1
|
Qu Y, Zhang L, Hou W, Liu L, Liu J, Li L, Guo X, Li Y, Huang C, He Z, Tai F. Distinct medial amygdala oxytocin receptor neurons projections respectively control consolation or aggression in male mandarin voles. Nat Commun 2024; 15:8139. [PMID: 39289343 PMCID: PMC11408735 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-51652-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/12/2024] [Indexed: 09/19/2024] Open
Abstract
The individuals often show consolation to distressed companions or show aggression to the intruders. The circuit mechanisms underlying switching between consolation and aggression remain unclear. In the present study, using male mandarin voles, we identified that two distinct subtypes of oxytocin receptor (OXTR) neurons in the medial amygdala (MeA) projecting to the anterior insula (AI) and ventrolateral aspect of ventromedial hypothalamus (VMHvl) response differently to stressed siblings or unfamiliar intruders using c-Fos or calcium recording. Oxytocin release and activities of PVN neurons projecting to MeA increased upon consoling and attacking. OXTR antagonist injection to the MeA reduced consoling and attacking. Apoptosis, optogenetic or pharmacogenetic manipulation of these two populations of neurons altered behavioral responses to these two social stimuli respectively. Here, we show that two subtypes of OXTR neurons in the MeA projecting to the AI or VMHvl causally control consolation or aggression that may underlie switch between consolation and aggression.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yishan Qu
- Institute of Brain and Behavioural Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Lizi Zhang
- Institute of Brain and Behavioural Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Wenjuan Hou
- Institute of Brain and Behavioural Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Limin Liu
- Institute of Brain and Behavioural Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Jing Liu
- Institute of Brain and Behavioural Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Lu Li
- Institute of Brain and Behavioural Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Xing Guo
- Institute of Brain and Behavioural Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Yin Li
- Institute of Brain and Behavioural Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Caihong Huang
- Institute of Brain and Behavioural Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Zhixiong He
- Institute of Brain and Behavioural Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China.
| | - Fadao Tai
- Institute of Brain and Behavioural Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Singh R, Gobrogge K. Aggression Unleashed: Neural Circuits from Scent to Brain. Brain Sci 2024; 14:794. [PMID: 39199486 PMCID: PMC11352925 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci14080794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2024] [Revised: 08/01/2024] [Accepted: 08/07/2024] [Indexed: 09/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Aggression is a fundamental behavior with essential roles in dominance assertion, resource acquisition, and self-defense across the animal kingdom. However, dysregulation of the aggression circuitry can have severe consequences in humans, leading to economic, emotional, and societal burdens. Previous inconsistencies in aggression research have been due to limitations in techniques for studying these neurons at a high spatial resolution, resulting in an incomplete understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying aggression. Recent advancements in optogenetics, pharmacogenetics, single-cell RNA sequencing, and in vivo electrophysiology have provided new insights into this complex circuitry. This review aims to explore the aggression-provoking stimuli and their detection in rodents, particularly through the olfactory systems. Additionally, we will examine the core regions associated with aggression, their interactions, and their connection with the prefrontal cortex. We will also discuss the significance of top-down cognitive control systems in regulating atypical expressions of aggressive behavior. While the focus will primarily be on rodent circuitry, we will briefly touch upon the modulation of aggression in humans through the prefrontal cortex and discuss emerging therapeutic interventions that may benefit individuals with aggression disorders. This comprehensive understanding of the neural substrates of aggression will pave the way for the development of novel therapeutic strategies and clinical interventions. This approach contrasts with the broader perspective on neural mechanisms of aggression across species, aiming for a more focused analysis of specific pathways and their implications for therapeutic interventions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rhea Singh
- The Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Kyle Gobrogge
- Undergraduate Program in Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA;
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Pouso P, Cabana Á, Francia V, Silva A. Vasotocin but not isotocin is involved in the emergence of the dominant-subordinate status in males of the weakly electric fish, Gymnotus omarorum. Horm Behav 2024; 158:105446. [PMID: 37945472 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2023.105446] [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: 08/01/2023] [Revised: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
The establishment of the dominant-subordinate status implies a clear behavioral asymmetry between contenders that arises immediately after the resolution of the agonistic encounter and persists during the maintenance of stable dominance hierarchies. Changes in the activity of the brain social behavior network (SBN) are postulated to be responsible for the establishment and maintenance of the dominant-subordinate status. The hypothalamic nonapeptides of the vasopressin (AVP) and oxytocin (OT) families are known to modulate the activity of the SBN in a context-dependent manner across vertebrates, including status-dependent modulations. We searched for status-dependent asymmetries in AVP-like (vasotocin, AVT) and OT-like (isotocin, IT) cell number and activation immediately after the establishment of dominance in males of the weakly electric fish, Gymnotus omarorum, which displays the best understood example of non-breeding territorial aggression among teleosts. We used immunolabeling (FOS, AVT, and IT) of preoptic area (POA) neurons after dyadic agonistic encounters. This study is among the first to show in teleosts that AVT, but not IT, is involved in the establishment of the dominant-subordinate status. We also found status-dependent subregion-specific changes of AVT cell number and activation. These results confirm the involvement of AVT in the establishment of dominance and support the speculation that AVT is released from dominants' AVT neurons.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paula Pouso
- Depto Histología y Embriología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República, Montevideo 11800, Uruguay; Unidad Bases Neurales de la Conducta, Departamento de Neurofisiología Celular y Molecular, IIBCE, Montevideo 11600, Uruguay
| | - Álvaro Cabana
- Instituto de Fundamentos y Métodos, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad de la República, Montevideo 11800, Uruguay
| | - Virginia Francia
- Depto Histología y Embriología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República, Montevideo 11800, Uruguay
| | - Ana Silva
- Unidad Bases Neurales de la Conducta, Departamento de Neurofisiología Celular y Molecular, IIBCE, Montevideo 11600, Uruguay; Laboratorio de Neurociencias, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Montevideo 11400, Uruguay.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Anderson KL, Colón L, Doolittle V, Rosario Martinez R, Uraga J, Whitney O. Context-dependent activation of a social behavior brain network during learned vocal production. Brain Struct Funct 2023; 228:1785-1797. [PMID: 37615758 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-023-02693-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023]
Abstract
Neural activation in brain regions for vocal control is social context dependent. This context-dependent brain activation reflects social context-appropriate vocal behavior but has unresolved mechanisms. Studies of non-vocal social behaviors in multiple organisms suggest a functional role for several evolutionarily conserved and highly interconnected brain regions. Here, we use neural activity-dependent gene expression to evaluate the functional connectivity of this social behavior network within zebra finches in non-social and social singing contexts. We found that activity in one social behavior network region, the medial preoptic area (POM), was strongly associated with the amount of non-social undirected singing in zebra finches. In addition, in all regions of the social behavior network and the paraventricular nucleus (PVN), a higher percentage of EGR1 expression was observed during a social female-directed singing context compared to a non-social undirected singing context. Furthermore, we observed distinct patterns of significantly correlated activity between regions of the social behavior network during non-social undirected and social female-directed singing. Our results suggest that non-social vs. social contexts differentially activate this social behavior network and PVN. Moreover, neuronal activity within this social behavior network, PVN, and POM may alter context-appropriate vocal production.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Katherine L Anderson
- Biology Department, City College, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA
- Graduate Center, Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology Program, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA
| | - Lionel Colón
- Biology Department, City College, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA
| | - Violet Doolittle
- Biology Department, City College, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Joseph Uraga
- Biology Department, City College, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA
| | - Osceola Whitney
- Biology Department, City College, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA.
- Graduate Center, Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology Program, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Potegal M, Nordman JC. Non-angry aggressive arousal and angriffsberietschaft: A narrative review of the phenomenology and physiology of proactive/offensive aggression motivation and escalation in people and other animals. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 147:105110. [PMID: 36822384 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Revised: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/18/2023] [Indexed: 02/23/2023]
Abstract
Human aggression typologies largely correspond with those for other animals. While there may be no non-human equivalent of angry reactive aggression, we propose that human proactive aggression is similar to offense in other animals' dominance contests for territory or social status. Like predation/hunting, but unlike defense, offense and proactive aggression are positively reinforcing, involving dopamine release in accumbens. The drive these motivational states provide must suffice to overcome fear associated with initiating risky fights. We term the neural activity motivating proactive aggression "non-angry aggressive arousal", but use "angriffsberietschaft" for offense motivation in other animals to acknowledge possible differences. Temporal variation in angriffsberietschaft partitions fights into bouts; engendering reduced anti-predator vigilance, redirected aggression and motivational over-ride. Increased aggressive arousal drives threat-to-attack transitions, as in verbal-to-physical escalation and beyond that, into hyper-aggression. Proactive aggression and offense involve related neural activity states. Cingulate, insular and prefrontal cortices energize/modulate aggression through a subcortical core containing subnuclei for each aggression type. These proposals will deepen understanding of aggression across taxa, guiding prevention/intervention for human violence.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Jacob C Nordman
- Department of Physiology, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Carbondale, IL, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Cooper MA, Grizzell JA, Whitten CJ, Burghardt GM. Comparing the ontogeny, neurobiology, and function of social play in hamsters and rats. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 147:105102. [PMID: 36804399 PMCID: PMC10023430 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Revised: 01/26/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 02/19/2023]
Abstract
Syrian hamsters show complex social play behavior and provide a valuable animal model for delineating the neurobiological mechanisms and functions of social play. In this review, we compare social play behavior of hamsters and rats and underlying neurobiological mechanisms. Juvenile rats play by competing for opportunities to pin one another and attack their partner's neck. A broad set of cortical, limbic, and striatal regions regulate the display of social play in rats. In hamsters, social play is characterized by attacks to the head in early puberty, which gradually transitions to the flanks in late puberty. The transition from juvenile social play to adult hamster aggression corresponds with engagement of neural ensembles controlling aggression. Play deprivation in rats and hamsters alters dendritic morphology in mPFC neurons and impairs flexible, context-dependent behavior in adulthood, which suggests these animals may have converged on a similar function for social play. Overall, dissecting the neurobiology of social play in hamsters and rats can provide a valuable comparative approach for evaluating the function of social play.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew A Cooper
- Department of Psychology, University of Tennessee Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, USA.
| | - J Alex Grizzell
- Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA; Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Conner J Whitten
- Department of Psychology, University of Tennessee Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Gordon M Burghardt
- Department of Psychology, University of Tennessee Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, USA; Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, USA
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Anderson KL, Colón L, Doolittle V, Martinez RR, Uraga J, Whitney O. Context-dependent activation of a social behavior brain network associates with learned vocal production. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-2587773. [PMID: 36824963 PMCID: PMC9949236 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-2587773/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/19/2023]
Abstract
In zebra finches, an avian brain network for vocal control undergoes context-dependent patterning of song-dependent activation. Previous studies in zebra finches also implicate the importance of dopaminergic input in producing context-appropriate singing behavior. In mice, it has been shown that oxytocinergic neurons originated in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN) synapse directly onto dopamine neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA), implicating the necessity of oxytocin signaling from the PVN for producing a context-appropriate song. Both avian and non-avian axonal tract-tracing studies indicate high levels of PVN innervation by the social behavior network. Here, we hypothesize that the motivation for PVN oxytocin neurons to trigger dopamine release originates in the social behavior network, a highly conserved and interconnected collection of six regions implicated in various social and homeostatic behaviors. We found that expression of the neuronal activity marker EGR1 was not strongly correlated with song production in any of the regions of the social behavior network. However, when EGR1 expression levels were normalized to the singing rate, we found significantly higher levels of expression in the social behavior network regions except the medial preoptic area during a social female-directed singing context compared to a non-social undirected singing context. Our results suggest neuronal activity within the male zebra finch social behavior network influences the synaptic release of oxytocin from PVN onto dopaminergic projection neurons in the VTA, which in turn signals to the vocal control network to allow for context-appropriate song production.
