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Liu X, Liu R, Sun YX, Wang HL, Wang H, Wang T, Ma YN, Li XX, Wang Q, Su YA, Li JT, Si TM. Dorsal CA3 overactivation mediates witnessing stress-induced recognition memory deficits in adolescent male mice. Neuropsychopharmacology 2024; 49:1666-1677. [PMID: 38504012 PMCID: PMC11399124 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-024-01848-9] [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: 11/23/2023] [Revised: 02/18/2024] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
Witnessing violent or traumatic events is common during childhood and adolescence and could cause detrimental effects such as increased risks of psychiatric disorders. This stressor could be modeled in adolescent laboratory animals using the chronic witnessing social defeat (CWSD) paradigm, but the behavioral consequences of CWSD in adolescent animals remain to be validated for cognitive, anxiety-like, and depression-like behaviors and, more importantly, the underlying neural mechanisms remain to be uncovered. In this study, we first established the CWSD model in adolescent male mice and found that CWSD impaired cognitive function and increased anxiety levels and that these behavioral deficits persisted into adulthood. Based on the dorsal-ventral functional division in hippocampus, we employed immediate early gene c-fos immunostaining after behavioral tasks and found that CWSD-induced cognition deficits were associated with dorsal CA3 overactivation and anxiety-like behaviors were associated with ventral CA3 activity reduction. Indeed, chemogenetic activation and inhibition of dorsal CA3 neurons mimicked and reversed CWSD-induced recognition memory deficits (not anxiety-like behaviors), respectively, whereas both inhibition and activation of ventral CA3 neurons increased anxiety-like behaviors in adolescent mice. Finally, chronic administration of vortioxetine (a novel multimodal antidepressant) successfully restored the overactivation of dorsal CA3 neurons and the cognitive deficits in CWSD mice. Together, our findings suggest that dorsal CA3 overactivation mediates CWSD-induced recognition memory deficits in adolescent male mice, shedding light on the pathophysiology of adolescent CWSD-induced adverse effects and providing preclinical evidence for early treatment of stress-induced cognitive deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Liu
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Rui Liu
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Ya-Xin Sun
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Hong-Li Wang
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Han Wang
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Ting Wang
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Yu-Nu Ma
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Xue-Xin Li
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Qi Wang
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Yun-Ai Su
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Ji-Tao Li
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, 100191, China.
| | - Tian-Mei Si
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, 100191, China.
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2
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Barbetti M, Sgoifo A, Carnevali L. Sex-specific behavioral, cardiac, and neuroendocrine responses to repeated witness social stress in adult rats. Physiol Behav 2024; 287:114702. [PMID: 39332593 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2024.114702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2024] [Revised: 08/26/2024] [Accepted: 09/20/2024] [Indexed: 09/29/2024]
Abstract
In humans, sex disparities exist in the prevalence of social stress-related disorders, yet our understanding of the predisposing factors and underlying mechanisms is still elusive. Also at the preclinical level, the investigation of sex differences in social stress responses is limited. In this study, adult male and female wild-type Groningen rats were repeatedly exposed to witness social defeat stress (WS) to assess sex-specific behavioral, neuroendocrine, and cardiac responses to the same social stress paradigm. Male and female rats bore witness to an aggressive social defeat episode between two males for nine consecutive days or were exposed to a control (CTR) procedure. Stress-related parameters were assessed in correspondence to the first and last WS/CTR exposure and also during subsequent exposure to the stress context alone in the absence of social defeat. During WS, rats of both sexes displayed larger amounts of burying behavior and smaller amounts of rearing and grooming behaviors, but with a greater extent in female witnesses. Cardiac autonomic responses to WS were similar between the sexes, yet only females displayed higher plasma corticosterone levels after the first WS exposure compared to CTRs, and had a larger corticosterone increase than male witnesses upon repeated WS. Exposure to the stress context alone (i.e., without the presence of the aggressive resident rat) elicited greater amount of burying behavior and more pronounced and persistent tachycardic responses in females than males with a history of WS. Our findings suggest sex-disparities in the response of adult rats to WS at multiple behavioral, cardiac, and neuroendocrine levels, highlighting the utility of this social stress paradigm for investigating predisposing factors and pathophysiological mechanisms underlying sex-specific vulnerabilities to stress-related pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margherita Barbetti
- Stress Physiology Lab, Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Andrea Sgoifo
- Stress Physiology Lab, Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Luca Carnevali
- Stress Physiology Lab, Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy.
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3
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Pate BS, Smiley CE, Harrington EN, Bielicki BH, Davis JM, Reagan LP, Grillo CA, Wood SK. Voluntary wheel running as a promising strategy to promote autonomic resilience to social stress in females: Vagal tone lies at the heart of the matter. Auton Neurosci 2024; 253:103175. [PMID: 38677130 PMCID: PMC11173375 DOI: 10.1016/j.autneu.2024.103175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2023] [Revised: 03/06/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024]
Abstract
Social stress is a major risk factor for comorbid conditions including cardiovascular disease and depression. While women exhibit 2-3× the risk for these stress-related disorders compared to men, the mechanisms underlying heightened stress susceptibility among females remain largely unknown. Due to a lack in understanding of the pathophysiology underlying stress-induced comorbidities among women, there has been a significant challenge in developing effective therapeutics. Recently, a causal role for inflammation has been established in the onset and progression of comorbid cardiovascular disease/depression, with women exhibiting increased sensitivity to stress-induced immune signaling. Importantly, reduced vagal tone is also implicated in stress susceptibility, through a reduction in the vagus nerve's well-recognized anti-inflammatory properties. Thus, examining therapeutic strategies that stabilize vagal tone during stress may shed light on novel targets for promoting stress resilience among women. Recently, accumulating evidence has demonstrated that physical activity exerts cardio- and neuro-protective effects by enhancing vagal tone. Based on this evidence, this mini review provides an overview of comorbid cardiovascular and behavioral dysfunction in females, the role of inflammation in these disorders, how stress may impart its negative effects on the vagus nerve, and how exercise may act as a preventative. Further, we highlight a critical gap in the literature with regard to the study of females in this field. This review also presents novel data that are the first to demonstrate a protective role for voluntary wheel running over vagal tone and biomarkers of cardiac dysfunction in the face of social stress exposure in female rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brittany S Pate
- Department of Exercise Science, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States of America; Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, United States of America; Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
| | - Cora E Smiley
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, United States of America; Columbia VA Health Care System, Columbia, SC, United States of America
| | - Evelynn N Harrington
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, United States of America; Columbia VA Health Care System, Columbia, SC, United States of America
| | - B Hunter Bielicki
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, United States of America; Columbia VA Health Care System, Columbia, SC, United States of America
| | - J Mark Davis
- Department of Exercise Science, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States of America
| | - Lawrence P Reagan
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, United States of America; Columbia VA Health Care System, Columbia, SC, United States of America
| | - Claudia A Grillo
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, United States of America; Columbia VA Health Care System, Columbia, SC, United States of America
| | - Susan K Wood
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, United States of America; Columbia VA Health Care System, Columbia, SC, United States of America; USC Institute for Cardiovascular Disease Research, Columbia, SC, United States of America.
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Campbell HM, Guo JD, Kuhn CM. Applying the Research Domain Criteria to Rodent Studies of Sex Differences in Chronic Stress Susceptibility. Biol Psychiatry 2024:S0006-3223(24)01351-9. [PMID: 38821193 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2024.05.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Revised: 04/27/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/02/2024]
Abstract
Women have a 2-fold increased rate of stress-associated psychiatric disorders such as depression and anxiety, but the mechanisms that underlie this increased susceptibility remain incompletely understood. Historically, female subjects were excluded from preclinical studies and clinical trials. Additionally, chronic stress paradigms used to study psychiatric pathology in animal models were developed for use in males. However, recent changes in National Institutes of Health policy encourage inclusion of female subjects, and considerable work has been performed in recent years to understand biological sex differences that may underlie differences in susceptibility to chronic stress-associated psychiatric conditions. Here, we review the utility as well as current challenges of using the framework of the National Institute of Mental Health's Research Domain Criteria as a transdiagnostic approach to study sex differences in rodent models of chronic stress including recent progress in the study of sex differences in the neurobehavioral domains of negative valence, positive valence, cognition, social processes, and arousal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah M Campbell
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Jessica D Guo
- Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Cynthia M Kuhn
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina; Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina.
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Schiele J, Mazzari G, Struck A, Bailer Y, Langgartner D, Reber SO. Chronic sensory contact with subordinated conspecifics promotes splenic glucocorticoid resistance in experimentally wounded C57BL/6N male mice. Sci Rep 2024; 14:10867. [PMID: 38740863 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-61581-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Chronic psychosocial stress induced by the chronic subordinate colony housing (CSC, 19 Days) paradigm promotes functional splenic in vitro glucocorticoid (GC) resistance, but only if associated with significant bite wounding or prior abdominal transmitter implantation. Moreover, sensory contact to social defeat of conspecifics represents a social stressor for the observer individual. As the occurence and severity of bite wounding is not adequately controllable, the present study aimed to develop an animal model, allowing a bite wound-independent, more reliable generation of chronically-stressed mice characterized by functional splenic in vitro GC resistance. Therefore, male C57BL/6N mice received a standardized sterile intraperitoneal (i.p.) incision surgery or SHAM treatment one week prior to 19-days of (i) CSC, (ii) witnessing social defeat during CSC exposure in sensory contact (SENS) or (iii) single-housing for control (SHC), before assessing basal and LPS-induced splenic in vitro cell viability and GC resistance. Our results indicate that individually-housed SENS but not CSC mice develop mild signs of splenic in vitro GC resistance, when undergoing prior i.p.-wounding. Taken together and considering that future studies are warranted, our findings support the hypothesis that the combination of repeated standardized i.p.-wounding with chronic sensory stress exposure represents an adequate tool to induce functional splenic in vitro GC resistance independent of the occurrence of uncontrollable bite wounds required in social stress paradigms to induce a comparable phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Schiele
- Laboratory for Molecular Psychosomatics, Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Ulm University Medical Center, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081, Ulm, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
| | - Giulia Mazzari
- Laboratory for Molecular Psychosomatics, Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Ulm University Medical Center, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081, Ulm, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
| | - Antonia Struck
- Laboratory for Molecular Psychosomatics, Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Ulm University Medical Center, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081, Ulm, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
| | - Yorick Bailer
- Laboratory for Molecular Psychosomatics, Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Ulm University Medical Center, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081, Ulm, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
| | - Dominik Langgartner
- Laboratory for Molecular Psychosomatics, Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Ulm University Medical Center, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081, Ulm, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
| | - Stefan O Reber
- Laboratory for Molecular Psychosomatics, Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Ulm University Medical Center, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081, Ulm, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.
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6
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Cruz-López EO, Merkus D, Danser AHJ. Blood Pressure Monitoring Through Radiotelemetry: Exploring the Viability of Its Application in Multihoused Small Laboratory Animals. Hypertension 2024; 81:947-950. [PMID: 38630797 DOI: 10.1161/hypertensionaha.124.22756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Edwyn O Cruz-López
- Division of Vascular Medicine and Pharmacology, Department of Internal Medicine (E.O.C.-L., A.H.J.D.), Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Daphne Merkus
- Department of Cardiology, Cardiovascular Institute, Thorax Center (D.M.), Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Walter Brendel Center for Experimental Medicine, University Clinic Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich, Germany (D.M.)
