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Raymond JS, Rehn S, James MH, Everett NA, Bowen MT. Sex differences in the social motivation of rats: Insights from social operant conditioning, behavioural economics, and video tracking. Biol Sex Differ 2024; 15:57. [PMID: 39030614 PMCID: PMC11264584 DOI: 10.1186/s13293-024-00612-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 07/21/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Social behaviour plays a key role in mental health and wellbeing, and developing greater understanding of mechanisms underlying social interaction-particularly social motivation-holds substantial transdiagnostic impact. Common rodent behavioural assays used to assess social behaviour are limited in their assessment of social motivation, whereas the social operant conditioning model can provide unique and valuable insights into social motivation. Further characterisation of common experimental parameters that may influence social motivation within the social operant model, as well as complementary methodological and analytical approaches, are warranted. METHODS This study investigated the effects of biological sex, housing condition, and time-of-day, on social motivation using the social operant model. This involved training rats to lever press (FR1) for 60-s access to a social reward (same-sex conspecific stimulus). Subjects were male and female Wistar rats, housed under individual or paired conditions, and sessions were conducted either in the mid-late light phase (ZT6-10) or early-mid dark phase (ZT13-17). A behavioural economics approach was implemented to measure social demand and the influence of stimulus partner sex (same- vs. opposite-sex stimulus) on social operant responding. Additionally, video tracking analyses were conducted to assess the degree of convergence between social appetitive and consummatory behaviours. RESULTS Biological sex, housing conditions, the interaction between sex and housing, and stimulus partner sex potently influenced social motivation, whereas time-of-day did not. Behavioural economics demonstrated that sex, housing, and their interaction influence both the hedonic set-point and elasticity of social demand. Video analysis of social interaction during social operant sessions revealed that social appetitive and consummatory behaviours are not necessarily convergent, and indicate potential social satiety. Lastly, oestrus phase of female experimental and stimulus rats did not impact social motivation within the model. CONCLUSIONS Social isolation-dependent sex differences exist in social motivation for rats, as assessed by social operant conditioning. The social operant model represents an optimal preclinical assay that comprehensively evaluates social motivation and offers a platform for future investigations of neurobiological mechanisms underlying sex differences in social motivation. These findings highlight the importance of continued consideration and inclusion of sex as a biological variable in future social operant conditioning studies. Humans are social creatures-our everyday interactions with others and the support this provides play a key role in our wellbeing. For those experiencing mental health conditions, people's motivation to engage with others can wane, which can lead them to withdraw from those who support them. Therefore, to develop better treatment strategies for these conditions, we need to gain a deeper understanding of social motivation. Studying social behaviour in animals can facilitate this investigation of social motivation as it allows for a causal understanding of underlying neurobiology that is not possible in human experiments. An optimal way to study social motivation in animals is using the social operant conditioning model, where rats learn to press a lever that opens a door and allows them to interact with another rat for a short time. This study characterised the social operant model by testing whether sex, housing conditions, time-of-day, and the sex of the stimulus partner influence rats' motivation to seek interaction with another rat. We found that female rats were more socially motivated than males, and that rats living alone were more motivated than those living with another rat; interestingly, this effect of housing affected females more than males. Regardless of sex, rats were more motivated to interact with a rat of the opposite sex. These findings provide insights into sex differences in social motivation in rats and new insights into the social operant model which will help guide future research into social motivation and other mental health conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joel S Raymond
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, 94 Mallett Street, 2050, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Simone Rehn
- School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, Australia
| | - Morgan H James
- Brain Health Institute, Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers Biomedical Health Sciences, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Nicholas A Everett
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, 94 Mallett Street, 2050, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Michael T Bowen
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
- Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, 94 Mallett Street, 2050, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
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Oliveira GDF, Nguyen AT, Carreras-Simons L, Niepsuj T, Gadelhak SH, Johnson AK, Abdalla A, Lev E, Torres Román SG, Fuchs SN, Jorgensen JS, Farhat WA, Auger AP. Puberty Blocker, Leuprolide, Reduces Sex Differences in Rough-and-Tumble Play and Anxiety-like Behavior in Juvenile Rats. Endocrinology 2024; 165:bqae046. [PMID: 38597659 PMCID: PMC11033216 DOI: 10.1210/endocr/bqae046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2024] [Revised: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
We examined the effect of the puberty blocker, leuprolide acetate, on sex differences in juvenile rough-and-tumble play behavior and anxiety-like behavior in adolescent male and female rats. We also evaluated leuprolide treatment on gonadal and pituitary hormone levels and activity-regulated cytoskeleton-protein messenger RNA levels within the adolescent amygdala, a region important both for rough-and-tumble play and anxiety-like behavior. Our findings suggest that leuprolide treatment lowered anxiety-like behavior during adolescent development, suggesting that the maturation of gonadotropin-releasing hormone systems may be linked to increased anxiety. These data provide a potential new model to understand the emergence of increased anxiety triggered around puberty. Leuprolide also reduced masculinized levels of rough-and-tumble play behavior, lowered follicle-stimulating hormone, and produced a consistent pattern of reducing or halting sex differences of hormone levels, including testosterone, growth hormone, thyrotropin, and corticosterone levels. Therefore, leuprolide treatment not only pauses sexual development of peripheral tissues, but also reduces sex differences in hormones, brain, and behavior, allowing for better harmonization of these systems following gender-affirming hormone treatment. These data contribute to the intended use of puberty blockers in stopping sex differences from developing further with the potential benefit of lowering anxiety-like behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela de Faria Oliveira
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, Madison, WI 53715, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Amber T Nguyen
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | | | - Thomas Niepsuj
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Salma H Gadelhak
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Aimee K Johnson
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Ashwakh Abdalla
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Eden Lev
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Sofia G Torres Román
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Samantha N Fuchs
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Joan S Jorgensen
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Walid A Farhat
- Division of Pediatric Urology, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA
| | - Anthony P Auger
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
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Griffin A, Bowles T, Solis L, Railey T, Beauti S, Robinson R, Spencer SK, Shaffery JP, Wallace K. Maternal immune suppression during pregnancy does not prevent abnormal behavior in offspring. Biol Sex Differ 2024; 15:27. [PMID: 38532505 DOI: 10.1186/s13293-024-00600-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Offspring of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy are at an increased risk of developing neurodevelopmental and neurobehavioral disorders compared to offspring from non-affected pregnancies. Using rodent models of Preeclampsia (PreE; new onset of hypertension after 20 weeks gestation) and HELLP (hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelets), we studied the behavioral outcome of their offspring in adolescence. METHODS A subset of dams received Orencia, a T-cell activation inhibitor, as T cells have been associated with the induction of hypertension and inflammation during pregnancy. We hypothesized that offspring from hypertensive dams would experience adverse behavioral outcomes in social, cognitive, locomotor, and anxiety tests, and offspring from dams treated with Orencia would demonstrate less adverse behaviors. RESULTS Male offspring of PreE + Orencia dams (p < 0.05) and female offspring from HELLP + Orencia dams (p < 0.05) spent more time playing compared to normal pregnant offspring. All offspring from hypertensive and Orencia-treated dams performed worse on the Barnes Maze test compared to normal pregnant. We also measured adult (postnatal day > 60) myelin basic protein (MBP) and NeuN expression in both the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. In the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, there was no difference in expression of either MBP or NeuN in all groups regardless of sex. CONCLUSION The results from this study suggest that offspring of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy have behavioral changes, specifically cognitive differences. This study has shown that there is a sex dependent difference in offspring neurobehavioral development, influenced in part by the type of hypertensive disorder of pregnancy, and alterations in the maternal immune system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley Griffin
- Program in Neuroscience, University of Mississippi Medical Center, 2500 North State Street, Jackson, MS, 39216, USA
| | - Teylor Bowles
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, University of Mississippi Medical Center, 2500 North State Street, Jackson, MS, 39216, USA
| | - Lucia Solis
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Mississippi Medical Center, 2500 North State Street, Jackson, MS, 39216, USA
| | - Teryn Railey
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, University of Mississippi Medical Center, 2500 North State Street, Jackson, MS, 39216, USA
| | - Samer Beauti
- Master's in Biomedical Science program, School of Graduate Studies in Health Sciences, University of Mississippi Medical Center, 2500 North State Street, Jackson, MS, 39216, USA
| | - Reanna Robinson
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Mississippi Medical Center, 2500 North State Street, Jackson, MS, 39216, USA
| | - Shauna-Kay Spencer
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, University of Mississippi Medical Center, 2500 North State Street, Jackson, MS, 39216, USA
| | - James P Shaffery
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical Center, 2500 North State Street, Jackson, MS, 39216, USA
| | - Kedra Wallace
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, University of Mississippi Medical Center, 2500 North State Street, Jackson, MS, 39216, USA.
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Mississippi Medical Center, 2500 North State Street, Jackson, MS, 39216, USA.
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Stein J, Jorge BC, Nagaoka LT, Reis ACC, Manoel BDM, Godoi AR, Fioravante VC, Martinez FE, Pinheiro PFF, Pupo AS, Arena AC. Can exposure to lisdexamfetamine dimesylate from juvenile period to peripubertal compromise male reproductive parameters in adult rats? Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 2024; 484:116867. [PMID: 38378049 DOI: 10.1016/j.taap.2024.116867] [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: 11/13/2023] [Revised: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
Lisdexamfetamine (LDX) is a d-amphetamine prodrug used to treat attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, a common neurodevelopmental disorder in children and adolescents. Due to its action mediated by elevated levels of catecholamines, mainly dopamine and noradrenaline, which influence hormonal regulation and directly affect the gonads, this drug may potentially disrupt reproductive performance. This study evaluated the effects of exposure to LDX from the juvenile to peripubertal period (critical stages of development) on systemic and reproductive toxicity parameters in male rats. Male Wistar rats (23 days old) were treated with 0; 5.2; 8.6 or 12.1 mg/kg/day of LDX from post-natal day (PND) 23 to 53, by gavage. LDX treatment led to reduced daily food and water consumption, as well as a decrease in social behaviors. The day of preputial separation remained unaltered, although the treated animals exhibited reduced weight. At PND 54, the treated animals presented signs of systemic toxicity, evidenced by a reduction in body weight gain, increase in the relative weight of the liver, spleen, and seminal gland, reduction in erythrocyte and leukocyte counts, reduced total protein levels, and disruptions in oxidative parameters. In adulthood, there was an increase in immobile sperm, reduced sperm count, morphometric changes in the testis, and altered oxidative parameters, without compromising male sexual behavior and fertility. These findings showed that LDX-treatment during the juvenile and peripubertal periods induced immediate systemic toxicity and adversely influenced reproductive function in adult life, indicating that caution is necessary when prescribing this drug during the peripubertal phase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Stein
- Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Morphology sector, Institute of Biosciences of Botucatu, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Bárbara Campos Jorge
- Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Morphology sector, Institute of Biosciences of Botucatu, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Lívia Trippe Nagaoka
- Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Morphology sector, Institute of Biosciences of Botucatu, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ana Carolina Casali Reis
- Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Morphology sector, Institute of Biosciences of Botucatu, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Beatriz de Matos Manoel
- Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Morphology sector, Institute of Biosciences of Botucatu, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Alana Rezende Godoi
- Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Anatomy sector, Institute of Biosciences of Botucatu, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Vanessa Caroline Fioravante
- Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Anatomy sector, Institute of Biosciences of Botucatu, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Francisco Eduardo Martinez
- Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Anatomy sector, Institute of Biosciences of Botucatu, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Patrícia Fernanda Felipe Pinheiro
- Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Anatomy sector, Institute of Biosciences of Botucatu, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - André Sampaio Pupo
- Department of Biophysics and Pharmacology, Institute of Biosciences of Botucatu, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Arielle Cristina Arena
- Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Morphology sector, Institute of Biosciences of Botucatu, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil; Center of Information and Toxicological Assistance (CIATOX), Institute of Biosciences of Botucatu, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil.
