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Aleksic D, Poleksic J, Agatonovic G, Djulejic V, Vulovic M, Aksic M, Reiss G, Hamad MIK, Jakovcevski I, Aksic M. The long-term effects of maternal deprivation on the number and size of inhibitory interneurons in the rat amygdala and nucleus accumbens. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1187758. [PMID: 37434764 PMCID: PMC10330809 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1187758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction There is an increasing evidence supporting the hypothesis that traumatic experiences during early developmental periods might be associated with psychopathology later in life. Maternal deprivation (MD) in rodents has been proposed as an animal model for certain aspects of neuropsychiatric disorders. Methods To determine whether early-life stress leads to changes in GABAergic, inhibitory interneurons in the limbic system structures, specifically the amygdala and nucleus accumbens, 9-day-old Wistar rats were exposed to a 24 h MD. On postnatal day 60 (P60), the rats were sacrificed for morphometric analysis and their brains were compared to the control group. Results Results show that MD affect GABAergic interneurons, leading to the decrease in density and size of the calcium-binding proteins parvalbumin-, calbindin-, and calretinin-expressing interneurons in the amygdala and nucleus accumbens. Discussion This study indicates that early stress in life leads to changes in the number and morphology of the GABAergic, inhibitory interneurons in the amygdala and nucleus accumbens, most probably due to the loss of neurons during postnatal development and it further contributes to understanding the effects of maternal deprivation on brain development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dubravka Aleksic
- School of Medicine, Institute of Anatomy “Niko Miljanić”, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Joko Poleksic
- School of Medicine, Institute of Anatomy “Niko Miljanić”, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Gorana Agatonovic
- School of Medicine, Institute of Anatomy “Niko Miljanić”, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Vuk Djulejic
- School of Medicine, Institute of Anatomy “Niko Miljanić”, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Maja Vulovic
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac, Kragujevac, Serbia
| | - Miljana Aksic
- Center for Medical Biochemistry, University Clinical Center of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Gebhard Reiss
- Institut für Anatomie und Klinische Morphologie, Universität Witten/Herdecke, Witten, Germany
| | - Mohammad I. K. Hamad
- Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
| | - Igor Jakovcevski
- Institut für Anatomie und Klinische Morphologie, Universität Witten/Herdecke, Witten, Germany
| | - Milan Aksic
- School of Medicine, Institute of Anatomy “Niko Miljanić”, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
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Warhaftig G, Almeida D, Turecki G. Early life adversity across different cell- types in the brain. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 148:105113. [PMID: 36863603 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/04/2023]
Abstract
Early life adversity (ELA)- which includes physical, psychological, emotional, and sexual abuse is one of the most common predictors to diverse psychopathologies later in adulthood. As ELA has a lasting impact on the brain at a developmental stage, recent findings from the field highlighted the specific contributions of different cell types to ELA and their association with long lasting consequences. In this review we will gather recent findings describing morphological, transcriptional and epigenetic alterations within neurons, glia and perineuronal nets and their associated cellular subpopulation. The findings reviewed and summarized here highlight important mechanisms underlying ELA and point to therapeutic approaches for ELA and related psychopathologies later in life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gal Warhaftig
- McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Douglas Hospital Research Center, Montreal QC H4H 1R3, Canada
| | - Daniel Almeida
- McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Douglas Hospital Research Center, Montreal QC H4H 1R3, Canada
| | - Gustavo Turecki
- McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Douglas Hospital Research Center, Montreal QC H4H 1R3, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal QC H3A 1A1, Canada.
