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Debs SR, Conn I, Navaneethan B, Penklis AG, Meyer U, Killcross S, Weickert CS, Purves-Tyson TD. Maternal immune activation and estrogen receptor modulation induce sex-specific dopamine-related behavioural and molecular alterations in adult rat offspring. Brain Behav Immun 2024; 118:236-251. [PMID: 38431238 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2024.02.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2023] [Revised: 02/08/2024] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Dopamine dysregulation contributes to psychosis and cognitive deficits in schizophrenia that can be modelled in rodents by inducing maternal immune activation (MIA). The selective estrogen receptor (ER) modulator, raloxifene, can improve psychosis and cognition in men and women with schizophrenia. However, few studies have examined how raloxifene may exert its therapeutic effects in mammalian brain in both sexes during young adulthood (age relevant to most prevalent age at diagnosis). Here, we tested the extent to which raloxifene alters dopamine-related behaviours and brain transcripts in young adult rats, both control and MIA-exposed females and males. We found that raloxifene increased amphetamine (AMPH)-induced locomotor activity in female controls, and in contrast, raloxifene reduced AMPH-induced locomotor activity in male MIA offspring. We did not detect overt prepulse inhibition (PPI) deficits in female or male MIA offspring, yet raloxifene enhanced PPI in male MIA offspring. Whereas, raloxifene ameliorated increased startle responsivity in female MIA offspring. In the substantia nigra (SN), we found reduced Drd2s mRNA in raloxifene-treated female offspring with or without MIA, and increased Comt mRNA in placebo-treated male MIA offspring relative to placebo-treated controls. These data demonstrate an underlying dopamine dysregulation in MIA animals that can become more apparent with raloxifene treatment, and may involve selective alterations in dopamine receptor levels and dopamine breakdown processes in the SN. Our findings support sex-specific, differential behavioural responses to ER modulation in MIA compared to control offspring, with beneficial effects of raloxifene treatment on dopamine-related behaviours relevant to schizophrenia found in male MIA offspring only.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie R Debs
- Preclinical Neuropsychiatry Laboratory, Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, Australia; Schizophrenia Research Laboratory, Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, Australia; Discipline of Psychiatry & Mental Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Illya Conn
- Preclinical Neuropsychiatry Laboratory, Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, Australia; Schizophrenia Research Laboratory, Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, Australia
| | - Brendan Navaneethan
- Preclinical Neuropsychiatry Laboratory, Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, Australia
| | - Andriane G Penklis
- Preclinical Neuropsychiatry Laboratory, Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, Australia; Schizophrenia Research Laboratory, Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, Australia
| | - Urs Meyer
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zürich-Vetsuisse, Zürich, Switzerland; Switzerland Neuroscience Centre Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Simon Killcross
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Cynthia Shannon Weickert
- Schizophrenia Research Laboratory, Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, Australia; Discipline of Psychiatry & Mental Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia; Department of Neuroscience & Physiology, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, USA
| | - Tertia D Purves-Tyson
- Preclinical Neuropsychiatry Laboratory, Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, Australia; Discipline of Psychiatry & Mental Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
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Gogos A, Sbisa A, van den Buuse M. Disruption of NMDA receptor-mediated regulation of PPI in the maternal immune activation model of schizophrenia is restored by 17β-estradiol and raloxifene. Schizophr Res 2024; 267:432-440. [PMID: 38642484 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2024.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Revised: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/22/2024]
Abstract
Maternal immune activation (MIA) during pregnancy is known to increase the risk of development of schizophrenia in the offspring. Sex steroid hormone analogues have been proposed as potential antipsychotic treatments but the mechanisms of action involved remain unclear. Estrogen has been shown to alter N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor binding in the brain. We therefore studied the effect of chronic treatment with 17β-estradiol, its isomer, 17α-estradiol, and the selective estrogen receptor modulator, raloxifene, on MIA-induced psychosis-like behaviour and the effect of the NMDA receptor antagonist, MK-801. Pregnant rats were treated with saline or the viral mimetic, poly(I:C), on gestational day 15. Adult female offspring were tested for changes in baseline prepulse inhibition (PPI) and the effects of acute treatment with MK-801 on PPI and locomotor activity. Poly(I:C) offspring had significantly lower baseline PPI compared to control offspring, and this effect was prevented by 17β-estradiol and raloxifene, but not 17α-estradiol. MK-801 reduced PPI in control offspring but had no effect in poly(I:C) offspring treated with vehicle. Chronic treatment with 17β-estradiol and raloxifene restored the effect of MK-801 on PPI. There were no effects of MIA or estrogenic treatment on MK-801 induced locomotor hyperactivity. These results show that MIA affects baseline PPI as well as NMDA receptor-mediated regulation of PPI in female rats, and strengthen the view that estrogenic treatment may have antipsychotic effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Gogos
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Alyssa Sbisa
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia; School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, Australia
| | - Maarten van den Buuse
- School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, Australia.
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Barendse MEA, Lara GA, Guyer AE, Swartz JR, Taylor SL, Shirtcliff EA, Lamb ST, Miller C, Ng J, Yu G, Tully LM. Sex and pubertal influences on the neurodevelopmental underpinnings of schizophrenia: A case for longitudinal research on adolescents. Schizophr Res 2023; 252:231-241. [PMID: 36682313 PMCID: PMC10725041 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2022.12.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Revised: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Sex is a significant source of heterogeneity in schizophrenia, with more negative symptoms in males and more affective symptoms and internalizing comorbidity in females. In this narrative review, we argue that there are likely sex differences in the pathophysiological mechanisms of schizophrenia-spectrum disorders (SZ) that originate during puberty and relate to the sex-specific impacts of pubertal maturation on brain development. Pubertal maturation might also trigger underlying (genetic or other) vulnerabilities in at-risk individuals, influencing brain development trajectories that contribute to the emergence of SZ. This review is the first to integrate links between pubertal development and neural development with cognitive neuroscience research in SZ to form and evaluate these hypotheses, with a focus on the frontal-striatal and frontal-limbic networks and their hypothesized contribution to negative and mood symptoms respectively. To test these hypotheses, longitudinal research with human adolescents is needed that examines the role of sex and pubertal development using large cohorts or high risk samples. We provide recommendations for such studies, which will integrate the fields of psychiatry, developmental cognitive neuroscience, and developmental endocrinology towards a more nuanced understanding of the role of pubertal factors in the hypothesized sex-specific pathophysiological mechanisms of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- M E A Barendse
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UC Davis, CA, USA
| | - G A Lara
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UC Davis, CA, USA
| | - A E Guyer
- Department of Human Ecology, UC Davis, CA, USA; Center for Mind and Brain, UC Davis, CA, USA
| | - J R Swartz
- Center for Mind and Brain, UC Davis, CA, USA
| | - S L Taylor
- Division of Biostatistics, Department of Public Health Sciences, UC Davis, CA, USA
| | - E A Shirtcliff
- Human Development and Family Studies, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | - S T Lamb
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UC Davis, CA, USA
| | - C Miller
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UC Davis, CA, USA
| | - J Ng
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UC Davis, CA, USA
| | - G Yu
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UC Davis, CA, USA
| | - L M Tully
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UC Davis, CA, USA.
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4
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Orsini CA, Truckenbrod LM, Wheeler AR. Regulation of sex differences in risk-based decision making by gonadal hormones: Insights from rodent models. Behav Processes 2022; 200:104663. [PMID: 35661794 PMCID: PMC9893517 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2022.104663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Revised: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Men and women differ in their ability to evaluate options that vary in their rewards and the risks that are associated with these outcomes. Most studies have shown that women are more risk averse than men and that gonadal hormones significantly contribute to this sex difference. Gonadal hormones can influence risk-based decision making (i.e., risk taking) by modulating the neurobiological substrates underlying this cognitive process. Indeed, estradiol, progesterone and testosterone modulate activity in the prefrontal cortex, amygdala and nucleus accumbens associated with reward and risk-related information. The use of animal models of decision making has advanced our understanding of the intersection between the behavioral, neural and hormonal mechanisms underlying sex differences in risk taking. This review will outline the current state of this literature, identify the current gaps in knowledge and suggest the neurobiological mechanisms by which hormones regulate risky decision making. Collectively, this knowledge can be used to understand the potential consequences of significant hormonal changes, whether endogenously or exogenously induced, on risk-based decision making as well as the neuroendocrinological basis of neuropsychiatric diseases that are characterized by impaired risk taking, such as substance use disorder and schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin A. Orsini
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA,Department of Neurology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA,Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA,Institute for Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA,Correspondence to: Department of Psychology & Neurology, Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, 108 E. Dean Keaton St., Stop A8000, Austin, TX 78712, USA. (C.A. Orsini)
| | - Leah M. Truckenbrod
- Department of Neurology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA,Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA,Institute for Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Alexa-Rae Wheeler
- Department of Neurology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA,Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA,Institute for Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
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5
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Sánchez‐Olguin CP, Zamudio SR, Guzmán‐Velázquez S, Márquez‐Portillo M, Caba‐Flores MD, Camacho‐Abrego I, Flores G, Melo AI. Neonatal ventral hippocampus lesion disrupts maternal behavior in rats: An animal model of schizophrenia. Dev Psychobiol 2022; 64:e22283. [DOI: 10.1002/dev.22283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Revised: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Claudia P. Sánchez‐Olguin
- Departamento de Fisiología Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas Instituto Politécnico Nacional Mexico City Mexico
- Maestría en Ciencias Biológicas Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala Tlaxcala Mexico
| | - Sergio R. Zamudio
- Departamento de Fisiología Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas Instituto Politécnico Nacional Mexico City Mexico
| | - Sonia Guzmán‐Velázquez
- Departamento de Fisiología Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas Instituto Politécnico Nacional Mexico City Mexico
| | - Mariana Márquez‐Portillo
- Centro de Investigación en Reproducción Animal CINVESTAV Laboratorio Tlaxcala Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala Tlaxcala Mexico
| | | | - Israel Camacho‐Abrego
- Laboratorio de Neuropsiquiatría Instituto de Fisiología Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla Puebla Mexico
- Doctorado en Ciencias Biológicas Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala Tlaxcala Mexico
| | - Gonzalo Flores
- Laboratorio de Neuropsiquiatría Instituto de Fisiología Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla Puebla Mexico
| | - Angel I. Melo
- Centro de Investigación en Reproducción Animal CINVESTAV Laboratorio Tlaxcala Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala Tlaxcala Mexico
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Iwamura Y, Nakako T, Matsumoto A, Ogi Y, Yamaguchi M, Kobayashi A, Matsumoto K, Katsura Y, Ikeda K. Risperidone on apomorphine-induced stereotyped behavior and auditory sensory gating in rhesus monkeys. Behav Brain Res 2022; 428:113883. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2022.113883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Revised: 03/10/2022] [Accepted: 04/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Abstract
Most psychiatric illnesses, such as schizophrenia, show profound sex differences in incidence, clinical presentation, course, and outcome. Fortunately, more recently the literature on sex differences and (to a lesser extent) effects of sex steroid hormones is expanding, and in this review we have focused on such studies in psychosis, both from a clinical/epidemiological and preclinical/animal model perspective. We begin by briefly describing the clinical evidence for sex differences in schizophrenia epidemiology, symptomatology, and pathophysiology. We then detail sex differences and sex hormone effects in behavioral animal models of psychosis, specifically psychotropic drug-induced locomotor hyperactivity and disruption of prepulse inhibition. We expand on the preclinical data to include developmental and genetic models of psychosis, such as the maternal immune activation model and neuregulin transgenic animals, respectively. Finally, we suggest several recommendations for future studies, in order to facilitate a better understanding of sex differences in the development of psychosis.
