1
|
Zuloaga DG, Lafrican JJ, Zuloaga KL. Androgen regulation of behavioral stress responses and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Horm Behav 2024; 162:105528. [PMID: 38503191 PMCID: PMC11144109 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2024.105528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2023] [Revised: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
Testosterone is a powerful steroid hormone that can impact the brain and behavior in various ways, including regulating behavioral and neuroendocrine (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis) stress responses. Early in life androgens can act to alter development of brain regions associated with stress regulation, which ultimately impacts the display of stress responses later in life. Adult circulating androgens can also influence the expression of distinct genes and proteins that regulate stress responses. These changes in the brain are hypothesized to underlie the potent effects of androgens in regulating behaviors related to stress and stress-induced activation of the HPA axis. Androgens can induce alterations in these functions through direct binding to the androgen receptor (AR) or following conversion to estrogens and subsequent binding to estrogen receptors including estrogen receptor alpha (ERα), beta (ERβ), and G protein-coupled estrogen receptor 1 (GPER1). In this review, we focus on the role of androgens in regulating behavioral and neuroendocrine stress responses at different stages of the lifespan and the sex hormone receptors involved in regulating these effects. We also review the specific brain regions and cell phenotypes upon which androgens are proposed to act to regulate stress responses with an emphasis on hypothalamic and extended amygdala subregions. This knowledge of androgen effects on these neural systems is critical for understanding how sex hormones regulate stress responses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Damian G Zuloaga
- Department of Psychology, University at Albany, Albany, NY, USA.
| | | | - Kristen L Zuloaga
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Albany Medical College, Albany, NY, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Hanycz SA, Noorani A, Hung PSP, Walker MR, Zhang AB, Latypov TH, Hodaie M. Hippocampus diffusivity abnormalities in classical trigeminal neuralgia. Pain Rep 2024; 9:e1159. [PMID: 38655236 PMCID: PMC11037743 DOI: 10.1097/pr9.0000000000001159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Revised: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 02/24/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Patients with chronic pain frequently report cognitive symptoms that affect memory and attention, which are functions attributed to the hippocampus. Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is a chronic neuropathic pain disorder characterized by paroxysmal attacks of unilateral orofacial pain. Given the stereotypical nature of TN pain and lack of negative symptoms including sensory loss, TN provides a unique model to investigate the hippocampal implications of chronic pain. Recent evidence demonstrated that TN is associated with macrostructural hippocampal abnormalities indicated by reduced subfield volumes; however, there is a paucity in our understanding of hippocampal microstructural abnormalities associated with TN. Objectives To explore diffusivity metrics within the hippocampus, along with its functional and structural subfields, in patients with TN. Methods To examine hippocampal microstructure, we utilized diffusion tensor imaging in 31 patients with TN and 21 controls. T1-weighted magnetic resonance images were segmented into hippocampal subfields and registered into diffusion-weighted imaging space. Fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity were extracted for hippocampal subfields and longitudinal axis segmentations. Results Patients with TN demonstrated reduced FA in bilateral whole hippocampi and hippocampal body and contralateral subregions CA2/3 and CA4, indicating microstructural hippocampal abnormalities. Notably, patients with TN showed significant correlation between age and hippocampal FA, while controls did not exhibit this correlation. These effects were driven chiefly by female patients with TN. Conclusion This study demonstrates that TN is associated with microstructural hippocampal abnormalities, which may precede and potentially be temporally linked to volumetric hippocampal alterations demonstrated previously. These findings provide further evidence for the role of the hippocampus in chronic pain and suggest the potential for targeted interventions to mitigate cognitive symptoms in patients with chronic pain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shaun Andrew Hanycz
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Division of Brain, Imaging, and Behaviour—Systems Neuroscience, Krembil Research Institute, Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Institute of Medical Science, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Alborz Noorani
- Division of Brain, Imaging, and Behaviour—Systems Neuroscience, Krembil Research Institute, Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Institute of Medical Science, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Peter Shih-Ping Hung
- Division of Brain, Imaging, and Behaviour—Systems Neuroscience, Krembil Research Institute, Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Institute of Medical Science, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Matthew R. Walker
- Division of Brain, Imaging, and Behaviour—Systems Neuroscience, Krembil Research Institute, Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Ashley B. Zhang
- MD Program, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Timur H. Latypov
- Division of Brain, Imaging, and Behaviour—Systems Neuroscience, Krembil Research Institute, Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Institute of Medical Science, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Mojgan Hodaie
- Division of Brain, Imaging, and Behaviour—Systems Neuroscience, Krembil Research Institute, Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Institute of Medical Science, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Division of Neurosurgery, Krembil Brain Institute, Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
García-Cabrerizo R, Cryan JF. A gut (microbiome) feeling about addiction: Interactions with stress and social systems. Neurobiol Stress 2024; 30:100629. [PMID: 38584880 PMCID: PMC10995916 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2024.100629] [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: 11/23/2023] [Revised: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024] Open
Abstract
In recent years, an increasing attention has given to the intricate and diverse connection of microorganisms residing in our gut and their impact on brain health and central nervous system disease. There has been a shift in mindset to understand that drug addiction is not merely a condition that affects the brain, it is now being recognized as a disorder that also involves external factors such as the intestinal microbiota, which could influence vulnerability and the development of addictive behaviors. Furthermore, stress and social interactions, which are closely linked to the intestinal microbiota, are powerful modulators of addiction. This review delves into the mechanisms through which the microbiota-stress-immune axis may shape drug addiction and social behaviors. This work integrates preclinical and clinical evidence that demonstrate the bidirectional communication between stress, social behaviors, substance use disorders and the gut microbiota, suggesting that gut microbes might modulate social stress having a significance in drug addiction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rubén García-Cabrerizo
- IUNICS, University of the Balearic Islands, Palma, Spain
- Health Research Institute of the Balearic Islands (IdISBa), Palma, Spain
- Department of Medicine, University of the Balearic Islands, Palma, Spain
| | - John F. Cryan
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Zhao C, Chen Z, Lu X, Hu W, Yang R, Lu Q, Chen B, Huang C. Microglia-Dependent Reversal of Depression-Like Behaviors in Chronically Stressed Mice by Administration of a Specific Immuno-stimulant β-Glucan. Neurochem Res 2024; 49:519-531. [PMID: 37962706 DOI: 10.1007/s11064-023-04056-x] [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: 07/21/2023] [Revised: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
In recent years, the decline of microglia in the hippocampus has been shown to play a role in the development of depression, and its reversal shows marked antidepressant-like effects. β-glucan is a polysaccharide from Saccharomyces cerevisiae and has numerous beneficial effects on the nervous system, including improving axon regeneration and cognition. Considering its immuno-stimulatory activities in cultured microglia and brain tissues, we hypothesize that β-glucan may be a potential candidate to correct the functional deficiency of microglia and thereby alleviate depression-like behaviors in chronically stressed animals. An expected, our results showed that a single injection of β-glucan 5 h before behavioral tests at a dose of 10 or 20 mg/kg, but not at a dose of 5 mg/kg, reversed the depression-like behavior induced by chronic stress in mice in the tail suspension test, forced swimming test, and sucrose preference test. The effect of β-glucan (20 mg/kg) also showed time-dependent properties that were statistically significant 5 and 8, but not 3, hours after drug injection and persisted for at least 7 days. Fourteen days after β-glucan injection, no antidepressant-like effect was observed anymore. However, this effect was overcome by a second β-glucan injection (20 mg/kg) 14 days after the first β-glucan injection. Stimulation of microglia appeared to mediate the antidepressant-like effect of β-glucan, because both inhibition of microglia and their depletion prevented the antidepressant-like effect of β-glucan. Based on these effects of β-glucan, β-glucan administration could be developed as a new strategy for the treatment of depression.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cheng Zhao
- Department of Pharmacy, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, #20 Xisi Road, Nantong, 226001, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Zhuo Chen
- Invasive Technology Department, First People's Hospital of Nantong City, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, #666 Shengli Road, Nantong, 226006, China
| | - Xu Lu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Nantong University, #19 Qixiu Road, Nantong, 226001, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Wenfeng Hu
- Department of Pharmacy, Affiliated Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Nantong University, #399 Shijidadao, Nantong, 226007, China
| | - Rongrong Yang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, #20 Xisi Road, Nantong, 226001, Jiangsu, China
| | - Qun Lu
- Department of Pharmacy, Nantong Third Hospital Affiliated to Nantong University, #60 Middle Qingnian Road, Nantong, 226006, Jiangsu, China
| | - Bingran Chen
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Nantong University, #19 Qixiu Road, Nantong, 226001, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Chao Huang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Nantong University, #19 Qixiu Road, Nantong, 226001, Jiangsu Province, China.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Hodes GE, Bangasser D, Sotiropoulos I, Kokras N, Dalla C. Sex Differences in Stress Response: Classical Mechanisms and Beyond. Curr Neuropharmacol 2024; 22:475-494. [PMID: 37855285 PMCID: PMC10845083 DOI: 10.2174/1570159x22666231005090134] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Revised: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuropsychiatric disorders, which are associated with stress hormone dysregulation, occur at different rates in men and women. Moreover, nowadays, preclinical and clinical evidence demonstrates that sex and gender can lead to differences in stress responses that predispose males and females to different expressions of similar pathologies. In this curated review, we focus on what is known about sex differences in classic mechanisms of stress response, such as glucocorticoid hormones and corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF), which are components of the hypothalamicpituitary- adrenal (HPA) axis. Then, we present sex differences in neurotransmitter levels, such as serotonin, dopamine, glutamate and GABA, as well as indices of neurodegeneration, such as amyloid β and Tau. Gonadal hormone effects, such as estrogens and testosterone, are also discussed throughout the review. We also review in detail preclinical data investigating sex differences caused by recentlyrecognized regulators of stress and disease, such as the immune system, genetic and epigenetic mechanisms, as well neurosteroids. Finally, we discuss how understanding sex differences in stress responses, as well as in pharmacology, can be leveraged into novel, more efficacious therapeutics for all. Based on the supporting evidence, it is obvious that incorporating sex as a biological variable into preclinical research is imperative for the understanding and treatment of stress-related neuropsychiatric disorders, such as depression, anxiety and Alzheimer's disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Debra Bangasser
- Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Ioannis Sotiropoulos
- Institute of Biosciences & Applications NCSR “Demokritos”, Athens, Greece
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
| | - Nikolaos Kokras
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
- First Department of Psychiatry, Eginition Hospital, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Christina Dalla
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Cohen H, Matar MA, Todder D, Cohen C, Zohar J, Hawlena H, Abramsky Z. Sounds of danger and post-traumatic stress responses in wild rodents: ecological validity of a translational model of post-traumatic stress disorder. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:4719-4728. [PMID: 37674017 PMCID: PMC10914612 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02240-7] [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: 02/01/2023] [Revised: 08/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023]
Abstract
In the wild, animals face a highly variable world full of predators. Most predator attacks are unsuccessful, and the prey survives. According to the conventional perspective, the fear responses elicited by predators are acute and transient in nature. However, the long-term, non-lethal effects of predator exposure on prey behavioral stress sequelae, such as anxiety and post-traumatic symptoms, remain poorly understood. Most experiments on animal models of anxiety-related behavior or post-traumatic stress disorder have been carried out using commercial strains of rats and mice. A fundamental question is whether laboratory rodents appropriately express the behavioral responses of wild species in their natural environment; in other words, whether behavioral responses to stress observed in the laboratory can be generalized to natural behavior. To further elucidate the relative contributions of the natural selection pressures influences, this study investigated the bio-behavioral and morphological effects of auditory predator cues (owl territorial calls) in males and females of three wild rodent species in a laboratory set-up: Acomys cahirinus; Gerbillus henleyi; and Gerbillus gerbillus. Our results indicate that owl territorial calls elicited not only "fight or flight" behavioral responses but caused PTSD-like behavioral responses in wild rodents that have never encountered owls in nature and could cause, in some individuals, enduring physiological and morphological responses that parallel those seen in laboratory rodents or traumatized people. In all rodent species, the PTSD phenotype was characterized by a blunting of fecal cortisol metabolite response early after exposure and by a lower hypothalamic orexin-A level and lower total dendritic length and number in the dentate gyrus granule cells eight days after predator exposure. Phenotypically, this refers to a significant functional impairment that could affect reproduction and survival and thus fitness and population dynamics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hagit Cohen
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel & Ministry of Health, Anxiety and Stress Research Unit, Beer-Sheva Mental Health Center, Beer-Sheva, Israel.