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Klimczak P, Rizzo A, Castillo-Gómez E, Perez-Rando M, Gramuntell Y, Beltran M, Nacher J. Parvalbumin Interneurons and Perineuronal Nets in the Hippocampus and Retrosplenial Cortex of Adult Male Mice After Early Social Isolation Stress and Perinatal NMDA Receptor Antagonist Treatment. Front Synaptic Neurosci 2021; 13:733989. [PMID: 34630066 PMCID: PMC8493248 DOI: 10.3389/fnsyn.2021.733989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Both early life aversive experiences and intrinsic alterations in early postnatal neurodevelopment are considered predisposing factors for psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia. The prefrontal cortex and the hippocampus have protracted postnatal development and are affected in schizophrenic patients. Interestingly, similar alterations have been observed in the retrosplenial cortex (RSC). Studies in patients and animal models of schizophrenia have found alterations in cortical parvalbumin (PV) expressing interneurons, making them good candidates to study the etiopathology of this disorder. Some of the alterations observed in PV+ interneurons may be mediated by perineuronal nets (PNNs), specialized regions of the extracellular matrix, which frequently surround these inhibitory neurons. In this study, we have used a double hit model (DHM) combining a single perinatal injection of an NMDAR antagonist (MK801) to disturb early postnatal development and post-weaning social isolation as an early life aversive experience. We have investigated PV expressing interneurons and PNNs in the hippocampus and the RSC of adult male mice, using unbiased stereology. In the CA1, but not in the CA3 region, of the hippocampus, the number of PNNs and PV + PNN+ cells was affected by the drug treatment, and a significant decrease of these parameters was observed in the groups of animals that received MK801. The percentage of PNNs surrounding PV+ cells was significantly decreased after treatment in both hippocampal regions; however, the impact of isolation was observed only in CA1, where isolated animals presented lower percentages. In the RSC, we observed significant effects of isolation, MK801 and the interaction of both interventions on the studied parameters; in the DHM, we observed a significantly lower number of PV+, PNNs, and PV+PNN+cells when compared to control mice. Similar significant decreases were observed for the groups of animals that were just isolated or treated with MK801. To our knowledge, this is the first report on such alterations in the RSC in an animal model combining neurodevelopmental alterations and aversive experiences during infancy/adolescence. These results show the impact of early-life events on different cortical regions, especially on the structure and plasticity of PV+ neurons and their involvement in the emergence of certain psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrycja Klimczak
- Neurobiology Unit, Program in Neurosciences and Institute of Biotechnology and Biomedicine (BIOTECMED), Universitat de València, Burjassot, Spain.,Spanish National Network for Research in Mental Health, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Arianna Rizzo
- Neurobiology Unit, Program in Neurosciences and Institute of Biotechnology and Biomedicine (BIOTECMED), Universitat de València, Burjassot, Spain
| | - Esther Castillo-Gómez
- Neurobiology Unit, Program in Neurosciences and Institute of Biotechnology and Biomedicine (BIOTECMED), Universitat de València, Burjassot, Spain.,Spanish National Network for Research in Mental Health, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain.,Fundación Investigación Hospital Clínico de Valencia, INCLIVA, Valencia, Spain
| | - Marta Perez-Rando
- Neurobiology Unit, Program in Neurosciences and Institute of Biotechnology and Biomedicine (BIOTECMED), Universitat de València, Burjassot, Spain.,Spanish National Network for Research in Mental Health, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain.,Fundación Investigación Hospital Clínico de Valencia, INCLIVA, Valencia, Spain
| | - Yaiza Gramuntell
- Neurobiology Unit, Program in Neurosciences and Institute of Biotechnology and Biomedicine (BIOTECMED), Universitat de València, Burjassot, Spain
| | - Marc Beltran
- Neurobiology Unit, Program in Neurosciences and Institute of Biotechnology and Biomedicine (BIOTECMED), Universitat de València, Burjassot, Spain
| | - Juan Nacher
- Neurobiology Unit, Program in Neurosciences and Institute of Biotechnology and Biomedicine (BIOTECMED), Universitat de València, Burjassot, Spain.,Spanish National Network for Research in Mental Health, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain.,Fundación Investigación Hospital Clínico de Valencia, INCLIVA, Valencia, Spain
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Neves BHS, Barbosa GPDR, Rosa ACDS, Picua SS, Gomes GM, Sosa PM, Mello-Carpes PB. On the role of the dopaminergic system in the memory deficits induced by maternal deprivation. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2020; 173:107272. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2020.107272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2020] [Revised: 05/11/2020] [Accepted: 06/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
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Banqueri M, Méndez M, Arias JL. Why are maternally separated females inflexible? Brain activity pattern of COx and c-Fos. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2018; 155:30-41. [PMID: 29908971 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2018.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2017] [Revised: 06/06/2018] [Accepted: 06/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Subjects' early life events will affect them later in life. When these events are stressful, such as child abuse in humans or repeated maternal separation in rodents, subjects can show some behavioral and brain alterations. This study used young adult female Wistar rats that were maternally raised (AFR), maternally separated from post-natal day (PND) 1 to PND10 (MS10), or maternally separated from PND1 to PND21 (MS21), in order to assess the effects of maternal separation (MS) on spatial learning and memory, as well as cognitive flexibility, using the Morris Water Maze (MWM). We performed quantitative cytochrome oxidase (COx) histochemistry on selected brain areas in order to identify whether maternal separation affects brain energy metabolism. We also performed c-Fos immunohistochemistry on the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), thalamus, and hippocampus to explore whether this immediate early gene activity was altered in stressed subjects. We obtained a similar spatial learning pattern in maternally raised and maternally separated subjects on the reference memory task, but only the controls were flexible enough to solve the reversal learning successfully. Separated groups showed less c-Fos activity in the mPFC and less complex neural networks on COx.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Banqueri
- Laboratory of Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, University of Oviedo, Plaza Feijoo, s/n, E-33003 Oviedo, Spain; Instituto de Neurociencias del Principado de Asturias (INEUROPA), Spain.