- Center for Cardiovascular Research, Munich Heart Alliance, Partner Site Munich, Germany (D.M.)
| | - A H Jan Danser
- Division of Vascular Medicine and Pharmacology, Department of Internal Medicine (E.O.C.-L., A.H.J.D.), Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
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Moran KM, Delville Y. A hamster model for stress-induced weight gain. Horm Behav 2024; 160:105488. [PMID: 38306877 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2024.105488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/04/2024]
Abstract
This review addresses the translational relevance of animal models of stress and their effects on body weight. In humans, stress, whether chronic or acute, has often been associated with increased food intake and weight gain. In view of the current obesity epidemic, this phenomenon is especially relevant. Such observations contrast with reports with commonly used laboratory animals, especially rats and mice. In these species, it is common to find individuals gaining less weight under stress, even with potent social stressors. However, there are laboratory species that present increased appetite and weight gain under stress, such as golden hamsters. Furthermore, these animals also include metabolic and behavioral similarities with humans, including hoarding behavior which is also enhanced under stress. Consequently, we propose that our comparative perspective provides useful insights for future research on the development of obesity in humans as a consequence of chronic stress exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin M Moran
- Psychology Department, The University of Texas at Austin, USA.
| | - Yvon Delville
- Psychology Department, The University of Texas at Austin, USA
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Jeon D, Kim S, Lee SK, Chu K. Chronic social stress in early life can predispose mice to antisocial maltreating behavior. ENCEPHALITIS 2024; 4:23-30. [PMID: 38444108 PMCID: PMC11007547 DOI: 10.47936/encephalitis.2023.00199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2023] [Revised: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Purpose In our previous study, we developed an assay system to evaluate antisocial maltreating behavior of conspecific mice using a perpetrator-victim paradigm. We also generated a mouse model for the maltreating behavior by mimicking child maltreatment or abuse. Here, we further investigate the antisocial behavior using anti-aggressive and antipsychotic drugs. Methods Model mice sequentially subjected to maternal separation (MS), social defeat (SD), and social isolation (SI) in that order (MS/SD/SI model) were subjected to a maltreating behavioral task. The MS/SD/SI mice were treated with oxytocin (OXY), clozapine (CLZ), haloperidol (HAL), and 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin (8-OH-DPAT). Western blotting and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay were used for protein analysis. Results A substantial portion of the MS/SD/SI model mice (46% of males and 40% of females) showed a higher number of nose pokes than the control. OXY or 8-OH-DPAT treatment reduced the high number of nose pokes by the MS/SD/SI mice, whereas HAL increased it. CLZ did not affect the number of nose pokes by the MS/SD/SI mice. Interestingly, although the OXY level in the MS/SD/SI mice was similar to that in the control, the amount of OXY receptor was lower in the MS/SD/SI mice. The amount of 5-HT1A receptor was also decreased in the MS/SD/SI mice. Conclusion Chronic social stress in childhood might predispose a mouse to antisocial behavior. Our maltreating behavior assay system, including the MS/SD/SI model, is a good animal system for research on and drug screening for brain disorders associated with antisocial or psychotic behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sangwoo Kim
- Biomedical Research Institute, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea
| | - Sang Kun Lee
- Biomedical Research Institute, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea
- Department of Neurology, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Kon Chu
- Biomedical Research Institute, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea
- Department of Neurology, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
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Grippo AJ, Akinbo OI, Amidei A, Wardwell J, Normann MC, Ciosek S, Kovalev D. Maladaptive cardiac and behavioral reactivity to repeated vicarious stress exposure in socially bonded male prairie vole siblings. Auton Neurosci 2024; 251:103145. [PMID: 38194740 PMCID: PMC10843770 DOI: 10.1016/j.autneu.2023.103145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
Behaviors, emotions, and cardiovascular functions are influenced by stress. But these detrimental effects are not exclusive to an individual that directly experiences stress. Stress is also experienced vicariously through observation of another individual undergoing stress. The current study used the strong social bonds in socially monogamous prairie voles to determine effects of repeated vicarious stress on cardiac and behavioral outcomes. Male prairie voles were exposed to either a 5-minute open field chamber alone [separate (control)] or while concurrently witnessing their sibling undergo a tail-suspension stressor [concurrent (experimental)], repeated across 4 sessions. Cardiac responses in animals in the open field were evaluated for heart rate and heart rate variability prior to, during, and after each test session, and behaviors were evaluated for motion, exploration, stress reactivity, and anxiety-relevant behaviors during each test session. The concurrent condition (versus separate) displayed increased heart rate and reduced heart rate variability during repeated test sessions, and impaired recovery of these parameters following the test sessions. The pattern of disturbances suggests that both increased sympathetic and reduced parasympathetic influence contributed to the cardiac responses. Animals in the concurrent condition (versus separate) displayed disrupted rearing, grooming, and motion; reduced duration of center section exploration; and increased freezing responses across repeated test sessions. Collectively, cardiac and behavioral stress reactivity are increased as a function of vicarious stress in prairie voles, which are evident across repeated experiences of stress. These results inform our understanding of the experience of vicarious stress in social species, including humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela J Grippo
- Department of Psychology, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, USA.
| | - Oreoluwa I Akinbo
- Department of Psychology, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, USA
| | - Alex Amidei
- Department of Psychology, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, USA
| | - Joshua Wardwell
- Department of Psychology, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, USA
| | - Marigny C Normann
- Department of Psychology, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, USA
| | - Sarah Ciosek
- Department of Psychology, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, USA
| | - Dmitry Kovalev
- Department of Psychology, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, USA
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Cardoner N, Andero R, Cano M, Marin-Blasco I, Porta-Casteràs D, Serra-Blasco M, Via E, Vicent-Gil M, Portella MJ. Impact of Stress on Brain Morphology: Insights into Structural Biomarkers of Stress-related Disorders. Curr Neuropharmacol 2024; 22:935-962. [PMID: 37403395 PMCID: PMC10845094 DOI: 10.2174/1570159x21666230703091435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Revised: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Exposure to acute and chronic stress has a broad range of structural effects on the brain. The brain areas commonly targeted in the stress response models include the hippocampus, the amygdala, and the prefrontal cortex. Studies in patients suffering from the so-called stress-related disorders -embracing post-traumatic stress, major depressive and anxiety disorders- have fairly replicated animal models of stress response -particularly the neuroendocrine and the inflammatory models- by finding alterations in different brain areas, even in the early neurodevelopment. Therefore, this narrative review aims to provide an overview of structural neuroimaging findings and to discuss how these studies have contributed to our knowledge of variability in response to stress and the ulterior development of stress-related disorders. There are a gross number of studies available but neuroimaging research of stress-related disorders as a single category is still in its infancy. Although the available studies point at particular brain circuitries involved in stress and emotion regulation, the pathophysiology of these abnormalities -involving genetics, epigenetics and molecular pathways-, their relation to intraindividual stress responses -including personality characteristics, self-perception of stress conditions…-, and their potential involvement as biomarkers in diagnosis, treatment prescription and prognosis are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Narcís Cardoner
- Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica Sant Pau (IIB SANT PAU), Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine Bellaterra, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica En Red en Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Unitat de Neurociència Traslacional, Parc Taulí Hospital Universitari, Institut d'Investigació i Innovació Parc Taulí (I3PT), Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
| | - Raül Andero
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica En Red en Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Unitat de Neurociència Traslacional, Parc Taulí Hospital Universitari, Institut d'Investigació i Innovació Parc Taulí (I3PT), Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
- Departament de Psicobiologia i de Metodologia de les Ciències de la Salut, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
- ICREA, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marta Cano
- Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica Sant Pau (IIB SANT PAU), Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica En Red en Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ignacio Marin-Blasco
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Daniel Porta-Casteràs
- Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica Sant Pau (IIB SANT PAU), Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine Bellaterra, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Unitat de Neurociència Traslacional, Parc Taulí Hospital Universitari, Institut d'Investigació i Innovació Parc Taulí (I3PT), Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
| | - Maria Serra-Blasco
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica En Red en Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Programa eHealth ICOnnecta't, Institut Català d'Oncologia, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Esther Via
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology Department, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, Barcelona, Spain
- Child and Adolescent Mental Health Research Group, Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Muriel Vicent-Gil
- Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica Sant Pau (IIB SANT PAU), Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Maria J. Portella
- Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica Sant Pau (IIB SANT PAU), Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine Bellaterra, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica En Red en Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
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Barbetti M, Vilella R, Naponelli V, Bilotti I, Magistrati M, Dallabona C, Ielpo D, Andolina D, Sgoifo A, Savi M, Carnevali L. Repeated witness social stress causes cardiomyocyte contractile impairment and intracellular Ca 2+ derangement in female rats. Physiol Behav 2023; 271:114339. [PMID: 37625474 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2023.114339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Revised: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023]
Abstract
The impact of psychosocial stressors on cardiovascular health in women is of growing interest in both the popular and scientific literature. Rodent models are useful for providing direct experimental evidence of the adverse cardiovascular consequences of psychosocial stressors, yet studies in females are scarce. Here, we investigated the effects of repeated exposure to witness social defeat stress (WS) on cardiomyocyte contractile function and intracellular Ca2+ homeostasis in young adult wild-type Groningen female rats. Female rats bore witness to an aggressive social defeat episode between two males for nine consecutive days or were exposed to a control procedure. Stress-related behaviors were assessed during the first and last WS/control exposure. Twenty-four hours after the last exposure, plasma corticosterone levels were measured, and cardiomyocytes were isolated for analyses of contractile properties and Ca2+ transients, and expression levels of proteins involved in intracellular Ca2+dynamics. The results show an impairment of the intrinsic cardiac mechanical properties and prolonged intracellular Ca2+decay in WS female rats showing social stress-related behavioral (larger amounts of burying behavior) and neuroendocrine (elevated plasma corticosterone levels) phenotypes. Further, the results implicate alterations in the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase/phospholamban complex in the contractile defects described in cardiomyocytes of WS female rats. In conclusion, this study highlights the utility of the WS model as an ethologically relevant social stressor for investigating pathophysiological processes that occur in the heart of female subjects and may increase vulnerability to social stress-related cardiovascular risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margherita Barbetti
- Stress Physiology Lab, Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Rocchina Vilella
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Valeria Naponelli
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Iolanda Bilotti
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Martina Magistrati
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Cristina Dallabona
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Donald Ielpo
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy; Department of Psychology and Center "Daniel Bovet", Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | - Diego Andolina
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy; Department of Psychology and Center "Daniel Bovet", Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea Sgoifo
- Stress Physiology Lab, Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Monia Savi
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Luca Carnevali
- Stress Physiology Lab, Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy.
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12
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Giovanniello J, Bravo-Rivera C, Rosenkranz A, Matthew Lattal K. Stress, associative learning, and decision-making. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2023; 204:107812. [PMID: 37598745 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2023.107812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Revised: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to acute and chronic stress has significant effects on the basic mechanisms of associative learning and memory. Stress can both impair and enhance associative learning depending on type, intensity, and persistence of the stressor, the subject's sex, the context that the stress and behavior is experienced in, and the type of associative learning taking place. In some cases, stress can cause or exacerbate the maladaptive behavior that underlies numerous psychiatric conditions including anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance use disorder, and others. Therefore, it is critical to understand how the varied effects of stress, which may normally facilitate adaptive behavior, can also become maladaptive and even harmful. In this review, we highlight several findings of associative learning and decision-making processes that are affected by stress in both human and non-human subjects and how they are related to one another. An emerging theme from this work is that stress biases behavior towards less flexible strategies that may reflect a cautious insensitivity to changing contingencies. We consider how this inflexibility has been observed in different associative learning procedures and suggest that a goal for the field should be to clarify how factors such as sex and previous experience influence this inflexibility.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Christian Bravo-Rivera
- Departments of Psychiatry and Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, San Juan, PR 00935, United States.
| | - Amiel Rosenkranz
- Center for Neurobiology of Stress Resilience and Psychiatric Disorders, Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, United States.
| | - K Matthew Lattal
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, United States.
