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Zheng X, Wang J, Yang X, Xu L, Becker B, Sahakian BJ, Robbins TW, Kendrick KM. Oxytocin, but not vasopressin, decreases willingness to harm others by promoting moral emotions of guilt and shame. Mol Psychiatry 2024:10.1038/s41380-024-02590-w. [PMID: 38769372 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-024-02590-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Revised: 04/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Prosocial and moral behaviors have overlapping neural systems and can both be affected in a number of psychiatric disorders, although whether they involve similar neurochemical systems is unclear. In the current registered randomized placebo-controlled trial on 180 adult male and female subjects, we investigated the effects of intranasal administration of oxytocin and vasopressin, which play key roles in influencing social behavior, on moral emotion ratings for situations involving harming others and on judgments of moral dilemmas where others are harmed for a greater good. Oxytocin, but not vasopressin, enhanced feelings of guilt and shame for intentional but not accidental harm and reduced endorsement of intentionally harming others to achieve a greater good. Neither peptide influenced arousal ratings for the scenarios. Effects of oxytocin on guilt and shame were strongest in individuals scoring lower on the personal distress subscale of trait empathy. Overall, findings demonstrate for the first time that oxytocin, but not vasopressin, promotes enhanced feelings of guilt and shame and unwillingness to harm others irrespective of the consequences. This may reflect associations between oxytocin and empathy and vasopressin with aggression and suggests that oxytocin may have greater therapeutic potential for disorders with atypical social and moral behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxiao Zheng
- The Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- The MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute (BCBDI), Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jiayuan Wang
- The Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- The MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Xi Yang
- The Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- The MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Lei Xu
- Department of Psychology, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Benjamin Becker
- The Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- Department of Psychology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Barbara J Sahakian
- The MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Hills Rd., Cambridge, CB2 0QQ, UK
| | - Trevor W Robbins
- The MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Downing St., Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK.
| | - Keith M Kendrick
- The Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
- The MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
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2
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Um S, Lee J, Kim SJ, Cho KA, Kang KS, Kim SH. Xinghamide A, a New Cyclic Nonapeptide Found in Streptomyces xinghaiensis. Mar Drugs 2023; 21:509. [PMID: 37888444 PMCID: PMC10608500 DOI: 10.3390/md21100509] [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: 08/31/2023] [Revised: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Xinghamide A (1), a new nonapeptide, was discovered in Streptomyces xinghaiensis isolated from a halophyte, Suaeda maritima (L.) Dumort. Based on high-resolution mass and NMR spectroscopic data, the planar structure of 1 was established, and, in particular, the sequence of nine amino acids was determined with ROESY and HMBC NMR spectra. The absolute configurations of the α-carbon of each amino acid residue were determined with 1-fluoro-2,4-dinitrophenyl-l-and -d-leucine amide (Marfey's reagents) and 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-β-d-glucopyranosyl isothiocyanate, followed by LC-MS analysis. The anti-inflammatory activity of xinghamide A (1) was evaluated by inhibitory abilities against the nitric oxide (NO) secretion and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soohyun Um
- College of Pharmacy, Yonsei Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Yonsei University, Incheon 21983, Republic of Korea; (S.U.); (J.L.); (K.A.C.)
| | - Jaeyoun Lee
- College of Pharmacy, Yonsei Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Yonsei University, Incheon 21983, Republic of Korea; (S.U.); (J.L.); (K.A.C.)
| | - Sung Jin Kim
- College of Korean Medicine, Gachon University, Seongnam 13120, Republic of Korea; (S.J.K.); (K.S.K.)
| | - Kyung A Cho
- College of Pharmacy, Yonsei Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Yonsei University, Incheon 21983, Republic of Korea; (S.U.); (J.L.); (K.A.C.)
| | - Ki Sung Kang
- College of Korean Medicine, Gachon University, Seongnam 13120, Republic of Korea; (S.J.K.); (K.S.K.)
| | - Seung Hyun Kim
- College of Pharmacy, Yonsei Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Yonsei University, Incheon 21983, Republic of Korea; (S.U.); (J.L.); (K.A.C.)
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László K, Vörös D, Correia P, Fazekas CL, Török B, Plangár I, Zelena D. Vasopressin as Possible Treatment Option in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Biomedicines 2023; 11:2603. [PMID: 37892977 PMCID: PMC10603886 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11102603] [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: 08/10/2023] [Revised: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is rather common, presenting with prevalent early problems in social communication and accompanied by repetitive behavior. As vasopressin was implicated not only in salt-water homeostasis and stress-axis regulation, but also in social behavior, its role in the development of ASD might be suggested. In this review, we summarized a wide range of problems associated with ASD to which vasopressin might contribute, from social skills to communication, motor function problems, autonomous nervous system alterations as well as sleep disturbances, and altered sensory information processing. Beside functional connections between vasopressin and ASD, we draw attention to the anatomical background, highlighting several brain areas, including the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus, medial preoptic area, lateral septum, bed nucleus of stria terminalis, amygdala, hippocampus, olfactory bulb and even the cerebellum, either producing vasopressin or containing vasopressinergic receptors (presumably V1a). Sex differences in the vasopressinergic system might underline the male prevalence of ASD. Moreover, vasopressin might contribute to the effectiveness of available off-label therapies as well as serve as a possible target for intervention. In this sense, vasopressin, but paradoxically also V1a receptor antagonist, were found to be effective in some clinical trials. We concluded that although vasopressin might be an effective candidate for ASD treatment, we might assume that only a subgroup (e.g., with stress-axis disturbances), a certain sex (most probably males) and a certain brain area (targeting by means of virus vectors) would benefit from this therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristóf László
- Institute of Physiology, Medical School, University of Pécs, 7624 Pecs, Hungary; (K.L.); (D.V.); (P.C.); (C.L.F.); (B.T.); (I.P.)
