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Bratzu J, Ciscato M, Pisanu A, Talani G, Frau R, Porcu P, Diana M, Fumagalli F, Romualdi P, Rullo L, Trezza V, Ciccocioppo R, Sanna F, Fattore L. Communal nesting differentially attenuates the impact of pre-weaning social isolation on behavior in male and female rats during adolescence and adulthood. Front Behav Neurosci 2023; 17:1257417. [PMID: 37915532 PMCID: PMC10616881 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1257417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Early social isolation (ESI) disrupts neurodevelopmental processes, potentially leading to long-lasting emotional and cognitive changes in adulthood. Communal nesting (CN), i.e., the sharing of parental responsibilities between multiple individuals in a nest, creates a socially enriching environment known to impact social and anxiety-related behaviors. Methods This study examines the effects of (i) the CN condition and of (ii) ESI during the 3rd week of life (i.e., pre-weaning ESI) on motor, cognitive, and emotional domains during adolescence and adulthood in male and female rats reared in the two different housing conditions, as well as (iii) the potential of CN to mitigate the impact of ESI on offspring. Results We found that in a spontaneous locomotor activity test, females exhibited higher activity levels compared to males. In female groups, adolescents reared in standard housing (SH) condition spent less time in the center of the arena, suggestive of increased anxiety levels, while the CN condition increased the time spent in the center during adolescence, but not adulthood, independently from ESI. The prepulse inhibition (PPI) test showed a reduced PPI in ESI adolescent animals of both sexes and in adult males (but not in adult females), with CN restoring PPI in males, but not in adolescent females. Further, in the marble burying test SH-ESI adolescent males exhibited higher marble burying behavior than all other groups, suggestive of obsessive-compulsive traits. CN completely reversed this stress-induced effect. Interestingly, ESI and CN did not have a significant impact on burying behavior in adult animals of both sexes. Discussion Overall, our findings (i) assess the effects of ESI on locomotion, sensorimotor gating, and compulsive-like behaviors, (ii) reveal distinct vulnerabilities of males and females within these domains, and (iii) show how early-life social enrichment may successfully counteract some of the behavioral alterations induced by early-life social stress in a sex-dependent manner. This study strengthens the notion that social experiences during early-life can shape emotional and cognitive outcomes in adulthood, and points to the importance of social enrichment interventions for mitigating the negative effects of early social stress on neurodevelopment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Bratzu
- Neuroscience Institute, National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Cagliari, Italy
| | - Maria Ciscato
- Neuroscience Institute, National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Cagliari, Italy
| | - Augusta Pisanu
- Neuroscience Institute, National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Cagliari, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Talani
- Neuroscience Institute, National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Cagliari, Italy
| | - Roberto Frau
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Monserrato, Italy
| | - Patrizia Porcu
- Neuroscience Institute, National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Cagliari, Italy
| | - Marco Diana
- G.Minardi’ Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, CPMB Science Department, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
| | - Fabio Fumagalli
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences ‘Rodolfo Paoletti’, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Patrizia Romualdi
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Laura Rullo
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Viviana Trezza
- Department of Science, University “Roma Tre”, Rome, Italy
| | - Roberto Ciccocioppo
- School of Pharmacy, Center for Neuroscience, Pharmacology Unit, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Sanna
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Monserrato, Italy
| | - Liana Fattore
- Neuroscience Institute, National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Cagliari, Italy