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Dean B, Gogos A. The impact of ovariectomy and chronic estrogen treatment on gene expression in the rat cortex: Implications for psychiatric disorders. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2021; 127:105192. [PMID: 33730612 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2021.105192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Revised: 02/08/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Estrogens, via estrogen-mediated changes in CNS function, have been suggested to be beneficial in the treatment of several psychiatric disorders. Few studies have used transcriptomic technologies to determine the effect of estrogen on gene expression in the CNS. Thus, we aimed to examine the impact of ovariectomy (the removal of all ovarian hormones) and estrogen replacement on rat frontal cortical gene expression. We used the Agilent SurePrint G3 Gene Expression Rat Array to measure levels of RNA in intact (cycling) female rats and in ovariectomized rats that were, or were not, given 17β-estradiol in implants for 4 weeks. Compared to untreated ovariectomized rats, intact rats (effect of ovarian hormones; comparison 1) and rats receiving 17β-estradiol replacement (estrogen-specific effects; comparison 2) showed significant changes in cortical gene expression (58 and 36 genes, respectively). These changes in gene expression would be expected to affect pathways that regulate neurotransmitters, glutathione and sphingolipids; pathways known to be implicated in the pathophysiologies of psychiatric disorders. When we compared the levels of gene expression in the two comparisons that had a significance of p < 0.01 independent of magnitude of change, there was a strong correlation between fold changes in gene expression for 127 genes. We posit that this correlation is due to the level of expression of these genes being strongly influenced by both cycling and replacement estrogen. Further exploration of ovarian hormone- and estrogen-sensitive gene expression may provide new insight into the aetiology of aspects of psychiatric disorders that show sex differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian Dean
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Andrea Gogos
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
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9
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Sepulveda M, Manning EE, Gogos A, Hale M, van den Buuse M. Long-term effects of young-adult methamphetamine on dorsal raphe serotonin systems in mice: Role of brain-derived neurotrophic factor. Brain Res 2021; 1762:147428. [PMID: 33737066 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2021.147428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2020] [Revised: 02/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
To assess the long-term effects of chronic adolescent methamphetamine (METH) treatment on the serotonin system in the brain, we used serotonin-1A receptor (5-HT1A) and serotonin transporter (SERT) autoradiography, and quantitative tryptophan-hydroxylase 2 (TPH2) immunohistochemistry in the raphe nuclei of mice. Because of the modulatory role of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) on the serotonin system and the effects of METH, we included both BDNF heterozygous (HET) mice and wildtype (WT) controls. Male and female mice of both genotypes were treated with an escalating METH dose regimen from the age of 6-9 weeks. At least two weeks later, acute locomotor hyperactivity induced by a 5 mg/kg D-amphetamine challenge was significantly enhanced in METH-pretreated mice, showing long-term sensitisation. METH pretreatment caused a small, but significant decrease of 5-HT1A receptor binding in the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) of males independent of genotype, but there were no changes in the median raphe nucleus (MRN) or in SERT binding density. METH treatment reduced the number of TPH2 positive cells in ventral subregions of the rostral and medial DRN independent of genotype. METH treatment selectively reduced DRN cell counts in BDNF HET mice compared to wildtype mice in medial and caudal ventrolateral subregions previously associated with panic-like behaviour. The data increase our understanding of the long-term and selective effects of METH on brain serotonin systems. These findings could be relevant for some of the psychosis-like symptoms associated with long-term METH use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mauricio Sepulveda
- Florey Institute for Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Australia
| | - Elizabeth E Manning
- Florey Institute for Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Australia
| | - Andrea Gogos
- Florey Institute for Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Australia
| | - Matthew Hale
- School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Maarten van den Buuse
- School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia; Department of Pharmacology, University of Melbourne, Australia; College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia.
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Reis de Assis D, Szabo A, Requena Osete J, Puppo F, O’Connell KS, A. Akkouh I, Hughes T, Frei E, A. Andreassen O, Djurovic S. Using iPSC Models to Understand the Role of Estrogen in Neuron-Glia Interactions in Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder. Cells 2021; 10:209. [PMID: 33494281 PMCID: PMC7909800 DOI: 10.3390/cells10020209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2020] [Revised: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 01/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia (SCZ) and bipolar disorder (BIP) are severe mental disorders with a considerable disease burden worldwide due to early age of onset, chronicity, and lack of efficient treatments or prevention strategies. Whilst our current knowledge is that SCZ and BIP are highly heritable and share common pathophysiological mechanisms associated with cellular signaling, neurotransmission, energy metabolism, and neuroinflammation, the development of novel therapies has been hampered by the unavailability of appropriate models to identify novel targetable pathomechanisms. Recent data suggest that neuron-glia interactions are disturbed in SCZ and BIP, and are modulated by estrogen (E2). However, most of the knowledge we have so far on the neuromodulatory effects of E2 came from studies on animal models and human cell lines, and may not accurately reflect many processes occurring exclusively in the human brain. Thus, here we highlight the advantages of using induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) models to revisit studies of mechanisms underlying beneficial effects of E2 in human brain cells. A better understanding of these mechanisms opens the opportunity to identify putative targets of novel therapeutic agents for SCZ and BIP. In this review, we first summarize the literature on the molecular mechanisms involved in SCZ and BIP pathology and the beneficial effects of E2 on neuron-glia interactions. Then, we briefly present the most recent developments in the iPSC field, emphasizing the potential of using patient-derived iPSCs as more relevant models to study the effects of E2 on neuron-glia interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denis Reis de Assis
- NORMENT, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo & Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, 0450 Oslo, Norway; (A.S.); (J.R.O.); (F.P.); (K.S.O.); (I.A.A.); (T.H.); (E.F.); (O.A.A.)
- Department of Medical Genetics, Oslo University Hospital, 0450 Oslo, Norway
| | - Attila Szabo
- NORMENT, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo & Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, 0450 Oslo, Norway; (A.S.); (J.R.O.); (F.P.); (K.S.O.); (I.A.A.); (T.H.); (E.F.); (O.A.A.)
- Department of Medical Genetics, Oslo University Hospital, 0450 Oslo, Norway
| | - Jordi Requena Osete
- NORMENT, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo & Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, 0450 Oslo, Norway; (A.S.); (J.R.O.); (F.P.); (K.S.O.); (I.A.A.); (T.H.); (E.F.); (O.A.A.)
- Department of Medical Genetics, Oslo University Hospital, 0450 Oslo, Norway
| | - Francesca Puppo
- NORMENT, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo & Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, 0450 Oslo, Norway; (A.S.); (J.R.O.); (F.P.); (K.S.O.); (I.A.A.); (T.H.); (E.F.); (O.A.A.)
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Kevin S. O’Connell
- NORMENT, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo & Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, 0450 Oslo, Norway; (A.S.); (J.R.O.); (F.P.); (K.S.O.); (I.A.A.); (T.H.); (E.F.); (O.A.A.)
| | - Ibrahim A. Akkouh
- NORMENT, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo & Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, 0450 Oslo, Norway; (A.S.); (J.R.O.); (F.P.); (K.S.O.); (I.A.A.); (T.H.); (E.F.); (O.A.A.)
- Department of Medical Genetics, Oslo University Hospital, 0450 Oslo, Norway
| | - Timothy Hughes
- NORMENT, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo & Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, 0450 Oslo, Norway; (A.S.); (J.R.O.); (F.P.); (K.S.O.); (I.A.A.); (T.H.); (E.F.); (O.A.A.)
- Department of Medical Genetics, Oslo University Hospital, 0450 Oslo, Norway
| | - Evgeniia Frei
- NORMENT, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo & Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, 0450 Oslo, Norway; (A.S.); (J.R.O.); (F.P.); (K.S.O.); (I.A.A.); (T.H.); (E.F.); (O.A.A.)
- Department of Medical Genetics, Oslo University Hospital, 0450 Oslo, Norway
| | - Ole A. Andreassen
- NORMENT, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo & Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, 0450 Oslo, Norway; (A.S.); (J.R.O.); (F.P.); (K.S.O.); (I.A.A.); (T.H.); (E.F.); (O.A.A.)
- Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, 0372 Oslo, Norway
| | - Srdjan Djurovic
- NORMENT, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo & Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, 0450 Oslo, Norway; (A.S.); (J.R.O.); (F.P.); (K.S.O.); (I.A.A.); (T.H.); (E.F.); (O.A.A.)
- NORMENT, Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, 5020 Bergen, Norway
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11
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Chen CY, Chen JH, Ree SC, Chang CW, Yu SH. Associations between estradiol and testosterone and depressive symptom scores of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 in ovariectomized women: a population-based analysis of NHANES data. Ann Gen Psychiatry 2020; 19:64. [PMID: 33292309 PMCID: PMC7672831 DOI: 10.1186/s12991-020-00315-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2020] [Accepted: 11/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Women are well known to be susceptible to developing affective disorders, yet little attention has been given to effects of ovariectomy-reduced hormones and links with depression. This population-based cross-sectional study aimed to investigate possible associations between ovariectomy-reduced hormones and depression symptom scores of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) in ovariectomized women. METHODS Data of PHQ-9 scores, demographics and comorbidities of ovariectomized women were extracted from the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database (2013-2016) and were analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS Among ovariectomized women in the NHANES database, serum estradiol levels were significantly positively associated with PHQ-9 scores (ß = 0.014, 95% CI: 0.001, 0.028, P = 0.040), whereas serum testosterone was negatively associated with PHQ-9 scores (ß = -0.033, 95% CI: - 0.048, - 0.018, P < 0.001) after adjusting for confounders. Further stratified analyses revealed that serum estradiol was positively associated with PHQ-9 only among women with history of estrogen use. Serum testosterone levels were negatively associated with PHQ-9 among women with or without prior estrogen use but this was only observed among women aged < = 60 years (ß = - 0.057, - 0.076, - 0.038, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Serum estradiol and testosterone are associated with PHQ-9 scores indicative for depression in ovariectomized women. The associations are modified by age and history of estrogen use. Future prospective studies are warranted to confirm these findings, carefully addressing possible confounding of age-related dementia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ching-Yen Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, Chang Gung Hospital, Keelung, Taiwan.,Faculty of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Jian-Hong Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, Chang Gung Hospital, Keelung, Taiwan.,Faculty of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Shao-Chun Ree
- Department of Psychiatry, Chang Gung Hospital, Keelung, Taiwan.,Faculty of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Chun-Wei Chang
- Department of Psychiatry, Fu Jen Catholic University Hospital, New Taipei, Taiwan.,School of Medicine, Fu Jen Catholic University, New Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Sheng-Hsiang Yu
- Department of Psychology, Fo Guang University, No. 160, Linwei Rd., Jiaoxi, Yilan, 26247, Taiwan.
