC, Black AM, Lake AA, Ramirez AV, Lozier LE, Perez MD, Bhangal I, Desta NM, Trainor BC. Hypocretin in the nucleus accumbens shell modulates social approach in female but not male California mice. Neuropsychopharmacology 2024:10.1038/s41386-024-01937-9. [PMID: 39117901 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-024-01937-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2024] [Revised: 07/15/2024] [Accepted: 07/17/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024]
Abstract
The hypocretin (Hcrt) system modulates arousal and anxiety-related behaviors and has been considered as a novel treatment target for stress-related affective disorders. We examined the effects of Hcrt acting in the nucleus accumbens shell (NAcSh) and anterodorsal bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (adBNST) on social behavior in male and female California mice (Peromyscus californicus). In female but not male California mice, infusion of Hcrt1 into NAcSh decreased social approach. Weak effects of Hcrt1 on social vigilance were observed in both females and males. No behavioral effects of Hcrt1 infused into the adBNST were observed. Analyses of sequencing data from California mice and Mus musculus NAc showed that Hcrtr2 was more abundant than Hcrtr1, so we infused the selective Hcrt receptor 2 antagonist into the NAcSh, which increased social approach in females previously exposed to social defeat. A calcium imaging study in the NAcSh of females before and after stress exposure showed that neural activity increased immediately following the expression of social avoidance but not during freezing behavior. This observation is consistent with previous studies that identified populations of neurons in the NAc that drive avoidance. Intriguingly, calcium transients were not affected by stress. These data suggest that hypocretin acting in the NAcSh plays a key role in modulating stress-induced social avoidance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pei X Luo
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | | | | | - Nou Vang
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Emily C Wright
- Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience, Jupiter, FL, USA
| | | | | | - Alexis M Black
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Alyssa A Lake
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Alison V Ramirez
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Lauren E Lozier
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Melvin D Perez
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Irvin Bhangal
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Nile M Desta
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Brian C Trainor
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA.
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2
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Ouaidat S, Amaral IM, Monteiro DG, Harati H, Hofer A, El Rawas R. Orexins/Hypocretins: Gatekeepers of Social Interaction and Motivation. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:2609. [PMID: 38473854 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25052609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2024] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Ever since the discovery of the brain's orexin/hypocretin system, most research was directed toward unveiling its contribution to the normal functioning of individuals. The investigation of reward-seeking behaviors then gained a lot of attention once the distribution of orexinergic neurons was revealed. Here, we discuss findings on the involvement of orexins in social interaction, a natural reward type. While some studies have succeeded in defining the relationship between orexin and social interaction, the controversy regarding its nature (direct or inverse relation) raises questions about what aspects have been overlooked until now. Upon examining the literature, we identified a research gap concerning conditions influencing the impact of orexins on social behavior expression. In this review, we introduce a number of factors (e.g., stress, orexin's source) that must be considered while studying the role of orexins in social interaction. Furthermore, we refer to published research to investigate the stage at which orexins affect social interaction and we highlight the nucleus accumbens (NAc) shell's role in social interaction and other rewarding behaviors. Finally, the underlying orexin molecular pathway influencing social motivation in particular illnesses is proposed. We conclude that orexin's impact on social interaction is multifactorial and depends on specific conditions available at a time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Ouaidat
- Division of Psychiatry I, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, Psychosomatics and Medical Psychology, Medical University Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
- Neuroscience Research Center, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Lebanese University, Beirut P.O. Box 1533, Lebanon
| | - Inês M Amaral
- Division of Psychiatry I, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, Psychosomatics and Medical Psychology, Medical University Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Diogo G Monteiro
- Division of Psychiatry I, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, Psychosomatics and Medical Psychology, Medical University Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Hayat Harati
- Neuroscience Research Center, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Lebanese University, Beirut P.O. Box 1533, Lebanon
| | - Alex Hofer