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13
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Pate BS, Bouknight SJ, Harrington EN, Mott SE, Augenblick LM, Smiley CE, Morgan CG, Calatayud BM, Martínez-Muñiz GA, Thayer JF, Wood SK. Site-Specific knockdown of microglia in the locus coeruleus regulates hypervigilant responses to social stress in female rats. Brain Behav Immun 2023; 109:190-203. [PMID: 36682513 PMCID: PMC11195023 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2023.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2022] [Revised: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Women are at increased risk for psychosocial stress-related anxiety disorders, yet mechanisms regulating this risk are unknown. Psychosocial stressors activate microglia, and the resulting neuroimmune responses that females exhibit heightened sensitivity to may serve as an etiological factor in their elevated risk. However, studies examining the role of microglia during stress in females are lacking. METHODS Microglia were manipulated in the stress-sensitive locus coeruleus (LC) of female rats in the context of social stress in two ways. First, intra-LC lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 0 or 3 μg/side, n = 5-6/group), a potent TLR4 agonist and microglial activator, was administered. One hour later, rats were exposed to control or an aggressive social defeat encounter between two males (WS, 15-min). In a separate study, females were treated with intra-LC or intra-central amygdala mannosylated liposomes containing clodronate (m-CLD; 0 or 25 μg/side, n = 13-14/group), a compound toxic to microglia. WS-evoked burying, cardiovascular responses, and sucrose preference were measured. Brain and plasma cytokines were quantified, and cardiovascular telemetry assessed autonomic balance. RESULTS Intra-LC LPS augmented the WS-induced burying response and increased plasma corticosterone and interleukin-1β (IL-1β). Further, the efficacy and selectivity of microinjected m-CLD was fully characterized. In the context of WS, intra-LC m-CLD attenuated the hypervigilant burying response during WS as well as the accumulation of intra-LC IL-1β. Intra-central amygdala m-CLD had no effect on WS-evoked behavior. CONCLUSIONS These studies highlight an innovative method for depleting microglia in a brain region specific manner and indicate that microglia in the LC differentially regulate hypervigilant WS-evoked behavioral and autonomic responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brittany S Pate
- Department of Exercise Science, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA; Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Samantha J Bouknight
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Evelynn N Harrington
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Sarah E Mott
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Lee M Augenblick
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Cora E Smiley
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, USA; WJB Dorn VA Medical Center, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Christopher G Morgan
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Brittney M Calatayud
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Gustavo A Martínez-Muñiz
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Julian F Thayer
- Department of Psychological Science, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Susan K Wood
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, USA; WJB Dorn VA Medical Center, Columbia, SC, USA.
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14
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Ródenas-González F, Arenas MC, Blanco-Gandía MC, Manzanedo C, Rodríguez-Arias M. Vicarious Social Defeat Increases Conditioned Rewarding Effects of Cocaine and Ethanol Intake in Female Mice. Biomedicines 2023; 11:biomedicines11020502. [PMID: 36831038 PMCID: PMC9953170 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11020502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Revised: 01/29/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Stress is a critical factor in the development of mood and drug use disorders. The social defeat model is not appropriate for female rodents due to their low level of aggression. Therefore, a robust female model of social stress needs to be developed and validated. The aim of the present study was to unravel the long-lasting effects of vicarious social defeat (VSD) on the conditioned rewarding effects of cocaine and ethanol intake in female mice. Although VSD seems to be a good model for inducing behavioral and physiologic endophenotypes induced by stress, there are no studies to date that characterize the effect of VSD on cocaine or alcohol use. The results confirm that VSD females showed an increase in corticosterone levels after a vicarious experience while also displaying an increase in anxiety- and anhedonic-like behaviors. Three weeks after the last VSD, vicariously defeated female mice showed an increased developed preference for a non-effective dose of cocaine in the conditioned place preference (CPP) paradigm and showed an increase in ethanol intake. Our results suggest that female mice vicariously experience a state of distress through the social observation of others suffering from adverse events, confirming the use of VSD as a valid model to study the response to social stress in females. The fact that VSD in females induced a comparable behavioral phenotype to that observed in physically defeated males could indicate a relationship with the higher rate of psychopathologies observed in women. Notwithstanding, more studies are needed to dissect the neurobiological and behavioral peculiarities of the female response to social stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Ródenas-González
- Unidad de Investigación Psicobiología de las Drogodependencias, Departamento de Psicobiología, Facultad de Psicología, Universitat de Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain
| | - María Carmen Arenas
- Unidad de Investigación Psicobiología de las Drogodependencias, Departamento de Psicobiología, Facultad de Psicología, Universitat de Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain
| | - María Carmen Blanco-Gandía
- Departamento de Psicología y Sociología, Facultad de Ciencias Sociales y Humanas, Universidad de Zaragoza, 44003 Teruel, Spain
| | - Carmen Manzanedo
- Unidad de Investigación Psicobiología de las Drogodependencias, Departamento de Psicobiología, Facultad de Psicología, Universitat de Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain
| | - Marta Rodríguez-Arias
- Unidad de Investigación Psicobiología de las Drogodependencias, Departamento de Psicobiología, Facultad de Psicología, Universitat de Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain
- Correspondence:
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15
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Gatto NM, Thordardottir EB, Tomasson G, Rúnarsdóttir H, Song H, Jakobsdóttir J, Aspelund T, Valdimarsdóttir UA, Hauksdóttir A. Association between Adverse Childhood Experiences and Multiple Sclerosis in Icelandic Women-A Population-Based Cohort Study. Brain Sci 2022; 12:1559. [PMID: 36421883 PMCID: PMC9688793 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12111559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2022] [Revised: 11/12/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/30/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND A growing literature, mostly based on selected populations, indicates that traumas may be associated with autoimmune diseases, yet few studies exist on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and multiple sclerosis (MS) in the general population. OBJECTIVE We assessed cross-sectional associations between self-reported ACEs and MS among Icelandic women in the population-based Stress-And-Gene-Analysis (SAGA) cohort. METHODS Participants (n = 27,870; mean age 44.9 years) answered a web-based survey that included the ACE-International Questionnaire and a question about MS diagnosis. Log-linear Poisson regression models estimated MS prevalence ratios and 95% confidence intervals for ACEs adjusted for covariates. RESULTS 214 women reported having been diagnosed with MS (crude prevalence = 7.7 per 1000). Compared to women without MS, women with MS reported more fatigue, body pain and bladder problems. The average cumulative number of ACEs was 2.1. After adjustment for age, education, childhood deprivation, smoking and depressive symptoms, MS prevalence did not increase with increasing ACEs exposure (PR = 1.00, 95% CI = 0.92, 1.09). Thirteen ACE categories, including abuse, neglect, household dysfunction and violence were not individually or independently associated with MS. CONCLUSION Limited by self-reported data and cross-sectional design, results do not consistently support associations between ACEs in the development of MS among adult Icelandic women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole M. Gatto
- Centre for Public Health Sciences, University of Iceland, 102 Reykjavik, Iceland
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, 1845 N Soto St., Los Angeles, CA 90032, USA
| | - Edda Bjork Thordardottir
- Centre for Public Health Sciences, University of Iceland, 102 Reykjavik, Iceland
- Mental Health Services, Landspitali, The National University Hospital of Iceland, 101 Reykjavik, Iceland
| | - Gunnar Tomasson
- Centre for Public Health Sciences, University of Iceland, 102 Reykjavik, Iceland
- Landspitali, University Hospital, 101 Reykjavik, Iceland
| | - Harpa Rúnarsdóttir
- Centre for Public Health Sciences, University of Iceland, 102 Reykjavik, Iceland
| | - Huan Song
- Centre for Public Health Sciences, University of Iceland, 102 Reykjavik, Iceland
- West China Biomedical Big Data Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Jóhanna Jakobsdóttir
- Centre for Public Health Sciences, University of Iceland, 102 Reykjavik, Iceland
| | - Thor Aspelund
- Centre for Public Health Sciences, University of Iceland, 102 Reykjavik, Iceland
| | | | - Arna Hauksdóttir
- Centre for Public Health Sciences, University of Iceland, 102 Reykjavik, Iceland
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16
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Helman TJ, Headrick JP, Vider J, Peart JN, Stapelberg NJC. Sex-specific behavioral, neurobiological, and cardiovascular responses to chronic social stress in mice. J Neurosci Res 2022; 100:2004-2027. [PMID: 36059192 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.25115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2022] [Revised: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Psychosocial stress promotes and links mood and cardiovascular disorders in a sex-specific manner. However, findings in animal models are equivocal, in some cases opposing human dimorphisms. We examined central nervous system (CNS), behavioral, endocrine, cardiac, and hepatic outcomes in male or female C57Bl/6 mice subjected to chronic social stress (56 days of social isolation, with intermittent social confrontation encounters twice daily throughout the final 20 days). Females exhibited distinct physiological and behavioral changes, including relative weight loss, and increases in coronary resistance, hepatic inflammation, and thigmotaxic behavior in the open field. Males evidence reductions in coronary resistance and cardiac ischemic tolerance, with increased circulating and hippocampal monoamine levels and emerging anhedonia. Shared CNS gene responses include reduced hippocampal Maoa and increased Htr1b expression, while unique responses include repression of hypothalamic Ntrk1 and upregulation of cortical Nrf2 and Htr1b in females; and repression of hippocampal Drd1 and hypothalamic Gabra1 and Oprm in males. Declining cardiac stress resistance in males was associated with repression of cardiac leptin levels and metabolic, mitochondrial biogenesis, and anti-inflammatory gene expression. These integrated data reveal distinct biological responses to social stress in males and females, and collectively evidence greater biological disruption or allostatic load in females (consistent with propensities to stress-related mood and cardiovascular disorders in humans). Distinct stress biology, and molecular to organ responses, emphasize the importance of sex-specific mechanisms and potential approaches to stress-dependent disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tessa J Helman
- School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, Griffith University, Southport, Queensland, Australia
| | - John P Headrick
- School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, Griffith University, Southport, Queensland, Australia
| | - Jelena Vider
- School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, Griffith University, Southport, Queensland, Australia
| | - Jason N Peart
- School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, Griffith University, Southport, Queensland, Australia
| | - Nicolas J C Stapelberg
- Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, Bond University, Robina, Queensland, Australia.,Gold Coast Hospital and Health Service, Southport, Queensland, Australia
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17
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Jeon D, Kim S, Choi J, Yang AR, Lee SK, Chu K. Chronic social stress during early development is involved in antisocial maltreatment behavior in mice. ENCEPHALITIS 2022; 2:98-107. [PMID: 37469995 PMCID: PMC10295919 DOI: 10.47936/encephalitis.2022.00038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2022] [Revised: 07/04/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 07/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose Early-life stress can cause brain inflammation and affect social behavior in adulthood. In humans, maltreated (abused or neglected) children often exhibit antisocial behavior, including violent and sadistic behavior, in adulthood. However, it is unknown whether maltreatment behavior occurs in rodents. Here, we developed an assay system to evaluate conspecific maltreatment behavior in the mouse. Methods To assess maltreatment behavior, we devised a two-chamber apparatus separated by a transparent partition, in which one chamber was provided with a nose-poking hole that would trigger foot shocks onto the other. Lidocaine was used to inhibit neural activity in vivo. Brain oscillations were investigated by electroencephalograph. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used for protein assay. The mouse model was sequentially subjected to maternal separation (MS), social defeat (SD), and social isolation (SI) in that order (MS/SD/SI model). Results Inactivation of the anterior cingulate cortex and medial prefrontal cortex increased the level of nose-poking. Maltreatment behavior provoked changes in oxytocin, corticosterone, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels. MS/SD/SI mice exhibited more sustained nose-poking behavior during the experiment, resulting in increased foot shocks to the mouse in the opposite chamber. Abnormal brain oscillations were observed in the MS/SD/SI mice. Conclusion The MS/SD/SI model and maltreatment-behavior assay may be useful not only to study the relationship between social stress in childhood and antisocial behavior in adulthood, but also for study of etiology, pathology, or treatment for brain disorders, such as psychopathy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sangwoo Kim
- Biomedical Research Institute, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea
| | - Jiye Choi
- Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Korea
| | - Ah Reum Yang
- Biomedical Research Institute, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea
| | - Sang Kun Lee
- Biomedical Research Institute, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea
- Department of Neurology, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Kon Chu
- Biomedical Research Institute, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea
- Department of Neurology, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
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18
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Finnell JE, Ferrario CR. Intra-NAc insulin reduces the motivation for food and food intake without altering cue-triggered food-seeking. Physiol Behav 2022; 254:113892. [PMID: 35753434 PMCID: PMC10583176 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2022.113892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Revised: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Insulin receptors are expressed throughout the adult brain, and insulin from the periphery reaches the central nervous system. In humans and rodents, actions of insulin in the brain decrease food intake. Furthermore, insulin receptor activation alters dopamine and glutamate transmission within mesolimbic regions that influence food-seeking and feeding including the nucleus accumbens (NAc). Here we determined how intra-NAc insulin affects conditioned approach (a measure of cue-triggered food-seeking), free food intake, and the motivation to obtain food in hungry rats using Pavlovian and instrumental approaches. Intra-NAc insulin did not affect conditioned approach but did reduce home cage chow intake immediately following conditioned approach testing. Consistent with reduced chow intake, intra-NAc insulin also reduced the motivation to work for flavored food pellets (assessed by a progressive ratio procedure). This effect was partially reversed by insulin receptor blockade and was not driven by insulin-induced sickness or malaise. Taken together, these data show that insulin within the NAc does not alter behavioral responses to a food cue, but instead reduces the motivation to work for and consume food in hungry animals. These data are discussed in light of insulin's role in the regulation of feeding, and its dysregulation by obesity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie E Finnell
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan, United States
| | - Carrie R Ferrario
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan, United States; Psychology Department (Biopsychology), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor MI 48109, United States.
