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Choi TY, Jeong S, Koo JW. Mesocorticolimbic circuit mechanisms of social dominance behavior. Exp Mol Med 2024:10.1038/s12276-024-01299-8. [PMID: 39218974 DOI: 10.1038/s12276-024-01299-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2024] [Revised: 05/10/2024] [Accepted: 05/23/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Social animals, including rodents, primates, and humans, partake in competition for finite resources, thereby establishing social hierarchies wherein an individual's social standing influences diverse behaviors. Understanding the neurobiological underpinnings of social dominance is imperative, given its ramifications for health, survival, and reproduction. Social dominance behavior comprises several facets, including social recognition, social decision-making, and actions, indicating the concerted involvement of multiple brain regions in orchestrating this behavior. While extensive research has been dedicated to elucidating the neurobiology of social interaction, recent studies have increasingly delved into adverse social behaviors such as social competition and hierarchy. This review focuses on the latest advancements in comprehending the mechanisms of the mesocorticolimbic circuit governing social dominance, with a specific focus on rodent studies, elucidating the intricate dynamics of social hierarchies and their implications for individual well-being and adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tae-Yong Choi
- Emotion, Cognition and Behavior Research Group, Korea Brain Research Institute, Daegu, Republic of Korea.
| | - Sejin Jeong
- Emotion, Cognition and Behavior Research Group, Korea Brain Research Institute, Daegu, Republic of Korea
- Department of Life Sciences, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan, Republic of Korea
| | - Ja Wook Koo
- Emotion, Cognition and Behavior Research Group, Korea Brain Research Institute, Daegu, Republic of Korea.
- Department of Brain Sciences, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology, Daegu, Republic of Korea.
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2
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DeCasien AR, Chiou KL, Testard C, Mercer A, Negrón-Del Valle JE, Bauman Surratt SE, González O, Stock MK, Ruiz-Lambides AV, Martínez MI, Antón SC, Walker CS, Sallet J, Wilson MA, Brent LJN, Montague MJ, Sherwood CC, Platt ML, Higham JP, Snyder-Mackler N. Evolutionary and biomedical implications of sex differences in the primate brain transcriptome. CELL GENOMICS 2024; 4:100589. [PMID: 38942023 PMCID: PMC11293591 DOI: 10.1016/j.xgen.2024.100589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Revised: 12/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2024] [Indexed: 06/30/2024]
Abstract
Humans exhibit sex differences in the prevalence of many neurodevelopmental disorders and neurodegenerative diseases. Here, we generated one of the largest multi-brain-region bulk transcriptional datasets for the rhesus macaque and characterized sex-biased gene expression patterns to investigate the translatability of this species for sex-biased neurological conditions. We identify patterns similar to those in humans, which are associated with overlapping regulatory mechanisms, biological processes, and genes implicated in sex-biased human disorders, including autism. We also show that sex-biased genes exhibit greater genetic variance for expression and more tissue-specific expression patterns, which may facilitate rapid evolution of sex-biased genes. Our findings provide insights into the biological mechanisms underlying sex-biased disease and support the rhesus macaque model for the translational study of these conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex R DeCasien
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY, USA; New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, NY, USA; Section on Developmental Neurogenomics, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
| | - Kenneth L Chiou
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA; School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Nathan Shock Center of Excellence in the Basic Biology of Aging, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
| | - Camille Testard
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Arianne Mercer
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | | | - Olga González
- Southwest National Primate Research Center, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Michala K Stock
- Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Metropolitan State University of Denver, Denver, CO, USA
| | | | - Melween I Martínez
- Caribbean Primate Research Center, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, PR, USA
| | - Susan C Antón
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY, USA; New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, NY, USA
| | - Christopher S Walker
- Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Jérôme Sallet
- Stem Cell and Brain Research Institute, Université Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Melissa A Wilson
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA; School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA; Biodesign Center for Mechanisms of Evolution, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Lauren J N Brent
- Centre for Research in Animal Behavior, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Michael J Montague
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Chet C Sherwood
- Department of Anthropology, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Michael L Platt
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Marketing, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - James P Higham
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY, USA; New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Noah Snyder-Mackler
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA; School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Nathan Shock Center of Excellence in the Basic Biology of Aging, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; ASU-Banner Neurodegenerative Disease Research Center, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA.
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3
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Parvin Z, Jaafari Suha A, Afarinesh MR, Hosseinmardi N, Janahmadi M, Behzadi G. Social hierarchy differentially influences the anxiety-like behaviors and dendritic spine density in prefrontal cortex and limbic areas in male rats. Behav Brain Res 2024; 469:115043. [PMID: 38729219 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2024.115043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2024] [Revised: 04/28/2024] [Accepted: 05/05/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
Social hierarchy is a fundamental feature of social organization that can influence brain and emotional processing regarding social ranks. Several areas, including the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), the hippocampus, and the basolateral nucleus of the amygdala (BLA), are recognized to be involved in the regulation of emotional processing. However, its delicate structural correlates in brain regions are poorly understood. To address this issue, social hierarchy in home-caged sibling Wistar rats (three male rats/cage) was determined by employing a social confrontation tube test (postnatal weeks 9-12). Then, locomotor activity and anxiety-like behaviors were evaluated using an open-field test (OFT) and elevated plus-maze (EPM) at 13 weeks of age. The rapid Golgi impregnation method was conducted to quantify the spine density of the first secondary branch of the primary dendrite in 20 µm length. The results indicated that dominant rats had significantly higher anxiety-like behaviors compared to subordinates, as was evident by lower open-arm entries and time spent in the EPM and lower entries and time spent in the center of OFT. The spine density analysis revealed a significantly higher number of spines in subordinates compared to the dominant rats in dmPFC pyramidal neurons and the apical and basal dendrites of hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons. However, the spine density of pyramidal-like neurons in the BLA was higher in dominant rats. Our findings suggest that dominant social rank is associated with higher anxiety and differential density of the dendritic spine in the prefrontal cortex and limbic regions of the brain in male rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeinab Parvin