- Department of Psychology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel.
| | - Michael A Matar
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel & Ministry of Health, Anxiety and Stress Research Unit, Beer-Sheva Mental Health Center, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Doron Todder
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel & Ministry of Health, Anxiety and Stress Research Unit, Beer-Sheva Mental Health Center, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Carmit Cohen
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel & Ministry of Health, Anxiety and Stress Research Unit, Beer-Sheva Mental Health Center, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Joseph Zohar
- Post-Trauma Center, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 52621, Israel
| | - Hadas Hawlena
- Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, The Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Midreshet Ben-Gurion Israel, Sde Boker, 8499000, Israel
| | - Zvika Abramsky
- Department of Life Sciences and Ramon Science Center, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, 84105, Israel
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Zheng M, Zhu T, Chen B, Zhao H, Lu X, Lu Q, Ni M, Cheng L, Han H, Ye T, Ye Y, Liu H, Huang C. Intranasal Monophosphoryl Lipid a Administration Ameliorates depression-like Behavior in Chronically Stressed Mice Through Stimulation of Microglia. Neurochem Res 2023; 48:3160-3176. [PMID: 37358676 DOI: 10.1007/s11064-023-03974-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Revised: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/27/2023]
Abstract
We and others have reported that systematic stimulation of the central innate immune system by a low dose of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) can improve depression-like behavior in chronically stressed animals. However, it is unclear whether similar stimulation by intranasal administration could improve depression-like behavior in animals. We investigated this question using monophosphoryl lipid A (MPL), a derivative of LPS that lacks the adverse effects of LPS but is still immuno-stimulatory. We found that a single intranasal administration of MPL at a dose of 10 or 20 µg/mouse, but not at a dose of 5 µg/mouse, ameliorated chronic unpredictable stress (CUS)-induced depression-like behavior in mice, as evidenced by the decrease in immobility time in tail suspension test and forced swimming test and the increase in sucrose intake in sucrose preference test. In the time-dependent analysis, the antidepressant-like effect of a single intranasal MPL administration (20 µg/mouse) was observed 5 and 8 h but not 3 h after drug administration and persisted for at least 7 days. Fourteen days after the first intranasal MPL administration, a second intranasal MPL administration (20 µg/mouse) still showed an antidepressant-like effect. The innate immune response mediated by microglia might mediate the antidepressant-like effect of intranasal MPL administration, because both inhibition of microglial activation by pretreatment with minocycline and depletion of microglia by pretreatment with PLX3397 prevented the antidepressant-like effect of intranasal MPL administration. These results suggest that intranasal administration of MPL can produce significant antidepressant-like effects in animals under chronic stress conditions via stimulation of microglia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Meng Zheng
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Nantong University, #19 Qixiu Road, Nantong, 226001, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Tao Zhu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Nantong University, #19 Qixiu Road, Nantong, 226001, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Bingran Chen
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Nantong University, #19 Qixiu Road, Nantong, 226001, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Hui Zhao
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Nantong University, #19 Qixiu Road, Nantong, 226001, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Xu Lu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Nantong University, #19 Qixiu Road, Nantong, 226001, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Qun Lu
- Department of Pharmacy, Nantong Third Hospital Affiliated to Nantong University, #60 Middle Qingnian Road, Nantong, 226006, Jiangsu, China
| | - Mingxie Ni
- Department of Pharmacy, Changzhou Geriatric Hospital Affiliated to Soochow University, Changzhou No.7 People's Hospital, 288# Yanling East Road, Changzhou, 213000, Jiangsu, China
| | - Li Cheng
- Department of Pharmacy, Changzhou Geriatric Hospital Affiliated to Soochow University, Changzhou No.7 People's Hospital, 288# Yanling East Road, Changzhou, 213000, Jiangsu, China
| | - Han Han
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Nantong University, #19 Qixiu Road, Nantong, 226001, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Ting Ye
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Nantong University, #19 Qixiu Road, Nantong, 226001, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Ying Ye
- Department of Ultrasound, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, #20 Xisi Road, Nantong, 226001, Jiangsu, China
| | - Huijun Liu
- Department of Pharmacy, The First People's Hospital of Yancheng, Yancheng First Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, #66 Renmin South Road, Yancheng, 224006, Jiangsu, China
| | - Chao Huang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Nantong University, #19 Qixiu Road, Nantong, 226001, Jiangsu Province, China.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Harbour K, Cappel Z, Baccei ML. Effects of Corticosterone on the Excitability of Glutamatergic and GABAergic Neurons of the Adolescent Mouse Superficial Dorsal Horn. Neuroscience 2023; 526:290-304. [PMID: 37437798 PMCID: PMC10530204 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2023.07.009] [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: 04/04/2023] [Revised: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/14/2023]
Abstract
Stress evokes age-dependent effects on pain sensitivity and commonly occurs during adolescence. However, the mechanisms linking adolescent stress and pain remain poorly understood, in part due to a lack of information regarding how stress hormones modulate the function of nociceptive circuits in the adolescent CNS. Here we investigate the short- and long-term effects of corticosterone (CORT) on the excitability of GABAergic and presumed glutamatergic neurons of the spinal superficial dorsal horn (SDH) in Gad1-GFP mice at postnatal days (P)21-P34. In situ hybridization revealed that glutamatergic SDH neurons expressed significantly higher mRNA levels of both glucocorticoid receptors (GR) and mineralocorticoid receptors (MR) compared to adjacent GABAergic neurons. The incubation of spinal cord slices with CORT (90 min) evoked select long-term changes in spontaneous synaptic transmission across both cell types in a sex-dependent manner, without altering the intrinsic firing of either Gad1-GFP+ or GFP- neurons. Meanwhile, the acute bath application of CORT significantly decreased the frequency and amplitude of miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents (mEPSCs), as well as the frequency of miniature inhibitory postsynaptic currents (mIPSCs), in both cell types leading to a net reduction in the balance of spontaneous excitation vs. inhibition (E:I ratio). This CORT-induced reduction in the E:I ratio was not prevented by selective antagonists of either GR (mifepristone) or MR (eplerenone), although eplerenone blocked the effect on mEPSC amplitude. Collectively, these data suggest that corticosterone modulates synaptic function within the adolescent SDH which could influence the overall excitability and output of the spinal nociceptive network.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kyle Harbour
- Molecular, Cellular and Biochemical Pharmacology Graduate Program, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, 231 Albert Sabin Way, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA; Pain Research Center, Department of Anesthesiology, University of Cincinnati Medical Center, 231 Albert Sabin Way, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
| | - Zoe Cappel
- Pain Research Center, Department of Anesthesiology, University of Cincinnati Medical Center, 231 Albert Sabin Way, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, 231 Albert Sabin Way, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA; American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics Summer Research Program, Department of Pharmacology and Systems Physiology, University of Cincinnati Medical Center, 231 Albert Sabin Way, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
| | - Mark L Baccei
- Molecular, Cellular and Biochemical Pharmacology Graduate Program, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, 231 Albert Sabin Way, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA; Pain Research Center, Department of Anesthesiology, University of Cincinnati Medical Center, 231 Albert Sabin Way, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, 231 Albert Sabin Way, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA; American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics Summer Research Program, Department of Pharmacology and Systems Physiology, University of Cincinnati Medical Center, 231 Albert Sabin Way, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Huang C, Ye T, Chen B, Chen Z, Ye Y, Liu H. Intranasal administration of lipopolysaccharide reverses chronic stress-induced depression-like behavior in mice by microglial stimulation. Int Immunopharmacol 2023; 120:110347. [PMID: 37270930 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2023.110347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
We recently reported that intraperitoneal injection of a low dose of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) reversed depression-like behavior in mice induced by chronic stress by stimulating microglia in the hippocampus. In this study, we found that a single intranasal administration of LPS at a dose of 5 or 10 μg/mouse, but not at a dose of 1 μg/mouse, rapidly reversed depression-like behavior in mice stimulated with chronic unpredictable stress (CUS). In the time-dependent experiment, a single intranasal administration of LPS (10 μg/mouse) reversed CUS-induced depression-like behavior in mice 5 and 8 h but not 3 h after drug administration. The antidepressant effect of a single intranasal LPS administration (10 μg/mouse) lasted at least 10 days and disappeared 14 days after administration. Fourteen days after the first intranasal LPS administration, a second intranasal LPS administration (10 μg/mouse) still reversed the increased immobility time in TST and FST and the decreased sucrose uptake in SPT in CUS mice, which again exhibited depression-like behaviors 5 h after LPS administration. The antidepressant effect of intranasal LPS administration was dependent on microglial activation, because inhibition of microglia by pretreatment with minocycline (40 mg/kg) or depletion of microglia by pretreatment with PLX3397 (290 mg/kg) prevented the antidepressant effect of intranasal LPS administration in CUS mice. These results suggest that stimulation of the microglia-mediated innate immune response by intranasal administration of LPS can produce rapid and sustained antidepressant effects in animals under chronic stress conditions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chao Huang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Nantong University, #19 Qixiu Road, Nantong 226001, Jiangsu Province, China.
| | - Ting Ye
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Nantong University, #19 Qixiu Road, Nantong 226001, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Bingran Chen
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Nantong University, #19 Qixiu Road, Nantong 226001, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Zhuo Chen
- Invasive Technology Department, Affiliated Hospital 2 of Nantong University, First People's Hospital of Nantong City, No. 6 Haierxiang North Road, Nantong 226001, China
| | - Ying Ye
- Department of Ultrasound, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, #20 Xisi Road, Nantong 226001, Jiangsu, China
| | - Huijun Liu
- Department of Pharmacy, The First People's Hospital of Yancheng, Yancheng First Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, #66 Renmin South Road, Yancheng 224006, Jiangsu, China.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Molina P, Andero R, Armario A. Restraint or immobilization: a comparison of methodologies for restricting free movement in rodents and their potential impact on physiology and behavior. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 151:105224. [PMID: 37156310 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105224] [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: 01/16/2023] [Revised: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Restriction of free movement has historically been used as a model for inducing acute and chronic stress in laboratory animals. This paradigm is one of the most widely employed experimental procedures for basic research studies of stress-related disorders. It is easy to implement, and it rarely involves any physical harm to the animal. Many different restraint methods have been developed with variations in the apparatuses used and the degree of limitation of movement. Unfortunately, very few studies directly compare the differential impact of the distinct protocols. Additionally, restraint and immobilization terms are not differentiated and are sometimes used interchangeably in the literature. This review offers evidence of great physiological differences in the impact of distinct restraint procedures in rats and mice and emphasizes the need for a standardized language on this topic. Moreover, it illustrates the necessity of additional systematic studies that compare the effects of the distinct restraint methodologies, which would help to decide better which procedure should be used depending on the objectives of each particular study.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Patricia Molina
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain; Animal Physiology Unit, School of Biosciences, Department of Cellular Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain
| | - Raül Andero
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain; Deparment of Psychobiology and Methodology of Health Sciences, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain; CIBERSAM, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spain; Unitat de Neurociència Traslacional, Parc Taulí Hospital Universitari, Institut d'Investigació i Innovació Parc Taulí I3PT, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain; ICREA, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Antonio Armario
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain; Animal Physiology Unit, School of Biosciences, Department of Cellular Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain; CIBERSAM, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spain; Unitat de Neurociència Traslacional, Parc Taulí Hospital Universitari, Institut d'Investigació i Innovació Parc Taulí I3PT, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Brancato A, Castelli V, Cannizzaro C, Tringali G. Adolescent binge-like alcohol exposure dysregulates NPY and CGRP in rats: Behavioural and immunochemical evidence. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2023; 123:110699. [PMID: 36565980 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2022.110699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2022] [Revised: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Alcohol binge drinking during adolescence impacts affective behaviour, possibly impinging on developing neural substrates processing affective states, including calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and neuropeptide Y (NPY). Here, we modelled binge-like alcohol exposure in adolescence, by administering 3.5 g/kg alcohol per os, within 1 h, to male adolescent rats every other day, from postnatal day 35 to 54. The effects on positive and negative affective behaviour during abstinence were explored including: consummatory behaviour and weight gain; social behaviour in the modified social interaction test; thermal nociception in the tail-flick test; psychosocial stress coping in the resident-intruder paradigm. Moreover, CGRP and NPY levels were evaluated in functionally relevant brain regions. Our data shows that binge-like intermittent alcohol administration during adolescence decreased weight gain, social preference and motivation, nociception, and active psychosocial stress coping during abstinence. In addition, intermittent alcohol-exposed rats displayed increased expression of CGRP and NPY in the prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens; decreased NPY levels in the amygdala; opposite changes in CGRP levels in the hypothalamus and brainstem. Overall, our data shows that adolescent binge-like alcohol exposure, through the allostatic load of alternate intoxication and withdrawal, produces long-term consequences in sensory and affective processes and dysregulated complementary neuropeptidergic systems. Thus, neuropeptide-targeted interventions hold promising potential for addressing negative affect during prolonged withdrawal in young subjects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anna Brancato
- University of Palermo, Dept. of Health Promotion, Mother and Child Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties of Excellence "G. D'Alessandro", piazza delle Cliniche 2, 90127 Palermo, Italy.
| | - Valentina Castelli
- University of Palermo, Dept. of Biomedicine, Neuroscience and Advanced Diagnostics, via del Vespro 129, 90127 Palermo, Italy
| | - Carla Cannizzaro
- University of Palermo, Dept. of Biomedicine, Neuroscience and Advanced Diagnostics, via del Vespro 129, 90127 Palermo, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Tringali
- Pharmacology Section, Department of Health Care Surveillance and Bioethics, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo F. Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy; Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCSS, 00168 Rome, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Smiley CE, Pate BS, Bouknight SJ, Francis MJ, Nowicki AV, Harrington EN, Wood SK. Estrogen receptor beta in the central amygdala regulates the deleterious behavioral and neuronal consequences of repeated social stress in female rats. Neurobiol Stress 2023; 23:100531. [PMID: 36879670 PMCID: PMC9984877 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2023.100531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2022] [Revised: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023] Open
Abstract
While over 95% of the population has reported experiencing extreme stress or trauma, females of reproductive age develop stress-induced neuropsychiatric disorders at twice the rate of males. This suggests that ovarian hormones may facilitate neural processes that increase stress susceptibility and underlie the heightened rates of these disorders, like depression and anxiety, that result from stress exposure in females. However, there is contradicting evidence in the literature regarding estrogen's role in stress-related behavioral outcomes. Estrogen signaling through estrogen receptor beta (ERβ) has been traditionally thought of as anxiolytic, but recent studies suggest estrogen exhibits distinct effects in the context of stress. Furthermore, ERβ is found abundantly in many stress-sensitive brain loci, including the central amygdala (CeA), in which transcription of the vital stress hormone, corticotropin releasing factor (CRF), can be regulated by an estrogen response element. Therefore, these experiments sought to identify the role of CeA ERβ activity during stress on behavioral outcomes in naturally cycling, adult, female Sprague-Dawley rats. Rats were exposed to an ethological model of vicarious social stress, witness stress (WS), in which they experienced the sensory and psychological aspects of an aggressive social defeat encounter between two males. Following WS, rats exhibited stress-induced anxiety-like behaviors in the marble burying taskand brain analysis revealed increased ERβ and CRF specifically within the CeA following exposure to stress cues. Subsequent experiments were designed to target this receptor in the CeA using microinjections of the ERβ antagonist, PHTPP, prior to each stress session. During WS, estrogen signaling through ERβ was responsible for the behavioral sensitization to repeated social stress. Sucrose preference, acoustic startle, and marble burying tasks determined that blocking ERβ in the CeA during WS prevented the development of depressive-, anxiety-like, and hypervigilant behaviors. Additionally, brain analysis revealed a long-term decrease of intra-CeA CRF expression in PHTPP-treated rats. These experiments indicate that ERβ signaling in the CeA, likely through its effects on CRF, contributes to the development of negative valence behaviors that result from exposure to repeated social stress in female rats.
