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Hoffmann LB, Li B, Zhao Q, Wei W, Leighton LJ, Bredy TW, Pang TY, Hannan AJ. Chronically high stress hormone levels dysregulate sperm long noncoding RNAs and their embryonic microinjection alters development and affective behaviours. Mol Psychiatry 2024; 29:590-601. [PMID: 38114632 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02350-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies on paternal epigenetic inheritance have shown that sperm RNAs play a role in this type of inheritance. The microinjection of sperm small noncoding RNAs into fertilised mouse oocytes induces reprogramming of the early embryo, which is thought to be responsible for the differences observed in adult phenotype. While sperm long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have also been investigated in a previous study, their microinjection into fertilised oocytes did not yield conclusive results regarding their role in modulating brain development and adult behavioural phenotypes. Therefore, in the current study we sought to investigate this further. We used our previously established paternal corticosterone (stress hormone) model to assess sperm lncRNA expression using CaptureSeq, a sequencing technique that is more sensitive than the ones used in other studies in the field. Paternal corticosterone exposure led to dysregulation of sperm long noncoding RNA expression, which encompassed lncRNAs, circular RNAs and transposable element transcripts. Although they have limited functional annotation, bioinformatic approaches indicated the potential of these lncRNAs in regulating brain development and function. We then separated and isolated the sperm lncRNAs and performed microinjections into fertilised oocytes, to generate embryos with modulated lncRNA populations. We observed that the resulting adult offspring had lower body weight and altered anxiety and affective behavioural responses, demonstrating roles for lncRNAs in modulating development and brain function. This study provides novel insights into the roles of lncRNAs in epigenetic inheritance, including impacts on brain development and behaviours of relevance to affective disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- L B Hoffmann
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - B Li
- Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Q Zhao
- Cognitive Neuroepigenetics Laboratory, Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - W Wei
- Cognitive Neuroepigenetics Laboratory, Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - L J Leighton
- Cognitive Neuroepigenetics Laboratory, Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - T W Bredy
- Cognitive Neuroepigenetics Laboratory, Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - T Y Pang
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - A J Hannan
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
- Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
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Hoffmann LB, McVicar EA, Harris RV, Collar-Fernández C, Clark MB, Hannan AJ, Pang TY. Increased paternal corticosterone exposure influences offspring behaviour and expression of urinary pheromones. BMC Biol 2023; 21:186. [PMID: 37667240 PMCID: PMC10478242 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-023-01678-z] [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: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Studies have shown that paternal stress prior to conception can influence the innate behaviours of their offspring. The evolutionary impacts of such intergenerational effects are therefore of considerable interest. Our group previously showed in a model of daily stress that glucocorticoid treatment of adult male mouse breeders prior to conception leads to increased anxiety-related behaviours in male offspring. Here, we aimed to understand the transgenerational effects of paternal stress exposure on the social behaviour of progeny and its potential influence on reproductive success. RESULTS We assessed social parameters including social reward, male attractiveness and social dominance, in the offspring (F1) and grand-offspring (F2). We report that paternal corticosterone treatment was associated with increased display of subordination towards other male mice. Those mice were unexpectedly more attractive to female mice while expressing reduced levels of the key rodent pheromone Darcin, contrary to its conventional role in driving female attraction. We investigated the epigenetic regulation of major urinary protein (Mup) expression by performing the first Oxford Nanopore direct methylation of sperm DNA in a mouse model of stress, but found no differences in Mup genes that could be attributed to corticosterone-treatment. Furthermore, no overt differences of the prefrontal cortex transcriptome were found in F1 offspring, implying that peripheral mechanisms are likely contributing to the phenotypic differences. Interestingly, no phenotypic differences were observed in the F2 grand-offspring. CONCLUSIONS Overall, our findings highlight the potential of moderate paternal stress to affect intergenerational (mal)adaptive responses, informing future studies of adaptiveness in rodents, humans and other species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas B Hoffmann
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Evangeline A McVicar
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Rebekah V Harris
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Coralina Collar-Fernández
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Michael B Clark
- Centre for Stem Cell Systems, Department of Anatomy and Physiology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Anthony J Hannan
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Terence Y Pang
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
- Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
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Vaquero-Rodríguez A, Ortuzar N, Lafuente JV, Bengoetxea H. Enriched environment as a nonpharmacological neuroprotective strategy. Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2023; 248:553-560. [PMID: 37309729 PMCID: PMC10350798 DOI: 10.1177/15353702231171915] [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] [Indexed: 06/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The structure and functions of the central nervous system are influenced by environmental stimuli, which also play an important role in brain diseases. Enriched environment (EE) consists of producing modifications in the environment of standard laboratory animals to induce an improvement in their biological conditions. This paradigm promotes transcriptional and translational effects that result in ameliorated motor, sensory, and cognitive stimulation. EE has been shown to enhance experience-dependent cellular plasticity and cognitive performance in animals housed under these conditions compared with animals housed under standard conditions. In addition, several studies claim that EE induces nerve repair by restoring functional activities through morphological, cellular, and molecular adaptations in the brain that have clinical relevance in neurological and psychiatric disorders. In fact, the effects of EE have been studied in different animal models of psychiatric and neurological diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, schizophrenia, ischemic brain injury, or traumatic brain injury, delaying the onset and progression of a wide variety of symptoms of these disorders. In this review, we analyze the action of EE focused on diseases of the central nervous system and the translation to humans to develop a bridge to its application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Vaquero-Rodríguez
- Department of Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine and Nursing, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), 48940 Leioa, Spain
- Neurodegenerative Diseases Group, Biocruces Bizkaia Health Research Institute, 48903 Barakaldo, Spain
| | - Naiara Ortuzar
- Department of Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine and Nursing, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), 48940 Leioa, Spain
- Neurodegenerative Diseases Group, Biocruces Bizkaia Health Research Institute, 48903 Barakaldo, Spain
| | - José Vicente Lafuente
- Department of Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine and Nursing, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), 48940 Leioa, Spain
- Neurodegenerative Diseases Group, Biocruces Bizkaia Health Research Institute, 48903 Barakaldo, Spain
| | - Harkaitz Bengoetxea
- Department of Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine and Nursing, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), 48940 Leioa, Spain
- Neurodegenerative Diseases Group, Biocruces Bizkaia Health Research Institute, 48903 Barakaldo, Spain