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ali Jaafari Suha
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Narges Hosseinmardi
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mahyar Janahmadi
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Gila Behzadi
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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4
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Wang L, Huang N, Cai Q, Guo S, Ai H. Differences in physiology and behavior between male winner and loser mice in the tube test. Behav Processes 2024; 216:105013. [PMID: 38460912 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2024.105013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2023] [Revised: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/11/2024]
Abstract
Social hierarchy is a crucial element for survival, reproduction, fitness, and the maintenance of a stable social group in social animals. This study aimed to investigate the physiological indicators, nociception, unfamiliar female mice preference, spatial learning memory, and contextual fear memory of male mice with different social status in the same cage. Our findings revealed significant differences in the trunk temperature and contextual fear memory between winner and loser mice. However, there were no major discrepancies in body weight, random and fasting blood glucose levels, whisker number, frontal and perianal temperature, spleen size, mechanical and thermal pain thresholds, preference for unfamiliar female mice, and spatial memory. In conclusion, social status can affect mice in multiple ways, and, therefore, its influence should be considered when conducting studies using these animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Wang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Nan Huang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Qian Cai
- School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Siyuan Guo
- School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Heng Ai
- School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
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Choi TY, Jeon H, Jeong S, Kim EJ, Kim J, Jeong YH, Kang B, Choi M, Koo JW. Distinct prefrontal projection activity and transcriptional state conversely orchestrate social competition and hierarchy. Neuron 2024; 112:611-627.e8. [PMID: 38086372 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.11.012] [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: 02/05/2023] [Revised: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Social animals compete for limited resources, resulting in a social hierarchy. Although different neuronal subpopulations in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), which has been mechanistically implicated in social dominance behavior, encode distinct social competition behaviors, their identities and associated molecular underpinnings have not yet been identified. In this study, we found that mPFC neurons projecting to the nucleus accumbens (mPFC-NAc) encode social winning behavior, whereas mPFC neurons projecting to the ventral tegmental area (mPFC-VTA) encode social losing behavior. High-throughput single-cell transcriptomic analysis and projection-specific genetic manipulation revealed that the expression level of POU domain, class 3, transcription factor 1 (Pou3f1) in mPFC-VTA neurons controls social hierarchy. Optogenetic activation of mPFC-VTA neurons increases Pou3f1 expression and lowers social rank. Together, these data demonstrate that discrete activity and gene expression in separate mPFC projections oppositely orchestrate social competition and hierarchy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tae-Yong Choi
- Emotion, Cognition and Behavior Research Group, Korea Brain Research Institute, Daegu 41062, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyoungseok Jeon
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Republic of Korea
| | - Sejin Jeong
- Emotion, Cognition and Behavior Research Group, Korea Brain Research Institute, Daegu 41062, Republic of Korea; Department of Life Sciences, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan 38541, Republic of Korea
| | - Eum Ji Kim
- Emotion, Cognition and Behavior Research Group, Korea Brain Research Institute, Daegu 41062, Republic of Korea
| | - Jeongseop Kim
- Emotion, Cognition and Behavior Research Group, Korea Brain Research Institute, Daegu 41062, Republic of Korea; Department of Brain Sciences, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology, Daegu 41988, Republic of Korea
| | - Yun Ha Jeong
- Neurodegenerative Disease Research Group, Korea Brain Research Institute, Daegu 41062, Republic of Korea
| | - Byungsoo Kang
- Sysoft R&D Center, Daegu 41065, Republic of Korea; Neurovascular Unit Research Group, Korea Brain Research Institute, Daegu 41062, Republic of Korea
| | - Murim Choi
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Republic of Korea.
| | - Ja Wook Koo
- Emotion, Cognition and Behavior Research Group, Korea Brain Research Institute, Daegu 41062, Republic of Korea; Department of Brain Sciences, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology, Daegu 41988, Republic of Korea.
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6
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Wang Y, Zhang X, Yao Y, Hu S, Wang W, Wang D, Huang C, Liu H, Zhang Q, He T, Wang S, Wu Z, Jiang R, Yang C. Inferior social hierarchy is vulnerable to anxiety-like behavior in chronic pain mice: Potential role of gut microbiota and metabolites. Neurobiol Dis 2024; 191:106402. [PMID: 38184015 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2024.106402] [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: 12/07/2023] [Revised: 12/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/01/2024] [Indexed: 01/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Social dominance is a universal phenomenon among grouped animals that profoundly affects survival, health, and reproductive success by determining access to resources, and exerting a powerful influence on subsequent behavior. However, the understanding of pain and anxiety comorbidities in dominant or subordinate animals suffering from chronic pain is not well-defined. Here, we provide evidence that subordinate mice are more susceptible to pain-induced anxiety compared to dominant mice. We propose that the gut microbiota may play a mediating role in this mechanism. Our findings demonstrate that transplantation of fecal microbiota from subordinate mice with chronic inflammatory pain, but not dominant mice, into antibiotics-treated pseudo-germ-free mice significantly amplifies anxiety-like phenotypes, highlighting the critical involvement of gut microbiota in this behavioral response. Using chronic inflammatory pain model, we carried out 16S rRNA sequencing and untargeted metabolomic analyses to explore the relationship between microbiota and metabolites in a stable social hierarchy of mice. Interestingly, anxiety-like behaviors were directly associated with some microbial genera and metabolites, especially bile acid metabolism. Overall, we have demonstrated a close relationship between social status and anxiety susceptibility, highlighting the contributions of gut microbiota and the associated metabolites in the high-anxiety state of subordinate mice with chronic inflammatory pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanyuan Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Xinying Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Yiting Yao
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Suwan Hu
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Wenli Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Di Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Chaoli Huang
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Hanyu Liu
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Qi Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Teng He
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Sen Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Zifeng Wu
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China.
| | - Riyue Jiang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China.
| | - Chun Yang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China.