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12
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Sbisa A, Kusljic S, Zethoven D, van den Buuse M, Gogos A. The effect of 17β-estradiol on maternal immune activation-induced changes in prepulse inhibition and dopamine receptor and transporter binding in female rats. Schizophr Res 2020; 223:249-257. [PMID: 32878698 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2020.08.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2020] [Revised: 08/09/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Maternal immune activation (MIA) during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of development of schizophrenia in later life. 17β-estradiol treatment may improve schizophrenia symptoms, but little is known about its efficacy on MIA-induced psychosis-like behavioural deficits in animals. Therefore, in this study we used the poly(I:C) neurodevelopmental model of schizophrenia to examine whether MIA-induced psychosis-like behavioural and neurochemical changes can be attenuated by chronic treatment (2-6 weeks) with 17β-estradiol. Pregnant rats were treated with saline or the viral mimetic, poly(I:C), on gestational day 15 and adult female offspring were tested for changes in prepulse inhibition (PPI) and density of dopamine D1 and D2 receptors and dopamine transporters in the forebrain compared to control offspring. Poly(I:C)-treated offspring exhibited significantly disrupted PPI, an effect which was reversed by chronic treatment with 17β-estradiol. In control offspring, but not poly(I:C) offspring, PPI was significantly reduced by acute treatment with either the dopamine D1/D2 receptor agonist, apomorphine, or dopamine releaser, methamphetamine. 17β-estradiol restored the effect of apomorphine, but not methamphetamine, on PPI in poly(I:C) offspring. There was a strong trend for a dopamine D2 receptor binding density increase in the nucleus accumbens core region in poly(I:C) offspring, and this was reversed by chronic 17β-estradiol treatment. No changes were found in the nucleus accumbens shell, caudate putamen or frontal cortex or in the density of dopamine D1 receptors or transporters. These findings suggest that 17β-estradiol may improve some symptoms of schizophrenia, an effect that may be mediated by selective changes in dopamine D2 receptor density.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyssa Sbisa
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia; School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, Australia
| | - Snezana Kusljic
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia; Department of Nursing, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Damon Zethoven
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Maarten van den Buuse
- School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, Australia; Department of Pharmacology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia; The College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia
| | - Andrea Gogos
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
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13
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The Impact of Removal of Ovarian Hormones on Cholinergic Muscarinic Receptors: Examining Prepulse Inhibition and Receptor Binding. Brain Sci 2020; 10:brainsci10020106. [PMID: 32079174 PMCID: PMC7071400 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci10020106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2020] [Revised: 02/10/2020] [Accepted: 02/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Ovarian hormones, such as estrogens and progesterone, are known to exert beneficial effects on cognition and some psychiatric disorders. The basis of these effects is not fully understood, but may involve altered cholinergic neurotransmission. This study aimed to investigate how a lack of ovarian hormones would impact muscarinic receptor-induced deficits in prepulse inhibition (PPI) and muscarinic receptor density in several brain regions. Adult female rats were either ovariectomized, to remove the source of ovarian hormones, or left intact (sham-operated). PPI is a measure of sensorimotor gating that is typically impaired in schizophrenia patients, and similar deficits can be induced in rats by administering scopolamine, a muscarinic receptor antagonist. Our results revealed no significant effects of ovariectomy on PPI after saline or scopolamine treatment. Autoradiography was performed to measure cholinergic muscarinic receptor binding density using [3H]-pirenzepine, [3H]-AF-DX, and [3H]-4-DAMP, to label M1, M2/M4, and M3 receptors, respectively. We examined the amygdala, caudate putamen, dorsal hippocampus, motor cortex, retrosplenial cortex, and ventromedial hypothalamus. There were no significant group differences in any region for any muscarinic receptor type. These results suggest that removing peripheral ovarian hormones does not influence the cholinergic muscarinic receptor system in the context of PPI or receptor binding density.
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14
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Gogos A, Sbisa A, Witkamp D, van den Buuse M. Sex differences in the effect of maternal immune activation on cognitive and psychosis-like behaviour in Long Evans rats. Eur J Neurosci 2020; 52:2614-2626. [PMID: 31901174 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2019] [Revised: 12/16/2019] [Accepted: 12/23/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Maternal immune activation during pregnancy is associated with increased risk of development of schizophrenia in later life. There are sex differences in schizophrenia, particularly in terms of age of onset, course of illness and severity of symptoms. However, there is limited and inconsistent literature on sex differences in the effects of maternal immune activation on behaviour with relevance to schizophrenia. The aim of this study was therefore to investigate sex differences in the effects of maternal immune activation by treating Long Evans rats with poly(I:C) on gestational day 15. We compared adult male and female offspring on spatial working memory in the touchscreen trial-unique nonmatching-to-location task, pairwise discrimination and reversal learning, as well as on prepulse inhibition and psychotropic drug-induced locomotor hyperactivity. Male, but not female poly(I:C) offspring displayed a deficit in spatial working memory, particularly at the longer delay. Neither pairwise discrimination nor reversal learning showed an effect of poly(I:C), but female controls outperformed male controls in the reversal learning task. Significant reduction of prepulse inhibition and enhancement of acute methamphetamine-induced locomotor hyperactivity was found similarly in male and female poly(I:C) offspring. These results show that maternal immune activation induces a range of behavioural effects in the offspring, with sex specificity in the effects of maternal immune activation on some aspects of cognition, but not psychosis-like behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Gogos
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Vic., Australia
| | - Alyssa Sbisa
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Vic., Australia.,School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Vic., Australia
| | - Diede Witkamp
- School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Vic., Australia
| | - Maarten van den Buuse
- School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Vic., Australia.,Department of Pharmacology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Vic., Australia.,The College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia
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15
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Lee J, Thwaites S, Gogos A, van den Buuse M. Pharmacological Mechanisms Involved in Sensory Gating Disruption Induced by (±)-3,4-Methylene- Dioxymethamphetamine (MDMA): Relevance to Schizophrenia. Brain Sci 2020; 10:brainsci10010044. [PMID: 31941052 PMCID: PMC7016806 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci10010044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2019] [Revised: 12/26/2019] [Accepted: 01/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Sensory gating deficits have been demonstrated in schizophrenia, but the mechanisms involved remain unclear. In the present study, we used disruption of paired-pulse gating of evoked potentials in rats by the administration of (±)-3,4-methylene-dioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) to study serotonergic and dopaminergic mechanisms involved in auditory sensory gating deficits. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were instrumented with cortical surface electrodes to record evoked potential changes in response to pairs of 85dB tones (S1 and S2), 500msec apart. Administration of MDMA eliminated the normal reduction in the amplitude of S2 compared to S1, representing disruption of auditory sensory gating. Pretreatment of the animals with the dopamine D1 receptor antagonist, SCH23390, the dopamine D2 receptor antagonist, haloperidol, the serotonin (5-HT)1A receptor antagonist, WAY100635, or the 5-HT2A receptor antagonist, ketanserin, all blocked the effect of MDMA, although the drugs differentially affected the individual S1 and S2 amplitudes. These data show involvement of both dopaminergic and serotonergic mechanisms in disruption of auditory sensory gating by MDMA. These and previous results suggest that MDMA targets serotonergic pathways, involving both 5-HT1A and 5-HT2A receptors, leading to dopaminergic activation, involving both D1 and D2 receptors, and ultimately sensory gating deficits. It is speculated that similar interactive mechanisms are affected in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaime Lee
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne 3010, Australia
| | - Shane Thwaites
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne 3010, Australia
| | - Andrea Gogos
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne 3010, Australia
| | - Maarten van den Buuse
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne 3010, Australia
- School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne 3086, Australia
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +61-394-795-257
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16
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Estrogens and SERMS as adjunctive treatments for schizophrenia. Front Neuroendocrinol 2019; 53:100743. [PMID: 30922675 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2019.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2018] [Revised: 03/12/2019] [Accepted: 03/23/2019] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
More than thirty years have passed since sex and gender differences were noted in the age of onset, course and outcomes for schizophrenia. The 'estrogen hypothesis" was coined in the 1990's to describe neuroprotective effects of estrogen. Intervention studies in schizophrenia patients with estradiol and selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) are promising but psychiatrists and other health practitioners do not generally take up this useful adjunctive treatment for their female patients with schizophrenia. The reasons for this are manifold, but overall a cultural shift in the practice of psychiatry is needed to recognise the specific needs of women with schizophrenia and tailor treatments, such as hormone adjuncts to improve the outcomes for this significant population. The two main aims of this article are to review the evidence and theory of estrogen treatments in schizophrenia and to recommend translation of adjunctive estrogen treatment into clinical practice for women with schizophrenia.
