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Luo J, Luo Y, Zhao M, Liu Y, Liu J, Du Z, Gong H, Wang L, Zhao J, Wang X, Gu Z, Zhao W, Liu T, Fan X. Fullerenols Ameliorate Social Deficiency and Rescue Cognitive Dysfunction of BTBR T +Itpr3 tf/J Autistic-Like Mice. Int J Nanomedicine 2024; 19:6035-6055. [PMID: 38911505 PMCID: PMC11192297 DOI: 10.2147/ijn.s459511] [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: 01/13/2024] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects social interaction and communication and can cause stereotypic behavior. Fullerenols, a type of carbon nanomaterial known for its neuroprotective properties, have not yet been studied for their potential in treating ASD. We aimed to investigate its role in improving autistic behaviors in BTBR T+Itpr3tf/J (BTBR) mice and its underlying mechanism, which could provide reliable clues for future ASD treatments. Methods Our research involved treating C57BL/6J (C57) and BTBR mice with either 0.9% NaCl or fullerenols (10 mg/kg) daily for one week at seven weeks of age. We then conducted ASD-related behavioral tests in the eighth week and used RNA-seq to screen for vital pathways in the mouse hippocampus. Additionally, we used real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) to verify related pathway genes and evaluated the number of stem cells in the hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG) by Immunofluorescence staining. Results Our findings revealed that fullerenols treatment significantly improved the related ASD-like behaviors of BTBR mice, manifested by enhanced social ability and improved cognitive deficits. Immunofluorescence results showed that fullerenols treatment increased the number of DCX+ and SOX2+/GFAP+ cells in the DG region of BTBR mice, indicating an expanded neural progenitor cell (NPC) pool of BTBR mice. RNA-seq analysis of the mouse hippocampus showed that VEGFA was involved in the rescued hippocampal neurogenesis by fullerenols treatment. Conclusion In conclusion, our findings suggest that fullerenols treatment improves ASD-like behavior in BTBR mice by upregulating VEGFA, making nanoparticle- fullerenols a promising drug for ASD treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Luo
- School of Life Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 401331, People’s Republic of China
- Department of Military Cognitive Psychology, School of Psychology, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, 400038, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yi Luo
- Department of Military Cognitive Psychology, School of Psychology, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, 400038, People’s Republic of China
| | - Maoru Zhao
- Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety and CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, Institute of High Energy Physics and National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yulong Liu
- Department of Military Cognitive Psychology, School of Psychology, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, 400038, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jiayin Liu
- Department of Military Cognitive Psychology, School of Psychology, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, 400038, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhulin Du
- Department of Military Cognitive Psychology, School of Psychology, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, 400038, People’s Republic of China
| | - Hong Gong
- Department of Military Cognitive Psychology, School of Psychology, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, 400038, People’s Republic of China
| | - Lian Wang
- Department of Military Cognitive Psychology, School of Psychology, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, 400038, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jinghui Zhao
- Department of Military Cognitive Psychology, School of Psychology, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, 400038, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiaqing Wang
- Department of Military Cognitive Psychology, School of Psychology, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, 400038, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhanjun Gu
- Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety and CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, Institute of High Energy Physics and National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, People’s Republic of China
| | - Wenhui Zhao
- School of Life Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 401331, People’s Republic of China
| | - Tianyao Liu
- Department of Military Cognitive Psychology, School of Psychology, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, 400038, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiaotang Fan
- Department of Military Cognitive Psychology, School of Psychology, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, 400038, People’s Republic of China
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Higuchi Y, Tachigori SI, Arakawa H. Faded neural projection from the posterior bed nucleus of the stria terminalis to the lateral habenula contributes to social signaling deficit in male BTBR mice as a mouse model of autism. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2023; 149:106004. [PMID: 36543023 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2022.106004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2022] [Revised: 12/11/2022] [Accepted: 12/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
BTBR T+ Itpr3tf/J (BTBR) mice display several behavioral characteristics, including social deficits resembling the core symptoms of human autism. Atypical social behaviors include sequential processes of assembled cognitive-behavior components, such as recognition, investigatory assessment, and signaling response. This study aimed to elucidate the neural circuits responsible for the regulation of the social signaling response, as shown by scent marking behavior in male mice. We first assessed the recognition and investigatory patterns of male BTBR mice compared to those of C57BL/6 J (B6) mice. Next, we examined their scent-marking behavior as innate social signaling responses adjusted to a confronted feature of social stimuli and situations, along with the expression of c-Fos as a marker of neuronal activity in selected brain areas involved in the regulation of social behavior. The function of the targeted brain area was confirmed by chemogenetic manipulation. We also examined the social peptides, oxytocin and vasopressin neurons of the major brain regions that are associated with the regulation of social behavior. Our data indicate that male BTBR mice are less responsive to the presentation of social stimuli and the expression of social signaling responses, which is paralleled by blunted c-Fos responsivity and vasopressin neurons morphological changes in selected brain areas, including the posterior bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (pBnST) and lateral habenula (LHb) in BTBR mice. Further investigation of LHb function revealed that chemogenetic inhibition and activation of LHb activity can induce a change in scent marking responses in both B6 and BTBR mice. Our elucidation of the downstream LHb circuits controlling scent marking behavior indicates intact function in BTBR mice. The altered morphological characteristics of oxytocin neurons in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus and vasopressin-positive neurons and axonal projections in the pBnST and LHb appear to underlie the dysfunction of scent marking responses in BTBR mice. (300/300 words).