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Li LF, Li ZL, Song BL, Jiang Y, Wang Y, Zou HW, Yao LG, Liu YJ. Dopamine D2 receptors in the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex modulate social hierarchy in male mice. Curr Zool 2023; 69:682-693. [PMID: 37876636 PMCID: PMC10591156 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoac087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 10/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Social hierarchy greatly influences behavior and health. Both human and animal studies have signaled the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) as specifically related to social hierarchy. Dopamine D1 receptors (D1Rs) and D2 receptors (D2Rs) are abundantly expressed in the mPFC, modulating its functions. However, it is unclear how DR-expressing neurons in the mPFC regulate social hierarchy. Here, using a confrontation tube test, we found that most adult C57BL/6J male mice could establish a linear social rank after 1 week of cohabitation. Lower rank individuals showed social anxiety together with decreased serum testosterone levels. D2R expression was significantly downregulated in the dorsal part of mPFC (dmPFC) in lower rank individuals, whereas D1R expression showed no significant difference among the rank groups in the whole mPFC. Virus knockdown of D2Rs in the dmPFC led to mice being particularly prone to lose the contests in the confrontation tube test. Finally, simultaneous D2R activation in the subordinates and D2R inhibition in the dominants in a pair switched their dominant-subordinate relationship. The above results indicate that D2Rs in the dmPFC play an important role in social dominance. Our findings provide novel insights into the divergent functions of prefrontal D1Rs and D2Rs in social dominance, which may contribute to ameliorating social dysfunctions along with abnormal social hierarchy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lai-Fu Li
- Henan Key Laboratory of Insect Biology in Funiu Mountain, Henan International Joint Laboratory of Insect Biology, College of Life Science and Agricultural Engineering, Nanyang Normal University, Nanyang 473061, Henan, China
- Research Center of Henan Provincial Agricultural Biomass Resource Engineering and Technology, College of Life Science and Agriculture, Nanyang Normal University, Nanyang 473061, Henan, China
| | - Zi-Lin Li
- Research Center of Henan Provincial Agricultural Biomass Resource Engineering and Technology, College of Life Science and Agriculture, Nanyang Normal University, Nanyang 473061, Henan, China
| | - Bai-Lin Song
- Research Center of Henan Provincial Agricultural Biomass Resource Engineering and Technology, College of Life Science and Agriculture, Nanyang Normal University, Nanyang 473061, Henan, China
| | - Yi Jiang
- Research Center of Henan Provincial Agricultural Biomass Resource Engineering and Technology, College of Life Science and Agriculture, Nanyang Normal University, Nanyang 473061, Henan, China
| | - Yan Wang
- Research Center of Henan Provincial Agricultural Biomass Resource Engineering and Technology, College of Life Science and Agriculture, Nanyang Normal University, Nanyang 473061, Henan, China
| | - Hua-Wei Zou
- Research Center of Henan Provincial Agricultural Biomass Resource Engineering and Technology, College of Life Science and Agriculture, Nanyang Normal University, Nanyang 473061, Henan, China
| | - Lun-Guang Yao
- Henan Key Laboratory of Insect Biology in Funiu Mountain, Henan International Joint Laboratory of Insect Biology, College of Life Science and Agricultural Engineering, Nanyang Normal University, Nanyang 473061, Henan, China
| | - Ying-Juan Liu
- Henan Key Laboratory of Insect Biology in Funiu Mountain, Henan International Joint Laboratory of Insect Biology, College of Life Science and Agricultural Engineering, Nanyang Normal University, Nanyang 473061, Henan, China
- Research Center of Henan Provincial Agricultural Biomass Resource Engineering and Technology, College of Life Science and Agriculture, Nanyang Normal University, Nanyang 473061, Henan, China
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8
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Jiang Y, Zhou J, Song BL, Wang Y, Zhang DL, Zhang ZT, Li LF, Liu YJ. 5-HT1A receptor in the central amygdala and 5-HT2A receptor in the basolateral amygdala are involved in social hierarchy in male mice. Eur J Pharmacol 2023; 957:176027. [PMID: 37659688 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2023.176027] [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: 04/22/2023] [Revised: 08/12/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/04/2023]
Abstract
Most social animals self-organize into dominance hierarchies that strongly influence their behavior and health. The serotonin (5-HT) system is believed to play an important role in the formation of social hierarchy. 5-HT receptors are abundantly expressed in the amygdala, which is considered as the central node for the perception and learning of social hierarchy. In this study, we assessed the functions of various 5-HT receptor subtypes related to social rank determination in different subregions of the amygdala using the confrontation tube test in mice. We revealed that most adult C57BL/6 J male mice exhibited a linear social rank after a few days of cohousing. The tube test ranks were slightly related to anxiety-like behavioral performance. After the tube test, the amygdala and 5-HT neurons in the dorsal raphe nucleus were activated in lower-rank individuals. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis revealed that despite the high expression of 5-HT1A receptor mRNA in the central amygdala (CeA), 5-HT2A receptor mRNA expression was downregulated in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) in higher-rank individuals. The dominant-subordinate relationship between mouse pairs could be switched via pharmacological modulation of these receptors in CeA and BLA, suggesting that these expression changes are essential for establishing social ranks. Our findings provide novel insights into the divergent functions of 5-HT receptors in the amygdala related to social hierarchy, which is closely related to our health and welfare.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Jiang
- Research Center of Henan Provincial Agricultural Biomass Resource Engineering and Technology, College of Life Science and Agriculture, Nanyang Normal University, Nanyang, 473061, China
| | - Jie Zhou
- Research Center of Henan Provincial Agricultural Biomass Resource Engineering and Technology, College of Life Science and Agriculture, Nanyang Normal University, Nanyang, 473061, China
| | - Bai-Lin Song
- Research Center of Henan Provincial Agricultural Biomass Resource Engineering and Technology, College of Life Science and Agriculture, Nanyang Normal University, Nanyang, 473061, China
| | - Yan Wang
- Research Center of Henan Provincial Agricultural Biomass Resource Engineering and Technology, College of Life Science and Agriculture, Nanyang Normal University, Nanyang, 473061, China
| | - Dong-Lin Zhang
- Research Center of Henan Provincial Agricultural Biomass Resource Engineering and Technology, College of Life Science and Agriculture, Nanyang Normal University, Nanyang, 473061, China
| | - Zheng-Tian Zhang
- Research Center of Henan Provincial Agricultural Biomass Resource Engineering and Technology, College of Life Science and Agriculture, Nanyang Normal University, Nanyang, 473061, China
| | - Lai-Fu Li
- Research Center of Henan Provincial Agricultural Biomass Resource Engineering and Technology, College of Life Science and Agriculture, Nanyang Normal University, Nanyang, 473061, China.
| | - Ying-Juan Liu
- Research Center of Henan Provincial Agricultural Biomass Resource Engineering and Technology, College of Life Science and Agriculture, Nanyang Normal University, Nanyang, 473061, China.
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9
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Hoffmann LB, McVicar EA, Harris RV, Collar-Fernández C, Clark MB, Hannan AJ, Pang TY. Increased paternal corticosterone exposure influences offspring behaviour and expression of urinary pheromones. BMC Biol 2023; 21:186. [PMID: 37667240 PMCID: PMC10478242 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-023-01678-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Studies have shown that paternal stress prior to conception can influence the innate behaviours of their offspring. The evolutionary impacts of such intergenerational effects are therefore of considerable interest. Our group previously showed in a model of daily stress that glucocorticoid treatment of adult male mouse breeders prior to conception leads to increased anxiety-related behaviours in male offspring. Here, we aimed to understand the transgenerational effects of paternal stress exposure on the social behaviour of progeny and its potential influence on reproductive success. RESULTS We assessed social parameters including social reward, male attractiveness and social dominance, in the offspring (F1) and grand-offspring (F2). We report that paternal corticosterone treatment was associated with increased display of subordination towards other male mice. Those mice were unexpectedly more attractive to female mice while expressing reduced levels of the key rodent pheromone Darcin, contrary to its conventional role in driving female attraction. We investigated the epigenetic regulation of major urinary protein (Mup) expression by performing the first Oxford Nanopore direct methylation of sperm DNA in a mouse model of stress, but found no differences in Mup genes that could be attributed to corticosterone-treatment. Furthermore, no overt differences of the prefrontal cortex transcriptome were found in F1 offspring, implying that peripheral mechanisms are likely contributing to the phenotypic differences. Interestingly, no phenotypic differences were observed in the F2 grand-offspring. CONCLUSIONS Overall, our findings highlight the potential of moderate paternal stress to affect intergenerational (mal)adaptive responses, informing future studies of adaptiveness in rodents, humans and other species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas B Hoffmann
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Evangeline A McVicar
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Rebekah V Harris
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Coralina Collar-Fernández
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Michael B Clark
- Centre for Stem Cell Systems, Department of Anatomy and Physiology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Anthony J Hannan
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Terence Y Pang
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
- Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
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10
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The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis in threat detection: task choice and rodent experience. Emerg Top Life Sci 2022; 6:457-466. [PMID: 36416376 PMCID: PMC9788396 DOI: 10.1042/etls20220002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Revised: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Behavioural reactivity to potential threat is used to experimentally refine models of anxiety symptoms in rodents. We present a short review of the literature tying the most commonly used tasks to model anxiety symptoms to functional recruitment of bed nucleus of the stria terminalis circuits (BNST). Using a review of studies that investigated the role of the BNST in anxiety-like behaviour in rodents, we flag the certain challenges for the field. These stem from inconsistent methods of reporting the neuroanatomical BNST subregions and the interpretations of specific behaviour across a wide variety of tasks as 'anxiety-like'. Finally, to assist in interpretation of the findings, we discuss the potential interactions between typically used 'anxiety' tasks of innate behaviour that are potentially modulated by the social and individual experience of the animal.