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17
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Gogos A, McCarthy M, Walker AJ, Udawela M, Gibbons A, Dean B, Kusljic S. Differential effects of chronic 17β-oestradiol treatment on rat behaviours relevant to depression. J Neuroendocrinol 2018; 30:e12652. [PMID: 30311279 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2018] [Revised: 10/08/2018] [Accepted: 10/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Sex differences are a prominent feature of the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders, such as major depressive disorder, which affects women at a higher incidence than men. Research suggests that the most potent endogenous oestrogen, 17β-oestradiol, may have therapeutic potential in treating depression. However, preclinical studies have produced mixed results, likely as a result of various methodological factors such as treatment duration. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of ovariectomy and chronic 17β-oestradiol treatment via a s.c. silastic implant on behaviours relevant to depression in adult female Sprague-Dawley rats. Rats were assessed in the forced swim test, saccharin preference test and novel object recognition memory test, as well as for possible confounding behaviours, including locomotion and anxiety (open field test) and motivation and anxiety (novelty suppressed feeding test). Treatment effects were verified using body and uterus weight, as well as serum concentrations of 17β-oestradiol, progesterone and testosterone. Compared to ovariectomised rats, chronic 17β-oestradiol treatment enhanced saccharin preference and novel object recognition performance. There were no group differences in passive or active coping behaviour when assayed using the forced swim test. Taken together, these results support an antidepressant-like action of oestrogens but highlight that the beneficial effects of chronic 17β-oestradiol treatment may be related to specific depression-related symptoms, particularly anhedonia and memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Gogos
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Madeleine McCarthy
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Adam J Walker
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- IMPACT Strategic Research Centre, School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia
| | - Madhara Udawela
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Andrew Gibbons
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Brian Dean
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Centre for Mental Health, Faculty of Health, Arts and Design, Swinburne University, Hawthorn, VIC, Australia
| | - Snezana Kusljic
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Department of Nursing, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
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18
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De Santis M, Huang XF, Deng C. Early antipsychotic treatment in juvenile rats elicits long-term alterations to the adult serotonin receptors. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat 2018; 14:1569-1583. [PMID: 29950841 PMCID: PMC6011877 DOI: 10.2147/ndt.s158545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Antipsychotic drug (APD) prescription/use in children has increased significantly worldwide, despite limited insight into potential long-term effects of treatment on adult brain functioning. While initial long-term studies have uncovered alterations to behaviors following early APD treatment, further investigations into potential changes to receptor density levels of related neurotransmitter (NT) systems are required. METHODS The current investigation utilized an animal model for early APD treatment with aripiprazole, olanzapine, and risperidone in male and female juvenile rats to investigate potential long-term changes to the adult serotonin (5-HT) NT system. Levels of 5-HT1A, 5-HT2A, and 5-HT2C receptors were measured in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), caudate putamen (CPu), nucleus accumbens (NAc), and hippocampus via Western Blot and receptor autoradiography. RESULTS In the male cohort, long-term changes to 5-HT2A and 5-HT2C receptors were found mostly across hippocampal and cortical brain regions following early aripiprazole and olanzapine treatment, while early risperidone treatment changed 5-HT1A receptor levels in the NAc and PFC. Lesser effects were uncovered in the female cohort with aripiprazole, olanzapine and risperidone to alter 5-HT1A and 5-HT2A receptors in NAc and hippocampal brain regions, respectively. CONCLUSION The results of this study suggest that early treatment of various APDs in juvenile rats may cause gender and brain regional specific changes in 5-HT2A and 5-HT2C receptors in the adult brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael De Santis
- Antipsychotic Research Laboratory, Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
- School of Medicine, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Xu-Feng Huang
- School of Medicine, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Chao Deng
- Antipsychotic Research Laboratory, Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
- School of Medicine, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
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19
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Sbisa A, van den Buuse M, Gogos A. The effect of estrogenic compounds on psychosis-like behaviour in female rats. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0193853. [PMID: 29579065 PMCID: PMC5868772 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0193853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2017] [Accepted: 02/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
17β-estradiol treatment has shown benefit against schizophrenia symptoms, however long-term use may be associated with negative side-effects. Selective estrogen receptor modulators, such as raloxifene and tamoxifen, have been proposed as suitable alternatives to 17β-estradiol. An isomer of 17β-estradiol, 17α-estradiol, is considered less carcinogenic, and non-feminising in males, however little is known about its potential as a treatment for schizophrenia. Moreover, the mechanism underlying the therapeutic action of estrogens remains unclear. We aimed to investigate the ability of these estrogenic compounds to attenuate psychosis-like behaviour in rats. We used two acute pharmacologically-induced assays of psychosis-like behaviour: psychotomimetic drug-induced hyperlocomotion and disruption of prepulse inhibition (PPI). Female Long Evans rats were either intact, ovariectomised (OVX), or OVX and chronically treated with 17β-estradiol, 17α-estradiol, raloxifene or tamoxifen. Only 17β-estradiol treatment attenuated locomotor hyperactivity induced by the indirect dopamine receptor agonist, methamphetamine. 17β-estradiol- and tamoxifen-treated rats showed attenuated methamphetamine- and apomorphine (dopamine D1/D2 receptor agonist)-induced disruption of PPI. Raloxifene-treated rats showed attenuated apomorphine-induced PPI disruption only. Baseline PPI was significantly reduced following OVX, and this deficit was reversed by all estrogenic compounds. Further, PPI in OVX rats was increased following administration of apomorphine. This study confirms a protective effect of 17β-estradiol in two established animal models of psychosis, while tamoxifen showed beneficial effects against PPI disruption. In contrast, 17α-estradiol and raloxifene showed little effect on dopamine receptor-mediated psychosis-like behaviours. This study highlights the utility of some estrogenic compounds to attenuate psychosis-like behaviour in rats, supporting the notion that estrogens have therapeutic potential for psychotic disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyssa Sbisa
- Hormones in Psychiatry Laboratory, Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, VIC, Australia.,School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, Australia
| | - Maarten van den Buuse
- School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, Australia.,Department of Pharmacology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.,The College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia
| | - Andrea Gogos
- Hormones in Psychiatry Laboratory, Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, VIC, Australia
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20
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van den Buuse M, Low JK, Kwek P, Martin S, Gogos A. Selective enhancement of NMDA receptor-mediated locomotor hyperactivity by male sex hormones in mice. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2017; 234:2727-2735. [PMID: 28674745 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-017-4668-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2016] [Accepted: 05/29/2017] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Altered glutamate NMDA receptor function is implicated in schizophrenia, and gender differences have been demonstrated in this illness. OBJECTIVES This study aimed to investigate the interaction of gonadal hormones with NMDA receptor-mediated locomotor hyperactivity and PPI disruption in mice. RESULTS The effect of 0.25 mg/kg of MK-801 on locomotor activity was greater in male mice than in female mice. Gonadectomy (by surgical castration) significantly reduced MK-801-induced hyperlocomotion in male mice, but no effect of gonadectomy was seen in female mice or on amphetamine-induced locomotor hyperactivity. The effect of MK-801 on prepulse inhibition of startle (PPI) was similar in intact and castrated male mice and in ovariectomized (OVX) female mice. In contrast, there was no effect of MK-801 on PPI in intact female mice. Forebrain NMDA receptor density, as measured with [3H]MK-801 autoradiography, was significantly higher in male than in female mice but was not significantly altered by either castration or OVX. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that male sex hormones enhance the effect of NMDA receptor blockade on psychosis-like behaviour. This interaction was not seen in female mice and was independent of NMDA receptor density in the forebrain. Male sex hormones may be involved in psychosis by an interaction with NMDA receptor hypofunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maarten van den Buuse
- Mental Health Research Institute, Parkville, VIC, Australia. .,Department of Pharmacology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia. .,The College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia. .,School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
| | - Jac Kee Low
- Mental Health Research Institute, Parkville, VIC, Australia.,School of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Perrin Kwek
- Mental Health Research Institute, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Sally Martin
- Mental Health Research Institute, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Andrea Gogos
- Mental Health Research Institute, Parkville, VIC, Australia.,Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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21
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Sbisa AM, Gogos A, van den Buuse M. Spatial working memory in the touchscreen operant platform is disrupted in female rats by ovariectomy but not estrous cycle. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2017; 144:147-154. [PMID: 28729138 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2017.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2016] [Revised: 05/31/2017] [Accepted: 07/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Learning and memory deficits have been described in rats and mice after ovariectomy (OVX) and across the estrous cycle. Preclinical researchers therefore often avoid using female animals and, consequently, a large male bias exists in the preclinical cognitive literature. In the present study we examined the role of sex hormones in the touchscreen operant platform using the spatial working memory trial unique nonmatching-to-location (TUNL) task. Twenty-nine Long Evans rats were trained to acquire the TUNL task including three incremental spatial separations (S0, S1, S2). Following 20 consecutive days of training, subjects in experiment 1 (n=15) remained intact and immediately progressed to TUNL testing, while subjects in experiment 2 were OVX (n=6) or sham-operated (n=8) prior to testing. Subjects were tested on 4 spatial separations (S0-3) with a 1s or 6s delay between the sample and nonmatching stimuli. The estrous cycle of intact rats was monitored during the 4weeks of testing. The estrous cycle phase did not significantly affect performance. In contrast, compared to intact rats, OVX impaired performance at larger spatial separations (S2-3) during the 1s delay condition. Further, during the 6s delay, OVX impaired S2 performance, however not S3. Our results suggest a probable shift in cognitive strategy following OVX, when tested with a large and novel spatial separation. Our findings suggest that ovarian hormone deprivation following OVX, but not estrous cycle, impairs spatial working memory as measured by the TUNL task. This research is relevant for future studies utilising the touchscreen TUNL task and for cognitive testing of female rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyssa M Sbisa
- Hormones in Psychiatry Laboratory, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia
| | - Andrea Gogos
- Hormones in Psychiatry Laboratory, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Maarten van den Buuse
- School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia; Department of Pharmacology, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; The College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Queensland, Australia.
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22
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Meehan C, Harms L, Frost JD, Barreto R, Todd J, Schall U, Shannon Weickert C, Zavitsanou K, Michie PT, Hodgson DM. Effects of immune activation during early or late gestation on schizophrenia-related behaviour in adult rat offspring. Brain Behav Immun 2017; 63:8-20. [PMID: 27423491 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2016.07.144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2016] [Revised: 06/22/2016] [Accepted: 07/12/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Maternal exposure to infectious agents during gestation has been identified as a significant risk factor for schizophrenia. Using a mouse model, past work has demonstrated that the gestational timing of the immune-activating event can impact the behavioural phenotype and expression of dopaminergic and glutamatergic neurotransmission markers in the offspring. In order to determine the inter-species generality of this effect to rats, another commonly used model species, the current study investigated the impact of a viral mimetic Poly (I:C) at either an early (gestational day 10) or late (gestational day 19) time-point on schizophrenia-related behaviour and neurotransmitter receptor expression in rat offspring. Exposure to Poly (I:C) in late, but not early, gestation resulted in transient impairments in working memory. In addition, male rats exposed to maternal immune activation (MIA) in either early or late gestation exhibited sensorimotor gating deficits. Conversely, neither early nor late MIA exposure altered locomotor responses to MK-801 or amphetamine. In addition, increased dopamine 1 receptor mRNA levels were found in the nucleus accumbens of male rats exposed to early gestational MIA. The findings from this study diverge somewhat from previous findings in mice with MIA exposure, which were often found to exhibit a more comprehensive spectrum of schizophrenia-like phenotypes in both males and females, indicating potential differences in the neurodevelopmental vulnerability to MIA exposure in the rat with regards to schizophrenia related changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Crystal Meehan
- School of Psychology, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia; Priority Research Centre for Brain and Mental Health Research, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia; Schizophrenia Research Institute, Randwick, NSW, Australia; Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, NSW, Australia
| | - Lauren Harms
- School of Psychology, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia; Priority Research Centre for Brain and Mental Health Research, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia; Schizophrenia Research Institute, Randwick, NSW, Australia; Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, NSW, Australia
| | - Jade D Frost
- School of Psychology, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia; Priority Research Centre for Brain and Mental Health Research, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia; Schizophrenia Research Institute, Randwick, NSW, Australia; Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, NSW, Australia
| | - Rafael Barreto
- School of Psychology, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia
| | - Juanita Todd
- School of Psychology, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia; Priority Research Centre for Brain and Mental Health Research, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia; Schizophrenia Research Institute, Randwick, NSW, Australia; Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, NSW, Australia
| | - Ulrich Schall
- Priority Research Centre for Brain and Mental Health Research, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia; Schizophrenia Research Institute, Randwick, NSW, Australia; Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, NSW, Australia; School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia
| | - Cynthia Shannon Weickert
- Schizophrenia Research Institute, Randwick, NSW, Australia; School of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, NSW, Australia
| | | | - Patricia T Michie
- School of Psychology, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia; Priority Research Centre for Brain and Mental Health Research, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia; Schizophrenia Research Institute, Randwick, NSW, Australia; Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, NSW, Australia
| | - Deborah M Hodgson
- School of Psychology, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia; Priority Research Centre for Brain and Mental Health Research, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia; Schizophrenia Research Institute, Randwick, NSW, Australia; Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, NSW, Australia.
