1
|
Gibson AG, Moenter SM. Early-Life Resource Scarcity in Mice Does Not Alter Adult Corticosterone or Preovulatory Luteinizing Hormone Surge Responses to Acute Psychosocial Stress. eNeuro 2024; 11:ENEURO.0125-24.2024. [PMID: 39009448 PMCID: PMC11287788 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0125-24.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2024] [Revised: 06/27/2024] [Accepted: 07/09/2024] [Indexed: 07/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Early-life stressors can affect reproductive development and change responses to adult stress. We tested if resource scarcity in the form of limited bedding and nesting (LBN) from postnatal days (PND) 4 to 11 delayed sexual maturation in male and female mice and/or altered the response to an acute, layered, psychosocial stress (ALPS) in adulthood. Contrary to the hypotheses, age and mass at puberty were unaffected by the present application of LBN. Under basal conditions and after ALPS, corticosterone concentrations in males, diestrous females, and proestrous females reared in standard (STD) or LBN environments were similar. ALPS disrupts the luteinizing hormone (LH) surge in most mice when applied on the morning of proestrus; this effect was not changed by resource scarcity. In this study, the paucity of effects in the offspring may relate to a milder response of CBA dams to the paradigm. While LBN dams exited the nest more often and their offspring were smaller than STD-reared offspring on PND11, dam corticosterone concentrations were similar on PND11. To test if ALPS disrupts the LH surge by blunting the increase in excitatory GABAergic input to gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons on the afternoon of proestrus, we conducted whole-cell voltage-clamp recordings. The frequency of GABAergic postsynaptic currents in GnRH neurons was not altered by LBN, ALPS, or their interaction. It remains possible that ALPS acts at afferents of GnRH neurons, changes response of GnRH neurons to input, and/or alters pituitary responsiveness to GnRH and that a more pronounced resource scarcity would affect the parameters studied.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amanda G Gibson
- Neurocience Graduate Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-5622
| | - Suzanne M Moenter
- Departments of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-5622
- Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-5622
- Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-5622
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Homberg JR, Brivio P, Greven CU, Calabrese F. Individuals being high in their sensitivity to the environment: Are sensitive period changes in play? Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 159:105605. [PMID: 38417743 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2023] [Revised: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 02/25/2024] [Indexed: 03/01/2024]
Abstract
All individuals on planet earth are sensitive to the environment, but some more than others. These individual differences in sensitivity to environments are seen across many animal species including humans, and can influence personalities as well as vulnerability and resilience to mental disorders. Yet, little is known about the underlying brain mechanisms. Key genes that contribute to individual differences in environmental sensitivity are the serotonin transporter, dopamine D4 receptor and brain-derived neurotrophic factor genes. By synthesizing neurodevelopmental findings of these genetic factors, and discussing them through the lens of mechanisms related to sensitive periods, which are phases of heightened neuronal plasticity during which a certain network is being finetuned by experiences, we propose that these genetic factors delay but extend postnatal sensitive periods. This may explain why sensitive individuals show behavioral features that are characteristic of a young brain state at the level of sensory information processing, such as reduced filtering or blockade of irrelevant information, resulting in a sensory processing system that 'keeps all options open'.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Judith R Homberg
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
| | - Paola Brivio
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences "Rodolfo Paoletti", Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Corina U Greven
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Karakter Child and Adolescent Psychiatry University Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Center, London, United Kingdom
| | - Francesca Calabrese
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences "Rodolfo Paoletti", Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Curley JP, Champagne FA. Shaping the development of complex social behavior. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2023; 1530:46-63. [PMID: 37855311 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.15076] [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: 10/20/2023]
Abstract