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Dos Anjos-Garcia T, Kanashiro A, de Campos AC, Coimbra NC. Environmental Enrichment Facilitates Anxiety in Conflict-Based Tests but Inhibits Predator Threat-Induced Defensive Behaviour in Male Mice. Neuropsychobiology 2022; 81:225-236. [PMID: 35026760 DOI: 10.1159/000521184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 11/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Environmental enrichment (EE) is a useful and sophisticated tool that improves rodents' well-being by stimulating social behaviour and cognitive, motor, and sensory functions. Exposure to EE induces neuroplasticity in different brain areas, including the limbic system, which has been implicated in the control of anxiety and fear. However, the effects of EE on ethologically relevant naturalistic behaviours, such as those displayed by prey in the presence of predators, remain largely unexplored. MATERIAL AND METHODS In the present study, we investigated anxiety- and panic attack-like behaviours in a predator (cat)-prey confrontation paradigm and compared them with those in classical assays, such as the elevated plus-maze (EPM), marble-burying, and open field tests (OFTs), using C57BL/6J male mice housed in enriched or standard environments for 6 weeks. RESULTS We observed that EE exposure caused enhancement of the levels of anxiety-like behaviours in the EPM and OFTs, increasing risk assessment (an anxiety-related response), and decreasing escape (a panic attack-like response) behaviours during exposure to the predator versus prey confrontation paradigm. CONCLUSION Taken together, our findings suggest that enriched external environments can modify the processing of fear- and anxiety-related stimuli in dangerous situations, changing the decision-making defensive strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tayllon Dos Anjos-Garcia
- Department of Pharmacology, Laboratory of Neuroanatomy and Neuropsychobiology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School of the University of São Paulo (FMRP-USP), São Paulo, Brazil.,NAP-USP-Neurobiology of Emotions Research Centre (NuPNE), Ribeirão Preto Medical School of the University of São Paulo (FMRP-USP), São Paulo, Brazil.,Behavioural Neurosciences Institute (INeC), São Paulo, Brazil.,Ophidiarium LNN-FMRP-USP/INeC, Ribeirão Preto Medical School of the University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Alexandre Kanashiro
- Department of Pharmacology, Laboratory of Neuroanatomy and Neuropsychobiology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School of the University of São Paulo (FMRP-USP), São Paulo, Brazil.,NAP-USP-Neurobiology of Emotions Research Centre (NuPNE), Ribeirão Preto Medical School of the University of São Paulo (FMRP-USP), São Paulo, Brazil.,Ophidiarium LNN-FMRP-USP/INeC, Ribeirão Preto Medical School of the University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,Division of Neurology, Department of Neuroscience and Behavioural Sciences, Post-Graduation Program in Neurology/Neurosciences, Ribeirão Preto Medical School of the University of São Paulo (FMRP-USP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Alline Cristina de Campos
- Department of Pharmacology, Pharmacology of Neuroplasticity Laboratory, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Norberto Cysne Coimbra
- Department of Pharmacology, Laboratory of Neuroanatomy and Neuropsychobiology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School of the University of São Paulo (FMRP-USP), São Paulo, Brazil.,NAP-USP-Neurobiology of Emotions Research Centre (NuPNE), Ribeirão Preto Medical School of the University of São Paulo (FMRP-USP), São Paulo, Brazil.,Behavioural Neurosciences Institute (INeC), São Paulo, Brazil.,Ophidiarium LNN-FMRP-USP/INeC, Ribeirão Preto Medical School of the University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,Division of Neurology, Department of Neuroscience and Behavioural Sciences, Post-Graduation Program in Neurology/Neurosciences, Ribeirão Preto Medical School of the University of São Paulo (FMRP-USP), São Paulo, Brazil
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Bodden C, Pang TY, Feng Y, Mridha F, Kong G, Li S, Watt MJ, Reichelt AC, Hannan AJ. Intergenerational effects of a paternal Western diet during adolescence on offspring gut microbiota, stress reactivity, and social behavior. FASEB J 2021; 36:e21981. [PMID: 34907601 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202100920rr] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2021] [Revised: 09/16/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The global consumption of highly processed, calorie-dense foods has contributed to an epidemic of overweight and obesity, along with negative consequences for metabolic dysfunction and disease susceptibility. As it becomes apparent that overweight and obesity have ripple effects through generations, understanding of the processes involved is required, in both maternal and paternal epigenetic inheritance. We focused on the patrilineal effects of a Western-style high-fat (21%) and high-sugar (34%) diet (WD) compared to control diet (CD) during adolescence and investigated F0 and F1 mice for physiological and behavioral changes. F0 males (fathers) showed increased body weight, impaired glycemic control, and decreased attractiveness to females. Paternal WD caused significant phenotypic changes in F1 offspring, including higher body weights of pups, increased Actinobacteria abundance in the gut microbiota (ascertained using 16S microbiome profiling), a food preference for WD pellets, increased male dominance and attractiveness to females, as well as decreased behavioral despair. These results collectively demonstrate the long-term intergenerational effects of a Western-style diet during paternal adolescence. The behavioral and physiological alterations in F1 offspring provide evidence of adaptive paternal programming via epigenetic inheritance. These findings have important implications for understanding paternally mediated intergenerational inheritance, and its relevance to offspring health and disease susceptibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carina Bodden
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Terence Y Pang
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Yingshi Feng
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Faria Mridha
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Geraldine Kong
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Shanshan Li
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Matthew J Watt
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Amy C Reichelt
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.,Department of Medical Sciences, Adelaide Medical School, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Anthony J Hannan
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.,Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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Parikh R, Sorek E, Parikh S, Michael K, Bikovski L, Tshori S, Shefer G, Mingelgreen S, Zornitzki T, Knobler H, Chodick G, Mardamshina M, Boonman A, Kronfeld-Schor N, Bar-Joseph H, Ben-Yosef D, Amir H, Pavlovsky M, Matz H, Ben-Dov T, Golan T, Nizri E, Liber D, Liel Y, Brenner R, Gepner Y, Karnieli-Miller O, Hemi R, Shalgi R, Kimchi T, Percik R, Weller A, Levy C. Skin exposure to UVB light induces a skin-brain-gonad axis and sexual behavior. Cell Rep 2021; 36:109579. [PMID: 34433056 PMCID: PMC8411113 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Revised: 05/12/2021] [Accepted: 07/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Ultraviolet (UV) light affects endocrinological and behavioral aspects of sexuality via an unknown mechanism. Here we discover that ultraviolet B (UVB) exposure enhances the levels of sex-steroid hormones and sexual behavior, which are mediated by the skin. In female mice, UVB exposure increases hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal axis hormone levels, resulting in larger ovaries; extends estrus days; and increases anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) expression. UVB exposure also enhances the sexual responsiveness and attractiveness of females and male-female interactions. Conditional knockout of p53 specifically in skin keratinocytes abolishes the effects of UVB. Thus, UVB triggers a skin-brain-gonadal axis through skin p53 activation. In humans, solar exposure enhances romantic passion in both genders and aggressiveness in men, as seen in analysis of individual questionaries, and positively correlates with testosterone level. Our findings suggest opportunities for treatment of sex-steroid-related dysfunctions. UVB exposure increases circulating sex-steroid levels in mice and humans UVB exposure enhances female attractiveness and receptiveness toward males UVB exposure increases females’ estrus phase, HPG axis hormones, and follicle growth Skin p53 regulates UVB-induced sexual behavior and ovarian physiological changes
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Affiliation(s)
- Roma Parikh
- Department of Human Genetics and Biochemistry, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Eschar Sorek
- Department of Human Genetics and Biochemistry, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Shivang Parikh
- Department of Human Genetics and Biochemistry, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Keren Michael
- Department of Human Services, The Max Stern Yezreel Valley Academic College, Jezreel Valley 1930600, Israel
| | - Lior Bikovski
- The Myers Neuro-Behavioral Core Facility, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel; School of Behavioral Sciences, Netanya Academic College, Netanya 4223587, Israel
| | - Sagi Tshori
- Research Authority, Kaplan Medical Center, Rehovot, Israel; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Galit Shefer
- Research Authority, Kaplan Medical Center, Rehovot, Israel