Collapse
Key Words
- ACTH, adrenocorticotropic hormone
- ASR, acoustic startle responding
- Anxiety
- BCA, bicinchoninic acid
- CON, control handing
- CORT, corticosterone
- CRF, corticotropin releasing factor
- CeA, central amygdala
- Central amygdala
- Corticotropin releasing factor
- EPM, elevated plus maze
- ERβ, estrogen receptor beta
- Estrogen receptor beta
- HPA, hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis
- LC, locus coeruleus
- MB, marble burying
- PHTPP, 4-[2-Phenyl-5: 7-bis (trifluoromethyl) pyrazolo [1,5-a] pyrimidine-3- yl] phenol
- SPT, sucrose preference testing
- Social stress
- WS, witness stress
- dB, decibels
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cora E. Smiley
- University of South Carolina, School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology Physiology and Neuroscience, Columbia, SC, USA
- Dorn VA Medical Center, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Brittany S. Pate
- University of South Carolina, School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology Physiology and Neuroscience, Columbia, SC, USA
- University of South Carolina, Arnold School of Public Health, Department of Exercise Science, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Samantha J. Bouknight
- University of South Carolina, School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology Physiology and Neuroscience, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Megan J. Francis
- University of South Carolina, School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology Physiology and Neuroscience, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Alexandria V. Nowicki
- University of South Carolina, School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology Physiology and Neuroscience, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Evelynn N. Harrington
- University of South Carolina, School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology Physiology and Neuroscience, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Susan K. Wood
- University of South Carolina, School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology Physiology and Neuroscience, Columbia, SC, USA
- Dorn VA Medical Center, Columbia, SC, USA
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Shi T, Xu LL, Chen L, He J, Wang YK, Chen F, Chen Y, Giesy JP, Wang YT, Wu QH, Xu WL, Chen J, Xie P. Acute exposure to microcystins affects hypothalamic-pituitary axes of male rats. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2023; 318:120843. [PMID: 36509348 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.120843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Revised: 12/03/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Microcystins (MCs) produced by some cyanobacteria can cause toxicity in animals and humans. In recent years, growing evidence suggests that MCs can act as endocrine disruptors. This research systematically investigated effects of microcystin-LR (MC-LR) on endocrine organs, biosynthesis of hormones and positive/negative feedback of the endocrine system in rats. Male, Sprague-Dawley rats were acutely administrated MC-LR by a single intraperitoneal injection at doses of 45, 67.5 or 90 μg MC-LR/kg body mass (bm), and then euthanized 24 h after exposure. In exposed rats, histological damage of hypothalamus, pituitary, adrenal, testis and thyroid were observed. Serum concentrations of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and corticosterone (CORT), expressions of genes and proteins for biosynthesis of hormones were lesser, which indicated an overall suppression of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Along the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis, lesser concentrations of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and testosterone (T), but greater concentrations of luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and estradiol (E2) were observed. Except for greater transcription of cyp19a1 in testes, transcriptions of genes and proteins for T and E2 biosynthesis along the HPG axis were lesser. As for the hypothalamus-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis, after MCs treatment, greater concentrations of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), but lesser concentrations of free tri-iodothyronine (fT3) were observed in serum. Concentrations of free tetra-iodothyronine (fT4) were greater in rats dosed with 45 μg MCs/kg, bm, but lesser in rats dosed with 67.5 or 90 μg MCs/kg, bm. Transcripts of genes for biosynthesis of hormones and receptors along the HPT axis and expressions of proteins for biosynthesis of tetra-iodothyronine (T4) and tri-iodothyronine (T3) in thyroid were significantly altered. Cross-talk among the HPA, HPG and HPT axes probably occurred. It was concluded that MCs caused an imbalance of positive and negative feedback of hormonal regulatory axes, blocked biosynthesis of key hormones and exhibited endocrine-disrupting effects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ting Shi
- Donghu Experimental Station of Lake Ecosystems, State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology (IHB), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Wuhan, 430072, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS), Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Lin-Lin Xu
- Donghu Experimental Station of Lake Ecosystems, State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology (IHB), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Wuhan, 430072, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS), Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Liang Chen
- Donghu Experimental Station of Lake Ecosystems, State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology (IHB), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Wuhan, 430072, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS), Beijing, 100049, China; Institute for Ecological Research and Pollution Control of Plateau Lakes, School of Ecology and Environmental Science, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650500, China
| | - Jun He
- Donghu Experimental Station of Lake Ecosystems, State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology (IHB), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Wuhan, 430072, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS), Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Ye-Ke Wang
- Donghu Experimental Station of Lake Ecosystems, State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology (IHB), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Wuhan, 430072, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS), Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Feng Chen
- Donghu Experimental Station of Lake Ecosystems, State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology (IHB), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Wuhan, 430072, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS), Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yang Chen
- Donghu Experimental Station of Lake Ecosystems, State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology (IHB), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Wuhan, 430072, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS), Beijing, 100049, China
| | - John P Giesy
- Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences and Toxicology Centre, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7N 5B3, Canada; Department of Integrative Biology and Center for Integrative Toxicology, Michigan State University, 1129 Farm Lane Road, East Lansing, MI, USA; Department of Environmental Sciences, Baylor University, Waco, TX, 76706, USA
| | - Yu-Ting Wang
- School of Ecology and Environment, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, 241002, China
| | - Qian-Hui Wu
- School of Ecology and Environment, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, 241002, China
| | - Wen-Li Xu
- Donghu Experimental Station of Lake Ecosystems, State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology (IHB), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Wuhan, 430072, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS), Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Jun Chen
- Donghu Experimental Station of Lake Ecosystems, State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology (IHB), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Wuhan, 430072, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS), Beijing, 100049, China.
| | - Ping Xie
- Donghu Experimental Station of Lake Ecosystems, State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology (IHB), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Wuhan, 430072, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS), Beijing, 100049, China; Institute for Ecological Research and Pollution Control of Plateau Lakes, School of Ecology and Environmental Science, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650500, China
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Bu G, Lin Y, Liu J, Yu P, Yong T, Yang M, Huang L, Han X, Du X, Kong F, Huang A, Zeng X, Meng F. Evidence for progesterone acting as an inhibitor of stress axis via stimulating pituitary neuropeptide B/W receptor 2 (NPBWR2) expression in chickens. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 2023; 226:106218. [PMID: 36368625 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsbmb.2022.106218] [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: 08/27/2022] [Revised: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
In vertebrates, the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal gland (HPA) axis is the main endocrine pathway regulating the stress response, thus also called the stress axis. It has been well-accepted that the stress axis is tightly controlled by both hypothalamic stimulators and inhibitors [e.g. corticotropin (ACTH)-releasing inhibitory factor (CRIF)]. However, the identity of authentic CRIF remains unclear for decades. Recently, neuropeptide W (NPW) was proved to be the physiological CRIF in chickens. Together with its functional receptor (NPBWR2), they play critical roles in attenuating the activity of the chicken stress axis. Because increasing pieces of evidence suggested that sex steroids could regulate the stress axis, using chicken as a model, we investigated whether the newly identified CRIF and its receptor are under the control of sex steroids in this study. Our results showed that: (1) expression of NPW-NPBWR2 in the hypothalamus-pituitary axis was sexually dimorphic and developmental stage-dependent; (2) progesterone (P4), rather than 17β-estradiol (E2) and dihydrotestosterone (DHT), could dose- and time-dependently upregulate NPBWR2 expression, which was accompanied with the decrease of ACTH synthesis and secretion, in cultured pituitary cells; (3) intraperitoneal injection of P4 could elevate the mRNA level of pituitary NPBWR2; (4) P4-stimulated NPBWR2 expression was relevant to both nPR-mediated genomic action and mPRs-triggered nongenomic route associated with MEK/ERK, PI3K/AKT cascade, and calcium influx. To our knowledge, our results discover a novel route of sex steroids in modulating the stress axis of chickens, which lays a foundation to reveal the complicated interaction network between reproduction and stress axes in chickens.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Guixian Bu
- College of Life Science, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya'an 625014, PR China.
| | - Ying Lin
- College of Life Science, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya'an 625014, PR China
| | - Jianfeng Liu
- College of Life Science, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya'an 625014, PR China
| | - Pan Yu
- College of Life Science, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya'an 625014, PR China
| | - Tao Yong
- College of Life Science, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya'an 625014, PR China
| | - Ming Yang
- College of Life Science, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya'an 625014, PR China
| | - Linyan Huang
- College of Life Science, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya'an 625014, PR China
| | - Xingfa Han
- College of Life Science, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya'an 625014, PR China
| | - Xiaogang Du
- College of Life Science, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya'an 625014, PR China
| | - Fanli Kong
- College of Life Science, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya'an 625014, PR China
| | - Anqi Huang
- College of Life Science, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya'an 625014, PR China
| | - Xianyin Zeng
- College of Life Science, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya'an 625014, PR China
| | - Fengyan Meng
- College of Life Science, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya'an 625014, PR China.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Edwards PD, Toor I, Holmes MM. The Curious Case of the Naked Mole-Rat: How Extreme Social and Reproductive Adaptations Might Influence Sex Differences in the Brain. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2023; 62:47-70. [PMID: 35301704 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2022_310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Research in the neurobiology of sex differences is inherently influenced by the study species that are used. Some traditional animal research models, such as rats and mice, show certain sex differences in the brain that have been foundational to neurobiological research. However, subsequent work has demonstrated that these differences are not always generalizable, especially to species with different social structures and sex-associated roles or behaviors. One such example is the naked mole-rat (Heterocephalus glaber), which has an unusual social structure among mammals. Naked mole-rats live in large groups where reproduction is restricted to a dominant female, called the "queen," and often only one breeding male. All other animals in the group, the "subordinates," are socially suppressed from reproduction and remain in a prepubescent state as adults, unless they are removed from the presence of the queen. These subordinates show little to no sex differences in external morphology, neural morphology, or behavior. However, there are a suite of neurobiological differences between subordinate and breeding naked mole-rats. After naked mole-rats attain breeding status, many of the classically sexually differentiated brain regions increase in volume (paraventricular nucleus, medial amygdala, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis). There are additionally social status differences in sex hormone receptor expression in the brain, as well as other changes in gene expression, some of which also show sex differences - though not always in the predicted direction based on other rodent studies. Data from naked mole-rats show that it is critical to consider the evolved social structure of a species when studying sex differences in the brain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Phoebe D Edwards
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, Canada
| | - Ilapreet Toor
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, Canada
| | - Melissa M Holmes
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Juvenile social isolation affects the structure of the tanycyte-vascular interface in the hypophyseal portal system of the adult mice. Neurochem Int 2023; 162:105439. [PMID: 36356785 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2022.105439] [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: 06/06/2022] [Revised: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Accumulating evidence indicates that social stress in the juvenile period affects hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity in adulthood. The biological mechanisms underlying this phenomenon remain unclear. We aimed to elucidate them by comparing adult mice that had experienced social isolation from postnatal day 21-35 (juvenile social isolation (JSI) group) with those reared normally (control group). JSI group mice showed an attenuated HPA response to acute swim stress, while the control group had a normal response to this stress. Activity levels of the paraventricular nucleus in both groups were comparable, as shown by c-Fos immunoreactivities and mRNA expression of c-Fos, Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), Glucocorticoid receptor, and Mineralocorticoid receptor. We found greater vascular coverage by tanycytic endfeet in the median eminence of the JSI group mice than in that of the control group mice under basal condition and after acute swim stress. Moreover, CRF content after acute swim stress was greater in the median eminence of the JSI group mice than in that of the control group mice. The attenuated HPA response to acute swim stress was specific to JSI group mice, but not to control group mice. Although a direct link awaits further experiments, tanycyte morphological changes in the median eminence could be related to the HPA response.