- Center of Neuroscience, University of Pécs, 7624 Pecs, Hungary
- Szentágothai Research Center, University of Pécs, 7624 Pecs, Hungary
| | - Dávid Vörös
- Institute of Physiology, Medical School, University of Pécs, 7624 Pecs, Hungary; (K.L.); (D.V.); (P.C.); (C.L.F.); (B.T.); (I.P.)
- Center of Neuroscience, University of Pécs, 7624 Pecs, Hungary
- Szentágothai Research Center, University of Pécs, 7624 Pecs, Hungary
| | - Pedro Correia
- Institute of Physiology, Medical School, University of Pécs, 7624 Pecs, Hungary; (K.L.); (D.V.); (P.C.); (C.L.F.); (B.T.); (I.P.)
- Center of Neuroscience, University of Pécs, 7624 Pecs, Hungary
- Szentágothai Research Center, University of Pécs, 7624 Pecs, Hungary
- Hungarian Research Network, Institute of Experimental Medicine, 1083 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Csilla Lea Fazekas
- Institute of Physiology, Medical School, University of Pécs, 7624 Pecs, Hungary; (K.L.); (D.V.); (P.C.); (C.L.F.); (B.T.); (I.P.)
- Center of Neuroscience, University of Pécs, 7624 Pecs, Hungary
- Szentágothai Research Center, University of Pécs, 7624 Pecs, Hungary
- Hungarian Research Network, Institute of Experimental Medicine, 1083 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Bibiána Török
- Institute of Physiology, Medical School, University of Pécs, 7624 Pecs, Hungary; (K.L.); (D.V.); (P.C.); (C.L.F.); (B.T.); (I.P.)
- Center of Neuroscience, University of Pécs, 7624 Pecs, Hungary
- Szentágothai Research Center, University of Pécs, 7624 Pecs, Hungary
- Hungarian Research Network, Institute of Experimental Medicine, 1083 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Imola Plangár
- Institute of Physiology, Medical School, University of Pécs, 7624 Pecs, Hungary; (K.L.); (D.V.); (P.C.); (C.L.F.); (B.T.); (I.P.)
- Center of Neuroscience, University of Pécs, 7624 Pecs, Hungary
- Szentágothai Research Center, University of Pécs, 7624 Pecs, Hungary
| | - Dóra Zelena
- Institute of Physiology, Medical School, University of Pécs, 7624 Pecs, Hungary; (K.L.); (D.V.); (P.C.); (C.L.F.); (B.T.); (I.P.)
- Center of Neuroscience, University of Pécs, 7624 Pecs, Hungary
- Szentágothai Research Center, University of Pécs, 7624 Pecs, Hungary
- Hungarian Research Network, Institute of Experimental Medicine, 1083 Budapest, Hungary
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Dang Q, Ma F, Yuan Q, Fu Y, Chen K, Zhang Z, Lu C, Guo T. Processing negative emotion in two languages of bilinguals: Accommodation and assimilation of the neural pathways based on a meta-analysis. Cereb Cortex 2023:7133665. [PMID: 37083264 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2022] [Revised: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Numerous functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies have examined the neural mechanisms of negative emotional words, but scarce evidence is available for the interactions among related brain regions from the functional brain connectivity perspective. Moreover, few studies have addressed the neural networks for negative word processing in bilinguals. To fill this gap, the current study examined the brain networks for processing negative words in the first language (L1) and the second language (L2) with Chinese-English bilinguals. To identify objective indicators associated with negative word processing, we first conducted a coordinate-based meta-analysis on contrasts between negative and neutral words (including 32 contrasts from 1589 participants) using the activation likelihood estimation method. Results showed that the left medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), the left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), the left posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), the left amygdala, the left inferior temporal gyrus (ITG), and the left thalamus were involved in processing negative words. Next, these six clusters were used as regions of interest in effective connectivity analyses using extended unified structural equation modeling to pinpoint the brain networks for bilingual negative word processing. Brain network results revealed two pathways for negative word processing in L1: a dorsal pathway consisting of the left IFG, the left mPFC, and the left PCC, and a ventral pathway involving the left amygdala, the left ITG, and the left thalamus. We further investigated the similarity and difference between brain networks for negative word processing in L1 and L2. The findings revealed similarities in the dorsal pathway, as well as differences primarily in the ventral pathway, indicating both neural assimilation and accommodation across processing negative emotion in two languages of bilinguals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qinpu Dang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Fengyang Ma
- School of Education, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45219, USA
| | - Qiming Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Yongben Fu
- The Psychological Education and Counseling Center, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Keyue Chen
- Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Zhaoqi Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Chunming Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
- Center for Collaboration and Innovation in Brain and Learning Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Taomei Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
- Center for Collaboration and Innovation in Brain and Learning Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
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5