| | | | - Taiba Zornitzki
- Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolic Disease Institute, Kaplan Medical Center, Hadassah School of Medicine, Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Hilla Knobler
- Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolic Disease Institute, Kaplan Medical Center, Hadassah School of Medicine, Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Gabriel Chodick
- Maccabitech, Maccabi Healthcare Services, Tel Aviv, Israel; Institute of Endocrinology, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Israel
| | - Mariya Mardamshina
- Department of Human Genetics and Biochemistry, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Arjan Boonman
- School of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences and the Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Noga Kronfeld-Schor
- School of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences and the Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Hadas Bar-Joseph
- The TMCR Unit, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Dalit Ben-Yosef
- IVF Lab & Wolfe PGD-Stem Cell Lab, Fertility Institute, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel; Department of Cell Biology and Development, Sackler Faculty of Medicine & Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Hadar Amir
- Fertility Institute, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel; Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Mor Pavlovsky
- Department of Dermatology, Tel Aviv Sourasky (Ichilov) Medical Center, Tel Aviv 6423906, Israel
| | - Hagit Matz
- Department of Dermatology, Tel Aviv Sourasky (Ichilov) Medical Center, Tel Aviv 6423906, Israel; Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Tom Ben-Dov
- Department of Human Genetics and Biochemistry, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel; Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck surgery, Meir Medical Center, Kfar Saba 4428164, Israel
| | - Tamar Golan
- Department of Human Genetics and Biochemistry, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Eran Nizri
- Department of Dermatology, Tel Aviv Sourasky (Ichilov) Medical Center, Tel Aviv 6423906, Israel; Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Daphna Liber
- Faculty of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences, Ono Academic College, Kiryat Ono, Israel
| | - Yair Liel
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Ronen Brenner
- Institute of Pathology, E. Wolfson Medical Center, Holon 58100, Israel
| | - Yftach Gepner
- School of Public Health, Sackler Faculty of Medicine and Sylvan Adams Sports Institute, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Orit Karnieli-Miller
- Department of Medical Education, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Rina Hemi
- Institute of Endocrinology, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Israel
| | - Ruth Shalgi
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Tali Kimchi
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Ruth Percik
- Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel; Institute of Endocrinology, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Israel
| | - Aron Weller
- Department of Psychology and the Gonda Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan 5290002, Israel
| | - Carmit Levy
- Department of Human Genetics and Biochemistry, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel.
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Molina SJ, Lietti ÁE, Carreira Caro CS, Buján GE, Guelman LR. Effects of early noise exposure on hippocampal-dependent behaviors during adolescence in male rats: influence of different housing conditions. Anim Cogn 2021; 25:103-120. [PMID: 34322771 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-021-01540-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2021] [Revised: 07/13/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Central nervous system (CNS) development is a very complex process that can be altered by environmental stimuli such as noise, which can generate long-term auditory and/or extra-auditory impairments. We have previously reported that early noise exposure can induce hippocampus-related behavioral alterations in postnatal day (PND) 28 adolescent rats. Furthermore, we recently found biochemical modifications in the hippocampus (HC) of these animals that seemed to endure even in more mature animals (i.e. PND35) and that have not been studied along with behavioral correlates. Thus, the aim of this work was to reveal novel data about the effects of early noise exposure on hippocampal-dependent behaviors in more mature animals. Additionally, extended enriched environment (EE) housing was evaluated to determine its capacity to induce behavioral modifications, either by its neuroprotective ability or the greater stimulation that it generates. Male Wistar rats were exposed to different noise schemes at PND7 or PND15. Upon weaning, some animals were transferred to EE whereas others were kept in standard cages. At PND35, different hippocampal-dependent behavioral assessments were performed. Results showed noise-induced behavioral changes that differed according to the scheme and age of exposure used. In addition, housing in an EE was effective either in preventing some of these changes or in inducing the appearance of new behavioral modifications. These findings suggest that CNS development would be sensitive to the effects of different type of environmental stimuli such as noise or enriched housing, leading to maladaptive behavioral changes that last even until adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonia Jazmín Molina
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos (CEFyBO, UBA-CONICET), Facultad de Medicina, Paraguay 2155, Piso 15, 1121, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - Ángel Emanuel Lietti
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos (CEFyBO, UBA-CONICET), Facultad de Medicina, Paraguay 2155, Piso 15, 1121, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Candela Sofía Carreira Caro
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos (CEFyBO, UBA-CONICET), Facultad de Medicina, Paraguay 2155, Piso 15, 1121, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Gustavo Ezequiel Buján
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Medicina, 1ª Cátedra de Farmacología, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Laura Ruth Guelman
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos (CEFyBO, UBA-CONICET), Facultad de Medicina, Paraguay 2155, Piso 15, 1121, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Medicina, 1ª Cátedra de Farmacología, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Nwachukwu K, Rhoads E, Meek S, Bardi M. Back to nature: herbal treatment, environmental enrichment, and social play can protect against unpredictable chronic stress in Long-Evans rats (Rattus norvegicus). Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2021; 238:2999-3012. [PMID: 34333673 PMCID: PMC8325775 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-021-05917-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
The importance of integrative biobehavioral responses to complex challenges cannot be overlooked. In this study, the synergetic effects of icariin (a flavonoid present in the plant Epimedium brevicornum), natural enrichment (NaEn), and play behavior were investigated. Rats (n = 60) were assigned to standard housing or NaEn; these two groups were subsequently divided into controls, rats receiving icariin treatments, and rats receiving icariin and allowed to play with an individual from another cage. All rats were exposed to unpredictable mild stressors for 4 weeks. At the end of the treatment, a Forced Swim Task (FST) was conducted to assess emotional regulation during an inescapable acute challenge. Biological samples were collected weekly and before and after the FST to monitor endocrine changes. Corticosterone (CORT), dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), and testosterone (T) were assayed. We found that icariin had a significant effect on DHEA/CORT ratios and T levels. NaEn also had a significant effect on both CORT and DHEA, but not on T levels. Play did not appear to be significantly related to the endocrine changes. The strongest positive effects on emotional resilience were observed in NaEn rats that also received icariin. Our results confirmed that using multiple channels to stimulate adaptive responses can be effective in increasing the ability of an organism to face uncertainty. Considering how quickly our life can change due to unpredictable events, our data is instrumental to a better comprehension of the many aspects of integrative biobehavioral responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kiana Nwachukwu
- grid.262455.20000 0001 2205 6070Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Randolph-Macon College, Ashland, VA 23005 USA
| | - Elizabeth Rhoads
- grid.262455.20000 0001 2205 6070Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Randolph-Macon College, Ashland, VA 23005 USA
| | - Sarah Meek
- grid.262455.20000 0001 2205 6070Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Randolph-Macon College, Ashland, VA 23005 USA
| | - Massimo Bardi
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Randolph-Macon College, Ashland, VA, 23005, USA. .,134D Copley Science Center, Randolph-Macon College, Ashland, VA, 23005, USA.