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23
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Gogos A, Kusljic S, Thwaites SJ, van den Buuse M. Sex differences in psychotomimetic-induced behaviours in rats. Behav Brain Res 2017; 322:157-166. [PMID: 28111261 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2017.01.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2016] [Revised: 12/16/2016] [Accepted: 01/16/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Animal model studies using equal numbers of males and females are sparse in psychiatry research. Given the marked sex differences observed in psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia, using both males and females in research studies is an important requirement. Thus the aim of this study was to examine sex differences in psychotomimetic-induced behavioural deficits relevant to psychosis. We therefore compared the acute effect of amphetamine or phencyclidine on locomotor activity and prepulse inhibition in adult male and female Sprague-Dawley rats. The results of this study were that: (1) amphetamine-induced distance travelled was greater in female rats than in male rats, (2) phencyclidine-induced locomotor hyperactivity was similar in male and female rats; (3) there were no sex differences in amphetamine- or phencyclidine-induced disruption of prepulse inhibition; (4) male rats had an increased startle response after amphetamine. These findings suggest that sensitivity to amphetamine, but not phencyclidine, differs between male and female rats, and that this sex difference is selective to locomotor hyperactivity and startle, but not prepulse inhibition. This study used two widely-used, validated preclinical assays relevant to psychosis; the results of this study have implications for psychiatry research, particularly for disorders where marked sex differences in onset and symptomology are observed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Gogos
- Hormones in Psychiatry Laboratory, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne, Australia; Behavioural Neuroscience Laboratory, Mental Health Research Institute, Parkville, Australia.
| | - Snezana Kusljic
- Hormones in Psychiatry Laboratory, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne, Australia; Behavioural Neuroscience Laboratory, Mental Health Research Institute, Parkville, Australia; Department of Nursing, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Shane J Thwaites
- Behavioural Neuroscience Laboratory, Mental Health Research Institute, Parkville, Australia
| | - Maarten van den Buuse
- Behavioural Neuroscience Laboratory, Mental Health Research Institute, Parkville, Australia; School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
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de Bie J, Lim CK, Guillemin GJ. Kynurenines, Gender and Neuroinflammation; Showcase Schizophrenia. Neurotox Res 2016; 30:285-94. [DOI: 10.1007/s12640-016-9641-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2016] [Revised: 05/31/2016] [Accepted: 06/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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Sun X, Gou HY, Li F, Lu GY, Song R, Yang RF, Wu N, Su RB, Cong B, Li J. Y-QA31, a novel dopamine D3 receptor antagonist, exhibits antipsychotic-like properties in preclinical animal models of schizophrenia. Acta Pharmacol Sin 2016; 37:322-33. [PMID: 26775662 PMCID: PMC4775839 DOI: 10.1038/aps.2015.105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2015] [Accepted: 09/29/2015] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
AIM To investigate the potential effects of Y-QA31, a novel dopamine D3 receptor antagonist, as an antipsychotic drug. METHODS A panel of radioligand-receptor binding assays was performed to identify the affinities of Y-QA31 for different G protein-coupled receptors. [(35)S]GTPγS-binding assays and Ca(2+) imaging were used to assess its intrinsic activities. The antipsychotic profile of Y-QA31 was characterized in mouse models for the positive symptoms and cognitive deficits of schizophrenia and extrapyramidal side effects with haloperidol and clozapine as positive controls. RESULTS In vitro, Y-QA31 is a dopamine D3 receptor antagonist that is 186-fold more potent at the D3 receptor than at the D2 receptor. Y-QA31 also exhibits 5-HT1A receptor partial agonist and α1A adrenoceptor antagonist activities with medium affinity, whereas it exhibits very little affinity for other receptors (100-fold lower than for the D3 receptor). In vivo, Y-QA31 (10-40 mg/kg, po) significantly inhibited MK-801-induced hyperlocomotion and methamphetamine-induced prepulse inhibition disruption in a dose-dependent manner. Y-QA31 also inhibited the avoidance response and methamphetamine-induced hyperlocomotion with potency lower than haloperidol. Y-QA31 was effective in alleviating the MK-801-induced disruption of novel object recognition at a low dose (1 mg/kg, po). Moreover, Y-QA31 itself did not affect spontaneous locomotion or induce cataleptic response until its dose reached 120 mg/kg. CONCLUSION Y-QA31 is a selective D3R antagonist that exhibits antipsychotic effects in some animal models with positive symptoms and cognitive disorder and less extrapyramidal side effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Key Laboratory of Neuropsychopharmacology, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing 100850, China
| | - Hong-yan Gou
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Key Laboratory of Neuropsychopharmacology, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing 100850, China
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Department of Forensic Medicine, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China
| | - Fei Li
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Key Laboratory of Neuropsychopharmacology, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing 100850, China
| | - Guan-yi Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Key Laboratory of Neuropsychopharmacology, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing 100850, China
| | - Rui Song
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Key Laboratory of Neuropsychopharmacology, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing 100850, China
| | - Ri-fang Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Key Laboratory of Neuropsychopharmacology, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing 100850, China
| | - Ning Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Key Laboratory of Neuropsychopharmacology, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing 100850, China
| | - Rui-bin Su
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Key Laboratory of Neuropsychopharmacology, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing 100850, China
| | - Bin Cong
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Department of Forensic Medicine, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China
| | - Jin Li
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Beijing Key Laboratory of Neuropsychopharmacology, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing 100850, China
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Gogos A, van den Buuse M. Comparing the effects of 17β-oestradiol and the selective oestrogen receptor modulators, raloxifene and tamoxifen, on prepulse inhibition in female rats. Schizophr Res 2015; 168:634-9. [PMID: 25979306 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2015.04.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2014] [Revised: 04/12/2015] [Accepted: 04/23/2015] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Evidence suggests that oestrogen plays a protective role against the development and severity of schizophrenia. However, while oestrogen may be beneficial as a treatment in schizophrenia, its chronic use is associated with side-effects. Selective oestrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) may provide an alternative, however little is known about the mechanism underlying their effects in schizophrenia. METHODS We investigated the effect of raloxifene and tamoxifen on dopaminergic-induced disruptions of prepulse inhibition (PPI). PPI measures sensorimotor gating and PPI disruptions are considered an endophenotype for schizophrenia. Adult female Sprague-Dawley rats were either intact, ovariectomized (OVX), OVX and 17β-oestradiol-treated, OVX and raloxifene-treated (low or high dose), or OVX and tamoxifen-treated (low or high dose). RESULTS The dopamine D1/D2 receptor agonist, apomorphine (0, 0.1, 0.3 and 1mg/kg), caused the expected dose-dependent disruption in PPI in intact and OVX rats. This PPI disruption was prevented in OVX rats treated with 17β-oestradiol, a high dose of raloxifene or a high dose of tamoxifen. In untreated OVX rats, average PPI was 55% after saline and 34% after 1mg/kg apomorphine treatment, a reduction of 21%. However, oestradiol-treated and raloxifene-treated OVX rats showed only a 7% PPI reduction, and tamoxifen-treated OVX rats had a 4% PPI reduction caused by apomorphine treatment. Startle amplitude was not different between the groups. CONCLUSION The SERMs, raloxifene and tamoxifen, can prevent dopamine D1/D2 receptor-mediated disruptions of sensorimotor gating, similar to oestradiol. These data lend support for the use of SERMs as a treatment for schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Gogos
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, 30 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia.
| | - Maarten van den Buuse
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, 30 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; School of Psychological Science, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC 3086, Australia
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van den Buuse M, Mingon RL, Gogos A. Chronic estrogen and progesterone treatment inhibits ketamine-induced disruption of prepulse inhibition in rats. Neurosci Lett 2015; 607:72-76. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2015.09.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2015] [Revised: 08/18/2015] [Accepted: 09/16/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Comasco E, Hellgren C, Olivier J, Skalkidou A, Sundström Poromaa I. Supraphysiological hormonal status, anxiety disorders, and COMT Val/Val genotype are associated with reduced sensorimotor gating in women. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2015; 60:217-23. [PMID: 26189199 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2015.06.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2015] [Revised: 05/27/2015] [Accepted: 06/30/2015] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Pregnancy is a period characterized by a supraphysiological hormonal status, and greater anxiety proneness, which can lead to peripartum affective symptoms with dramatic consequences not only for the woman but also for the child. Clinical psychiatry is heavily hampered by the paucity of objective and biology-based intermediate phenotypes. Prepulse inhibition (PPI) of the startle response, a neurophysiological measure of sensorimotor gating, has been poorly investigated in relation to anxiety and in pregnant women. In the present study, the PPI of healthy non-pregnant women (n = 82) and late pregnant women (n = 217) was investigated. Age, BMI, depression and anxiety symptoms, tobacco use, and antidepressant medication were considered. We investigated and provided evidence of lower PPI: (i) in healthy pregnant women compared to healthy non-pregnant controls, (ii) in pregnant women with anxiety disorders compared to healthy pregnant women, (iii) in pregnant women with anxiety disorders using SSRI compared to un-medicated pregnant women with anxiety disorders, and (iv) in healthy pregnant women carrying the COMT Val158Met Val/Val genotype compared to Met carriers. Altogether, a reduced sensorimotor gating as an effect of supraphysiological hormonal status, anxiety disorders, SSRIs, and catecholaminergic genotype, implicate the putative relevance of lower PPI as an objective biological correlate of anxiety proneness in pregnant women. These findings call for prospective studies to dissect the multifactorial influences on PPI in relation to mental health of pregnant women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erika Comasco
- Department of Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden; Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Charlotte Hellgren
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jocelien Olivier
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden; Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Alkistis Skalkidou
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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Gogos A, Sbisa AM, Sun J, Gibbons A, Udawela M, Dean B. A Role for Estrogen in Schizophrenia: Clinical and Preclinical Findings. Int J Endocrinol 2015; 2015:615356. [PMID: 26491441 PMCID: PMC4600562 DOI: 10.1155/2015/615356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 119] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2015] [Revised: 08/21/2015] [Accepted: 08/23/2015] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Gender differences in schizophrenia have been extensively researched and it is being increasingly accepted that gonadal steroids are strongly attributed to this phenomenon. Of the various hormones implicated, the estrogen hypothesis has been the most widely researched one and it postulates that estrogen exerts a protective effect by buffering females against the development and severity of the illness. In this review, we comprehensively analyse studies that have investigated the effects of estrogen, in particular 17β-estradiol, in clinical, animal, and molecular research with relevance to schizophrenia. Specifically, we discuss the current evidence on estrogen dysfunction in schizophrenia patients and review the clinical findings on the use of estradiol as an adjunctive treatment in schizophrenia patients. Preclinical research that has used animal models and molecular probes to investigate estradiol's underlying protective mechanisms is also substantially discussed, with particular focus on estradiol's impact on the major neurotransmitter systems implicated in schizophrenia, namely, the dopamine, serotonin, and glutamate systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Gogos
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Alyssa M. Sbisa
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
- School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC 3086, Australia
| | - Jeehae Sun
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
- School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC 3086, Australia
| | - Andrew Gibbons
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Madhara Udawela
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Brian Dean
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
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Célia Moreira Borella V, Seeman MV, Carneiro Cordeiro R, Vieira dos Santos J, Romário Matos de Souza M, Nunes de Sousa Fernandes E, Santos Monte A, Maria Mendes Vasconcelos S, Quinn JP, de Lucena DF, Carvalho AF, Macêdo D. Gender and estrous cycle influences on behavioral and neurochemical alterations in adult rats neonatally administered ketamine. Dev Neurobiol 2015. [PMID: 26215537 DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Neonatal N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor blockade in rodents triggers schizophrenia (SCZ)-like alterations during adult life. SCZ is influenced by gender in age of onset, premorbid functioning, and course. Estrogen, the hormone potentially driving the gender differences in SCZ, is known to present neuroprotective effects such as regulate oxidative pathways and the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Thus, the aim of this study was to verify if differences in gender and/or estrous cycle phase during adulthood would influence the development of behavioral and neurochemical alterations in animals neonatally administered ketamine. The results showed that ketamine-treated male (KT-male) and female-in-diestrus (KTF-diestrus, the low estrogen phase) presented significant deficits in prepulse inhibition of the startle reflex and spatial working memory, two behavioral SCZ endophenotypes. On the contrary, female ketamine-treated rats during proestrus (KTF-proestrus, the high estradiol phase) had no behavioral alterations. This correlated with an oxidative imbalance in the hippocampus (HC) of both male and KTF-diestrus female rats, that is, decreased levels of GSH and increased levels of lipid peroxidation and nitrite. Similarly, BDNF was decreased in the KTF-diestrus rats while no alterations were observed in KTF-proestrus and male animals. The changes in the HC were in contrast to those in the prefrontal cortex in which only increased levels of nitrite in all groups studied were observed. Thus, there is a gender difference in the adult rat HC in response to ketamine neonatal administration, which is based on the estrous cycle. This is discussed in relation to neuropsychiatric conditions and in particular SCZ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vládia Célia Moreira Borella