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Socha J, Grochecki P, Smaga I, Jastrzębska J, Wronikowska-Denysiuk O, Marszalek-Grabska M, Slowik T, Kotlinski R, Filip M, Lubec G, Kotlinska JH. Social Interaction in Adolescent Rats with Neonatal Ethanol Exposure: Impact of Sex and CE-123, a Selective Dopamine Reuptake Inhibitor. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:1041. [PMID: 38256113 PMCID: PMC10816180 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25021041] [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: 12/20/2023] [Revised: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs) demonstrate deficits in social functioning that contribute to early withdrawal from school and delinquency, as well as the development of anxiety and depression. Dopamine is involved in reward, motivation, and social behavior. Thus, we evaluated whether neonatal ethanol exposure (in an animal model of FASDs) has an impact on social recognition memory using the three-chamber social novelty discrimination test during early and middle adolescence in male and female rats, and whether the modafinil analog, the novel atypical dopamine reuptake inhibitor CE-123, can modify this effect. Our study shows that male and female rats neonatally exposed to ethanol exhibited sex- and age-dependent deficits in social novelty discrimination in early (male) and middle (female) adolescence. These deficits were specific to the social domain and not simply due to more general deficits in learning and memory because these animals did not exhibit changes in short-term recognition memory in the novel object recognition task. Furthermore, early-adolescent male rats that were neonatally exposed to ethanol did not show changes in the anxiety index but demonstrated an increase in locomotor activity. Chronic treatment with CE-123, however, prevented the appearance of these social deficits. In the hippocampus of adolescent rats, CE-123 increased BDNF and decreased its signal transduction TrkB receptor expression level in ethanol-exposed animals during development, suggesting an increase in neuroplasticity. Thus, selective dopamine reuptake inhibitors, such as CE-123, represent interesting drug candidates for the treatment of deficits in social behavior in adolescent individuals with FASDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justyna Socha
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacodynamics, Medical University of Lublin, Chodzki 4a, 20-093 Lublin, Poland; (J.S.); (P.G.)
| | - Pawel Grochecki
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacodynamics, Medical University of Lublin, Chodzki 4a, 20-093 Lublin, Poland; (J.S.); (P.G.)
| | - Irena Smaga
- Department of Drug Addiction Pharmacology, Maj Institute of Pharmacology Polish Academy of Sciences, Smetna 12, 31-343 Krakow, Poland; (I.S.); (J.J.); (M.F.)
| | - Joanna Jastrzębska
- Department of Drug Addiction Pharmacology, Maj Institute of Pharmacology Polish Academy of Sciences, Smetna 12, 31-343 Krakow, Poland; (I.S.); (J.J.); (M.F.)
| | - Olga Wronikowska-Denysiuk
- Independent Laboratory of Behavioral Studies, Chair of Biomedical Sciences, Medical University of Lublin, Chodzki 4a, 20-093 Lublin, Poland;
| | - Marta Marszalek-Grabska
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, Medical University, Jaczewskiego 8b, 20-090 Lublin, Poland;
| | - Tymoteusz Slowik
- Experimental Medicine Center, Medical University, Jaczewskiego 8, 20-090 Lublin, Poland;
| | - Robert Kotlinski
- Clinical Department of Cardiac Surgery, University of Rzeszow, 35-601 Rzeszow, Poland;
| | - Małgorzata Filip
- Department of Drug Addiction Pharmacology, Maj Institute of Pharmacology Polish Academy of Sciences, Smetna 12, 31-343 Krakow, Poland; (I.S.); (J.J.); (M.F.)
| | - Gert Lubec
- Department of Neuroproteomics, Paracelsus Medical University, 5020 Salzburg, Austria;
| | - Jolanta H. Kotlinska
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacodynamics, Medical University of Lublin, Chodzki 4a, 20-093 Lublin, Poland; (J.S.); (P.G.)
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Forman J, Renner E, Leavens DA. Fetching felines: a survey of cat owners on the diversity of cat (Felis catus) fetching behaviour. Sci Rep 2023; 13:20456. [PMID: 38097597 PMCID: PMC10721921 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-47409-w] [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: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Domesticated animals are famous for the ease with which they can accommodate to diverse human environments and roles, but less well-studied is the ease with which domestic animals can manipulate their human caregivers to their own ends. For example, domestic animals may start and end their play behaviour with humans at times of their choice. Here we present the results of a survey of 924 cat owners who report fetching behaviour in 1154 cats. The overwhelming majority (94.4%) of these owners report that fetching emerged in the absence of explicit training. Fetching was primarily first noticed when the cats were less than one year old (n = 701) or 1-7 years old (n = 415). Cats initiated and terminated fetching bouts more often than did their owners. Thus, cats who fetch demonstrate independent and co-ordinated agency in the onset and maintenance of fetching behaviour with their human partners. Additional findings highlight the diversity of objects fetched and the diversity in household demographics. Our thematic analysis reveals owners' perspectives on (a) the process of a fetching session, (b) the initial acquisition of fetching, and (c) the circumstantial factors that influence fetching patterns. In summary, cats who fetch largely determine when they engage in fetching sessions and actively influence the play behaviour of their owners.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jemma Forman
- School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Falmer, BN1 9QH, East Sussex, UK.
| | - Elizabeth Renner
- Department of Psychology, Northumbria University, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, NE1 8ST, UK
| | - David A Leavens
- School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Falmer, BN1 9QH, East Sussex, UK
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Sethuram S, Raymond S, Wang C, Barrett ES, Bush NR, Nguyen R, Sathyanarayana S, Swan SH, Evans SF. Early prenatal sex steroids and sex-typed play behavior at 4 years of age. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2023; 156:106288. [PMID: 37480735 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2023.106288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Revised: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 07/24/2023]
Abstract
During pregnancy, estrogens and testosterone influence brain development, resulting in sex-typical behavioral phenotypes. Prenatal testosterone exposure is associated with more male-typical behaviors in rodents, monkeys, and humans; however, few studies have examined the relationship between maternal sex hormones within the normal range and sex-dimorphic behaviors. In this study, we examined associations between prenatal estrogens and testosterone and sex-typical play in The Infant Development and the Environment Study (TIDES), a multicenter pregnancy cohort. We collected prenatal serum during the first trimester (mean=11.1 ± 2.6 weeks) and assessed child play behavior using the maternally completed Pre-School Activities Inventory (PSAI) at a mean age of 4.5 ± 0.3 years. This analysis includes mother-child pairs with complete data on hormones, play behavior, and covariates (n = 192 boys and 207 girls). No associations were seen between testosterone and PSAI scores in boys or girls or between estrogens and PSAI scores in boys. In girls, we observed an inverse relationship between feminine PSAI scores and both estradiol (E2) and estriol (E3) in multivariable linear regression analyses (E2: -0.11 [95% CI -0.20, -0.02]; E3: -0.44 [95% CI -0.83,-0.04]). Because the relationship between sex hormones and PSAI scores appeared nonlinear, we fit piecewise regression models to better fit the data and identify inflection points (point at which there is a significant change in slope). Piecewise regression analyses yielded inverse associations between masculine PSAI scores and estrone (E1) at values of E1 > 1340 pg/mL and E2 at values of E2 > 2870 pg/mL in girls. Further studies are needed to better understand the role of prenatal sex steroids on sexually dimorphic behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Swathi Sethuram
- Department of Pediatric Endocrinology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Samantha Raymond
- Department of Population Health Science and Policy, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Christina Wang
- Clinical and Translational Science Institute, The Lundquist Institute and Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA, USA
| | - Emily S Barrett
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Rutgers School of Public Health, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Nicole R Bush
- Departments of Psychiatry and Pediatrics, Center for Health and Community, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Ruby Nguyen
- Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA
| | - Sheela Sathyanarayana
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Shanna H Swan
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sarah Felice Evans
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
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8
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Ferrara NC, Trask S, Padival M, Rosenkranz JA. Maturation of a cortical-amygdala circuit limits sociability in male rats. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:8391-8404. [PMID: 37032624 PMCID: PMC10321102 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad124] [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: 01/12/2023] [Revised: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/18/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Prefrontal cortical maturation coincides with adolescent transitions in social engagement, suggesting that it influences social development. The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is important for social interaction, including ACC outputs to the basolateral amygdala (BLA). However, little is known about ACC-BLA sensitivity to the social environment and if this changes during maturation. Here, we used brief (2-hour) isolation to test the immediate impact of changing the social environment on the ACC-BLA circuit and subsequent shifts in social behavior of adolescent and adult rats. We found that optogenetic inhibition of the ACC during brief isolation reduced isolation-driven facilitation of social interaction across ages. Isolation increased activity of ACC-BLA neurons across ages, but altered the influence of ACC on BLA activity in an age-dependent manner. Isolation reduced the inhibitory impact of ACC stimulation on BLA neurons in a frequency-dependent manner in adults, but uniformly suppressed ACC-driven BLA activity in adolescents. This work identifies isolation-driven alterations in an ACC-BLA circuit, and the ACC itself as an essential region sensitive to social environment and regulates its impact on social behavior in both adults and adolescents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole C Ferrara
- Department of Foundational Sciences and Humanities, Discipline of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, 3333 Green Bay Road, North Chicago, IL, 60064, United States
- Center for Neurobiology of Stress Resilience and Psychiatric Disorders, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, 3333 Green Bay Road, North Chicago, IL, 60064, United States
| | - Sydney Trask
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University, 703 3rd Street, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, United States
| | - Mallika Padival
- Department of Foundational Sciences and Humanities, Discipline of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, 3333 Green Bay Road, North Chicago, IL, 60064, United States
- Center for Neurobiology of Stress Resilience and Psychiatric Disorders, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, 3333 Green Bay Road, North Chicago, IL, 60064, United States
| | - Jeremy Amiel Rosenkranz
- Department of Foundational Sciences and Humanities, Discipline of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, 3333 Green Bay Road, North Chicago, IL, 60064, United States
- Center for Neurobiology of Stress Resilience and Psychiatric Disorders, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, 3333 Green Bay Road, North Chicago, IL, 60064, United States
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9
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Nunes S, Monroy Montemayor MP. Multiple benefits of juvenile play: A ground squirrel's perspective. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 147:105099. [PMID: 36804264 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Revised: 12/04/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023]
Abstract
Adaptive functions of play can vary across species, and also within species, reflecting behavioral ecology and evolutionary history. We evaluated juvenile play in Belding's ground squirrels (Urocitellus beldingi), a species for which field studies have assessed play behavior in the context of the squirrels' ecology and life history. Social play behavior in U. beldingi appears not to have the range of adaptive benefits related to social behavior apparent in species with more complex social organization. Play in juvenile U. beldingi improves general motor skill, which may translate to more proficient performance of behaviors during and beyond the juvenile period. Social play in juvenile squirrels is associated with refinement of temperament and behavior, promoting behavioral shifts toward less docile responses as well as more cautious behavior. Social play also influences behavior of juvenile squirrels in novel situations, fostering greater exploration and adaptability of responses. Important life events in U. beldingi such as the timing of natal dispersal and defense of maternal territories can be influenced by juvenile play.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott Nunes
- Department of Biology, University of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94117, USA.