Collapse
|
8
|
Rigney N, de Vries GJ, Petrulis A. Modulation of social behavior by distinct vasopressin sources. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2023; 14:1127792. [PMID: 36860367 PMCID: PMC9968743 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1127792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The neuropeptide arginine-vasopressin (AVP) is well known for its peripheral effects on blood pressure and antidiuresis. However, AVP also modulates various social and anxiety-related behaviors by its actions in the brain, often sex-specifically, with effects typically being stronger in males than in females. AVP in the nervous system originates from several distinct sources which are, in turn, regulated by different inputs and regulatory factors. Based on both direct and indirect evidence, we can begin to define the specific role of AVP cell populations in social behavior, such as, social recognition, affiliation, pair bonding, parental behavior, mate competition, aggression, and social stress. Sex differences in function may be apparent in both sexually-dimorphic structures as well as ones without prominent structural differences within the hypothalamus. The understanding of how AVP systems are organized and function may ultimately lead to better therapeutic interventions for psychiatric disorders characterized by social deficits.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Rigney
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
9
|
Antunes DF, Soares MC, Taborsky M. Dopamine modulates social behaviour in cooperatively breeding fish. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2022; 550:111649. [PMID: 35436519 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2022.111649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2021] [Revised: 03/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Dopamine is part of the reward system triggering the social decision-making network in the brain. It has hence great potential importance in the regulation of social behaviour, but its significance in the control of behaviour in highly social animals is currently limited. We studied the role of the dopaminergic system in social decision-making in the cooperatively breeding cichlid fish, Neolamprologus pulcher, by blocking or stimulating the dopaminergic D1-like and D2-like receptors. We first tested the effects of different dosages and timing of administration on subordinate group members' social behaviour within the group in an unchallenging environment. In a second experiment we pharmacologically manipulated D1-like and D2-like receptors while experimentally challenging N. pulcher groups by presenting an egg predator, and by increasing the need for territory maintenance through digging out sand from the shelter. Our results show that the D1-like and D2-like receptor pathways are differently involved in the modulation of aggressive, submissive and affiliative behaviours. Interestingly, the environmental context seems particularly crucial regarding the role of the D2-like receptors in behavioural regulation of social encounters among group members, indicating a potential pathway in agonistic and cooperative interactions in a pay-to-stay scenario. We discuss the importance of environmental information in mediating the role of dopamine for the modulation of social behaviour.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Diogo F Antunes
- Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, CH-3032, Hinterkappelen, Switzerland; Departamento de Biologia Animal, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1749-016, Lisboa, Portugal.
| | - Marta C Soares
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal; BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Michael Taborsky
- Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, CH-3032, Hinterkappelen, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Spool JA, Bergan JF, Remage-Healey L. A neural circuit perspective on brain aromatase. Front Neuroendocrinol 2022; 65:100973. [PMID: 34942232 PMCID: PMC9667830 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2021.100973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Revised: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
This review explores the role of aromatase in the brain as illuminated by a set of conserved network-level connections identified in several vertebrate taxa. Aromatase-expressing neurons are neurochemically heterogeneous but the brain regions in which they are found are highly-conserved across the vertebrate lineage. During development, aromatase neurons have a prominent role in sexual differentiation of the brain and resultant sex differences in behavior and human brain diseases. Drawing on literature primarily from birds and rodents, we delineate brain regions that express aromatase and that are strongly interconnected, and suggest that, in many species, aromatase expression essentially defines the Social Behavior Network. Moreover, in several cases the inputs to and outputs from this core Social Behavior Network also express aromatase. Recent advances in molecular and genetic tools for neuroscience now enable in-depth and taxonomically diverse studies of the function of aromatase at the neural circuit level.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy A Spool
- Center for Neuroendocrine Studies, Neuroscience and Behavior Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, United States
| | - Joseph F Bergan
- Center for Neuroendocrine Studies, Neuroscience and Behavior Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, United States
| | - Luke Remage-Healey
- Center for Neuroendocrine Studies, Neuroscience and Behavior Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Ogawa S, Parhar IS. Role of Habenula in Social and Reproductive Behaviors in Fish: Comparison With Mammals. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 15:818782. [PMID: 35221943 PMCID: PMC8867168 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.818782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2021] [Accepted: 12/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Social behaviors such as mating, parenting, fighting, and avoiding are essential functions as a communication tool in social animals, and are critical for the survival of individuals and species. Social behaviors are controlled by a complex circuitry that comprises several key social brain regions, which is called the social behavior network (SBN). The SBN further integrates social information with external and internal factors to select appropriate behavioral responses to social circumstances, called social decision-making. The social decision-making network (SDMN) and SBN are structurally, neurochemically and functionally conserved in vertebrates. The social decision-making process is also closely influenced by emotional assessment. The habenula has recently been recognized as a crucial center for emotion-associated adaptation behaviors. Here we review the potential role of the habenula in social function with a special emphasis on fish studies. Further, based on evolutional, molecular, morphological, and behavioral perspectives, we discuss the crucial role of the habenula in the vertebrate SDMN.
Collapse
|
12
|
Munley KM, Dutta S, Jasnow AM, Demas GE. Adrenal MT 1 melatonin receptor expression is linked with seasonal variation in social behavior in male Siberian hamsters. Horm Behav 2022; 138:105099. [PMID: 34920297 PMCID: PMC8847318 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2021.105099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2021] [Revised: 11/10/2021] [Accepted: 11/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Many animals exhibit pronounced changes in physiology and behavior on a seasonal basis, and these adaptations have evolved to promote survival and reproductive success. While the neuroendocrine pathways mediating seasonal reproduction are well-studied, far less is known about the mechanisms underlying seasonal changes in social behavior, particularly outside of the context of the breeding season. Our previous work suggests that seasonal changes in melatonin secretion are important in regulating aggression in Siberian hamsters (Phodopus sungorus); it is unclear, however, how melatonin acts via its receptors to modulate seasonal variation in social behavior. In this study, we infused a MT1 melatonin receptor-expressing (MT1) or control (CON) lentivirus into the adrenal glands of male Siberian hamsters. We then housed hamsters in long-day (LD) or short-day (SD) photoperiods, administered timed melatonin or control injections, and quantified aggressive and non-aggressive social behaviors (e.g., investigation, self-grooming) following 10 weeks of treatment. LD hamsters infused with the MT1 lentivirus had significantly higher adrenal mt1 expression than LD CON hamsters, as determined via quantitative PCR. While melatonin administration was necessary to induce SD-like reductions in body and relative reproductive mass, only LD hamsters infused with the MT1 lentivirus displayed SD-like changes in social behavior, including increased aggression and decreased investigation and grooming. In addition, SD CON and LD hamsters infused with the MT1 lentivirus exhibited similar relationships between adrenal mt1 expression and aggressive behavior. Together, our findings suggest a role for adrenal MT1 receptor signaling in regulating behavior, but not energetics or reproduction in seasonally breeding species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen M Munley
- Department of Biology and Center for the Integrative Study of Animal Behavior, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA.
| | - Sohini Dutta
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH 44240, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Aaron M Jasnow
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH 44240, USA; Department of Pharmacology, Physiology & Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC 29209, USA
| | - Gregory E Demas
- Department of Biology and Center for the Integrative Study of Animal Behavior, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Mechanically evoked defensive attack is controlled by GABAergic neurons in the anterior hypothalamic nucleus. Nat Neurosci 2022; 25:72-85. [PMID: 34980925 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-021-00985-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Innate defensive behaviors triggered by environmental threats are important for animal survival. Among these behaviors, defensive attack toward threatening stimuli (for example, predators) is often the last line of defense. How the brain regulates defensive attack remains poorly understood. Here we show that noxious mechanical force in an inescapable context is a key stimulus for triggering defensive attack in laboratory mice. Mechanically evoked defensive attacks were abrogated by photoinhibition of vGAT+ neurons in the anterior hypothalamic nucleus (AHN). The vGAT+ AHN neurons encoded the intensity of mechanical force and were innervated by brain areas relevant to pain and attack. Activation of these neurons triggered biting attacks toward a predator while suppressing ongoing behaviors. The projection from vGAT+ AHN neurons to the periaqueductal gray might be one AHN pathway participating in mechanically evoked defensive attack. Together, these data reveal that vGAT+ AHN neurons encode noxious mechanical stimuli and regulate defensive attack in mice.