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Huang HS, Lin YE, Panyod S, Chen RA, Lin YC, Chai LMX, Hsu CC, Wu WK, Lu KH, Huang YJ, Sheen LY. Anti-depressive-like and cognitive impairment alleviation effects of Gastrodia elata Blume water extract is related to gut microbiome remodeling in ApoE -/- mice exposed to unpredictable chronic mild stress. JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY 2023; 302:115872. [PMID: 36343797 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2022.115872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2022] [Revised: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY RELEVANCE Gastrodia elata Blume (GE) is a traditional Chinese dietary therapy used to treat neurological disorders. Gastrodia elata Blume water extract (WGE) has been shown to ameliorate inflammation and improve social frustration in mice in a chronic social defeat model. However, studies on the anti-depressive-like effects and cognitive impairment alleviation related to the impact of WGE on the gut microbiome of ApoE-/- mice remain elusive. AIM OF THE STUDY The present study aimed to investigate the anti-depressive-like effect and cognitive impairment alleviation and mechanisms of WGE in ApoE-/- mice subjected to unpredictable chronic mild stress (UCMS), as well as its impact on the gut microbiome of the mice. MATERIALS AND METHODS Sixty ApoE-/- mice (6 months old) were randomly grouped into six groups: control, UCMS, WGE groups [5, 10, 20 mL WGE/kg body weight (bw) + UCMS], and a positive group (fluoxetine 20 mg/kg bw + UCMS). After four weeks of the UCMS paradigm, the sucrose preference, novel object recognition, and open field tests were conducted. The neurotransmitters serotonin (5-HT), dopamine (DA) and their metabolites were measured in the prefrontal cortex. Serum was collected to measure corticosterone and amyloid-42 (Aβ-42) levels. Feces were collected, and the gut microbiome was analyzed. RESULTS WGE restored sucrose preference, exploratory behavior, recognition ability, and decreased the levels of serum corticosterone and Aβ-42 in ApoE-/- mice to alleviate depressive-like behavior and cognitive impairment. Furthermore, WGE regulated the monoamine neurotransmitter via reduced the 5-HT and DA turnover rates in the prefrontal cortex. Moreover, WGE elevated the levels of potentially beneficial bacteria such as Bifidobacterium, Akkermansia, Alloprevotella, Defluviitaleaceae_UCG-011, and Bifidobacterium pseudolongum as well as balanced fecal short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). CONCLUSION WGE demonstrates anti-depressive-like effects, cognitive impairment alleviation, and gut microbiome and metabolite regulation in ApoE-/- mice. Our results support the possibility of developing a functional and complementary medicine to prevent or alleviate depression and cognitive decline using WGE in CVDs patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huai-Syuan Huang
- Institute of Food Science and Technology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
| | - Yu-En Lin
- Institute of Food Science and Technology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
| | - Suraphan Panyod
- Institute of Food Science and Technology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
| | - Rou-An Chen
- Institute of Food Science and Technology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
| | - Ying-Cheng Lin
- Institute of Food Science and Technology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
| | | | - Cheng-Chih Hsu
- Department of Chemistry, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
| | - Wei-Kai Wu
- Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Medical Research, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
| | - Kuan-Hung Lu
- Institute of Food Safety and Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; Institute of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
| | - Yun-Ju Huang
- Department of Biotechnology and Food Technology, Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Tainan, Taiwan.
| | - Lee-Yan Sheen
- Institute of Food Science and Technology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; Center for Food and Biomolecules, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; National Center for Food Safety Education and Research, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
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Vasopressin as a Possible Link between Sleep-Disturbances and Memory Problems. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232415467. [PMID: 36555107 PMCID: PMC9778878 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232415467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2022] [Revised: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Normal biological rhythms, including sleep, are very important for a healthy life and their disturbance may induce-among other issues-memory impairment, which is a key problem of many psychiatric pathologies. The major brain center of circadian regulation is the suprachiasmatic nucleus, and vasopressin (AVP), which is one of its main neurotransmitters, also plays a key role in memory formation. In this review paper, we aimed to summarize our knowledge on the vasopressinergic connection between sleep and memory with the help of the AVP-deficient Brattleboro rat strain. These animals have EEG disturbances with reduced sleep and impaired memory-boosting theta oscillation and show memory impairment in parallel. Based upon human and animal data measuring AVP levels, haplotypes, and the administration of AVP or its agonist or antagonist via different routes (subcutaneous, intraperitoneal, intracerebroventricular, or intranasal), V1a receptors (especially of hippocampal origin) were implicated in the sleep-memory interaction. All in all, the presented data confirm the possible connective role of AVP between biological rhythms and memory formation, thus, supporting the importance of AVP in several psychopathological conditions.