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Bilecki W, Latusz J, Gawlińska K, Chmelova M, Maćkowiak M. Prenatal MAM treatment altered fear conditioning following social isolation: Relevance to schizophrenia. Behav Brain Res 2021; 406:113231. [PMID: 33737089 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Revised: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Adolescent social isolation (SI) might change the trajectory of brain development. In the present study, we investigated the effect of short-term adolescent SI on fear memory, anxiety and protein levels in the adult medial prefrontal cortex of rats prenatally treated with methylazoxymethanol, MAM-E17 model of schizophrenia. The animals were maintained in standard housing (SH) or social isolation (P30-P40, SI) conditions. Behavioural tests (trace or delay fear conditioning, light/dark box) were performed in late adolescence and early adulthood. The results showed that MAM treatment did not alter fear memory, which was investigated with the use of either trace or delay fear conditioning, at any age, and SI decreased the fear response in adult control animals only under trace conditioning. Neither MAM nor SI influenced anxiety-related behaviour measured in the light/dark box. A proteomics study showed that both MAM and SI changed the protein levels related to synapse maturation and cytoskeletal organization, energy transfer and metabolic processes. Prenatal or adolescent environmental factors are able to change the expression of proteins that are correlated with behavioural impairments. Moreover, SI reversed some alterations in proteins induced by MAM. Thus, normally developing brains showed different responses to adolescent SI than those with altering courses of MAM administration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wiktor Bilecki
- Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Department of Pharmacology, Laboratory of Pharmacology and Brain Biostructure, Smętna Str. 12, 31-343 Kraków, Poland
| | - Joachim Latusz
- Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Department of Pharmacology, Laboratory of Pharmacology and Brain Biostructure, Smętna Str. 12, 31-343 Kraków, Poland
| | - Kinga Gawlińska
- Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Department of Pharmacology, Laboratory of Pharmacology and Brain Biostructure, Smętna Str. 12, 31-343 Kraków, Poland
| | - Magdalena Chmelova
- Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Department of Pharmacology, Laboratory of Pharmacology and Brain Biostructure, Smętna Str. 12, 31-343 Kraków, Poland
| | - Marzena Maćkowiak
- Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Department of Pharmacology, Laboratory of Pharmacology and Brain Biostructure, Smętna Str. 12, 31-343 Kraków, Poland.
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Borgmann-Winter KE, Wang K, Bandyopadhyay S, Torshizi AD, Hahn CG, Hahn CG. The proteome and its dynamics: A missing piece for integrative multi-omics in schizophrenia. Schizophr Res 2020; 217:148-161. [PMID: 31416743 PMCID: PMC7500806 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2019.07.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2019] [Revised: 07/10/2019] [Accepted: 07/13/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The complex and heterogeneous pathophysiology of schizophrenia can be deconstructed by integration of large-scale datasets encompassing genes through behavioral phenotypes. Genome-wide datasets are now available for genetic, epigenetic and transcriptomic variations in schizophrenia, which are then analyzed by newly devised systems biology algorithms. A missing piece, however, is the inclusion of information on the proteome and its dynamics in schizophrenia. Proteomics has lagged behind omics of the genome, transcriptome and epigenome since analytic platforms were relatively less robust for proteins. There has been remarkable progress, however, in the instrumentation of liquid chromatography (LC) and mass spectrometry (MS) (LCMS), experimental paradigms and bioinformatics of the proteome. Here, we present a summary of methodological innovations of recent years in MS based proteomics and the power of new generation proteomics, review proteomics studies that have been conducted in schizophrenia to date, and propose how such data can be analyzed and integrated with other omics results. The function of a protein is determined by multiple molecular properties, i.e., subcellular localization, posttranslational modification (PTMs) and protein-protein interactions (PPIs). Incorporation of these properties poses additional challenges in proteomics and their integration with other omics; yet is a critical next step to close the loop of multi-omics integration. In sum, the recent advent of high-throughput proteome characterization technologies and novel mathematical approaches enable us to incorporate functional properties of the proteome to offer a comprehensive multi-omics based understanding of schizophrenia pathophysiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karin E. Borgmann-Winter
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3403,Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Kai Wang
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104,Raymond G. Perelman Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | | | - Abolfazl Doostparast Torshizi
- Raymond G. Perelman Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Chang-Gyu Hahn
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3403, United States of America.
| | - Chang-Gyu Hahn
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3403, United States of America.