Collapse
|
14
|
Ogawa S, Parhar IS. Functions of habenula in reproduction and socio-reproductive behaviours. Front Neuroendocrinol 2022; 64:100964. [PMID: 34793817 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2021.100964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2021] [Revised: 10/11/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Habenula is an evolutionarily conserved structure in the brain of vertebrates. Recent reports have drawn attention to the habenula as a processing centre for emotional decision-making and its role in psychiatric disorders. Emotional decision-making process is also known to be closely associated with reproductive conditions. The habenula receives innervations from reproductive centres within the brain and signals from key reproductive neuroendocrine regulators such as gonadal sex steroids, gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), and kisspeptin. In this review, based on morphological, biochemical, physiological, and pharmacological evidence we discuss an emerging role of the habenula in reproduction. Further, we discuss the modulatory role of reproductive endocrine factors in the habenula and their association with socio-reproductive behaviours such as mating, anxiety and aggression.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Satoshi Ogawa
- Brain Research Institute, Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, 47500 Bandar Sunway, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Ishwar S Parhar
- Brain Research Institute, Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, 47500 Bandar Sunway, Selangor, Malaysia.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Chu Z, Han W, Liu P, Liu F, Lei G, Deng L, Yang L, Dang Y. Electrolytic lesions of the bilateral ventrolateral orbital cortex not only directly reduce depression-like behavior but also decreased desperate behavior induced by chronic unpredicted mild stress in rats. BMC Neurosci 2021; 22:69. [PMID: 34814852 PMCID: PMC8611979 DOI: 10.1186/s12868-021-00677-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous studies have revealed that ventrolateral orbital cortex (VLO) may play an important role in the regulation of emotional behavior. However, it is not known what effect VLO damage will have on emotion regulation. RESULTS Data showed that damage of VLO increased the anxiety-like behavior in open field test and elevated plus maze, and decreased the depressive behavior in forced swimming test and learned helplessness test. Besides, the impulsive aggressive behaviors were also increased while the attack latency decreased after VLO lesion. What's more, damage of VLO decreased depressive behaviors induced by chronic unpredicted mild stress in rats. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that the integrity of VLO plays an important role in emotional regulation, and the damage of VLO may inhibit the development of depression-like behavior.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zheng Chu
- College of Medicine and Forensics, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, 76 West Yanta Road, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, People's Republic of China
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Wei Han
- College of Medicine and Forensics, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, 76 West Yanta Road, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, People's Republic of China
| | - Peng Liu
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Institute of Basic Medicine Science, Xi'an Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Fei Liu
- Clinical Research Center of Shaanxi Province for Dental and Maxillofacial Diseases, College of Stomatology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Gang Lei
- College of Medicine and Forensics, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, 76 West Yanta Road, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, People's Republic of China
| | - Lisha Deng
- College of Medicine and Forensics, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, 76 West Yanta Road, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, People's Republic of China
| | - Liu Yang
- College of Medicine and Forensics, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, 76 West Yanta Road, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, People's Republic of China
| | - Yonghui Dang
- College of Medicine and Forensics, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, 76 West Yanta Road, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, People's Republic of China.
- Key Laboratory of the Health Ministry for Forensic Medicine, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China.
- Key Laboratory of Shaanxi Province for Forensic Medicine, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China.
- State Key Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Xi'an, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China.
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Vázquez-León P, Miranda-Páez A, Calvillo-Robledo A, Marichal-Cancino BA. Blockade of GPR55 in dorsal periaqueductal gray produces anxiety-like behaviors and evocates defensive aggressive responses in alcohol-pre-exposed rats. Neurosci Lett 2021; 764:136218. [PMID: 34487839 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2021.136218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2021] [Revised: 08/16/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
GPR55 is a receptor expressed in several central nervous system areas, including the periaqueductal gray (PAG). Current knowledge of GPR55 physiology in PAG only covers pain integration, but it is involved in other actions such as anxiety, panic, motivated behaviors, and alcohol intake. In the present study, juvenile male Wistar rats were unexposed (alcohol-naïve group; A-naïve) or exposed to alcohol for 5 weeks (alcohol-pre-exposed group; A-pre-exposed). Posteriorly, animals received intra dorsal-PAG (D-PAG) injections of vehicle (10% DMSO), LPI (1 nmol/0.5 µl) and ML-193 (1 nmol/0.5 µl, a selective GPR55 antagonist). Finally, defensive burying behavior (DBB) paradigm and alcohol preference were evaluated. Compared to the A-naïve group, the A-pre-exposed vehicle group had higher (p < 0.05): (i) time of immobility; (ii) latency to and duration of burying; and (iii) alcohol consumption. In both groups (i.e., A-naïve and A-pre-exposed) treatment with LPI: (i) decreased duration of burying (p < 0.05); (ii) suppressed time of immobility; and (iii) increased alcohol intake (p < 0.05). On the other hand, treatment with ML-193: (i) decreased duration of immobility in A-pre-exposed (but not in A-naïve rats); (ii) promoted an aggressive response against the shock-probe in A-pre-exposed rats (p < 0.05); and (iii) increased alcohol intake (p < 0.05). Our results suggest that blockade of GPR55 in D-PAG is associated with anxiety-like behaviors, defensive aggressive behaviors, and higher alcohol intake, whereas LPI in D-PAG produced anxiolytic-like effects (probably GPR55-mediated), but not prevention of alcohol intake.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Priscila Vázquez-León
- Departamento de Fisiología y Farmacología, Centro de Ciencias Básicas, Universidad Autónoma de Aguascalientes, Ciudad Universitaria, 20131 Aguascalientes, Ags., Mexico
| | - Abraham Miranda-Páez
- Departamento de Fisiología, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Wilfrido Massieu esq. Manuel Stampa s/n Col. Nueva Industrial Vallejo CP: 07738 Alc. Gustavo A. Madero, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Argelia Calvillo-Robledo
- Departamento de Fisiología y Farmacología, Centro de Ciencias Básicas, Universidad Autónoma de Aguascalientes, Ciudad Universitaria, 20131 Aguascalientes, Ags., Mexico
| | - Bruno A Marichal-Cancino
- Departamento de Fisiología y Farmacología, Centro de Ciencias Básicas, Universidad Autónoma de Aguascalientes, Ciudad Universitaria, 20131 Aguascalientes, Ags., Mexico.
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Lee TJ, Zanello AF, Morrison TR, Ricci LA, Melloni RH. Valproate selectively suppresses adolescent anabolic/androgenic steroid-induced aggressive behavior: implications for a role of hypothalamic γ-aminobutyric acid neural signaling. Behav Pharmacol 2021; 32:295-307. [PMID: 33595952 DOI: 10.1097/fbp.0000000000000616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Pubertal male Syrian hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) treated with anabolic/androgenic steroids (AASs) during adolescence (P27-P56) display a highly intense aggressive phenotype that shares many behavioral similarities with pathological aggression in youth. Anticonvulsant drugs like valproate that enhance the activity of the γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) neural system in the brain have recently gained acceptance as a primary treatment for pathological aggression. This study examined whether valproate would selectively suppress adolescent AAS-induced aggressive behavior and whether GABA neural signaling through GABAA subtype receptors in the latero-anterior hypothalamus (LAH; an area of convergence for developmental and neuroplastic changes that underlie aggression in hamsters) modulate the aggression-suppressing effect of this anticonvulsant medication. Valproate (1.0-10.0 mg/kg, intraperitoneal) selectively suppressed the aggressive phenotype in a dose-dependent fashion, with the effective anti-aggressive effects beginning at 5 mg/kg, intraperitoneally. Microinfusion of the GABAA receptor antagonist bicuculline (7.0-700 ng) into the LAH reversed valproate's suppression of AAS-induced aggression in a dose-dependent fashion. At the 70 ng dose of bicuculline, animals expressed the highly aggressive baseline phenotype normally observed in AAS-treated animals. These studies provide preclinical evidence that the anticonvulsant valproate selectively suppresses adolescent, AAS-induced aggression and that this suppression is modulated, in part, by GABA neural signaling within the LAH.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Terrence J Lee
- Program in Behavioral Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
18
|
Korzan WJ, Summers CH. Evolution of stress responses refine mechanisms of social rank. Neurobiol Stress 2021; 14:100328. [PMID: 33997153 PMCID: PMC8105687 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2021.100328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Revised: 04/07/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Social rank functions to facilitate coping responses to socially stressful situations and conditions. The evolution of social status appears to be inseparably connected to the evolution of stress. Stress, aggression, reward, and decision-making neurocircuitries overlap and interact to produce status-linked relationships, which are common among both male and female populations. Behavioral consequences stemming from social status and rank relationships are molded by aggressive interactions, which are inherently stressful. It seems likely that the balance of regulatory elements in pro- and anti-stress neurocircuitries results in rapid but brief stress responses that are advantageous to social dominance. These systems further produce, in coordination with reward and aggression circuitries, rapid adaptive responding during opportunities that arise to acquire food, mates, perch sites, territorial space, shelter and other resources. Rapid acquisition of resources and aggressive postures produces dominant individuals, who temporarily have distinct fitness advantages. For these reasons also, change in social status can occur rapidly. Social subordination results in slower and more chronic neural and endocrine reactions, a suite of unique defensive behaviors, and an increased propensity for anxious and depressive behavior and affect. These two behavioral phenotypes are but distinct ends of a spectrum, however, they may give us insights into the troubling mechanisms underlying the myriad of stress-related disorders to which they appear to be evolutionarily linked.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Cliff H Summers
- Department of Biology, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD 57069 USA.,Neuroscience Group, Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD 57069, USA.,Veterans Affairs Research Service, Sioux Falls VA Health Care System, Sioux Falls, SD 57105 USA
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Munley KM, Trinidad JC, Deyoe JE, Adaniya CH, Nowakowski AM, Ren CC, Murphy GV, Reinhart JM, Demas GE. Melatonin-dependent changes in neurosteroids are associated with increased aggression in a seasonally breeding rodent. J Neuroendocrinol 2021; 33:e12940. [PMID: 33615607 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2020] [Revised: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Aggression is a complex social behaviour that allows individuals to compete for access to limited resources (eg, mates, food and territories). Excessive or inappropriate aggression, however, has become problematic in modern societies, and current treatments are largely ineffective. Although previous work in mammals suggests that aggressive behaviour varies seasonally, seasonality is largely overlooked when developing clinical treatments for inappropriate aggression. Here, we investigated how the hormone melatonin regulates seasonal changes in neurosteroid levels and aggressive behaviour in Siberian hamsters, a rodent model of seasonal aggression. Specifically, we housed males in long-day (LD) or short-day (SD) photoperiods, administered timed s.c. melatonin injections (which mimic a SD-like signal) or control injections, and measured aggression using a resident-intruder paradigm after 9 weeks of treatment. Moreover, we quantified five steroid hormones in circulation and in brain regions associated with aggressive behaviour (lateral septum, anterior hypothalamus, medial amygdala and periaqueductal gray) using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. SD hamsters and LD hamsters administered timed melatonin injections (LD-M) displayed increased aggression and exhibited region-specific decreases in neural dehydroepiandrosterone, testosterone and oestradiol, but showed no changes in progesterone or cortisol. Male hamsters also showed distinct associations between neurosteroids and aggressive behaviour, in which neural progesterone and dehydroepiandrosterone were positively correlated with aggression in all treatment groups, whereas neural testosterone, oestradiol and cortisol were negatively correlated with aggression only in LD-M and SD hamsters. Collectively, these results provide insight into a novel neuroendocrine mechanism of mammalian aggression, in which melatonin reduces neurosteroid levels and elevates aggressive behaviour.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen M Munley
