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Hasegawa S, Yamashita R, Nakagawa Y, Miyatake K, Katagiri H, Nakamura T, Koga H, Sekiya I, Yoshii T, Rosen V, Tsuji K. A novel methodology utilizing microchip implants to monitor individual activity and body temperature for assessing knee pain in group-housed rats. Sci Rep 2024; 14:16909. [PMID: 39043741 PMCID: PMC11266718 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-67024-7] [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: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/08/2024] [Indexed: 07/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The pain assessment in animals is challenging as they cannot verbally express the site and severity of pain. In this study, we tried a small implantable actimeter, "Nanotag", to monitor spontaneous locomotor activity and body temperature in animals suffering from a chemical-induced rat knee arthritis as compared to naïve and steroid-treated rats. Nanotag could detect the decrease in locomotor activity quickly after the arthritis induction and anti-inflammation analgesic treatment by intra-articular injection of steroid significantly improved locomotor activity. These changes were in the same line with those of a conventional knee pain evaluation method (incapacitance test). Nanotag can be utilized as the non-interventional, continuous, and completely objective monitoring the amount of pain in rat knee arthritis model. This traditional yet innovative method may be universally applicable to various pain models and species, making it a worthwhile device for research across diverse fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shoichi Hasegawa
- Department of Joint Surgery and Sports Medicine, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Riko Yamashita
- Department of Joint Surgery and Sports Medicine, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yusuke Nakagawa
- Department of Joint Surgery and Sports Medicine, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kazumasa Miyatake
- Department of Joint Surgery and Sports Medicine, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiroki Katagiri
- Department of Joint Surgery and Sports Medicine, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tomomasa Nakamura
- Department of Joint Surgery and Sports Medicine, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hideyuki Koga
- Department of Joint Surgery and Sports Medicine, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Ichiro Sekiya
- Center for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Toshitaka Yoshii
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Yushima 1-5-45, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8519, Japan
| | - Vicki Rosen
- Department of Developmental Biology, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kunikazu Tsuji
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Yushima 1-5-45, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8519, Japan.
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Huang L, Mut-Arbona P, Varga B, Török B, Brunner J, Arszovszki A, Iring A, Kisfali M, Vizi ES, Sperlágh B. P2X7 purinergic receptor modulates dentate gyrus excitatory neurotransmission and alleviates schizophrenia-like symptoms in mouse. iScience 2023; 26:107560. [PMID: 37649698 PMCID: PMC10462828 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107560] [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: 06/01/2023] [Revised: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023] Open
Abstract
ATP-gated P2X7 receptors (P2X7Rs) play a crucial role in brain disorders. However, how they affect normal and pathological synaptic transmission is still largely unclear. Here, by using whole-cell patch-clamp technique to record AMPA- and NMDA receptor-mediated excitatory postsynaptic currents (s/mEPSCs) in dentate gyrus granule cells (DG GCs), we revealed a modulation by P2X7Rs of presynaptic sites, especially originated from entorhinal cortex (EC)-GC path but not the mossy cell (MC)-GC path. The involvement of P2X7Rs was confirmed using a pharmacological approach. Additionally, the acute activation of P2X7Rs directly elevated calcium influx from EC-GC terminals. In postnatal phencyclidine (PCP)-induced mouse model of schizophrenia, we observed that P2X7R deficiency restored the EC-GC synapse alteration and alleviated PCP-induced symptoms. To summarize, P2X7Rs participate in the modulation of GC excitatory neurotransmission in the DG via EC-GC pathway, contributing to pathological alterations of neuronal functions leading to neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lumei Huang
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, 1083 Budapest, Hungary
- János Szentágothai Doctoral School, Semmelweis University, 1085 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Paula Mut-Arbona
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, 1083 Budapest, Hungary
- János Szentágothai Doctoral School, Semmelweis University, 1085 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Bernadett Varga
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, 1083 Budapest, Hungary
- János Szentágothai Doctoral School, Semmelweis University, 1085 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Bibiana Török
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, 1083 Budapest, Hungary
| | - János Brunner
- Laboratory of Cellular Neuropharmacology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, 1083 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Antonia Arszovszki
- Laboratory of Cellular Neuropharmacology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, 1083 Budapest, Hungary
| | - András Iring
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, 1083 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Máté Kisfali