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19
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Toyoshima M, Okuda E, Hasegawa N, Kaseda K, Yamada K. Socially Transferred Stress Experience Modulates Social Affective Behaviors in Rats. Neuroscience 2022; 502:68-76. [PMID: 36064051 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2022.08.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Revised: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Social communication of affective states between individuals, as well as actual experiences, influences their internal states and behaviors. Although prior stress experiences promote empathy-like behaviors, it remains unclear whether the social transmission of stress events modulates these behaviors. Here, we provide evidence that transferred stress experiences from cage mates modulate socioaffective approach-avoidance behaviors in rats. Male Wistar-Imamichi rats were assigned to one of five experimental groups (Control (n = 15); no shock with shocked cage mates (n = 15); low (0.1 mA, n = 15), middle (0.5 mA, n = 14), and high shock (1.0 mA, n = 14)). Except for the naïve and housed with stressed mate groups, rats received two foot-shocks (5 s for each). The next day, the subjects were allowed to explore two unfamiliar conspecifics; one was a naïve, while the other was a distressed conspecific that received two foot-shocks (1.0 mA, 5 s) immediately before the test. Rats that were housed with stressed mates, as well as those that experienced a higher intensity of foot-shocks, were more likely to approach, while naïve rats avoided, a distressed conspecific. These results suggest that socially transferred stress shifts socioaffective response styles from avoidance to approach toward a stressed conspecific in rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michimasa Toyoshima
- Institute of Psychology and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8577, Japan; JSPS Research Fellow, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Chiyoda, Tokyo 102-0083, Japan.
| | - Eri Okuda
- Institute of Psychology and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8577, Japan
| | - Natsu Hasegawa
- Institute of Psychology and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8577, Japan
| | - Kodai Kaseda
- Institute of Psychology and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8577, Japan
| | - Kazuo Yamada
- Institute of Psychology and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8577, Japan.
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20
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Adkins JM, Halcomb CJ, Rogers D, Jasnow AM. Stress and sex-dependent effects on conditioned inhibition of fear. Learn Mem 2022; 29:246-255. [PMID: 36206391 PMCID: PMC9488025 DOI: 10.1101/lm.053508.121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
Anxiety and stress-related disorders are highly prevalent and are characterized by excessive fear to threatening and nonthreatening stimuli. Moreover, there is a large sex bias in vulnerability to anxiety and stress-related disorders-women make up a disproportionately larger number of affected individuals compared with men. Growing evidence suggests that an impaired ability to suppress fear in the presence of safety signals may in part contribute to the development and maintenance of many anxiety and stress-related disorders. However, the sex-dependent impact of stress on conditioned inhibition of fear remains unclear. The present study investigated sex differences in the acquisition and recall of conditioned inhibition in male and female mice with a focus on understanding how stress impacts fear suppression. In these experiments, the training context served as the "fear" cue and an explicit tone served as the "safety" cue. Here, we found a possible sex difference in the training requirements for safety learning, although this effect was not consistent across experiments. Reductions in freezing to the safety cue in female mice were also not due to alternative fear behavior expression such as darting. Next, using footshock as a stressor, we found that males were impaired in conditioned inhibition of freezing when the stress was experienced before, but not after, conditioned inhibition training. Females were unaffected by footshock stress when it was administered at either time. Extended conditioned inhibition training in males eliminated the deficit produced by footshock stress. Finally, exposing male and female mice to swim stress impaired safety learning in male mice only. Thus, we found sex × stress interactions in the learning of conditioned inhibition and sex-dependent effects of stress modality. The present study adds to the growing literature on sex differences in safety learning, which will be critical for developing sex-specific therapies for a variety of fear-related disorders that involve excessive fear and/or impaired fear inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan M Adkins
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Brain Health Research Institute, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio 44242, USA
| | - Carly J Halcomb
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, South Carolina 29209, USA
| | - Danielle Rogers
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Brain Health Research Institute, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio 44242, USA
| | - Aaron M Jasnow
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, South Carolina 29209, USA
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21
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Effect of Restraint Stress on Pain Sensitivity, Spinal Trigeminal Nucleus Neurons, and Astrocytes in the Masseter Area of Rats. COMPUTATIONAL INTELLIGENCE AND NEUROSCIENCE 2022; 2022:2345039. [PMID: 36035817 PMCID: PMC9410969 DOI: 10.1155/2022/2345039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Revised: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
To explore the changes of pain sensitivity (PS) in the masseter area (MA) in the rat model of psychological stress and the mechanism of action between spinal nucleus neurons and astrocytes in the trigeminal ganglion. The 40 Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into control group (no treatment), group A (restraint stress (RS) 1 d), group B (RS 7 d), and group C (RS 14 d). The body weight growth rates (WGR) of rats in each group were compared and the difference of CORT and ACTH in serum was analyzed by ELISA. The open field test and the elevated “cross” maze test were adopted to detect the behavioral changes of rats. Finally, pain threshold of the MA in rats, the activation amount of brain tissue medulla oblongata parts astrocytes markers Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), and the protein expression of IL-1β and IL-1RI were detected. The results showed the WGR at 7 d and 14 d was greatly lower than control group (P < 0.01). In addition, the activity level and serum CORT and ACTH levels AND mean pain threshold in the MA of groups B and C were greatly lower than control group (P < 0.05). The activation rate of GFRP in group C (P < 0.01) and the protein expression of IL-1β and IL-1RI (P < 0.05) in rat trigeminal ganglion astrocytes of groups B and C was greatly higher than control group, indicating the increase of RS time, the release of IL-1β and IL-1RI can activate neurons and astrocytes in spinal trigeminal nucleus (STN) nerve and increase the PS of the MA.
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Jeon D, Choi J, Yang AR, Yoo JS, Kim S, Lee SK, Chu K. Chronic social stress during early development elicits unique behavioral changes in adulthood. ENCEPHALITIS 2022; 2:45-53. [PMID: 37469652 PMCID: PMC10295912 DOI: 10.47936/encephalitis.2021.00178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2021] [Revised: 12/29/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 07/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose Chronic social stress is known to induce inflammation in the brain, and early-life stress affects the brain and social behavior in adulthood. To study the relationship between social stress in childhood development and social behavior in adulthood, we subjected mice to a sequential early-life social stresses and characterized their adult behavioral phenotypes. Methods C57BL/6 mice were sequentially subjected to maternal separation (MS), social defeat (SD), and social isolation (SI) in that order. The body weights of the MS/SD/SI mice were measured. Behavioral tasks related to anxiety, depression, locomotion, learning/memory, and repetitive/compulsive-like behavior were conducted. Social behaviors suggesting sociability, social interaction, aggression, and social fear were investigated. Results MS/SD/SI mice weighed less than the control mice. At 7 and 8 weeks of age. These mice displayed normal behaviors in anxiety-, depression-, and learning/memory-related tasks, but they exhibited increased locomotor activity and a low level of repetitive/compulsive-like behavior. Notably, they exhibited increased social interaction, impaired empathy-related fear, reduced predator fear, and increased defensive aggressiveness. Conclusion Social stress during childhood development resulted in behavioral alterations, and MS/SD/SI mice generated by mimicking child abuse or maltreatment showed unique abnormalities in social behaviors. MS/SD/SI mice might be useful not only to study the relationship between social stress and brain inflammation but also psychosocial behaviors observed in individuals with brain disorders, such as psychopaths.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jiye Choi
- Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Korea
| | - Ah Reum Yang
- Laboratory for Neurotherapeutics, Department of Neurology, Biomedical Research Institute, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea
| | - Jung-Seok Yoo
- Laboratory for Neurotherapeutics, Department of Neurology, Biomedical Research Institute, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea
| | - Sangwoo Kim
- Laboratory for Neurotherapeutics, Department of Neurology, Biomedical Research Institute, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea
| | - Sang Kun Lee
- Laboratory for Neurotherapeutics, Department of Neurology, Biomedical Research Institute, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea
| | - Kon Chu
- Laboratory for Neurotherapeutics, Department of Neurology, Biomedical Research Institute, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea
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Chun EK, Donovan M, Liu Y, Wang Z. Behavioral, neurochemical, and neuroimmune changes associated with social buffering and stress contagion. Neurobiol Stress 2022; 16:100427. [PMID: 35036478 PMCID: PMC8749234 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2022.100427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2021] [Revised: 12/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/02/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Social buffering can provide protective effects on stress responses and their subsequent negative health outcomes. Although social buffering is beneficial for the recipient, it can also have anxiogenic effects on the provider of the social buffering - a phenomena referred to as stress contagion. Social buffering and stress contagion usually occur together, but they have traditionally been studied independently, thus limiting our understanding of this dyadic social interaction. In the present study, we examined the effects of preventative social buffering and stress contagion in socially monogamous prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster). We tested the hypothesis that this dynamic social interaction is associated with coordinated alterations in behaviors, neurochemical activation, and neuroimmune responses. To do so, adult male prairie voles were stressed via an acute immobilization restraint tube (IMO) either alone (Alone) or with their previously pair-bonded female partner (Partner) in the cage for 1 h. In contrast, females were placed in a cage containing either an empty IMO tube (Empty) or one that contained their pair-bonded male (Partner). Anxiety-like behavior was tested on the elevated plus maze (EPM) following the 60-mins test and brain sections were processed for neurochemical/neuroimmune marker labeling for all subjects. Our data indicate that females in the Partner group were in contact with and sniffed the IMO tube more, showed fewer anxiety-like behaviors, and had a higher level of oxytocin expression in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN) compared to the Empty group females. Males in the Partner group had lower levels of anxiety-like behavior during the EPM test, greater activation of corticotropin-releasing hormone expressing neurons in the PVN, lower activation of serotonin neurons in the dorsal raphe, and lower levels of microgliosis in the nucleus accumbens. Taken together, these data suggest brain region- and neurochemical-specific alterations as well as neuroinflammatory changes that may be involved in the regulation of social buffering and stress contagion behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eileen K. Chun
- Department of Psychology and Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
| | - Meghan Donovan
- Department of Psychology and Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
- Rocky Mountain Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center, Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center, 1700 N Wheeling St, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
| | - Yan Liu
- Department of Psychology and Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
| | - Zuoxin Wang
- Department of Psychology and Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
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Hollis F, Pope BS, Gorman-Sandler E, Wood SK. Neuroinflammation and Mitochondrial Dysfunction Link Social Stress to Depression. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2022; 54:59-93. [PMID: 35184261 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2021_300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Major depressive disorder is a debilitating mental illness and a leading cause of global disease burden. While many etiological factors have been identified, social stress is a highly prevalent causative factor for the onset of depression. Unfortunately, rates of depression continue to increase around the world, and the recent COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated this mental health crisis. Though several therapeutic strategies are available, nearly 50% of patients who receive treatment never reach remission. The exact mechanisms by which social stress exposure promotes the development of depression are unclear, making it challenging to develop novel and more effective therapeutics. However, accumulating evidence points to a role for stress-induced neuroinflammation, particularly in treatment-resistant patients. Moreover, recent evidence has expanded the concept of the pathogenesis of depression to mitochondrial dysfunction, suggesting that the combined effects of social stress on mitochondria and inflammation may synergize to facilitate stress-related depression. In this chapter, we review evidence for neuroinflammation and mitochondrial dysfunction in the pathogenesis of social stress-induced depression and discuss these in the context of novel therapeutic targets for the treatment of depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fiona Hollis
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Brittany S Pope
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, USA
- Department of Exercise Science, University of South Carolina Arnold School of Public Health, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Erin Gorman-Sandler
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Susan K Wood
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, USA.