Collapse
|
17
|
Oliver MH, Jaquiery AL, Connor KL, Phua HH, Harding JE, Thorstensen EB, Bloomfield FH. Effect of maternal periconceptional undernutrition in sheep on cortisol regulation in offspring from mid-late gestation, through to adulthood. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2023; 14:1122432. [PMID: 36817600 PMCID: PMC9932192 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1122432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Maternal periconceptional undernutrition (PCUN) alters fetal hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPAA) function and placental glucocorticoid metabolism in sheep. The effects of PCUN on HPAA function in adult life are not known. We investigated the effects of PCUN on fetal adrenal development across gestation and on cortisol regulation in adult offspring. METHODS Ewes were undernourished from 61 days before to 30 days after conception ('PCUN') or fed ad libitum ('N'). mRNA expression in the fetal adrenal gland of ACTH receptor (ACTHR), steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (STAR), cytochrome P450 17A1 (CYP17A1), 11beta-hydroxysteroid-dehydrogenase type 2 (11βHSD2), insulin-like growth factor-2 (IGF2), and in the fetal hippocampus of 11βHSD1, 11βHSD2, mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) and glucocorticoid receptor (GR) was determined at 50 (adrenal only), 85, 120 and 131 days of gestation (term=148 days). In adult offspring (≥ 3 years, N; 10 female, 5 male, PCUN; 10 female, 10 male) a combined arginine vasopressin (AVP, 0.1 μg/kg) and corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH, 0.5 μg/kg) challenge and a metyrapone (40 mg/kg) challenge were undertaken. mRNA expression of ACTHR, STAR and CYP17A1 were determined in adult adrenals. RESULTS Fetal adrenal STAR, CYP17A1 and IGF2 mRNA expression were not different between groups in early gestation but were higher in PCUN than N at 131 days' gestation (all p<0.01). PCUN reduced fetal hippocampal MR and GR mRNA expression by 50% at 85 day, but not in later gestation. Adult offspring plasma cortisol responses to AVP+CRH or metyrapone were not different between groups. Plasma ACTH response to AVP+CRH was lower in PCUN males but ACTH response to metyrapone was not different between groups. Adult adrenal ACTHR, STAR, and CYP17A1 mRNA expression were not affected by PCUN. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that the effects of PCUN on fetal HPAA function that became apparent in late gestation, are not reflected in adrenal cortisol secretion in mid-adulthood.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mark H. Oliver
- Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- *Correspondence: Mark H. Oliver,
| | - Anne L. Jaquiery
- Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Kristin L. Connor
- Department of Health Sciences, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Hui Hui Phua
- Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Jane E. Harding
- Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
18
|
Helman TJ, Headrick JP, Stapelberg NJC, Braidy N. The sex-dependent response to psychosocial stress and ischaemic heart disease. Front Cardiovasc Med 2023; 10:1072042. [PMID: 37153459 PMCID: PMC10160413 DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2023.1072042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Stress is an important risk factor for modern chronic diseases, with distinct influences in males and females. The sex specificity of the mammalian stress response contributes to the sex-dependent development and impacts of coronary artery disease (CAD). Compared to men, women appear to have greater susceptibility to chronic forms of psychosocial stress, extending beyond an increased incidence of mood disorders to include a 2- to 4-fold higher risk of stress-dependent myocardial infarction in women, and up to 10-fold higher risk of Takotsubo syndrome-a stress-dependent coronary-myocardial disorder most prevalent in post-menopausal women. Sex differences arise at all levels of the stress response: from initial perception of stress to behavioural, cognitive, and affective responses and longer-term disease outcomes. These fundamental differences involve interactions between chromosomal and gonadal determinants, (mal)adaptive epigenetic modulation across the lifespan (particularly in early life), and the extrinsic influences of socio-cultural, economic, and environmental factors. Pre-clinical investigations of biological mechanisms support distinct early life programming and a heightened corticolimbic-noradrenaline-neuroinflammatory reactivity in females vs. males, among implicated determinants of the chronic stress response. Unravelling the intrinsic molecular, cellular and systems biological basis of these differences, and their interactions with external lifestyle/socio-cultural determinants, can guide preventative and therapeutic strategies to better target coronary heart disease in a tailored sex-specific manner.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tessa J. Helman
- Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing, School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, NSW, Sydney, Australia
- Correspondence: Tessa J. Helman
| | - John P. Headrick
- Schoolof Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, Griffith University, Southport, QLD, Australia
| | | | - Nady Braidy
- Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing, School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, NSW, Sydney, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Sánchez-Lafuente CL, Romay-Tallon R, Allen J, Johnston JN, Kalynchuk LE, Caruncho HJ. Sex differences in basal reelin levels in the paraventricular hypothalamus and in response to chronic stress induced by repeated corticosterone in rats. Horm Behav 2022; 146:105267. [PMID: 36274499 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2022.105267] [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: 05/05/2022] [Revised: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Repeated exposure to the stress hormone corticosterone results in depressive-like behaviours paralleled by the downregulation of hippocampal reelin expression. Reelin is expressed in key neural populations involved in the stress response, but whether its hypothalamic expression is sex-specific or involved in sex-specific vulnerability to stress is unknown. Female and male rats were treated with either daily vehicle or corticosterone injections (40 mg/kg) for 21 days. Thereafter, they were subjected to several behavioural tasks before being sacrificed to allow the analysis of reelin expression in hypothalamic nuclei. The basal density of reelin-positive cells in males was significantly higher in the paraventricular nucleus (19 %) and in the medial preoptic area (51 %) compared to females. Chronic corticosterone injections increased the immobility time in the forced swim test in males (107 %) and females (108 %) and decreased the exploration of the elevated plus maze in males (34 %). Corticosterone also caused a significant decrease in the density of reelin-positive cells in males, in both ventrodorsal (37 %) and ventrolateral (32 %) subdivisions of the paraventricular nucleus, while not affecting females. Moreover, in the paraventricular nucleus of males, 30 % of the basal reelin-positive cells co-expressed oxytocin while only 17.5 % did in females, showing a positive correlation between reelin and oxytocin levels. Chronic corticosterone did not significantly affect co-localization levels. For the first time, this study shows that there is a sexually dimorphic subpopulation of reelin-positive neurons in the paraventricular nucleus that can be differentially affected by chronic stress.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Josh Allen
- Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
| | - Jenessa N Johnston
- Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
| | - Lisa E Kalynchuk
- Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
| | - Hector J Caruncho
- Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Berridge CW, Martin AJ, Hupalo S, Nicol SE. Estrus cycle-dependent working memory effects of prefrontal cortex corticotropin-releasing factor neurotransmission. Neuropsychopharmacology 2022; 47:2016-2023. [PMID: 35618840 PMCID: PMC9556710 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-022-01349-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Revised: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The prefrontal cortex (PFC) supports a diversity of cognitive processes. Impairment in PFC-dependent cognition is associated with multiple psychiatric disorders, including those known to display sex differences. Our ability to treat this impairment is limited, in part due to an incomplete understanding of the neural mechanisms that support PFC-dependent cognition. In previous studies in male rats, we demonstrated that corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) receptors and neurons in caudal dorsomedial PFC (dmPFC) regulate PFC-dependent working memory. Subcortically, CRF can exert sex-specific actions, a subset of which are ovarian steroid dependent. To date, the cognitive actions of dmPFC CRF neurotransmission in females are unknown. To address this gap, the current studies examined the effects of chemogenetic and pharmacological manipulations of CRF receptors and neurons within the dmPFC of female rats tested in a spatial working memory task. Outside of proestrus, activation of both CRF receptors and neurons in the caudal, but not rostral, dmPFC impaired working memory. Meanwhile, blockade of CRF receptors in the caudal dmPFC or globally in the brain, improved working memory performance, similar to that seen in males. In contrast, these effects were not observed during proestrus. These observations demonstrate that while CRF neurotransmission in the PFC regulates working memory similarly in males and females, these actions are not observed in females when ovarian steroids are at peak levels.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Craig W Berridge
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA.
| | - Andrea J Martin
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
| | - Sofiya Hupalo
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
- Division of Neuroscience and Basic Behavioral Science, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Shannon E Nicol
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Handa RJ, Sheng JA, Castellanos EA, Templeton HN, McGivern RF. Sex Differences in Acute Neuroendocrine Responses to Stressors in Rodents and Humans. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 2022; 14:a039081. [PMID: 35667789 PMCID: PMC9438783 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a039081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Sex differences in the neuroendocrine response to acute stress occur in both animals and humans. In rodents, stressors such as restraint and novelty induce a greater activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) in females compared to males. The nature of this difference arises from steroid actions during development (organizational effects) and adulthood (activational effects). Androgens decrease HPA stress responsivity to acute stress, while estradiol increases it. Androgenic down-regulation of HPA responsiveness is mediated by the binding of testosterone (T) and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) to the androgen receptor, as well as the binding of the DHT metabolite, 3β-diol, to the β form of the estrogen receptor (ERβ). Estradiol binding to the α form of the estrogen receptor (ERα) increases HPA responsivity. Studies of human sex differences are relatively few and generally employ a psychosocial paradigm to measure stress-related HPA activation. Men consistently show greater HPA reactivity than women when being evaluated for achievement. Some studies have found greater reactivity in women when being evaluated for social performance. The pattern is inconsistent with rodent studies but may involve the differential nature of the stressors employed. Psychosocial stress is nonphysical and invokes a significant degree of top-down processing that is not easily comparable to the types of stressors employed in rodents. Gender identity may also be a factor based on recent work showing that it influences the neural processing of positive and negative emotional stimuli independent of genetic sex. Comparing different types of stressors and how they interact with gender identity and genetic sex will provide a better understanding of sex steroid influences on stress-related HPA reactivity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Robert J Handa
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, USA
| | - Julietta A Sheng
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, USA
| | - Emily A Castellanos
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, USA
| | - Hayley N Templeton
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, USA
| | - Robert F McGivern
- Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California 92120, USA
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Anxiety and hippocampal neuronal activity: Relationship and potential mechanisms. COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2022; 22:431-449. [PMID: 34873665 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-021-00973-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The hippocampus has been implicated in modulating anxiety. It interacts with a variety of brain regions, both cortical and subcortical areas regulating emotion and stress responses, including prefrontal cortex, amygdala, hypothalamus, and the nucleus accumbens, to adjust anxiety levels in response to a variety of stressful conditions. Growing evidence indicates that anxiety is associated with increased neuronal excitability in the hippocampus, and alterations in local regulation of hippocampal excitability have been suggested to underlie behavioral disruptions characteristic of certain anxiety disorders. Furthermore, studies have shown that some anxiolytics can treat anxiety by altering the excitability and plasticity of hippocampal neurons. Hence, identifying cellular and molecular mechanisms and neural circuits that regulate hippocampal excitability in anxiety may be beneficial for developing targeted interventions for treatment of anxiety disorders particularly for the treatment-resistant cases. We first briefly review a role of the hippocampus in fear. We then review the evidence indicating a relationship between the hippocampal activity and fear/anxiety and discuss some possible mechanisms underlying stress-induced hippocampal excitability and anxiety-related behavior.
Collapse
|
23
|
Kovács LÁ, Füredi N, Ujvári B, Golgol A, Gaszner B. Age-Dependent FOSB/ΔFOSB Response to Acute and Chronic Stress in the Extended Amygdala, Hypothalamic Paraventricular, Habenular, Centrally-Projecting Edinger-Westphal, and Dorsal Raphe Nuclei in Male Rats. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:862098. [PMID: 35592695 PMCID: PMC9110804 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.862098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
FOS proteins are early-responding gene products that contribute to the formation of activator protein-1. Several acute and chronic stimuli lead to Fos gene expression, accompanied by an increase of nuclear FOS, which appears to decline with aging. FOSB is another marker to detect acute cellular response, while ΔFOSB mirrors long-lasting changes in neuronal activity upon chronic stress. The notion that the occurrence of stress-related mood disorders shows some age dependence suggests that the brain's stress sensitivity is also a function of age. To study age-dependent stress vulnerability at the immediate-early gene level, we aimed to describe how the course of aging affects the neural responses of FOSB/ΔFOSB in the acute restraint stress (ARS), and chronic variable mild stress (CVMS) in male rats. Fourteen brain areas [central, medial, basolateral (BLA) amygdala; dorsolateral- (BNSTdl), oval- (BNSTov), dorsomedial-, ventral- (BNSTv), and fusiform- (BNSTfu) divisions of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis; medial and lateral habenula, hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN), centrally-projecting Edinger-Westphal nucleus, dorsal raphe nucleus, barrel field of somatosensory cortex (S1)] were examined in the course of aging. Eight age groups [1-month-old (M), 1.5 M, 2 M, 3 M, 6 M, 12 M, 18 M, and 24 M] of rats were exposed to a single ARS vs. controls. In addition, rats in six age groups (2, 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 M) were subjected to CVMS. The FOSB/ΔFOSB immunoreactivity (IR) was a function of age in both controls, ARS- and CVMS-exposed rats. ARS increased the FOSB/ΔFOSB in all nuclei (except in BLA), but only BNSTfu, BNSTv, and PVN reacted throughout the examined lifespan. The CVMS did not increase the FOSB/ΔFOSB in BLA, BNSTov, BNSTdl, and S1. PVN showed a constantly maintained FOSB/ΔFOSB IR during the examined life period. The maximum stress-evoked FOSB/ΔFOSB signal was detected at 2-3 M periods in the ARS- and at 6 M, 18 M in CVMS- model. Corresponding to our previous observations on FOS, the FOSB/ΔFOSB response to stress decreased with age in most of the examined nuclei. Only the PVN exerted a sustained age-independent FOSB/ΔFOSB, which may reflect the long-lasting adaptation response and plasticity of neurons that maintain the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis response throughout the lifespan.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- László Ákos Kovács
- Department of Anatomy, Research Group for Mood Disorders, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
- Center for Neuroscience & Szentagothai Research Center, Pécs University, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Nóra Füredi
- Department of Anatomy, Research Group for Mood Disorders, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
- Center for Neuroscience & Szentagothai Research Center, Pécs University, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Balázs Ujvári
- Department of Anatomy, Research Group for Mood Disorders, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Abolfazl Golgol
- Department of Anatomy, Research Group for Mood Disorders, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Balázs Gaszner
- Department of Anatomy, Research Group for Mood Disorders, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
- Center for Neuroscience & Szentagothai Research Center, Pécs University, Pécs, Hungary
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Cusick JA, Wellman CL, Demas GE. Maternal stress and the maternal microbiome have sex-specific effects on offspring development and aggressive behavior in Siberian hamsters (Phodopus sungorus). Horm Behav 2022; 141:105146. [PMID: 35276524 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2022.105146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [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: 06/08/2021] [Revised: 02/18/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The gut microbiome, a community of commensal, symbiotic and pathogenic bacteria, fungi, and viruses, interacts with many physiological systems to affect behavior. Prenatal experiences, including exposure to maternal stress and different maternal microbiomes, are important sources of organismal variation that can affect offspring development. These physiological systems do not act in isolation and can have long-term effects on offspring development and behavior. Here we investigated the interactive effects of maternal stress and manipulations of the maternal microbiome on offspring development and social behavior using Siberian hamsters, Phodopus sungorus. We exposed pregnant females to either a social stressor, antibiotics, both the social stressor and antibiotics, or no treatment (i.e., control) over the duration of their pregnancy and quantified male and female offspring growth, gut microbiome composition and diversity, stress-induced cortisol concentrations, and social behavior. Maternal antibiotic exposure altered the gut microbial communities of male and female offspring. Maternal treatment also had sex-specific effects on aspects of offspring development and aggressive behavior. Female offspring produced by stressed mothers were more aggressive than other female offspring. Female, but not male, offspring produced by mothers exposed to the combined treatment displayed low levels of aggression, suggesting that alteration of the maternal microbiome attenuated the effects of prenatal stress in a sex-specific manner. Maternal treatment did not affect non-aggressive behavior in offspring. Collectively, our study offers insight into how maternal systems can interact to affect offspring in sex-specific ways and highlights the important role of the maternal microbiome in mediating offspring development and behavior.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jessica A Cusick
- Department of Biology, Utah Valley University, United States of America; Department of Biology, Indiana University, United States of America; Animal Behavior Program, Indiana University, United States of America.