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, 1083 Budapest, Hungary
| | - E. Sylvester Vizi
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, 1083 Budapest, Hungary
- János Szentágothai Doctoral School, Semmelweis University, 1085 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Beáta Sperlágh
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, 1083 Budapest, Hungary
- János Szentágothai Doctoral School, Semmelweis University, 1085 Budapest, Hungary
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Powell SB, Swerdlow NR. The Relevance of Animal Models of Social Isolation and Social Motivation for Understanding Schizophrenia: Review and Future Directions. Schizophr Bull 2023; 49:1112-1126. [PMID: 37527471 PMCID: PMC10483472 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbad098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND HYPOTHESES Social dysfunction in schizophrenia includes symptoms of withdrawal and deficits in social skills, social cognition, and social motivation. Based on the course of illness, with social withdrawal occurring prior to psychosis onset, it is likely that the severity of social withdrawal/isolation contributes to schizophrenia neuropathology. STUDY DESIGN We review the current literature on social isolation in rodent models and provide a conceptual framework for its relationship to social withdrawal and neural circuit dysfunction in schizophrenia. We next review preclinical tasks of social behavior used in schizophrenia-relevant models and discuss strengths and limitations of existing approaches. Lastly, we consider new effort-based tasks of social motivation and their potential for translational studies in schizophrenia. STUDY RESULTS Social isolation rearing in rats produces profound differences in behavior, pharmacologic sensitivity, and neurochemistry compared to socially reared rats. Rodent models relevant to schizophrenia exhibit deficits in social behavior as measured by social interaction and social preference tests. Newer tasks of effort-based social motivation are being developed in rodents to better model social motivation deficits in neuropsychiatric disorders. CONCLUSIONS While experimenter-imposed social isolation provides a viable experimental model for understanding some biological mechanisms linking social dysfunction to clinical and neural pathology in schizophrenia, it bypasses critical antecedents to social isolation in schizophrenia, notably deficits in social reward and social motivation. Recent efforts at modeling social motivation using effort-based tasks in rodents have the potential to quantify these antecedents, identify models (eg, developmental, genetic) that produce deficits, and advance pharmacological treatments for social motivation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan B Powell
- Research Service, VA San Diego Healthcare System, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Veterans Affairs VISN22 Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Neal R Swerdlow
- Research Service, VA San Diego Healthcare System, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Veterans Affairs VISN22 Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center, La Jolla, CA, USA
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d'Isa R, Gerlai R. Designing animal-friendly behavioral tests for neuroscience research: The importance of an ethological approach. Front Behav Neurosci 2023; 16:1090248. [PMID: 36703720 PMCID: PMC9871504 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.1090248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Raffaele d'Isa
- Institute of Experimental Neurology (INSPE), Division of Neuroscience (DNS), IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Robert Gerlai
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, Canada
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Díez-Solinska A, Vegas O, Azkona G. Refinement in the European Union: A Systematic Review. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12233263. [PMID: 36496784 PMCID: PMC9735736 DOI: 10.3390/ani12233263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Revised: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Refining experiments and housing conditions so as to cause the minimum possible pain and distress is one of the three principles (3Rs) on which Directive 2010/63/EU is based. In this systematic review, we aimed to identify and summarize published advances in the refinement protocols made by European Union-based research groups from 2011 to 2021, and to determine whether or not said research was supported by European or national grants. We included 48 articles, the majority of which were related to improvements in experimental procedures (37/77.1%) for mice (26/54.2%) and were written by research groups belonging to universities (36/57.1%) and from the United Kingdom (21/33.9%). More than two thirds (35/72.9%) of the studies received financial support, 26 (mostly British) at a national level and 8 at a European level. Our results indicated a clear willingness among the scientific community to improve the welfare of laboratory animals, as although funding was not always available or was not specifically granted for this purpose, studies were published nonetheless. However, in addition to institutional support based on legislation, more financial support is needed. We believe that more progress would have been made in refinement during these years if there had been more specific financial support available at both the national and European Union levels since our data suggest that countries investing in refinement have the greatest productivity in successfully publishing refinements.
