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Andersen SL. Stress, sensitive periods, and substance abuse. Neurobiol Stress 2019; 10:100140. [PMID: 30569003 PMCID: PMC6288983 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2018.100140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2018] [Revised: 08/18/2018] [Accepted: 11/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Research on the inter-relationship between drug abuse and social stress has primarily focused on the role of stress exposure during adulthood and more recently, adolescence. Adolescence is a time of heightened reward sensitivity, but it is also a time when earlier life experiences are expressed. Exposure to stress early in postnatal life is associated with an accelerated age of onset for drug use. Lifelong addiction is significantly greater if drug use is initiated during early adolescence. Understanding how developmental changes following stress exposure interact with sensitive periods to unfold over the course of maturation is integral to reducing their later impact on substance use. Arousal levels, gender/sex, inflammation, and the timing of stress exposure play a role in the vulnerability of these circuits. The current review focuses on how early postnatal stress impacts brain development during a sensitive period to increase externalizing and internalizing behaviors in adolescence that include social interactions (aggression; sexual activity), working memory impairment, and depression. How stress effects the developmental trajectories of brain circuits that are associated with addiction are discussed for both clinical and preclinical studies.
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Cowan CSM, Richardson R. Early‐life stress leads to sex‐dependent changes in pubertal timing in rats that are reversed by a probiotic formulation. Dev Psychobiol 2018; 61:679-687. [DOI: 10.1002/dev.21765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2018] [Revised: 05/28/2018] [Accepted: 06/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Rick Richardson
- School of Psychology The University of New South Wales Sydney Australia
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Popoola DO, Cameron NM. Maternal care-related differences in males and females rats' sensitivity to ethanol and the associations between the GABAergic system and steroids in males. Dev Psychobiol 2018; 60:380-394. [PMID: 29442358 DOI: 10.1002/dev.21607] [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: 05/04/2017] [Accepted: 11/20/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
This study investigated the effect of maternal care on adolescent ethanol consumption, sensitivity to ethanol-induced hypnosis, as well as gonadal hormones and γ-aminobutyric acid type-A (GABAA ) systems. Long Evans rat dams were categorized by maternal licking/grooming (LG) frequency into High- and Low-LG mothers. Both female and male offspring from Low-LG rats demonstrated a greater sensitivity to ethanol-induced hypnosis in the loss-of-righting-reflex test at ethanol doses of 3.0 and 3.5 g/kg during late-adolescence (postnatal Day 50) but not at mid-adolescence (postnatal Day 42). However, we found no effect of maternal care on consumption of a 5% ethanol solution in a two-bottle choice test. We further investigated the association between the observed variations in sensitivity to ethanol-induced hypnosis and baseline hormonal levels in males. In male offspring from Low-LG mothers compared to High-LG mothers, baseline plasma corticosterone and progesterone levels were higher. GABAA α1 and δ subunit expressions were also higher in the cerebral cortex of Low-LG males but lower in the cerebellar synaptosomal fraction. Early environmental influences on adolescent sensitivity to ethanol-induced hypnosis, consumption, and preference may be mediated by gonadal hormones and possibly through GABAergic functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel O Popoola
- Department of Psychology, Center for Developmental and Behavioral Neuroscience, Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York.,Developmental Exposure Alcohol Research Center, Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York.,Behavioral Neuropharmacology and Neuroimaging Laboratory on Addictions, Research Institute on Addictions, University of Buffalo, Buffalo, New York
| | - Nicole M Cameron
- Department of Psychology, Center for Developmental and Behavioral Neuroscience, Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York.,Developmental Exposure Alcohol Research Center, Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York
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Popoola DO, Nizhnikov ME, Cameron NM. Strain-specific programming of prenatal ethanol exposure across generations. Alcohol 2017; 60:191-199. [PMID: 28433421 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2017.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2016] [Revised: 12/31/2016] [Accepted: 01/03/2017] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Behavioral consequences of prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) can be transmitted from in utero-exposed F1 generation to their F2 offspring. This type of transmission is modulated by genetic and epigenetic mechanisms. This study investigated the intergenerational consequences of prenatal exposure to a low ethanol dose (1 g/kg) during gestational days 17-20, on ethanol-induced hypnosis in adolescent male F1 and F2 generations, in two strains of rats. Adolescent Long-Evans and Sprague-Dawley male rats were tested for sensitivity to ethanol-induced hypnosis at a 3.5-g/kg or 4.5-g/kg ethanol dose using the loss of righting reflex (LORR) paradigm. We hypothesized that PAE would attenuate sensitivity to ethanol-induced hypnosis in the ethanol-exposed animals in these two strains and in both generations. Interestingly, we only found this effect in Sprague-Dawley rats. Lastly, we investigated PAE related changes in expression of GABAA receptor α1, α4, and δ subunits in the cerebral cortex of the PAE sensitive Sprague-Dawley strain. We hypothesized a reduction in the cerebral cortex GABAA receptor subunits' expression in the F1 and F2 PAE groups compared to control animals. GABAA receptor α1, α4, and δ subunits protein expressions were quantified in the cerebral cortex of F1 and F2 male adolescents by western blotting. PAE did not alter cerebral cortical GABAA receptor subunit expressions in the F1 generation, but it decreased GABAA receptor α4 and δ subunits' expressions in the F2 generation, and had a tendency to decrease α1 subunit expression. We also found correlations between some of the subunits in both generations. These strain-dependent vulnerabilities to ethanol sensitivity, and intergenerational PAE-mediated changes in sensitivity to alcohol indicate that genetic and epigenetic factors interact to determine the outcomes of PAE animals and their offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel O Popoola