- Department of Biology and Center for the Integrative Study of Animal Behavior, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | | | - Jessica E Deyoe
- Department of Biology and Center for the Integrative Study of Animal Behavior, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Catherine H Adaniya
- Department of Biology and Center for the Integrative Study of Animal Behavior, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Andrea M Nowakowski
- Department of Biology and Center for the Integrative Study of Animal Behavior, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Clarissa C Ren
- Department of Biology and Center for the Integrative Study of Animal Behavior, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Grace V Murphy
- Department of Biology and Center for the Integrative Study of Animal Behavior, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - John M Reinhart
- Department of Biology and Center for the Integrative Study of Animal Behavior, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Gregory E Demas
- Department of Biology and Center for the Integrative Study of Animal Behavior, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Lee W, Dowd HN, Nikain C, Dwortz MF, Yang ED, Curley JP. Effect of relative social rank within a social hierarchy on neural activation in response to familiar or unfamiliar social signals. Sci Rep 2021; 11:2864. [PMID: 33536481 PMCID: PMC7859216 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-82255-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Competent social functioning of group-living species relies on the ability of individuals to detect and utilize conspecific social cues to guide behavior. Previous studies have identified numerous brain regions involved in processing these external cues, collectively referred to as the Social Decision-Making Network. However, how the brain encodes social information with respect to an individual's social status has not been thoroughly examined. In mice, cues about an individual's identity, including social status, are conveyed through urinary proteins. In this study, we assessed the neural cFos immunoreactivity in dominant and subordinate male mice exposed to familiar and unfamiliar dominant and subordinate male urine. The posteroventral medial amygdala was the only brain region that responded exclusively to dominant compared to subordinate male urine. In all other brain regions, including the VMH, PMv, and vlPAG, activity is modulated by a combination of odor familiarity and the social status of both the urine donor and the subject receiving the cue. We show that dominant subjects exhibit robust differential activity across different types of cues compared to subordinate subjects, suggesting that individuals perceive social cues differently depending on social experience. These data inform further investigation of neurobiological mechanisms underlying social-status related brain differences and behavior.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Won Lee
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Hollie N Dowd
- School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Cyrus Nikain
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Eilene D Yang
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - James P Curley
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Grieb ZA, Ross AP, McCann KE, Lee S, Welch M, Gomez MG, Norvelle A, Michopoulos V, Huhman KL, Albers HE. Sex-dependent effects of social status on the regulation of arginine-vasopressin (AVP) V1a, oxytocin (OT), and serotonin (5-HT) 1A receptor binding and aggression in Syrian hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus). Horm Behav 2021; 127:104878. [PMID: 33148500 PMCID: PMC8889570 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2020.104878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2020] [Revised: 09/15/2020] [Accepted: 10/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Dominance status in hamsters is driven by interactions between arginine-vasopressin V1a, oxytocin (OT), and serotonin 1A (5-HT1A) receptors. Activation of V1a and OT receptors in the anterior hypothalamus (AH) increases aggression in males, while decreasing aggression in females. In contrast, activation of 5-HT1A receptors in the AH decreases aggression in males and increases aggression in females. The mechanism underlying these differences is not known. The purpose of this study was to determine if dominance status and sex interact to regulate V1a, OT, and 5-HT1A receptor binding. Same-sex hamsters (N = 47) were paired 12 times across six days in five min sessions. Brains from paired and unpaired (non-social control) hamsters were collected immediately after the last interaction and processed for receptor binding using autoradiography. Differences in V1a, OT, and 5-HT1A receptor binding densities were observed in several brain regions as a function of social status and sex. For example, in the AH, there was an interaction between sex and social status, such that V1a binding in subordinate males was lower than in subordinate females and V1a receptor density in dominant males was higher than in dominant females. There was also an interaction in 5-HT1A receptor binding, such that social pairing increased 5-HT1A binding in the AH of males but decreased 5-HT1A binding in females compared with unpaired controls. These results indicate that dominance status and sex play important roles in shaping the binding profiles of key receptor subtypes across the neural circuitry that regulates social behavior.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Z A Grieb
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Atlanta, GA, United State of America.
| | - A P Ross
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Atlanta, GA, United State of America
| | - K E McCann
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Atlanta, GA, United State of America
| | - S Lee
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Atlanta, GA, United State of America
| | - M Welch
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Atlanta, GA, United State of America
| | - M G Gomez
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Atlanta, GA, United State of America
| | - A Norvelle
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Atlanta, GA, United State of America
| | - V Michopoulos
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, GA, United States of America; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
| | - K L Huhman
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Atlanta, GA, United State of America
| | - H E Albers
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Atlanta, GA, United State of America
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Extrahypothalamic oxytocin neurons drive stress-induced social vigilance and avoidance. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:26406-26413. [PMID: 33020267 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2011890117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Oxytocin increases the salience of both positive and negative social contexts and it is thought that these diverse actions on behavior are mediated in part through circuit-specific action. This hypothesis is based primarily on manipulations of oxytocin receptor function, leaving open the question of whether different populations of oxytocin neurons mediate different effects on behavior. Here we inhibited oxytocin synthesis in a stress-sensitive population of oxytocin neurons specifically within the medioventral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNSTmv). Oxytocin knockdown prevented social stress-induced increases in social vigilance and decreases in social approach. Viral tracing of BNSTmv oxytocin neurons revealed fibers in regions controlling defensive behaviors, including lateral hypothalamus, anterior hypothalamus, and anteromedial BNST (BNSTam). Oxytocin infusion into BNSTam in stress naïve mice increased social vigilance and reduced social approach. These results show that a population of extrahypothalamic oxytocin neurons plays a key role in controlling stress-induced social anxiety behaviors.
Collapse
|
23
|
Agonistic behaviors and neuronal activation in sexually naïve female Mongolian gerbils. Behav Brain Res 2020; 395:112860. [PMID: 32798594 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2020.112860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2020] [Revised: 08/01/2020] [Accepted: 08/10/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Agonistic interaction is important for establishing social hierarchy and determining access to limited resources. Although there are substantial studies investigating the neural mechanisms of aggressive or defensive behavior in male rodents, little attention has been paid to the mechanisms underlying agonistic behaviors in females. In the present study, we depicted patterns of agonistic behaviors in sexually naïve female Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus) and examined the neuronal activation in the brain by Fos-immunoreactive (Fos-ir) staining. We found that the winner-loser relationship was established rapidly. Winners displayed higher levels of aggression, environmental exploration, scent marking, and self-grooming, but less defensive behavior, in comparison to losers. Several patterns of Fos-ir expression emerged following agonistic interactions. Winners had the number of Fos-ir cells in the ventrolateral subnucleus of the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMHvl) and dorsal periaqueductal grey (PAGd) more than the controls but less than the losers. Losers also had more Fos-ir cells in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN), anterior medial (BSTam) and anteriolateral (BSTal) subnuclei of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST), and the ventral subnucleus of the lateral septum (LSv), as well as less Fos-ir cells in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus (DG), compared to the controls. In addition, the number of Fos-ir cells showed similar increases in the principal nucleus (BSTpr) and interfascicular nucleus (BSTif) of the BST and amygdala (AMYG) in both the winners and losers, compared to the controls. Together, these data illustrate the patterns of altered neuronal activation in a behavior-, social status-, and brain region-specific manner, implicating potential roles of the brain neural circuit in mediating agonistic interactions in female Mongolian gerbils.
Collapse
|
24
|
Neural basis of unfamiliar conspecific recognition in domestic chicks (Gallus Gallus domesticus). Behav Brain Res 2020; 397:112927. [PMID: 32980353 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2020.112927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2020] [Revised: 09/14/2020] [Accepted: 09/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Domestic chickens are able to distinguish familiar from unfamiliar conspecifics, however the neuronal mechanisms mediating this behaviour are almost unknown. Moreover, the lateralisation of chicks' social recognition has only been investigated at the behavioural level, but not at the neural level. The aim of the present study was to test the hypothesis that exposure to unfamiliar conspecifics will selectively activate septum, hippocampus or nucleus taeniae of the amygdala of young domestic chicks. Moreover we also wanted to test the lateralisation of this response. For this purpose, we used the immediate early gene product c-Fos to map neural activity. Chicks were housed in pairs for one week. At test, either one of the two chicks was exchanged by an unfamiliar individual (experimental 'unfamiliar' group) or the familiar individual was briefly removed and then placed back in its original cage (control 'familiar' group). Analyses of chicks' interactions with the familiar/unfamiliar social companion revealed a higher number of social pecks directed towards unfamiliar individuals, compared to familiar controls. Moreover, in the group exposed to the unfamiliar individual a significantly higher activation was present in the dorsal and ventral septum of the left hemisphere and in the ventral hippocampus of the right hemisphere, compared to the control condition. These effects were neither present in other subareas of hippocampus or septum, nor in the nucleus taeniae of the amygdala. Our study thus indicates selective lateralised involvement of domestic chicks' septal and hippocampal subregions in responses to unfamiliar conspecific.