- Division of Psychiatry I, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, Psychosomatics and Medical Psychology, Medical University Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Rana El Rawas
- Division of Psychiatry I, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, Psychosomatics and Medical Psychology, Medical University Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
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Granza AE, Amaral IM, Monteiro DG, Salti A, Hofer A, El Rawas R. Social Interaction Is Less Rewarding in Adult Female than in Male Mice. Brain Sci 2023; 13:1445. [PMID: 37891813 PMCID: PMC10605033 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13101445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
(1) Background: Positive social relationships are essential for mental and physical health. However, not all individuals experience social interaction as a rewarding activity. (2) Methods: Social interaction reward in mice can be assessed by social conditioned place preference (CPP). The aim of this study is to investigate sex-dependent differences in the neurological underpinnings underlying social versus non-social phenotypes, using adult male and female C57BL/6J mice. (3) Results: Adult female mice expressed significantly less social reward than males from the same strain. Accordingly, pairs of male mice spent more time interacting as compared to female pairs. Subsequently, we analyzed neuropeptides previously reported to be important regulators of social behavior such as oxytocin, vasopressin, and orexin, in addition to Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (αCaMKII), shown to be involved in social reward. Levels of neuropeptides and αCaMKII were comparable between males and females in all investigated regions. Yet, a significant negative correlation was found between endogenous oxytocin expression and social reward in female pairs. (4) Conclusions: Sex differences in the prevalence of many mental health disorders might at least in part be due to sex differences in social reward. Therefore, more research is needed to unravel the candidate(s) underlying this behavioral difference.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna E. Granza
- Division of Psychiatry I, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, Psychosomatics and Medical Psychology, Medical University Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Inês M. Amaral
- Division of Psychiatry I, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, Psychosomatics and Medical Psychology, Medical University Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Diogo G. Monteiro
- Division of Psychiatry I, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, Psychosomatics and Medical Psychology, Medical University Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Ahmad Salti
- University Clinic of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Kepler University Hospital, Johannes Kepler University Linz, Krankenhausstrasse 5, 4020 Linz, Austria
| | - Alex Hofer
- Division of Psychiatry I, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, Psychosomatics and Medical Psychology, Medical University Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Rana El Rawas
- Division of Psychiatry I, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, Psychosomatics and Medical Psychology, Medical University Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
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Achterberg EJM, Burke CJ, Pellis SM. When the individual comes into play: The role of self and the partner in the dyadic play fighting of rats. Behav Processes 2023; 212:104933. [PMID: 37643663 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2023.104933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2022] [Revised: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
Social play in rats is rewarding and important for the development of brain and social skills. There are differences in the amount of play behavior displayed among individuals, with earlier studies suggesting that, despite variation across trials, individual differences tend to be consistent. In the present study, juvenile Lister-hooded rats were paired with a different, unfamiliar same-sex partner on three days and based on the amount of play each individual initiated, it was characterized as a high, medium or low player. Using this categorization, we explored three features related to individual differences. First, we show that by increasing the number of test days from two, as was done in a previous study (Lesscher et al., 2021), to three, characterization was effectively improved. Secondly, while the earlier study only used males, the present study showed that both sexes exhibit a similar pattern of individual differences in the degree of playfulness. Even though low players consistently initiated less play than medium and high players, all rats varied in how much play they initiated from one trial to the next. Thirdly, we assessed two potential mechanisms by which the playfulness of one rat can modify the level of playfulness of the other rat (i.e., emotional contagion vs homeostasis). Analyses of individuals' contribution to the play of dyads suggest that rats consistently adjust their play behavior depending on the behavior displayed by the partner. Since this adjustment can be positive or negative, our data support a homeostatic mechanism, whereby individuals increase or decrease the amount of play they initiate, which results in the experience of an overall stable pattern of play across trials. Future research will investigate the neural bases for individual differences in play and how rats maintain a preferred level of play.