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11
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García-Gómez L, Castillo-Fernández I, Perez-Villalba A. In the pursuit of new social neurons. Neurogenesis and social behavior in mice: A systematic review. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:1011657. [PMID: 36407114 PMCID: PMC9672322 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.1011657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Social behaviors have become more relevant to our understanding of the human nervous system because relationships with our peers may require and modulate adult neurogenesis. Here, we review the pieces of evidence we have to date for the divergence of social behaviors in mice by modulation of adult neurogenesis or if social behaviors and the social environment can drive a change in neurogenic processes. Social recognition and memory are deeply affected by antimitotic drugs and irradiation, while NSC transgenic mice may run with lower levels of social discrimination. Interestingly, social living conditions can create a big impact on neurogenesis. Social isolation and social defeat reduce the number of new neurons, while social dominance and enrichment of the social environment increase their number. These new “social neurons” trigger functional modifications with amazing transgenerational effects. All of these suggest that we are facing two bidirectional intertwined variables, and the great challenge now is to understand the cellular and genetic mechanisms that allow this relationship to be used therapeutically.
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12
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Social Hierarchy Dictates Intestinal Radiation Injury in a Gut Microbiota-Dependent Manner. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232113189. [PMID: 36361976 PMCID: PMC9659279 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232113189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2022] [Revised: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Social hierarchy governs the physiological and biochemical behaviors of animals. Intestinal radiation injuries are common complications connected with radiotherapy. However, it remains unclear whether social hierarchy impacts the development of radiation-induced intestinal toxicity. Dominant mice exhibited more serious intestinal toxicity following total abdominal irradiation compared with their subordinate counterparts, as judged by higher inflammatory status and lower epithelial integrity. Radiation-elicited changes in gut microbiota varied between dominant and subordinate mice, being more overt in mice of higher status. Deletion of gut microbes by using an antibiotic cocktail or restructuring of the gut microecology of dominant mice by using fecal microbiome from their subordinate companions erased the difference in radiogenic intestinal injuries. Lactobacillus murinus and Akkermansia muciniphila were both found to be potential probiotics for use against radiation toxicity in mouse models without social hierarchy. However, only Akkermansia muciniphila showed stable colonization in the digestive tracts of dominant mice, and significantly mitigated their intestinal radiation injuries. Our findings demonstrate that social hierarchy impacts the development of radiation-induced intestinal injuries, in a manner dependent on gut microbiota. The results also suggest that the gut microhabitats of hosts determine the colonization and efficacy of foreign probiotics. Thus, screening suitable microbial preparations based on the gut microecology of patients might be necessary in clinical application.
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13
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Hou GM, Zhang YH, Zhang JX. Inheritance of social dominance is associated with global sperm DNA methylation in inbred male mice. Curr Zool 2022; 69:143-155. [PMID: 37092005 PMCID: PMC10120999 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoac030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Dominance relationships between males and their associated traits are usually heritable and have implications for sexual selection in animals. In particular, social dominance and its related male pheromones are heritable in inbred mice; thus, we wondered whether epigenetic changes due to altered levels of DNA methylation determine inheritance. Here, we used C57BL/6 male mice to establish a social dominance–subordination relationship through chronic dyadic encounters, and this relationship and pheromone covariation occurred in their offspring, indicative of heritability. Through transcriptome sequencing and whole-genome DNA methylation profiling of the sperm of both generations, we found that differential methylation of many genes was induced by social dominance–subordination in sires and could be passed on to the offspring. These methylated genes were mainly related to growth and development processes, neurodevelopment and cellular transportation. The expression of the genes with similar functions in WGBS was also differentiated by social dominance–subordination, as revealed by RNA-seq. In particular, the gene Dennd1a, which regulates neural signalling, was differentially methylated and expressed in the sperm and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) in paired males before and after dominance–subordination establishment, suggesting the potential epigenetic control and inheritance of social dominance-related aggression. We suggest that social dominance might be passed on to male offspring through sperm DNA methylation and that the differences could potentially affect male competition in offspring by affecting the development of the nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guan-Mei Hou
- The State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Yao-Hua Zhang
- The State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Jian-Xu Zhang
- The State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
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14
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Spatial working memory is disparately interrelated with social status through different developmental stages in rats. Behav Brain Res 2022; 416:113547. [PMID: 34437940 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Revised: 08/15/2021] [Accepted: 08/21/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Social life necessitates cognitive competence to meet the dynamic demands of social development. The formation of dominance hierarchy is a general phenomenon in social groups. As an essential element of executive and cognitive function, working memory could influence and be influenced by social status in a dominance hierarchy. However, the direction and degree of the association between them through different developmental stages remain unclear. To address this issue and clarify the "cause or consequence" problem, we investigated the spatial working memory performance in a Y-maze and Morris water maze in home-caged sibling Wistar rats (N = 26 cages, three rats/cage) through three stages of their life: before (week 7), during (week 10), and after (week 20) assumed timings of the social dominance hierarchy formation (SDHF). We used the social dominance tube test during the assumed time of hierarchy formation (weeks 9-11) to measure the relative dominance status in each cage. Here, we found that higher working memory index before SDHF could be predictive of later acquisition of higher social status. Working memory performance declined for all animals during SDHF, in which agonistic conflicts are increased. However, living within an established hierarchical social network for several weeks deteriorated the working memory performance of dominant and middle-ranked animals, while the performance of subordinates improved and got significantly better than higher-ranked animals. In conclusion, while working memory and social status were correlated positively before dominance hierarchy formation, there was a trade-off between them after the formation of it. In contrast to the common view, these results highlight the adverse effect of higher social status on cognitive behavior.
