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Koloski MF, O'Hearn CM, Frankot M, Giesler LP, Ramanathan DS, Vonder Haar C. Behavioral Interventions Can Improve Brain Injury-Induced Deficits in Behavioral Flexibility and Impulsivity Linked to Impaired Reward-Feedback Beta Oscillations. J Neurotrauma 2024; 41:e1721-e1737. [PMID: 38450560 DOI: 10.1089/neu.2023.0448] [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] [Indexed: 03/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) affects a large population, resulting in severe cognitive impairments. Although cognitive rehabilitation is an accepted treatment for some deficits, studies in patients are limited in ability to probe physiological and behavioral mechanisms. Therefore, animal models are needed to optimize strategies. Frontal TBI in a rat model results in robust and replicable cognitive deficits, making this an ideal candidate for investigating various behavioral interventions. In this study, we report three distinct frontal TBI experiments assessing behavior well into the chronic post-injury period using male Long-Evans rats. First, we evaluated the impact of frontal injury on local field potentials recorded simultaneously from 12 brain regions during a probabilistic reversal learning (PbR) task. Next, a set of rats were tested on a similar PbR task or an impulsivity task (differential reinforcement of low-rate behavior [DRL]) and half received salient cues associated with reinforcement contingencies to encourage engagement in the target behavior. After intervention on the PbR task, brains were stained for markers of activity. On the DRL task, cue relevance was decoupled from outcomes to determine if beneficial effects persisted on impulsive behavior. TBI decreased the ability to detect reinforced outcomes; this was evident in task performance and reward-feedback signals occurring at beta frequencies in lateral orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and associated frontostriatal regions. The behavioral intervention improved flexibility and increased OFC activity. Intervention also reduced impulsivity, even after cues were decoupled, which was partially mediated by improvements in timing behavior. The current study established a platform to begin investigating cognitive rehabilitation in rats and identified a strong role for dysfunctional OFC signaling in probabilistic learning after frontal TBI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miranda F Koloski
- Mental Health, VA San Diego Medical Center, San Diego, California, USA
- Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, San Diego, California, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California-San Diego, San Diego, California, USA
| | | | - Michelle Frankot
- Department of Psychology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, USA
- Injury and Recovery Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Lauren P Giesler
- Department of Psychology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, USA
| | - Dhakshin S Ramanathan
- Mental Health, VA San Diego Medical Center, San Diego, California, USA
- Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, San Diego, California, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California-San Diego, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Cole Vonder Haar
- Department of Psychology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, USA
- Injury and Recovery Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
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El Baassiri MG, Raouf Z, Badin S, Escobosa A, Sodhi CP, Nasr IW. Dysregulated brain-gut axis in the setting of traumatic brain injury: review of mechanisms and anti-inflammatory pharmacotherapies. J Neuroinflammation 2024; 21:124. [PMID: 38730498 PMCID: PMC11083845 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-024-03118-3] [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: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a chronic and debilitating disease, associated with a high risk of psychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases. Despite significant advancements in improving outcomes, the lack of effective treatments underscore the urgent need for innovative therapeutic strategies. The brain-gut axis has emerged as a crucial bidirectional pathway connecting the brain and the gastrointestinal (GI) system through an intricate network of neuronal, hormonal, and immunological pathways. Four main pathways are primarily implicated in this crosstalk, including the systemic immune system, autonomic and enteric nervous systems, neuroendocrine system, and microbiome. TBI induces profound changes in the gut, initiating an unrestrained vicious cycle that exacerbates brain injury through the brain-gut axis. Alterations in the gut include mucosal damage associated with the malabsorption of nutrients/electrolytes, disintegration of the intestinal barrier, increased infiltration of systemic immune cells, dysmotility, dysbiosis, enteroendocrine cell (EEC) dysfunction and disruption in the enteric nervous system (ENS) and autonomic nervous system (ANS). Collectively, these changes further contribute to brain neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration via the gut-brain axis. In this review article, we elucidate the roles of various anti-inflammatory pharmacotherapies capable of attenuating the dysregulated inflammatory response along the brain-gut axis in TBI. These agents include hormones such as serotonin, ghrelin, and progesterone, ANS regulators such as beta-blockers, lipid-lowering drugs like statins, and intestinal flora modulators such as probiotics and antibiotics. They attenuate neuroinflammation by targeting distinct inflammatory pathways in both the brain and the gut post-TBI. These therapeutic agents exhibit promising potential in mitigating inflammation along the brain-gut axis and enhancing neurocognitive outcomes for TBI patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahmoud G El Baassiri
- Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA
| | - Zachariah Raouf
- Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA
| | - Sarah Badin
- Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA
| | - Alejandro Escobosa
- Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA
| | - Chhinder P Sodhi
- Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA
| | - Isam W Nasr
- Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA.
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Bagchi S, Nozohouri E, Ahn Y, Patel D, Bickel U, Karamyan VT. Systemic and Brain Pharmacokinetics of Milnacipran in Mice: Comparison of Intraperitoneal and Intravenous Administration. Pharmaceutics 2023; 16:53. [PMID: 38258064 PMCID: PMC10819729 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics16010053] [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: 11/17/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Milnacipran is a dual serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor, clinically used for the treatment of major depression or fibromyalgia. Currently, there are no studies reporting the pharmacokinetics (PK) of milnacipran after intraperitoneal (IP) injection, despite this being the primary administration route in numerous experimental studies using the drug. Therefore, the present study was designed to investigate the PK profile of IP-administered milnacipran in mice and compare it to the intravenous (IV) route. First a liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method was developed and validated to accurately quantify milnacipran in biological samples. The method was used to quantify milnacipran in blood and brain samples collected at various time-points post-administration. Non-compartmental and PK analyses were employed to determine key PK parameters. The maximum concentration (Cmax) of the drug in plasma was at 5 min after IP administration, whereas in the brain, it was at 60 min for both routes of administration. Curiously, the majority of PK parameters were similar irrespective of the administration route, and the bioavailability was 92.5% after the IP injection. These findings provide insight into milnacipran's absorption, distribution, and elimination characteristics in mice after IP administration for the first time and should be valuable for future pharmacological studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sounak Bagchi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Amarillo, TX 79106, USA; (S.B.); (E.N.); (Y.A.)
| | - Ehsan Nozohouri
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Amarillo, TX 79106, USA; (S.B.); (E.N.); (Y.A.)
| | - Yeseul Ahn
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Amarillo, TX 79106, USA; (S.B.); (E.N.); (Y.A.)
| | - Dhavalkumar Patel
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Amarillo, TX 79106, USA; (S.B.); (E.N.); (Y.A.)
| | - Ulrich Bickel
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Amarillo, TX 79106, USA; (S.B.); (E.N.); (Y.A.)
| | - Vardan T. Karamyan
- Department of Foundational Medical Studies, Oakland University, Rochester, MI 48309, USA
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