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Drug Research and Development Center, Faculty of Medicine, Neuropharmacology Laboratory, Federal University of Ceara, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil
| | - Mary V Seeman
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Rafaela Carneiro Cordeiro
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Drug Research and Development Center, Faculty of Medicine, Neuropharmacology Laboratory, Federal University of Ceara, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil
| | - Júnia Vieira dos Santos
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Drug Research and Development Center, Faculty of Medicine, Neuropharmacology Laboratory, Federal University of Ceara, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil
| | - Marcos Romário Matos de Souza
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Drug Research and Development Center, Faculty of Medicine, Neuropharmacology Laboratory, Federal University of Ceara, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil
| | - Ethel Nunes de Sousa Fernandes
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Drug Research and Development Center, Faculty of Medicine, Neuropharmacology Laboratory, Federal University of Ceara, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil
| | - Aline Santos Monte
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Drug Research and Development Center, Faculty of Medicine, Neuropharmacology Laboratory, Federal University of Ceara, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil
| | - Silvânia Maria Mendes Vasconcelos
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Drug Research and Development Center, Faculty of Medicine, Neuropharmacology Laboratory, Federal University of Ceara, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil
| | - John P Quinn
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Pharmacology, Institute of Translational Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - David F de Lucena
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Drug Research and Development Center, Faculty of Medicine, Neuropharmacology Laboratory, Federal University of Ceara, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil
| | - André F Carvalho
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Psychiatry Research Group, Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Ceara, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil
| | - Danielle Macêdo
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Drug Research and Development Center, Faculty of Medicine, Neuropharmacology Laboratory, Federal University of Ceara, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil
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Labouesse MA, Langhans W, Meyer U. Effects of selective estrogen receptor alpha and beta modulators on prepulse inhibition in male mice. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2015; 232:2981-94. [PMID: 25893642 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-015-3935-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2015] [Accepted: 04/02/2015] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Multiple lines of evidence suggest that the sex steroid hormone 17-β estradiol (E2) plays a protective role in schizophrenia. Systemic E2 enhances prepulse inhibition (PPI) of the acoustic startle reflex, an operational measure of sensorimotor gating known to be impaired in schizophrenia and related disorders. However, the relative contribution of different estrogen-receptor (ER) isoforms in these associations still awaits examination. OBJECTIVES The present study explored the effects of ER-α and ER-β stimulation or blockade on PPI and their functional relevance in an amphetamine-induced PPI deficiency model in male mice. METHODS Prior to the assessment of PPI, C57BL/6N male mice were injected with the ER-α agonist 4,4',4″-(4-propyl-[1H]-pyrazole-1,3,5-triyl) trisphenol (PPT), the ER-α antagonist 1,3-bis (4-hydroxyphenyl)-4-methyl-5-[4-(2-piperidinylethoxy) phenol]-1N-pyrozole dihydrochloride (MPP), the ER-β agonist 2,3-bis (4-hydroxyphenyl)-propionitrile (DPN), or the ER-β antagonist 4-[2-phenyl-5,7-bis (trifluoromethyl) pyrazolo [1,5-a] pyrimidin-3-yl] phenol (PHTPP), with or without concomitant amphetamine treatment. RESULTS Acute pharmacological stimulation and blockade of ER-α, respectively, led to a dose-dependent increase and decrease in basal PPI. In contrast, acute treatment with preferential ER-β modulators spared PPI under basal conditions. Pretreatment with either ER-α or ER-β agonist was, however, effective in blocking amphetamine-induced PPI disruption. CONCLUSIONS Our study demonstrates that activation of either ER isoform is capable of modulating dopamine-dependent PPI levels. At the same time, our results suggest that endogenous ER-α signaling may be more relevant than ER-β in the regulation of sensorimotor gating under basal conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie A Labouesse
- Physiology and Behavior Laboratory, ETH Zurich, Schorenstrasse 16, 8603, Schwerzenbach, Switzerland,
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Risbrough V, Ji B, Hauger R, Zhou X. Generation and characterization of humanized mice carrying COMT158 Met/Val alleles. Neuropsychopharmacology 2014; 39:1823-32. [PMID: 24509724 PMCID: PMC4059890 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2014.29] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2013] [Revised: 02/01/2014] [Accepted: 02/03/2014] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The Val158Met polymorphism of human catechol-o-methyltransferase (COMT) is one of the most well-studied single-nucleotide polymorphisms in neuropsychiatry; however, findings are inconsistent due to human genetic heterogeneity. We created the first 'humanized' COMTVal158Met mouse lines, which carry either human COMT Val or Met alleles via gene targeting. The 'humanized' mouse model enables strict comparison of the physiological functions of the two alleles. Consistent with human observation, Met/Met mice exhibited a 30% reduction in enzymatic activity compared with Val/Val mice. On the basis of the reported differences in human Met and Val carriers across working memory, fear processes and sensorimotor gating, we examined these functions between sibling Met/Met and Val/Val mice. Val/Val mice exhibited robust reductions in spatial working memory compared with Met/Met mice in both sexes, with tolcapone treatment significantly reversing the Val/Val alternation deficits. Sex effects were observed in other behaviors, with male Val/Val mice exhibited lower prepulse inhibition compared with Met/Met mice, whereas female mice exhibited the opposite phenotype. Female but not male Met/Met mice exhibited reduced contextual fear, increased cued fear, and reduced extinction recall. Thus, these mice (1) support the argument that human COMT Val158Met polymorphism modulates behavioral functions and most importantly (2) exhibit the expected treatment effects supporting the 'inverted U shaped' dose response of catecholamine signaling on cognitive function. This model will be invaluable for understanding the effects of human COMT Val158Met polymorphism on cortical development and behavioral functions, and how this polymorphism modulates treatment response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria Risbrough
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA,Research Service, VA San Diego Healthcare System, La Jolla, CA, USA,Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive Mail Code 0804, La Jolla 92093-0804, CA, USA. Tel: +1 619 543 3582, Fax: +1 619 543 2493, E-mail: or
| | - Baohu Ji
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Richard Hauger
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA,Research Service, VA San Diego Healthcare System, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Xianjin Zhou
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA,Research Service, VA San Diego Healthcare System, La Jolla, CA, USA,Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive Mail Code 0804, La Jolla 92093-0804, CA, USA. Tel: +1 619 543 3582, Fax: +1 619 543 2493, E-mail: or
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Thwaites SJ, van den Buuse M, Gogos A. Differential effects of estrogen and testosterone on auditory sensory gating in rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2014; 231:243-56. [PMID: 23929132 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-013-3231-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2013] [Accepted: 07/25/2013] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Estrogen has been shown to have beneficial effects in patients with schizophrenia. However, the mechanisms involved in this protective effect are unclear. Schizophrenia is associated with deficits in sensory gating, a filtering mechanism which normally prevents sensory overload. In rodent models, acute treatment with drugs such as the dopamine D1/D2 receptor agonist, apomorphine; the dopamine releaser, amphetamine; and the glutamate NMDA receptor antagonists, phencyclidine or MK-801, can induce a phenotype similar to that seen in schizophrenia. OBJECTIVES Given the putative protective action of estrogen in schizophrenia, here we investigated the effect of ovariectomy (OVX) and estrogen replacement in female rats on drug-induced auditory gating deficits. For comparison, we also assessed the effects of castration (CAST) and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) replacement in male rats. METHODS Rats were instrumented with cortical surface electrodes. Test sessions comprised of 150 presentations of paired clicks, 500 ms apart (S1 and S2). RESULTS Administration of all drugs increased the ratio of responses to S2/S1 in sham-operated female and male rats. OVX reduced event-related potential amplitudes but did not alter S2/S1 ratio or drug effects. In OVX rats with 17β-estradiol implants, the effect of apomorphine was abolished, but there was no change in that of amphetamine and phencyclidine. There were no effects of CAST or DHT replacement in male rats. CONCLUSIONS Chronic estrogen replacement in OVX rats protected against sensory gating deficits caused by direct dopamine D1/D2 receptor stimulation. These data could indicate a possible mechanism by which estrogen exerts a protective action in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shane J Thwaites
- Behavioural Neuroscience Laboratory, Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
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Sinclair D, Purves-Tyson TD, Allen KM, Weickert CS. Impacts of stress and sex hormones on dopamine neurotransmission in the adolescent brain. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2014; 231:1581-99. [PMID: 24481565 PMCID: PMC3967083 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-013-3415-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 130] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2013] [Accepted: 12/19/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Adolescence is a developmental period of complex neurobiological change and heightened vulnerability to psychiatric illness. As a result, understanding factors such as sex and stress hormones which drive brain changes in adolescence, and how these factors may influence key neurotransmitter systems implicated in psychiatric illness, is paramount. OBJECTIVES In this review, we outline the impact of sex and stress hormones at adolescence on dopamine neurotransmission, a signaling pathway which is critical to healthy brain function and has been implicated in psychiatric illness. We review normative developmental changes in dopamine, sex hormone, and stress hormone signaling during adolescence and throughout postnatal life, then highlight the interaction of sex and stress hormones and review their impacts on dopamine neurotransmission in the adolescent brain. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS Adolescence is a time of increased responsiveness to sex and stress hormones, during which the maturing dopaminergic neural circuitry is profoundly influenced by these factors. Testosterone, estrogen, and glucocorticoids interact with each other and have distinct, brain region-specific impacts on dopamine neurotransmission in the adolescent brain, shaping brain maturation and cognitive function in adolescence and adulthood. Some effects of stress/sex hormones on cortical and subcortical dopamine parameters bear similarities with dopaminergic abnormalities seen in schizophrenia, suggesting a possible role for sex/stress hormones at adolescence in influencing risk for psychiatric illness via modulation of dopamine neurotransmission. Stress and sex hormones may prove useful targets in future strategies for modifying risk for psychiatric illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duncan Sinclair
- Schizophrenia Research Institute, Sydney, Australia ,Schizophrenia Research Laboratory, Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, Australia ,School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia ,Neuropsychiatric Signaling Program, Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA USA
| | - Tertia D Purves-Tyson
- Schizophrenia Research Institute, Sydney, Australia ,Schizophrenia Research Laboratory, Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, Australia ,School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Katherine M Allen
- Schizophrenia Research Institute, Sydney, Australia ,Schizophrenia Research Laboratory, Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, Australia ,School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Cynthia Shannon Weickert
- Schizophrenia Research Institute, Sydney, Australia ,Macquarie Group Chair of Schizophrenia Research, Neuroscience Research Australia, Barker Street, Randwick, NSW 2031 Australia ,School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
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Poromaa IS. Physiological Correlates of Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD). Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2014; 21:229-43. [PMID: 24590826 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2014_296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) is a mood disorder with onset of functionally impairing or distressing mood symptoms in the late luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. Psychophysiologic findings in PMDD broadly fall into two categories: vulnerability trait findings, thus categorized because they are present in the asymptomatic phases of the menstrual cycle, and state findings, which are only present in the symptomatic late luteal phase and which are potentially representative of the hormonal events and biological mechanisms that lead to PMDD. Trait vulnerability markers in PMDD include diminished cardiovascular stress responses, lower heart rate variability (reflecting increased vagal tone), and lower P300 amplitude, eventually suggesting that women with PMDD share a number of physiological correlates with related anxiety and mood disorders. State findings in PMDD include lower luteal phase prepulse inhibition and altered luteal phase emotion processing. Lower prepulse inhibition in the late luteal phase may be an important ovarian steroid-influenced indicative of altered serotonergic neurotransmission, of relevance for women with PMDD. Attempts to determine the neural correlates of emotion processing in the late luteal phase are thus far inconsistent, but promising.