Collapse
|
25
|
Bouchatta O, Chaibi I, Baba AA, Ba-M'Hamed S, Bennis M. The effects of Topiramate on isolation-induced aggression: a behavioral and immunohistochemical study in mice. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2020; 237:2451-2467. [PMID: 32430516 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-020-05546-4] [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: 11/07/2019] [Accepted: 05/05/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Topiramate, an antiepileptic drug, has been found to be useful for the treatment of aggression in clinical populations. Most preclinical studies related to Topiramate have been focused exclusively on the quantitative aspects of the aggressive behavior between mice. However, there is still limited knowledge regarding the effects of Topiramate on neuronal mechanisms occurring in aggressive mice. The present work aims to understand further the effects of the antiepileptic drug Topiramate on aggressive behaviors, and on the neural correlates underlying such behaviors. To achieve this, we combined the resident-intruder model of isolation-induced aggression in mice with two drug regimens of Topiramate administration (30.0 mg/kg; acute and sub-chronic treatments). Our data showed that both acute and subchronic treatments decreased the intensity of agonistic encounters and reinforced social behavior. By using C-fos immunoreactivity, we investigated the neuronal activation of several brain regions involved in aggressive behavior following subchronic treatment. We found that Topiramate produced activation in several cortical areas and in the lateral septum of resident brain mice compared with their controls. However, Topiramate induced inhibition in the medial nucleus of the amygdala, the dorsomedial nucleus of the periaqueductal gray, and especially in the anterior hypothalamic nucleus. Finally, we performed microinfusion of Topiramate (0.1 and 0.3 mM) into the lateral septum and anterior hypothalamus on offensive behaviors in isolation-induced-aggression paradigm. Interestingly, the microinfusion of Topiramate into the lateral septum has the capacity to alleviate aggressive behavior, without affecting social behavior. However, the microinfusion of Topiramate into the anterior hypothalamus decreased aggressive behavior and slightly reinforced social behavior. Our observations supported that the dose of 0.1 mM of Topiramate appeared more efficacy to treat aggression in adult mice. These pharmacological characteristics may account for Topiramate efficacy on aggressive symptoms in psychiatric patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Otmane Bouchatta
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, Neurobiology and Behavior, Faculty of Sciences Semlalia, Cadi Ayyad University, Bd. Prince My Abdallah, 40000, Marrakesh, Morocco
| | - Ilias Chaibi
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, Neurobiology and Behavior, Faculty of Sciences Semlalia, Cadi Ayyad University, Bd. Prince My Abdallah, 40000, Marrakesh, Morocco
| | - Abdelfatah Ait Baba
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, Neurobiology and Behavior, Faculty of Sciences Semlalia, Cadi Ayyad University, Bd. Prince My Abdallah, 40000, Marrakesh, Morocco
| | - Saadia Ba-M'Hamed
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, Neurobiology and Behavior, Faculty of Sciences Semlalia, Cadi Ayyad University, Bd. Prince My Abdallah, 40000, Marrakesh, Morocco
| | - Mohamed Bennis
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, Neurobiology and Behavior, Faculty of Sciences Semlalia, Cadi Ayyad University, Bd. Prince My Abdallah, 40000, Marrakesh, Morocco.
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Morrison TR, Ricci LA, Puckett AS, Joyce J, Curran R, Davis C, Melloni RH. Serotonin type-3 receptors differentially modulate anxiety and aggression during withdrawal from adolescent anabolic steroid exposure. Horm Behav 2020; 119:104650. [PMID: 31805280 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2019.104650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2019] [Revised: 10/16/2019] [Accepted: 11/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Male Syrian hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) administered anabolic/androgenic steroids during adolescent development display increased aggression and decreased anxious behavior during the adolescent exposure period. Upon withdrawal from anabolic/androgenic steroids, this neurobehavioral relationship shifts and hamsters exhibit decreased aggression and increased anxious behavior. This study investigated the hypothesis that alterations in anterior hypothalamic signaling through serotonin type-3 receptors modulate the behavioral shift between adolescent anabolic/androgenic steroid-induced aggressive and anxious behaviors during the withdrawal period. To test this, hamsters were administered anabolic/androgenic steroids during adolescence then withdrawn from drug exposure for 21 days and tested for aggressive and anxious behaviors following direct pharmacological manipulation of serotonin type-3 receptor signaling within the latero-anterior hypothalamus. Blockade of latero-anterior hypothalamic serotonin type-3 receptors both increased aggression and decreased anxious behavior in steroid-treated hamsters, effectively reversing the pattern of behavioral responding normally observed during anabolic/androgenic steroid withdrawal. These findings suggest that the state of serotonin neural signaling within the latero-anterior hypothalamus plays an important role in behavioral shifting between aggressive and anxious behaviors following adolescent exposure to anabolic/androgenic steroids.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas R Morrison
- Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, 125 Nightingale Hall, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, United States of America
| | - Lesley A Ricci
- Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, 125 Nightingale Hall, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, United States of America
| | - Amanda S Puckett
- Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, 125 Nightingale Hall, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, United States of America
| | - Jillian Joyce
- Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, 125 Nightingale Hall, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, United States of America
| | - Riley Curran
- Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, 125 Nightingale Hall, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, United States of America
| | - Courtney Davis
- Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, 125 Nightingale Hall, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, United States of America
| | - Richard H Melloni
- Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, 125 Nightingale Hall, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, United States of America.
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Effects of Housing Conditions and Circadian Time on Baseline c-Fos Immunoreactivity in C57BL/6J Mice. Neuroscience 2020; 431:143-151. [PMID: 32081725 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2020.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2019] [Revised: 01/27/2020] [Accepted: 02/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Analysis of expression of the immediate early gene c-Fos in neuronal populations is a commonly used method to assess changes in neuronal activity due to various factors of interest. However, different levels of c-Fos have been observed between control animals across studies. The present investigation assessed whether such differences could reflect different behavioral or physiological states in housing conditions that are typically considered naïve controls. Specifically, we assessed c-Fos expression in 19 brain regions in male C57BL6/J mice that were housed either socially (in groups of four/cage) or individually. c-Fos expression was compared with socially-housed mice under either normal or reverse light conditions to assess the effect of light cycle on neuronal activity. We identified three main patterns of differences between groups. Light, but not social housing conditions, influenced c-Fos expression in the suprachiasmatic nucleus of hypothalamus and the dentate gyrus (DG). A large number of brain regions across cortex, hypothalamus, ventral striatum and midbrain showed increased activity during the dark phase of circadian cycle only in the social, but not individual, housing. Finally, activity in the amygdala appeared to be induced by social housing conditions only during the dark phase of circadian cycle. Taken together, our experiment identified differential regulation of c-Fos expression by basal housing conditions and circadian phase. It also indicates that despite the well-known habituation of c-Fos expression to repeated stimulation, this expression is sensitive to basal housing conditions. This sensitivity needs to be taken into account when analyzing c-Fos data in various studies.
Collapse
|
28
|
Social experience and sex-dependent regulation of aggression in the lateral septum by extrasynaptic δGABA A receptors. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2020; 237:329-344. [PMID: 31691846 PMCID: PMC7024004 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-019-05368-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2019] [Accepted: 09/22/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Understanding the neurobiological mechanisms mediating dominance and competitive aggression is essential to understanding the development and treatment of various psychiatric disorders. Previous research suggests that these mechanisms are both sexually differentiated and influenced substantially by social experience. In numerous species, GABAA receptors in the lateral septum have been shown to play a significant role in aggression in males. However, very little is known about the role of these GABAA receptors in female aggression, the role of social experience on GABAA receptor-mediated aggression, or the roles of different GABAA subtypes in regulating aggression. OBJECTIVES Thus, in the following set of experiments, we determined the role of social experience in modulating GABAA receptor-induced aggression in both male and female Syrian hamsters, with a particular focus on the GABAA receptor subtype mediating these effects. RESULTS Activation of GABAA receptors in the dorsal lateral septum increased aggression in both males and females. Social housing, however, significantly decreased the ability of GABAA receptor activation to induce aggression in males but not females. No significant differences were observed in the effects of GABAA receptor activation in dominant versus subordinate group-housed hamsters. Finally, examination of potential GABAA receptor subtype specificity revealed that social housing decreased the ratio of δ extrasynaptic to γ2 synaptic subunit GABAA receptor mRNA expression in the anterior dorsal lateral septum, while activation of δ extrasynaptic, but not γ2 synaptic, GABAA receptors in the dorsal lateral septum increased aggression. CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that social experience can have profound effects on the neuronal mechanisms mediating aggression, especially in males, and that δ extrasynaptic GABAA receptors may be an important therapeutic target in disorders characterized by high levels of aggression.
Collapse
|
29
|
Ross AP, McCann KE, Larkin TE, Song Z, Grieb ZA, Huhman KL, Albers HE. Sex-dependent effects of social isolation on the regulation of arginine-vasopressin (AVP) V1a, oxytocin (OT) and serotonin (5HT) 1a receptor binding and aggression. Horm Behav 2019; 116:104578. [PMID: 31449813 PMCID: PMC6885541 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2019.104578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2019] [Revised: 07/29/2019] [Accepted: 08/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
It is widely held that social isolation produces higher rates of mortality and morbidity and has deleterious effects on an individual's sociality. Relatedly, it is widely observed that socially isolated adult rodents display significantly higher levels of aggression when placed in a social situation than do their conspecifics living in social groups. In the following study, we investigated the effects of social isolation on several neurochemical signals that play key roles in the regulation of social behavior in adults. More specifically, we examined the effects of social isolation on vasopressin (AVP) V1a, oxytocin (OT) and serotonin (5-HT)1a receptor binding within the neural circuit controlling social behavior. Male and female Syrian hamsters were housed individually or with two other hamsters for four weeks and were then tested with a same-sex nonaggressive intruder in a neutral arena for 5 min. Social isolation significantly increased aggression in both males and females and altered receptor binding in several brain regions in a sex-dependent manner. For example, V1a receptor binding was greater in socially isolated males in the anterior hypothalamus than it was in any other group. Taken together, these data provide substantial new support for the proposition that the social environment can have a significant impact on the structural and neurochemical mechanisms regulating social behavior and that the amount and type of social interactions can produce differential effects on the circuit regulating social behavior in a sex-dependent manner.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amy P Ross
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, United States of America; Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
| | - Katharine E McCann
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, United States of America; Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
| | - Tony E Larkin
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, United States of America; Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
| | - Zhimin Song
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, United States of America; Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
| | - Zachary A Grieb
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, United States of America; Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
| | - Kim L Huhman
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, United States of America; Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
| | - H Elliott Albers
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, United States of America; Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Atlanta, GA, United States of America.
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Aggressive behavior and brain neuronal activation in sexually naïve male Mongolian gerbils. Behav Brain Res 2019; 378:112276. [PMID: 31589893 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2019.112276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2019] [Revised: 09/25/2019] [Accepted: 10/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Aggressive behavior plays an important role in animal's survival and reproductive success. Although there has been growing interests in studying neural mechanisms underlying aggressive behavior using traditional laboratory animal models, little is known about mechanisms controlling naturally occurring aggression in sexually naïve animals. In the present study, we characterized aggressive behavior displayed by sexually naïve male Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus) and examined the subsequent neuronal activation in the brain measured by Fos-immunoreactive (Fos-ir) staining. We found that resident males initiated attacks and showed intense levels of aggression (including chase, bite, offensive sideway, lunge and on-top) towards a conspecific male intruder. Furthermore, attacks from the resident males towards the intruder produced a nonrandom distribution of bites, with the most on the rump, flank, back and tail and few on the limbs, ventrum and head. In contrast, control males that were exposed to a woodblock (control for novelty) never attacked the woodblock and showed higher levels of object/environmental investigation. Male gerbils exposed to an intruder had significantly higher levels of Fos-ir density in the medial (MeA) and anterior cortical (ACo) subnuclei of the amygdala, principal nucleus (BSTpr) and interfascicular nucleus (BSTif) of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, ventrolateral subdivision of the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMHvl), and paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN), compared to control males. Together, our results indicate that sexually naïve, group housed male gerbils naturally display aggression towards conspecific strangers, and such aggressive behavior is associated with special patterns of neuronal activation in the brain.