| | - Cara L Wellman
- Animal Behavior Program, Indiana University, United States of America; Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, United States of America; Program in Neuroscience, Indiana University, United States of America
| | - Gregory E Demas
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, United States of America; Animal Behavior Program, Indiana University, United States of America; Program in Neuroscience, Indiana University, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Tanaka J, Ishikawa F, Jinno T, Miyakita M, Miyamori H, Sasaki T, Yokokawa T, Goto T, Inoue K, Matsumura S. Disruption of CRTC1 and CRTC2 in Sim1 cells strongly increases high-fat diet intake in female mice but has a modest impact on male mice. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0262577. [PMID: 35020776 PMCID: PMC8754333 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0262577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Accepted: 12/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
cAMP responsive element binding protein (CREB)-regulated transcription coactivators (CRTCs) regulate gene transcription in response to an increase in intracellular cAMP or Ca2+ levels. To date, three isoforms of CRTC have been identified in mammals. All CRTCs are widely expressed in various regions of the brain. Numerous studies have shown the importance of CREB and CRTC in energy homeostasis. In the brain, the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVH) plays a critical role in energy metabolism, and CRTC1 and CRTC2 are highly expressed in PVH neuronal cells. The single-minded homolog 1 gene (Sim1) is densely expressed in PVH neurons and in some areas of the amygdala neurons. To determine the role of CRTCs in PVH on energy metabolism, we generated mice that lacked CRTC1 and CRTC2 in Sim1 cells using Sim-1 cre mice. We found that Sim1 cell-specific CRTC1 and CRTC2 double-knockout mice were sensitive to high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity. Sim1 cell-specific CRTC1 and CRTC2 double knockout mice showed hyperphagia specifically for the HFD, but not for the normal chow diet, increased fat mass, and no change in energy expenditure. Interestingly, these phenotypes were stronger in female mice than in male mice, and a weak phenotype was observed in the normal chow diet. The lack of CRTC1 and CRTC2 in Sim1 cells changed the mRNA levels of some neuropeptides that regulate energy metabolism in female mice fed an HFD. Taken together, our findings suggest that CRTCs in Sim1 cells regulate gene expression and suppress excessive fat intake, especially in female mice.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jin Tanaka
- Division of Food Science and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Fuka Ishikawa
- Division of Food Science and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Tomoki Jinno
- Division of Food Science and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Motoki Miyakita
- Division of Food Science and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Haruka Miyamori
- Division of Food Science and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Tsutomu Sasaki
- Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Takumi Yokokawa
- Division of Food Science and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Tsuyoshi Goto
- Division of Food Science and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Kazuo Inoue
- Division of Food Science and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Shigenobu Matsumura
- Division of Food Science and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
- Department of Clinical Nutrition, Graduate School of Comprehensive Rehabilitation, Osaka Prefecture University, Osaka, Japan
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Goel N, Philippe TJ, Chang J, Koblanski ME, Viau V. Cellular and serotonergic correlates of habituated neuroendocrine responses in male and female rats. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2022; 136:105599. [PMID: 34891046 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2021.105599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [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: 09/25/2021] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Male and females appear equally capable of showing habituated hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis output responses to repeated exposures of the same challenge. Whether this reflects, within males and females, common mechanisms of decreased neuronal activity within stress responding, afferents to the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus (PVH), the final common pathway to the HPA axis, has not been examined. Here we compared in adult male and female rats the extent to which declines in HPA axis responses to repeated restraint are met by habituated cellular (Fos) responses, in addition to changes in serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT) expression and signaling, which normally stimulates the HPA axis. Thus, alterations in this component of HPA axis drive could provide an underlying basis for sex differences in adaptive responses. Males and females showed reliable declines in ACTH and corticosterone responses after 10 daily episodes of repeated restraint, recapitulated, in largest part, by similar regional patterns of Fos habituation, including within the PVH, several stress sensitive cell groups of the limbic forebrain, as well as within the raphe nucleus. Serotonin staining in the dorsal raphe and terminal profiles in the forebrain continued to reflect a higher pre-synaptic capacity for the 5-HT system in females. The sexual dimorphism encountered within the lateral septum and medial preoptic area of control animals was less distinguished in the repeat condition, however, whereas 5-HT varicosities in the PVH increased after repeated restraint only in females. Relative to their singly restrained counterparts, males displayed an increase in 5-HT 1 A receptor expression in the raphe nucleus after repeated restraint, whereas females showed a decrease in 5-HT 1 A mRNA levels in the hippocampus and in the zona incerta, representing the most proximal of cell groups expressing the 5-HT 1 A receptor in the vicinity of the PVH. In conclusion, similar regional profiles of cellular habituation in males and females suggest common CNS substrates of neuroendocrine adaptation. However, this process may be met by underlying sex differences in serotonergic control, given the respective roles for pre- and postsynaptic 5-HT 1 A receptors in mediating serotonin availability and signal transfer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nirupa Goel
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Tristan J Philippe
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Judy Chang
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Maya E Koblanski
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Victor Viau
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Sheng JA, Tan SML, Hale TM, Handa RJ. Androgens and Their Role in Regulating Sex Differences in the Hypothalamic/Pituitary/Adrenal Axis Stress Response and Stress-Related Behaviors. ANDROGENS: CLINICAL RESEARCH AND THERAPEUTICS 2022; 2:261-274. [PMID: 35024695 PMCID: PMC8744007 DOI: 10.1089/andro.2021.0021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Androgens play a pivotal role during development. These gonadal hormones and their receptors exert organizational actions that shape brain morphology in regions controlling the stress regulatory systems in a male-specific manner. Specifically, androgens drive sex differences in the hypothalamic/pituitary/adrenal (HPA) axis and corresponding hypothalamic neuropeptides. While studies have examined the role of estradiol and its receptors in sex differences in the HPA axis and associated behaviors, the role of androgens remains far less studied. Androgens are generally thought to modulate the HPA axis through the activation of androgen receptors (ARs). They can also impact the HPA axis through reduction to estrogenic metabolites that can bind estrogen receptors in the brain and periphery. Such regulation of the HPA axis stress response by androgens can often result in sex-biased risk factors for stress-related disorders, such as anxiety and depression. This review focuses on the biosynthesis pathways and molecular actions of androgens and their nuclear receptors. The impact of androgens on hypothalamic neuropeptide systems (corticotropin-releasing hormone, arginine vasopressin, oxytocin, dopamine, and serotonin) that control the stress response and stress-related disorders is discussed. Finally, this review discusses potential therapeutics involving androgens (androgen replacement therapies, selective AR modulator therapies) and ongoing clinical trials.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Julietta A Sheng
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Sarah M L Tan
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Taben M Hale
- Department of Basic Medical Science, University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix, Arizona, USA
| | - Robert J Handa
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Lehner M, Skórzewska A, Wisłowska-Stanek A. Sex-Related Predisposition to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Development-The Role of Neuropeptides. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 19:314. [PMID: 35010574 PMCID: PMC8750761 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19010314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Revised: 12/21/2021] [Accepted: 12/24/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is characterized by re-experiencing a traumatic event, avoidance, negative alterations in cognitions and mood, hyperarousal, and severe functional impairment. Women have a two times higher risk of developing PTSD than men. The neurobiological basis for the sex-specific predisposition to PTSD might be related to differences in the functions of stress-responsive systems due to the interaction between gonadal hormones and stress peptides such as corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), orexin, oxytocin, and neuropeptide Y. Additionally, in phases where estrogens levels are low, the risk of developing or exacerbating PTSD is higher. Most studies have revealed several essential sex differences in CRF function. They include genetic factors, e.g., the CRF promoter contains estrogen response elements. Importantly, sex-related differences are responsible for different predispositions to PTSD and diverse treatment responses. Fear extinction (the process responsible for the effectiveness of behavioral therapy for PTSD) in women during periods of high endogenous estradiol levels (the primary form of estrogens) is reportedly more effective than in periods of low endogenous estradiol. In this review, we present the roles of selected neuropeptides in the sex-related predisposition to PTSD development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Małgorzata Lehner
- Department of Neurochemistry, Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology, 9 Sobieskiego Street, 02-957 Warsaw, Poland; (M.L.); (A.S.)
| | - Anna Skórzewska
- Department of Neurochemistry, Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology, 9 Sobieskiego Street, 02-957 Warsaw, Poland; (M.L.); (A.S.)
| | - Aleksandra Wisłowska-Stanek
- Centre for Preclinical Research and Technology (CEPT), Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, Medical University of Warsaw, 1B Banacha Street, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Lu Q, Xiang H, Zhu H, Chen Y, Lu X, Huang C. Intranasal lipopolysaccharide administration prevents chronic stress-induced depression- and anxiety-like behaviors in mice. Neuropharmacology 2021; 200:108816. [PMID: 34599975 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2021.108816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2021] [Revised: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 09/26/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
We recently reported that intraperitoneal injection of a low dose of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) prevents chronic stress-induced depression-like behaviors in mice. In this study, we reported that a single intranasal LPS administration (10 μg/mouse) one day prior to stress exposure produced prophylactic effects on chronic social defeat stress (CSDS)-induced depression-like behaviors, which was indicated by the reduction in social interaction time in the social interaction test and the decrease in immobility time in the tail suspension test and forced swimming test. The single intranasal LPS administration prior to stress exposure was also found to prevent CSDS-induced anxiety-like behaviors, including prevention of CSDS-induced decrease in the time spent in open arms in the elevated plus maze test, decrease in the time spent in lit side in the light-dark test, and decrease in the time spent in central regions in the open field test, along with no changes in locomotor activity. Further analysis showed that the single intranasal LPS administration one day prior to stress exposure prevented CSDS-induced increase in levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and IL-1β mRNA in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. Inhibition of innate immune stimulation by minocycline pretreatment not only abrogated the preventive effect of intranasal LPS administration on CSDS-induced depression- and anxiety-like behaviors, but also abrogated the preventive effect of intranasal LPS administration on CSDS-induced neuroinflammatory responses in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. These results demonstrate that intranasal administration of innate immune stimulants could be a potential approach for the prevention of depression and anxiety.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qun Lu
- Department of Pharmacy, Nantong Third Hospital Affiliated to Nantong University, #60 Middle Qingnian Road, Nantong, 226006, Jiangsu, China
| | - Haitao Xiang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Suzhou Kowloon Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, #118 Wansheng Street, Suzhou, 215028, Jiangsu, China
| | - Haojie Zhu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Nantong University, #19 Qixiu Road, Nantong, 226001, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yifan Chen
- Department of Medical Imaging, School of Medicine, Nantong University, #19 Qixiu Road, Nantong, 226001, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xu Lu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Nantong University, #19 Qixiu Road, Nantong, 226001, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Chao Huang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Nantong University, #19 Qixiu Road, Nantong, 226001, Jiangsu, China.
