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Bell D, Waldron VJ, Brown PL. Quantitative and qualitative sex difference in habenula-induced inhibition of midbrain dopamine neurons in the rat. Front Behav Neurosci 2023; 17:1289407. [PMID: 38025387 PMCID: PMC10679542 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1289407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Clinically relevant sex differences have been noted in a number of affective, behavioral, cognitive, and neurological health disorders. Midbrain dopamine neurons are implicated in several of these same disorders and consequently are under investigation for their potential role in the manifestation of these sex differences. The lateral habenula exerts significant inhibitory control over dopamine neuronal firing, yet little is known about sex differences in this particular neurocircuit. Methods We performed in vivo, single unit, extracellular recordings of dopamine neurons in female and male anesthetized rats in response to single pulse stimulation of the lateral habenula. In addition, we assessed baseline firing properties of lateral habenula neurons and, by immunochemical means, assessed the distribution of estrogen receptor alpha cells in the lateral habenula. Results Habenula-induced inhibition of dopamine neuronal firing is reduced in female rats relative to male rats. In addition, male rats had a higher prevalence of rebound excitation. Furthermore, the firing pattern of lateral habenula neurons was less variable in female rats, and female rats had a higher density of estrogen receptor alpha positive cells in the lateral habenula. Discussion We found that the dopamine neuronal response to habenular stimulation is both qualitatively and quantitatively different in female and male rats. These novel findings together with reports in the contemporary literature lead us to posit that the sex difference in dopamine inhibition seen here relate to differential firing properties of lateral habenula neurons resulting from the presence of sex hormones. Further work is needed to test this hypothesis, which may have implications for understanding the etiology of several mental health disorders including depression, schizophrenia, and addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - P. Leon Brown
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
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2
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Deng W, Faiq MA, Liu C, Adi V, Chan KC. Applications of Manganese-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Ophthalmology and Visual Neuroscience. Front Neural Circuits 2019; 13:35. [PMID: 31156399 PMCID: PMC6530364 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2019.00035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2019] [Accepted: 04/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the mechanisms of vision in health and disease requires knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of the eye and the neural pathways relevant to visual perception. As such, development of imaging techniques for the visual system is crucial for unveiling the neural basis of visual function or impairment. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) offers non-invasive probing of the structure and function of the neural circuits without depth limitation, and can help identify abnormalities in brain tissues in vivo. Among the advanced MRI techniques, manganese-enhanced MRI (MEMRI) involves the use of active manganese contrast agents that positively enhance brain tissue signals in T1-weighted imaging with respect to the levels of connectivity and activity. Depending on the routes of administration, accumulation of manganese ions in the eye and the visual pathways can be attributed to systemic distribution or their local transport across axons in an anterograde fashion, entering the neurons through voltage-gated calcium channels. The use of the paramagnetic manganese contrast in MRI has a wide range of applications in the visual system from imaging neurodevelopment to assessing and monitoring neurodegeneration, neuroplasticity, neuroprotection, and neuroregeneration. In this review, we present four major domains of scientific inquiry where MEMRI can be put to imperative use — deciphering neuroarchitecture, tracing neuronal tracts, detecting neuronal activity, and identifying or differentiating glial activity. We deliberate upon each category studies that have successfully employed MEMRI to examine the visual system, including the delivery protocols, spatiotemporal characteristics, and biophysical interpretation. Based on this literature, we have identified some critical challenges in the field in terms of toxicity, and sensitivity and specificity of manganese enhancement. We also discuss the pitfalls and alternatives of MEMRI which will provide new avenues to explore in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenyu Deng
- NYU Langone Eye Center, Department of Ophthalmology, NYU School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Muneeb A Faiq
- NYU Langone Eye Center, Department of Ophthalmology, NYU School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Crystal Liu
- NYU Langone Eye Center, Department of Ophthalmology, NYU School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Vishnu Adi
- NYU Langone Eye Center, Department of Ophthalmology, NYU School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Kevin C Chan
- NYU Langone Eye Center, Department of Ophthalmology, NYU School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York University, New York, NY, United States.,Department of Radiology, NYU School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York University, New York, NY, United States.,Center for Neural Science, Faculty of Arts and Science, New York University, New York, NY, United States