Collapse
|
31
|
Gołyszny M, Obuchowicz E. Are neuropeptides relevant for the mechanism of action of SSRIs? Neuropeptides 2019; 75:1-17. [PMID: 30824124 DOI: 10.1016/j.npep.2019.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2018] [Revised: 01/08/2019] [Accepted: 02/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are drugs of first choice in the therapy of moderate to severe depression and anxiety disorders. Their primary mechanism of action is via influence of the serotonergic (5-HT) system, but a growing amount of data provides evidence for other non-monoaminergic players in SSRI effects. It is assumed that neuropeptides, which play a role as neuromodulators in the CNS, are involved in their mechanism of action. In this review we focus on six neuropeptides: corticotropin-releasing factor - CRF, galanin - GAL, oxytocin - OT, vasopressin - AVP, neuropeptide Y - NPY, and orexins - OXs. First, information about their roles in depression and anxiety disorders are presented. Then, findings describing their interactions with the 5-HT system are summarized. These data provide background for analysis of the results of published preclinical and clinical studies related to SSRI effects on the neuropeptide systems. We also report findings showing how modulation of neuropeptide transmission influences behavioral and neurochemical effects of SSRIs. Finally, future research necessary for enriching our knowledge of SSRI mechanisms of action is proposed. Recognition of new molecular targets for antidepressants will have a significant effect on the development of novel therapeutic strategies for mood-related disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Miłosz Gołyszny
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, Poniatowskiego 15, 40-055 Katowice, Poland
| | - Ewa Obuchowicz
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, Poniatowskiego 15, 40-055 Katowice, Poland.
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Eswine SL, Pontinen JK, Heimovics SA. Competitive ability during mate competition relates to unique patterns of dopamine-related gene expression in the social decision-making network of male zebra finches. Neurosci Lett 2019; 706:30-35. [PMID: 31051224 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2019.04.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2018] [Revised: 03/28/2019] [Accepted: 04/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Aggressive interactions usually reveal individual differences in the competitive ability of contest participants. Individuals with higher competitive ability often gain priority access to resources such as food, territory, and/or mates. Individuals with lower competitive ability usually have reduced access to these resources and limited mating opportunities. Despite the importance of contest performance to the reproductive success of individuals, the neuroendocrine factors associated with individual differences in competitive ability have not been fully elucidated. Here, we investigate the relationship between dopamine (DA)-related gene expression and competitive ability during mate competition in male zebra finches. Males demonstrating high competitive ability (HCA) had higher tyrosine hydroxylase mRNA levels in the ventral tegmental area and higher D1 receptor (D1-R) mRNA levels in the preoptic area than low competitive ability (LCA) males. Additionally, HCA males had lower levels of D1-R mRNA in the anterior hypothalamus relative to LCA males. These data suggest that there are dynamic and region-specific changes in DA function that relate to variation in competitive ability during mate competition.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie L Eswine
- Department of Biology and Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program, University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, MN, USA
| | - Jill K Pontinen
- Department of Biology and Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program, University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, MN, USA
| | - Sarah A Heimovics
- Department of Biology and Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program, University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, MN, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Voigt C, Hirschenhauser K, Leitner S. Neural activation following offensive aggression in Japanese quail. Biol Open 2018; 7:bio.038026. [PMID: 30404900 PMCID: PMC6310879 DOI: 10.1242/bio.038026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Aggression is a fundamental part of animal social behaviour. In avian species, little is known about its neural representation. In particular, neural activity following offensive aggression has not been studied in detail. Here, we investigated the patterns of brain activation using immediate-early gene (IEG) expression in male Japanese quail that showed pronounced aggressive behaviours during a 30 min male–male interaction and compared them to those of males that did not interact with a conspecific. In aggressive males, we found a massive induction of the IEG ZENK in pallial brain structures such as the intermediate medial mesopallium, the caudomedial mesopallium and the intermediate medial nidopallium. To a lesser extent, activation was observed in subpallial areas such as the nucleus taeniae of the amygdala and in the medial portion of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis. Our data suggest that the modulation of aggressive behaviour involves the integration of multisensory information. Summary: The manuscript describes the pronounced activation of the immediate early gene ZENK in the pallium of male Japanese quails following offensive aggressive behaviour.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cornelia Voigt
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Department of Behavioural Neurobiology, D-82319 Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Katharina Hirschenhauser
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Department of Behavioural Neurobiology, D-82319 Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Stefan Leitner
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Department of Behavioural Neurobiology, D-82319 Seewiesen, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Wilson LC, Goodson JL, Kingsbury MA. Neural responses to familiar conspecifics are modulated by a nonapeptide receptor in a winter flocking sparrow. Physiol Behav 2018; 196:165-175. [PMID: 30196086 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2018.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2018] [Revised: 09/05/2018] [Accepted: 09/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The social behavior network, a collection of reciprocally connected areas within the basal forebrain and midbrain, plays a conserved role in the regulation of vertebrate social behavior. Specific behaviors are associated with patterns of activity across the network, and these activity profiles vary with species and context. We investigated how the social behavior network responds to familiar social stimuli in a seasonally flocking songbird. Further, we explored how socially-induced neural responses are modulated by endogenous nonapeptide receptor blockade. Winter flocking dark-eyed juncos were exposed to either familiar conspecifics or a familiar empty aviary following a peripheral injection of either saline or [desGly-NH2,d(CH2)5, Tyr(Me)2,Thr4]-ornithine vasotocin, an VT3 receptor antagonist. Socially-exposed animals exhibited greater Fos induction across the social behavior network. Sex and drug effects were site-specific, with females tending to exhibit greater Fos responses to social stimuli and a greater sensitivity to VT3 antagonism. We suggest that in flocking animals, VT3 activation during social interaction may shift the pattern of neural activity towards the dorsocaudal lateral septum and rostral arcopallium and away from the extended amygdala, anterior and ventromedial hypothalamus, and the caudal ventral/ventrolateral lateral septum.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Leah C Wilson
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA.
| | - James L Goodson
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - Marcy A Kingsbury
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Holschbach MA, Vitale EM, Lonstein JS. Serotonin-specific lesions of the dorsal raphe disrupt maternal aggression and caregiving in postpartum rats. Behav Brain Res 2018; 348:53-64. [PMID: 29653128 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2018.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2018] [Revised: 03/28/2018] [Accepted: 04/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The behavioral modifications associated with early motherhood, which include high aggression, caring for the young, and low anxiety, are all affected by acute pharmacological manipulation of serotonin signaling. However, the effects on all these behaviors of permanently disrupting serotonin signaling from one of its primary sources, the dorsal raphe nucleus (DR), have not been examined in detail. To address this, serotonin-specific lesions centered on the dorsomedial DR (DRdm; DR subregion strongly implicated in emotional behaviors) were induced at mid-pregnancy (day 15) or early postpartum (day 2) in rats using a saporin-conjugated neurotoxin targeting the serotonin transporter (Anti-SERT-SAP). Prepartum or postpartum Anti-SERT-SAP reduced DRdm serotonin immunoreactivity by ∼40-65%, and postpartum Anti-SERT-SAP also reduced it in the ventromedial and lateral wings of the DR, as well as in the median raphe. Serotonin-immunoreactive fibers were significantly reduced in the anterior hypothalamus, but not medial preoptic area, of lesioned dams. Pre- or postpartum lesions both greatly reduced maternal aggression, but while prepartum lesions did not affect later undisturbed maternal caregiving, the larger postpartum lesions prevented the postpartum decline in kyphotic nursing and reduced pup licking. Serotonin lesions did not affect pup retrieval, but the prepartum lesions temporarily increased maternal hovering over and licking the pups observed immediately after the disruptive retrieval tests. Dams' anxiety-like behaviors and litter weight gains were unaffected by the lesions. These findings suggest that DRdm serotonin projecting to the AH is particularly critical for maternal aggression, but that more widespread disruption of midbrain raphe serotonin is necessary to greatly impair maternal caregiving. Postpartum anxiety may rely more on other neurochemical systems or different midbrain serotonergic cell populations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- M Allie Holschbach
- Neuroscience Program, 108 Giltner Hall, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - Erika M Vitale
- Department of Psychology, 108 Giltner Hall, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - Joseph S Lonstein
- Neuroscience Program, 108 Giltner Hall, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA; Department of Psychology, 108 Giltner Hall, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Caldwell HK, Aulino EA, Rodriguez KM, Witchey SK, Yaw AM. Social Context, Stress, Neuropsychiatric Disorders, and the Vasopressin 1b Receptor. Front Neurosci 2017; 11:567. [PMID: 29085277 PMCID: PMC5650633 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2017.00567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2017] [Accepted: 09/27/2017] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The arginine vasopressin 1b receptor (Avpr1b) is involved in the modulation of a variety of behaviors and is an important part of the mammalian hormonal stress axis. The Avpr1b is prominent in hippocampal CA2 pyramidal cells and in the anterior pituitary corticotrophs. Decades of research on this receptor has demonstrated its importance to the modulation of social recognition memory, social forms of aggression, and modulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, particularly under conditions of acute stress. Further, work in humans suggests that the Avpr1b may play a role in human neuropsychiatric disorders and its modulation may have therapeutic potential. This paper reviews what is known about the role of the Avpr1b in the context of social behaviors, the stress axis, and human neuropsychiatric disorders. Further, possible mechanisms for how Avpr1b activation within the hippocampus vs. Avpr1b activation within anterior pituitary may interact with one another to affect behavioral output are proposed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Heather K Caldwell
- Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology and Behavior, Department of Biological Sciences Kent State University, Kent, OH, United States.,School of Biomedical Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH, United States
| | - Elizabeth A Aulino
- Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology and Behavior, Department of Biological Sciences Kent State University, Kent, OH, United States
| | - Karla M Rodriguez
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH, United States
| | - Shannah K Witchey
- Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology and Behavior, Department of Biological Sciences Kent State University, Kent, OH, United States
| | - Alexandra M Yaw
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH, United States
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Yohn CN, Leithead AB, Becker EA. Increased vasopressin expression in the BNST accompanies paternally induced territoriality in male and female California mouse offspring. Horm Behav 2017; 93:9-17. [PMID: 28359742 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2017.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2016] [Revised: 03/17/2017] [Accepted: 03/19/2017] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
While developmental consequences of parental investment on species-typical social behaviors has been extensively characterized in same-sex parent-offspring interactions, the impact of opposite-sex relationships is less clear. In the bi-parental California mouse (Peromyscus californicus), paternal retrieval behavior induces territorial aggression and the expression of arginine vasopressin (AVP) in adult male offspring. Although similar patterns of territorially emerge among females, the sexually dimorphic AVP system has not been considered since it is generally thought to regulate male-typical behavior. However, we recently demonstrated that male and female P. californicus offspring experience increases in plasma testosterone following paternal retrieval. Since AVP expression is androgen-dependent during development, we postulate that increases in AVP expression may accompany territoriality in female, as well as male offspring. To explore this aim, adult P. californicus offspring that received either high or low levels of paternal care (retrievals) during early development were tested for territoriality and immunohistochemical analysis of AVP within the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), paraventricular nucleus (PVN), and supraoptic nucleus (SON). Consistent with previous studies, high care offspring were more aggressive than low care offspring. Moreover, high care offspring had significantly more AVP immunoreactive (AVP-ir) cells within the BNST than low care offspring. This pattern was observed within female as well as male offspring, suggesting an equally salient role for paternal care on female offspring physiology. Regardless of early social experience, sex differences in AVP persisted in the BNST, with males having greater expression than females.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christine N Yohn
- Department of Psychology, Saint Joseph's University, 5600 City Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19131, USA; Department of Psychology, Rutgers University, 152 Frelinghuysen Rd, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA.