Early life experiences can have an enduring impact on the brain and behavior, with implications for stress reactivity, cognition, and social behavior. In particular, the neural systems that contribute to the expression of social behavior are altered by early life social environments. However, paradigms that have been used to alter the social environment during development have typically focused on exposure to stress, adversity, and deprivation of species-typical social stimulation. Here, we explore whether complex social environments can shape the development of complex social behavior. We describe lab-based paradigms for studying early life social complexity in rodents that are generally focused on enriching the social and sensory experiences of the neonatal and juvenile periods of development. The impact of these experiences on social behavior and neuroplasticity is highlighted. Finally, we discuss the degree to which our current approaches for studying social behavior outcomes give insight into "complex" social behavior and how social complexity can be better integrated into lab-based methodologies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- James P Curley
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Frances A Champagne
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
DeRosa H, Caradonna SG, Tran H, Marrocco J, Kentner AC. Milking It for All It's Worth: The Effects of Environmental Enrichment on Maternal Nurturance, Lactation Quality, and Offspring Social Behavior. eNeuro 2022; 9:ENEURO.0148-22.2022. [PMID: 35995560 PMCID: PMC9417599 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0148-22.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2022] [Revised: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 07/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Breastfeeding confers robust benefits to offspring development in terms of growth, immunity, and neurophysiology. Similarly, improving environmental complexity, i.e., environmental enrichment (EE), contributes developmental advantages to both humans and laboratory animal models. However, the impact of environmental context on maternal care and milk quality has not been thoroughly evaluated, nor are the biological underpinnings of EE on offspring development understood. Here, Sprague Dawley rats were housed and bred in either EE or standard-housed (SD) conditions. EE dams gave birth to a larger number of pups, and litters were standardized and cross-fostered across groups on postnatal day (P)1. Maternal milk samples were then collected on P1 (transitional milk phase) and P10 (mature milk phase) for analysis. While EE dams spent less time nursing, postnatal enrichment exposure was associated with heavier offspring bodyweights. Milk from EE mothers had increased triglyceride levels, a greater microbiome diversity, and a significantly higher abundance of bacterial families related to bodyweight and energy metabolism. These differences reflected comparable transcriptomic changes at the genome-wide level. In addition to changes in lactational quality, we observed elevated levels of cannabinoid receptor 1 in the hypothalamus of EE dams, and sex-dependent and time-dependent effects of EE on offspring social behavior. Together, these results underscore the multidimensional impact of the combined neonatal and maternal environments on offspring development and maternal health. Moreover, they highlight potential deficiencies in the use of "gold standard" laboratory housing in the attempt to design translationally relevant animal models in biomedical research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Holly DeRosa
- School of Arts & Sciences, Health Psychology Program, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Boston, MA 02115
| | | | - Hieu Tran
- School of Arts & Sciences, Health Psychology Program, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Jordan Marrocco
- Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065
- Department of Biology, Touro University, New York, NY 10023
| | - Amanda C Kentner
- School of Arts & Sciences, Health Psychology Program, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Boston, MA 02115
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Pham HT, DiLalla LF, Corley RP, Dorn LD, Berenbaum SA. Family environmental antecedents of pubertal timing in girls and boys: A review and open questions. Horm Behav 2022; 138:105101. [PMID: 35124424 PMCID: PMC9261775 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2021.105101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Revised: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/02/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Across nonhuman species, pubertal timing is affected by the social environment, with consequences for reproductive success and behavior. In human beings, variations in pubertal timing have not been systematically examined in relation to social environmental antecedents, although their psychological consequences are well documented. This paper focuses on links in human beings between pubertal timing and the childhood social environment, with several sections: A review of studies relating pubertal timing to the family context, a key aspect of the social environment; challenges in studying the issue; and opportunities for future work that takes advantage of and creates links with evidence in other species. The review shows that pubertal timing in girls is accelerated by adversity in aspects of the early family social context, with effects small in size; data in boys are not sufficient to enable conclusions. Inferences from existing studies are limited by variations in conceptualizations and measurement of relevant aspects of puberty and of the family social environment, and by methodological issues (e.g., reliance on existing data, use of retrospective reports, nonrandom missing data). Open questions remain about the nature, mechanisms, and specificity of the links between early family social environment and pubertal timing (e.g., form of associations, consideration of absence of positive experiences, role of timing of exposure). Animal studies provide a useful guide for addressing these questions, by delineating potential hormonal mechanisms that underlie links among social context, pubertal timing, and behavior, and encouraging attention to aspects of the social environment outside the family, especially peers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Holly T Pham