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Jakaria M, Park SY, Haque ME, Karthivashan G, Kim IS, Ganesan P, Choi DK. Neurotoxic Agent-Induced Injury in Neurodegenerative Disease Model: Focus on Involvement of Glutamate Receptors. Front Mol Neurosci 2018; 11:307. [PMID: 30210294 PMCID: PMC6123546 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2018.00307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2018] [Accepted: 08/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Glutamate receptors play a crucial role in the central nervous system and are implicated in different brain disorders. They play a significant role in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs) such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Although many studies on NDDs have been conducted, their exact pathophysiological characteristics are still not fully understood. In in vivo and in vitro models of neurotoxic-induced NDDs, neurotoxic agents are used to induce several neuronal injuries for the purpose of correlating them with the pathological characteristics of NDDs. Moreover, therapeutic drugs might be discovered based on the studies employing these models. In NDD models, different neurotoxic agents, namely, kainic acid, domoic acid, glutamate, β-N-Methylamino-L-alanine, amyloid beta, 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine, 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium, rotenone, 3-Nitropropionic acid and methamphetamine can potently impair both ionotropic and metabotropic glutamate receptors, leading to the progression of toxicity. Many other neurotoxic agents mainly affect the functions of ionotropic glutamate receptors. We discuss particular neurotoxic agents that can act upon glutamate receptors so as to effectively mimic NDDs. The correlation of neurotoxic agent-induced disease characteristics with glutamate receptors would aid the discovery and development of therapeutic drugs for NDDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md. Jakaria
- Department of Applied Life Sciences, Graduate School, Konkuk University, Chungju, South Korea
| | - Shin-Young Park
- Department of Applied Life Sciences, Graduate School, Konkuk University, Chungju, South Korea
| | - Md. Ezazul Haque
- Department of Applied Life Sciences, Graduate School, Konkuk University, Chungju, South Korea
| | - Govindarajan Karthivashan
- Department of Integrated Bioscience and Biotechnology, College of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Research Institute of Inflammatory Diseases (RID), Konkuk University, Chungju, South Korea
| | - In-Su Kim
- Department of Integrated Bioscience and Biotechnology, College of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Research Institute of Inflammatory Diseases (RID), Konkuk University, Chungju, South Korea
| | - Palanivel Ganesan
- Department of Integrated Bioscience and Biotechnology, College of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Research Institute of Inflammatory Diseases (RID), Konkuk University, Chungju, South Korea
- Nanotechnology Research Center, Konkuk University, Chungju, South Korea
| | - Dong-Kug Choi
- Department of Applied Life Sciences, Graduate School, Konkuk University, Chungju, South Korea
- Department of Integrated Bioscience and Biotechnology, College of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Research Institute of Inflammatory Diseases (RID), Konkuk University, Chungju, South Korea
- Nanotechnology Research Center, Konkuk University, Chungju, South Korea
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4
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Perez PD, Hall G, Zubcevic J, Febo M. Cocaine differentially affects synaptic activity in memory and midbrain areas of female and male rats: an in vivo MEMRI study. Brain Imaging Behav 2018; 12:201-216. [PMID: 28236167 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-017-9691-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Manganese enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MEMRI) has been previously used to determine the effect of acute cocaine on calcium-dependent synaptic activity in male rats. However, there have been no MEMRI studies examining sex differences in the functional neural circuits affected by repeated cocaine. In the present study, we used MEMRI to investigate the effects of repeated cocaine on brain activation in female and male rats. Adult female and male rats were scanned at 4.7 Tesla three days after final treatment with saline, a single cocaine injection (15 mg kg-1, i.p. × 1 day) or repeated cocaine injections (15 mg kg-1, i.p. × 10 days). A day before imaging rats were provided with an i.p. injection of manganese chloride (70 mg kg-1). Cocaine produced effects on MEMRI activity that were dependent on sex. In females, we observed that a single cocaine injection reduced MEMRI activity in hippocampal CA3, ventral tegmental area (VTA), and median Raphé, whereas repeated cocaine increased MEMRI activity in dentate gyrus and interpeduncular nucleus. In males, repeated cocaine reduced MEMRI activity in VTA. Overall, it appeared that female rats showed a general trend towards increase MEMRI activity with single cocaine and reduced activity with repeated exposure, while male rats showed a trend towards opposite effects. Our results provide evidence for sex differences in the in vivo neural response to cocaine, which involves primarily hippocampal, amygdala and midbrain areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo D Perez
- Department of Psychiatry, McKnight Brain Institute, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Gabrielle Hall
- Department of Psychiatry, McKnight Brain Institute, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Jasenka Zubcevic
- Department of Physiological Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Marcelo Febo
- Department of Psychiatry, McKnight Brain Institute, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA.