- Psychology Department, Center for Developmental and Behavioral Neuroscience, Developmental Exposure Alcohol Research Center, Binghamton University- SUNY, 4400 Vestal Parkway East, Binghamton, NY 13902, USA
| | - Michael E Nizhnikov
- Southern Connecticut State University, 501 Crescent Street, New Haven, CT, 06515-1355, USA
| | - Nicole M Cameron
- Psychology Department, Center for Developmental and Behavioral Neuroscience, Developmental Exposure Alcohol Research Center, Binghamton University- SUNY, 4400 Vestal Parkway East, Binghamton, NY 13902, USA.
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Csaba G. The Present and Future of Human Sexuality: Impact of Faulty Perinatal Hormonal Imprinting. Sex Med Rev 2017; 5:163-169. [DOI: 10.1016/j.sxmr.2016.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2016] [Revised: 10/24/2016] [Accepted: 10/25/2016] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
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Borrow AP, Cameron NM. Maternal care and affective behavior in female offspring: Implication of the neurosteroid/GABAergic system. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2017; 76:29-37. [PMID: 27883962 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2016.10.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2016] [Revised: 10/17/2016] [Accepted: 10/29/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
In female rats, the proestrus phase of the estrous cycle is associated with decreased levels of anxiety-like and depressive-like behavior relative to the metestrus phase. Progesterone likely modulate these behaviors, in part through the influence of its metabolite, allopregnanolone (THP) on hippocampal GABAAR subunit expression. As natural variations in maternal care have been found to influence both progesterone levels at proestrus and anxiety-like behavior in female offspring, we sought to investigate the importance of maternal care and the estrous cycle on affective behavior in female rats that had received Low or High levels of licking/grooming (LG) during early life. Subjects were tested for anxiety-like behavior in the elevated plus maze at proestrus or metestrus or for estrous cycle-dependent changes in depressive-like anhedonic behavior with a saccharin preference test. GABAAR subunit expression, and THP levels in the dorsal hippocampus and in plasma were also evaluated. Estrous cycle phase influenced saccharine preference and hippocampal THP level in both phenotypes. Low LG animals showed higher levels of hedonic behavior and anxiety-like behavior, irrespective of estrous cycle phase, as well as lower THP levels within the dorsal hippocampus when compared to High LG animals. Only High LG animals showed positive correlations between hippocampal THP levels and GABAAR subunit expression, suggesting a relative insensitivity to THP's modulation of these receptor subunits in Low LG offspring. These findings suggest that natural variations in maternal care influence anxiety-like and hedonic behavior through the modulation of the neurosteroid/GABAergic system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda P Borrow
- Psychology Department, Center for Developmental and Behavioral Neuroscience, Binghamton University- SUNY, 4400 Vestal Parkway East, Binghamton, NY, 13902, USA; Department of Biomedical Sciences/Neurosciences Division, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - Nicole M Cameron
- Psychology Department, Center for Developmental and Behavioral Neuroscience, Binghamton University- SUNY, 4400 Vestal Parkway East, Binghamton, NY, 13902, USA.
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High Maternal Serum Estradiol Levels Induce Dyslipidemia in Human Newborns via a Hepatic HMGCR Estrogen Response Element. Sci Rep 2015; 5:10086. [PMID: 25961186 PMCID: PMC4426719 DOI: 10.1038/srep10086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2014] [Accepted: 03/30/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
While the intrauterine environment is essential for the health of offspring, the impact of high maternal serum estradiol (E2) on lipid metabolism in offspring and the mechanisms are unknown. We found that ovarian stimulation (OS) could result in high E2 levels in women throughout pregnancy. Strikingly, their newborns showed elevated total cholesterol (TC) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels that were positively related with E2 in newborns. In vitro, E2 dose-dependently stimulated TC and LDL-C secretion, and increased expression of the cholesterol synthesis rate-limiting enzyme 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase (HMGCR) in HepG2 cells and mouse fetal hepatocytes. In vivo, high maternal E2 was detected and fetal livers also showed significantly higher HMGCR expression in an OS mouse model. Notably, an estrogen response element (ERE) was identified in the HMGCR promoter, indicating that high maternal serum E2 could up-regulate HMGCR expression in fetal hepatocytes via an ERE that in turn induces elevated levels of TC and LDL-C in offspring. Conclusion: OS can induce a high maternal E2 environment, which up-regulates HMGCR expression in fetal hepatocytes via an ERE in the promoter, and induces elevated levels of TC and LDL-C in newborns that may be related to increased risk of metabolic disease in adulthood.