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Marcinkowska AB, Biancardi VC, Winklewski PJ. Arginine Vasopressin, Synaptic Plasticity, and Brain Networks. Curr Neuropharmacol 2022; 20:2292-2302. [PMID: 35193483 PMCID: PMC9890292 DOI: 10.2174/1570159x20666220222143532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Revised: 12/10/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The arginine vasopressin (AVP), a neurohypophysial hormone, is synthesized within specific sites of the central nervous system and axonally transported to multiple areas, acting as a neurotransmitter/ neuromodulator. In this context, AVP acts primarily through vasopressin receptors A and B and is involved in regulating complex social and cognition behaviors and basic autonomic function. Many earlier studies have shown that AVP as a neuromodulator affects synaptic plasticity. This review updates our current understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms by which AVP affects synaptic plasticity. Moreover, we discuss AVP modulatory effects on event-related potentials and blood oxygen level-dependent responses in specific brain structures, and AVP effects on the network level oscillatory activity. We aimed at providing an overview of the AVP effects on the brain from the synaptic to the network level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna B. Marcinkowska
- Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, Department of Human Physiology, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland
- 2-nd Department of Radiology, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland
| | - Vinicia C. Biancardi
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology, and Pharmacology, Auburn University, and Center for Neurosciences Initiative, Auburn University, Auburn, USA
| | - Pawel J. Winklewski
- 2-nd Department of Radiology, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland
- Department of Human Physiology, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland
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The Vasopressin 1a Receptor Antagonist SRX246 Reduces Aggressive Behavior in Huntington’s Disease. J Pers Med 2022; 12:jpm12101561. [PMID: 36294700 PMCID: PMC9605366 DOI: 10.3390/jpm12101561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Revised: 09/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
SRX246, an orally available CNS penetrant vasopressin (VP) V1a receptor antagonist, was studied in Huntington’s disease (HD) patients with irritability and aggressive behavior in the exploratory phase 2 trial, Safety, Tolerability, and Activity of SRX246 in Irritable HD patients (STAIR). This was a dose-escalation study; subjects received final doses of 120 mg BID, 160 mg BID, or placebo. The compound was safe and well tolerated. In this paper, we summarize the results of exploratory analyses of measures of problematic behaviors, including the Cohen–Mansfield Agitation Inventory (CMAI), Aberrant Behavior Checklist (ABC), Problem Behaviors Assessment-short form (PBA-s), Irritability Scale (IS), Clinical Global Impression (CGI), HD Quality of Life (QoL), and Caregiver Burden questionnaires. In addition to these, we asked subjects and caregivers to record answers to short questions about mood, irritability, and aggressive conduct in an eDiary. STAIR was the first rigorously designed study of behavioral endpoints like these in HD. The exploratory analyses showed that SRX246 reduced aggressive acts. Readily observed behaviors should be used as trial endpoints.
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9
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Progress in Personalized Psychiatric Therapy with the Example of Using Intranasal Oxytocin in PTSD Treatment. J Pers Med 2022; 12:jpm12071067. [PMID: 35887564 PMCID: PMC9317706 DOI: 10.3390/jpm12071067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Revised: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a severe mental disorder that results in the frequent coexistence of other diseases, lowers patients’ quality of life, and has a high annual cost of treatment. However, despite the variety of therapeutic approaches that exist, some patients still do not achieve the desired results. In addition, we may soon face an increase in the number of new PTSD cases because of the current global situation—both the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing armed conflicts. Hence, in recent years, many publications have sought a new, more personalized treatment approach. One such approach is the administration of intranasal oxytocin (INOXT), which, due to its pleiotropic effects, seems to be a promising therapeutic option. However, the current findings suggest that it might only be helpful for a limited, strictly selected group of patients.