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Maly MA, Edwards KL, Koester DC, Farin CE, Crosier AE. Assessing puberty in female cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) via faecal hormone metabolites and body weight. Reprod Fertil Dev 2021; 33:841-854. [PMID: 34844663 DOI: 10.1071/rd21169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2021] [Accepted: 10/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
With fewer than 7500 cheetahs remaining in the wild, ex situ cheetah populations serve as an insurance policy against extinction and a resource to study species' biology. This study aimed to identify the age of pubertal onset in ex situ female cheetahs using non-invasive faecal steroid hormone monitoring and body weights. Faecal samples from nine female cheetahs were collected two to three times weekly from 2 to 36months of age and body weights were recorded every 3months. Faecal oestrogen metabolites (FOM) and faecal glucocorticoid metabolites (FGM) were analysed using enzyme immunoassays and samples were categorised into 6-month intervals to compare endocrine characteristics. Faecal hormone and body weight data were analysed using generalised linear mixed models. Age was a significant predictor of mean and baseline FOM concentrations, number of FOM peaks, mean and maximum FOM peak concentrations and the number of cycles. Female cheetahs aged 24-30months exhibited a marked rise in mean FOM concentration and the number of FOM peaks and cycles increased with age until 24-30months. Females attained adult body weight by 21months of age. Mean and baseline FGM concentrations were highest at the 0-6 and 12-18months of age groups and did not follow the same FOM patterns. Based on body weight data, the FOM concentrations and peak patterning, females were considered pubertal from 24 to 30months of age. Characterisation of cheetah puberty has direct and significant implications for the improvement of management and reproductive success of cheetahs under human care. This information is particularly informative for identifying important windows of development, littermate dispersal and breeding introductions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Morgan A Maly
- Center for Species Survival, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA 22630, USA; and Genetics Program, Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA; and Genetics Program, Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27607, USA
| | - Katie L Edwards
- Center for Species Survival, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA 22630, USA; and North of England Zoological Society, Chester Zoo, Upton-by-Chester CH2 1LH, UK
| | - Diana C Koester
- Department of Conservation and Science, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, Cleveland, OH 44109, USA
| | - Charlotte E Farin
- Department of Animal Science, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - Adrienne E Crosier
- Center for Species Survival, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA 22630, USA
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Involvement of Ghrelin Dynamics in Stress-Induced Eating Disorder: Effects of Sex and Aging. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222111695. [PMID: 34769125 PMCID: PMC8583769 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222111695] [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: 08/30/2021] [Revised: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 10/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Stress, a factor that affects appetite in our daily lives, enhances or suppresses appetite and changes palatability. However, so far, the mechanisms underlying the link between stress and eating have not been fully elucidated. Among the peripherally produced appetite-related peptides, ghrelin is the only orexigenic peptide, and abnormalities in the dynamics and reactivity of this peptide are involved in appetite abnormalities in various diseases and psychological states. This review presents an overview of the research results of studies evaluating the effects of various stresses on appetite. The first half of this review describes the relationship between appetite and stress, and the second half describes the relationship between the appetite-promoting peptide ghrelin and stress. The effects of sex differences and aging under stress on appetite are also described.
Collapse
|
32
|
Methods and Challenges in Investigating Sex-Specific Consequences of Social Stressors in Adolescence in Rats: Is It the Stress or the Social or the Stage of Development? Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2021; 54:23-58. [PMID: 34455576 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2021_245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Adolescence is a time of social learning and social restructuring that is accompanied by changes in both the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. The activation of these axes by puberty and stressors, respectively, shapes adolescent development. Models of social stress in rats are used to understand the consequences of perturbations of the social environment for ongoing brain development. This paper reviews the challenges in investigating the sex-specific consequences of social stressors, sex differences in the models of social stress used in rats and the sex-specific effects on behaviour and provides an overview of sex differences in HPA responding to stressors, the variability in pubertal development and in strains of rats that require consideration in conducting such research, and directions for future research.
Collapse
|
33
|
Kulhanek D, Rao RB, Paulsen ME. Excess sucrose intake during pregnancy programs fetal brain glucocorticoid receptor expression in female but not male C57Bl/6J mice. Obes Sci Pract 2021; 7:462-472. [PMID: 34401204 PMCID: PMC8346374 DOI: 10.1002/osp4.506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2020] [Revised: 03/08/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sex-specific mechanisms explaining the association between mothers with obesity and the development of obesity in children are poorly characterized. Permanent changes in fetal brain glucocorticoid receptor (GR) expression caused by exposure to overnutrition in utero may program aberrant energy homeostasis, thereby predisposing the offspring to obesity. This study explores sex differences in brain GR expression using an established mouse model of overnutrition during pregnancy. METHODS Female C57Bl/6J mice were fed control (CON) or high-fat-high-sucrose (HFHS) diets. Dam cholesterol, insulin, and triglycerides were measured by colorimetric assays. Fetal corticosterone exposure was measured by placental Abca1, Hsd11β1, Hsd11β2, and brain Nr3c1 (GR); Pomc expression measured by RT-qPCR. RESULTS Female, but not male, HFHS fetuses had 46% decreased brain GR and twofold increased Pomc expression. There was decreased Abca1 and Hsd11β1 but not Hsd11β2 expression in HFHS placentas. Caloric and sucrose intake, but not fat intake, in dams inversely correlated with fetal GR expression in both sexes. Excess sucrose consumption by dams inversely correlated with female fetal GR and directly correlated with female fetal Pomc expression. CONCLUSIONS Excess sucrose consumption in pregnant dams caused lower GR and higher Pomc expression in the female fetal brain. Clinical investigation of excess sucrose intake during pregnancy and its subsequent effect on hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity and appetite in offspring may lead to novel, sex-specific obesity prevention strategies in the development of obesity in children.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Debra Kulhanek
- Department of PediatricsDivision of NeonatologyUniversity of Minnesota Medical SchoolMinneapolisMinnesotaUSA
| | - Raghavendra B. Rao
- Department of PediatricsDivision of NeonatologyUniversity of Minnesota Medical SchoolMinneapolisMinnesotaUSA
| | - Megan E. Paulsen
- Department of PediatricsDivision of NeonatologyUniversity of Minnesota Medical SchoolMinneapolisMinnesotaUSA
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Locci A, Yan Y, Rodriguez G, Dong H. Sex differences in CRF1, CRF, and CRFBP expression in C57BL/6J mouse brain across the lifespan and in response to acute stress. J Neurochem 2021; 158:943-959. [PMID: 32813270 PMCID: PMC9811412 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15157] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2020] [Revised: 08/03/2020] [Accepted: 08/11/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Signaling pathways mediated by corticotropin-releasing factor and its receptor 1 (CRF1) play a central role in stress responses. Dysfunction of the CRF system has been associated with neuropsychiatric disorders. However, dynamic changes in the CRF system during brain development and aging are not well investigated. In this study, we characterized CRF1, CRF, and corticotropin-releasing factor binding protein (CRFBP) expression in different brain regions in both male and female C57BL/6J mice from 1 to 18 months of age under basal conditions as well as after an acute 2-hr-restraint stress. We found that CRF and CRF1 levels tended to increase in the hippocampus and hypothalamus, and to decrease in the prefrontal cortex with aging, especially at 18 months of age, whereas CRFBP expression followed an opposite direction in these brain areas. We also observed area-specific sex differences in the expression of these three proteins. For example, CRF expression was lower in females than in males in all the brain regions examined except the prefrontal cortex. After acute stress, CRF and CRF1 were up-regulated at 1, 6, and 12 months of age, and down-regulated at 18 months of age. Females showed more robust changes compared to males of the same age. CRFBP expression either decreased or remained unchanged in most of the brain areas following acute stress. Our findings suggest that brain CRF1, CRF, and CRFBP expression changes dynamically across the lifespan and under stress condition in a sex- and regional-specific manner. Sex differences in the CRF system in response to stress may contribute to the etiology of stress-related neuropsychiatric disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Locci
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Yan Yan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Guadalupe Rodriguez
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Hongxin Dong
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Ji J, Xiang H, Lu X, Tan P, Yang R, Ye T, Chen Z, Chen D, He H, Chen J, Ma Y, Huang C. A prophylactic effect of macrophage-colony stimulating factor on chronic stress-induced depression-like behaviors in mice. Neuropharmacology 2021; 193:108621. [PMID: 34062163 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2021.108621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2020] [Revised: 04/22/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Innate immune activation has been shown to reduce the severity of nervous system disorders such as brain ischemia and traumatic brain damage. Macrophage-colony stimulating factor (M-CSF), a drug that is used to treat hematological system disease, is an enhancer of the innate immune response. In the present study, we evaluated the effect of M-CSF preconditioning on chronic social defeat stress (CSDS)-induced depression-like behaviors in mice. Results showed that a single M-CSF injection 1 day before stress exposure at the dose of 100 and 500 μg/kg, or a single M-CSF injection (100 μg/kg) 1 or 5 days but not 10 days before stress exposure prevented CSDS-induced depression-like behaviors in mice. Further analysis showed that a second M-CSF injection 10 days after the first M-CSF injection and a 2 × or 4 × M-CSF injections 10 days before stress exposure also prevented CSDS-induced depression-like behaviors. Molecular studies revealed that a single M-CSF injection prior to stress exposure skewed the neuroinflammatory responses in the brain in CSDS-exposed mice towards an anti-inflammatory phenotype. These behavioral and molecular actions of M-CSF were correlated with innate immune stimulation, as pre-inhibiting the innate immune activation by minocycline pretreatment (40 mg/kg) abrogated the preventive effect of M-CSF on CSDS-induced depression-like behaviors and neuroinflammatory responses. These results provide evidence to show that innate immune activation by M-CSF pretreatment may prevent chronic stress-induced depression-like behaviors via preventing the development of neuroinflammatory response in the brain, which may help to develop novel strategies for the prevention of depression.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jianlin Ji
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Nantong University, #19 Qixiu Road, Nantong, 226001, Jiangsu, China
| | - Haitao Xiang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Suzhou Kowloon Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, #118 Wansheng Street, Suzhou, 215028, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xu Lu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Nantong University, #19 Qixiu Road, Nantong, 226001, Jiangsu, China
| | - Pingping Tan
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Nantong University, #19 Qixiu Road, Nantong, 226001, Jiangsu, China
| | - Rongrong Yang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Jiangsu Province, #20Xisi Road, Nantong, Jiangsu, 226001, China
| | - Ting Ye
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Nantong University, #19 Qixiu Road, Nantong, 226001, Jiangsu, China
| | - Zhuo Chen
- Invasive Technology Department, Nantong First People's Hospital, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, #6 North Road Hai'er Xiang, Nantong, 226001, Jiangsu, China
| | - Dongjian Chen
- Invasive Technology Department, Nantong First People's Hospital, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, #6 North Road Hai'er Xiang, Nantong, 226001, Jiangsu, China
| | - Haiyan He
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Nantong First People's Hospital, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, #6 North Road Hai'er Xiang, Nantong, 226001, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jinliang Chen
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Nantong First People's Hospital, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, #6 North Road Hai'er Xiang, Nantong, 226001, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yaoying Ma
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Nantong University, #19 Qixiu Road, Nantong, 226001, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Chao Huang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Nantong University, #19 Qixiu Road, Nantong, 226001, Jiangsu, China.
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Bhargava A, Arnold AP, Bangasser DA, Denton KM, Gupta A, Hilliard Krause LM, Mayer EA, McCarthy M, Miller WL, Raznahan A, Verma R. Considering Sex as a Biological Variable in Basic and Clinical Studies: An Endocrine Society Scientific Statement. Endocr Rev 2021; 42:219-258. [PMID: 33704446 PMCID: PMC8348944 DOI: 10.1210/endrev/bnaa034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
In May 2014, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) stated its intent to "require applicants to consider sex as a biological variable (SABV) in the design and analysis of NIH-funded research involving animals and cells." Since then, proposed research plans that include animals routinely state that both sexes/genders will be used; however, in many instances, researchers and reviewers are at a loss about the issue of sex differences. Moreover, the terms sex and gender are used interchangeably by many researchers, further complicating the issue. In addition, the sex or gender of the researcher might influence study outcomes, especially those concerning behavioral studies, in both animals and humans. The act of observation may change the outcome (the "observer effect") and any experimental manipulation, no matter how well-controlled, is subject to it. This is nowhere more applicable than in physiology and behavior. The sex of established cultured cell lines is another issue, in addition to aneuploidy; chromosomal numbers can change as cells are passaged. Additionally, culture medium contains steroids, growth hormone, and insulin that might influence expression of various genes. These issues often are not taken into account, determined, or even considered. Issues pertaining to the "sex" of cultured cells are beyond the scope of this Statement. However, we will discuss the factors that influence sex and gender in both basic research (that using animal models) and clinical research (that involving human subjects), as well as in some areas of science where sex differences are routinely studied. Sex differences in baseline physiology and associated mechanisms form the foundation for understanding sex differences in diseases pathology, treatments, and outcomes. The purpose of this Statement is to highlight lessons learned, caveats, and what to consider when evaluating data pertaining to sex differences, using 3 areas of research as examples; it is not intended to serve as a guideline for research design.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aditi Bhargava
- Center for Reproductive Sciences, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Arthur P Arnold
- Department of Integrative Biology & Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Debra A Bangasser
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Kate M Denton
- Cardiovascular Disease Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Physiology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Arpana Gupta
- G. Oppenheimer Center for Neurobiology of Stress and Resilience, Division of Digestive Diseases, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Lucinda M Hilliard Krause
- Cardiovascular Disease Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Physiology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Emeran A Mayer
- G. Oppenheimer Center for Neurobiology of Stress and Resilience, Division of Digestive Diseases, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Margaret McCarthy
- Department of Pharmacology and Program in Neuroscience, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Walter L Miller
- Center for Reproductive Sciences, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Armin Raznahan
- Section on Developmental Neurogenomics, Human Genetics Branch, National Institutes of Mental Health, Intramural Research Program, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Ragini Verma
- Diffusion and Connectomics In Precision Healthcare Research (DiCIPHR) lab, Department of Radiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Rouzer SK, Diaz MR. Factors of sex and age dictate the regulation of GABAergic activity by corticotropin-releasing factor receptor 1 in the medial sub-nucleus of the central amygdala. Neuropharmacology 2021; 189:108530. [PMID: 33741404 PMCID: PMC10538372 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2021.108530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Revised: 03/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Adolescents are phenotypically characterized with hyper-sensitivity to stress and inappropriate response to stress-inducing events. Despite behavioral distinctions from adults, investigations of developmental shifts in the function of stress peptide corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) are generally limited. Rodent models have determined that CRF receptor 1 (CRFR1) activation within the central amygdala is associated with a stress response and induces increased GABAergic synaptic neurotransmission within adult males. To investigate age- and sex-specific function of this system, we performed whole-cell patch clamp electrophysiology in brain slices from naive adolescent (postnatal days (P) 40-49) and adult (>P70) male and female Sprague Dawley rats to assess GABAergic activity in the medial central amygdala (CeM). Our results indicate a dynamic influence of age and sex on neuronal excitability within this region, as well as basal spontaneous and miniature (m) inhibitory post-synaptic currents (IPSCs) in the CeM. In addition to replicating prior findings of CRFR1-regulated increases in mIPSC frequency in adult males, we found that the selective CRFR1 agonist, Stressin-1, attenuated mIPSC frequency in adolescent males, at a concentration that did not produce an effect in adult males. Importantly, this age-specific distinction was absent in females, as Stressin-1 attenuated mIPSC frequency in both adolescent and adult females. Finally, an increase in mIPSC frequency in response to the CRF1R antagonist, NBI 35965, was observed only in the CeM of adult males. Together, these data emphasize the robust influence of age and sex on neurophysiological function of a brain region involved in the production of the stress response.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Siara Kate Rouzer
- Department of Psychology, Center for Development and Behavioral Neuroscience, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, 13902, United States; Developmental Exposure Alcohol Research Center, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, 13902, United States
| | - Marvin R Diaz
- Department of Psychology, Center for Development and Behavioral Neuroscience, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, 13902, United States; Developmental Exposure Alcohol Research Center, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, 13902, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Sex differences in fear memory consolidation via Tac2 signaling in mice. Nat Commun 2021; 12:2496. [PMID: 33941789 PMCID: PMC8093426 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-22911-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2020] [Accepted: 03/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Memory formation is key for brain functioning. Uncovering the memory mechanisms is helping us to better understand neural processes in health and disease. Moreover, more specific treatments for fear-related disorders such as posttraumatic stress disorder and phobias may help to decrease their negative impact on mental health. In this line, the Tachykinin 2 (Tac2) pathway in the central amygdala (CeA) has been shown to be sufficient and necessary for the modulation of fear memory consolidation. CeA-Tac2 antagonism and its pharmacogenetic temporal inhibition impair fear memory in male mice. Surprisingly, we demonstrate here the opposite effect of Tac2 blockade on enhancing fear memory consolidation in females. Furthermore, we show that CeA-testosterone in males, CeA-estradiol in females and Akt/GSK3β/β-Catenin signaling both mediate the opposite-sex differential Tac2 pathway regulation of fear memory.