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10
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Winkler SL, Perry SE. The development of sex differences in play in wild white-faced capuchins (Cebus capucinus). Am J Primatol 2022; 84:e23434. [PMID: 36128618 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2021] [Revised: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Many mammalian species display sex differences in the frequency of play behavior, yet the animal literature includes few longitudinal studies of play, which are important for understanding the developmental timing of sex differences and the evolutionary functions of play. We analyzed social play, solitary play, and grooming using an 18-year data set on 38 wild white-faced capuchin monkeys (Cebus capucinus) followed since infancy. Rates of each behavior were measured as the proportion of point samples taken during focal follows in which the individual engaged in each behavior. To determine sex differences in these rates, we ran a series of generalized linear mixed models, considering both linear and quadratic effects of age, and chose the optimal model for each of the three behavioral outcomes based on information criteria. Rates of both social play and solitary play decreased with age, with the exception of social play in males, which increased in the early juvenile period before decreasing. Male and female capuchins had different developmental patterns of social play, with males playing more than females during most of the juvenile period, but they did not display meaningful sex differences in solitary play rates. Additionally, males and females had different patterns of grooming over the lifespan: males participated in grooming at low rates throughout their lives, while adult females participated in grooming at much higher rates, peaking around age 11 years before declining. We suggest that male and female white-faced capuchins may adopt alternative social bonding strategies, including different developmental timing and different behaviors (social play for males vs. grooming for females). Our results were consistent with two functional hypotheses of play, the practice and bonding hypotheses. This study demonstrates that play behavior may be critical for the development of sex-specific social strategies and emphasizes the importance of developmental perspectives on social behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sasha L Winkler
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Susan E Perry
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA.,Center for Behavior, Evolution and Culture, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
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11
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Kent MH, Jacob JC, Bowen G, Bhalerao J, Desinor S, Vavra D, Leserve D, Ott KR, Angeles B, Martis M, Sciandra K, Gillenwater K, Glory C, Meisel E, Choe A, Olivares-Navarrete R, Puetzer JL, Lambert K. Disrupted development from head to tail: Pervasive effects of postnatal restricted resources on neurobiological, behavioral, and morphometric outcomes. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:910056. [PMID: 35990727 PMCID: PMC9389412 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.910056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
When a maternal rat nurtures her pups, she relies on adequate resources to provide optimal care for her offspring. Accordingly, limited environmental resources may result in atypical maternal care, disrupting various developmental outcomes. In the current study, maternal Long-Evans rats were randomly assigned to either a standard resource (SR) group, provided with four cups of bedding and two paper towels for nesting material or a limited resource (LR) group, provided with a quarter of the bedding and nesting material provided for the SR group. Offspring were monitored at various developmental phases throughout the study. After weaning, pups were housed in same-sex dyads in environments with SRs for continued observations. Subsequent behavioral tests revealed a sex × resource interaction in play behavior on PND 28; specifically, LR reduced play attacks in males while LR increased play attacks in females. A sex × resource interaction was also observed in anxiety-related responses in the open field task with an increase in thigmotaxis in LR females and, in the social interaction task, females exhibited more external rears oriented away from the social target. Focusing on morphological variables, tail length measurements of LR males and females were shorter on PND 9, 16, and 21; however, differences in tail length were no longer present at PND 35. Following the behavioral assessments, animals were perfused at 56 days of age and subsequent immunohistochemical assays indicated increased glucocorticoid receptors in the lateral habenula of LR offspring and higher c-Fos immunoreactivity in the basolateral amygdala of SR offspring. Further, when tail vertebrae and tail tendons were assessed via micro-CT and hydroxyproline assays, results indicated increased trabecular separation, decreased bone volume fraction, and decreased connectivity density in bones, along with reduced collagen concentration in tendons in the LR animals. In sum, although the restricted resources only persisted for a brief duration, the effects appear to be far-reaching and pervasive in this early life stress animal model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Molly H. Kent
- Department of Biology, Virginia Military Institute, Lexington, VA, United States
| | - Joanna C. Jacob
- Department of Psychology, University of Richmond, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Gabby Bowen
- Department of Psychology, University of Richmond, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Janhavi Bhalerao
- Department of Psychology, University of Richmond, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Stephanie Desinor
- Department of Psychology, University of Richmond, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Dylan Vavra
- Department of Psychology, University of Richmond, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Danielle Leserve
- Department of Psychology, University of Richmond, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Kelly R. Ott
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Benjamin Angeles
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Michael Martis
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Katherine Sciandra
- Department of Psychology, University of Richmond, Richmond, VA, United States
| | | | - Clark Glory
- Department of Psychology, University of Richmond, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Eli Meisel
- Department of Psychology, University of Richmond, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Allison Choe
- Department of Psychology, University of Richmond, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Rene Olivares-Navarrete
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Jennifer L. Puetzer
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Kelly Lambert
- Department of Psychology, University of Richmond, Richmond, VA, United States
- *Correspondence: Kelly Lambert,
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12
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Leptin enhances social motivation and reverses chronic unpredictable stress-induced social anhedonia during adolescence. Mol Psychiatry 2022; 27:4948-4958. [PMID: 36138127 PMCID: PMC9763124 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01778-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Revised: 08/12/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Social anhedonia, a loss of interest and pleasure in social interactions, is a common symptom of major depression as well as other psychiatric disorders. Depression can occur at any age, but typically emerges in adolescence or early adulthood, which represents a sensitive period for social interaction that is vulnerable to stress. In this study, we evaluated social interaction reward using a conditioned place preference (CPP) paradigm in adolescent male and female mice. Adolescent mice of both sexes exhibited a preference for the social interaction-associated context. Chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) impaired the development of CPP for social interaction, mimicking social anhedonia in depressed adolescents. Conversely, administration of leptin, an adipocyte-derived hormone, enhanced social interaction-induced CPP in non-stressed control mice and reversed social anhedonia in CUS mice. By dissecting the motivational processes of social CPP into social approach and isolation avoidance components, we demonstrated that leptin treatment increased isolation aversion without overt social reward effect. Further mechanistic exploration revealed that leptin stimulated oxytocin gene transcription in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus, while oxytocin receptor blockade abolished the leptin-induced enhancement of socially-induced CPP. These results establish that chronic unpredictable stress can be used to study social anhedonia in adolescent mice and provide evidence that leptin modulates social motivation possibly via increasing oxytocin synthesis and oxytocin receptor activation.
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13
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Kight KE, Argue KJ, Bumgardner JG, Bardhi K, Waddell J, McCarthy MM. Social behavior in prepubertal neurexin 1α deficient rats: A model of neurodevelopmental disorders. Behav Neurosci 2021; 135:782-803. [PMID: 34323517 PMCID: PMC8649076 DOI: 10.1037/bne0000482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Loss-of-function mutations in the synaptic protein neurexin1α (NRXN1α) are associated with several neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD), schizophrenia, and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and many of these disorders are defined by core deficits in social cognition. Mouse models of Nrxn1α deficiency are not amenable to studying aspects of social cognition because, in general, mice do not engage in complex social interactions such as social play or prosocial helping behaviors. Rats, on the contrary, engage in these complex, well-characterized social behaviors. Using the Nrxn1tm1Sage Sprague Dawley rat, we tested a range of cognitive and social behaviors in juveniles with haplo- or biallelic Nrxn1α mutation. We found a deficit in ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) of male and female neonatal rats with Nrxn1α deficiency. A male-specific deficit in social play was observed in Nrxn1α-deficient juveniles, although sociability and social discrimination were unaltered. Nurturing behavior induced by exposure to pups was enhanced in male and female juveniles with biallelic Nrxn1α mutation. Performance in tasks of prosocial helping behavior and food retrieval indicated severe deficits in learning and cognition in juveniles with biallelic Nrxn1α mutation, and a less severe deficit in haploinsufficient rats, although Pavlovian learning was altered only in haploinsufficient males. We also observed a male-specific increase in mobility and object investigation in juveniles with complete Nrxn1α deficiency. Together, these observations more fully characterize the Nrxn1tm1Sage Sprague Dawley rat as a model for Nrxn1α-related neurodevelopmental disorders, and support a rationale for the juvenile rat as a more appropriate model for disorders that involve core deficits in complex social behaviors. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine E Kight
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine
| | - Kathryn J Argue
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine
| | | | - Keti Bardhi
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Maryland School of Medicine
| | - Jaylyn Waddell
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Maryland School of Medicine
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14
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Venniro M, Reverte I, Ramsey LA, Papastrat KM, D'Ottavio G, Milella MS, Li X, Grimm JW, Caprioli D. Factors modulating the incubation of drug and non-drug craving and their clinical implications. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 131:847-864. [PMID: 34597716 PMCID: PMC8931548 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.09.050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2021] [Revised: 09/20/2021] [Accepted: 09/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
It was suggested in 1986 that cue-induced cocaine craving increases progressively during early abstinence and remains high during extended periods of time. Clinical evidence now supports this hypothesis and that this increase is not specific to cocaine but rather generalize across several drugs of abuse. Investigators have identified an analogous incubation phenomenon in rodents, in which time-dependent increases in cue-induced drug seeking are observed after abstinence from intravenous drug or palatable food self-administration. Incubation of craving is susceptible to variation in magnitude as a function of biological and/or the environmental circumstances surrounding the individual. During the last decade, the neurobiological correlates of the modulatory role of biological (sex, age, genetic factors) and environmental factors (environmental enrichment and physical exercise, sleep architecture, acute and chronic stress, abstinence reinforcement procedures) on incubation of drug craving has been investigated. In this review, we summarized the behavioral procedures adopted, the key underlying neurobiological correlates and clinical implications of these studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Venniro
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA.
| | - Ingrid Reverte
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy; Santa Lucia Foundation (IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia), Rome, Italy
| | - Leslie A Ramsey
- Behavioral Neuroscience Research Branch, Intramural Research Program, Baltimore NIDA, NIH, USA
| | - Kimberly M Papastrat
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA
| | - Ginevra D'Ottavio
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy; Santa Lucia Foundation (IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia), Rome, Italy
| | | | - Xuan Li
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland College Park, College Park, USA.
| | - Jeffrey W Grimm
- Department of Psychology and Program in Behavioral Neuroscience, Western Washington University, Bellingham, USA.
| | - Daniele Caprioli
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy; Santa Lucia Foundation (IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia), Rome, Italy.
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15
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Fesser EA, Gianatiempo O, Berardino BG, Alberca CD, Urrutia L, Falasco G, Sonzogni SV, Chertoff M, Cánepa ET. Impaired social cognition caused by perinatal protein malnutrition evokes neurodevelopmental disorder symptoms and is intergenerationally transmitted. Exp Neurol 2021; 347:113911. [PMID: 34767796 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2021.113911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Revised: 10/05/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Nutritional inadequacy before birth and during postnatal life can seriously interfere with brain development and lead to persistent deficits in learning and behavior. In this work, we asked if protein malnutrition affects domains of social cognition and if these phenotypes can be transmitted to the next generation. Female mice were fed with a normal or hypoproteic diet during pregnancy and lactation. After weaning, offspring were fed with a standard chow. Social interaction, social recognition memory, and dominance were evaluated in both sexes of F1 offspring and in the subsequent F2 generation. Glucose metabolism in the whole brain was analyzed through preclinical positron emission tomography. Genome-wide transcriptional analysis was performed in the medial prefrontal cortex followed by gene-ontology enrichment analysis. Compared with control animals, malnourished mice exhibited a deficit in social motivation and recognition memory and displayed a dominant phenotype. These altered behaviors, except for dominance, were transmitted to the next generation. Positron emission tomography analysis revealed lower glucose metabolism in the medial prefrontal cortex of F1 malnourished offspring. This brain region showed genome-wide transcriptional dysregulation, including 21 transcripts that overlapped with autism-associated genes. Our study cannot exclude that the lower maternal care provided by mothers exposed to a low-protein diet caused an additional impact on social cognition. Our results showed that maternal protein malnutrition dysregulates gene expression in the medial prefrontal cortex, promoting altered offspring behavior that was intergenerationally transmitted. These results support the hypothesis that early nutritional deficiency represents a risk factor for the emergence of symptoms associated with neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Estefanía A Fesser
- Grupo Neuroepigenética y Adversidades Tempranas, Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina; Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (IQUIBICEN), CONICET, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Octavio Gianatiempo
- Grupo Neuroepigenética y Adversidades Tempranas, Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina; Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (IQUIBICEN), CONICET, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Bruno G Berardino
- Grupo Neuroepigenética y Adversidades Tempranas, Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina; Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (IQUIBICEN), CONICET, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Carolina D Alberca
- Grupo Neuroepigenética y Adversidades Tempranas, Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina; Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (IQUIBICEN), CONICET, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Leandro Urrutia
- Centro de Imágenes Moleculares, Fleni, Escobar, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Germán Falasco
- Centro de Imágenes Moleculares, Fleni, Escobar, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Silvina V Sonzogni
- Grupo Neuroepigenética y Adversidades Tempranas, Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina; Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (IQUIBICEN), CONICET, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Mariela Chertoff
- Grupo Neuroepigenética y Adversidades Tempranas, Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina; Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (IQUIBICEN), CONICET, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Eduardo T Cánepa
- Grupo Neuroepigenética y Adversidades Tempranas, Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina; Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (IQUIBICEN), CONICET, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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16
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Forbes-Lorman RM. Sex-specific effects of neonatal progestin receptor antagonism on juvenile social play behavior in rats. BEHAVIORAL AND BRAIN FUNCTIONS : BBF 2021; 17:10. [PMID: 34740365 PMCID: PMC8571883 DOI: 10.1186/s12993-021-00183-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2021] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Developing mammals are exposed to progesterone through several sources; however, the role of progesterone in early development is not well understood. Males express more progestin receptors (PRs) than females within several brain regions during early postnatal life, suggesting that PRs may be important for the organization of the sex differences in the brain and behavior. Indeed, previous studies showed cognitive impairments in male rats treated neonatally with a PR antagonist. In the present study, we examined the role of PRs in organizing juvenile behaviors. Social play behavior and social discrimination were examined in juvenile male and female rats that had been treated with CDB, a PR antagonist, during the first week of postnatal life. Interestingly, neonatal PR antagonism altered different juvenile behaviors in males and females. A transient disruption in PR signaling during development had no effect on social discrimination but increased play initiation and pins in females. These data suggest that PRs play an important role in the organization of sex differences in some social behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- R M Forbes-Lorman
- Department of Biology, Ripon College, 300 W Seward St., Ripon, WI, 54971, USA.