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10
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Witte AM, Riem MME, van der Knaap N, de Moor MHM, van IJzendoorn MH, Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ. The effects of oxytocin and vasopressin administration on fathers' neural responses to infant crying: A randomized controlled within-subject study. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2022; 140:105731. [PMID: 35334388 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2022.105731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Revised: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
In a randomized double-blind within-subject control study we investigated the effects of oxytocin and vasopressin administration on neural reactivity to infant cry sounds in 70 first-time fathers in the first year of fatherhood. Additionally, we examined whether effects of oxytocin and vasopressin administration on neural reactivity were moderated by fathers' early childhood experiences. Neural reactivity to infant cry sounds (versus control sounds) was measured using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Furthermore, participants reported on their childhood experiences of parental harsh discipline and parental love withdrawal. Whole brain analyses revealed no significant effect of vasopressin or oxytocin administration on neural activation in response to infant cry sounds. Region of interest analyses showed decreased amygdala activation in both the oxytocin condition and the vasopressin condition as compared to placebo. We found no moderating effects of fathers' early childhood experiences. Our findings suggest that oxytocin administration may decrease feelings of anxiety or aversion to a crying infant. Whether decreased amygdala activation after vasopressin administration might be explained by contextual factors (e.g., absence of high levels of threat, unfamiliarity of the infant) or represents an affiliative response to infant distress warrants further investigation. Findings of the present study showed that oxytocin and vasopressin are important hormones implicated in neural models of infant cry perception in fatherhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annemieke M Witte
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Madelon M E Riem
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Behavioral Science Institute, Radboud University, the Netherlands
| | - N van der Knaap
- Department of Psychology, Education, and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Marleen H M de Moor
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Marinus H van IJzendoorn
- Department of Psychology, Education, and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Research Department of Clinical, Education and Health Psychology, Faculty of Brain Sciences, UCL, London, UK
| | - Marian J Bakermans-Kranenburg
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
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11
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Tamegart L, Abbaoui A, Oukhrib M, Bouyatas MM, Gamrani H. Physiological Alterations of Subchronic Lead Exposure Induced Degeneration of Epithelial Cells in Proximal Tubules and the Remedial Effect of Curcumin-III in Meriones shawi: a Possible Link with Vasopressin Release. Biol Trace Elem Res 2022; 200:1303-1311. [PMID: 34176078 DOI: 10.1007/s12011-021-02751-w] [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: 01/20/2021] [Accepted: 05/02/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
At the industrial working conditions, lead exposure could induce several alterations for the human body. Subchronic lead exposure is linked with several injuries including cerebral and renal dysfunctions. The present work discusses the effects of subchronic lead toxicity (3 g/l) in drinking water during the period of treatment (6 weeks) on vasopressin system and epithelial cells in proximal tubules. Also, we aimed to evaluate the protective effect of curcumin-III administered orally by gavage (30 mg/kg BW), against subchronic Pb exposure in Meriones shawi. The biochemical and histopathological examinations demonstrate renal damages induced by lead toxicity. In addition, the behavioral and immunohistochemical studies revealed that Pb neurotoxicity exhibited an anxious behavior with a significant elevation of the vasopressin (AVP) staining within the paraventricular nuclei. The study showed also curcumin-III restored the renal alterations with an anxiolytic effect. Moreover, it restored the AVP level in the studying nuclei. Our work supports a possible link between AVP release and epithelial degeneration in the proximal tubules, and shows a new pharmacological effect of curcumin-III as an anxiolytic agent against lead toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lahcen Tamegart
- Neurosciences, Pharmacology and Environment Team, Laboratory of Clinical, Experimental and Environmental Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakech, Morocco
| | - Abdellatif Abbaoui
- Neurosciences, Pharmacology and Environment Team, Laboratory of Clinical, Experimental and Environmental Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakech, Morocco
| | - Mjid Oukhrib
- Neurosciences, Pharmacology and Environment Team, Laboratory of Clinical, Experimental and Environmental Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakech, Morocco
| | - Mouly Mustapha Bouyatas
- Neurosciences, Pharmacology and Environment Team, Laboratory of Clinical, Experimental and Environmental Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakech, Morocco
- Department of Biology, Multidisciplinary Faculty of Safi, Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakesh, Morocco
| | - Halima Gamrani
- Neurosciences, Pharmacology and Environment Team, Laboratory of Clinical, Experimental and Environmental Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakech, Morocco.
- Neurosciences, Pharmacology and Environment Unit, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cadi Ayyad University, Avenue My Abdellah, B.P. 2390, Marrakesh, Morocco.
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12
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A Combined Administration of Testosterone and Arginine Vasopressin Affects Aggressive Behavior in Males. Brain Sci 2021; 11:brainsci11121623. [PMID: 34942928 PMCID: PMC8699569 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11121623] [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] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Revised: 12/04/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Aggressive behavior is modulated by many factors, including personality and cognition, as well as endocrine and neural changes. To study the potential effects on the reaction to provocation, which was realized by an ostensible opponent subtracting money from the participant, we administered testosterone (T) and arginine vasopressin (AVP) or a respective placebo (PL). Forty males underwent a functional magnetic resonance imaging session while performing a provocation paradigm. We investigated differential hormone effects and the potential influence of Machiavellian traits on punishment choices (monetary subtractions by the participant) in the paradigm. Participants in the T/AVP group subtracted more money when they were not provoked but showed increased activation in the inferior frontal gyrus and inferior parietal lobule during feedback compared to PL. Higher Machiavellian traits significantly increased punishing behavior independent of provocation only in this group. The pilot study shows that T/AVP affects neural and behavioral responses during a provocation paradigm while personality characteristics, such as Machiavellian trait patterns, specifically interact with hormonal influences (T/AVP) and their effects on behavior.