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Mumtaz F, Khan MI, Zubair M, Dehpour AR. Neurobiology and consequences of social isolation stress in animal model-A comprehensive review. Biomed Pharmacother 2018; 105:1205-1222. [PMID: 30021357 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2018.05.086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 200] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2017] [Revised: 05/10/2018] [Accepted: 05/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The brain is a vital organ, susceptible to alterations under genetic influences and environmental experiences. Social isolation (SI) acts as a stressor which results in alterations in reactivity to stress, social behavior, function of neurochemical and neuroendocrine system, physiological, anatomical and behavioral changes in both animal and humans. During early stages of life, acute or chronic SIS has been proposed to show signs and symptoms of psychiatric and neurological disorders such as anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, epilepsy and memory loss. Exposure to social isolation stress induces a variety of endocrinological changes including the activation of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, culminating in the release of glucocorticoids (GCs), release of catecholamines, activation of the sympatho-adrenomedullary system, release of Oxytocin and vasopressin. In several regions of the central nervous system (CNS), SIS alters the level of neurotransmitter such as dopamine, serotonin, gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA), glutamate, nitrergic system and adrenaline as well as leads to alteration in receptor sensitivity of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) and opioid system. A change in the function of oxidative and nitrosative stress (O&NS) mediated mitochondrial dysfunction, inflammatory factors, neurotrophins and neurotrophicfactors (NTFs), early growth response transcription factor genes (Egr) and C-Fos expression are also involved as a pathophysiological consequences of SIS which induce neurological and psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Faiza Mumtaz
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Experimental Medicine Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Muhammad Imran Khan
- Department of Pharmacy, Kohat University of Science and Technology, 26000 Kohat, KPK, Pakistan; Drug Detoxification Health Welfare Research Center, Bannu, KPK, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Zubair
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Crop Diseases and Pests, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agriculture University, Nanjing, 210095, PR China
| | - Ahmad Reza Dehpour
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Experimental Medicine Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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Models of progressive neurological dysfunction originating early in life. Prog Neurobiol 2017; 155:2-20. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2015.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2015] [Revised: 09/11/2015] [Accepted: 10/11/2015] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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Exploring the neural mechanisms of finasteride: a proteomic analysis in the nucleus accumbens. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2016; 74:387-396. [PMID: 27750143 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2016.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2016] [Revised: 09/07/2016] [Accepted: 10/05/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The enzyme 5α-reductase (5αR) catalyzes the conversion of progesterone and testosterone into neuroactive steroids implicated in a wide array of behavioral functions. The prototypical 5αR inhibitor, finasteride (FIN), is clinically approved for the treatment of androgenic alopecia and benign prostatic hyperplasia. Recent evidence has shown that FIN, albeit generally well tolerated, can induce untoward psychological effects in a subset of patients; furthermore, this drug may have therapeutic efficacy for a number of different neuropsychiatric conditions, ranging from Tourette syndrome to schizophrenia. In rat models of these conditions, FIN has been shown to block the effects of dopamine receptors in the nucleus accumbens (NAcc), a key terminal of the dopamine mesolimbic system. The biological underpinnings of these effects, however, remain mostly elusive. To elucidate the neurochemical networks that may be responsible for the behavioral effects of FIN, we evaluated the proteomic profile of the NAcc following acute (100mg/kg, IP) and subchronic (7 days; 100mg/kg/day, IP) treatment with this drug, in comparison with vehicle treatment (n=5/group). Two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) analysis coupled to mass spectrometry revealed significant changes in the expression of nine proteins (CRMP2, PSMD1, STX18, KCNC3, CYP255, GABRP, GABT, PRPS1, CYP2B3), which were further analyzed by ontological classification (PANTHER). These results point to a number of novel potential chemical targets of FIN, and may help elucidate the underpinnings of FIN's behavioral effects and therapeutic potential for neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Ng E, Browne CJ, Samsom JN, Wong AHC. Depression and substance use comorbidity: What we have learned from animal studies. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE 2016; 43:456-474. [PMID: 27315335 DOI: 10.1080/00952990.2016.1183020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Depression and substance use disorders are often comorbid, but the reasons for this are unclear. In human studies, it is difficult to determine how one disorder may affect predisposition to the other and what the underlying mechanisms might be. Instead, animal studies allow experimental induction of behaviors relevant to depression and drug-taking, and permit direct interrogation of changes to neural circuits and molecular pathways. While this field is still new, here we review animal studies that investigate whether depression-like states increase vulnerability to drug-taking behaviors. Since chronic psychosocial stress can precipitate or predispose to depression in humans, we review studies that use psychosocial stressors to produce depression-like phenotypes in animals. Specifically, we describe how postweaning isolation stress, repeated social defeat stress, and chronic mild (or unpredictable) stress affect behaviors relevant to substance abuse, especially operant self-administration. Potential brain changes mediating these effects are also discussed where available, with an emphasis on mesocorticolimbic dopamine circuits. Postweaning isolation stress and repeated social defeat generally increase acquisition or maintenance of drug self-administration, and alter dopamine sensitivity in various brain regions. However, the effects of chronic mild stress on drug-taking have been much less studied. Future studies should consider standardizing stress-induction protocols, including female subjects, and using multi-hit models (e.g. genetic vulnerabilities and environmental stress).
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Affiliation(s)
- Enoch Ng
- a Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute , Mount Sinai Hospital , Toronto , Canada.,b Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto , Toronto , Canada
| | - Caleb J Browne
- c Department of Psychology , University of Toronto , Toronto , Canada.,d Campbell Family Health Institute , Centre for Addiction and Mental Health , Toronto , Canada
| | - James N Samsom
- d Campbell Family Health Institute , Centre for Addiction and Mental Health , Toronto , Canada.,e Department of Pharmacology , University of Toronto , Toronto , Canada
| | - Albert H C Wong
- b Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto , Toronto , Canada.,d Campbell Family Health Institute , Centre for Addiction and Mental Health , Toronto , Canada.,e Department of Pharmacology , University of Toronto , Toronto , Canada.,f Department of Psychiatry , University of Toronto , Toronto , Canada
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8
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Powell SB, Swerdlow NR. Social Isolation Rearing and Sensorimotor Gating in Rat Models of Relevance to Schizophrenia. HANDBOOK OF BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-800981-9.00009-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
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Kuchiiwa T, Kuchiiwa S. Evaluation of aggressiveness of female mice using a semi-automated apparatus for measurement of aggressive biting behavior toward an inanimate object. J Neurosci Methods 2016; 257:179-84. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2015.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2015] [Revised: 10/09/2015] [Accepted: 10/11/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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Frau R, Abbiati F, Bini V, Casti A, Caruso D, Devoto P, Bortolato M. Targeting neurosteroid synthesis as a therapy for schizophrenia-related alterations induced by early psychosocial stress. Schizophr Res 2015; 168:640-8. [PMID: 25999042 PMCID: PMC4628592 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2015.04.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2015] [Revised: 04/29/2015] [Accepted: 04/29/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cogent evidence has shown that schizophrenia vulnerability is enhanced by psychosocial stress in adolescence, yet the underpinnings of this phenomenon remain elusive. One of the animal models that best capture the relationship between juvenile stress and schizophrenia is isolation rearing (IR). This manipulation, which consists in subjecting rats to social isolation from weaning through adulthood, results in neurobehavioral alterations akin to those observed in schizophrenia patients. In particular, IR-subjected rats display a marked reduction of the prepulse inhibition (PPI) of the startle reflex, which are posited to reflect imbalances in dopamine neurotransmission in the nucleus accumbens (NAcc). We recently documented that the key neurosteroidogenic enzyme 5α-reductase (5αR) plays an important role in the dopaminergic regulation of PPI; given that IR leads to a marked