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15
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Does a third intermediate model for the vomeronasal processing of information exist? Insights from the macropodid neuroanatomy. Brain Struct Funct 2021; 227:881-899. [PMID: 34800143 PMCID: PMC8930919 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-021-02425-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2021] [Accepted: 11/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The study of the α-subunit of Gi2 and Go proteins in the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB) was crucial for the identification of the two main families of vomeronasal receptors, V1R and V2R. Both families are expressed in the rodent and lagomorph AOBs, according to a segregated model characterized by topographical anteroposterior zonation. Many mammal species have suffered from the deterioration of the Gαo pathway and are categorized as belonging to the uniform model. This scenario has been complicated by characterization of the AOB in the tammar wallaby, Notamacropus eugenii, which appears to follow a third model of vomeronasal organization featuring exclusive Gαo protein expression, referred to as the intermediate model, which has not yet been replicated in any other species. Our morphofunctional study of the vomeronasal system (VNS) in Bennett’s wallaby, Notamacropus rufogriseus, provides further information regarding this third model of vomeronasal transduction. A comprehensive histological, lectin, and immunohistochemical study of the Bennett’s wallaby VNS was performed. Anti-Gαo and anti-Gαi2 antibodies were particularly useful because they labeled the transduction cascade of V2R and V1R receptors, respectively. Both G proteins showed canonical immunohistochemical labeling in the vomeronasal organ and the AOB, consistent with the anterior–posterior zonation of the segregated model. The lectin Ulex europaeus agglutinin selectively labeled the anterior AOB, providing additional evidence for the segregation of vomeronasal information in the wallaby. Overall, the VNS of the Bennett’s wallaby shows a degree of differentiation and histochemical and neurochemical diversity comparable to species with greater VNS development. The existence of the third intermediate type in vomeronasal information processing reported in Notamacropus eugenii is not supported by our lectin-histochemical and immunohistochemical findings in Notamacropus rufogriseus.
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16
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LeClair KB, Chan KL, Kaster MP, Parise LF, Burnett CJ, Russo SJ. Individual history of winning and hierarchy landscape influence stress susceptibility in mice. eLife 2021; 10:71401. [PMID: 34581271 PMCID: PMC8497051 DOI: 10.7554/elife.71401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2021] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Social hierarchy formation is strongly evolutionarily conserved. Across species, rank within social hierarchy has large effects on health and behavior. To investigate the relationship between social rank and stress susceptibility, we exposed ranked male and female mice to social and non-social stressors and manipulated social hierarchy position. We found that rank predicts same sex social stress outcomes: dominance in males and females confers resilience while subordination confers susceptibility. Pre-existing rank does not predict non-social stress outcomes in females and weakly does so in males, but rank emerging under stress conditions reveals social interaction deficits in male and female subordinates. Both history of winning and rank of cage mates affect stress susceptibility in males: rising to the top rank through high mobility confers resilience and mice that lose dominance lose stress resilience, although gaining dominance over a subordinate animal does not confer resilience. Overall, we have demonstrated a relationship between social status and stress susceptibility, particularly when taking into account individual history of winning and the overall hierarchy landscape in male and female mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine B LeClair
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, New York, United States.,Friedman Brain Institute, New York, United States.,Graduate School of Biological Science, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, United States
| | - Kenny L Chan
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, New York, United States.,Friedman Brain Institute, New York, United States
| | - Manuella P Kaster
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, New York, United States.,Friedman Brain Institute, New York, United States.,Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Santa Catarina, Brazil
| | - Lyonna F Parise
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, New York, United States.,Friedman Brain Institute, New York, United States
| | - Charles Joseph Burnett
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, New York, United States.,Friedman Brain Institute, New York, United States
| | - Scott J Russo
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, New York, United States.,Friedman Brain Institute, New York, United States.,Graduate School of Biological Science, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, United States
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17
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Dos Santos Guilherme M, Tsoutsouli T, Todorov H, Teifel S, Nguyen VTT, Gerber S, Endres K. N 6 -Methyladenosine Modification in Chronic Stress Response Due to Social Hierarchy Positioning of Mice. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:705986. [PMID: 34490254 PMCID: PMC8417747 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.705986] [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: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Appropriately responding to stressful events is essential for maintaining health and well-being of any organism. Concerning social stress, the response is not always as straightforward as reacting to physical stressors, e.g., extreme heat, and thus has to be balanced subtly. Particularly, regulatory mechanisms contributing to gaining resilience in the face of mild social stress are not fully deciphered yet. We employed an intrinsic social hierarchy stress paradigm in mice of both sexes to identify critical factors for potential coping strategies. While global transcriptomic changes could not be observed in male mice, several genes previously reported to be involved in synaptic plasticity, learning, and anxiety-like behavior were differentially regulated in female mice. Moreover, changes in N6-methyladenosine (m6A)-modification of mRNA occurred associated with corticosterone level in both sexes with, e.g., increased global amount in submissive female mice. In accordance with this, METTL14 and WTAP, subunits of the methyltransferase complex, showed elevated levels in submissive female mice. N6-adenosyl-methylation is the most prominent type of mRNA methylation and plays a crucial role in processes such as metabolism, but also response to physical stress. Our findings underpin its essential role by also providing a link to social stress evoked by hierarchy building within same-sex groups. As recently, search for small molecule modifiers for the respective class of RNA modifying enzymes has started, this might even lead to new therapeutic approaches against stress disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malena Dos Santos Guilherme
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Theodora Tsoutsouli
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Medical Center, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Hristo Todorov
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Medical Center, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Sina Teifel
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Vu Thu Thuy Nguyen
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Susanne Gerber
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Medical Center, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Kristina Endres
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
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18
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Abellán-Álvaro M, Ayala G, Barneo-Muñoz M, Martínez-García F, Agustín-Pavón C, Lanuza E. Motherhood-induced gene expression in the mouse medial amygdala: Changes induced by pregnancy and lactation but not by pup stimuli. FASEB J 2021; 35:e21806. [PMID: 34369605 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202100163rr] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2021] [Revised: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