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13
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Chatterjee O, Gopalakrishnan L, Mol P, Advani J, Nair B, Shankar SK, Mahadevan A, Prasad TSK. The Normal Human Adult Hypothalamus Proteomic Landscape: Rise of Neuroproteomics in Biological Psychiatry and Systems Biology. OMICS-A JOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE BIOLOGY 2021; 25:693-710. [PMID: 34714154 DOI: 10.1089/omi.2021.0158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
The human hypothalamus is central to the regulation of neuroendocrine and neurovegetative systems, as well as modulation of chronobiology and behavioral aspects in human health and disease. Surprisingly, a deep proteomic analysis of the normal human hypothalamic proteome has been missing for such an important organ so far. In this study, we delineated the human hypothalamus proteome using a high-resolution mass spectrometry approach which resulted in the identification of 5349 proteins, while a multiple post-translational modification (PTM) search identified 191 additional proteins, which were missed in the first search. A proteogenomic analysis resulted in the discovery of multiple novel protein-coding regions as we identified proteins from noncoding regions (pseudogenes) and proteins translated from short open reading frames that can be missed using the traditional pipeline of prediction of protein-coding genes as a part of genome annotation. We also identified several PTMs of hypothalamic proteins that may be required for normal hypothalamic functions. Moreover, we observed an enrichment of proteins pertaining to autophagy and adult neurogenesis in the proteome data. We believe that the hypothalamic proteome reported herein would help to decipher the molecular basis for the diverse range of physiological functions attributed to it, as well as its role in neurological and psychiatric diseases. Extensive proteomic profiling of the hypothalamic nuclei would further elaborate on the role and functional characterization of several hypothalamus-specific proteins and pathways to inform future research and clinical discoveries in biological psychiatry, neurology, and system biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oishi Chatterjee
- Institute of Bioinformatics, Bangalore India.,Amrita School of Biotechnology, Amrita University, Kollam, India.,Center for Systems Biology and Molecular Medicine, Yenepoya Research Center, Yenepoya (Deemed to be University), Mangalore, India
| | - Lathika Gopalakrishnan
- Institute of Bioinformatics, Bangalore India.,Center for Systems Biology and Molecular Medicine, Yenepoya Research Center, Yenepoya (Deemed to be University), Mangalore, India.,Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, India
| | - Praseeda Mol
- Institute of Bioinformatics, Bangalore India.,Amrita School of Biotechnology, Amrita University, Kollam, India
| | | | - Bipin Nair
- Amrita School of Biotechnology, Amrita University, Kollam, India
| | - Susarla Krishna Shankar
- Department of Neuropathology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, India.,Human Brain Tissue Repository, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, India
| | - Anita Mahadevan
- Department of Neuropathology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, India.,Human Brain Tissue Repository, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, India
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14
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Chen X, Xu Y, Li B, Wu X, Li T, Wang L, Zhang Y, Lin W, Qu C, Feng C. Intranasal vasopressin modulates resting state brain activity across multiple neural systems: Evidence from a brain imaging machine learning study. Neuropharmacology 2021; 190:108561. [PMID: 33852823 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2021.108561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Revised: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Arginine vasopressin (AVP), a neuropeptide with widespread receptors in brain regions important for socioemotional processing, is critical in regulating various mammalian social behavior and emotion. Although a growing body of task-based brain imaging studies have revealed the effects of AVP on brain activity associated with emotion processing, social cognition and behaviors, the potential modulations of AVP on resting-state brain activity remain largely unknown. Here, the current study addressed this issue by adopting a machine learning approach to distinguish administration of AVP and placebo, employing the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) as a measure of resting-state brain activity. The brain regions contributing to the classification were then subjected to functional connectivity and decoding analyses, allowing for a data-driven quantitative inference on psychophysiological functions. Our results indicated that ALFF across multiple neural systems were sufficient to distinguish between AVP and placebo at individual level, with the contributing regions distributed across the social cognition network, sensorimotor regions and emotional processing network. These findings suggest that the role of AVP in socioemotional functioning recruits multiple brain networks distributed across the whole brain rather than specific localized neural pathways. Beyond these findings, the current data-driven approach also opens a novel avenue to delineate neural underpinnings of various neuropeptides or hormones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinling Chen
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences (South China Normal University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China; School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China; Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China; Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Yongbo Xu
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences (South China Normal University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China; School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China; Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China; Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Bingjie Li
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK.
| | - Xiaoyan Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.
| | - Ting Li
- Institute of Brain Research and Rehabilitation (IBRR) South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Li Wang
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Assessment for Basic Education Quality, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.
| | - Yijie Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences (South China Normal University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China; School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China; Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China; Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Wanghuan Lin
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences (South China Normal University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China; School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China; Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China; Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Chen Qu
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences (South China Normal University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China; School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China; Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China; Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Chunliang Feng
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences (South China Normal University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China; School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China; Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China; Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.
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15
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Limbic Neuropeptidergic Modulators of Emotion and Their Therapeutic Potential for Anxiety and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. J Neurosci 2021; 41:901-910. [PMID: 33472824 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1647-20.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Revised: 11/06/2020] [Accepted: 11/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is characterized by hypervigilance, increased reactivity to unpredictable versus predictable threat signals, deficits in fear extinction, and an inability to discriminate between threat and safety. First-line pharmacotherapies for psychiatric disorders have limited therapeutic efficacy in PTSD. However, recent studies have advanced our understanding of the roles of several limbic neuropeptides in the regulation of defensive behaviors and in the neural processes that are disrupted in PTSD. For example, preclinical studies have shown that blockers of tachykinin pathways, such as the Tac2 pathway, attenuate fear memory consolidation in mice and thus might have unique potential as early post-trauma interventions to prevent PTSD development. Targeting this pathway might also be beneficial in regulating other symptoms of PTSD, including trauma-induced aggressive behavior. In addition, preclinical and clinical studies have shown the important role of angiotensin receptors in fear extinction and the promise of using angiotensin II receptor blockade to reduce PTSD symptom severity. Additional preclinical studies have demonstrated that the oxytocin receptors foster accurate fear discrimination by facilitating fear responses to predictable versus unpredictable threats. Complementary human imaging studies demonstrate unique neural targets of intranasal oxytocin and compare its efficacy with well-established anxiolytic treatments. Finally, promising data from human subjects have demonstrated that a selective vasopressin 1A receptor antagonist reduces anxiety induced by unpredictable threats. This review highlights these novel promising targets for the treatment of unique core elements of PTSD pathophysiology.