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25
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Anisman H, Kusnecov AW. Stressors: Psychological and neurobiological processes. Cancer 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-323-91904-3.00005-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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26
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de Abreu MS, Demin KA, Giacomini ACVV, Amstislavskaya TG, Strekalova T, Maslov GO, Kositsin Y, Petersen EV, Kalueff AV. Understanding how stress responses and stress-related behaviors have evolved in zebrafish and mammals. Neurobiol Stress 2021; 15:100405. [PMID: 34722834 PMCID: PMC8536782 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2021.100405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Revised: 09/12/2021] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Stress response is essential for the organism to quickly restore physiological homeostasis disturbed by various environmental insults. In addition to well-established physiological cascades, stress also evokes various brain and behavioral responses. Aquatic animal models, including the zebrafish (Danio rerio), have been extensively used to probe pathobiological mechanisms of stress and stress-related brain disorders. Here, we critically discuss the use of zebrafish models for studying mechanisms of stress and modeling its disorders experimentally, with a particular cross-taxon focus on the potential evolution of stress responses from zebrafish to rodents and humans, as well as its translational implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Murilo S de Abreu
- Bioscience Institute, University of Passo Fundo (UPF), Passo Fundo, RS, Brazil
- Laboratory of Cell and Molecular Biology and Neurobiology, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Moscow, Russia
| | - Konstantin A Demin
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, Almazov National Medcial Research Center, Ministry of Healthcare of Russian Federation, St. Petersburg, Russia
- Institute of Translational Biomedicine, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia
- Granov Russian Scientific Research Center of Radiology and Surgical Technologies, Ministry of Healthcare of Russian Federation, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Ana C V V Giacomini
- Bioscience Institute, University of Passo Fundo (UPF), Passo Fundo, RS, Brazil
- Postgraduate Program in Environmental Sciences, University of Passo Fundo (UPF), Passo Fundo, RS, Brazil
| | - Tamara G Amstislavskaya
- Scientific Research Institute of Physiology and Basic Medcicine, Novosibirsk, Russia
- Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | | | - Gleb O Maslov
- Neuroscience Program, Sirius University, Sochi, Russia
| | - Yury Kositsin
- Institute of Translational Biomedicine, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia
- Neuroscience Program, Sirius University, Sochi, Russia
| | - Elena V Petersen
- Laboratory of Cell and Molecular Biology and Neurobiology, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Moscow, Russia
| | - Allan V Kalueff
- School of Pharmacy, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Ural Federal University, Ekaterinburg, Russia
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von Muecke-Heim IA, Ries C, Urbina L, Deussing JM. P2X7R antagonists in chronic stress-based depression models: a review. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2021; 271:1343-1358. [PMID: 34279714 PMCID: PMC8429152 DOI: 10.1007/s00406-021-01306-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Depression affects around 320 million people worldwide. Growing evidence proposes the immune system to be the core interface between psychosocial stress and the neurobiological and behavioural features of depression. Many studies have identified purinergic signalling via the P2X7 receptor (P2X7R) to be of great importance in depression genesis yet only a few have evaluated P2X7R antagonists in chronic stress-based depression models. This review summarizes their findings and analyses their methodology. The four available studies used three to nine weeks of unpredictable, chronic mild stress or unpredictable, chronic stress in male mice or rats. Stress paradigm composition varied moderately, with stimuli being primarily psychophysical rather than psychosocial. Behavioural testing was performed during or after the last week of stress application and resulted in depressive-like behaviours, immune changes (NLRP3 assembly, interleukin-1β level increase, microglia activation) and neuroplasticity impairment. During the second half of each stress paradigm, a P2X7R antagonist (Brilliant Blue G, A-438079, A-804598) was applied. Studies differed with regard to antagonist dosage and application timing. Nonetheless, all treatments attenuated the stress-induced neurobiological changes and depressive-like behaviours. The evidence at hand underpins the importance of P2X7R signalling in chronic stress and depression. However, improvements in study planning and reporting are necessary to minimize experimental bias and increase data purview. To achieve this, we propose adherence to the Research Domain Criteria and the STRANGE framework.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iven-Alex von Muecke-Heim
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Molecular Neurogenetics, Munich, Germany.
- International Max Planck Research School for Translational Psychiatry (IMPRS-TP), Munich, Germany.
| | - Clemens Ries
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Molecular Neurogenetics, Munich, Germany
- International Max Planck Research School for Translational Psychiatry (IMPRS-TP), Munich, Germany
- Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences, University of Munich (LMU), Munich, Germany
| | - Lidia Urbina
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Molecular Neurogenetics, Munich, Germany
- Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences, University of Munich (LMU), Munich, Germany
| | - Jan M Deussing
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Molecular Neurogenetics, Munich, Germany.
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Elkhatib SK, Moshfegh CM, Watson GF, Schwab AD, Katsurada K, Patel KP, Case AJ. Splenic denervation attenuates repeated social defeat stress-induced T-lymphocyte inflammation. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY GLOBAL OPEN SCIENCE 2021; 1:190-200. [PMID: 35330608 PMCID: PMC8941638 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsgos.2021.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2021] [Revised: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 05/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a devastating psychological disorder. Patients with PTSD canonically demonstrate an increased risk for inflammatory diseases, as well as increased sympathetic tone and norepinephrine (NE) outflow. Yet, the exact etiology and causal nature of these physiologic changes remain unclear. Previously, we demonstrated that exogenous NE alters mitochondrial superoxide in T-lymphocytes to produce a pro-inflammatory T-helper 17 (TH17) phenotype, and observed similar TH17 polarization in a preclinical model of PTSD. Therefore, we hypothesized sympathetic-driven neuroimmune interactions could mediate psychological trauma-induced T-lymphocyte inflammation. Methods Repeated social defeat stress (RSDS) is a preclinical murine model that recapitulates the behavioral, autonomic, and inflammatory aspects of PTSD. Targeted splenic denervation (Dnx) was performed to deduce the contribution of splenic sympathetic nerves to RSDS-induced inflammation. Eighty-five C57BL/6J mice underwent Dnx or sham-operation, followed by RSDS or control paradigms. Animals were assessed for behavioral, autonomic, inflammatory, and redox profiles. Results Dnx did not alter the antisocial or anxiety-like behavior induced by RSDS. In circulation, RSDS Dnx animals exhibited diminished levels of T-lymphocyte-specific cytokines (IL-2, IL-17A, and IL-22) compared to intact animals, whereas other non-specific inflammatory cytokines (e.g., IL-6, TNF-α, and IL-10) were unaffected by Dnx. Importantly, Dnx specifically ameliorated the increases in RSDS-induced T-lymphocyte mitochondrial superoxide, TH17 polarization, and pro-inflammatory gene expression with minimal impact to non-T-lymphocyte immune populations. Conclusions Overall, our data suggest that sympathetic nerves regulate RSDS-induced splenic T-lymphocyte inflammation, but play less of a role in the behavioral and non-T-lymphocyte inflammatory phenotypes induced by this psychological trauma paradigm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Safwan K. Elkhatib
- Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska
| | - Cassandra M. Moshfegh
- Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska
| | - Gabrielle F. Watson
- Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska
| | - Aaron D. Schwab
- Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska
| | - Kenichi Katsurada
- Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska
- School of Medicine, Jichi Medical University, Shimotsuke, Japan
| | - Kaushik P. Patel
- Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska
| | - Adam J. Case
- Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, College of Medicine, Texas A&M Health Science Center, Bryan, Texas
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Roshan-Milani S, Seyyedabadi B, Saboory E, Parsamanesh N, Mehranfard N. Prenatal stress and increased susceptibility to anxiety-like behaviors: role of neuroinflammation and balance between GABAergic and glutamatergic transmission. Stress 2021; 24:481-495. [PMID: 34180763 DOI: 10.1080/10253890.2021.1942828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuroplasticity during the prenatal period allows neurons to regenerate anatomically and functionally for re-programming the brain development. During this critical period of fetal programming, the fetus phenotype can change in accordance with environmental stimuli such as stress exposure. Prenatal stress (PS) can exert important effects on brain development and result in permanent alterations with long-lasting consequences on the physiology and behavior of the offspring later in life. Neuroinflammation, as well as GABAergic and glutamatergic dysfunctions, has been implicated as potential mediators of behavioral consequences of PS. Hyperexcitation, due to enhanced excitatory transmission or reduced inhibitory transmission, can promote anxiety. Alterations of the GABAergic and/or glutamatergic signaling during fetal development lead to a severe excitatory/inhibitory imbalance in neuronal circuits, a condition that may account for PS-precipitated anxiety-like behaviors. This review summarizes experimental evidence linking PS to an elevated risk to anxiety-like behaviors and interprets the role of the neuroinflammation and alterations of the brain GABAergic and glutamatergic transmission in this phenomenon. We hypothesize this is an imbalance in GABAergic and glutamatergic circuits (as a direct or indirect consequence of neuroinflammation), which at least partially contributes to PS-precipitated anxiety-like behaviors and primes the brain to be vulnerable to anxiety disorders. Therefore, pharmacological interventions with anti-inflammatory activities and with regulatory effects on the excitatory/inhibitory balance can be attributed to the novel therapeutic target for anxiety disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiva Roshan-Milani
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran
- Neurophysiology Research Center, Cellular and Molecular Medicine Institute, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran
| | | | - Ehsan Saboory
- Zanjan Metabolic Diseases Research Center, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran
| | - Negin Parsamanesh
- Zanjan Metabolic Diseases Research Center, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran
| | - Nasrin Mehranfard
- Neurophysiology Research Center, Cellular and Molecular Medicine Institute, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran
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Interleukin-1 receptor on hippocampal neurons drives social withdrawal and cognitive deficits after chronic social stress. Mol Psychiatry 2021; 26:4770-4782. [PMID: 32444870 PMCID: PMC8730339 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-020-0788-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2020] [Revised: 05/05/2020] [Accepted: 05/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Chronic stress contributes to the development of psychiatric disorders including anxiety and depression. Several inflammatory-related effects of stress are associated with increased interleukin-1 (IL-1) signaling within the central nervous system and are mediated by IL-1 receptor 1 (IL-1R1) on several distinct cell types. Neuronal IL-1R1 is prominently expressed on the neurons of the dentate gyrus, but its role in mediating behavioral responses to stress is unknown. We hypothesize that IL-1 acts on this subset of hippocampal neurons to influence cognitive and mood alterations with stress. Here, mice subjected to psychosocial stress showed reduced social interaction and impaired working memory, and these deficits were prevented by global IL-1R1 knockout. Stress-induced monocyte trafficking to the brain was also blocked by IL-1R1 knockout. Selective deletion of IL-1R1 in glutamatergic neurons (nIL-1R1-/-) abrogated the stress-induced deficits in social interaction and working memory. In addition, viral-mediated selective IL-1R1 deletion in hippocampal neurons confirmed that IL-1 receptor in the hippocampus was critical for stress-induced behavioral deficits. Furthermore, selective restoration of IL-1R1 on glutamatergic neurons was sufficient to reestablish the impairments of social interaction and working memory after stress. RNA-sequencing of the hippocampus revealed that stress increased several canonical pathways (TREM1, NF-κB, complement, IL-6 signaling) and upstream regulators (INFγ, IL-1β, NF-κB, MYD88) associated with inflammation. The inductions of TREM1 signaling, complement, and leukocyte extravasation with stress were reversed by nIL-1R1-/-. Collectively, stress-dependent IL-1R1 signaling in hippocampal neurons represents a novel mechanism by which inflammation is perpetuated and social interactivity and working memory are modulated.