During lactation, adult female mice display aggressive responses toward male intruders, triggered by male-derived chemosensory signals. This aggressive behavior is not shown by pup-sensitized virgin females sharing pup care with dams. The genetic mechanisms underlying the switch from attraction to aggression are unknown. In this work, we investigate the differential gene expression in lactating females expressing maternal aggression compared to pup-sensitized virgin females in the medial amygdala (Me), a key neural structure integrating chemosensory and hormonal information. The results showed 197 genes upregulated in dams, including genes encoding hormones such as prolactin, growth hormone, or follicle-stimulating hormone, neuropeptides such as galanin, oxytocin, and pro-opiomelanocortin, and genes related to catecholaminergic and cholinergic neurotransmission. In contrast, 99 genes were downregulated in dams, among which we find those encoding for inhibins and transcription factors of the Fos and early growth response families. The gene set analysis revealed numerous Gene Ontology functional groups with higher expression in dams than in pup-sensitized virgin females, including those related with the regulation of the Jak/Stat cascade. Of note, a number of olfactory and vomeronasal receptor genes was expressed in the Me, although without differences between dams and virgins. For prolactin and growth hormone, a qPCR experiment comparing dams, pup-sensitized, and pup-naïve virgin females showed that dams expressed higher levels of both hormones than pup-naïve virgins, with pup-sensitized virgins showing intermediate levels. Altogether, the results show important gene expression changes in the Me, which may underlie some of the behavioral responses characterizing maternal behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Abellán-Álvaro
- Unitat mixta UV-UJI de Neuroanatomia Funcional Comparada, Departament de Biologia Cel·lular, Biologia Funcional i Antropologia Física, Facultat de Ciències Biològiques, Universitat de València, València, Spain
| | - Guillermo Ayala
- Department d'Estadística i Investigació Operativa, Facultat de Matemàtiques, Universitat de València, València, Spain
| | - Manuela Barneo-Muñoz
- Unitat mixta UV-UJI de Neuroanatomia Funcional Comparada, Unitat Predepartamental de Medicina, Fac. Ciències de la Salut, Universitat Jaume I, Castelló de la Plana, Spain
| | - Fernando Martínez-García
- Unitat mixta UV-UJI de Neuroanatomia Funcional Comparada, Unitat Predepartamental de Medicina, Fac. Ciències de la Salut, Universitat Jaume I, Castelló de la Plana, Spain
| | - Carmen Agustín-Pavón
- Unitat mixta UV-UJI de Neuroanatomia Funcional Comparada, Departament de Biologia Cel·lular, Biologia Funcional i Antropologia Física, Facultat de Ciències Biològiques, Universitat de València, València, Spain
| | - Enrique Lanuza
- Unitat mixta UV-UJI de Neuroanatomia Funcional Comparada, Departament de Biologia Cel·lular, Biologia Funcional i Antropologia Física, Facultat de Ciències Biològiques, Universitat de València, València, Spain
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19
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Costa DF, Moita MA, Márquez C. Novel competition test for food rewards reveals stable dominance status in adult male rats. Sci Rep 2021; 11:14599. [PMID: 34272430 PMCID: PMC8285491 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-93818-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Social hierarchy is a potent modulator of behavior, that is typically established through overt agonistic interactions between individuals in the group. Once established, social ranks are maintained through subtler interactions allowing the redirection of energy away from agonistic interactions towards other needs. The available tasks for assessing social rank in rats allow the study of the mechanisms by which social hierarches are formed in early phases but fail to assess the maintenance of established hierarchies between stable pairs of animals, which might rely on distinct neurobiological mechanisms. Here we present and validate a novel trial-based dominancy assay, the modified Food Competition test, where established social hierarchies can be identified in the home cage of non-food deprived pairs of male rats. In this task, we introduce a small conflict in the home cage, where access to a new feeder containing palatable pellets can only be gained by one animal at a time. We found that this subtle conflict triggered asymmetric social interactions and resulted in higher consumption of food by one of the animals in the pair, which reliably predicted hierarchy in other tests. Our findings reveal stable dominance status in pair-housed rats and provide a novel tool for the evaluation of established social hierarchies, the modified Food Competition test, that is robust and easy to implement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana F Costa
- Neural Circuits of Social Behavior Laboratory, Instituto de Neurociencias (CSIC-UMH), Avenida Ramon y Cajal s/n, Sant Joan d'Alacant, 03550, Alicante, Spain
| | - Marta A Moita
- Behavioral Neuroscience Laboratory, Champalimaud Research, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Av. Brasilia, 1400-038, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Cristina Márquez
- Neural Circuits of Social Behavior Laboratory, Instituto de Neurociencias (CSIC-UMH), Avenida Ramon y Cajal s/n, Sant Joan d'Alacant, 03550, Alicante, Spain.
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20
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LeClair KB, Russo SJ. Using social rank as the lens to focus on the neural circuitry driving stress coping styles. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2021; 68:167-180. [PMID: 33930622 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2021.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Revised: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Social hierarchy position in humans is negatively correlated with stress-related psychiatric disease risk. Animal models have largely corroborated human studies, showing that social rank can impact stress susceptibility and is considered to be a major risk factor in the development of psychiatric illness. Differences in stress coping style is one of several factors that mediate this relationship between social rank and stress susceptibility. Coping styles encompass correlated groupings of behaviors associated with differential physiological stress responses. Here, we discuss recent insights from animal models that highlight several neural circuits that can contribute to social rank-associated differences in coping style.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine B LeClair
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Scott J Russo
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
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21
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Varholick JA, Bailoo JD, Jenkins A, Voelkl B, Würbel H. A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Relationship Between Social Dominance Status and Common Behavioral Phenotypes in Male Laboratory Mice. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 14:624036. [PMID: 33551768 PMCID: PMC7855301 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2020.624036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Social dominance status (e.g., dominant or subordinate) is often associated with individual differences in behavior and physiology but is largely neglected in experimental designs and statistical analysis plans in biomedical animal research. In fact, the extent to which social dominance status affects common experimental outcomes is virtually unknown. Given the pervasive use of laboratory mice and culminating evidence of issues with reproducibility, understanding the role of social dominance status on common behavioral measures used in research may be of paramount importance. Methods: To determine whether social dominance status—one facet of the social environment—contributes in a systematic way to standard measures of behavior in biomedical science, we conducted a systematic review of the existing literature searching the databases of PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science. Experiments were divided into several domains of behavior: exploration, anxiety, learned helplessness, cognition, social, and sensory behavior. Meta-analyses between experiments were conducted for the open field, elevated plus-maze, and Porsolt forced swim test. Results: Of the 696 publications identified, a total of 55 experiments from 20 published studies met our pre-specified criteria. Study characteristics and reported results were highly heterogeneous across studies. A systematic review and meta-analyses, where possible, with these studies revealed little evidence for systematic phenotypic differences between dominant and subordinate male mice. Conclusion: This finding contradicts the notion that social dominance status impacts behavior in significant ways, although the lack of an observed relationship may be attributable to study heterogeneity concerning strain, group-size, age, housing and husbandry conditions, and dominance assessment method. Therefore, further research considering these secondary sources of variation may be necessary to determine if social dominance generally impacts treatment effects in substantive ways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin A Varholick
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States.,Division of Animal Welfare, Veterinary Public Health Institute, Universität Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Jeremy D Bailoo
- Division of Animal Welfare, Veterinary Public Health Institute, Universität Bern, Bern, Switzerland.,Department of Cell Biology and Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, United States.,Department of Civil, Environmental, and Construction Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, United States