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Thomson DM, Mitchell EJ, Openshaw RL, Pratt JA, Morris BJ. Mice lacking melatonin MT2 receptors exhibit attentional deficits, anxiety and enhanced social interaction. J Psychopharmacol 2021; 35:1265-1276. [PMID: 34304635 PMCID: PMC8521347 DOI: 10.1177/02698811211032439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Aside from regulating circadian rhythms, melatonin also affects cognitive processes, such as alertness, and modulates the brain circuitry underlying psychiatric diseases, such as depression, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, via mechanisms that are not fully clear. In particular, while melatonin MT1 receptors are thought primarily to mediate the circadian effects of the hormone, the contribution of the MT2 receptor to melatonin actions remains enigmatic. AIMS To characterise the contribution of MT2 receptors to melatonin's effects on cognition and anxiety/sociability. METHODS Mice with a genetic deletion of the MT2 receptor, encoded by the Mtnr1b gene, were compared with wild-type littermates for performance in a translational touchscreen version of the continuous performance task (CPT) to assess attentional processes and then monitored over 3 days in an ethological home-cage surveillance system. RESULTS Mtnr1b knockout (KO) mice were able to perform at relatively normal levels in the CPT. However, they showed consistent evidence of more liberal/risky responding strategies relative to control mice, with increases in hit rates and false alarm rates, which were maintained even when the cognitive demands of the task were increased. Assessment in the home-cage monitoring system revealed that female Mtnr1b KO mice have increased anxiety levels, whereas male Mtnr1b KO mice show increased sociability. CONCLUSIONS The results confirm that the MT2 receptor plays a role in cognition and also modulates anxiety and social interactions. These data provide new insights into the functions of endogenous melatonin and will inform future drug development strategies focussed on the MT2 receptor.
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Affiliation(s)
- David M Thomson
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK
| | - Emma J Mitchell
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK
| | - Rebecca L Openshaw
- Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Judith A Pratt
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK
| | - Brian J Morris
- Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK,Brian J Morris, Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Sir Joseph Black Building, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK.
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Mingrone A, Kaffman A, Kaffman A. The Promise of Automated Home-Cage Monitoring in Improving Translational Utility of Psychiatric Research in Rodents. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:618593. [PMID: 33390898 PMCID: PMC7773806 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.618593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2020] [Accepted: 11/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Large number of promising preclinical psychiatric studies in rodents later fail in clinical trials, raising concerns about the efficacy of this approach to generate novel pharmacological interventions. In this mini-review we argue that over-reliance on behavioral tests that are brief and highly sensitive to external factors play a critical role in this failure and propose that automated home-cage monitoring offers several advantages that will increase the translational utility of preclinical psychiatric research in rodents. We describe three of the most commonly used approaches for automated home cage monitoring in rodents [e.g., operant wall systems (OWS), computerized visual systems (CVS), and automatic motion sensors (AMS)] and review several commercially available systems that integrate the different approaches. Specific examples that demonstrate the advantages of automated home-cage monitoring over traditional tests of anxiety, depression, cognition, and addiction-like behaviors are highlighted. We conclude with recommendations on how to further expand this promising line of preclinical research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alfred Mingrone
- Department of Psychology, Southern Connecticut State University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Ayal Kaffman
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Arie Kaffman
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
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Mitchell EJ, Thomson DM, Openshaw RL, Bristow GC, Dawson N, Pratt JA, Morris BJ. Drug-responsive autism phenotypes in the 16p11.2 deletion mouse model: a central role for gene-environment interactions. Sci Rep 2020; 10:12303. [PMID: 32704009 PMCID: PMC7378168 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-69130-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2020] [Accepted: 07/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
There are no current treatments for autism, despite its high prevalence. Deletions of chromosome 16p11.2 dramatically increase risk for autism, suggesting that mice with an equivalent genetic rearrangement may offer a valuable model for the testing of novel classes of therapeutic drug. 16p11.2 deletion (16p11.2 DEL) mice and wild-type controls were assessed using an ethological approach, with 24 h monitoring of activity and social interaction of groups of mice in a home-cage environment. The ability of the excitation/inhibition modulator N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) and the 5-HT1B/1D/1F receptor agonist eletriptan to normalise the behavioural deficits observed was tested. 16p11.2 DEL mice exhibited largely normal behaviours, but, following the stress of an injection, showed hyperlocomotion, reduced sociability, and a strong anxiolytic phenotype. The hyperactivity and reduced sociability, but not the suppressed anxiety, were effectively attenuated by both NAC and eletriptan. The data suggest that 16p11.2 DEL mice show an autism-relevant phenotype that becomes overt after an acute stressor, emphasising the importance of gene-environmental interactions in phenotypic analysis. Further, they add to an emerging view that NAC, or 5-HT1B/1D/1F receptor agonist treatment, may be a promising strategy for further investigation as a future treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma J Mitchell
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G4 0RE, UK
| | - David M Thomson
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G4 0RE, UK
| | - Rebecca L Openshaw
- Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Sir James Black Building, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Greg C Bristow
- Department of Biomedical and Life Sciences, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YW, UK.,School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, University of Bradford, Bradford, BD7 1DP, UK
| | - Neil Dawson
- Department of Biomedical and Life Sciences, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YW, UK
| | - Judith A Pratt
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G4 0RE, UK
| | - Brian J Morris
- Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Sir James Black Building, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK.
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