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17
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Methods and Challenges in Investigating Sex-Specific Consequences of Social Stressors in Adolescence in Rats: Is It the Stress or the Social or the Stage of Development? Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2021; 54:23-58. [PMID: 34455576 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2021_245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Adolescence is a time of social learning and social restructuring that is accompanied by changes in both the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. The activation of these axes by puberty and stressors, respectively, shapes adolescent development. Models of social stress in rats are used to understand the consequences of perturbations of the social environment for ongoing brain development. This paper reviews the challenges in investigating the sex-specific consequences of social stressors, sex differences in the models of social stress used in rats and the sex-specific effects on behaviour and provides an overview of sex differences in HPA responding to stressors, the variability in pubertal development and in strains of rats that require consideration in conducting such research, and directions for future research.
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18
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Burke CJ, Markovina M, Pellis SM, Euston DR. Rat 50 kHz Trill Calls Are Tied to the Expectation of Social Interaction. Brain Sci 2021; 11:brainsci11091142. [PMID: 34573164 PMCID: PMC8468548 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11091142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2021] [Revised: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Rats emit a variety of calls in the 40–80 kHz range (50 kHz calls). While these calls are generally associated with positive affect, it is unclear whether certain calls might be used selectively in certain contexts. To examine this, we looked at ultrasonic calls in 30–40 day old male rats during the expectation of either play or food, both of which are reinforcing. Behavior and vocalizations were recorded while rats were in a test chamber awaiting the arrival of a play partner or food over seven days of testing. Control groups were included for the non-specific effects of food deprivation and social isolation. Play reward led to an increase in 50 kHz vocalizations, generally, with specific increases in trill and “trill with jump” calls not seen in other groups. Expectation of food reward did not lead to a significant increase in vocalizations of any type, perhaps due to the young age of our study group. Further, rats that were food deprived for the food expectation study showed markedly lower calls overall and had a different profile of call types compared to rats that were socially isolated. Taken together, the results suggest that trill-associated calls may be used selectively when rats are socially isolated and/or expecting a social encounter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Candace J. Burke
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB T1K 3M4, Canada; (C.J.B.); (S.M.P.)
| | - Mariya Markovina
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada;
| | - Sergio M. Pellis
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB T1K 3M4, Canada; (C.J.B.); (S.M.P.)
| | - David R. Euston
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB T1K 3M4, Canada; (C.J.B.); (S.M.P.)
- Correspondence:
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19
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Breach MR, Dye CN, Joshi A, Platko S, Gilfarb RA, Krug AR, Franceschelli DV, Galan A, Dodson CM, Lenz KM. Maternal allergic inflammation in rats impacts the offspring perinatal neuroimmune milieu and the development of social play, locomotor behavior, and cognitive flexibility. Brain Behav Immun 2021; 95:269-286. [PMID: 33798637 PMCID: PMC8187275 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2021.03.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2020] [Revised: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 03/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Maternal systemic inflammation increases risk for neurodevelopmental disorders like autism, ADHD, and schizophrenia in offspring. Notably, these disorders are male-biased. Studies have implicated immune system dysfunction in the etiology of these disorders, and rodent models of maternal immune activation provide useful tools to examine mechanisms of sex-dependent effects on brain development, immunity, and behavior. Here, we employed an allergen-induced model of maternal inflammation in rats to characterize levels of mast cells and microglia in the perinatal period in male and female offspring, as well as social, emotional, and cognitive behaviors throughout the lifespan. Adult female rats were sensitized to ovalbumin (OVA), bred, and challenged intranasally on gestational day 15 of pregnancy with OVA or saline. Allergic inflammation upregulated microglia in the fetal brain, increased mast cell number in the hippocampus on the day of birth, and conferred region-, time- and sex- specific changes in microglia measures. Additionally, offspring of OVA-exposed mothers subsequently exhibited abnormal social behavior, hyperlocomotion, and reduced cognitive flexibility. These data demonstrate the long-term effects of maternal allergic challenge on offspring development and provide a basis for understanding neurodevelopmental disorders linked to maternal systemic inflammation in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michaela R. Breach
- Department of Neuroscience, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA,Neuroscience Graduate Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Courtney N. Dye
- Department of Neuroscience, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA,Neuroscience Graduate Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Aarohi Joshi
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Steven Platko
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Rachel A. Gilfarb
- Department of Neuroscience, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA,Neuroscience Graduate Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Annemarie R. Krug
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | | | - Anabel Galan
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Claire M. Dodson
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Kathryn M. Lenz
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA,Department of Neuroscience, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA,Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
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20
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Cuarenta A, Kigar SL, Henion IC, Chang L, Bakshi VP, Auger AP. Early life stress during the neonatal period alters social play and Line1 during the juvenile stage of development. Sci Rep 2021; 11:3549. [PMID: 33574362 PMCID: PMC7878767 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-82953-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Early life stress (ELS) has been shown to have a significant impact on typical brain development and the manifestation of psychological disorders through epigenetic modifications that alter gene expression. Line1, a retrotransposon associated with genetic diversity, has been linked with various psychological disorders that are associated with ELS. Our previous work demonstrated altered Line1 DNA copy number in the neonatal period following stressful experiences; we therefore chose to investigate whether early life stress altered Line1 retrotransposition persists into the juvenile period of development. Our study uses a neonatal predator odor exposure (POE) paradigm to model ELS in rats. We examined Line1 using qPCR to assess Line1 expression levels and DNA copy number in the male and female juvenile amygdala, hippocampus and prefrontal cortex-areas chosen for their association with affective disorders and stress. We report a sex difference in Line1 levels within the juvenile amygdala. We also find that ELS significantly increases Line1 DNA copy number within the juvenile amygdala which correlates with reduced juvenile social play levels, suggesting the possibility that Line1 may influence juvenile social development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amelia Cuarenta
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, USA
| | - Stacey L Kigar
- Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology Training Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, USA
| | - Ian C Henion
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, USA
| | - Liza Chang
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, USA
| | - Vaishali P Bakshi
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, USA
| | - Anthony P Auger
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, USA. .,Neuroscience Training Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, USA.
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21
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Seiffe A, Ramirez MF, Barrios CD, Albarrán MM, Depino AM. Early estradiol exposure masculinizes disease-relevant behaviors in female mice. Eur J Neurosci 2021; 53:2483-2499. [PMID: 33497491 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2020] [Revised: 01/06/2021] [Accepted: 01/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Most psychiatric disorders show a sex bias in incidence, symptomatology, and/or response to treatment. Males are more susceptible to neurodevelopmental disorders including autism spectrum disorder and attention-deficit activity disorder, while women are more prone to major depressive disorder and anxiety disorders after puberty. A striking difference between males and females in humans and other mammals is that males undergo a process of brain masculinization due to the early exposure to gonadal hormones. In rodents, this developmental organization of the brain is essential for adult males to express the appropriate sexual behaviors in the presence of a receptive female. Our goal was to determine whether this process of brain masculinization influences behaviors relevant to psychiatric disorders. To this aim, we studied sex differences and the effect of neonatal 17β-estradiol benzoate treatment of female mice on different disease-relevant behaviors. Our analysis includes postnatal behavior, juvenile play, and adult tests for sociability, repetitive behaviors, anxiety, and depression. Our results show that the sex differences observed in exploration, repetitive behaviors, and depression-related behaviors are largely reduced when females are neonatally treated with 17β-estradiol benzoate. These results suggest a role of neonatal sex steroids in the development of disease-relevant behaviors and provide evidence supporting a role for perinatal exposure to estrogens and androgens on the development and manifestation of psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Araceli Seiffe
- Departamento de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Celular, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE), CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Mauro Federico Ramirez
- Departamento de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Celular, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE), CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Claudio Darío Barrios
- Departamento de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Celular, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE), CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - María Milagros Albarrán
- Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE), CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Amaicha Mara Depino
- Departamento de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Celular, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE), CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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22
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Sex-dimorphic role of prefrontal oxytocin receptors in social-induced facilitation of extinction in juvenile rats. Transl Psychiatry 2020; 10:356. [PMID: 33077706 PMCID: PMC7572379 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-020-01040-9] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2020] [Revised: 09/15/2020] [Accepted: 10/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
We previously reported that in the adult animal extinction in pairs resulted in enhanced extinction, showing that social presence can reduce previously acquired fear responses. Based on our findings that juvenile and adult animals differ in the mechanisms of extinction, here we address whether the social presence of a conspecific affects extinction in juvenile animals similarly to adults. We further address whether such presence has a different impact on juvenile males and females. To that end, we examined in our established experimental setting whether conditioned male and female animals extinguish contextual fear memory better while in pairs. Taking advantage of the role of oxytocin (OT) in the mediation of extinction memory and social interaction, we also study the effect of antagonizing the OT receptors (OTR) either systemically or in the prefrontal cortex on social interaction-induced effects of fear extinction. The results show that social presence accelerates extinction in males and females as compared to the single condition. Yet, we show differential and opposing effects of an OTR antagonist in both sexes. Whereas in females, the systemic application of an OTR antagonist is associated with impaired extinction, it is associated with enhanced extinction in males. In contrast, prefrontal OT is not engaged in extinction in juvenile males, while is it is critical in females. Previously reported differences in the levels of prefrontal OT between males and females might explain the differences in OT action. These results suggest that even during the juvenile period, critical mechanisms are differently involved in the regulation of fear in males and females.