| | - Ashley Jenkins
- Department of Biology, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Bernhard Voelkl
- Division of Animal Welfare, Veterinary Public Health Institute, Universität Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Hanno Würbel
- Division of Animal Welfare, Veterinary Public Health Institute, Universität Bern, Bern, Switzerland
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22
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Ren G, Xue P, Wu B, Yang F, Wu X. Intranasal treatment of lixisenatide attenuated emotional and olfactory symptoms via CREB-mediated adult neurogenesis in mouse depression model. Aging (Albany NY) 2021; 13:3898-3908. [PMID: 33461175 PMCID: PMC7906191 DOI: 10.18632/aging.202358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2020] [Accepted: 09/29/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Convergent lines of evidence indicate a striking correlation between olfactory deficits and depressive symptoms. However, the effectiveness of intranasal treatment of antidepressant or other neurotrophic agents remains poorly understanding. Here in this study, we created depression mouse model and explored the antidepressant effects of GLP-1 analog lixisenatide (LXT) with intranasal treatment. Consecutive intranasal treatment of LXT remarkably reduced the depressive and anxiety behaviors. Meanwhile, it also improved the olfactory memory and olfactory sensitivity. Immunofluorescent analysis demonstrated the LXT improved the adult neurogenesis in olfactory system and hippocampus. Inhibition of adult neurogenesis with TMZ caused the compromised effects of LXT in improving emotional and olfactory functions, suggesting the vital role of adult neurogenesis in LXT induced depression therapeutic effects. Treatment of LXT resulted in the increased phosphorylation of CREB protein in hippocampal tissue, indicating CREB plays important roles in antidepressant effects of LXT intranasal treatment. Inhibiting CREB with chemical approach decreased effects of LXT in reserving depression induced emotional and olfactory functions. In conclusion, our study suggests intranasal treatment of LXT could be a potential antidepressant to improve the olfactory functions as well as the emotional behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guoyong Ren
- Department of Neurology, General Hospital of TISCO, Sixth Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Pan Xue
- Department of Neurology, General Hospital of TISCO, Sixth Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Bin Wu
- Department of Neurology, General Hospital of TISCO, Sixth Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Fei Yang
- Department of Neurology, General Hospital of TISCO, Sixth Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Xuemei Wu
- Department of Neurology, General Hospital of TISCO, Sixth Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
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23
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Karamihalev S, Brivio E, Flachskamm C, Stoffel R, Schmidt MV, Chen A. Social dominance mediates behavioral adaptation to chronic stress in a sex-specific manner. eLife 2020; 9:58723. [PMID: 33034286 PMCID: PMC7679136 DOI: 10.7554/elife.58723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2020] [Accepted: 10/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Sex differences and social context independently contribute to the development of stress-related disorders. However, less is known about how their interplay might influence behavior and physiology. Here we focused on social hierarchy status, a major component of the social environment in mice, and whether it influences behavioral adaptation to chronic stress in a sex-specific manner. We used a high-throughput automated behavioral monitoring system to assess social dominance in same-sex, group-living mice. We found that position in the social hierarchy at baseline was a significant predictor of multiple behavioral outcomes following exposure to chronic stress. Crucially, this association carried opposite consequences for the two sexes. This work demonstrates the importance of recognizing the interplay between sex and social factors and enhances our understating of how individual differences shape the stress response. Most people experience chronic stress at some point in their life, which may increase their chances of developing depression or anxiety. There is evidence that chronic stress may more negatively impact the well-being of women, placing them as higher risk of developing these mental health conditions. The biological factors that underlie these differences are not well understood, which leaves clinicians and scientists struggling to develop and provide effective treatments. The social environment has a powerful influence on how people experience and cope with stress. For example, a person’s social and socioeconomic status can change their perception of and reaction to everyday stress. Researchers have found differences in how men and women relate to their social standing. One way for scientists to learn more about the biological processes involved is to study the effect of social standing and chronic stress in male and female mice. Now, Karamihalev, Brivio et al. show that social status influences the behavior of stressed mice in a sex-specific way. In the experiments, an automated observation system documented the behavior of mice living in all female or male groups. Karamihalev, Brivio et al. determined where each animal fit into the social structure of their group. Then, they exposed some groups of mice to mild chronic stress and compared their behaviors to groups of mice housed in normal conditions. They found that both the sex and social status of each played a role in how they responded to stress. For example, subordinate males displayed more anxious behavior under stressful circumstances, while dominant females acted bolder and less anxious. More studies in mice are needed to understand the biological basis of these social- and sex-based differences in stress response. Learning more may help scientists understand why some individuals are more susceptible to the effects of stress and lead to the development of personalized prevention or treatment strategies for anxiety and depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stoyo Karamihalev
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany.,International Max Planck Research School for Translational Psychiatry (IMPRS-TP), Munich, Germany
| | - Elena Brivio
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany.,International Max Planck Research School for Translational Psychiatry (IMPRS-TP), Munich, Germany
| | - Cornelia Flachskamm
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Rainer Stoffel
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Mathias V Schmidt
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Alon Chen
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany.,Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
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Gαi2 + vomeronasal neurons govern the initial outcome of an acute social competition. Sci Rep 2020; 10:894. [PMID: 31965032 PMCID: PMC6972791 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-57765-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2019] [Accepted: 12/24/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Pheromone detection by the vomeronasal organ (VNO) mediates important social behaviors across different species, including aggression and sexual behavior. However, the relationship between vomeronasal function and social hierarchy has not been analyzed reliably. We evaluated the role of pheromone detection by receptors expressed in the apical layer of the VNO such as vomeronasal type 1 receptors (V1R) in dominance behavior by using a conditional knockout mouse for G protein subunit Gαi2, which is essential for V1R signaling. We used the tube test as a model to analyze the within-a-cage hierarchy in male mice, but also as a paradigm of novel territorial competition in animals from different cages. In absence of prior social experience, Gαi2 deletion promotes winning a novel social competition with an unfamiliar control mouse but had no effect on an established hierarchy in cages with mixed genotypes, both Gαi2−/− and controls. To further dissect social behavior of Gαi2−/− mice, we performed a 3-chamber sociability assay and found that mutants had a slightly altered social investigation. Finally, gene expression analysis in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) for a subset of genes previously linked to social status revealed no differences between group-housed Gαi2−/− and controls. Our results reveal a direct influence of pheromone detection on territorial dominance, indicating that olfactory communication involving apical VNO receptors like V1R is important for the outcome of an initial social competition between two unfamiliar male mice, whereas final social status acquired within a cage remains unaffected. These results support the idea that previous social context is relevant for the development of social hierarchy of a group. Overall, our data identify two context-dependent forms of dominance, acute and chronic, and that pheromone signaling through V1R receptors is involved in the first stages of a social competition but in the long term is not predictive for high social ranks on a hierarchy.