| | - Amanda B Leithead
- Department of Psychology, Saint Joseph's University, 5600 City Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19131, USA
| | - Elizabeth A Becker
- Department of Psychology, Saint Joseph's University, 5600 City Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19131, USA
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Fortes PM, Albrechet-Souza L, Vasconcelos M, Ascoli BM, Menegolla AP, de Almeida RMM. Social instigation and repeated aggressive confrontations in male Swiss mice: analysis of plasma corticosterone, CRF and BDNF levels in limbic brain areas. TRENDS IN PSYCHIATRY AND PSYCHOTHERAPY 2017; 39:98-105. [PMID: 28614436 DOI: 10.1590/2237-6089-2016-0075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2016] [Accepted: 02/15/2017] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Introduction: Agonistic behaviors help to ensure survival, provide advantage in competition, and communicate social status. The resident-intruder paradigm, an animal model based on male intraspecific confrontations, can be an ethologically relevant tool to investigate the neurobiology of aggressive behavior. Objectives: To examine behavioral and neurobiological mechanisms of aggressive behavior in male Swiss mice exposed to repeated confrontations in the resident intruder paradigm. Methods: Behavioral analysis was performed in association with measurements of plasma corticosterone of mice repeatedly exposed to a potential rival nearby, but inaccessible (social instigation), or to 10 sessions of social instigation followed by direct aggressive encounters. Moreover, corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BNDF) were measured in the brain of these animals. Control mice were exposed to neither social instigation nor aggressive confrontations. Results: Mice exposed to aggressive confrontations exhibited a similar pattern of species-typical aggressive and non-aggressive behaviors on the first and the last session. Moreover, in contrast to social instigation only, repeated aggressive confrontations promoted an increase in plasma corticosterone. After 10 aggressive confrontation sessions, mice presented a non-significant trend toward reducing hippocampal levels of CRF, which inversely correlated with plasma corticosterone levels. Conversely, repeated sessions of social instigation or aggressive confrontation did not alter BDNF concentrations at the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. Conclusion: Exposure to repeated episodes of aggressive encounters did not promote habituation over time. Additionally, CRF seems to be involved in physiological responses to social stressors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paula Madeira Fortes
- Instituto de Psicologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.,Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Lucas Albrechet-Souza
- Instituto de Psicologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.,Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Mailton Vasconcelos
- Instituto de Psicologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.,Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | | | - Ana Paula Menegolla
- Instituto de Psicologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Rosa Maria M de Almeida
- Instituto de Psicologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Terranova JI, Ferris CF, Albers HE. Sex Differences in the Regulation of Offensive Aggression and Dominance by Arginine-Vasopressin. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2017; 8:308. [PMID: 29184535 PMCID: PMC5694440 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2017.00308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2017] [Accepted: 10/23/2017] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Arginine-vasopressin (AVP) plays a critical role in the regulation of offensive aggression and social status in mammals. AVP is found in an extensive neural network in the brain. Here, we discuss the role of AVP in the regulation of aggression in the limbic system with an emphasis on the critical role of hypothalamic AVP in the control of aggression. In males, activation of AVP V1a receptors (V1aRs) in the hypothalamus stimulates offensive aggression, while in females activation of V1aRs inhibits aggression. Serotonin (5-HT) also acts within the hypothalamus to modulate the effects of AVP on aggression in a sex-dependent manner. Activation of 5-HT1a receptors (5-HT1aRs) inhibits aggression in males and stimulates aggression in females. There are also striking sex differences in the mechanisms underlying the acquisition of dominance. In males, the acquisition of dominance is associated with the activation of AVP-containing neurons in the hypothalamus. By contrast, in females, the acquisition of dominance is associated with the activation of 5-HT-containing neurons in the dorsal raphe. AVP and 5-HT also play critical roles in the regulation of a form of social communication that is important for the maintenance of dominance relationships. In both male and female hamsters, AVP acts via V1aRs in the hypothalamus, as well as in other limbic structures, to communicate social status through the stimulation of a form of scent marking called flank marking. 5-HT acts on 5-HT1aRs as well as other 5-HT receptors within the hypothalamus to inhibit flank marking induced by AVP in both males and females. Interestingly, while AVP and 5-HT influence the expression of aggression in opposite ways in males and females, there are no sex differences in the effects of AVP and 5-HT on the expression of social communication. Given the profound sex differences in the incidence of many psychiatric disorders and the increasing evidence for a relationship between aggressiveness/dominance and the susceptibility to these disorders, understanding the neural regulation of aggression and social status will have significant import for translational studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joseph I. Terranova
- Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Craig F. Ferris
- Department of Psychology, Center for Translational NeuroImaging, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - H. Elliott Albers
- Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, United States
- *Correspondence: H. Elliott Albers,
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
First exposure to an alive conspecific activates septal and amygdaloid nuclei in visually-naïve domestic chicks (Gallus gallus). Behav Brain Res 2017; 317:71-81. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2016.09.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2016] [Revised: 09/05/2016] [Accepted: 09/11/2016] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
|
41
|
Witchey SK, Stevenson EL, Caldwell HK. Genotypic differences in intruder-evoked immediate early gene activation in male, but not female, vasopressin 1b receptor knockout mice. BMC Neurosci 2016; 17:75. [PMID: 27881080 PMCID: PMC5122005 DOI: 10.1186/s12868-016-0310-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2016] [Accepted: 11/16/2016] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The neuropeptide arginine vasopressin (Avp) modulates social behaviors via its two centrally expressed receptors, the Avp 1a receptor and the Avp 1b receptor (Avpr1b). Recent work suggests that, at least in mice, Avp signaling through Avpr1b within the CA2 region of the hippocampus is critical for normal aggressive behaviors and social recognition memory. However, this brain area is just one part of a larger neural circuit that is likely to be impacted in Avpr1b knockout (−/−) mice. To identify other brain areas that are affected by altered Avpr1b signaling, genotypic differences in immediate early gene activation, i.e. c-FOS and early growth response factor 1 (EGR-1), were quantified using immunocytochemistry following a single exposure to an intruder. Results In females, no genotypic differences in intruder-evoked c-FOS or EGR-1 immunoreactivity were observed in any of the brain areas measured. In males, while there were no intruder-evoked genotypic differences in c-FOS immunoreactivity, genotypic differences were observed in EGR-1 immunoreactivity within the ventral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and the anterior hypothalamus; with Avpr1b −/− males having less EGR-1 immunoreactivity in these regions than controls. Conclusions These data are the first to identify specific brain areas that may be a part of a neural circuit that includes Avpr1b-expressing cells in the CA2 region of the hippocampus. It is thought that this circuit, when working properly, plays a role in how an animal evaluates its social context. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12868-016-0310-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shannah K Witchey
- Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology and Behavior, Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, 256 Cunningham Hall, Kent, OH, 44242, USA
| | - Erica L Stevenson
- Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology and Behavior, Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, 256 Cunningham Hall, Kent, OH, 44242, USA.,Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology and Behavior, School of Biomedical Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH, USA
| | - Heather K Caldwell
- Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology and Behavior, Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, 256 Cunningham Hall, Kent, OH, 44242, USA. .,Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology and Behavior, School of Biomedical Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Serotonin and arginine-vasopressin mediate sex differences in the regulation of dominance and aggression by the social brain. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2016; 113:13233-13238. [PMID: 27807133 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1610446113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
There are profound sex differences in the incidence of many psychiatric disorders. Although these disorders are frequently linked to social stress and to deficits in social engagement, little is known about sex differences in the neural mechanisms that underlie these phenomena. Phenotypes characterized by dominance, competitive aggression, and active coping strategies appear to be more resilient to psychiatric disorders such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) compared with those characterized by subordinate status and the lack of aggressiveness. Here, we report that serotonin (5-HT) and arginine-vasopressin (AVP) act in opposite ways in the hypothalamus to regulate dominance and aggression in females and males. Hypothalamic injection of a 5-HT1a agonist stimulated aggression in female hamsters and inhibited aggression in males, whereas injection of AVP inhibited aggression in females and stimulated aggression in males. Striking sex differences were also identified in the neural mechanisms regulating dominance. Acquisition of dominance was associated with activation of 5-HT neurons within the dorsal raphe in females and activation of hypothalamic AVP neurons in males. These data strongly indicate that there are fundamental sex differences in the neural regulation of dominance and aggression. Further, because systemically administered fluoxetine increased aggression in females and substantially reduced aggression in males, there may be substantial gender differences in the clinical efficacy of commonly prescribed 5-HT-active drugs such as selective 5-HT reuptake inhibitors. These data suggest that the treatment of psychiatric disorders such as PTSD may be more effective with the use of 5-HT-targeted drugs in females and AVP-targeted drugs in males.