Collapse
|
39
|
HIV-1 Tat Protein Promotes Neuroendocrine Dysfunction Concurrent with the Potentiation of Oxycodone's Psychomotor Effects in Female Mice. Viruses 2021; 13:v13050813. [PMID: 33946474 PMCID: PMC8147167 DOI: 10.3390/v13050813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2021] [Revised: 04/23/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is associated with neuroendocrine dysfunction which may contribute to co-morbid stress-sensitive disorders. The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) or -gonadal (HPG) axes are perturbed in up to 50% of HIV patients. The mechanisms are not known, but we have found the HIV-1 trans-activator of transcription (Tat) protein to recapitulate the clinical phenotype in male mice. We hypothesized that HPA and/or HPG dysregulation contributes to Tat-mediated interactions with oxycodone, an opioid often prescribed to HIV patients, in females. Female mice that conditionally-expressed the Tat1-86 protein [Tat(+) mice] or their counterparts that did not [Tat(-) control mice] were exposed to forced swim stress (or not) and behaviorally-assessed for motor and anxiety-like behavior. Some mice had glucocorticoid receptors (GR) or corticotropin-releasing factor receptors (CRF-R) pharmacologically inhibited. Some mice were ovariectomized (OVX). As seen previously in males, Tat elevated basal corticosterone levels and potentiated oxycodone's psychomotor activity in females. Unlike males, females did not demonstrate adrenal insufficiency and oxycodone potentiation was not regulated by GRs or CRF-Rs. Rather OVX attenuated Tat/oxycodone interactions. Either Tat or oxycodone increased anxiety-like behavior and their combination increased hypothalamic allopregnanolone. OVX increased basal hypothalamic allopregnanolone and obviated Tat or oxycodone-mediated fluctuations. Together, these data provide further evidence for Tat-mediated dysregulation of the HPA axis and reveal the importance of HPG axis regulation in females. HPA/HPG disruption may contribute vulnerability to affective and substance use disorders.
Collapse
|
40
|
Gao X, Yamazaki Y, Tezuka Y, Omata K, Ono Y, Morimoto R, Nakamura Y, Satoh F, Sasano H. Gender differences in human adrenal cortex and its disorders. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2021; 526:111177. [PMID: 33582213 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2021.111177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2020] [Revised: 01/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The adrenal cortex plays pivotal roles in the maintenance of blood volume, responsiveness to stress and the development of gender characteristics. Gender differences of human adrenal cortex have been recently reported and attracted increasing interests. Gender differences occur from the developing stage of the adrenal, in which female subjects had more activated stem cells with higher renewal capacity resulting in gender-associated divergent structures and functions of cortical zonations of human adrenal. Female subjects generally have the lower blood pressure with the lower renin levels and ACE activities than male subjects. In addition, HPA axis was more activated in female than male, which could possibly contribute to gender differences in coping with various stressful events in our life. Of particular interest, estrogens were reported to suppress RAAS but activate HPA axis, whereas androgens had opposite effects. In addition, adrenocortical disorders in general occur more frequently in female with more pronounced adrenocortical hormonal abnormalities possibly due to their more activated WNT and PRK signaling pathways with more abundant activated adrenocortical stem cells present in female adrenal glands. Therefore, it has become pivotal to clarify the gender influence on both clinical and biological features of adrenocortical disorders. We herein reviewed recent advances in these fields.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xin Gao
- Department of Pathology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan
| | - Yuto Yamazaki
- Department of Pathology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan
| | - Yuta Tezuka
- Division of Clinical Hypertension, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan; Division of Nephrology, Endocrinology, and Vascular Medicine, Tohoku University Hospital, Japan
| | - Kei Omata
- Division of Clinical Hypertension, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan; Division of Nephrology, Endocrinology, and Vascular Medicine, Tohoku University Hospital, Japan
| | - Yoshikiyo Ono
- Division of Nephrology, Endocrinology, and Vascular Medicine, Tohoku University Hospital, Japan
| | - Ryo Morimoto
- Division of Nephrology, Endocrinology, and Vascular Medicine, Tohoku University Hospital, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Nakamura
- Division of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Tohoku Medical and Pharmaceutical University, Japan
| | - Fumitoshi Satoh
- Division of Clinical Hypertension, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan; Division of Nephrology, Endocrinology, and Vascular Medicine, Tohoku University Hospital, Japan
| | - Hironobu Sasano
- Department of Pathology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Rosado AF, Rosa PB, Platt N, Pierone BC, Neis VB, Severo Rodrigues AL, Kaster MP, Kaufmann FN. Glibenclamide treatment prevents depressive-like behavior and memory impairment induced by chronic unpredictable stress in female mice. Behav Pharmacol 2021; 32:170-181. [PMID: 33079735 DOI: 10.1097/fbp.0000000000000599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Glibenclamide is a second-generation sulfonylurea used in the treatment of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. The primary target of glibenclamide is ATP-sensitive potassium channels inhibition; however, other possible targets include the control of inflammation and blood-brain barrier permeability, which makes this compound potentially interesting for the management of brain-related disorders. Here, we showed that systemic treatment with glibenclamide (5 mg/kg, p.o., for 21 days) could prevent the behavioral despair and the cognitive dysfunction induced by chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) in mice. In nonhypoglycemic doses, glibenclamide attenuated the stress-induced weight loss, decreased adrenal weight, and prevented the increase in glucocorticoid receptors in the prefrontal cortex, suggesting an impact in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function. Additionally, we did not observe changes in Iba-1, NLRP3 and caspase-1 levels in the prefrontal cortex or hippocampus after CUS or glibenclamide treatment. Thus, this study suggests that chronic treatment with glibenclamide prevents the emotional and cognitive effects of chronic stress in female mice. On the other hand, the control of neuroinflammation and NLRP3 inflammasome pathway is not the major mechanism mediating these effects. The behavioral effects might be mediated, in part, by the normalization of glucocorticoid receptors and HPA axis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Axel Fogaça Rosado
- Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil
| | - Priscila Batista Rosa
- Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil
| | - Nicolle Platt
- Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil
| | - Bruna Caroline Pierone
- Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil
| | - Vivian Binder Neis
- Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil
| | | | - Manuella Pinto Kaster
- Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil
| | - Fernanda Neutzling Kaufmann
- Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine and CERVO Brain Research Center, Université Laval, Quebec City, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Peen NF, Duque-Wilckens N, Trainor BC. Convergent neuroendocrine mechanisms of social buffering and stress contagion. Horm Behav 2021; 129:104933. [PMID: 33465346 PMCID: PMC7965339 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2021.104933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Revised: 01/06/2021] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Social interactions play a key role in modulating the impact of stressful experiences. In some cases, social interactions can result in social buffering, the process in which the presence of one individual reduces the physiological and behavioral impact of stress in another individual. On the other hand, there is growing evidence that a key initiating factor of social buffering behaviors is the initiation of an anxiogenic state in the individual that was not directly exposed to the stress. This is referred to as stress contagion (a form of emotion contagion). Both processes involve the transmission of social information, suggesting that contagion and buffering could share similar neural mechanisms. In general, mechanistic studies of contagion and buffering are considered separately, even though behavioral studies show that a degree of contagion is usually necessary for social buffering behaviors to occur. Here we consider the extent to which the neuropeptides corticotropin releasing hormone and oxytocin are involved in contagion and stress buffering. We also assess the importance that frontal cortical areas such as the anterior cingulate cortex and infralimbic cortex play in these behavioral processes. We suggest that further work that directly compares neural mechanisms during stress contagion and stress buffering will be important for identifying what appear to be distinct but overlapping circuits mediating these processes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Natanja F Peen
- Department of Neurobiology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands; Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA. USA
| | - Natalia Duque-Wilckens
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA. USA; Departments of Physiology and Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI. USA
| | - Brian C Trainor
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA. USA.
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Bacon ER, Brinton RD. Epigenetics of the developing and aging brain: Mechanisms that regulate onset and outcomes of brain reorganization. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 125:503-516. [PMID: 33657435 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.02.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2020] [Revised: 02/17/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Brain development is a life-long process that encompasses several critical periods of transition, during which significant cognitive changes occur. Embryonic development, puberty, and reproductive senescence are all periods of transition that are hypersensitive to environmental factors. Rather than isolated episodes, each transition builds upon the last and is influenced by consequential changes that occur in the transition before it. Epigenetic marks, such as DNA methylation and histone modifications, provide mechanisms by which early events can influence development, cognition, and health outcomes. For example, parental environment influences imprinting patterns in gamete cells, which ultimately impacts gene expression in the embryo which may result in hypersensitivity to poor maternal nutrition during pregnancy, raising the risks for cognitive impairment later in life. This review explores how epigenetics induce and regulate critical periods, and also discusses how early environmental interactions prime a system towards a particular health outcome and influence susceptibility to disease or cognitive impairment throughout life.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eliza R Bacon
- Department of Neuroscience, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA; The Center for Precision Medicine, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA
| | - Roberta Diaz Brinton
- Department of Neuroscience, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA; Center for Innovation in Brain Science, School of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Prepubertal and adult male rats differ in the degree and pattern of stress reactive neurons in brain regions that project to the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus. Brain Res 2021; 1760:147371. [PMID: 33600828 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2021.147371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2020] [Revised: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The hormonal stress response, mediated by the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, shows greater responsiveness to various stressors in prepubertal compared to adult animals. Though the implications of this age-related change are unclear, this heightened reactivity might contribute to the increase in stress-related dysfunctions observed during adolescence. Interestingly, prepubertal animals show greater stress-induced neural activation compared to adults in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN), the area responsible for initiating the hormonal stress response. Thus, it is possible that direct afferents to the PVN, such as the anterior bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (aBST), nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS), posterior BST (pBST), medial preoptic area (MPOA), and dorsomedial nucleus (DMN), contribute to this age-dependent change in reactivity. To investigate these possibilities, two separate experiments were conducted in prepubertal (30 days old) and adult (70 days old) male rats using the retrograde tracer, Fluoro-Gold (FG), and FOS immunohistochemistry to study neural connectivity and activation, respectively. Though there was no difference in the number or size of FG-positive cells in the PVN afferents we examined, we found a significantly greater number of stress-induced FOS-like-positive cells in the aBST and significantly fewer in the DMN in prepubertal compared to adult animals. Together these data suggest that functional, instead of structural, changes in nuclei that project to the PVN may lead to the greater PVN stress responsiveness observed prior to adolescence. Furthermore, these data indicate that nuclei known to directly modulate HPA stress responsiveness show differential activation patterns before and after adolescent development.