- Center for Addiction Research and Education (CARE), University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
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Almeida-Corrêa S, Czisch M, Wotjak CT. In Vivo Visualization of Active Polysynaptic Circuits With Longitudinal Manganese-Enhanced MRI (MEMRI). Front Neural Circuits 2018; 12:42. [PMID: 29887796 PMCID: PMC5981681 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2018.00042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2018] [Accepted: 04/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Manganese-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MEMRI) is a powerful tool for in vivo non-invasive whole-brain mapping of neuronal activity. Mn2+ enters active neurons via voltage-gated calcium channels and increases local contrast in T1-weighted images. Given the property of Mn2+ of axonal transport, this technique can also be used for tract tracing after local administration of the contrast agent. However, MEMRI is still not widely employed in basic research due to the lack of a complete description of the Mn2+ dynamics in the brain. Here, we sought to investigate how the activity state of neurons modulates interneuronal Mn2+ transport. To this end, we injected mice with low dose MnCl2 2. (i.p., 20 mg/kg; repeatedly for 8 days) followed by two MEMRI scans at an interval of 1 week without further MnCl2 injections. We assessed changes in T1 contrast intensity before (scan 1) and after (scan 2) partial sensory deprivation (unilateral whisker trimming), while keeping the animals in a sensory enriched environment. After correcting for the general decay in Mn2+ content, whole brain analysis revealed a single cluster with higher signal in scan 1 compared to scan 2: the left barrel cortex corresponding to the right untrimmed whiskers. In the inverse contrast (scan 2 > scan 1), a number of brain structures, including many efferents of the left barrel cortex were observed. These results suggest that continuous neuronal activity elicited by ongoing sensory stimulation accelerates Mn2+ transport from the uptake site to its projection terminals, while the blockage of sensory-input and the resulting decrease in neuronal activity attenuates Mn2+ transport. The description of this critical property of Mn2+ dynamics in the brain allows a better understanding of MEMRI functional mechanisms, which will lead to more carefully designed experiments and clearer interpretation of the results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suellen Almeida-Corrêa
- Department of Stress Neurobiology & Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Michael Czisch
- Core Unit Neuroimaging, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Carsten T Wotjak
- Department of Stress Neurobiology & Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
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6
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Imaging neuronal pathways with 52Mn PET: Toxicity evaluation in rats. Neuroimage 2017; 158:112-125. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2017.06.058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2017] [Revised: 06/07/2017] [Accepted: 06/22/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
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7
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Chan KC, Zhou IY, Liu SS, van der Merwe Y, Fan SJ, Hung VK, Chung SK, Wu WT, So KF, Wu EX. Longitudinal Assessments of Normal and Perilesional Tissues in Focal Brain Ischemia and Partial Optic Nerve Injury with Manganese-enhanced MRI. Sci Rep 2017; 7:43124. [PMID: 28230106 PMCID: PMC5322351 DOI: 10.1038/srep43124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2016] [Accepted: 01/19/2017] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Although manganese (Mn) can enhance brain tissues for improving magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) assessments, the underlying neural mechanisms of Mn detection remain unclear. In this study, we used Mn-enhanced MRI to test the hypothesis that different Mn entry routes and spatiotemporal Mn distributions can reflect different mechanisms of neural circuitry and neurodegeneration in normal and injured brains. Upon systemic administration, exogenous Mn exhibited varying transport rates and continuous redistribution across healthy rodent brain nuclei over a 2-week timeframe, whereas in rodents following photothrombotic cortical injury, transient middle cerebral artery occlusion, or neonatal hypoxic-ischemic brain injury, Mn preferentially accumulated in perilesional tissues expressing gliosis or oxidative stress within days. Intravitreal Mn administration to healthy rodents not only allowed tracing of primary visual pathways, but also enhanced the hippocampus and medial amygdala within a day, whereas partial transection of the optic nerve led to MRI detection of degrading anterograde Mn transport at the primary injury site and the perilesional tissues secondarily over 6 weeks. Taken together, our results indicate the different Mn transport dynamics across widespread projections in normal and diseased brains. Particularly, perilesional brain tissues may attract abnormal Mn accumulation and gradually reduce anterograde Mn transport via specific Mn entry routes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin C Chan