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Popoola DO, Borrow AP, Sanders JE, Nizhnikov ME, Cameron NM. Can low-level ethanol exposure during pregnancy influence maternal care? An investigation using two strains of rat across two generations. Physiol Behav 2015; 148:111-21. [PMID: 25575692 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2015.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2014] [Revised: 12/31/2014] [Accepted: 01/05/2015] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Gestational alcohol use is well documented as detrimental to both maternal and fetal health, producing an increase in offspring's tendency for alcoholism, as well as in behavioral and neuropsychological disorders. In both rodents and in humans, parental care can influence the development of offspring physiology and behavior. Animal studies that have investigated gestational alcohol use on parental care and/or their interaction mostly employ heavy alcohol use and single strains. This study aimed at investigating the effects of low gestational ethanol dose on parental behavior and its transgenerational transmission, with comparison between two rat strains. Pregnant Sprague Dawley (SD) and Long Evans (LE) progenitor dams (F0) received 1g/kg ethanol or water through gestational days 17-20 via gavage, or remained untreated in their home cages. At maturity, F1 female offspring were mated with males of the same strain and treatment and were left undisturbed through gestation. Maternal behavior was scored in both generations during the first six postnatal days. Arch-back nursing (ABN) was categorized as: 1, when the dam demonstrated minimal kyphosis; 2, when the dam demonstrated moderate kyphosis; and 3, when the dam displayed maximal kyphosis. Overall, SD showed greater amounts of ABN than LE dams and spent more time in contact with their pups. In the F0 generation, water and ethanol gavage increased ABN1 and contact with pups in SD, behaviors which decreased in treated LE. For ABN2, ethanol-treated SD dams showed more ABN2 than water-treated dams, with no effect of treatment on LE animals. In the F1 generation, prenatal exposure affected retrieval. Transgenerational transmission of LG was observed only in the untreated LE group. Strain-specific differences in maternal behavior were also observed. This study provides evidence that gestational gavage can influence maternal behavior in a strain-specific manner. Our results also suggest that the experimental procedure during gestation and genetic variations between strains may play an important role in the behavioral effects of prenatal manipulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel O Popoola
- Psychology Department, Center for Development and Behavioral Neuroscience, Binghamton University - SUNY, NY, USA
| | - Amanda P Borrow
- Psychology Department, Center for Development and Behavioral Neuroscience, Binghamton University - SUNY, NY, USA
| | - Julia E Sanders
- Psychology Department, Center for Development and Behavioral Neuroscience, Binghamton University - SUNY, NY, USA
| | | | - Nicole M Cameron
- Psychology Department, Center for Development and Behavioral Neuroscience, Binghamton University - SUNY, NY, USA.
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Girbovan C, Plamondon H. Environmental enrichment in female rodents: considerations in the effects on behavior and biochemical markers. Behav Brain Res 2013; 253:178-90. [PMID: 23860119 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2013.07.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2013] [Revised: 07/04/2013] [Accepted: 07/09/2013] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Environmental enrichment (EE) exposes laboratory animals to novelty and complexity through alterations in the physical and social environment, which lead to enhanced sensory, cognitive and physical stimulation. Housing rodents in an EE is a highly recommended practice by governing bodies regulating animal welfare due to a growing body of evidence suggesting its benefits on rodents' wellbeing and the more naturalistic environment that such housing conditions provide. However, most paradigms and hypotheses rely on information currently available from studies performed on male subjects and the information regarding the effects of EE on female rodents' behavior and physiology is limited. Given the variety of EE paradigms described, it is increasingly difficult to ascertain the benefits or possible consequences of enriched housing strategies in females, let alone aid at establishing standardized environments in rodents. This review evaluates the female rodent literature that has examined the outcome of EE on behavior and neurochemistry and aims at identifying key elements to be addressed by future studies. Specifically, results from cognitive behavioral tests as well as commonly used tests of emotionality will be discussed, while also evaluating their relation to changes in neurochemistry and hormones brought on by various EE paradigms. Lastly, the impact of maternal enrichment on both offspring and maternal behavior and physiology will be reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catrinel Girbovan
- Department of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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