down-regulation of this enzyme in the NAcc, the present study was designed to further elucidate the functional role of 5αR in the regulation of PPI of IR-subjected rats. METHODS We studied the impact of the prototypical 5αR inhibitor finasteride (FIN) on the PPI deficits and NAcc steroid profile of IR-subjected male rats, in comparison with socially reared (SR) controls. RESULTS FIN (25-100 mg/kg, i.p.) dose-dependently countered IR-induced PPI reduction, without affecting gating integrity in SR rats. The NAcc and striatum of IR-subjected rats displayed several changes in neuroactive steroid profile, including a reduction in pregnenolone in both SR and IR-subjected groups, as well as a decrease in allopregnanolone content in the latter group; both effects were significantly opposed by FIN. CONCLUSIONS These results show that 5αR inhibition counters the PPI deficits induced by IR, possibly through limbic changes in pregnenolone and/or allopregnanolone concentrations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Frau
- “Guy Everett” Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy,Tourette Syndrome Center, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Federico Abbiati
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases; University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Valentina Bini
- “Guy Everett” Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy,Tourette Syndrome Center, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Alberto Casti
- “Guy Everett” Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Donatella Caruso
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases; University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Paola Devoto
- “Guy Everett” Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy,Tourette Syndrome Center, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Marco Bortolato
- Tourette Syndrome Center, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy; Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Pharmacy, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA; Consortium for Translational Research on Aggression and Drug Abuse (ConTRADA), University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA; Problem Gambling Research Studies (ProGResS) Network, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA.
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Yorgason JT, Calipari ES, Ferris MJ, Karkhanis AN, Fordahl SC, Weiner JL, Jones SR. Social isolation rearing increases dopamine uptake and psychostimulant potency in the striatum. Neuropharmacology 2015; 101:471-9. [PMID: 26525189 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2015.10.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2015] [Revised: 10/02/2015] [Accepted: 10/20/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Social isolation rearing (SI) is a model of early life stress that results in neurobiological alterations leading to increased anxiety-like behaviors. These animals also exhibit an increased propensity to administer psychostimulants, such as cocaine; however, the mechanisms governing this increased addiction vulnerability remain to be elucidated. Long-term stressors have been shown to produce important alterations in nucleus accumbens core (NAc) function. The NAc regulates motivated and goal-directed behaviors, and individual differences in NAc function have been shown to be predictive of addiction vulnerability. Rats were reared in group (GH; 4/cage) or SI (1/cage) conditions from weaning (PD 28) into early adulthood (PD 77) and dopamine release was assessed using voltammetry in brain slices containing the NAc and dorsomedial striatum. SI rats exhibited enhanced dopamine release and uptake in both regions compared to GH rats. In regard to psychostimulant effects directly at the dopamine transporter (DAT), methylphenidate and amphetamine, but not cocaine, inhibited uptake more in SI than GH rats. The increased potencies were positively correlated with uptake rates, suggesting that increased potencies of amphetamine-like compounds are due to changes in DAT function. Cocaine's effects on uptake were similar between rearing conditions, however, cocaine enhanced evoked dopamine release greater in SI than GH rats, suggesting that the enhanced cocaine reinforcement in SI animals involves a DAT independent mechanism. Together, the results provide the first evidence that greater psychostimulant effects in SI compared to GH rats are due to effects on dopamine terminals related to uptake dependent and independent mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan T Yorgason
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, United States.
| | - Erin S Calipari
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, United States.
| | - Mark J Ferris
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, United States.
| | - Anushree N Karkhanis
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, United States.
| | - Steven C Fordahl
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, United States.
| | - Jeffrey L Weiner
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, United States.
| | - Sara R Jones
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, United States.