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Affiliation(s)
- E J M Achterberg
- Behavioural Neuroscience Division, Department of Population Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
| | - C J Burke
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Canada; Department of Pharmacology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - S M Pellis
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Canada
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Bredewold R, Washington C, Veenema AH. Vasopressin regulates social play behavior in sex-specific ways through glutamate modulation in the lateral septum. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.31.535148. [PMID: 37034639 PMCID: PMC10081315 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.31.535148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Social play is a highly rewarding behavior that is essential for the development of social skills. Social play is impaired in children diagnosed with autism, a disorder with a strong sex bias in prevalence. We recently showed that the arginine vasopressin (AVP) system in the lateral septum (LS) regulates social play behavior sex-specifically in juvenile rats: Administration of a AVP 1a receptor (V1aR) antagonist increased social play behavior in males and decreased it in females. Here, we demonstrate that glutamate, but not GABA, is involved in the sex-specific regulation of social play by the LS-AVP system. First, males show higher extracellular glutamate concentrations in the LS than females while they show similar extracellular GABA concentrations. This resulted in a baseline sex difference in excitatory/inhibitory balance, which was eliminated by V1aR antagonist administration into the LS: V1aR antagonist increased extracellular glutamate release in females but not in males. Second, administration of the glutamate receptor agonist L-glutamic acid into the LS prevented the V1aR antagonist-induced increase in social play behavior in males while mimicking the V1aR antagonist-induced decrease in social play behavior in females. Third, administration of the glutamate receptor antagonists AP-5 and CNQX into the LS prevented the V1aR antagonist-induced decrease in social play behavior in females. Last, both sexes showed increases in extracellular LS-GABA release upon V1aR antagonist administration into the LS and decreases in social play behavior upon administration of the GABA-A receptor agonist muscimol into the LS, suggesting that GABA is not involved in the sex-specific regulation of social play by the LS-AVP system. Finally, to start identifying the cellular mechanism mediating the sex-specific effects of the LS-AVP system on LS-glutamate, we determined the presence of potential sex differences in the type of LS cells expressing V1aR. However, no sex differences were found in the percentage of Avpr1a+ LS cells expressing markers for either GABAergic neurons, somatostatin-expressing neurons, calbindin 1-expressing neurons, or astrocytes. In conclusion, these findings demonstrate that the LS-AVP system regulates social play sex-specifically via differential local glutamatergic neurotransmission in male and female juvenile rats. Further research is required to uncover the underlying cellular mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Remco Bredewold
- Neurobiology of Social Behavior Laboratory, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Catherine Washington
- Neurobiology of Social Behavior Laboratory, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Alexa H Veenema
- Neurobiology of Social Behavior Laboratory, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
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Pellis SM, Pellis VC, Burke CJ, Stark RA, Ham JR, Euston DR, Achterberg EJM. Measuring Play Fighting in Rats: A Multilayered Approach. Curr Protoc 2022; 2:e337. [PMID: 35030300 DOI: 10.1002/cpz1.337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Rough-and-tumble play or play fighting is an important experience in the juvenile period of many species of mammals, as it facilitates the development of social skills, and for some species, play fighting is retained into adulthood as a tool for assessing and managing social relationships. Laboratory rats have been a model species for studying the neurobiology of play fighting and its key developmental and social functions. However, play fighting interactions are complex, involving competition and cooperation; therefore, no single measure to quantify this behavior is able to capture all its facets. Therefore, in this paper, we present a multilayered framework for scoring all the relevant facets of play that can be affected by experimental manipulations and the logic of how to match what is measured with the question being asked. © 2022 Wiley Periodicals LLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- S M Pellis
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Canada
| | - V C Pellis
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Canada
| | - C J Burke
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Canada
| | - R A Stark
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Canada
| | - J R Ham
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Canada
| | - D R Euston
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Canada
| | - E J M Achterberg