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25
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Gallardo-Orihuela A, Hervás-Corpión I, Hierro-Bujalance C, Sanchez-Sotano D, Jiménez-Gómez G, Mora-López F, Campos-Caro A, Garcia-Alloza M, Valor LM. Transcriptional correlates of the pathological phenotype in a Huntington's disease mouse model. Sci Rep 2019; 9:18696. [PMID: 31822756 PMCID: PMC6904489 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-55177-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2019] [Accepted: 11/25/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington disease (HD) is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder without a cure that is caused by an aberrant expansion of CAG repeats in exon 1 of the huntingtin (HTT) gene. Although a negative correlation between the number of CAG repeats and the age of disease onset is established, additional factors may contribute to the high heterogeneity of the complex manifestation of symptoms among patients. This variability is also observed in mouse models, even under controlled genetic and environmental conditions. To better understand this phenomenon, we analysed the R6/1 strain in search of potential correlates between pathological motor/cognitive phenotypical traits and transcriptional alterations. HD-related genes (e.g., Penk, Plk5, Itpka), despite being downregulated across the examined brain areas (the prefrontal cortex, striatum, hippocampus and cerebellum), exhibited tissue-specific correlations with particular phenotypical traits that were attributable to the contribution of the brain region to that trait (e.g., striatum and rotarod performance, cerebellum and feet clasping). Focusing on the striatum, we determined that the transcriptional dysregulation associated with HD was partially exacerbated in mice that showed poor overall phenotypical scores, especially in genes with relevant roles in striatal functioning (e.g., Pde10a, Drd1, Drd2, Ppp1r1b). However, we also observed transcripts associated with relatively better outcomes, such as Nfya (CCAAT-binding transcription factor NF-Y subunit A) plus others related to neuronal development, apoptosis and differentiation. In this study, we demonstrated that altered brain transcription can be related to the manifestation of HD-like symptoms in mouse models and that this can be extrapolated to the highly heterogeneous population of HD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Gallardo-Orihuela
- Instituto de Investigación e Innovación en Ciencias Biomédicas de la Provincia de Cádiz (INiBICA), Cádiz, Spain.,Unidad de Investigación, Hospital Universitario Puerta del Mar, Av. Ana de Viya 21, 11009, Cádiz, Spain
| | - Irati Hervás-Corpión
- Instituto de Investigación e Innovación en Ciencias Biomédicas de la Provincia de Cádiz (INiBICA), Cádiz, Spain.,Unidad de Investigación, Hospital Universitario Puerta del Mar, Av. Ana de Viya 21, 11009, Cádiz, Spain
| | - Carmen Hierro-Bujalance
- Instituto de Investigación e Innovación en Ciencias Biomédicas de la Provincia de Cádiz (INiBICA), Cádiz, Spain.,Área de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Cádiz, Plaza Fragela, 11003, Cádiz, Spain
| | - Daniel Sanchez-Sotano
- Instituto de Investigación e Innovación en Ciencias Biomédicas de la Provincia de Cádiz (INiBICA), Cádiz, Spain.,Área de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Cádiz, Plaza Fragela, 11003, Cádiz, Spain
| | - Gema Jiménez-Gómez
- Instituto de Investigación e Innovación en Ciencias Biomédicas de la Provincia de Cádiz (INiBICA), Cádiz, Spain.,Unidad de Investigación, Hospital Universitario Puerta del Mar, Av. Ana de Viya 21, 11009, Cádiz, Spain
| | - Francisco Mora-López
- Instituto de Investigación e Innovación en Ciencias Biomédicas de la Provincia de Cádiz (INiBICA), Cádiz, Spain.,Servicio de Inmunología, Hospital Universitario Puerta del Mar, Av. Ana de Viya 21, 11009, Cádiz, Spain
| | - Antonio Campos-Caro
- Instituto de Investigación e Innovación en Ciencias Biomédicas de la Provincia de Cádiz (INiBICA), Cádiz, Spain.,Unidad de Investigación, Hospital Universitario Puerta del Mar, Av. Ana de Viya 21, 11009, Cádiz, Spain
| | - Monica Garcia-Alloza
- Instituto de Investigación e Innovación en Ciencias Biomédicas de la Provincia de Cádiz (INiBICA), Cádiz, Spain.,Área de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Cádiz, Plaza Fragela, 11003, Cádiz, Spain
| | - Luis M Valor
- Instituto de Investigación e Innovación en Ciencias Biomédicas de la Provincia de Cádiz (INiBICA), Cádiz, Spain. .,Unidad de Investigación, Hospital Universitario Puerta del Mar, Av. Ana de Viya 21, 11009, Cádiz, Spain.
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Noormohamadi SM, Arefi M, Afshaini K, Kakabaraee K. The effect of rational-emotive behavior therapy on anxiety and resilience in students. Int J Adolesc Med Health 2019; 34:ijamh-2019-0099. [PMID: 31188779 DOI: 10.1515/ijamh-2019-0099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2019] [Accepted: 05/16/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Adolescence and youth are important periods in the growth and excellence of an individual. OBJECTIVES Given the importance of the study, its purpose was to determine the effect of rational-emotive behavior therapy (REBT) on anxiety and resilience in students. METHODS Students admitted to the counseling centers of Ilam University were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. Using convenient sampling method, 30 subjects were selected and randomly assigned to either REBT tests or a control group (10 subjects in each). The 26 codes of ethics were observed in the study and the data were analyzed using SPSS17. RESULTS Before the intervention, the anxiety score was 26.75 (4.43) and after the intervention it was 18 (4.403) (p < 0.05), but in the control group it was 31.34 (6.04) before the intervention and after the intervention it was 32.35 (5.17) (p > 0.05). Before the intervention, the anxiety score was 52.77 (13.37) and after the intervention it was 60.00 (14.31) (p < 0.05), but in the control group it was 47.00 (8.73) before the intervention and after the intervention it was 49.76 (9.10) (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS REBT was effective in students as it reduced anxiety and increased resilience. Thus, it is suggested for use in students' care.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mokhtar Arefi
- Department of Counseling and Psychology, Kermanshah Branch, Islamic Azad University, Kermanshah, Iran, Phone: +98-9183308112
| | - Karim Afshaini
- Department of Counseling and Psychology, Kermanshah Branch, Islamic Azad University, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Keivan Kakabaraee
- Department of Counseling and Psychology, Kermanshah Branch, Islamic Azad University, Kermanshah, Iran
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