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Chronic tryptophan deprivation attenuates gating deficits induced by 5-HT(1A), but not 5-HT₂ receptor activation. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2013; 23:1329-35. [PMID: 23141373 PMCID: PMC3609895 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2012.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2012] [Revised: 07/25/2012] [Accepted: 10/18/2012] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The neurotransmitter serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT) exerts a multifaceted function in the modulation of information processing, through the activation of multiple receptor families. In particular, stimulation of 5-HT(1A) and 5-HT(2A) receptors leads to sensorimotor gating impairments and perceptual perturbations. Previous evidence has shown that chronic deprivation of L-tryptophan (TRP), the precursor of 5-HT, results in marked reductions of 5-HT brain levels, as well as neuroplastic alterations in 5-HT(1A) and 5-HT(2A) expression and/or signaling. Building on these premises, in the present study we tested whether a prolonged TRP deprivation may differentially impact the roles of these receptors in the regulation of the prepulse inhibition (PPI) of the acoustic startle reflex, a dependable index of gating. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed for 14 days with either a regimen with negligible TRP content (TR-) or the same diet supplemented of TRP (TR+). At the end of this schedule, rats were treated with the prototypical 5-HT(1A) receptor agonist 8-OH-DPAT (62.5-250 μg/kg, subcutaneous, s.c.) or the 5-HT₂ receptor agonist DOI (0.25-1 mg/kg, s.c.). Notably, the PPI deficits induced by 8-OH-DPAT in TR- rats were significantly milder than those observed in their TR+ counterparts; these effects were fully prevented by the 5-HT(1A) antagonist WAY-100135 (10 mg/kg, intraperitoneal). Conversely, TRP deprivation did not affect the PPI-disrupting properties of DOI. These findings suggest that prolonged 5-HT depletion attenuates the influence of 5-HT(1A), but not 5-HT₂ receptors on sensorimotor gating, confirming the distinct mechanisms of these two targets in PPI regulation.
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Wu Y, Hill R, Gogos A, van den Buuse M. Sex differences and the role of estrogen in animal models of schizophrenia: Interaction with BDNF. Neuroscience 2013; 239:67-83. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2012.10.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2012] [Revised: 10/08/2012] [Accepted: 10/09/2012] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
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Gogos A. Natural and synthetic sex hormones: Effects on higher-order cognitive function and prepulse inhibition. Biol Psychol 2013; 93:17-23. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2013.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2012] [Revised: 01/31/2013] [Accepted: 02/01/2013] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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Hill RA, Wu YWC, Gogos A, van den Buuse M. Sex-dependent alterations in BDNF-TrkB signaling in the hippocampus of reelin heterozygous mice: a role for sex steroid hormones. J Neurochem 2013; 126:389-99. [DOI: 10.1111/jnc.12205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2012] [Revised: 02/13/2013] [Accepted: 02/13/2013] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rachel A. Hill
- Behavioural Neuroscience Laboratory; Mental Health Research Institute; Melbourne Australia
- Centre for Neuroscience; University of Melbourne; Melbourne Australia
| | - Yee-Wen Candace Wu
- Behavioural Neuroscience Laboratory; Mental Health Research Institute; Melbourne Australia
- Department of Pharmacology; University of Melbourne; Melbourne Australia
| | - Andrea Gogos
- Behavioural Neuroscience Laboratory; Mental Health Research Institute; Melbourne Australia
- Centre for Neuroscience; University of Melbourne; Melbourne Australia
| | - Maarten van den Buuse
- Behavioural Neuroscience Laboratory; Mental Health Research Institute; Melbourne Australia
- Department of Pharmacology; University of Melbourne; Melbourne Australia
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Ghafari E, Fararouie M, Shirazi HG, Farhangfar A, Ghaderi F, Mohammadi A. Combination of Estrogen and Antipsychotics in the Treatment of Women with Chronic Schizophrenia. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013; 6:172-6. [DOI: 10.3371/csrp.ghfa.01062013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Kulkarni J, Gavrilidis E, Hayes E, Heaton V, Worsley R. Special biological issues in the management of women with schizophrenia. Expert Rev Neurother 2012; 12:823-33. [PMID: 22853790 DOI: 10.1586/ern.12.62] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a debilitating and pervasive mental illness with devastating effects on psychological, cognitive and social wellbeing, and for which current treatment options are far from ideal. Gender differences and the influence of the female reproductive life cycle on the onset, course and symptoms of schizophrenia and the discovery of estrogen's remarkable psychoprotective properties in animal models led to the proposal of the 'estrogen protection hypothesis' of schizophrenia. This has fueled the recent successful investigation of estradiol as a potential adjuvant therapeutic agent in the management of schizophrenia in women. This review explains the scientific rationale behind the estrogen hypothesis and how it can be clinically utilized to address concerns unique to the care of women with schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jayashri Kulkarni
- Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre, Level One, Old Baker Building, The Alfred Hospital, Commercial Road, Melbourne 3004, Australia.
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Abstract
Increasing evidence from epidemiological, preclinical and clinical studies suggests that estrogens may exert psychoprotective effects in schizophrenia. Observations of gender differences in the onset and course of schizophrenia have prompted exploration of the effects of estrogen on the CNS. The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of different applications of adjunctive estrogen as a possible treatment for symptoms of schizophrenia in both men and women. Recent trials have suggested that estrogen augmentation therapy may be able to enhance the management of schizophrenia; however, the clinical application of estrogen as a treatment has been limited by potential side effects, the most worrying being breast and uterine cancer in women, and feminization in men. Selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs), however, may offer therapeutic benefits for both men and women with schizophrenia without posing threat to breast and uterine tissue and without feminizing effects. The use of estrogen opens up new possibilities for both men and women in the treatment of severe mental illnesses such as schizophrenia. With further preclinical and clinical research, it is hoped that this promising field of hormone modulation can continue to evolve and eventually be translated into real therapeutic potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jayashri Kulkarni
- The Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre, The Alfred Hospital and Monash University Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences - Central Clinical School, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW It is a well established fact that many serious mental illnesses, in particular psychoses such as schizophrenia, may have a significant hormonal aetiological component. This study aims to discuss the oestrogen protection hypothesis of schizophrenia in particular, with an emphasis on findings from the recent literature in support of this theory. RECENT FINDINGS Epidemiological and life-cycle data point to significant differences in the incidence and course of schizophrenia between men and women, suggesting a protective role of oestrogen. In-vitro and in-vivo preclinical research has confirmed oestradiol's interactions with central neurotransmitter systems implicated in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia, whereas results from randomized controlled trials investigating the antipsychotic potential of oestrogen have been promising. Research into other neuroactive hormones with possible effects on mental state is a field still in its infancy but is evolving rapidly. SUMMARY Schizophrenia and related psychoses are pervasive and debilitating conditions, for which currently available treatments are often only partially effective and entail a high risk of serious side effects. Thus, new therapeutic strategies are needed, and the literature reviewed here suggests that hormones such as oestrogen could be a viable option. It is hoped that, with further research and larger trials, the oestrogen hypothesis can be translated into effective clinical practice.
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Arad M, Weiner I. Abnormally rapid reversal learning and reduced response to antipsychotic drugs following ovariectomy in female rats. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2012; 37:200-12. [PMID: 21723667 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2011.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2011] [Revised: 05/18/2011] [Accepted: 06/02/2011] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Epidemiological and clinical life cycle studies indicate that favorable illness course and better response to antipsychotic drugs (APDs) in women with schizophrenia are positively correlated with estrogen levels. Accordingly, the estrogen hypothesis of schizophrenia proposes a neuroprotective role of estrogen in women vulnerable to schizophrenia. Previously we demonstrated in the rat that low levels of estrogen induced by ovariectomy led to disruption of latent inhibition (LI) reflecting impairment of selective attention, a core deficit of schizophrenia. LI disruption was reversed by 17β-estradiol and the atypical APD clozapine, whereas the typical APD haloperidol was ineffective unless co-administered with 17β-estradiol. Here we aimed to extend these findings by testing ovariectomized rats in another selective attention task, discrimination reversal. Ovariectomy led to a loss of selective attention as manifested in abnormally rapid reversal. The latter was normalized by high dose of 17β-estradiol (150 μg/kg) and clozapine (2.5mg/kg), but not by haloperidol (0.1mg/kg) or lower doses of 17β-estradiol (10 and 50 μg/kg). However, co-administration of haloperidol with 17β-estradiol (50 μg/kg) was effective. In sham rats low 17β-estradiol (10 μg/kg) produced rapid reversal, while high 17β-estradiol (150 μg/kg), haloperidol alone, or haloperidol-17β-estradiol combination reduced reversal speed. Clozapine did not affect reversal speed in sham rats. These results strengthen our previous results in suggesting that schizophrenia-like attentional abnormalities as well as reduced response to APDs in female rats are associated with low level of gonadal hormones. In addition, they support the possibility that estrogen may have an antipsychotic-like action in animal models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michal Arad
- Department of Psychology, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv 69978, Israel.