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23
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Premachandran H, Zhao M, Arruda-Carvalho M. Sex Differences in the Development of the Rodent Corticolimbic System. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:583477. [PMID: 33100964 PMCID: PMC7554619 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.583477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Accepted: 09/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years, a growing body of research has shown sex differences in the prevalence and symptomatology of psychopathologies, such as depression, anxiety, and fear-related disorders, all of which show high incidence rates in early life. This has highlighted the importance of including female subjects in animal studies, as well as delineating sex differences in neural processing across development. Of particular interest is the corticolimbic system, comprising the hippocampus, amygdala, and medial prefrontal cortex. In rodents, these corticolimbic regions undergo dynamic changes in early life, and disruption to their normative development is believed to underlie the age and sex-dependent effects of stress on affective processing. In this review, we consolidate research on sex differences in the hippocampus, amygdala, and medial prefrontal cortex across early development. First, we briefly introduce current principles on sexual differentiation of the rodent brain. We then showcase corticolimbic regional sex differences in volume, morphology, synaptic organization, cell proliferation, microglia, and GABAergic signaling, and explain how these differences are influenced by perinatal and pubertal gonadal hormones. In compiling this research, we outline evidence of what and when sex differences emerge in the developing corticolimbic system, and illustrate how temporal dynamics of its maturational trajectory may differ in male and female rodents. This will help provide insight into potential neural mechanisms underlying sex-specific critical windows for stress susceptibility and behavioral emergence.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mudi Zhao
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Maithe Arruda-Carvalho
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON, Canada
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24
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Kisko TM, Schwarting RKW, Wöhr M. Sex differences in the acoustic features of social play-induced 50-kHz ultrasonic vocalizations: A detailed spectrographic analysis in wild-type Sprague-Dawley and Cacna1c haploinsufficient rats. Dev Psychobiol 2020; 63:262-276. [PMID: 32506508 DOI: 10.1002/dev.21998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2020] [Revised: 03/12/2020] [Accepted: 05/11/2020] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Sexual dimorphisms are widespread in the animal kingdom. At the behavioral level, there is evidence for sex differences in social play behavior. In rats, males typically engage more in rough-and-tumble play than females. One prominent component of the rough-and-tumble play repertoire in rats is the emission of 50-kHz ultrasonic vocalizations (USV). Such 50-kHz USV reflect the rewarding nature of play and serve as socioaffective signals. Here, we provide evidence for sexual dimorphisms within rough-and-tumble play-induced 50-kHz USV in juvenile rats. Specifically, females displayed reduced 50-kHz USV emission during playful interactions. This reduction was associated with changes in 50-kHz USV emission rates and subtype profiles during specific rough-and-tumble components, i.e., pinning, wrestling, and chasing, as well as differences in acoustic parameters. Interestingly, sex differences were modulated by Cacna1c, a gene strongly implicated in major neuropsychiatric disorders, often characterized by prominent sex biases, most notably autism. Specifically, Cacna1c haploinsufficiency affected the emission of 50-kHz USV during rough-and-tumble play in female rats and we provide evidence supporting the notion that such effects of Cacna1c haploinsufficiency are driven by male-typical features of 50-kHz USV emission. This is in line with the hypermasculinized social play repertoire previously observed in juvenile Cacna1c haploinsufficient females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theresa M Kisko
- Behavioral Neuroscience, Experimental and Biological Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Philipps-University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Rainer K W Schwarting
- Behavioral Neuroscience, Experimental and Biological Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Philipps-University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany.,Center for Mind, Brain, and Behavior (CMBB), Philipps-University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Markus Wöhr
- Behavioral Neuroscience, Experimental and Biological Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Philipps-University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany.,Center for Mind, Brain, and Behavior (CMBB), Philipps-University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany.,Laboratory for Behavioral Neuroscience, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
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25
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Shahrier MA, Wada H. Effects of prenatal ethanol exposure on acoustic characteristics of play fighting-induced ultrasonic vocalizations in juvenile rats. Neurotoxicology 2020; 79:25-39. [PMID: 32294486 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2020.03.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2020] [Accepted: 03/30/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Juvenile rats display rough-and-tumble playing with conspecifics (play fighting behavior) and produce 22 and 50 kHz ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs). The 22 kHz USV is considered to reflect negative emotionality such as anxiety, fear, and distress, whereas the 50 kHz USV is considered to reflect positive emotionality such as joy, happiness, and satisfaction. USV is a sensitive tool for measuring emotionality in socially interactive situations. However, effects of prenatal ethanol-exposure on the acoustic characteristics of play fighting-induced USVs have remained unclear. In Experiment I, we recorded USVs produced by prenatally ethanol-exposed rats during play fighting on postnatal days (PNDs) 40-42 and examined the acoustic characteristics of negative and positive emotion-induced USVs. In Experiment II, we examined the anxiety levels through elevated plus maze testing on PNDs 37-39 and frequencies of playful attacks on PNDs 43-45 in ethanol-exposed rats. Ethanol was administered to pregnant rats in three gradually increased concentrations between gestational days (GDs) 8 and 20. From GDs 14 to 20, ethanol-containing tap water at concentrations of 30% and 15% (v/v) was administered to the high- and low-ethanol groups, respectively. Tap water without added ethanol was given to the control group. On PNDs 40-42, three rats from the same sex and same ethanol concentration group but from different litters were placed together into a playing cage for play fighting. The high-ethanol male triads displayed elevations of 20-35 kHz USVs reflecting negative emotionality and reductions of 45-70 kHz USVs reflecting positive emotionality compared with both the low-ethanol and control male triads. The high-ethanol male triads had prominent elevations of 20-35 kHz USVs with durations longer than 200 ms, whereas the control male triads did not produce such 20-35 kHz USVs at all. There was no difference in USV acoustic characteristics among the female triads. In addition, the high-ethanol male rats exhibited greater anxiety levels and less frequencies of play fighting than the control male rats. Altogether, we conclude that prenatal exposure to ethanol enhances negative emotionality such as anxiety and, accordingly, 20-35 kHz USVs reflecting negative emotionality are produced with a marked decrease in play fighting, suggesting difficulties in social interactions with conspecifics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohd Ashik Shahrier
- Department of Psychology, Graduate School of Letters, Hokkaido University, Japan.
| | - Hiromi Wada
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities and Human Sciences, Hokkaido University, Kita 10 Nishi 7 Kita-Ku, Sapporo 060-0810, Japan
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26
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Gao T, Yin Z, Wang M, Fang Z, Zhong X, Li J, Hu Y, Wu D, Jiang K, Xu X. The effects of pubertal exposure to bisphenol-A on social behavior in male mice. CHEMOSPHERE 2020; 244:125494. [PMID: 31812767 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2019.125494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2019] [Revised: 11/19/2019] [Accepted: 11/26/2019] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Puberty is a crucial developmental period for structural modifications of brain and activation of the neural circuits underlying sex differences in social behavior. It is possible that pubertal exposure to bisphenol-A (BPA), a common EED with a weak estrogenic activity, influences social behavior. After being exposed to BPA at 0.04, 0.4, 4 mg kg-1 for 18 days, the 7-week-old male mice were tested with social play and three-chamber. The results showed that pubertal BPA exposure decreased social play between adolescent males and sociability of adolescent males. Further, pubertal BPA exposure reduced sociability and inhibited social novel preferences of adult males. BPA inhibited social interactions with opposite sex but improved socio-sexual exploration and the low-intensity mating behavior (mounting) with same sex in adult males. In residential-intruder test, BPA-exposed adult males showed a decrease in aggressiveness and an enhancement in prosocial behavior with intruder. Western blot analysis showed that BPA (especially at 4 mg/kg/d) down-regulated the levels of AR in the amygdala and the striatum but up-regulated the levels of DR1 and DAT proteins in the striatum of adult males. BPA at 4 mg kg-1 decreased the levels of T in the serum and the brain. These results suggest that pubertal BPA exposure affects social play and sociability of adolescent males and even results in long-term effects on social behavior of adult males. BPA-induced down-regulations of the levels of AR in the amygdala and the striatum and up-regulation of the levels of DR1 and DAT in the striatum may be involved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tongtong Gao
- Chemistry and Life Sciences College, Key Laboratory of Wildlife Biotechnology and Conservation and Utilization of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Ecology, Zhejiang Normal University, PR China
| | - Zhangxin Yin
- Chemistry and Life Sciences College, Key Laboratory of Wildlife Biotechnology and Conservation and Utilization of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Ecology, Zhejiang Normal University, PR China
| | - Muye Wang
- Chemistry and Life Sciences College, Key Laboratory of Wildlife Biotechnology and Conservation and Utilization of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Ecology, Zhejiang Normal University, PR China
| | - Zhaoqing Fang
- Chemistry and Life Sciences College, Key Laboratory of Wildlife Biotechnology and Conservation and Utilization of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Ecology, Zhejiang Normal University, PR China
| | - Xiaoyu Zhong
- Chemistry and Life Sciences College, Key Laboratory of Wildlife Biotechnology and Conservation and Utilization of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Ecology, Zhejiang Normal University, PR China
| | - Jishui Li
- Chemistry and Life Sciences College, Key Laboratory of Wildlife Biotechnology and Conservation and Utilization of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Ecology, Zhejiang Normal University, PR China
| | - Yizhong Hu
- Chemistry and Life Sciences College, Key Laboratory of Wildlife Biotechnology and Conservation and Utilization of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Ecology, Zhejiang Normal University, PR China
| | - Donghong Wu
- Chemistry and Life Sciences College, Key Laboratory of Wildlife Biotechnology and Conservation and Utilization of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Ecology, Zhejiang Normal University, PR China
| | - Kesheng Jiang
- Chemistry and Life Sciences College, Key Laboratory of Wildlife Biotechnology and Conservation and Utilization of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Ecology, Zhejiang Normal University, PR China
| | - Xiaohong Xu
- Chemistry and Life Sciences College, Key Laboratory of Wildlife Biotechnology and Conservation and Utilization of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Ecology, Zhejiang Normal University, PR China.
