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Hamdan JN, Sierra-Fonseca JA, Flores RJ, Saucedo S, Miranda-Arango M, O’Dell LE, Gosselink KL. Early-life adversity increases anxiety-like behavior and modifies synaptic protein expression in a region-specific manner. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:1008556. [PMID: 36338879 PMCID: PMC9626971 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.1008556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 02/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Early-life adversity (ELA) can induce persistent neurological changes and increase the risk for developing affective or substance use disorders. Disruptions to the reward circuitry of the brain and pathways serving motivation and emotion have been implicated in the link between ELA and altered adult behavior. The molecular mechanisms that mediate the long-term effects of ELA, however, are not fully understood. We examined whether ELA in the form of neonatal maternal separation (MatSep) modifies behavior and synaptic protein expression in adults. We hypothesized that MatSep would affect dopaminergic and glutamatergic signaling and enhance sensitivity to methamphetamine (Meth) reward or increase anxiety. Male Wistar rats were subjected to MatSep for 180 min/d on postnatal days (PND) 2-14 and allowed to grow to adulthood (PND 60) with no further manipulation. The hippocampus (Hipp), medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), nucleus accumbens (NAc), and caudate putamen (CPu) were isolated from one subgroup of animals and subjected to Western blot and protein quantitation for tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), α-synuclein (ALPHA), NMDA receptor (NMDAR), dopamine receptor-1 (D1) and -2 (D2), dopamine transporter (DAT), and postsynaptic density 95 (PSD95). Separate group of animals were tested for anxiety-like behavior and conditioned place preference (CPP) to Meth at 0.0, 0.1, and 1.0 mg/kg doses. MatSep rats displayed an increase in basal levels of anxiety-like behavior compared to control animals. MatSep rats also demonstrated CPP to Meth, but their responses did not differ significantly from controls at any drug dose. Increased NMDAR, D2, and ALPHA expression was observed in the NAc and CPu following MatSep; D2 and ALPHA levels were also elevated in the mPFC, along with DAT. MatSep rats had reduced D1 expression in the mPFC and Hipp, with the Hipp also showing a reduction in D2. Only the CPu showed elevated TH and decreased DAT expression levels. No significant changes were found in PSD95 expression in MatSep rats. In conclusion, ELA is associated with long-lasting and region-specific changes in synaptic protein expression that diminish dopamine neurotransmission and increase anxiety-like behavior in adults. These findings illustrate potential mechanisms through which ELA may increase vulnerability to stress-related illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jameel N. Hamdan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Border Biomedical Research Center, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, United States
- Antharis Therapeutics, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Jorge A. Sierra-Fonseca
- Department of Biological Sciences, Border Biomedical Research Center, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, United States
- Department of Science, Chatham University, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Rodolfo J. Flores
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, United States
- National Institutes of Health, National Institute of General Medical Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Sigifredo Saucedo
- Department of Biological Sciences, Border Biomedical Research Center, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, United States
| | - Manuel Miranda-Arango
- Department of Biological Sciences, Border Biomedical Research Center, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, United States
| | - Laura E. O’Dell
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, United States
| | - Kristin L. Gosselink
- Department of Biological Sciences, Border Biomedical Research Center, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, United States
- Department of Physiology and Pathology, Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine, Las Cruces, NM, United States
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Womersley JS, Mpeta B, Dimatelis JJ, Kellaway LA, Stein DJ, Russell VA. Developmental stress elicits preference for methamphetamine in the spontaneously hypertensive rat model of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. BEHAVIORAL AND BRAIN FUNCTIONS : BBF 2016; 12:18. [PMID: 27317355 PMCID: PMC4912802 DOI: 10.1186/s12993-016-0102-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2016] [Accepted: 06/09/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Developmental stress has been hypothesised to interact with genetic predisposition to increase the risk of developing substance use disorders. Here we have investigated the effects of maternal separation-induced developmental stress using a behavioural proxy of methamphetamine preference in an animal model of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, the spontaneously hypertensive rat, versus Wistar Kyoto and Sprague-Dawley comparator strains. RESULTS Analysis of results obtained using a conditioned place preference paradigm revealed a significant strain × stress interaction with maternal separation inducing preference for the methamphetamine-associated compartment in spontaneously hypertensive rats. Maternal separation increased behavioural sensitization to the locomotor-stimulatory effects of methamphetamine in both spontaneously hypertensive and Sprague-Dawley strains but not in Wistar Kyoto rats. CONCLUSIONS Our findings indicate that developmental stress in a genetic rat model of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder may foster a vulnerability to the development of substance use disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline S. Womersley
- />Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Anzio Road, Observatory, Cape Town, 7925 South Africa
| | - Bafokeng Mpeta
- />Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Anzio Road, Observatory, Cape Town, 7925 South Africa
| | - Jacqueline J. Dimatelis
- />Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Anzio Road, Observatory, Cape Town, 7925 South Africa
| | - Lauriston A. Kellaway
- />Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Anzio Road, Observatory, Cape Town, 7925 South Africa
| | - Dan J. Stein
- />Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Groote Schuur Hospital, Observatory, Cape Town, 7925 South Africa
| | - Vivienne A. Russell
- />Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Anzio Road, Observatory, Cape Town, 7925 South Africa
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