Collapse
|
43
|
Morrison TR, Ricci LA, Melloni RH. Vasopressin differentially modulates aggression and anxiety in adolescent hamsters administered anabolic steroids. Horm Behav 2016; 86:55-63. [PMID: 27149949 PMCID: PMC5094902 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2016.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2015] [Revised: 03/24/2016] [Accepted: 04/15/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Adolescent Syrian hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) treated with anabolic/androgenic steroids display increased offensive aggression and decreased anxiety correlated with an increase in vasopressin afferent development, synthesis, and neural signaling within the anterior hypothalamus. Upon withdrawal from anabolic/androgenic steroids, this neurobehavioral relationship shifts as hamsters display decreased offensive aggression and increased anxiety correlated with a decrease in anterior hypothalamic vasopressin. This study investigated the hypothesis that alterations in anterior hypothalamic vasopressin neural signaling modulate behavioral shifting between adolescent anabolic/androgenic steroid-induced offensive aggression and anxiety. To test this, adolescent male hamsters were administered anabolic/androgenic steroids and tested for offensive aggression or anxiety following direct pharmacological manipulation of vasopressin V1A receptor signaling within the anterior hypothalamus. Blockade of anterior hypothalamic vasopressin V1A receptor signaling suppressed offensive aggression and enhanced general and social anxiety in hamsters administered anabolic/androgenic steroids during adolescence, effectively reversing the pattern of behavioral response pattern normally observed during the adolescent exposure period. Conversely, activation of anterior hypothalamic vasopressin V1A receptor signaling enhanced offensive aggression in hamsters exposed to anabolic/androgenic steroids during adolescence. Together, these findings suggest that the state of vasopressin neural development and signaling in the anterior hypothalamus plays an important role in behavioral shifting between aggression and anxiety following adolescent exposure to anabolic/androgenic steroids.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas R Morrison
- Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, 125 Nightingale Hall, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02155, United States
| | - Lesley A Ricci
- Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, 125 Nightingale Hall, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02155, United States
| | - Richard H Melloni
- Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, 125 Nightingale Hall, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02155, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Loveland JL, Fernald RD. Differential activation of vasotocin neurons in contexts that elicit aggression and courtship. Behav Brain Res 2016; 317:188-203. [PMID: 27609648 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2016.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2016] [Revised: 08/30/2016] [Accepted: 09/03/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Despite continued study on the neurobiological bases of aggressive and sexual behaviors, it is still not well understood how the brain integrates social information with physiological and neural states to produce context-specific behavioral outcomes. In fishes, manipulation of endogenous levels of arginine vasotocin (AVT) through peripheral and intracerebroventricular pharmacological injections results in significant changes in social behaviors, including aggressive and reproduction-related behaviors. In addition, many features of AVT neurons have been shown to correlate with social status and associated behavioral phenotypes. In this study, we used the immediate early gene egr-1 as a marker for neuronal activity and quantified the number of AVT neurons that were positive for egr-1 mRNA by in situ hybridization in Astatotilapia burtoni males that were exposed to either a social context that would elicit aggression or to one that would elicit courtship. In these social settings, focal males readily displayed context- appropriate bouts of aggression (towards the opponent) or bouts of courting (towards females). We found that males that fought had higher levels of egr-1 expression in the preoptic area compared to courting males. A greater proportion of AVT cells was positive for egr-1 after a fight than after a bout of courting. We mapped mRNA distribution of AVT V1a receptor subtypes v1a1 and v1a2 in the brain and identified overlapping areas of expression in nuclei in the ventral telencephalon, hypothalamus and thalamus as key areas for AVT signaling in males.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jasmine L Loveland
- Dept. of Biological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Russell D Fernald
- Dept. of Biological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Caldwell HK, Albers HE. Oxytocin, Vasopressin, and the Motivational Forces that Drive Social Behaviors. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2016; 27:51-103. [PMID: 26472550 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2015_390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
The motivation to engage in social behaviors is influenced by past experience and internal state, but also depends on the behavior of other animals. Across species, the oxytocin (Oxt) and vasopressin (Avp) systems have consistently been linked to the modulation of motivated social behaviors. However, how they interact with other systems, such as the mesolimbic dopamine system, remains understudied. Further, while the neurobiological mechanisms that regulate prosocial/cooperative behaviors have been extensively examined, far less is understood about competitive behaviors, particularly in females. In this chapter, we highlight the specific contributions of Oxt and Avp to several cooperative and competitive behaviors and discuss their relevance to the concept of social motivation across species, including humans. Further, we discuss the implications for neuropsychiatric diseases and suggest future areas of investigation.
Collapse
|
46
|
Morrison TR, Sikes RW, Melloni RH. Anabolic steroids alter the physiological activity of aggression circuits in the lateral anterior hypothalamus. Neuroscience 2015; 315:1-17. [PMID: 26691962 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2015.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2015] [Revised: 11/16/2015] [Accepted: 12/01/2015] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Syrian hamsters exposed to anabolic/androgenic steroids (AAS) during adolescence consistently show increased aggressive behavior across studies. Although the behavioral and anatomical profiles of AAS-induced alterations have been well characterized, there is a lack of data describing physiological changes that accompany these alterations. For instance, behavioral pharmacology and neuroanatomical studies show that AAS-induced changes in the vasopressin (AVP) neural system within the latero-anterior hypothalamus (LAH) interact with the serotonin (5HT) and dopamine (DA) systems to modulate aggression. To characterize the electrophysiological profile of the AAS aggression circuit, we recorded LAH neurons in adolescent male hamsters in vivo and microiontophoretically applied agonists and antagonists of aggressive behavior. The interspike interval (ISI) of neurons from AAS-treated animals correlated positively with aggressive behaviors, and adolescent AAS exposure altered parameters of activity in regular firing neurons while also changing the proportion of neuron types (i.e., bursting, regular, irregular). AAS-treated animals had more responsive neurons that were excited by AVP application, while cells from control animals showed the opposite effect and were predominantly inhibited by AVP. Both DA D2 antagonists and 5HT increased the firing frequency of AVP-responsive cells from AAS animals and dual application of AVP and D2 antagonists doubled the excitatory effect of AVP or D2 antagonist administration alone. These data suggest that multiple DA circuits in the LAH modulate AAS-induced aggressive responding. More broadly, these data show that multiple neurochemical interactions at the neurophysiological level are altered by adolescent AAS exposure.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- T R Morrison
- Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, United States
| | - R W Sikes
- Department of Physical Therapy, Rehabilitation, and Movement Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, United States
| | - R H Melloni
- Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Morrison TR, Ricci LA, Melloni RH. Dopamine D2 receptors act upstream of AVP in the latero-anterior hypothalamus to modulate adolescent anabolic/androgenic steroid-induced aggression in Syrian hamsters. Behav Neurosci 2015; 129:197-204. [PMID: 25798632 DOI: 10.1037/bne0000044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
In pubertal male Syrian hamsters, exposure to anabolic/androgenic steroids (AAS) during adolescence facilitates a high level of offensive aggression modulated by the enhanced development and activity of the vasopressin (AVP) and dopamine (DA) neural systems within the latero-anterior hypothalamus (LAH), that is, a brain region implicated in the control of aggression. The present studies provide a detailed report of the pharmacologic interactions between AVP and DA D2 receptor signaling within the LAH in the control of adolescent AAS-induced offensive aggression. Male Syrian hamsters were treated with AAS throughout adolescence and tested for aggression after local infusion of the DA D2 receptor antagonist eticlopride (ETIC) alone, or in combination with AVP in the LAH in an effort to determine the influence of DA D2 receptors relative to AVP-receptor mediated aggression mechanisms. As previously shown, ETIC infusion into the LAH suppressed adolescent AAS-induced aggressive responding; however, the AAS-induced aggressive phenotype was rescued by the coinfusion of AVP into the LAH. These behavioral data indicate that interactions between AVP and DA neural systems within the LAH modulate the control of aggression following adolescent exposure to AAS and that DA D2 receptor signaling functions upstream of AVP in the LAH to control this behavioral response.
Collapse
|
48
|
The neurobiology of offensive aggression: Revealing a modular view. Physiol Behav 2015; 146:111-27. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2015.04.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2015] [Revised: 04/21/2015] [Accepted: 04/22/2015] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
|
49
|
γ-Aminobutyric acid neural signaling in the lateroanterior hypothalamus modulates aggressive behavior in adolescent anabolic/androgenic steroid-treated hamsters. Behav Pharmacol 2015; 25:673-83. [PMID: 25171080 DOI: 10.1097/fbp.0000000000000083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Male Syrian hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) treated with anabolic/androgenic steroids (AAS) during adolescence (P27-P56) display highly escalated and mature forms of offensive aggression correlated with increased γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) afferent development as well as decreased GABAA receptors in the lateroanterior hypothalamus (LAH) - an area of convergence for developmental and neuroplastic changes that underlie offensive aggressive behaviors in hamsters. This study investigated whether microinfusion of a GABAA receptor agonist (muscimol; 0.01-1.0 pmol/l) or antagonist (bicuculline; 0.04-4.0 pmol/l) directly into the LAH modulate adolescent AAS-induced offensive aggression. Activation of LAH GABAA receptors enhanced adolescent AAS-induced offensive aggression, beginning at the 0.1 pmol/l dose, when compared with AAS-treated animals injected with saline into the LAH. Importantly, GABAA receptor agonism within the LAH significantly increased the frequency of belly/rear attacks, while simultaneously decreasing the frequency of frontal attacks. These data identify a neuroanatomical locus where GABAA receptor activation functions to enhance aggression in adolescent AAS-treated animals, while also promoting the display of mature forms of aggression and suppressing juvenile play behaviors.
Collapse
|
50
|
Aggression and anxiety in adolescent AAS-treated hamsters: A role for 5HT3 receptors. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2015; 134:85-91. [PMID: 25959831 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2015.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2015] [Revised: 04/22/2015] [Accepted: 05/02/2015] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Previously, we have shown that anabolic androgenic steroid (AAS) exposure throughout adolescence stimulates offensive aggression while also reducing anxious behaviors during the exposure period. Interestingly, AAS exposure through development correlates with alterations to the serotonin system in regions known to contain 5HT3 receptors that influence the control of both aggression and anxiety. Despite these effects, little is known about whether these separate developmental AAS-induced behavioral alterations occur as a function of a common neuroanatomical locus. To begin to address this question, we localized 5HT3 receptors in regions that have been implicated in aggression and anxiety. To examine the impact these receptors may have on AAS alterations to behavior, we microinjected the 5HT3 agonist mCPBG directly into a region know for its influence over aggressive behavior, the lateral division of the anterior hypothalamus, and recorded alterations to anxious behaviors using the elevated plus maze. AAS exposure primarily reduced the presence of 5HT3 receptors in aggression/anxiety regions. Accordingly, mCPBG blocked the anxiolytic effects of adolescent AAS exposure. These data suggest that the 5HT3 receptor plays a critical role in the circuit modulating developmental AAS-induced changes to both aggressive and anxious behaviors, and further implicates the lateral division of the anterior hypothalamus as an important center for the negative behavioral effects of developmental AAS-exposure.
Collapse
|