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuki Higuchi
- Department of Systems Physiology, University of the Ryukyus Graduate School of Medicine, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Shun-Ichi Tachigori
- Department of Systems Physiology, University of the Ryukyus, Faculty of Medicine, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Arakawa
- Department of Systems Physiology, University of the Ryukyus Graduate School of Medicine, Okinawa, Japan.
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Singla R, Mishra A, Cao R. The trilateral interactions between mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling, the circadian clock, and psychiatric disorders: an emerging model. Transl Psychiatry 2022; 12:355. [PMID: 36045116 PMCID: PMC9433414 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-022-02120-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Revised: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Circadian (~24 h) rhythms in physiology and behavior are evolutionarily conserved and found in almost all living organisms. The rhythms are endogenously driven by daily oscillatory activities of so-called "clock genes/proteins", which are widely distributed throughout the mammalian brain. Mammalian (mechanistic) target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling is a fundamental intracellular signal transduction cascade that controls important neuronal processes including neurodevelopment, synaptic plasticity, metabolism, and aging. Dysregulation of the mTOR pathway is associated with psychiatric disorders including autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and mood disorders (MD), in which patients often exhibit disrupted daily physiological rhythms and abnormal circadian gene expression in the brain. Recent work has found that the activities of mTOR signaling are temporally controlled by the circadian clock and exhibit robust circadian oscillations in multiple systems. In the meantime, mTOR signaling regulates fundamental properties of the central and peripheral circadian clocks, including period length, entrainment, and synchronization. Whereas the underlying mechanisms remain to be fully elucidated, increasing clinical and preclinical evidence support significant crosstalk between mTOR signaling, the circadian clock, and psychiatric disorders. Here, we review recent progress in understanding the trilateral interactions and propose an "interaction triangle" model between mTOR signaling, the circadian clock, and psychiatric disorders (focusing on ASD and MD).
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Affiliation(s)
- Rubal Singla
- grid.17635.360000000419368657Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota Medical School, Duluth, MN 55812 USA
| | - Abhishek Mishra
- grid.17635.360000000419368657Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota Medical School, Duluth, MN 55812 USA
| | - Ruifeng Cao
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota Medical School, Duluth, MN, 55812, USA. .,Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA.
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Vijaya Shankara J, Mistlberger RE, Antle MC. Anticipation of Scheduled Feeding in BTBR Mice Reveals Independence and Interactions Between the Light- and Food-Entrainable Circadian Clocks. Front Integr Neurosci 2022; 16:896200. [PMID: 35712346 PMCID: PMC9195425 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2022.896200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Many animal species exhibit food-anticipatory activity (FAA) when fed at a fixed time of the day. FAA exhibits properties of a daily rhythm controlled by food-entrainable circadian oscillators (FEOs). Lesion studies indicate that FEOs are separate from the light-entrainable circadian pacemaker (LEP) located in the suprachiasmatic nucleus. While anatomically distinct, food- and light-entrainable clocks do appear to interact, and the output of these clocks may be modulated by their phase relation. We report here an analysis of FAA in the BTBR T+ Itpr3tf/J (BTBR) mouse strain that provides new insights into the nature of interactions between food- and light-entrained clocks and rhythms. BTBR mice fed ad libitum exhibit an unusually short active phase and free-running circadian periodicity (~22.5 h). In a light-dark cycle, BTBR mice limited to a 4 h daily meal in the light period show robust FAA compared to the C57BL/6J mice. In constant darkness, BTBR mice exhibit clear and distinct free-running and food-anticipatory rhythms that interact in a phase-dependent fashion. The free-running rhythm exhibits phase advances when FAA occurs in the mid-to-late rest phase of the free run, and phase delays when FAA occurs in the late active phase. A phase-response curve (PRC) inferred from these shifts is similar to the PRC for activity-induced phase shifts in nocturnal rodents, suggesting that the effects of feeding schedules on the LEP in constant darkness are mediated by FAA. A phase-dependent effect of the free-running rhythm on FAA was evident in both its magnitude and duration; FAA counts were greatest when FAA occurred during the active phase of the free-running rhythm. The LEP inhibited FAA when FAA occurred at the end of the subjective day. These findings provide evidence for interactions between food- and light-entrainable circadian clocks and rhythms and demonstrate the utility of the BTBR mouse model in probing these interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jhenkruthi Vijaya Shankara
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | | | - Michael C. Antle
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- *Correspondence: Michael C. Antle
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