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Ménard S, Gelez H, Jacubovitch M, Coria-Avila GA, Pfaus JG. Appetitive olfactory conditioning in the neonatal male rat facilitates subsequent sexual partner preference. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2020; 121:104858. [PMID: 32919208 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2020.104858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Revised: 08/20/2020] [Accepted: 08/25/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Pairing a neutral odor with a male rat's initial sexual experiences to ejaculation produces a subsequent conditioned ejaculatory preference (CEP) in which males ejaculate preferentially with receptive females that bear the odor relative to unscented receptive females. In 1986, Fillion and Blass reported that neonatal male rats exposed to a neutral lemon odor (citral) painted on their mother's ventrum while nursing ejaculated faster as adults with sexually receptive, citral-scented females compared to unscented receptive females. The present study examined whether the same odor paired with tactile reward in neonatal male rats would alter the subsequent expression of a CEP. Newborn Long-Evans male rats were separated from their mothers each day beginning on Postnatal Day 1 and placed into a Plexiglas cage that contained either unscented or citral-scented bedding (N = 8/group). During each trial, rats were stroked from head to toe with a soft, narrow paintbrush, after which they were returned to their mothers. Males were weaned at 21 days of age and housed in same-treatment pairs for an intervening 50 days. Following habituation to a large open field, males were presented with two sexually receptive Long-Evans females, one scented with citral, and the other unscented, for a 30-min test of copulation. Males in the Paired group copulated and ejaculated preferentially with the scented female whereas males in the Unpaired group showed no preference. Pairing a neutral odor with a reward state in infancy generates a preference in male rats to ejaculate with sexually receptive females bearing the same odor in adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shann Ménard
- Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montréal, QC H4B 1R6 Canada
| | - Hélène Gelez
- Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montréal, QC H4B 1R6 Canada
| | - Mariana Jacubovitch
- Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montréal, QC H4B 1R6 Canada
| | - Genaro A Coria-Avila
- Centro de Investigaciones Cerebrales, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, VER 91193 México
| | - James G Pfaus
- Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montréal, QC H4B 1R6 Canada; Centro de Investigaciones Cerebrales, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, VER 91193 México.
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Smail MA, Smith BL, Nawreen N, Herman JP. Differential impact of stress and environmental enrichment on corticolimbic circuits. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2020; 197:172993. [PMID: 32659243 PMCID: PMC7484282 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2020.172993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2020] [Revised: 05/27/2020] [Accepted: 07/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Stress exposure can produce profound changes in physiology and behavior that can impair health and well-being. Of note, stress exposure is linked to anxiety disorders and depression in humans. The widespread impact of these disorders warrants investigation into treatments to mitigate the harmful effects of stress. Pharmacological treatments fail to help many with these disorders, so recent work has focused on non-pharmacological alternatives. One of the most promising of these alternatives is environmental enrichment (EE). In rodents, EE includes social, physical, and cognitive stimulation for the animal, in the form of larger cages, running wheels, and toys. EE successfully reduces the maladaptive effects of various stressors, both as treatment and prophylaxis. While we know that EE can have beneficial effects under stress conditions, the morphological and molecular mechanisms underlying these behavioral effects are still not well understood. EE is known to alter neurogenesis, dendrite development, and expression of neurotrophic growth factors, effects that vary by type of enrichment, age, and sex. To add to this complexity, EE has differential effects in different brain regions. Understanding how EE exerts its protective effects on morphological and molecular levels could hold the key to developing more targeted pharmacological treatments. In this review, we summarize the literature on the morphological and molecular consequences of EE and stress in key emotional regulatory pathways in the brain, the hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, and amygdala. The similarities and differences among these regions provide some insight into stress-EE interaction that may be exploited in future efforts toward prevention of, and intervention in, stress-related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marissa A Smail
- Department of Pharmacology and Systems Physiology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States.