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Almohaimeed HM, Batawi AH, Mohammedsaleh ZM, Al Jaouni S, Mutlq Alsawat SA, Abd El Wahab MG, AbdElfattah AA, Ayuob NN. Musk ( Moschus moschiferus) Attenuates Changes in Main Olfactory Bulb of Depressed Mice: Behavioral, Biochemical, and Histopathological Evidence. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 15:704180. [PMID: 34512285 PMCID: PMC8430345 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.704180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Musk (Moschus moschiferus) has been described to have a significant impact on the central nervous system, as well as anticonvulsion and antidepressant effects. This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of musk in alleviating alterations induced in olfactory bulb of depressed mice exposed to chronic stress and identify the mechanism behind it. METHODS Fifty male albino mice were divided into five groups (n = 10 each): control, musk, chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS), fluoxetine-treated, and musk-treated groups were included in this study. Behavioral changes and serum levels of corticosterone and proinflammatory cytokines included tumor necrosis factor α, interleukin 6, and oxidant/antioxidant profile were assessed at the end of the experiment. Main olfactory bulb (MOB) has been processed for histopathological examination. Gene expression of caspase-3, glial fibrillary acidic protein, and Ki67 were assessed in the MOB using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS The study showed that musk inhalation significantly reduced (p < 0.001) corticosterone level, immobility time, inflammatory cytokines, and oxidative stress markers in CUMS-exposed mice compared to the untreated CUMS group. Musk lessened CUMS-associated neuronal alterations in the MOB and significantly reduced apoptosis and enhanced neural cell proliferation (p < 0.001) comparable to fluoxetine. Musk significantly enhanced the level of antioxidants in the serum and significantly reduced inflammatory cytokines. The anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity of musk and its constituents seemed to be behind its neuroprotective effect observed in this study. CONCLUSION Musk effectively ameliorated the chronic stress-induced behavioral, biochemical, and neuronal structural changes in MOB mostly through its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hailah M. Almohaimeed
- Department of Basic Science, Medical College, Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University (PNU), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ashwaq H. Batawi
- Department of Biological Science, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Zuhair M. Mohammedsaleh
- Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, University of Tabuk, Tabuk, Saudi Arabia
| | - Soad Al Jaouni
- Department of Hematology/Pediatric Oncology, Yousef Abdullatif Jameel Chair of Prophetic Medical Applications, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | | | - Manal G. Abd El Wahab
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine for Girls, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt
- Faculty of Nurses, National Gard, King Saud University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Amany A. AbdElfattah
- Department of Medical Histology and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
| | - Nasra N. Ayuob
- Department of Medical Histology, Faculty of Medicine, Damietta University, Damietta, Egypt
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Meknatkhah S, Mousavi MS, Sharif Dashti P, Azizzadeh Pormehr L, Riazi GH. The brain 3β-HSD up-regulation in response to deteriorating effects of background emotional stress: an animal model of multiple sclerosis. Metab Brain Dis 2021; 36:1253-1258. [PMID: 33721183 DOI: 10.1007/s11011-021-00708-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 02/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The brain 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3β-HSD), is the enzyme that catalyzes the biosynthesis of a neuroprotective factor, progesterone. The regulation of 3β-HSD in response to stress exposure in the cuprizone-induced model of Multiple Sclerosis was investigated and the reaction related to the demyelination extremity. 32 female Wistar rats divided into four groups (i.e., control group (Cont), non-stress cuprizone treated (N-CPZ), physical stress- cuprizone treated (P-CPZ) and emotional stress- cuprizone treated (E-CPZ). A witness foot-shock model used to induce background stress for 5 days. An elevated-plus maze applied to validate the stress induction. Followed by 6 weeks of cuprizone treatment, the Y-maze test performed to confirm brain demyelination. 3β-HSD gene expression as an indicator of progesterone synthesis examined. At the behavioral level, both stressed groups reflected more impaired spatial memory compared to the N-CPZ group (p < 0.01), with more severe results in the E-CPZ group (p < 0.01). The results of mRNA expression of 3β-HSD illustrated significant elevation in all cuprizone treated groups (p < 0.001) with a higher up-regulation (p < 0.001) in the E-CPZ group. Background stress -particularly emotional type- exacerbates the demyelination caused by cuprizone treatment. The brain up-regulates the 3β-HSD gene expression as a protective response relative to the myelin degradation extent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sogol Meknatkhah
- Laboratory of Neuro-Organic Chemistry, Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics (IBB), University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Monireh-Sadat Mousavi
- Laboratory of Neuro-Organic Chemistry, Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics (IBB), University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Pouya Sharif Dashti
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Leila Azizzadeh Pormehr
- Laboratory of Neuro-Organic Chemistry, Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics (IBB), University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Gholam Hossein Riazi
- Laboratory of Neuro-Organic Chemistry, Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics (IBB), University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
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Bartolomucci A, Sapolsky RM. Psychosocial Risk Factors, Noncommunicable Diseases, and Animal Models for COVID-19. Biol Psychiatry 2021; 89:e67-e71. [PMID: 33487440 PMCID: PMC7748972 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2020.12.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2020] [Accepted: 12/11/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Bartolomucci
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
| | - Robert M. Sapolsky
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California,Department of Neurology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California,Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California
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Neville V, Mounty J, Benato L, Hunter K, Mendl M, Paul ES. Pet rat welfare in the United Kingdom: The good, the bad and the ugly. Vet Rec 2021; 189:e559. [PMID: 34101201 DOI: 10.1002/vetr.559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2021] [Revised: 04/23/2021] [Accepted: 05/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND To date, despite the substantial literature investigating how rats prefer to be kept in captivity, no research has been conducted to assess the housing, husbandry and health of pet rats. METHODS To better understand the United Kingdom's pet rat population and the welfare issues they face, we conducted an online survey of pet rat owners. The survey included questions about the owner and their opinions about pet rats, and about their rats' health, husbandry and housing. RESULTS The results, from 677 complete responses, highlighted areas of rat care that were "good", "bad" and "ugly" (i.e. likely to be highly detrimental to welfare). The good was that many rats were provided with a social companion and enrichment; the bad was that we could not be certain whether rats had a sufficiently nutritious diet or sufficient opportunities to explore or adequate nesting substrate; and the ugly included cases of exposure of rats to predator species within the home and a generally high prevalence of disease. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that there is much cause for concern about the welfare of pet rats in the United Kingdom.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vikki Neville
- Bristol Veterinary School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Jessica Mounty
- Bristol Veterinary School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Livia Benato
- Bristol Veterinary School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.,City Vets, Exeter, UK
| | | | - Michael Mendl
- Bristol Veterinary School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
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35
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Normann MC, Cox M, Akinbo OI, Watanasriyakul WT, Kovalev D, Ciosek S, Miller T, Grippo AJ. Differential paraventricular nucleus activation and behavioral responses to social isolation in prairie voles following environmental enrichment with and without physical exercise. Soc Neurosci 2021; 16:375-390. [PMID: 33947321 DOI: 10.1080/17470919.2021.1926320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Social stressors produce neurobiological and emotional consequences in social species. Environmental interventions, such as environmental enrichment and exercise, may modulate physiological and behavioral stress responses. The present study investigated the benefits of environmental enrichment and exercise against social stress in the socially monogamous prairie vole. Female prairie voles remained paired with a sibling (control) or were isolated from a sibling for 4 weeks. The isolated groups were assigned to isolated sedentary, isolated with environmental enrichment, or isolated with both enrichment and exercise conditions. Behaviors related to depression, anxiety, and sociality were investigated using the forced swim test (FST), elevated plus maze (EPM), and a social crowding stressor (SCS), respectively. cFos expression was evaluated in stress-related circuitry following the SCS. Both enrichment and enrichment with exercise protected against depression-relevant behaviors in the FST and social behavioral disruptions in the SCS, but only enrichment with exercise protected against anxiety-related behaviors in the EPM and altered cFos expression in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus in isolated prairie voles. Enrichment may improve emotion-related and social behaviors, however physical exercise may be an important component of environmental strategies for protecting against anxiety-related behaviors and reducing neural activation as a function of social stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marigny C Normann
- Department of Psychology, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, USA
| | - Miranda Cox
- Department of Psychology, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, USA
| | - Oreoluwa I Akinbo
- Department of Psychology, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, USA
| | | | - Dmitry Kovalev
- Department of Psychology, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, USA
| | - Sarah Ciosek
- Department of Psychology, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, USA
| | - Thomas Miller
- Department of Psychology, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, USA
| | - Angela J Grippo
- Department of Psychology, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, USA
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36
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Pérez-Manrique A, Gomila A. Emotional contagion in nonhuman animals: A review. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. COGNITIVE SCIENCE 2021; 13:e1560. [PMID: 33951303 PMCID: PMC9285817 DOI: 10.1002/wcs.1560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2020] [Revised: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Emotional contagion, the emotional state‐matching of an individual with another, seems to be crucial for many social species. In recent years evidence on emotional contagion in different animal species has accumulated. However, despite its adaptative advantages and its presumed simplicity, the study and direct demonstration of this phenomenon present more complexities than previously thought. For these reasons, a review of the literature on emotional contagion in nonhuman species is timely to integrate current findings. In this paper thus, we carry out a comprehensive review of the most relevant studies on emotional contagion in animals and discuss the main problems and challenges of the field. We conclude that more research is needed to broaden our understanding of the mechanisms and functions of emotional contagion and the extent to which this process is present in a wide variety of species. Furthermore, the comparative study of emotional contagion would benefit from the use of systematized paradigms including both behavioral and physiological measures and the simultaneous recording of the responses of the interacting individuals to reliably assess an emotional state‐matching between them and reliable controls. This article is categorized under:Cognitive Biology > Evolutionary Roots of Cognition Psychology > Comparative Psychology Psychology > Emotion and Motivation
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Pérez-Manrique
- Department of Psychology, Human Evolution and Cognition Group (EvoCog), UIB, IFISC, Associated Unit to CSIC, Palma, Spain
| | - Antoni Gomila
- Department of Psychology, Human Evolution and Cognition Group (EvoCog), UIB, IFISC, Associated Unit to CSIC, Palma, Spain
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37
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Peen NF, Duque-Wilckens N, Trainor BC. Convergent neuroendocrine mechanisms of social buffering and stress contagion. Horm Behav 2021; 129:104933. [PMID: 33465346 PMCID: PMC7965339 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2021.104933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Revised: 01/06/2021] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Social interactions play a key role in modulating the impact of stressful experiences. In some cases, social interactions can result in social buffering, the process in which the presence of one individual reduces the physiological and behavioral impact of stress in another individual. On the other hand, there is growing evidence that a key initiating factor of social buffering behaviors is the initiation of an anxiogenic state in the individual that was not directly exposed to the stress. This is referred to as stress contagion (a form of emotion contagion). Both processes involve the transmission of social information, suggesting that contagion and buffering could share similar neural mechanisms. In general, mechanistic studies of contagion and buffering are considered separately, even though behavioral studies show that a degree of contagion is usually necessary for social buffering behaviors to occur. Here we consider the extent to which the neuropeptides corticotropin releasing hormone and oxytocin are involved in contagion and stress buffering. We also assess the importance that frontal cortical areas such as the anterior cingulate cortex and infralimbic cortex play in these behavioral processes. We suggest that further work that directly compares neural mechanisms during stress contagion and stress buffering will be important for identifying what appear to be distinct but overlapping circuits mediating these processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natanja F Peen
- Department of Neurobiology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands; Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA. USA
| | - Natalia Duque-Wilckens
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA. USA; Departments of Physiology and Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI. USA
| | - Brian C Trainor
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA. USA.