- Department of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, 453 Moore, PA 16802, United States
| | - Lisabeth F DiLalla
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, 6503, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Carbondale, IL 62901, United States
| | - Robin P Corley
- Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado Boulder, 447 UCB, Boulder, CO 80309, United States
| | - Lorah D Dorn
- College of Nursing, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, 313 Nursing Sciences, PA 16802, United States; Department of Pediatrics, The Pennsylvania State University, Hershey, PA 17033, United States
| | - Sheri A Berenbaum
- Department of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, 453 Moore, PA 16802, United States; Department of Pediatrics, The Pennsylvania State University, Hershey, PA 17033, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
A neural model of vulnerability and resilience to stress-related disorders linked to differential susceptibility. Mol Psychiatry 2022; 27:514-524. [PMID: 33649455 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-021-01047-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2020] [Revised: 01/19/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Expert opinion remains divided concerning the impact of putative risk factors on vulnerability to depression and other stress-related disorders. A large body of literature has investigated gene by environment interactions, particularly between the serotonin transporter polymorphism (5-HTTLPR) and negative environments, on the risk for depression. However, fewer studies have simultaneously investigated the outcomes in both negative and positive environments, which could explain some of the inconclusive findings. This is embodied by the concept of differential susceptibility, i.e., the idea that certain common gene polymorphisms, prenatal factors, and traits make some individuals not only disproportionately more susceptible and responsive to negative, vulnerability-promoting environments, but also more sensitive and responsive to positive, resilience-enhancing environmental conditions. Although this concept from the field of developmental psychology is well accepted and supported by behavioral findings, it is striking that its implementation in neuropsychiatric research is limited and that underlying neural mechanisms are virtually unknown. Based on neuroimaging studies that examined how factors mediating differential susceptibility affect brain function, we posit that environmental sensitivity manifests in increased salience network activity, increased salience and default mode network connectivity, and increased salience and central executive network connectivity. These changes in network function may bring about automatic exogenous attention for positive and negative stimuli and flexible attentional set-shifting. We conclude with a call to action; unraveling the neural mechanisms through which differential susceptibility factors mediate vulnerability and resilience may lead us to personalized preventive interventions.
Collapse
|
7
|
Crone EA, Achterberg M, Dobbelaar S, Euser S, van den Bulk B, der Meulen MV, van Drunen L, Wierenga LM, Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ, van IJzendoorn MH. Neural and behavioral signatures of social evaluation and adaptation in childhood and adolescence: The Leiden consortium on individual development (L-CID). Dev Cogn Neurosci 2020; 45:100805. [PMID: 33040969 PMCID: PMC7390777 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2020.100805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2019] [Revised: 06/04/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The transition period between early childhood and late adolescence is characterized by pronounced changes in social competence, or the capacity for flexible social adaptation. Here, we propose that two processes, self-control and prosociality, are crucial for social adaptation following social evaluation. We present a neurobehavioral model showing commonalities in neural responses to experiences of social acceptance and rejection, and multiple pathways for responding to social context. The Leiden Consortium on Individual Development (L-CID) provides a comprehensive approach towards understanding the longitudinal developmental pathways of, and social enrichment effects on, social competence, taking into account potential differential effects of such enrichment. Using Neurosynth based brain maps we point towards the medial prefrontal cortex as an important region integrating social cognition, self-referential processing and self-control for learning to respond flexibly to changing social contexts. Based on their role in social evaluation processing, we suggest to examine medial prefrontal cortex connections with lateral prefrontal cortex and the ventral striatum as potential neural differential susceptibility markers, in addition to previously established markers of differential susceptibility.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eveline A Crone
- Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, The Netherlands; Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University, The Netherlands.