| | - Brittany L Smith
- Department of Pharmacology and Systems Physiology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Nawshaba Nawreen
- Department of Pharmacology and Systems Physiology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - James P Herman
- Department of Pharmacology and Systems Physiology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States; Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States; Department of Neurology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States
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Hoffmann LB, Rae M, Marianno P, Pang TY, Hannan AJ, Camarini R. Preconceptual paternal environmental stimulation alters behavioural phenotypes and adaptive responses intergenerationally in Swiss mice. Physiol Behav 2020; 223:112968. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2020.112968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2020] [Revised: 04/26/2020] [Accepted: 05/12/2020] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
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Rojas-Carvajal M, Sequeira-Cordero A, Brenes JC. Neurobehavioral Effects of Restricted and Unpredictable Environmental Enrichment in Rats. Front Pharmacol 2020; 11:674. [PMID: 32477137 PMCID: PMC7235364 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2020.00674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2020] [Accepted: 04/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
To study how motivational factors modulate experience-dependent neurobehavioral plasticity, we modify a protocol of environmental enrichment (EE) in rats. We assumed that the benefits derived from EE might vary according to the level of incentive salience attributed to it. To enhance the rewarding properties of EE, access to the EE cage varied randomly from 2 to 48 h for 30 days (REE). The REE group was enriched only 50% of the time and was compared to standard housing and continuous EE (CEE) groups. As behavioral readout, we analyzed the spontaneous activity and the ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) within the EE cage weekly, and in the open field test at the end of the experiment. In the cage, REE increased the utilization of materials, physical activity, and the rate of appetitive USVs. In the OF, the CEE-induced enhancements in novelty habituation and social signaling were equaled by the REE. At the neural level, we measured the expression of genes related to neural plasticity and epigenetic regulations in different brain regions. In the dorsal striatum and hippocampus, REE upregulated the expression of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor, its tropomyosin kinase B receptor, and the DNA methyltransferase 3A. Altogether, our results suggest that the higher activity within the cage and the augmented incentive motivation provoked by the REE boosted its neurobehavioral effects equaling or surpassing those observed in the CEE condition. As constant exposures to treatments or stimulating environments are virtually impossible for humans, restricted EE protocols would have greater translational value than traditional ones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mijail Rojas-Carvajal
- Neuroscience Research Center, University of Costa Rica, San Pedro, Costa Rica.,Institute for Psychological Research, University of Costa Rica, San Pedro, Costa Rica
| | - Andrey Sequeira-Cordero
- Neuroscience Research Center, University of Costa Rica, San Pedro, Costa Rica.,Institute for Health Research, University of Costa Rica, San Pedro, Costa Rica
| | - Juan C Brenes
- Neuroscience Research Center, University of Costa Rica, San Pedro, Costa Rica.,Institute for Psychological Research, University of Costa Rica, San Pedro, Costa Rica
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Environment and early life: Decisive factors for stress-resilience and vulnerability. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2020; 150:155-185. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2019.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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Molina SJ, Buján GE, Rodriguez Gonzalez M, Capani F, Gómez-Casati ME, Guelman LR. Exposure of Developing Male Rats to One or Multiple Noise Sessions and Different Housing Conditions: Hippocampal Thioredoxin Changes and Behavioral Alterations. Front Behav Neurosci 2019; 13:182. [PMID: 31456671 PMCID: PMC6700388 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2019] [Accepted: 07/23/2019] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Exposure of developing rats to noise has shown to induce hippocampal-related behavioral alterations that were prevented after a week of housing in an enriched environment. However, neither the effect of repeated exposures nor its impact on key endogenous antioxidants had been studied yet. Thus, the aim of the present work was to reveal novel data about hippocampal oxidative state through the measurement of possible age-related differences in the levels of hippocampal thioredoxins in rats exposed to noise at different developmental ages and subjected to different schemes and housing conditions. In addition, the possibility that oxidative changes could underlie hippocampal-related behavioral changes was also analyzed. Developing male Wistar rats were exposed to noise for 2 h, either once or for 5 days. Upon weaning, some animals were transferred to an enriched cage for 1 week, whereas others were kept in standard cages. One week later, auditory and behavioral assessments, as well as measurement of hippocampal thioredoxin, were performed. Whereas no changes in the auditory function were observed, significant behavioral differences were found, that varied according to the age, scheme of exposure and housing condition. In addition, a significant increase in Trx-1 levels was found in all noise-exposed groups housed in standard cages. Housing animals in an enriched environment for 1 week was effective in preventing most of these changes. These findings suggest that animals become less susceptible to undergo behavioral alterations after repeated exposure to an environmental challenge, probably due to the ability of adaptation to an unfavorable condition. Moreover, it could be hypothesized that damage to younger individuals could be more easily prevented by a housing manipulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonia Jazmín Molina
- Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos (CEFyBO, UBA-CONICET), Facultad de Medicina, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Gustavo Ezequiel Buján
- Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos (CEFyBO, UBA-CONICET), Facultad de Medicina, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Facultad de Medicina, Cátedra de Farmacología, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | | | - Francisco Capani
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Instituto de Investigaciones Cardiológicas (ININCA, UBA-CONICET), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Santiago de Chile, Chile
| | | | - Laura Ruth Guelman
- Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos (CEFyBO, UBA-CONICET), Facultad de Medicina, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Facultad de Medicina, Cátedra de Farmacología, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Mitra R. Neuronal Plasticity in the Amygdala Following Predator Stress Exposure. Front Behav Neurosci 2019; 13:25. [PMID: 30842731 PMCID: PMC6391327 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2018] [Accepted: 01/30/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Predation causes robust long-term stress-related effects on prey individuals even if they do not get consumed by the predator. Here I review the role of basolateral amygdala (BLA) neurons in the mediation of non-consumptive effects of predation. This brain region is critical for the generation and maintenance of fear response across many phylogenetic groups. The exposure to cues of predator presence activates neurons within the BLA. Hormones secreted during stressful episodes cause long-lasting structural changes in BLA neurons, causing facilitation of endocrine response during subsequent exposure to stressful episodes like later predator exposure. Some studies also suggest that BLA is involved in creating anticipatory defensive behavior in response to the expectation of change in the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rupshi Mitra
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