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38
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Drzewiecki CM, Willing J, Cortes LR, Juraska JM. Adolescent stress during, but not after, pubertal onset impairs indices of prepulse inhibition in adult rats. Dev Psychobiol 2021; 63:837-850. [PMID: 33629385 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2020] [Revised: 01/12/2021] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to stress during adolescence is a risk factor for developing several psychiatric disorders, many of which involve prefrontal cortex (PFC) dysfunction. The human PFC and analogous rodent medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) continue to mature functionally and anatomically during adolescence, and some of these maturational events coincide with pubertal onset. As developing brain regions are more susceptible to the negative effects of stress, this may make puberty especially vulnerable. To test this, we exposed male and female rats to isolation and restraint stress during the onset of puberty or during the post-pubertal period of adolescence. In young adulthood, both stressed groups and an unstressed control group underwent testing on a battery of tasks to assess emotional and cognitive behaviors, and the volume of the mPFC was quantified postmortem. Factor analysis revealed only subjects stressed peri-pubertally showed a long-term deficiency compared to controls in prepulse inhibition. Additionally, both sexes showed volumetric mPFC decreases following adolescent stress, and these losses were most pronounced in females. Our findings suggest that pubertal onset may be a vulnerable window wherein adolescents are most susceptible to the negative consequences of stress exposure. Furthermore, it highlights the importance of accounting for pubertal status when studying adolescents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carly M Drzewiecki
- Program in Neuroscience, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA
| | - Jari Willing
- Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA.,Department of Psychology, Bowling Green State University, 822 E Merry Ave, Bowling Green, OH, 43403, USA
| | - Laura R Cortes
- Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA.,Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, 100 Piedmont Ave SE, Atlanta, GA, 30303, USA
| | - Janice M Juraska
- Program in Neuroscience, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA.,Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA
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39
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Rethinking animal models of sepsis - working towards improved clinical translation whilst integrating the 3Rs. Clin Sci (Lond) 2021; 134:1715-1734. [PMID: 32648582 PMCID: PMC7352061 DOI: 10.1042/cs20200679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2020] [Revised: 06/24/2020] [Accepted: 06/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Sepsis is a major worldwide healthcare issue with unmet clinical need. Despite extensive animal research in this area, successful clinical translation has been largely unsuccessful. We propose one reason for this is that, sometimes, the experimental question is misdirected or unrealistic expectations are being made of the animal model. As sepsis models can lead to a rapid and substantial suffering – it is essential that we continually review experimental approaches and undertake a full harm:benefit impact assessment for each study. In some instances, this may require refinement of existing sepsis models. In other cases, it may be replacement to a different experimental system altogether, answering a mechanistic question whilst aligning with the principles of reduction, refinement and replacement (3Rs). We discuss making better use of patient data to identify potentially useful therapeutic targets which can subsequently be validated in preclinical systems. This may be achieved through greater use of construct validity models, from which mechanistic conclusions are drawn. We argue that such models could provide equally useful scientific data as face validity models, but with an improved 3Rs impact. Indeed, construct validity models may not require sepsis to be modelled, per se. We propose that approaches that could support and refine clinical translation of research findings, whilst reducing the overall welfare burden on research animals.
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40
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Dudek KA, Dion‐Albert L, Kaufmann FN, Tuck E, Lebel M, Menard C. Neurobiology of resilience in depression: immune and vascular insights from human and animal studies. Eur J Neurosci 2021; 53:183-221. [PMID: 31421056 PMCID: PMC7891571 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2019] [Revised: 07/22/2019] [Accepted: 08/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a chronic and recurrent psychiatric condition characterized by depressed mood, social isolation and anhedonia. It will affect 20% of individuals with considerable economic impacts. Unfortunately, 30-50% of depressed individuals are resistant to current antidepressant treatments. MDD is twice as prevalent in women and associated symptoms are different. Depression's main environmental risk factor is chronic stress, and women report higher levels of stress in daily life. However, not every stressed individual becomes depressed, highlighting the need to identify biological determinants of stress vulnerability but also resilience. Based on a reverse translational approach, rodent models of depression were developed to study the mechanisms underlying susceptibility vs resilience. Indeed, a subpopulation of animals can display coping mechanisms and a set of biological alterations leading to stress resilience. The aetiology of MDD is multifactorial and involves several physiological systems. Exacerbation of endocrine and immune responses from both innate and adaptive systems are observed in depressed individuals and mice exhibiting depression-like behaviours. Increasing attention has been given to neurovascular health since higher prevalence of cardiovascular diseases is found in MDD patients and inflammatory conditions are associated with depression, treatment resistance and relapse. Here, we provide an overview of endocrine, immune and vascular changes associated with stress vulnerability vs. resilience in rodents and when available, in humans. Lack of treatment efficacy suggests that neuron-centric treatments do not address important causal biological factors and better understanding of stress-induced adaptations, including sex differences, could contribute to develop novel therapeutic strategies including personalized medicine approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna A. Dudek
- Department of Psychiatry and NeuroscienceFaculty of Medicine and CERVO Brain Research CenterUniversité LavalQuebec CityQCCanada
| | - Laurence Dion‐Albert
- Department of Psychiatry and NeuroscienceFaculty of Medicine and CERVO Brain Research CenterUniversité LavalQuebec CityQCCanada
| | - Fernanda Neutzling Kaufmann
- Department of Psychiatry and NeuroscienceFaculty of Medicine and CERVO Brain Research CenterUniversité LavalQuebec CityQCCanada
| | - Ellen Tuck
- Smurfit Institute of GeneticsTrinity CollegeDublinIreland
| | - Manon Lebel
- Department of Psychiatry and NeuroscienceFaculty of Medicine and CERVO Brain Research CenterUniversité LavalQuebec CityQCCanada
| | - Caroline Menard
- Department of Psychiatry and NeuroscienceFaculty of Medicine and CERVO Brain Research CenterUniversité LavalQuebec CityQCCanada
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41
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Psychosocial Stress Hastens Disease Progression and Sudden Death in Mice with Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy. J Clin Med 2020; 9:jcm9123804. [PMID: 33255451 PMCID: PMC7761318 DOI: 10.3390/jcm9123804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Revised: 11/19/2020] [Accepted: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Physiological stressors, such as exercise, can precipitate sudden cardiac death or heart failure progression in patients with arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM). Yet, whether and to what extent a highly prevalent and more elusive environmental factor, such as psychosocial stress (PSS), can also increase ACM disease progression is unexplored. Here, we first quantified perceived stress levels in patients with ACM and found these levels correlated with the extent of arrhythmias and cardiac dysfunction. To determine whether the observed correlation is due to causation, we inflicted PSS-via the resident-intruder (RI) paradigm—upon Desmoglein-2 mutant mice, a vigorously used mammalian model of ACM. We found that ACM mice succumbed to abnormally high in-trial, PSS mortality. Conversely, no sudden deaths occurred in wildtype (WT) counterparts. Desmoglein-2 mice that survived RI challenge manifested markedly worse cardiac dysfunction and remodeling, namely apoptosis and fibrosis. Furthermore, WT and ACM mice displayed similar behavior at baseline, but Desmoglein-2 mice exhibited heightened anxiety following RI-induced PSS. This outcome correlated with the worsening of cardiac phenotypes. Our mouse model demonstrates that in ACM-like subjects, PSS is incisive enough to deteriorate cardiac structure and function per se, i.e., in the absence of any pre-existing anxious behavior. Hence, PSS may represent a previously underappreciated risk factor in ACM disease penetrance.
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42
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Mouchtouri ET, Lekkas P, Delis F, Pantelakis E, Mourouzis I, Pantos C, Kolettis TM. Sympathetic and Vagal Responses Elicited by Acute Stress in Rats. Cureus 2020; 12:e11602. [PMID: 33364122 PMCID: PMC7752793 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.11602] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Acute emotional stress triggers autonomic responses that affect sympathovagal balance. However, the temporal pattern of changes in each autonomic arm during stress and recovery remains unclear. Therefore, we analyzed separately sympathetic and vagal activity, elicited by acute unpredictable stress in a rat model. Methods Continuous electrocardiographic recording was performed during (32 minutes) and after (two hours) successive use of restraint and air-jet stress in 10 rats, whereas five rats served as controls. Sympathetic and vagal indices were calculated non-invasively after heart rate variability analysis. Voluntary motion was quantified during recovery, as an index of continuing anxiety. Results The sympathetic nervous system index increased during stress and remained elevated during the initial stage of recovery. The parasympathetic nervous system index decreased immediately after the onset of stress and remained low throughout the observational period. During recovery, voluntary activity was more pronounced in the stress group than in the controls. Conclusion Successive restraint and air-jet stress in rats increased sympathetic activity and decreased vagal activity. These changes displayed only partial recovery post-stress and were accompanied by enhanced voluntary motion. Our findings may be important in the evaluation of the cardiac electrophysiologic implications of autonomic changes elicited by acute emotional stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleni-Taxiarchia Mouchtouri
- Cardiology, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, GRC.,Cardiology, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Ioannina, GRC
| | - Panagiotis Lekkas
- Cardiology, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Ioannina, GRC.,Physiology, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, GRC
| | | | | | - Iordanis Mourouzis
- Pharmacology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, GRC
| | | | - Theofilos M Kolettis
- Cardiology, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Ioannina, GRC.,Cardiology, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, GRC
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43
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Wu Q, He J, Fang S, Zhang P, Luo X, Zhang J, Xiong Y, Luo F, Wang X, Yao S, Wang X. A novel construct of anhedonia revealed in a Chinese sample via the Revised Physical and Social Anhedonia Scales. BMC Psychiatry 2020; 20:529. [PMID: 33167901 PMCID: PMC7650163 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-020-02900-w] [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: 04/18/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Anhedonia is a core clinical symptom of mental disorders. The Revised Physical Anhedonia Scale (RPAS) and the Revised Social Anhedonia Scale (RSAS) have been applied in clinical and non-clinical samples since 1980s. However, the construct of a unified RPAS&RSAS for comprehensive measurement of anhedonia has never been explored. Therefore, the purpose of our study was to examine the factor structure of the unified RPAS&RSAS among undergraduates and clinical patients. METHODS A total of 3435 undergraduates from two universities and 294 clinical patients with mental disorders had completed the Chinese version of the RPAS and the RSAS. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were each conducted to reveal the constructs of the RPAS and the RSAS. CFA was used to evaluate first- and second-order models for the unified RPAS&RSAS in undergraduates and clinical patients. The internal consistency and test-retest reliability of the RPAS and the RSAS were also evaluated. RESULTS EFA and CFA indicated 2-factor structures for RPAS and RSAS, with the factors being defined as anticipatory anhedonia and consummatory anhedonia. The second-order model of the unified RPAS&RSAS in the undergraduates and clinical patients both had satisfactory fit index values (Undergraduate sample: CFI = 0.901, TLI = 0.899, RMSEA = 0.055, SRMR = 0.086; Clinical sample: CFI = 0.922, TLI = 0.911, RMSEA = 0.052, SRMR = 0.078). The psychometric robustness of the RPAS&RSAS were confirmed by high internal consistency and test-retest reliability values. CONCLUSIONS The unified RPAS&RSAS with a second-order structure was confirmed in both undergraduates and clinical samples in Chinese. The construct of anhedonia was refreshed as covering physical and social domains, and each of them includes both anticipatory and consummatory components.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiongqiong Wu
- grid.216417.70000 0001 0379 7164Medical Psychological Center, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410011 China
| | - Jiayue He
- grid.216417.70000 0001 0379 7164Medical Psychological Center, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410011 China
| | - Shulin Fang
- grid.216417.70000 0001 0379 7164Medical Psychological Center, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410011 China
| | - Panwen Zhang
- grid.216417.70000 0001 0379 7164Medical Psychological Center, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410011 China
| | - Xingwei Luo
- grid.216417.70000 0001 0379 7164Medical Psychological Center, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410011 China
| | - Jianghua Zhang
- grid.216417.70000 0001 0379 7164Student Affairs Department, Central South University, Changsha, 410083 China
| | - Yan Xiong
- grid.216417.70000 0001 0379 7164Student Affairs Department, Central South University, Changsha, 410083 China
| | - Fusheng Luo
- grid.440660.00000 0004 1761 0083Student Affairs Department, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha, 410004 China
| | - Xiaosheng Wang
- grid.216417.70000 0001 0379 7164Department of Human Anatomy and Neurobiology, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, 410013 China
| | - Shuqiao Yao
- grid.216417.70000 0001 0379 7164Medical Psychological Center, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410011 China ,grid.216417.70000 0001 0379 7164Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha, 410011 China ,National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Changsha, 410011 China
| | - Xiang Wang
- Medical Psychological Center, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410011, China. .,Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha, 410011, China. .,National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Changsha, 410011, China.