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Foote M, Qiao H, Graham K, Wu Y, Zhou Y. Inhibition of 14-3-3 Proteins Leads to Schizophrenia-Related Behavioral Phenotypes and Synaptic Defects in Mice. Biol Psychiatry 2015; 78:386-95. [PMID: 25863357 PMCID: PMC4544659 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2015.02.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2014] [Revised: 01/19/2015] [Accepted: 02/08/2015] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The 14-3-3 family of proteins is implicated in the regulation of several key neuronal processes. Previous human and animal studies suggested an association between 14-3-3 dysregulation and schizophrenia. METHODS We characterized behavioral and functional changes in transgenic mice that express an isoform-independent 14-3-3 inhibitor peptide in the brain. RESULTS We recently showed that 14-3-3 functional knockout mice (FKO) exhibit impairments in associative learning and memory. We report here that these 14-3-3 FKO mice display other behavioral deficits that correspond to the core symptoms of schizophrenia. These behavioral deficits may be attributed to alterations in multiple neurotransmission systems in the 14-3-3 FKO mice. In particular, inhibition of 14-3-3 proteins results in a reduction of dendritic complexity and spine density in forebrain excitatory neurons, which may underlie the altered synaptic connectivity in the prefrontal cortical synapse of the 14-3-3 FKO mice. At the molecular level, this dendritic spine defect may stem from dysregulated actin dynamics secondary to a disruption of the 14-3-3-dependent regulation of phosphorylated cofilin. CONCLUSIONS Collectively, our data provide a link between 14-3-3 dysfunction, synaptic alterations, and schizophrenia-associated behavioral deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Molly Foote
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University, College of Medicine, Tallahassee, Florida
| | - Haifa Qiao
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University, College of Medicine, Tallahassee, Florida
| | - Kourtney Graham
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University, College of Medicine, Tallahassee, Florida
| | - Yuying Wu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University, College of Medicine, Tallahassee, Florida
| | - Yi Zhou
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University, College of Medicine, Tallahassee, Florida..
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13
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A novel semi-automated apparatus for measurement of aggressive biting behavior in mice. J Neurosci Methods 2014; 228:27-34. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2014.02.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2013] [Revised: 02/25/2014] [Accepted: 02/26/2014] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Klug M, van den Buuse M. An investigation into "two hit" effects of BDNF deficiency and young-adult cannabinoid receptor stimulation on prepulse inhibition regulation and memory in mice. Front Behav Neurosci 2013; 7:149. [PMID: 24155701 PMCID: PMC3800788 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2013.00149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2013] [Accepted: 10/01/2013] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Reduced brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) signaling has been shown in the frontal cortex and hippocampus in schizophrenia. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether a BDNF deficit would modulate effects of chronic cannabis intake, a well-described risk factor for schizophrenia development. BDNF heterozygous mice (HET) and wild-type controls were chronically treated during weeks 6, 7, and 8 of life with the cannabinoid receptor agonist, CP55,940 (CP). After a 2-week delay, there were no CP-induced deficits in any of the groups in short-term spatial memory in a Y-maze task or novel object recognition memory. Baseline prepulse inhibition (PPI) was lower but average startle was increased in BDNF HET compared to wild-type controls. Acute CP administration before the PPI session caused a marked increase in PPI in male HET mice pre-treated with CP but not in any of the other male groups. In females, there were small increases of PPI in all groups upon acute CP administration. Acute CP administration furthermore reduced startle and this effect was greater in HET mice irrespective of chronic CP pre-treatment. Analysis of the levels of [3H]CP55,940 binding by autoradiography revealed a significant increase in the nucleus accumbens of male BDNF HET mice previously treated with CP but not in any of the other groups or in the caudate nucleus. These results show that BDNF deficiency and chronic young-adult cannabinoid receptor stimulation do not interact in this model on learning and memory later in life. In contrast, male “two hit” mice, but not females, were hypersensitive to the effect of acute CP on sensorimotor gating. These effects may be related to a selective increase of [3H]CP55,940 binding in the nucleus accumbens, reflecting up-regulation of CB1 receptor density in this region. These data could be of relevance to our understanding of differential “two hit” neurodevelopmental mechanisms in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maren Klug