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Scarola SJ, Perdomo Trejo JR, Granger ME, Gerecke KM, Bardi M. Immunomodulatory Effects of Stress and Environmental Enrichment in Long-Evans Rats ( Rattus norvegicus). Comp Med 2019; 69:35-47. [PMID: 30728094 DOI: 10.30802/aalas-cm-18-000025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Stress can influence the secretion of neuroendocrine mediators, thereby exposing immune cells to altered signaling and interactions. Here we investigated the synergetic effect of stress and environmental enrichment on the immune response of Long-Evans rats. Subjects (n = 46) were assigned to 5 treatment groups: acute compared with chronic stress with or without environmental enrichment, plus an unmanipulated control group. Animals also were classified as active, passive, and flexible copers according to back-test assessment. Rats were exposed to enrichment in an open-field containing objects in different areas for 30 min 3 times each week, thus modeling the effects of a temporary increase in environmental stimuli. Animals assigned to chronic stress groups were exposed to predator sound stressors for 30 min daily, whereas animals assigned to acute stress groups were exposed once each week. After 7 wk, a dermal punch biopsy was administered to activate the immune response, after which rats were challenged through a forced swim test. Biologic samples were collected to measure corticosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), oxytocin, testosterone, and the cytokines IL6 and IL10. Rats exposed to chronic stress had lower DHEA:corticosterone ratios, suggesting increased allostatic load. Enrichment exposure modulated these effects, lowering overall corticosterone and testosterone levels and increasing DHEA and oxytocin levels in animals exposed to the predator sound. The immune response was decreased in rats exposed to chronic stress, but the effect of environmental enrichment helped to mitigate the negative influence on cells producing IL6. Combining acute stress and exposure to an enriched environment returned a healthier profile in terms of both immune activation and stress regulation. By using a multidimensional scaling model, we found that a combination of 'good' stress and exposure to brief sessions of enriching stimuli can reliably predict health in Long-Evans rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha J Scarola
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Randolph-Macon College, Ashland, Virginia
| | - Jose R Perdomo Trejo
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Randolph-Macon College, Ashland, Virginia
| | - Megan E Granger
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Randolph-Macon College, Ashland, Virginia
| | - Kimberly M Gerecke
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Randolph-Macon College, Ashland, Virginia
| | - Massimo Bardi
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Randolph-Macon College, Ashland, Virginia;,
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Madhavadas S, Subramanian S, Kutty BM. Environmental enrichment improved cognitive deficits more in peri-adolescent than in adult rats after postnatal monosodium glutamate treatment. Physiol Int 2018; 104:271-290. [PMID: 29278027 DOI: 10.1556/2060.104.2017.4.7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to enriched environment (EE) is known to promote sensory, cognitive, and motor stimulation with intensified levels of novelty and complexity. In this study, we investigated the positive regulatory effect of short-term exposure to EE on establishing functional recovery in monosodium glutamate (MSG)-induced obese rats. Unless treated, MSG rats exhibited peripheral insulin resistance, cognitive deficits, and a reduction in the total hippocampal volume with decreased neuron count in the DG, CA3, and CA1 subfields. These MSG rats were exposed to short-term EE for 15 days for a period of 6 h/day, beginning either at 45 or at 75 days of age. EE exposure has improved insulin sensitivity, yielded a significant increase in total hippocampal volume along with increase in neuron number in the CA1 subfield of the hippocampus in both age groups. However, as assessed by radial arm maze task, which relies upon the positive reinforcement to test spatial memory, and the Barnes maze task, which utilizes an aversive learning strategy, a complete recovery of cognitive function could be achieved in 2-month-old rats only and not among 3-month-old rats, thus highlighting the importance of critical window period for EE interventions in restoring the memory functions. These results suggest the therapeutic potential of EE paradigm in prevention of cognitive disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Madhavadas
- 1 Department of Neurochemistry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences , Bangalore, India
| | - S Subramanian
- 1 Department of Neurochemistry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences , Bangalore, India
| | - B M Kutty
- 2 Department of Neurophysiology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences , Bangalore, India
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Complex Environmental Rearing Enhances Social Salience and Affects Hippocampal Corticotropin Releasing Hormone Receptor Expression in a Sex-Specific Manner. Neuroscience 2017; 369:399-411. [PMID: 29183827 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2017.11.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2017] [Revised: 10/27/2017] [Accepted: 11/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Methods for understanding the neurocircuitry of ethologically relevant behaviors have advanced substantially; however renovations to standard animal laboratory housing, in the form of enhanced enrichment, have lagged behind. This is despite evidence that environmental enrichment (EE) reduces stress, stereotypy, and promotes healthy species typical behaviors. While many scientists express interest for increased EE as a standard for animal caging systems, there are concerns that its effects on brain, behavior, and cognition are not well characterized. In the present study, male and female Sprague-Dawley rats were housed for six weeks in either EE, Colony Nesting (CN), or Standard Housing (SD) conditions. We show that adolescent exposure to environmental complexity changed the dynamics of social interactions, sensory processing, and underlying basal stress neurocircuitry, in a sex- and enrichment-type-dependent manner. Specifically, EE and CN increased prosocial engagement and the social saliency of male and female rats while the profile of hippocampal Crhr2 expression was affected only in EE males. Hippocampal Crh was associated with anxiety-like behavior in SD males - this did not extend to EE or CN groups, nor to females. Observations such as these are an important consideration for the validity of translational research investigating the neurocircuitry of stress resiliency, and for understanding the mechanisms of psychiatric disorders. Future work must focus on characterizing how individual environmental enhancements (e.g. novelty, social enrichment, physical activity) shape phenotypic differences, how they vary as a function of species, strain and sex, and (if warranted) how to meaningfully implement this knowledge into biomedical research designs.
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Role of early environmental enrichment on the social dominance tube test at adulthood in the rat. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2017; 234:3321-3334. [PMID: 28828505 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-017-4717-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2017] [Accepted: 07/25/2017] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Environmental enrichment (EE) could influence brain plasticity and behavior in rodents. Whether the early EE may predispose individuals to a particular social hierarchy in the social dominance tube test (SDTT) at adulthood is still unknown. OBJECTIVE The present study directly investigated the influence of EE on competitive success in the SDTT among adult rats. METHODS Male rats were maintained in EE from postnatal days 21 to 35. Social dominance behavior was determined by SDTT, competitive food foraging test, and mate preference test at adulthood. IBA-1 expression in the hypothalamus was examined using immunohistochemistry and western blot. RESULTS EE rats were prone to become submissive during a social encounter with standard environment (SE) rats in the SDTT. No difference was found in food foraging in the competitive food foraging test between SE and EE rats. Male EE rats were more attractive than the SE to the female rats in the mate preference test. IBA-1 expression was found to be decreased in the hypothalamus of EE rats compared to SE group. Infusion of a microglia inhibitor reduced percentage of forward in SE rats in the SDTT. Infusion of DNA methyltransferase inhibitor prevented the development of subordinate status in EE rats and restored the expression of IBA-1 in the hypothalamus. CONCLUSIONS The results suggest that early EE did not lead to reduced social hierarchy in the male rat. However, EE caused a reduction in the percentage of forward in the SDTT, which might be associated with reduced number of microglia in the hypothalamus.