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44
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Hennessy MB, Willen RM, Schiml PA. Psychological Stress, Its Reduction, and Long-Term Consequences: What Studies with Laboratory Animals Might Teach Us about Life in the Dog Shelter. Animals (Basel) 2020; 10:E2061. [PMID: 33171805 PMCID: PMC7694980 DOI: 10.3390/ani10112061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2020] [Revised: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 11/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
There is a long history of laboratory studies of the physiological and behavioral effects of stress, its reduction, and the later psychological and behavioral consequences of unmitigated stress responses. Many of the stressors employed in these studies approximate the experience of dogs confined in an animal shelter. We review how the laboratory literature has guided our own work in describing the reactions of dogs to shelter housing and in helping formulate means of reducing their stress responses. Consistent with the social buffering literature in other species, human interaction has emerged as a key ingredient in moderating glucocorticoid stress responses of shelter dogs. We discuss variables that appear critical for effective use of human interaction procedures in the shelter as well as potential neural mechanisms underlying the glucocorticoid-reducing effect. We also describe recent studies in which enrichment centered on human interaction has been found to reduce aggressive responses in a temperament test used to determine suitability for adoption. Finally, we suggest that a critical aspect of the laboratory stress literature that has been underappreciated in studying shelter dogs is evidence for long-term behavioral consequences-often mediated by glucocorticoids-that may not become apparent until well after initial stress exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Patricia A. Schiml
- Department of Psychology, Wright State University, Dayton, OH 45435, USA;
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45
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Elkhatib SK, Moshfegh CM, Watson GF, Case AJ. Peripheral inflammation is strongly linked to elevated zero maze behavior in repeated social defeat stress. Brain Behav Immun 2020; 90:279-285. [PMID: 32890698 PMCID: PMC7568442 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2020.08.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2020] [Revised: 08/21/2020] [Accepted: 08/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric illness that results in an increased risk for a variety of inflammatory diseases. The exact etiology of this increased risk is unknown, and thus several animal models have been developed to investigate the neuroimmune interactions of PTSD. Repeated social defeat stress (RSDS) is an established preclinical model of psychological trauma that recapitulates certain behavioral and inflammatory aspects of human PTSD. Furthermore, RSDS has been utilized to subgroup animals into susceptible and resilient populations based on one specific behavioral phenotype (i.e., social interaction). Herein, we conducted an extensive investigation of circulating inflammatory proteins after RSDS and found significant elevations in various cytokines and chemokines after exposure to RSDS. When categorizing animals into either susceptible or resilient populations based on social interaction, we found no inflammatory or other behavioral differences between these subgroups. Furthermore, correlative analyses found no significant correlation between social interaction parameters and inflammation. In contrast, parameters from the elevated zero maze (EZM) demonstrated significant associations and clustering to five circulating cytokines. When animals were subdivided into susceptible and resilient populations solely based upon combined EZM performance, significant inflammatory differences were evident between these groups. Strikingly, these circulating inflammatory proteins displayed a stronger predictive ability of EZM performance compared to social interaction test performance. These findings provide new insights into inflammatory markers associated with RSDS, and the utility of EZM to effectively group RSDS-exposed mice into populations with differential levels of peripheral inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Safwan K Elkhatib
- Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, United States
| | - Cassandra M Moshfegh
- Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, United States
| | - Gabrielle F Watson
- Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, United States
| | - Adam J Case
- Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, United States.
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Reddaway J, Brydges NM. Enduring neuroimmunological consequences of developmental experiences: From vulnerability to resilience. Mol Cell Neurosci 2020; 109:103567. [PMID: 33068720 PMCID: PMC7556274 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcn.2020.103567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2020] [Revised: 09/14/2020] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The immune system is crucial for normal neuronal development and function (neuroimmune system). Both immune and neuronal systems undergo significant postnatal development and are sensitive to developmental programming by environmental experiences. Negative experiences from infection to psychological stress at a range of different time points (in utero to adolescence) can permanently alter the function of the neuroimmune system: given its prominent role in normal brain development and function this dysregulation may increase vulnerability to psychiatric illness. In contrast, positive experiences such as exercise and environmental enrichment are protective and can promote resilience, even restoring the detrimental effects of negative experiences on the neuroimmune system. This suggests the neuroimmune system is a viable therapeutic target for treatment and prevention of psychiatric illnesses, especially those related to stress. In this review we will summarise the main cells, molecules and functions of the immune system in general and with specific reference to central nervous system development and function. We will then discuss the effects of negative and positive environmental experiences, especially during development, in programming the long-term functioning of the neuroimmune system. Finally, we will review the sparse but growing literature on sex differences in neuroimmune development and response to environmental experiences. The immune system is essential for development and function of the central nervous system (neuroimmune system) Environmental experiences can permanently alter neuroimmune function and associated brain development Altered neuroimmune function following negative developmental experiences may play a role in psychiatric illnesses Positive experiences can promote resilience and rescue the effects of negative experiences on the neuroimmune system The neuroimmune system is therefore a viable therapeutic target for preventing and treating psychiatric illnesses
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack Reddaway
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Cardiff University, Hadyn Ellis Building, Maindy Road, Cardiff CF24 4HQ, UK
| | - Nichola M Brydges
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Cardiff University, Hadyn Ellis Building, Maindy Road, Cardiff CF24 4HQ, UK.
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Indirect exposure to socially defeated conspecifics using recorded video activates the HPA axis and reduces reward sensitivity in mice. Sci Rep 2020; 10:16881. [PMID: 33037312 PMCID: PMC7547068 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-73988-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2020] [Accepted: 09/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Rodents perceive the emotional states of conspecifics using vision. In the present study, we demonstrated that exposure to the video-recorded distress of conspecifics induces stress responses in male C57BL/6J mice. A single exposure to a video-recorded scene of the social defeat stress (SDS) increased plasma corticosterone levels in these mice. This physiological change was suppressed by blocking the visual information, suggesting that vision plays a crucial role in inducing stress responses. Furthermore, after exposure to the video, there were increased numbers of c-Fos-positive neurons in the anterior cingulate cortex and other brain areas that are associated with the negative valence and empathy systems, but not in the regions related to the pain signaling. In addition, repeated exposure to SDS videos induced an apparent reduction in reward sensitivity in the sucrose preference test, but did not affect avoidance behaviour in the social interaction test or immobility behaviour in the forced swim test. Reduced reward sensitivity in mice reflects anhedonia, which is a core symptom of depression in humans. Our video SDS model therefore provides a unique opportunity to not only understand the mechanisms underlying stress-induced anhedonia, but also to screen effective candidate molecules for stress-related disorders with greater reproducibility.
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Nakatake Y, Furuie H, Yamada M, Kuniishi H, Ukezono M, Yoshizawa K, Yamada M. The effects of emotional stress are not identical to those of physical stress in mouse model of social defeat stress. Neurosci Res 2020; 158:56-63. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neures.2019.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2019] [Revised: 10/09/2019] [Accepted: 10/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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Warren BL, Mazei-Robison MS, Robison AJ, Iñiguez SD. Can I Get a Witness? Using Vicarious Defeat Stress to Study Mood-Related Illnesses in Traditionally Understudied Populations. Biol Psychiatry 2020; 88:381-391. [PMID: 32228871 PMCID: PMC7725411 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2020.02.004] [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: 09/18/2019] [Revised: 01/15/2020] [Accepted: 02/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The chronic social defeat stress model has been instrumental in shaping our understanding of neurobiology relevant to affect-related illnesses, including major depressive disorder. However, the classic chronic social defeat stress procedure is limited by its exclusive application to adult male rodents. We have recently developed a novel vicarious social defeat stress procedure wherein one mouse witnesses the physical defeat bout of a conspecific from the safety of an adjacent compartment. This witness mouse develops a similar behavioral phenotype to that of the mouse that physically experiences social defeat stress, modeling multiple aspects of major depressive disorder. Importantly, this new procedure allows researchers to perform vicarious social defeat stress in males or females and in juvenile mice, which typically are excluded from classic social defeat experiments. Here we discuss several recent advances made using this procedure and how its application provides a new preclinical approach to study the neurobiology of psychological stress-induced phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandon L Warren
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
| | | | - Alfred J Robison
- Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan
| | - Sergio D Iñiguez
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas.
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Martinez-Muniz GA, Wood SK. Sex Differences in the Inflammatory Consequences of Stress: Implications for Pharmacotherapy. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 2020; 375:161-174. [PMID: 32759370 DOI: 10.1124/jpet.120.266205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2020] [Accepted: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Women are at significantly greater risk of developing stress-related disorders such as depression. The increased risk begins during puberty and continues throughout life until menopause, suggesting a role for ovarian hormones in this increased susceptibility. Importantly, inflammation has been gaining momentum in its role in the pathogenesis of depression. Herein, clinical and preclinical studies have been reviewed to better understand how sex differences within the immune system may contribute to exaggerated risk of depression in females. First, studies that investigate the ability of psychologic stress episodes to engage the inflammatory systems both in the brain and periphery are reviewed with a special focus on sex-specific effects. Moreover, studies are discussed that identify whether imbalanced inflammatory milieu contributes to the development of depression in males versus females and whether these effects are regulated by estradiol. Importantly, we propose a locus coeruleus-norepinephrine-cytokine circuit as a conduit through which stress could increase stress susceptibly in females. Finally, the anti-inflammatory capacity of traditional and nontraditional antidepressants is investigated, with the goal of providing a better understanding of pharmacotherapeutics to enhance strategies to personalize antidepressant treatments between the sexes. The studies reviewed herein strongly support the need for further studies to elucidate whether females are especially sensitive to anti-inflammatory compounds as adjuvants to traditional therapies. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Women have hve an increased risk of developing stress-related disorders such as depression. In this review, literature from clinical and preclinical studies are integrated to define sex differences in stress-induced inflammatory responses as a potential source for the etiology of sex differences in depressive disorders. Moreover, the anti-inflammatory capacity of traditional and nontraditional antidepressants is reviewed to inform on potential pharmacotherapeutic strategies to personalize antidepressant therapy in a sex-dependent manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gustavo A Martinez-Muniz
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, South Carolina and Dorn Veterans Administration Medical Center, Columbia, South Carolina
| | - Susan K Wood
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, South Carolina and Dorn Veterans Administration Medical Center, Columbia, South Carolina
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