- NeuroImaging Laboratory, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States.,UPMC Eye Center, Eye and Ear Institute, Ophthalmology and Visual Science Research Center, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States.,Department of Bioengineering, Swanson School of Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States.,Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States.,Louis J. Fox Center for Vision Restoration, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States.,New York University (NYU) Langone Eye Center, NYU Langone Medical Center, Department of Ophthalmology, NYU School of Medicine, New York, New York, United States.,Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
| | - Iris Y Zhou
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China.,Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Stanley S Liu
- NeuroImaging Laboratory, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Yolandi van der Merwe
- NeuroImaging Laboratory, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States.,UPMC Eye Center, Eye and Ear Institute, Ophthalmology and Visual Science Research Center, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States.,Department of Bioengineering, Swanson School of Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Shu-Juan Fan
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
| | - Victor K Hung
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
| | - Sookja K Chung
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China.,Department of Ophthalmology, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
| | - Wu-Tian Wu
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
| | - Kwok-Fai So
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China.,Department of Ophthalmology, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
| | - Ed X Wu
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China.,School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
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Boulos LJ, Darcq E, Kieffer BL. Translating the Habenula-From Rodents to Humans. Biol Psychiatry 2017; 81:296-305. [PMID: 27527822 PMCID: PMC5143215 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2016.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2015] [Revised: 05/28/2016] [Accepted: 06/01/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The habenula (Hb) is a central structure connecting forebrain to midbrain regions. This microstructure regulates monoaminergic systems, notably dopamine and serotonin, and integrates cognitive with emotional and sensory processing. Early preclinical data have described Hb as a brain nucleus activated in anticipation of aversive outcomes. Evidence has now accumulated to show that the Hb encodes both rewarding and aversive aspects of external stimuli, thus driving motivated behaviors and decision making. Human Hb research is still nascent but develops rapidly, alongside with the growth of neuroimaging and deep brain stimulation techniques. Not surprisingly, Hb dysfunction has been associated with psychiatric disorders, and studies in patients have established evidence for Hb involvement in major depression, addiction, and schizophrenia, as well as in pain and analgesia. Here, we summarize current knowledge from animal research and overview the existing human literature on anatomy and function of the Hb. We also discuss challenges and future directions in targeting this small brain structure in both rodents and humans. By combining animal data and human experimental studies, this review addresses the translational potential of preclinical Hb research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura-Joy Boulos
- Douglas Hospital Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Emmanuel Darcq
- Douglas Hospital Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Brigitte Lina Kieffer
- Douglas Hospital Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
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