- Division Behavioural Neuroscience, Unit Population Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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Agee LA, Nemchek V, Malone CA, Lee HJ, Monfils MH. Appetitive Behavior in the Social Transmission of Food Preference Paradigm Predicts Activation of Orexin-A producing Neurons in a Sex-Dependent Manner. Neuroscience 2022; 481:30-46. [PMID: 34843892 PMCID: PMC9246717 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2021.11.032] [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: 06/12/2021] [Revised: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Orexin-producing cells in the lateral hypothalamic area have been shown to be involved in a wide variety of behavioral and cognitive functions, including the recall of appetitive associations and a variety of social behaviors. Here, we investigated the role of orexin in the acquisition and recall of socially transmitted food preferences in the rat. Rats were euthanized following either acquisition, short-term recall, or long-term recall of a socially transmitted food preference and their brains were processed for orexin-A and c-Fos expression. We found that while there were no significant differences in c-Fos expression between control and experimental subjects at any of the tested timepoints, females displayed significantly more activity in both orexinergic and non-orexinergic cells in the lateral hypothalamus. In the infralimbic cortex, we found that social behavior was significantly predictive of c-Fos expression, with social behaviors related to olfactory exploration appearing to be particularly influential. We additionally found that appetitive behavior was significantly predictive of orexin-A activity in a sex-dependent matter, with the total amount eaten correlating negatively with orexin-A/c-Fos colocalization in male rats but not female rats. These findings suggest a potential sex-specific role for the orexin system in balancing the stimulation of feeding behavior with the sleep/wake cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura A Agee
- The University of Texas at Austin, Department of Psychology, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Victoria Nemchek
- The University of Texas at Austin, Department of Psychology, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Cassidy A Malone
- The University of Texas at Austin, Department of Psychology, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Hongjoo J Lee
- The University of Texas at Austin, Department of Psychology, Austin, TX, USA; Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Marie-H Monfils
- The University of Texas at Austin, Department of Psychology, Austin, TX, USA; Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.
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Knez R, Stevanovic D, Fernell E, Gillberg C. Orexin/Hypocretin System Dysfunction in ESSENCE (Early Symptomatic Syndromes Eliciting Neurodevelopmental Clinical Examinations). Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat 2022; 18:2683-2702. [PMID: 36411777 PMCID: PMC9675327 DOI: 10.2147/ndt.s358373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Early Symptomatic Syndromes Eliciting Neurodevelopmental Clinical Examinations (ESSENCE) is an umbrella term covering a wide range of neurodevelopmental difficulties and disorders. Thus, ESSENCE includes attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and other neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) and difficulties, with a variety of symptoms in cognitive, motor, sensory, social, arousal, regulatory, emotional, and behavioral developmental domains, frequently co-occurring and likely having partly common neurobiological substrates. The ESSENCE concept is a clinical paradigm that promotes organizing NDDs in everyday clinical practice according to their coexistence, symptom dimensions overlapping, and treatment possibilities. Despite increased knowledge regarding NDDs, the neurobiological mechanisms that underlie them and other ESSENCE-related problems, are not well understood. With its wide range of neural circuits and interactions with numerous neurotransmitters, the orexin/hypocretin system (Orx-S) is possibly associated with a variety of neurocognitive, psychobiological, neuroendocrine, and physiological functions and behaviors. Dysfunction of Orx-S has been implicated in various psychiatric and neurological disorders. This article provides an overview of Orx-S dysfunctions' possible involvement in the development, presentation, and maintenance of ESSENCE. We provide a focused review of current research evidence linking orexin neuropeptides with specific clinical NDDs symptoms, mostly in ADHD and ASD, within the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) framework. We propose that Orx-S dysfunction might have an important role in some of these neurodevelopmental symptom domains, such as arousal, wakefulness, sleep, motor and sensory processing, mood and emotional regulation, fear processing, reward, feeding, attention, executive functions, and sociability. Our perspective is presented from a clinical point of view. Further, more thorough systematic reviews are needed as well as planning of extensive new research into the Orx-S's role in ESSENCE, especially considering RDoC elements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajna Knez
- Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.,Department of Pediatrics, Skaraborg Hospital, Skövde, Sweden.,School of Health Sciences, University of Skövde, Skövde, Sweden
| | - Dejan Stevanovic
- Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Elisabeth Fernell
- Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Christopher Gillberg
- Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
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