- Behavioural Neuroscience Laboratory, Mental Health Research Institute Melbourne, VIC, Australia ; Department of Psychology, Swinburne University of Technology Hawthorn, VIC, Australia
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Differential neuronal changes in medial prefrontal cortex, basolateral amygdala and nucleus accumbens after postweaning social isolation. Brain Struct Funct 2011; 217:337-51. [PMID: 22002740 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-011-0355-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2011] [Accepted: 10/04/2011] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The mesocorticolimbic system contains dopamine (DA)-producing neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and their projection targets, including the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), amygdala (AMY) and nucleus accumbens (NAc). Disruption of this system might attribute to mental illnesses. In the present study, we adopted the postweaning social isolation paradigm to model neuropsychiatric disorders and studied the functional and structural changes of the mesocorticolimbic system. After 8-9 weeks of isolation, rats exhibited hyperlocomotor activity and impaired sensorimotor gating compared to group-reared controls. However, the number of tyrosine hydroxylase-positive VTA neurons and the volume of VTA were not affected. Comparing with group-reared controls, the DA levels in the isolation-reared were not altered in the VTA, mPFC and NAc but decreased in the AMY. In the structural aspect, dendritic features of layer II/III pyramidal mPFC neurons; pyramidal neurons in the basolateral nucleus of amygdala (BLA) and medium spiny neurons in the core region of the NAc (NAcc) were examined. Interestingly, the neuronal changes were region-specific. The mPFC neurons had reduced dendritic complexity, spine density and elongated terminal branches. The BLA neurons had extensive dendritic arbors with short branches but unchanged spine density. The NAcc neurons had reduced total dendritic length but the segment length and spine density remained the same. Together, the results demonstrated the structural and functional changes in the mesocorticolimbic DA system of socially isolated rats. These changes may account for the behavioral impairments in these rats and attribute to the susceptibility to mental disorders related to schizophrenia and depression.
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Deng MY, Lam S, Meyer U, Feldon J, Li Q, Wei R, Luk L, Chua SE, Sham P, Wang Y, McAlonan GM. Frontal-subcortical protein expression following prenatal exposure to maternal inflammation. PLoS One 2011; 6:e16638. [PMID: 21347362 PMCID: PMC3037372 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0016638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2010] [Accepted: 12/30/2010] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Maternal immune activation (MIA) during prenatal life is a risk factor for neurodevelopmental disorders including schizophrenia and autism. Such conditions are associated with alterations in fronto-subcortical circuits, but their molecular basis is far from clear. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Using two-dimensional differential in-gel electrophoresis (2D-DIGE) and mass spectrometry, with targeted western blot analyses for confirmation, we investigated the impact of MIA on the prefrontal and striatal proteome from an established MIA mouse model generated in C57B6 mice, by administering the viral analogue PolyI:C or saline vehicle (control) intravenously on gestation day (GD) 9. In striatum, 11 proteins were up-regulated and 4 proteins were down-regulated in the PolyI:C mice, while 10 proteins were up-regulated and 7 proteins down-regulated in prefrontal cortex (PFC). These were proteins involved in the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway, oxidation and auto-immune targets, including dual specificity mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 1 (MEK), eukaryotic initiation factor (eIF) 4A-II, creatine kinase (CK)-B, L-lactate dehydrogenase (LDH)-B, WD repeat-containing protein and NADH dehydrogenase in the striatum; and guanine nucleotide-binding protein (G-protein), 14-3-3 protein, alpha-enolase, olfactory maker protein and heat shock proteins (HSP) 60, and 90-beta in the PFC. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE This data fits with emerging evidence for disruption of critical converging intracellular pathways involving MAPK pathways in neurodevelopmental conditions and it shows considerable overlap with protein pathways identified by genetic modeling and clinical post-mortem studies. This has implications for understanding causality and may offer potential biomarkers and novel treatment targets for neurodevelopmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle Y. Deng
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region, People's Republic of China