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27
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Gerber L, Connor RC, King SL, Allen SJ, Wittwer S, Bizzozzero MR, Friedman WR, Kalberer S, Sherwin WB, Wild S, Willems EP, Krützen M. Affiliation history and age similarity predict alliance formation in adult male bottlenose dolphins. Behav Ecol 2020; 31:361-370. [PMID: 32210525 PMCID: PMC7083095 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arz195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2019] [Revised: 10/10/2019] [Accepted: 11/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Male alliances are an intriguing phenomenon in the context of reproduction since, in most taxa, males compete over an indivisible resource, female fertilization. Adult male bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) in Shark Bay, Western Australia, form long-term, multilevel alliances to sequester estrus females. These alliances are therefore critical to male reproductive success. Yet, the long-term processes leading to the formation of such complex social bonds are still poorly understood. To identify the criteria by which male dolphins form social bonds with other males, we adopted a long-term approach by investigating the ontogeny of alliance formation. We followed the individual careers of 59 males for 14 years while they transitioned from adolescence (8-14 years of age) to adulthood (15-21 years old). Analyzing their genetic relationships and social associations in both age groups, we found that the vast majority of social bonds present in adolescence persisted through time. Male associations in early life predict alliance partners as adults. Kinship patterns explained associations during adolescence but not during adulthood. Instead, adult males associated with males of similar age. Our findings suggest that social bonds among peers, rather than kinship, play a central role in the development of adult male polyadic cooperation in dolphins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Livia Gerber
- Department of Anthropology, Evolutionary Genetics Group, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Stephanie L King
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- School of Biological Sciences and Oceans Institute, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Simon J Allen
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- School of Biological Sciences and Oceans Institute, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Samuel Wittwer
- Department of Anthropology, Evolutionary Genetics Group, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Manuela R Bizzozzero
- Department of Anthropology, Evolutionary Genetics Group, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Whitney R Friedman
- National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
- Department of Cognitive Science, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | | | - William B Sherwin
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Sonja Wild
- Center for the Advanced Study of Collective Behavior, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Cognitive and Cultural Ecology Lab, Max Planck Institute for Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Germany
| | - Erik P Willems
- Department of Anthropology, Evolutionary Genetics Group, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Michael Krützen
- Department of Anthropology, Evolutionary Genetics Group, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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28
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VanRyzin JW, Marquardt AE, McCarthy MM. Assessing Rough-and-tumble Play Behavior in Juvenile Rats. Bio Protoc 2020; 10:e3481. [PMID: 33654714 DOI: 10.21769/bioprotoc.3481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2019] [Revised: 11/23/2019] [Accepted: 12/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Play is a complex social behavior that is highly conserved across mammals. In most species, males engage in more frequent and vigorous play as juveniles than females, which reflects subtle yet impactful sex differences in brain circuitry and development. In this protocol, we describe a behavioral testing paradigm to assess social play in male and female juvenile rats. We highlight the behavior scoring criteria for distinguishing rough-and-tumble play from other play-related social behaviors. By analyzing both sexes, play behavior can be leveraged as a powerful tool to understand the sex-specific development and expression of social behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan W VanRyzin
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Ashley E Marquardt
- Program in Neuroscience, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Margaret M McCarthy
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America.,Program in Neuroscience, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
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29
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Social play changes reflect differences in biology and development of three felids. RUSSIAN JOURNAL OF THERIOLOGY 2019. [DOI: 10.15298/rusjtheriol.18.2.02] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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30
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Mossa A, Manzini MC. Molecular causes of sex-specific deficits in rodent models of neurodevelopmental disorders. J Neurosci Res 2019; 99:37-56. [PMID: 31872500 PMCID: PMC7754327 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.24577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2019] [Revised: 11/02/2019] [Accepted: 12/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) such as intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder consistently show a male bias in prevalence, but it remains unclear why males and females are affected with different frequency. While many behavioral studies of transgenic NDD models have focused only on males, the requirement by the National Institutes of Health to consider sex as a biological variable has promoted the comparison of male and female performance in wild-type and mutant animals. Here, we review examples of rodent models of NDDs in which sex-specific deficits were identified in molecular, physiological, and/or behavioral responses, showing sex differences in susceptibility to disruption of genes mutated in NDDs. Haploinsufficiency in genes involved in mechanisms such as synaptic function (GABRB3 and NRXN1), chromatin remodeling (CHD8, EMHT1, and ADNP), and intracellular signaling (CC2D1A and ERK1) lead to more severe behavioral outcomes in males. However, in the absence of behavioral deficits, females can still present with cellular and electrophysiological changes that could be due to compensatory mechanisms or differential allocation of molecular and cellular functions in the two sexes. By contrasting these findings with mouse models where females are more severely affected (MTHFR and AMBRA1), we propose a framework to approach the study of sex-specific deficits possibly leading to sex bias in NDDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adele Mossa
- Child Health Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - M Chiara Manzini
- Child Health Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ, USA.,Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
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31
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Gil M, Torres-Reveron A, Ramirez AC, Maldonado O, VandeBerg JL, de Erausquin GA. Influence of biological sex on social behavior, individual recogntion, and non-associative learning in the adult gray short-tailed opossum (Monodelphis domestica). Physiol Behav 2019; 211:112659. [PMID: 31465782 PMCID: PMC7028220 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2019.112659] [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: 05/27/2019] [Revised: 08/06/2019] [Accepted: 08/18/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Social behavior is critical for relationship formation and is influenced by myriad environmental and individual factors. Basic and preclinical research typically relies on rodent models to identify the mechanisms that underlie behavior; however, it is important to use non-rodent models as well. A major objective of the present study was to test the hypothesis that biological sex and social experience modulate the expression of social behavior in the adult gray short-tailed opossum (Monodelphis domestica), a non-traditional model. We also investigated the non-associative learning abilities of these animals. Following a period of social isolation, animals of both sexes were paired with a non-familiar, same-sex partner for 10 min on three different occasions, with 24-hour inter-trial intervals. We are the first research group to find significant sex differences in submissive and nonsocial behaviors in Monodelphis. Females displayed significantly higher durations of nonsocial behavior that increased over trials. Males were more aggressive; their latencies to the first attack and submissive behavior decreased over trials whereas these latencies increased for females; males' duration of submissive behavior increased over trials whereas it decreased for females. A different group of subjects habituated in response to repeated presentations to neutral odors and dishabituated in response to novel odors. In addition, both males and females demonstrated the ability to form social memories in a standard individual (social) recognition test. Our results contribute to the characterization of this marsupial species, an important first step in developing it as a model of complex social behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario Gil
- Department of Psychological Science, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Brownsville, TX 78520, United States of America; Department of Neuroscience, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine, Brownsville, TX 78520, United States of America; The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine, Edinburg, TX 78539, United States of America.
| | - Annelyn Torres-Reveron
- Department of Neuroscience, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine, Brownsville, TX 78520, United States of America; Department of Human Genetics, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine, Brownsville, TX 78520, United States of America; The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine, Edinburg, TX 78539, United States of America
| | - Ana C Ramirez
- Department of Psychological Science, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Brownsville, TX 78520, United States of America; Department of Psychiatry, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, United States of America
| | - Oscar Maldonado
- Department of Neuroscience, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine, Brownsville, TX 78520, United States of America
| | - John L VandeBerg
- Department of Human Genetics, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine, Brownsville, TX 78520, United States of America; South Texas Diabetes and Obesity Institute, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine, Brownsville, TX 78520, United States of America; The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine, Edinburg, TX 78539, United States of America
| | - Gabriel A de Erausquin
- Department of Neuroscience, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine, Brownsville, TX 78520, United States of America; Department of Psychiatry and Neurology, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine, Harlingen, TX 78550, United States of America
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32
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AY O, OI O, FO Y, AM A, IO A, OJ O. Oral Monosodium Glutamate Differentially Affects Open-Field Behaviours, Behavioural Despair and Place Preference in Male and Female Mice. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019. [DOI: 10.2174/2211556008666181213160527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Background:
Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is a flavour enhancer which induces
behavioural changes in animals. However the influence of sex on the behavioural response
to MSG has not been investigated.
Objective:
The sex-differential effects of MSG on open-field behaviours, anxiety-related
behaviour, behavioural despair, place-preference, and plasma/brain glutamate levels in
adult mice were assessed.
Methods:
Mice were assigned to three groups (1-3), based on the models used to assess
behaviours. Animals in group 1 were for the elevated-plus maze and tail-suspension paradigms,
group 2 for the open-field and forced-swim paradigms, while mice in group 3 were
for observation in the conditioned place preference paradigm. Mice in all groups were further
assigned into five subgroups (10 males and 10 females), and administered vehicle (distilled
water at 10 ml/kg) or one of four doses of MSG (20, 40, 80 and 160 mg/kg) daily for
6 weeks, following which they were exposed to the behavioural paradigms. At the end of
the behavioural tests, the animals were sacrificed, and blood was taken for estimation of
glutamate levels. The brains were also homogenised for estimation of glutamate levels.
Results:
MSG was associated with a reduction in locomotion in males and females (except
at 160 mg/kg, male), an anxiolytic response in females, an anxiogenic response in males,
and decreased behavioural despair in both sexes (females more responsive). Postconditioning
MSG-associated place-preference was significantly higher in females. Plasma/
brain glutamate was not significantly different between sexes.
Conclusion:
Repeated MSG administration alters a range of behaviours in a sex-dependent
manner in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Onaolapo AY
- Behavioural Neuroscience/Neurobiology Unit, Department of Anatomy, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomosho, Oyo State, Nigeria
| | - Olawore OI
- Behavioural Neuroscience/Neurobiology Unit, Department of Anatomy, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomosho, Oyo State, Nigeria
| | - Yusuf FO
- Behavioural Neuroscience/Neurobiology Unit, Department of Anatomy, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomosho, Oyo State, Nigeria
| | - Adeyemo AM
- Behavioural Neuroscience/Neurobiology Unit, Department of Anatomy, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomosho, Oyo State, Nigeria
| | - Adewole IO
- Behavioural Neuroscience/Neuropharmacology Unit, Department of Pharmacology, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria
| | - Onaolapo OJ
- Behavioural Neuroscience/Neuropharmacology Unit, Department of Pharmacology, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria
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Grebe NM, Fitzpatrick C, Sharrock K, Starling A, Drea CM. Organizational and activational androgens, lemur social play, and the ontogeny of female dominance. Horm Behav 2019; 115:104554. [PMID: 31276664 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2019.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2019] [Revised: 06/06/2019] [Accepted: 07/01/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The role of androgens in shaping "masculine" traits in males is a core focus in behavioral endocrinology, but relatively little is known about an androgenic role in female aggression and social dominance. In mammalian models of female dominance, including the ring-tailed lemur (Lemur catta), links to androgens in adulthood are variable. We studied the development of ring-tailed lemurs to address the behavioral basis and ontogenetic mechanisms of female dominance. We measured behavior and serum androgen concentrations in 24 lemurs (8 males, 16 females) from infancy to early adulthood, and assessed their 'prenatal' androgen milieu using serum samples obtained from their mothers during gestation. Because logistical constraints limited the frequency of infant blood sampling, we accounted for asynchrony between behavioral and postnatal hormone measurements via imputation procedures. Imputation was unnecessary for prenatal hormone measurements. The typical sex difference in androgen concentrations in young lemurs was consistent with adult conspecifics and most other mammals; however, we found no significant sex differences in rough-and-tumble play. Female (but not male) aggression increased beginning at approximately 15 months, coincident with female puberty. In our analyses relating sexually differentiated behavior to androgens, we found no relationship with activational hormones, but several significant relationships with organizational hormones. Notably, associations of prenatal androstenedione and testosterone with behavior were differentiated, both by offspring sex and by type of behavior within offspring sexes. We discuss the importance of considering (1) missing data in behavioral endocrinology research, and (2) organizational androgens other than testosterone in studies of female dominance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas M Grebe
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
| | | | - Katherine Sharrock
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Anne Starling
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Christine M Drea
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA; Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA; University Program in Ecology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
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34
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Perkins AE, Varlinskaya EI, Deak T. From adolescence to late aging: A comprehensive review of social behavior, alcohol, and neuroinflammation across the lifespan. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2019; 148:231-303. [PMID: 31733665 DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2019.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The passage of time dictates the pace at which humans and other organisms age but falls short of providing a complete portrait of how environmental, lifestyle and underlying biological processes contribute to senescence. Two fundamental features of the human experience that change dramatically across the lifespan include social interactions and, for many, patterns of alcohol consumption. Rodent models show great utility for understanding complex interactions among aging, social behavior and alcohol use and abuse, yet little is known about the neural changes in late aging that contribute to the natural decline in social behavior. Here, we posit that aging-related neuroinflammation contributes to the insipid loss of social motivation across the lifespan, an effect that is exacerbated by patterns of repeated alcohol consumption observed in many individuals. We provide a comprehensive review of (i) neural substrates crucial for the expression of social behavior under non-pathological conditions; (ii) unique developmental/lifespan vulnerabilities that may contribute to the divergent effects of low-and high-dose alcohol exposure; and (iii) aging-associated changes in neuroinflammation that may sit at the intersection between social processes and alcohol exposure. In doing so, we provide an overview of correspondence between lifespan/developmental periods between common rodent models and humans, give careful consideration to model systems used to aptly probe social behavior, identify points of coherence between human and animal models, and point toward a multitude of unresolved issues that should be addressed in future studies. Together, the combination of low-dose and high-dose alcohol effects serve to disrupt the normal development and maintenance of social relationships, which are critical for both healthy aging and quality of life across the lifespan. Thus, a more complete understanding of neural systems-including neuroinflammatory processes-which contribute to alcohol-induced changes in social behavior will provide novel opportunities and targets for promoting healthy aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy E Perkins
- Developmental Exposure Alcohol Research Center, Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, Binghamton University-SUNY, Binghamton, NY, United States
| | - Elena I Varlinskaya
- Developmental Exposure Alcohol Research Center, Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, Binghamton University-SUNY, Binghamton, NY, United States
| | - Terrence Deak
- Developmental Exposure Alcohol Research Center, Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, Binghamton University-SUNY, Binghamton, NY, United States.