| | - Marta Méndez
- Laboratory of Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, University of Oviedo, Plaza Feijoo, s/n, E-33003 Oviedo, Spain; Instituto de Neurociencias del Principado de Asturias (INEUROPA), Spain
| | - Jorge L Arias
- Laboratory of Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, University of Oviedo, Plaza Feijoo, s/n, E-33003 Oviedo, Spain; Instituto de Neurociencias del Principado de Asturias (INEUROPA), Spain
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Long-Term Effects of Maternal Deprivation on Redox Regulation in Rat Brain: Involvement of NADPH Oxidase. OXIDATIVE MEDICINE AND CELLULAR LONGEVITY 2017; 2017:7390516. [PMID: 28408971 PMCID: PMC5376945 DOI: 10.1155/2017/7390516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2016] [Revised: 02/23/2017] [Accepted: 03/01/2017] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Maternal deprivation (MD) causes perinatal stress, with subsequent behavioral changes which resemble the symptoms of schizophrenia. The NADPH oxidase is one of the major generators of reactive oxygen species, known to play a role in stress response in different tissues. The aim of this study was to elucidate the long-term effects of MD on the expression of NADPH oxidase subunits (gp91phox, p22phox, p67phox, p47phox, and p40phox). Activities of cytochrome C oxidase and respiratory chain Complex I, as well as the oxidative stress parameters using appropriate spectrophotometric techniques were analyzed. Nine-day-old Wistar rats were exposed to a 24 h maternal deprivation and sacrificed at young adult age. The structures affected by perinatal stress, cortex, hippocampus, thalamus, and caudate nuclei were investigated. The most prominent findings were increased expressions of gp91phox in the cortex and hippocampus, increased expression of p22phox and p40phox, and decreased expression of gp91phox, p22phox, and p47phox in the caudate nuclei. Complex I activity was increased in all structures except cortex. Content of reduced glutathione was decreased in all sections while region-specific changes of other oxidative stress parameters were found. Our results indicate the presence of long-term redox alterations in MD rats.
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Hyland NP, O'Mahony SM, O'Malley D, O'Mahony CM, Dinan TG, Cryan JF. Early-life stress selectively affects gastrointestinal but not behavioral responses in a genetic model of brain-gut axis dysfunction. Neurogastroenterol Motil 2015; 27:105-13. [PMID: 25443141 DOI: 10.1111/nmo.12486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2014] [Accepted: 11/15/2014] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Early-life stress and a genetic predisposition to display an anxiety- and depressive-like phenotype are associated with behavioral and gastrointestinal (GI) dysfunction. Animals exposed to early-life stress, and those genetically predisposed to display anxiety or depressive behaviors, have proven useful tools in which to study stress-related GI disorders, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). IBS is a heterogeneous disorder, and likely a consequence of both genetic and environmental factors. However, the combined effects of early-life stress and a genetic predisposition to display anxiety- and depression-like behaviors on GI function have not been investigated. METHODS We assessed the effect of maternal separation (MS) on behavioral and GI responses in WKY animals relative to a normo-anxious reference strain. KEY RESULTS Both non-separated (NS) WKY and WKY-MS animals displayed anxiety-like responses in the open-field test and depressive-like behaviors in the forced swim test relative to Sprague-Dawley rats. However, MS had no further influence on anxiety- and depressive-like behaviors exhibited by this stress-prone rat strain. Similarly, corticosterone levels measured after the OFT were insensitive to MS in WKY animals. However, WKY-MS displayed significantly increased colonic visceral hypersensitivity, fecal output, and altered colonic cholinergic sensitivity. CONCLUSIONS & INFERENCES Our data suggest that early-life stress, on the background of a genetic predisposition to display an anxiety- and depressive-like phenotype, selectively influences GI function rather than stress-related behaviors. Thus, our findings highlight the importance of genetic predisposition on the outcome of early-life adversity on GI function.
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Affiliation(s)
- N P Hyland
- Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
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Long-term effects of maternal deprivation on the neuronal soma area in the rat neocortex. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2014; 2014:235238. [PMID: 24895554 PMCID: PMC4034405 DOI: 10.1155/2014/235238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2013] [Revised: 04/10/2014] [Accepted: 04/12/2014] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Early separation of rat pups from their mothers (separatio a matrem) is considered and accepted as an animal model of perinatal stress. Adult rats, separated early postnatally from their mothers, are developing long-lasting changes in the brain and neuroendocrine system, corresponding to the findings observed in schizophrenia and affective disorders. With the aim to investigate the morphological changes in this animal model we exposed 9-day-old (P9) Wistar rats to a 24 h maternal deprivation (MD). At young adult age rats were sacrificed for morphometric analysis and their brains were compared with the control group bred under the same conditions, but without MD. Rats exposed to MD had a 28% smaller cell soma area in the prefrontal cortex (PFCX), 30% in retrosplenial cortex (RSCX), and 15% in motor cortex (MCX) compared to the controls. No difference was observed in the expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein in the neocortex of MD rats compared to the control group. The results of this study demonstrate that stress in early life has a long-term effect on neuronal soma size in cingulate and retrosplenial cortex and is potentially interesting as these structures play an important role in cognition.
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