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Tate M, McGoran RE, White CR, Portugal SJ. Life in a bubble: the role of the labyrinth organ in determining territory, mating and aggressive behaviours in anabantoids. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2017; 91:723-749. [PMID: 28868750 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.13357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2016] [Accepted: 05/22/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The anabantoids are a group of c. 137 species of air-breathing freshwater fishes found in Africa and southern Asia. All anabantoids have a pair of suprabranchial chambers that each house an air-breathing organ known as the labyrinth apparatus: a complex bony structure lined with thin, highly vascularised respiratory epithelium. The labyrinth apparatus allows anabantoids to extract oxygen from air and is a morpho-physiological innovation that has had a dramatic influence on the behaviour of these fishes. Air-breathing influences a wide range of anabantoid behaviours, including territorial displays, courtship and breeding and parental care and also equips these fishes to persist in hypoxic and polluted water. These traits also make anabantoids successful invaders of novel habitats, a global problem compounded by their popularity in the aquarium trade. By reviewing the functionality and evolution of air breathing in anabantoids, this review aims to examine the role of the labyrinth apparatus in modulating behaviour within this group. The anabantoids are a fascinating group and have often been cited as a model organism due to the stereotypical and easily identifiable behaviours that they adopt during social interactions. They also provide a unique opportunity to further our understanding about how fishes adapt their behaviour in response to an extreme environment, whilst limited by their own physiological constraints.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Tate
- School of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham TW20 0EX, U.K
| | - R E McGoran
- School of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham TW20 0EX, U.K
| | - C R White
- Centre for Geometric Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - S J Portugal
- School of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham TW20 0EX, U.K
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Bartlett DM, Cruickshank TM, Hannan AJ, Eastwood PR, Lazar AS, Ziman MR. Neuroendocrine and neurotrophic signaling in Huntington’s disease: Implications for pathogenic mechanisms and treatment strategies. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2016; 71:444-454. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2016] [Revised: 08/29/2016] [Accepted: 09/12/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Zuena AR, Zinni M, Giuli C, Cinque C, Alemà GS, Giuliani A, Catalani A, Casolini P, Cozzolino R. Maternal exposure to environmental enrichment before and during gestation influences behaviour of rat offspring in a sex-specific manner. Physiol Behav 2016; 163:274-287. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2016.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2016] [Revised: 05/09/2016] [Accepted: 05/09/2016] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
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Environmental enrichment as a therapeutic avenue for anxiety in aged Wistar rats: Effect on cat odor exposition and GABAergic interneurons. Neuroscience 2016; 330:17-25. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2016.05.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2016] [Revised: 05/17/2016] [Accepted: 05/17/2016] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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25
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Bardi M, Kaufman C, Franssen C, Hyer MM, Rzucidlo A, Brown M, Tschirhart M, Lambert KG. Paper or Plastic? Exploring the Effects of Natural Enrichment on Behavioural and Neuroendocrine Responses in Long-Evans Rats. J Neuroendocrinol 2016; 28. [PMID: 26970429 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2015] [Revised: 02/10/2016] [Accepted: 03/08/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Enriched environments are beneficial to neurobiological development; specifically, rodents exposed to complex, rather than standard laboratory, environments exhibit evidence of neuroplasticity and enhanced cognitive performance. In the present study, the nature of elements placed in the complex environment was investigated. Accordingly, rats (n = 8 per group) were housed either in a natural environment characterised by stimuli such as dirt and rocks, an artificial environment characterised by plastic toys and synthetic nesting materials, a natural/artificial environment characterised by a combination of artificial and natural stimuli or a laboratory standard environment characterised by no enrichment stimuli. Following exposure to emotional and cognitive behavioural tasks, including a cricket hunting task, a novel object preference task and a forced swim task, brains were processed for glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)-, neuronal nuclei (NeuN)- and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) immunoreactivity. Baseline and stress foecal samples were collected to assess corticosterone (CORT) and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). Natural environment animals exhibited shorter diving latencies and increased diving frequencies in the second forced swimming task, along with higher DHEA/CORT ratios, and higher GFAP immunoreactivity in the hippocampus. The type of environmental enrichment did not influence levels of BDNF immunoreactivity in the CA1, CA3 and dentate gyrus of the hippocampus; however, natural environment animals exhibited higher levels of NeuN immunoreactivity in the retrosplenial cortex, an area involved in spatial memory and other cognitive functions. These results suggest that, in addition to enhancing behavioural and endocrinological variables associated with resilience, exposure to natural stimuli might alter plasticity in brain areas associated with cortical processing and learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Bardi
- Randolph-Macon College, Ashland, VA, USA
| | - C Kaufman
- Randolph-Macon College, Ashland, VA, USA
| | | | - M M Hyer
- Randolph-Macon College, Ashland, VA, USA
| | - A Rzucidlo
- Randolph-Macon College, Ashland, VA, USA
| | - M Brown
- Randolph-Macon College, Ashland, VA, USA
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Lambert KG, Nelson RJ, Jovanovic T, Cerdá M. Brains in the city: Neurobiological effects of urbanization. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2015; 58:107-22. [PMID: 25936504 PMCID: PMC4774049 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2015.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2014] [Revised: 03/27/2015] [Accepted: 04/22/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
With a majority of humans now living in cities, strategic research is necessary to elucidate the impact of this evolutionarily unfamiliar habitat on neural functions and well-being. In this review, both rodent and human models are considered in the evaluation of the changing physical and social landscapes associated with urban dwellings. Animal models assessing increased exposure to artificial physical elements characteristic of urban settings, as well as exposure to unnatural sources of light for extended durations, are reviewed. In both cases, increased biomarkers of mental illnesses such as major depression have been observed. Additionally, applied human research emphasizing the emotional impact of environmental threats associated with urban habitats is considered. Subjects evaluated in an inner-city hospital reveal the impact of combined specific genetic vulnerabilities and heightened stress responses in the expression of posttraumatic stress disorder. Finally, algorithm-based models of cities have been developed utilizing population-level analyses to identify risk factors for psychiatric illness. Although complex, the use of multiple research approaches, as described herein, results in an enhanced understanding of urbanization and its far-reaching effects--confirming the importance of continued research directed toward the identification of putative risk factors associated with psychiatric illness in urban settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly G Lambert
- Department of Psychology, Randolph-Macon College, Ashland, VA 23005, USA.
| | - Randy J Nelson
- Department of Neuroscience, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Tanja Jovanovic
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA
| | - Magdalena Cerdá
- Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
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Tracing the trajectory of behavioral impairments and oxidative stress in an animal model of neonatal inflammation. Neuroscience 2015; 298:455-66. [PMID: 25934038 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2015.04.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2015] [Revised: 04/20/2015] [Accepted: 04/21/2015] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Exposure to early-life inflammation results in time-of-challenge-dependent changes in both brain and behavior. The consequences of this neural and behavioral reprogramming are most often reported in adulthood. However, the trajectory for the expression of these various changes is not well delineated, particularly between the juvenile and adult phases of development. Moreover, interventions to protect against these neurodevelopmental disruptions are rarely evaluated. Here, female Sprague-Dawley rats were housed in either environmental enrichment (EE) or standard care (SC) and their male and female offspring were administered 50 μg/kg i.p. of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or pyrogen-free saline in a dual-administration neonatal protocol. All animals maintained their respective housing assignments from breeding until the end of the study. LPS exposure on postnatal days (P) 3 and 5 of life resulted in differential expression of emotional and cognitive disruptions and evidence of oxidative stress across development. Specifically, social behavior was reduced in neonatal-treated (n)LPS animals at adolescence (P40), but not adulthood (P70). In contrast, male nLPS rats exhibited intact spatial memory as adolescents which was impaired in later life. Moreover, these males had decreased prefrontal cortex levels of glutathione at P40, which was normalized in adult animals. Notably, EE appeared to offer some protection against the consequences of inflammation on juvenile social behavior and fully prevented reduced glutathione levels in the juvenile prefrontal cortex. Combined, these time-dependent effects provide evidence that early-life inflammation interacts with other developmental variables, specifically puberty and EE, in the expression (and prevention) of select behavioral and molecular programs.