| | - Michelle Achterberg
- Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, The Netherlands; Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University, The Netherlands
| | - Simone Dobbelaar
- Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, The Netherlands; Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University, The Netherlands
| | - Saskia Euser
- Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, The Netherlands
| | - Bianca van den Bulk
- Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, The Netherlands
| | - Mara van der Meulen
- Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, The Netherlands
| | - Lina van Drunen
- Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, The Netherlands; Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University, The Netherlands
| | - Lara M Wierenga
- Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, The Netherlands
| | - Marian J Bakermans-Kranenburg
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, The Netherlands; Department of Clinical Child and Family Studies, VU Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Marinus H van IJzendoorn
- Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University, The Netherlands; School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
van der Veen R, Bonapersona V, Joëls M. The relevance of a rodent cohort in the Consortium on Individual Development. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2020; 45:100846. [PMID: 32957026 PMCID: PMC7509002 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2020.100846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2020] [Revised: 07/29/2020] [Accepted: 08/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the features of the Consortium on Individual Development is the existence of a rodent cohort, in parallel with the human cohorts. Here we give an overview of the current status. We first elaborate on the choice of rat and mouse models mimicking early life adverse or beneficial conditions during development. We performed a systematic literature search on early life adversity and adult social behavior to address the status quo. Next, we describe the behavioral tasks we used and designed to examine behavioral control and social competence in rodents. The results so far indicate that manipulation of the environment in the first postnatal week only subtly affects social behavior. Stronger effects were seen in the model that targeted early adolescence; once adult, these rats are characterized by increased attention, a higher degree of impulsiveness and reduced social interest in peers. Many experiments in our rodent models with tightly controlled conditions were inspired by findings in human cohorts, and now allow in-depth mechanistic investigations. Vice versa, some of the findings in rodents are currently followed up by dedicated investigations in the human cohorts. This exemplifies the added value of animal investigations in a consortium encompassing primarily human developmental cohorts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rixt van der Veen
- Dept. Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands.
| | - Valeria Bonapersona
- Dept. Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Marian Joëls
- Dept. Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands; University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Knop J, van IJzendoorn MH, Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ, Joëls M, van der Veen R. Maternal care of heterozygous dopamine receptor D4 knockout mice: Differential susceptibility to early-life rearing conditions. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2020; 19:e12655. [PMID: 32306548 PMCID: PMC7540036 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2020] [Revised: 03/30/2020] [Accepted: 04/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The differential susceptibility hypothesis proposes that individuals who are more susceptible to the negative effects of adverse rearing conditions may also benefit more from enriched environments. Evidence derived from human experiments suggests the lower efficacy dopamine receptor D4 (DRD4) 7‐repeat as a main factor in exhibiting these for better and for worse characteristics. However, human studies lack the genetic and environmental control offered by animal experiments, complicating assessment of causal relations. To study differential susceptibility in an animal model, we exposed Drd4+/− mice and control litter mates to a limited nesting/bedding (LN), standard nesting (SN) or communal nesting (CN) rearing environment from postnatal day (P) 2‐14. Puberty onset was examined from P24 to P36 and adult females were assessed on maternal care towards their own offspring. In both males and females, LN reared mice showed a delay in puberty onset that was partly mediated by a reduction in body weight at weaning, irrespective of Drd4 genotype. During adulthood, LN reared females exhibited characteristics of poor maternal care, whereas dams reared in CN environments showed lower rates of unpredictability towards their own offspring. Differential susceptibility was observed only for licking/grooming levels of female offspring towards their litter; LN reared Drd4+/− mice exhibited the lowest and CN reared Drd4+/− mice the highest levels of licking/grooming. These results indicate that both genetic and early‐environmental factors play an important role in shaping maternal care of the offspring for better and for worse.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jelle Knop
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Marinus H van IJzendoorn
- Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.,Primary Care Unit, School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Marian Joëls
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.,University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Rixt van der Veen
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|