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16
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Sparapani S, Millet-Boureima C, Oliver J, Mu K, Hadavi P, Kalostian T, Ali N, Avelar CM, Bardies M, Barrow B, Benedikt M, Biancardi G, Bindra R, Bui L, Chihab Z, Cossitt A, Costa J, Daigneault T, Dault J, Davidson I, Dias J, Dufour E, El-Khoury S, Farhangdoost N, Forget A, Fox A, Gebrael M, Gentile MC, Geraci O, Gnanapragasam A, Gomah E, Haber E, Hamel C, Iyanker T, Kalantzis C, Kamali S, Kassardjian E, Kontos HK, Le TBU, LoScerbo D, Low YF, Mac Rae D, Maurer F, Mazhar S, Nguyen A, Nguyen-Duong K, Osborne-Laroche C, Park HW, Parolin E, Paul-Cole K, Peer LS, Philippon M, Plaisir CA, Porras Marroquin J, Prasad S, Ramsarun R, Razzaq S, Rhainds S, Robin D, Scartozzi R, Singh D, Fard SS, Soroko M, Soroori Motlagh N, Stern K, Toro L, Toure MW, Tran-Huynh S, Trépanier-Chicoine S, Waddingham C, Weekes AJ, Wisniewski A, Gamberi C. The Biology of Vasopressin. Biomedicines 2021; 9:89. [PMID: 33477721 PMCID: PMC7832310 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9010089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Revised: 12/29/2020] [Accepted: 01/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Vasopressins are evolutionarily conserved peptide hormones. Mammalian vasopressin functions systemically as an antidiuretic and regulator of blood and cardiac flow essential for adapting to terrestrial environments. Moreover, vasopressin acts centrally as a neurohormone involved in social and parental behavior and stress response. Vasopressin synthesis in several cell types, storage in intracellular vesicles, and release in response to physiological stimuli are highly regulated and mediated by three distinct G protein coupled receptors. Other receptors may bind or cross-bind vasopressin. Vasopressin is regulated spatially and temporally through transcriptional and post-transcriptional mechanisms, sex, tissue, and cell-specific receptor expression. Anomalies of vasopressin signaling have been observed in polycystic kidney disease, chronic heart failure, and neuropsychiatric conditions. Growing knowledge of the central biological roles of vasopressin has enabled pharmacological advances to treat these conditions by targeting defective systemic or central pathways utilizing specific agonists and antagonists.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Chiara Gamberi
- Biology Department, Concordia University, Montreal, QC H4B 1R6, Canada; (S.S.); (C.M.-B.); (J.O.); (K.M.); (P.H.); (T.K.); (N.A.); (C.M.A.); (M.B.); (B.B.); (M.B.); (G.B.); (R.B.); (L.B.); (Z.C.); (A.C.); (J.C.); (T.D.); (J.D.); (I.D.); (J.D.); (E.D.); (S.E.-K.); (N.F.); (A.F.); (A.F.); (M.G.); (M.C.G.); (O.G.); (A.G.); (E.G.); (E.H.); (C.H.); (T.I.); (C.K.); (S.K.); (E.K.); (H.K.K.); (T.B.U.L.); (D.L.); (Y.F.L.); (D.M.R.); (F.M.); (S.M.); (A.N.); (K.N.-D.); (C.O.-L.); (H.W.P.); (E.P.); (K.P.-C.); (L.S.P.); (M.P.); (C.-A.P.); (J.P.M.); (S.P.); (R.R.); (S.R.); (S.R.); (D.R.); (R.S.); (D.S.); (S.S.F.); (M.S.); (N.S.M.); (K.S.); (L.T.); (M.W.T.); (S.T.-H.); (S.T.-C.); (C.W.); (A.J.W.); (A.W.)