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Hannan AJ. Environmental enrichment and brain repair: harnessing the therapeutic effects of cognitive stimulation and physical activity to enhance experience-dependent plasticity. Neuropathol Appl Neurobiol 2014; 40:13-25. [PMID: 24354721 DOI: 10.1111/nan.12102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 170] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2013] [Accepted: 11/29/2013] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Environmental enrichment (EE) increases levels of novelty and complexity, inducing enhanced sensory, cognitive and motor stimulation. In wild-type rodents, EE has been found to have a range of effects, such as enhancing experience-dependent cellular plasticity and cognitive performance, relative to standard-housed controls. Whilst environmental enrichment is of course a relative term, dependent on the nature of control environmental conditions, epidemiological studies suggest that EE has direct clinical relevance to a range of neurological and psychiatric disorders. EE has been demonstrated to induce beneficial effects in animal models of a wide variety of brain disorders. The first evidence of beneficial effects of EE in a genetically targeted animal model was generated using Huntington's disease transgenic mice. Subsequent studies found that EE was also therapeutic in mouse models of Alzheimer's disease, consistent with epidemiological studies of relevant environmental modifiers. EE has also been found to ameliorate behavioural, cellular and molecular deficits in animal models of various neurological and psychiatric disorders, including Parkinson's disease, stroke, traumatic brain injury, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, depression, schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorders. This review will focus on the effects of EE observed in animal models of neurodegenerative brain diseases, at molecular, cellular and behavioural levels. The proposal that EE may act synergistically with other approaches, such as drug and cell therapies, to facilitate brain repair will be discussed. I will also discuss the therapeutic potential of 'enviromimetics', drugs which mimic or enhance the therapeutic effects of cognitive activity and physical exercise, for both neuroprotection and brain repair.
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Affiliation(s)
- A J Hannan
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne Brain Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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Homberg JR, Karel P, Verheij MMM. Individual differences in cocaine addiction: maladaptive behavioural traits. Addict Biol 2014; 19:517-28. [PMID: 24835358 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Cocaine use leads to addiction in only a subset of individuals. Understanding the mechanisms underlying these individual differences in the transition from cocaine use to cocaine abuse is important to develop treatment strategies. There is agreement that specific behavioural traits increase the risk for addiction. As such, both high impulsivity and high anxiety have been reported to predict (compulsive) cocaine self-administration behaviour. Here, we set out a new view explaining how these two behavioural traits may affect addictive behaviour. According to psychological and psychiatric evolutionary views, organisms flourish well when they fit (match) their environment by trait and genotype. However, under non-fit conditions, the need to compensate the failure to deal with this environment increases, and, as a consequence, the functional use of rewarding drugs like cocaine may also increase. It suggests that neither impulsivity nor anxiety are bad per se, but that the increased risk to develop cocaine addiction is dependent on whether behavioural traits are adaptive or maladaptive in the environment to which the animals are exposed. This 'behavioural (mal)adaptation view' on individual differences in vulnerability to cocaine addiction may help to improve therapies for addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judith R. Homberg
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Centre for Neuroscience; Nijmegen The Netherlands
| | - Peter Karel
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Centre for Neuroscience; Nijmegen The Netherlands
| | - Michel M. M. Verheij
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Centre for Neuroscience; Nijmegen The Netherlands
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Lehmann ML, Geddes CE, Lee JL, Herkenham M. Urine scent marking (USM): a novel test for depressive-like behavior and a predictor of stress resiliency in mice. PLoS One 2013; 8:e69822. [PMID: 23875001 PMCID: PMC3713058 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0069822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2012] [Accepted: 06/17/2013] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Decreased interest in pleasurable stimuli including social withdrawal and reduced libido are some of the key symptomatic criteria for major depression, and thus assays that measure social and sexual behavior in rodents may be highly appropriate for modeling depressive states. Here we present a novel approach for validating rodent models of depression by assessing male urine scent marking (USM) made in consequence to a spot of urine from a proestrous female. USM is an ethologically important form of sexual communication expressed by males to attract females. The expression of this behavior is highly sensitive and adaptive to environmental cues and social status. We hypothesized that male USM behavior offers a naturalistic measure of social motivation that can be used to evaluate hedonic behaviors relevant to the study of mood disorders. We demonstrated that 1) adult male mice displayed a strong preference for marking proestrous female urine with a high degree of specificity, 2) exposure to chronic social defeat profoundly decreased USM whereas exposure to environmental enrichment increased USM, 3) the standard antidepressant fluoxetine reversed declines in USM induced by social defeat, 4) USM behavior closely correlated with other hedonic measures, and 5) USM scores in non-stressed mice predicted behavioral outcomes after defeat exposure such that mice displaying high preference for marking female urine prior to social defeat showed behavioral resiliency after social defeat. The findings indicate that the USM test is a sensitive, validated measure of psychosocial stress effects that has high predictive value for examination of stress resiliency and vulnerability and their neurobiological substrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael L Lehmann
- Section on Functional Neuroanatomy, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America.
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Abstract
Both social defeat stress and environmental enrichment stimulate adrenal glucocorticoid secretion, but they have opposing effects on hippocampal neurogenesis and mood. Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis dysregulation and decreased neurogenesis are consequences of social defeat. These outcomes are correlated with depressive states, but a causal role in the etiology of depression remains elusive. The antidepressant actions of environmental enrichment are neurogenesis-dependent, but the contribution of enrichment-elevated glucocorticoids is unexplored. Importantly, for both social defeat and environmental enrichment, how glucocorticoids interact with neurogenesis to alter mood is unknown. Here, we investigate causal roles of glucocorticoids and neurogenesis in induction of depressive-like behavior and its amelioration by environmental enrichment in mice. By blocking neurogenesis and surgically clamping adrenal hormone secretions, we showed that neurogenesis, via hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis interactions, is directly involved in precipitating the depressive phenotype after social defeat. Mice adrenalectomized before social defeat showed enhanced behavioral resiliency and increased survival of adult-born hippocampal neurons compared with sham-operated defeated mice. However, mice lacking hippocampal neurogenesis did not show protective effects of adrenalectomy. Moreover, glucocorticoids secreted during environmental enrichment promoted neurogenesis and were required for restoration of normal behavior after social defeat. The data demonstrate that glucocorticoid-dependent declines in neurogenesis drive changes in mood after social defeat and that glucocorticoids secreted during enrichment promote neurogenesis and restore normal behavior after defeat. These data provide new evidence for direct involvement of neurogenesis in the etiology of depression, suggesting that treatments promoting neurogenesis can enhance stress resilience.
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Lim A, Kumar V, Hari Dass SA, Vyas A. Toxoplasma gondiiinfection enhances testicular steroidogenesis in rats. Mol Ecol 2012. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.12042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Audrey Lim
- School of Biological Sciences; Nanyang Technological University; 60 Nanyang Drive Singapore 637551 Singapore
| | - Vineet Kumar
- School of Biological Sciences; Nanyang Technological University; 60 Nanyang Drive Singapore 637551 Singapore
| | - Shantala A. Hari Dass
- School of Biological Sciences; Nanyang Technological University; 60 Nanyang Drive Singapore 637551 Singapore
| | - Ajai Vyas
- School of Biological Sciences; Nanyang Technological University; 60 Nanyang Drive Singapore 637551 Singapore
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