| | - Sylvia Lam
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region, People's Republic of China
| | - Urs Meyer
- Laboratory and Behavioral Neurobiology, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH), Schwerzenbach, Switzerland
| | - Joram Feldon
- Laboratory and Behavioral Neurobiology, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH), Schwerzenbach, Switzerland
| | - Qi Li
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region, People's Republic of China
| | - Ran Wei
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region, People's Republic of China
| | - Lawrence Luk
- Genome Research Centre, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region, People's Republic of China
| | - Siew Eng Chua
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region, People's Republic of China
- State Key Laboratory for Brain and Cognitive Sciences, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region, People's Republic of China
| | - Pak Sham
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region, People's Republic of China
- State Key Laboratory for Brain and Cognitive Sciences, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region, People's Republic of China
| | - Yu Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region, People's Republic of China
| | - Grainne Mary McAlonan
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region, People's Republic of China
- State Key Laboratory for Brain and Cognitive Sciences, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region, People's Republic of China
- * E-mail:
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Bortolato M, Devoto P, Roncada P, Frau R, Flore G, Saba P, Pistritto G, Soggiu A, Pisanu S, Zappala A, Ristaldi MS, Tattoli M, Cuomo V, Marrosu F, Barbaccia ML. Isolation rearing-induced reduction of brain 5α-reductase expression: relevance to dopaminergic impairments. Neuropharmacology 2011; 60:1301-8. [PMID: 21256141 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2011.01.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2010] [Revised: 01/05/2011] [Accepted: 01/10/2011] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Isolation rearing (IR), a well-established rat model of early chronic psychosocial stress, engenders marked behavioral alterations related to changes of dopamine (DA) neurotransmission in cortical and subcortical brain regions. Stress-induced shifts in γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-ergic signaling have been implicated in the dysregulation of DA release. The neurosteroid 3α-hydroxy-5α-pregnan-20-one (allopregnanolone/AP), synthesized from progesterone by the action of the rate-limiting enzyme 5α-reductase (5AR), is a potent positive allosteric modulator of GABA(A) receptor function. Thus, alterations of 5AR activity/expression may impact upon DA neurotransmission. We studied the effects of IR on the 5AR expression/function and extracellular concentrations of DA and its metabolite 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) in the rat nucleus accumbens (NAcc) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Immediately after weaning, male rats were subjected to either IR or social rearing (SR) conditions for 5-8 weeks. Compared to SR, IR rats exhibited significantly lower protein expression of 5AR isoforms (1 and 2) in both brain regions and reduced brain, but not plasma, content of AP and allotetrahydrodeoxycorticosterone, the 5α-reduced metabolite of deoxycorticosterone. IR-exposed rats also exhibited higher levels of DA and DOPAC in the NAcc shell, but not in mPFC, when compared to SR rats. The 5AR inhibitor finasteride (FIN, 100 mg/kg, i.p.) enhanced DA and DOPAC content in the NAcc shell of SR, but not IR rats. FIN, however, elicited equivalent increases in DA and DOPAC levels in the mPFC of both groups. These results show that IR induces changes in expression/activity of brain 5AR which, in a brain-region specific manner, may partially underlie the alterations in DA signaling induced by this manipulation. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled 'Trends in neuropharmacology: in memory of Erminio Costa'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Bortolato
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90031, USA.
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Post weaning social isolation influences spatial cognition, prefrontal cortical synaptic plasticity and hippocampal potassium ion channels in Wistar rats. Neuroscience 2010; 169:214-22. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2010.04.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2010] [Revised: 04/20/2010] [Accepted: 04/22/2010] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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Neurotransmitters and prefrontal cortex–limbic system interactions: implications for plasticity and psychiatric disorders. J Neural Transm (Vienna) 2009; 116:941-52. [DOI: 10.1007/s00702-009-0243-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2008] [Accepted: 05/11/2009] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
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