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35
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Thompson NA, Cords M. Early life maternal sociality predicts juvenile sociality in blue monkeys. Am J Primatol 2019; 82:e23039. [PMID: 31373721 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2019] [Revised: 06/13/2019] [Accepted: 07/14/2019] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Maternal effects are widespread in living organisms though little is known about whether they shape individual affiliative social behavior in primates. Further, it remains a question whether maternal effects on affiliative behavior differ by offspring sex, as they do in other physiological systems, especially in species with high levels of adult sexual dimorphism and divergence in social niches. We explored how direct and indirect experiences of maternal affiliative behavior during infancy predicted affiliative behavior approximately 1-6 years later during the juvenile period, using behavioral data from 41 wild blue monkey juveniles and their 29 mothers, and controlling for individual age, sex, and maternal rank. Female juveniles spent less time grooming with any partner and with peers the more maternal grooming they received during infancy, whereas males groomed more with any partner and with peers. Similarly, the more that mothers groomed with other adult females during subjects' infancy, female subjects played less with peers, and male subjects played more as juveniles. Further, this maternal effect on social behavior appears specific to early life, as the same aspects of mothers' sociality measured throughout subjects' development did not predict juvenile behavior. Overall, our results suggest that both direct and indirect experience of mother's affiliative behavior during infancy influence an individual's affiliation later in life that sexes respond differently to the maternal affiliation, and that the first year of life is a critical window.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole A Thompson
- Department of Ecology Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, New York.,New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, New York.,Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico
| | - Marina Cords
- Department of Ecology Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, New York.,New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, New York
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36
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Luoto S, Krams I, Rantala MJ. A Life History Approach to the Female Sexual Orientation Spectrum: Evolution, Development, Causal Mechanisms, and Health. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2019; 48:1273-1308. [PMID: 30229521 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-018-1261-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2017] [Revised: 05/29/2018] [Accepted: 06/14/2018] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Women's capacity for sexual fluidity is at least as interesting a phenomenon from the point of view of evolutionary biology and behavioral endocrinology as exclusively homosexual orientation. Evolutionary hypotheses for female nonheterosexuality have failed to fully account for the existence of these different categories of nonheterosexual women, while also overlooking broader data on the causal mechanisms, physiology, ontogeny, and phylogeny of female nonheterosexuality. We review the evolutionary-developmental origins of various phenotypes in the female sexual orientation spectrum using the synergistic approach of Tinbergen's four questions. We also present femme-specific and butch-specific hypotheses at proximate and ultimate levels of analysis. This review article indicates that various nonheterosexual female phenotypes emerge from and contribute to hormonally mediated fast life history strategies. Life history theory provides a biobehavioral explanatory framework for nonheterosexual women's masculinized body morphology, psychological dispositions, and their elevated likelihood of experiencing violence, substance use, obesity, teenage pregnancy, and lower general health. This pattern of life outcomes can create a feedback loop of environmental unpredictability and harshness which destabilizes intrauterine hormonal conditions in mothers, leading to a greater likelihood of fast life history strategies, global health problems, and nonheterosexual preferences in female offspring. We further explore the potential of female nonheterosexuality to function as an alloparental buffer that enables masculinizing alleles to execute their characteristic fast life history strategies as they appear in the female and the male phenotype. Synthesizing life history theory with the female sexual orientation spectrum enriches existing scientific knowledge on the evolutionary-developmental mechanisms of human sex differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Severi Luoto
- English, Drama and Writing Studies, University of Auckland, Arts 1, Building 206, Room 616, 14A Symonds St., Auckland, 1010, New Zealand.
- School of Psychology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
| | - Indrikis Krams
- Department of Zoology and Animal Ecology, University of Latvia, Riga, Latvia
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Markus J Rantala
- Department of Biology & Turku Brain and Mind Center, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
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37
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Gore AC, Krishnan K, Reilly MP. Endocrine-disrupting chemicals: Effects on neuroendocrine systems and the neurobiology of social behavior. Horm Behav 2019; 111:7-22. [PMID: 30476496 PMCID: PMC6527472 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2018.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2018] [Revised: 10/25/2018] [Accepted: 11/14/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
A contribution to SBN/ICN special issue. Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are pervasive in the environment. They are found in plastics and plasticizers (bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates), in industrial chemicals such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and include some pesticides and fungicides such as vinclozolin. These chemicals act on hormone receptors and their downstream signaling pathways, and can interfere with hormone synthesis, metabolism, and actions. Because the developing brain is particularly sensitive to endogenous hormones, disruptions by EDCs can change neural circuits that form during periods of brain organization. Here, we review the evidence that EDCs affect developing hypothalamic neuroendocrine systems, and change behavioral outcomes in juvenile, adolescent, and adult life in exposed individuals, and even in their descendants. Our focus is on social, communicative and sociosexual behaviors, as how an individual behaves with a same- or opposite-sex conspecific determines that individual's ability to exist in a community, be selected as a mate, and reproduce successfully.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea C Gore
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
| | - Krittika Krishnan
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Michael P Reilly
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
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38
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Holman PJ, Baglot SL, Morgan E, Weinberg J. Effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on social competence: Asymmetry in play partner preference among heterogeneous triads of male and female rats. Dev Psychobiol 2019; 61:513-524. [PMID: 30843198 DOI: 10.1002/dev.21842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2018] [Revised: 12/03/2018] [Accepted: 12/27/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Social behavior deficits associated with prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) are frequently described in terms of impaired social competence, which can be defined as the effectiveness in social interaction and the ability to employ social skills successfully within different interpersonal contexts. Play behavior-which peaks during adolescence-is critical for developing social competence, as well as for motor, cognitive, and emotional development. Studies of play behavior typically utilize protocols where animals interact in dyads. However, less is understood about how the social environment may shape PAE-related social behavior deficits, particularly in more complex social contexts. Here, we assess play partner preference utilizing a novel approach in which adolescent male and female animals interact within same-sex triads comprised of animals from mixed prenatal treatments to determine how play partner identity and social group composition interact to shape behavior. When triads included one PAE animal and two control animals (i.e., control animals had the option to play either with a fellow control or a PAE playmate), we observed play target asymmetry whereby controls preferentially played with fellow controls. Notably, these results were consistent for triads of both males and females, with subtle differences in frequency of initiations versus reciprocations. We found no play target asymmetry, however, when triads included two PAE animals and one control animal or different configurations of control and pair-fed animals. Taken together, play target asymmetry resulting from ineffective social interactions, including a failure to engage with, respond to, and/or solicit play from control play partners appropriately, suggests that PAE negatively impacts the development of social competence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parker J Holman
- Department of Cellular & Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Samantha L Baglot
- Department of Cellular & Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Erin Morgan
- Department of Cellular & Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Joanne Weinberg
- Department of Cellular & Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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39
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Chang L, Kigar SL, Ho JH, Cuarenta A, Gunderson HC, Baldo BA, Bakshi VP, Auger AP. Early life stress alters opioid receptor mRNA levels within the nucleus accumbens in a sex-dependent manner. Brain Res 2018; 1710:102-108. [PMID: 30594547 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2018.12.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2018] [Revised: 09/10/2018] [Accepted: 12/26/2018] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Early life stress (ELS) strongly impacts mental health, but little is known about its interaction with biological sex and postnatal development to influence risk and resilience to psychopathologies. A number of psychiatric disorders, such as social anhedonia and drug addiction, involve dysfunctional opioid signaling; moreover, there is evidence for differential central opioid function in males vs. females. The present study examined opioid receptor gene expression in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) and amygdala of male and female rats subjected to a neonatal predator odor exposure (POE) paradigm to model ELS. Brain tissue was collected at two developmental time points: neonatal and juvenile. Results showed that, following the neonatal POE experience, opioid receptor mRNA levels in the NAc were differentially regulated at the neonatal and juvenile time points. POE downregulated neonatal mu- and kappa-opioid receptor mRNA levels in neonatal females, but upregulated mu- and delta-opioid receptor mRNA levels in juvenile females. Intriguingly, POE had no significant effect on NAc opioid receptor mRNA levels in males at either time point, indicating that the impact of POE on opioid system development is sex-dependent. Finally, POE failed to alter amygdalar opioid receptor gene expression in either sex at either time-point. The spatiotemporally- and sex-specific impact of ELS within the developing brain may confer differential risk or resilience for males and females to develop atypical opioid-regulated behaviors associated with conditions such as depression and addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liza Chang
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, United States.
| | - Stacey L Kigar
- Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology Training Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, United States
| | - Jasmine H Ho
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, United States
| | - Amelia Cuarenta
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, United States
| | - Haley C Gunderson
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, United States
| | - Brian A Baldo
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, United States; Neuroscience Training Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, United States
| | - Vaishali P Bakshi
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, United States; Neuroscience Training Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, United States
| | - Anthony P Auger
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, United States; Neuroscience Training Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, United States.
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40
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Edwards KA, Madden AM, Zup SL. Serotonin receptor regulation as a potential mechanism for sexually dimorphic oxytocin dysregulation in a model of Autism. Brain Res 2018; 1701:85-92. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2018.07.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2018] [Revised: 07/05/2018] [Accepted: 07/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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41
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Holman PJ, Ellis L, Morgan E, Weinberg J. Prenatal alcohol exposure disrupts male adolescent social behavior and oxytocin receptor binding in rodents. Horm Behav 2018; 105:115-127. [PMID: 30110605 PMCID: PMC6246826 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2018.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2018] [Revised: 07/21/2018] [Accepted: 08/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Social behavior deficits resulting from prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) emerge early in life and become more pronounced across development. Maturational changes associated with adolescence, including pubertal onset, can have significant consequences for social behavior development, making adolescence a unique period of increased vulnerability to social behavior dysfunction. Unfortunately, little is known about the underlying neurobiology supporting PAE-related social behavior impairments, particularly in the context of adolescence, when the transition to a more complex social environment may exacerbate existing deficits in social behavior function. Here we perform a comprehensive evaluation of social behavior development in PAE animals during two different periods in adolescence using three separate but related tests of social behavior in increasingly complex social contexts: the social interaction test, the social recognition memory test (i.e. habituation-dishabituation test), and the social discrimination test. Additionally, we investigated the underlying neurobiology of the oxytocin (OT) and vasopressin (AVP) systems following PAE, given their well-documented role in mediating social behavior. Our results demonstrate that compared to controls, early adolescent PAE animals showed impairments on the social recognition memory test and increased OT receptor binding in limbic networks, while late adolescent PAE animals exhibited impairments on the social discrimination test and increased OTR binding in forebrain reward systems. Taken together, these data indicate that PAE impairs adolescent social behavior - especially with increasing complexity of the social context - and that impairments are associated with altered development of the OT but not the AVP system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parker J Holman
- Department of Cellular & Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
| | - Linda Ellis
- Department of Cellular & Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Erin Morgan
- Department of Cellular & Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Joanne Weinberg
- Department of Cellular & Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
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42
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Northcutt KV, Nwankwo VC. Sex differences in juvenile play behavior differ among rat strains. Dev Psychobiol 2018; 60:903-912. [DOI: 10.1002/dev.21760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2017] [Revised: 02/06/2018] [Accepted: 06/01/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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43