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Sex differences in the effects of perinatal anoxia on dopamine function in rats. Neurosci Lett 2012; 506:89-93. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2011.10.055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2011] [Revised: 10/14/2011] [Accepted: 10/17/2011] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Gogos A, Kwek P, van den Buuse M. The role of estrogen and testosterone in female rats in behavioral models of relevance to schizophrenia. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2012; 219:213-24. [PMID: 21800043 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-011-2389-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2011] [Accepted: 06/17/2011] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE The sex steroid hormone, estrogen, may play a protective role in schizophrenia. We previously found that estrogen treatment inhibited serotonin-1A (5-HT(1A)) and dopamine D(2) receptor-mediated disruptions of prepulse inhibition (PPI), a measure of sensorimotor gating which is deficient in schizophrenia. OBJECTIVES The present study aimed to further explore the role of sex steroid hormones in schizophrenia. Part 1 of this study examined whether estrogen could inhibit PPI disruption induced by the N-methyl-D: -aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist, MK-801. Part 2 investigated whether the functionally protective effect of estrogen occurs in another animal model of schizophrenia, amphetamine-induced locomotor hyperactivity. Part 3 compared our previous PPI findings in estrogen-treated rats, to treatment with testosterone. METHODS Female Sprague-Dawley rats were ovariectomized (OVX) or sham-operated. Some OVX rats received silastic implants filled with either a low (E20) or high dose (E100) of estradiol, or a low (T5) or high dose (T20) of testosterone, for at least 2 weeks before behavioral testing. RESULTS The disruption of PPI caused by MK-801 (0.1 mg/kg) was significantly reduced by treatment with estradiol (E20 and E100). However, estradiol treatment did not alter amphetamine-induced (0.25 and 0.5 mg/kg) locomotor hyperactivity, in terms of distance traveled, ambulation, or vertical counts. In contrast to estrogen, testosterone treatment did not affect disruption of PPI after administration of 8-OH-DPAT (0.5 mg/kg) or apomorphine (0.3 mg/kg). Testosterone treatment significantly enhanced the MK-801-induced (0.1 mg/kg) PPI disruption. CONCLUSIONS Estrogen is functionally protective against 5-HT(1A)-, dopamine D(2)-, and NMDA receptor-induced PPI disruptions, while testosterone treatment enhances NMDA receptor-mediated PPI disruptions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Gogos
- Behavioural Neuroscience Laboratory, The Mental Health Research Institute of Victoria, 155 Oak Street, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia.
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The role of oestrogen and other hormones in the pathophysiology and treatment of schizophrenia. SCHIZOPHRENIA RESEARCH AND TREATMENT 2012; 2012:540273. [PMID: 22966438 PMCID: PMC3420457 DOI: 10.1155/2012/540273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2011] [Accepted: 12/07/2011] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
The theory that many serious mental illnesses, in particular psychoses such as schizophrenia, may have a significant hormonal aetiological component is fast gaining popularity and the support of scientific evidence. Oestrogen in particular has been substantially investigated as a potential mediator of brain function in schizophrenia. Epidemiological and life-cycle data point to significant differences in the incidence and course of schizophrenia between men and women suggests a protective role of oestrogen. In vitro and in vivo preclinical research confirms oestradiol's interactions with central neurotransmitter systems implicated in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia, while results from randomised controlled trials investigating the antipsychotic potential of oestrogen have been positive. Research into other neuroactive hormones with possible effects on mental state is a rapidly evolving field that may hold new promise. Given that schizophrenia and related psychoses are pervasive and debilitating conditions for which currently available treatments are often only partially effective and entail a high risk of serious side-effects, novel therapeutic strategies are needed. The literature reviewed in this paper suggests that hormones such as oestrogen could be a viable option, and it is hoped that with further research and larger trials, the oestrogen hypothesis can be translated into effective clinical practice.
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Naumenko VS, Kondaurova EM, Popova NK. On the role of brain 5-HT7 receptor in the mechanism of hypothermia: comparison with hypothermia mediated via 5-HT1A and 5-HT3 receptor. Neuropharmacology 2011; 61:1360-5. [PMID: 21884711 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2011.08.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2011] [Revised: 06/17/2011] [Accepted: 08/12/2011] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Intracerebroventricular administration of selective agonist of serotonin 5-HT(7) receptor LP44 (4-[2-(methylthio)phenyl]-N-(1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-1-naphthalenyl)-1-pyperasinehexanamide hydrochloride; 10.3, 20.5 or 41.0 nmol) produced considerable hypothermic response in CBA/Lac mice. LP44-induced (20.5 nmol) hypothermia was significantly attenuated by the selective 5-HT(7) receptor antagonist SB 269970 (16.1 fmol, i.c.v.) pretreatment. At the same time, intraperitoneal administration of LP44 in a wide range of doses 1.0, 2.0 or 10.0 mg/kg (2.0, 4.0, 20.0 μmol/kg) did not cause considerable hypothermic response. These findings indicate the implication of central, rather than peripheral 5-HT(7) receptors in the regulation of hypothermia. The comparison of LP44-induced (20.5 nmol) hypothermic reaction in eight inbred mouse strains (DBA/2J, CBA/Lac, C57BL/6, BALB/c, ICR, AKR/J, C3H and Asn) was performed and a significant effect of genotype was found. In the same eight mouse strains, functional activity of 5-HT(1A) and 5-HT(3) receptors was studied. The comparison of hypothermic responses produced by 5-HT(7) receptor agonist LP44 (20.5 nmol, i.c.v.) and 5-HT(1A) receptor agonist 8-OH-DPAT 1.0 mg/kg, i.p. (3.0 μmol/kg), 5-HT(3) receptor agonist m-CPBG (40.0 nmol, i.c.v.) did not reveal considerable interstrain correlations between 5-HT(7) and 5-HT(1A) or 5-HT(3) receptor-induced hypothermia. The selective 5-HT(7) receptor antagonist SB 269970 (16.1 fmol, i.c.v.) failed to attenuate the hypothermic effect of 8-OH-DPAT 1.0 mg/kg, i.p. (3.0 μmol/kg) and m-CPBG (40.0 nmol, i.c.v.) indicating that the brain 5-HT(7) receptor is not involved in the hypothermic effects of 8-OH-DPAT or m-CPBG. The obtained results suggest that the central 5-HT(7) receptor plays an essential role in the mediation of thermoregulation independent of 5-HT(1A) and 5-HT(3) receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladimir S Naumenko
- Department of Behavioral Neurogenomics, Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Division of Russian Academy of Science, Novosibirsk, Russia.
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Conti LH. Interactions between corticotropin-releasing factor and the serotonin 1A receptor system on acoustic startle amplitude and prepulse inhibition of the startle response in two rat strains. Neuropharmacology 2011; 62:256-63. [PMID: 21835187 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2011.07.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2011] [Revised: 06/24/2011] [Accepted: 07/12/2011] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Both the neuropeptide, corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) and the serotonin 1A (5-HT(1A)) receptor systems have been implicated in anxiety disorders and there is evidence that the two systems interact with each other to affect behavior. Both systems have individually been shown to affect prepulse inhibition (PPI) of the acoustic startle response. PPI is a form of sensorimotor gating that is reduced in patients with anxiety disorders including post-traumatic stress and panic disorder. Here, we examined whether the two systems interact or counteract each other to affect acoustic startle amplitude, PPI and habituation of the startle response. In experiment 1, Brown Norway (BN) and Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats were administered ether an intraperitoneal (IP) injection of saline or the 5-HT(1A) receptor agonist, 8-OH-DPAT 10 min prior to receiving an intracerebroventricular (ICV) infusion of either saline or CRF (0.3 μg). In a second experiment, rats were administered either an IP injection of saline or the 5-HT(1A) receptor antagonist, WAY 100,635 10 min prior to receiving an ICV infusion of saline or CRF. Thirty min after the ICV infusion, the startle response and PPI were assessed. As we have previously shown, the dose of CRF used in these experiments reduced PPI in BN rats and had no effect on PPI in WKY rats. Administration of 8-OH-DPAT alone had no effect on PPI in either rat strain when the data from the two strains were examined separately. Administration of 8-OH-DPAT added to the effect of CRF in BN rats, and the combination of 8-OH-DPAT and CRF significantly reduced PPI in WKY rats. CRF alone had no effect on baseline startle amplitude in either rat strain, but CRF enhanced the 8-OH-DPAT-induced increase in startle in both strains. Administration of WAY 100,635 did not affect the CRF-induced change in PPI and there were no interactions between CRF and WAY 100,635 on baseline startle. The results suggest that activation of the 5-HT(1A) receptor can potentiate the effect of CRF on endophenotypes of anxiety disorders in animal models. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled 'Anxiety and Depression'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa H Conti
- Department of Psychiatry, MC 1410, University of Connecticut Health Center, 263 Farmington Ave., Farmington, CT 06119, USA.
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Chavez C, Gogos A, Hill R, Van Sinderen M, Simpson E, Boon WC, van den Buuse M. Differential effect of amphetamine on c-fos expression in female aromatase knockout (ArKO) mice compared to wildtype controls. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2011; 36:761-8. [PMID: 21093158 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2010.10.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2010] [Revised: 10/22/2010] [Accepted: 10/22/2010] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Estrogen may be involved in psychosis by an interaction with central dopaminergic activity. Aromatase knockout mice are unable to produce estrogen and have been shown to display altered behavioural responses and effects of the dopamine releaser, amphetamine. This study investigates the effect of gonadal status on amphetamine-induced c-fos expression in the brains of female aromatase knockout and wildtype mice. Six groups of mice were treated intraperitoneally with saline or 5mg/kg amphetamine. Fos immunoreactivity was assessed in the cingulate cortex, caudate putamen and nucleus accumbens. Aromatase knockout mice showed markedly reduced amphetamine-induced Fos immunoreactivity compared to wildtype mice. However, the amphetamine response was restored in aromatase-knockout mice after ovariectomy, which reduced this effect in wildtype controls. Estrogen supplementation reversed the effect of ovariectomy in wildtype mice but had no additional significant effect in aromatase-knockout mice. These results indicate that mechanisms involved in amphetamine-induced c-fos expression are altered in aromatase knockout mice and that the primary hormone involved in this effect is not estrogen, but may be another factor released from the ovaries, such as an androgen. These results provide new insight into the effect of gonadal hormones on amphetamine induced c-fos expression in this mouse model of estrogen deficiency. These results could be important for our understanding of the role of sex steroid hormones in psychosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Chavez
- Behavioural Neuroscience Laboratory, Mental Health Research Institute of Victoria, Parkville, Melbourne, Australia
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