Collapse
|
45
|
Boero G, Tyler RE, Todd CA, O'Buckley TK, Balan I, Besheer J, Morrow AL. (3α,5α)3-hydroxypregnan-20-one (3α,5α-THP) regulation of hypothalamic and extrahypothalamic corticotropin releasing factor (CRF): Sexual dimorphism and brain region specificity in Sprague Dawley rats. Neuropharmacology 2021; 186:108463. [PMID: 33460689 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2021.108463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2020] [Revised: 01/07/2021] [Accepted: 01/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
CRF is the main activator of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in response to stress. CRF neurons are found mainly in the hypothalamus, but CRF positive cells and CRF1 receptors are also found in extrahypothalamic structures, including amygdala (CeA), hippocampus, NAc and VTA. CRF release in the hypothalamus is regulated by inhibitory GABAergic interneurons and extrahypothalamic glutamatergic inputs, and disruption of this balance is found in stress-related disorders and addiction. (3α,5α)3-hydroxypregnan-20-one (3α,5α-THP), the most potent positive modulator of GABAA receptors, attenuates the stress response reducing hypothalamic CRF mRNA expression and ACTH and corticosterone serum levels. In this study, we explored 3α,5α-THP regulation of hypothalamic and extrahypothalamic CRF mRNA and peptide expression, in male and female Sprague Dawley rats, following vehicle or 3α,5α-THP administration (15 mg/kg). In the hypothalamus, we found sex differences in CRF mRNA expression (females +74%, p < 0.01) and CRF peptide levels (females -71%, p < 0.001). 3α,5α-THP administration reduced hypothalamic CRF mRNA expression only in males (-50%, p < 0.05) and did not alter CRF peptide expression in either sex. In hippocampus and CeA, 3α,5α-THP administration reduced CRF peptide concentrations only in the male (hippocampus -29%, p < 0.05; CeA -62%, p < 0.01). In contrast, 3α,5α-THP injection increased CRF peptide concentration in the VTA of both males (+32%, p < 0.01) and females (+26%, p < 0.01). The results show sex and region-specific regulation of CRF signals and the response to 3α,5α-THP administration. This data may be key to successful development of therapeutic approaches for stress-related disorders and addiction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Giorgia Boero
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA; Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA; Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Ryan E Tyler
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA; Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Caroline A Todd
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Todd K O'Buckley
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Irina Balan
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Joyce Besheer
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA; Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - A Leslie Morrow
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA; Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA; Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Sheng JA, Bales NJ, Myers SA, Bautista AI, Roueinfar M, Hale TM, Handa RJ. The Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis: Development, Programming Actions of Hormones, and Maternal-Fetal Interactions. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 14:601939. [PMID: 33519393 PMCID: PMC7838595 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2020.601939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2020] [Accepted: 12/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis is a complex system of neuroendocrine pathways and feedback loops that function to maintain physiological homeostasis. Abnormal development of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis can further result in long-term alterations in neuropeptide and neurotransmitter synthesis in the central nervous system, as well as glucocorticoid hormone synthesis in the periphery. Together, these changes can potentially lead to a disruption in neuroendocrine, behavioral, autonomic, and metabolic functions in adulthood. In this review, we will discuss the regulation of the HPA axis and its development. We will also examine the maternal-fetal hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and disruption of the normal fetal environment which becomes a major risk factor for many neurodevelopmental pathologies in adulthood, such as major depressive disorder, anxiety, schizophrenia, and others.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Julietta A. Sheng
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
| | - Natalie J. Bales
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
| | - Sage A. Myers
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
| | - Anna I. Bautista
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
| | - Mina Roueinfar
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
| | - Taben M. Hale
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix, AZ, United States
| | - Robert J. Handa
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix, AZ, United States
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Dudek KA, Dion‐Albert L, Kaufmann FN, Tuck E, Lebel M, Menard C. Neurobiology of resilience in depression: immune and vascular insights from human and animal studies. Eur J Neurosci 2021; 53:183-221. [PMID: 31421056 PMCID: PMC7891571 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2019] [Revised: 07/22/2019] [Accepted: 08/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a chronic and recurrent psychiatric condition characterized by depressed mood, social isolation and anhedonia. It will affect 20% of individuals with considerable economic impacts. Unfortunately, 30-50% of depressed individuals are resistant to current antidepressant treatments. MDD is twice as prevalent in women and associated symptoms are different. Depression's main environmental risk factor is chronic stress, and women report higher levels of stress in daily life. However, not every stressed individual becomes depressed, highlighting the need to identify biological determinants of stress vulnerability but also resilience. Based on a reverse translational approach, rodent models of depression were developed to study the mechanisms underlying susceptibility vs resilience. Indeed, a subpopulation of animals can display coping mechanisms and a set of biological alterations leading to stress resilience. The aetiology of MDD is multifactorial and involves several physiological systems. Exacerbation of endocrine and immune responses from both innate and adaptive systems are observed in depressed individuals and mice exhibiting depression-like behaviours. Increasing attention has been given to neurovascular health since higher prevalence of cardiovascular diseases is found in MDD patients and inflammatory conditions are associated with depression, treatment resistance and relapse. Here, we provide an overview of endocrine, immune and vascular changes associated with stress vulnerability vs. resilience in rodents and when available, in humans. Lack of treatment efficacy suggests that neuron-centric treatments do not address important causal biological factors and better understanding of stress-induced adaptations, including sex differences, could contribute to develop novel therapeutic strategies including personalized medicine approaches.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna A. Dudek
- Department of Psychiatry and NeuroscienceFaculty of Medicine and CERVO Brain Research CenterUniversité LavalQuebec CityQCCanada
| | - Laurence Dion‐Albert
- Department of Psychiatry and NeuroscienceFaculty of Medicine and CERVO Brain Research CenterUniversité LavalQuebec CityQCCanada
| | - Fernanda Neutzling Kaufmann
- Department of Psychiatry and NeuroscienceFaculty of Medicine and CERVO Brain Research CenterUniversité LavalQuebec CityQCCanada
| | - Ellen Tuck
- Smurfit Institute of GeneticsTrinity CollegeDublinIreland
| | - Manon Lebel
- Department of Psychiatry and NeuroscienceFaculty of Medicine and CERVO Brain Research CenterUniversité LavalQuebec CityQCCanada
| | - Caroline Menard
- Department of Psychiatry and NeuroscienceFaculty of Medicine and CERVO Brain Research CenterUniversité LavalQuebec CityQCCanada
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Gu Y, Ye T, Tan P, Tong L, Ji J, Gu Y, Shen Z, Shen X, Lu X, Huang C. Tolerance-inducing effect and properties of innate immune stimulation on chronic stress-induced behavioral abnormalities in mice. Brain Behav Immun 2021; 91:451-471. [PMID: 33157258 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2020.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2020] [Revised: 10/29/2020] [Accepted: 11/01/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Over-activation of the innate immune system constitutes a risk factor for the development of nervous system disorders but may reduce the severity of these disorders by inducing tolerance effect. Here, we studied the tolerance-inducing effect and properties of innate immune stimulation on chronic social defeat stress (CSDS)-induced behavioral abnormalities in mice. A single injection of the innate immune enhancer lipopolysaccharide (LPS) one day before stress exposure prevented CSDS-induced impairment in social interaction and increased immobility time in the tail suspension test and forced swimming test. This effect was observed at varying doses (100, 500, and 1000 μg/kg) and peaked at 100 μg/kg. A single LPS injection (100 μg/kg) either one or five but not ten days before stress exposure prevented CSDS-induced behavioral abnormalities. A second LPS injection ten days after the first LPS injection, or a 2 × or 4 × LPS injections ten days before stress exposure also induced tolerance against stress-induced behavioral abnormalities. Our results furthermore showed that a single LPS injection one day before stress exposure skewed the neuroinflammatory response in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex of CSDS-exposed mice toward an anti-inflammatory phenotype. Inhibiting the central innate immune response by pretreatment with minocycline or PLX3397 abrogated the tolerance-inducing effect of LPS preconditioning on CSDS-induced behavioral abnormalities and neuroinflammatory responses in the brain. These results provide evidence for a prophylactic effect of innate immune stimulation on stress-induced behavioral abnormalities via changes in microglial activation, which may help develop novel strategies for the prevention of stress-induced psychological disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yue Gu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Nantong University, #19 Qixiu Road, Nantong 226001, Jiangsu, China
| | - Ting Ye
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Nantong University, #19 Qixiu Road, Nantong 226001, Jiangsu, China
| | - Pingping Tan
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Nantong University, #19 Qixiu Road, Nantong 226001, Jiangsu, China
| | - Lijuan Tong
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Nantong University, #19 Qixiu Road, Nantong 226001, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jianlin Ji
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Nantong University, #19 Qixiu Road, Nantong 226001, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yiming Gu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Nantong University, #19 Qixiu Road, Nantong 226001, Jiangsu, China
| | - Zhongxia Shen
- Department of Psychosomatic and Psychiatric Diseases, Huzhou Third Municipal Hospital Huzhou, the Affiliated Hospital of Huzhou University, #2088 Tiaoxi East Road, Huzhou 313000, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xinhua Shen
- Department of Psychosomatic and Psychiatric Diseases, Huzhou Third Municipal Hospital Huzhou, the Affiliated Hospital of Huzhou University, #2088 Tiaoxi East Road, Huzhou 313000, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xu Lu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Nantong University, #19 Qixiu Road, Nantong 226001, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Chao Huang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Nantong University, #19 Qixiu Road, Nantong 226001, Jiangsu, China.
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Steger JS, Land BB, Lemos JC, Chavkin C, Phillips PEM. Insidious Transmission of a Stress-Related Neuroadaptation. Front Behav Neurosci 2020; 14:564054. [PMID: 33132859 PMCID: PMC7571264 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2020.564054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2020] [Accepted: 08/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Stress is highly pervasive in humans, impacting motivated behaviors with an enormous toll on life quality. Many of the effects of stress are orchestrated by neuropeptides such as corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF). It has previously been shown that in stress-naïve male mice, CRF acts in the core of the nucleus accumbens (NAc) to produce appetitive effects and to increase dopamine release; yet in stress-exposed male mice, CRF loses its capacity to modulate NAc dopamine release and is aversive. In the current research, we tested whether this effect is comparable in females to males and whether the neuroadaptation is susceptible to social transmission. We found that, like in males, CRF increased dopamine release in stress-naïve but not stress-exposed female mice. Importantly, this persistent physiological change was not accompanied by overt behavioral changes that would be indicative of depression- or anxiety-like phenotype. Nonetheless, when these mice were housed for 7 days with stress-naïve conspecifics, the cage mates also exhibited a loss of dopamine potentiation by CRF. These data demonstrate the asymptomatic, yet pervasive transmission of stress-related neuroadaptations in the population.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer S Steger
- Center of Excellence in Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain and Emotion, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States.,Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Benjamin B Land
- Center of Excellence in Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain and Emotion, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States.,Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Julia C Lemos
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
| | - Charles Chavkin
- Center of Excellence in Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain and Emotion, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States.,Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Paul E M Phillips
- Center of Excellence in Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain and Emotion, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States.,Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Kosyreva AM, Dzhalilova DS, Makarova OV, Tsvetkov IS, Zolotova NA, Diatroptova MA, Ponomarenko EA, Mkhitarov VA, Khochanskiy DN, Mikhailova LP. Sex differences of inflammatory and immune response in pups of Wistar rats with SIRS. Sci Rep 2020; 10:15884. [PMID: 32985516 PMCID: PMC7522713 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-72537-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2020] [Accepted: 09/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
It is a common fact, that the content of sex hormones in humans and animals varies in different age periods. The functional state of the immune system also changes with age. However, sex differences studies of inflammatory and immune responses during puberty prevail in literature. Investigation of immune responses to LPS peculiarities in prepubertal females and males may contribute to the development of more effective immunotherapy and minimize side effects of children vaccination. Therefore, the aim of this work was to investigate the LPS-induced SIRS sex differences in prepubertal Wistar rats. Despite the absence of sex differences in estradiol and testosterone levels, LPS-induced inflammatory changes in liver and lungs are more pronounced among males. Males demonstrate the increasing neopterin, corticosterone levels and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activity. Not less important is that in females, demonstrating less morphological changes in liver and lungs, endotoxin level is tenfold higher, and corticosterone level decreases. Thus, endotoxin cannot be used as a marker of the severity of multiple organ failure in prepubertal period. The LPS-induced immune reactions in females and males are similar and are characterized by immunosuppression. Both females and males have decreased production of cytokines (IL-2, IL-4, TNF-α, TGF-β) and the absolute number of CD3 + and CD3 + CD8 + lymphocytes in blood. The acute atrophy of thymus and apoptosis of thymic cells are revealed in animals of both sexes. However, the number of CD3 + CD4 + T-helpers and CD4 + CD25 + Foxp3 + T-cells decreases only in females with SIRS, and in males there was a decrease of CD45R + B-cells. The least expressed sex differences in immune responses in the prepubertal period can be determined by the low levels of sex steroids and the absence of their immunomodulatory effect. Further studies require the identification of mechanisms, determining the sex differences in the inflammatory and immune responses in prepubertal animals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anna M Kosyreva
- Department of Immunomorphology of Inflammation, Research Institute of Human Morphology, Tsyurupi str 3, 117418, Moscow, Russia. .,Medical Institute of Peoples' Friendship, University of Russia (RUDN University), Moscow, Russia.
| | - Dzhuliia Sh Dzhalilova
- Department of Immunomorphology of Inflammation, Research Institute of Human Morphology, Tsyurupi str 3, 117418, Moscow, Russia
| | - Olga V Makarova
- Department of Immunomorphology of Inflammation, Research Institute of Human Morphology, Tsyurupi str 3, 117418, Moscow, Russia
| | - Ivan S Tsvetkov
- Department of Immunomorphology of Inflammation, Research Institute of Human Morphology, Tsyurupi str 3, 117418, Moscow, Russia
| | - Natalia A Zolotova
- Department of Immunomorphology of Inflammation, Research Institute of Human Morphology, Tsyurupi str 3, 117418, Moscow, Russia
| | - Marina A Diatroptova
- Department of Immunomorphology of Inflammation, Research Institute of Human Morphology, Tsyurupi str 3, 117418, Moscow, Russia
| | - Elena A Ponomarenko
- Department of Immunomorphology of Inflammation, Research Institute of Human Morphology, Tsyurupi str 3, 117418, Moscow, Russia
| | - Vladimir A Mkhitarov
- Department of Immunomorphology of Inflammation, Research Institute of Human Morphology, Tsyurupi str 3, 117418, Moscow, Russia
| | - Dmitriy N Khochanskiy
- Department of Immunomorphology of Inflammation, Research Institute of Human Morphology, Tsyurupi str 3, 117418, Moscow, Russia
| | - Liliya P Mikhailova
- Department of Immunomorphology of Inflammation, Research Institute of Human Morphology, Tsyurupi str 3, 117418, Moscow, Russia
| |
Collapse
|