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Bell MR. Comparing Postnatal Development of Gonadal Hormones and Associated Social Behaviors in Rats, Mice, and Humans. Endocrinology 2018; 159:2596-2613. [PMID: 29767714 PMCID: PMC6692888 DOI: 10.1210/en.2018-00220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 141] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2018] [Accepted: 05/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Postnatal development includes dramatic changes in gonadal hormones and the many social behaviors they help regulate, both in rodents and humans. Parental care-seeking is the most salient social interaction in neonates and infants, play and prosocial behaviors are commonly studied in juveniles, and the development of aggression and sexual behavior begins in peripubertal stages but continues through late adolescence into adulthood. Although parental behaviors are shown after reproductive success in adulthood, alloparenting behaviors are actually high in juveniles as well. These behaviors are sensitive to both early-life organizational effects of gonadal hormones and later-life activational regulation. However, changes in circulating gonadal hormones and the display of the previous behaviors over development differ between rats, mice, and humans. These endpoints are of interest to endocrinologist, toxicologists, and neuroscientists because of their relevance to mental health disorders and their vulnerability to effects of endocrine-disrupting chemical exposure. As such, the goal of this mini-review is to succinctly describe and relate the postnatal development of gonadal hormones and social behaviors to each other, over time, and across animal models. Ideally, this will help identify appropriate animal models and age ranges for continued study of both normative development and in contexts of environmental disruption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret R Bell
- Department of Biological Sciences, DePaul University, Chicago, Illinois
- Department of Health Sciences, DePaul University, Chicago, Illinois
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44
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McDonnell-Dowling K, Miczek KA. Alcohol, psychomotor-stimulants and behaviour: methodological considerations in preclinical models of early-life stress. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2018; 235:909-933. [PMID: 29511806 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-018-4852-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2017] [Accepted: 02/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In order to assess the risk associated with early-life stress, there has been an increase in the amount of preclinical studies investigating early-life stress. There are many challenges associated with investigating early-life stress in animal models and ensuring that such models are appropriate and clinically relevant. OBJECTIVES The purpose of this review is to highlight the methodological considerations in the design of preclinical studies investigating the effects of early-life stress on alcohol and psychomotor-stimulant intake and behaviour. METHODS The protocols employed for exploring early-life stress were investigated and summarised. Experimental variables include animals, stress models, and endpoints employed. RESULTS The findings in this paper suggest that there is little consistency among these studies and so the interpretation of these results may not be as clinically relevant as previously thought. CONCLUSION The standardisation of these simple stress procedures means that results will be more comparable between studies and that results generated will give us a more robust understanding of what can and may be happening in the human and veterinary clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Klaus A Miczek
- Department of Psychology, Tufts University, 530 Boston Avenue, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
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45
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Miranda A, Sousa N. Maternal hormonal milieu influence on fetal brain development. Brain Behav 2018; 8:e00920. [PMID: 29484271 PMCID: PMC5822586 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2017] [Revised: 11/15/2017] [Accepted: 12/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
An adverse maternal hormonal environment during pregnancy can be associated with abnormal brain growth. Subtle changes in fetal brain development have been observed even for maternal hormone levels within the currently accepted physiologic ranges. In this review, we provide an update of the research data on maternal hormonal impact on fetal neurodevelopment, giving particular emphasis to thyroid hormones and glucocorticoids. Thyroid hormones are required for normal brain development. Despite serum TSH appearing to be the most accurate indicator of thyroid function in pregnancy, maternal serum free T4 levels in the first trimester of pregnancy are the major determinant of postnatal psychomotor development. Even a transient period of maternal hypothyroxinemia at the beginning of neurogenesis can confer a higher risk of expressive language and nonverbal cognitive delays in offspring. Nevertheless, most recent clinical guidelines advocate for targeted high-risk case finding during first trimester of pregnancy despite universal thyroid function screening. Corticosteroids are determinant in suppressing cell proliferation and stimulating terminal differentiation, a fundamental switch for the maturation of fetal organs. Not surprisingly, intrauterine exposure to stress or high levels of glucocorticoids, endogenous or synthetic, has a molecular and structural impact on brain development and appears to impair cognition and increase anxiety and reactivity to stress. Limbic regions, such as hippocampus and amygdala, are particularly sensitive. Repeated doses of prenatal corticosteroids seem to have short-term benefits of less respiratory distress and fewer serious health problems in offspring. Nevertheless, neurodevelopmental growth in later childhood and adulthood needs further clarification. Future studies should address the relevance of monitoring the level of thyroid hormones and corticosteroids during pregnancy in the risk stratification for impaired postnatal neurodevelopment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Miranda
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS)School of MedicineUniversity of MinhoBragaPortugal
- ICVS/3B's ‐ PT Government Associate LaboratoryBraga/GuimarãesPortugal
- Department of Obstetrics and GynecologyHospital de BragaBragaPortugal
| | - Nuno Sousa
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS)School of MedicineUniversity of MinhoBragaPortugal
- ICVS/3B's ‐ PT Government Associate LaboratoryBraga/GuimarãesPortugal
- Clinic Academic Center ‐ 2CABragaPortugal
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46
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Smith SG, Northcutt KV. Perinatal hypothyroidism increases play behaviors in juvenile rats. Horm Behav 2018; 98:1-7. [PMID: 29174305 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2017.11.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2017] [Revised: 10/19/2017] [Accepted: 11/20/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Thyroid hormones play an instrumental role in the development of the central nervous system. During early development, the fetus is dependent on maternal thyroid hormone production due to the dysfunction of its own thyroid gland. Thus, maternal thyroid dysfunction has been shown to elicit significant abnormalities in neural development, neurochemistry, and behavior in offspring. Previous reports have suggested that human maternal hypothyroidism may increase the chances of having children with autism spectrum disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. However, very few studies have evaluated social behaviors in animal models of perinatal hypothyroidism. To evaluate the possibility that hypothyroidism during development influences the expression one of the most commonly observed non-reproductive social behaviors, juvenile play, we used the validated rat model of perinatal hypothyroidism by methimazole administration (MMI; 0.025% in drinking water) from GD12-PD23. Control animals had regular drinking water. During adolescence (PD33-35), we tested subjects for juvenile play behavior by introducing them to a same-sex, unfamiliar (since weaning) littermate for 30min. Play behaviors and other behaviors (sleep, social contact, locomotion) were then scored. MMI-treated subjects played more than twice as much as control animals, and the increase in some behaviors was particularly dramatic in males. Locomotor and other affiliative social behaviors were unaffected. These data suggest that perinatal hypothyroidism may alter the organization of the neural networks regulating play behaviors, but not other social behaviors. Moreover, this implicates perinatal hypothyroidism as a potential etiological factor in the development of neurobehavioral disorders, particularly those characterized by heightened social interactions and impulsivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Spencer G Smith
- Department of Biology, Mercer University, Macon, GA 31207, United States
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Zaccaroni M, Massolo A, Della Seta D, Farabollini F, Giannelli G, Fusani L, Dessì-Fulgheri F. Developmental Exposure to Low Levels of Ethinylestradiol Affects Play Behavior in Juvenile Female Rats. Neurotox Res 2017; 33:876-886. [PMID: 29260494 DOI: 10.1007/s12640-017-9852-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2016] [Revised: 12/10/2017] [Accepted: 12/11/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Juvenile social play contributes to the development of adult social and emotional skills in humans and non-human animals, and is therefore a useful endpoint to study the effects of endocrine disrupters on behavior in animal models. Ethinylestradiol (EE2) is a widely produced, powerful synthetic estrogen that is widespread in the environment mainly because is a component of the contraceptive pill. In addition, fetuses may be exposed to EE2 when pregnancy is undetected during contraceptive treatment. To understand whether exposure to EE2 during gestation or lactation affects social play, we exposed 72 female Sprague-Dawley rats to EE2 or vehicle either during gestation (gestation day (GD) 5 through GD 20) or during lactation (from postnatal day (PND) 1 through PND 21). Two doses of EE2 were used to treat the dams: a lower dose in the range of possible environmental exposure (4 ng/kg/day) and a higher dose equivalent to that received during contraceptive treatment (400 ng/kg/day). Behavioral testing was carried out between PND 40 and 45. A principal component analysis of frequencies of behavioral items observed during play sessions identified three main components: defensive-like play, aggressive-like play, and exploration. Aggressive-like play was significantly increased by both doses of EE2, and the gestational administration was in general more effective than the lactational one. Defensive-like play and exploration were not significantly affected by treatment. This research showed that low and very low doses of EE2 that mimic clinical or environmental exposure during development can affect important aspects of social behavior even during restricted time windows.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Zaccaroni
- Department di Biology, University of Firenze, Florence, Italy.
| | - Alessandro Massolo
- Ethology Unit, Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.,Laboratoire Chrono-environnement, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Besançon, France
| | - Daniele Della Seta
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Neuroscience University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | | | | | - Leonida Fusani
- Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, and Konrad Lorenz Institute for Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
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Abstract
Brain development diverges in males and females in response to androgen production by the fetal testis. This sexual differentiation of the brain occurs during a sensitive window and induces enduring neuroanatomical and physiological changes that profoundly impact behavior. What we know about the contribution of sex chromosomes is still emerging, highlighting the need to integrate multiple factors into understanding sex differences, including the importance of context. The cellular mechanisms are best modeled in rodents and have provided both unifying principles and surprising specifics. Markedly distinct signaling pathways direct differentiation in specific brain regions, resulting in mosaicism of relative maleness, femaleness, and sameness through-out the brain, while canalization both exaggerates and constrains sex differences. Non-neuronal cells and inflammatory mediators are found in greater number and at higher levels in parts of male brains. This higher baseline of inflammation is speculated to increase male vulnerability to developmental neuropsychiatric disorders that are triggered by inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret M McCarthy
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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Li C, Frantz KJ. Abstinence environment contributes to age differences in reinstatement of cocaine seeking between adolescent and adult male rats. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2017; 158:49-56. [PMID: 28601602 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2017.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2016] [Revised: 06/02/2017] [Accepted: 06/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Extinction responding and cue-induced reinstatement of cocaine seeking after 60-days of forced abstinence are attenuated in male rats that self-administered cocaine during adolescence, compared with adults. Given that environmental enrichment during abstinence decreases reinstatement among adults, a possible explanation for attenuated reinstatement among adolescents is that standard pair-housing in prior studies creates a more stimulating environment for younger rats. OBJECTIVE Therefore, we tested whether standard pair-housing is necessary for the attenuated reinstatement among adolescents by determining whether an impoverished environment during abstinence would increase reinstatement among adolescents, up to adult levels. Conversely, we also tested whether environmental enrichment could further decrease reinstatement among adolescents, and whether we could replicate effects of environmental enrichment to decrease reinstatement among adults down to adolescent levels (positive controls). METHODS Adolescent and adult male Wistar rats self-administered cocaine intravenously for 12days (fixed ratio 1; 0.36mg/kg per infusion; 2h sessions). Rats were then moved into enriched (grouped, large cages, novel toys), standard (pair-housed, shoebox cages), or impoverished (isolated, hanging cages) housing conditions. After 60days, extinction and cue-induced reinstatement of cocaine seeking were tested, followed by drug-primed reinstatement (0, 5, 10mg/kg cocaine, i.p.). RESULTS Consistent with previous results, extinction and cue-induced reinstatement were attenuated in adolescent-onset groups compared with adults; this age difference also extended to drug-primed reinstatement. In support of the present hypothesis, an impoverished environment during abstinence increased reinstatement among adolescents to levels that were not different from adult standard-housing levels. CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that abstinence environment influences the enduring effects of cocaine among adolescents as well as adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Li
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, PO Box 5030, Atlanta, GA 30302-5030, United States
| | - Kyle J Frantz
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, PO Box 5030, Atlanta, GA 30302-5030, United States.
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McCarthy MM, Wright CL. Convergence of Sex Differences and the Neuroimmune System in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Biol Psychiatry 2017; 81:402-410. [PMID: 27871670 PMCID: PMC5285451 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2016.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2016] [Revised: 09/14/2016] [Accepted: 10/04/2016] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
The male bias in autism spectrum disorder incidence is among the most extreme of all neuropsychiatric disorders, yet the origins of the sex difference remain obscure. Developmentally, males are exposed to high levels of testosterone and its byproduct, estradiol. Together these steroids modify the course of brain development by altering neurogenesis, cell death, migration, differentiation, dendritic and axonal growth, synaptogenesis, and synaptic pruning, all of which can be deleteriously impacted during the course of developmental neuropsychiatric disorders. Elucidating the cellular mechanisms by which steroids modulate brain development provides valuable insights into how these processes may go awry. An emerging theme is the role of inflammatory signaling molecules and the innate immune system in directing brain masculinization, the evidence for which we review here. Evidence is also emerging that the neuroimmune system is overactivated in individuals with autism spectrum disorder. These combined observations lead us to propose that the natural process of brain masculinization puts males at risk by moving them closer to a vulnerability threshold that could more easily be breached by inflammation during critical periods of brain development. Two brain regions are highlighted: the preoptic area and the cerebellum. Both are developmentally regulated by the inflammatory prostaglandin E2, but in different ways. Microglia, innate immune cells of the brain, and astrocytes are also critical contributors to masculinization and illustrate the importance of nonneuronal cells to the health of the developing brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret M McCarthy
- Department of Pharmacology and Program in Neuroscience, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.
| | - Christopher L Wright
- Department of Pharmacology and Program in Neuroscience, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
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