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17
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Mitra AK. Oxytocin and vasopressin: the social networking buttons of the body. AIMS MOLECULAR SCIENCE 2021. [DOI: 10.3934/molsci.2021003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
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18
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Abstract
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating psychiatric condition with a wide range of behavioral disturbances and serious consequences for both patient and society. One of the main reasons for unsuccessful therapies is insufficient knowledge about its underlying pathomechanism. In the search for centrally signaling molecules that might be relevant to the development of PTSD we focus here on arginine vasopressin (AVP). So far AVP has not been strongly implicated in PTSD, but different lines of evidence suggest a possible impact of its signaling in all clusters of PTSD symptomatology. More specifically, in laboratory rodents, AVP agonists affect behavior in a PTSD-like manner, while significant reduction of AVP signaling in the brain e.g. in AVP-deficient Brattleboro rats, ameliorated defined behavioral parameters that can be linked to PTSD symptoms. Different animal models of PTSD also show alterations in the AVP signaling in distinct brain areas. However, pharmacological treatment targeting central AVP receptors via systemic routes is hampered by possible side effects that are linked to the peripheral action of AVP as a hormone. Indeed, the V1a receptor, the most common receptor subtype in the brain, is implicated in vasoconstriction. Thus, systemic treatment with V1a receptor antagonists would be implicated in hypotonia. This implies that novel treatment concepts are needed to target AVP receptors not only at brain level but also in distinct brain areas, to offer alternative treatments for PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eszter Sipos
- Behavioral Neurobiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Bibiána Török
- Behavioral Neurobiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
- Janos Szentagothai School of Neurosciences, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - István Barna
- Behavioral Neurobiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Mario Engelmann
- Institut für Biochemie und Zellbiologie, Otto-von-Guericke-Universität, Magdeburg, Germany
- Center for Behavioural Brain Sciences (CBBS), Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Dóra Zelena
- Behavioral Neurobiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
- Centre for Neuroscience, Szentágothai Research Centre, Institute of Physiology, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
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19
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Feng C, Qin L, Luo Y, Xu P. Intranasal vasopressin expedites dishonesty in women. Horm Behav 2020; 126:104843. [PMID: 32827501 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2020.104843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2019] [Revised: 07/14/2020] [Accepted: 08/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
As an integral ingredient of human sociality, dishonesty can be both egocentric and altruistic, as well as gradually escalate. Here, we examined the influence of arginine vasopressin (AVP), a neuropeptide associated with human prosocial behaviors, on dishonest behaviors in men and women. In this double-blind and placebo-controlled study, 101 participants were randomized to administration of either 20 IU intranasal AVP or placebo. We used a two-party task to manipulate the incentive structure of dishonesty in the way of self-/other-serving repeatedly. For lies that benefit both themselves and others, women receiving intranasal AVP lied more than women receiving intranasal placebo and men receiving intranasal AVP. The dishonest behavior of women treated with AVP gradually escalated with repetition over time. These results suggest that AVP selectively regulates the escalation of dishonesty in women, contingent on the motivation of dishonesty. Our findings provide insight into gender-specific modulations of AVP on human dishonest behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunliang Feng
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences, Ministry of Education, School of Psychology, Center for Studies of Psychological Application, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, China.
| | - Lili Qin
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Neuroscience, Center for Brain Disorders and Cognitive Sciences, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China; Center for Emotion and Brain, Shenzhen Institute of Neuroscience, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yuejia Luo
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Neuroscience, Center for Brain Disorders and Cognitive Sciences, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China; Center for Emotion and Brain, Shenzhen Institute of Neuroscience, Shenzhen, China
| | - Pengfei Xu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Applied Experimental Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China; Center for Emotion and Brain, Shenzhen Institute of Neuroscience, Shenzhen, China; Great Bay Neuroscience and Technology Research Institute (Hong Kong), Kwun Tong, Hong Kong, China.
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20
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Abramova O, Zorkina Y, Ushakova V, Zubkov E, Morozova A, Chekhonin V. The role of oxytocin and vasopressin dysfunction in cognitive impairment and mental disorders. Neuropeptides 2020; 83:102079. [PMID: 32839007 DOI: 10.1016/j.npep.2020.102079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2020] [Revised: 08/08/2020] [Accepted: 08/09/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Oxytocin (OXT) and arginine-vasopressin (AVP) are structurally homologous peptide hormones synthesized in the hypothalamus. Nowadays, the role of OXT and AVP in the regulation of social behaviour and emotions is generally known. However, recent researches indicate that peptides also participate in cognitive functioning. This review presents the evidence that the OXT/AVP systems are involved in the formation of social, working, spatial and episodic memory, mediated by such brain structures as the hippocampal CA2 and CA3 regions, amygdala and prefrontal cortex. Some data have demonstrated that the OXT receptor's polymorphisms are associated with impaired memory in humans, and OXT knockout in mice is connected with memory deficit. Additionally, OXT and AVP are involved in mental disorders' progression. Stress-induced imbalance of the OXT/AVP systems leads to an increased risk of various mental disorders, including depression, schizophrenia, and autism. At the same time, cognitive deficits are observed in stress and mental disorders, and perhaps peptide hormones play a part in this. The final part of the review describes possible therapeutic strategies for the use of OXT and AVP for treatment of various mental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga Abramova
- Department of Basic and Applied Neurobiology, V.P. Serbsky National Medical Research Center for Psychiatry and Narcology, Moscow, Russia.
| | - Yana Zorkina
- Department of Basic and Applied Neurobiology, V.P. Serbsky National Medical Research Center for Psychiatry and Narcology, Moscow, Russia
| | - Valeria Ushakova
- Department of Basic and Applied Neurobiology, V.P. Serbsky National Medical Research Center for Psychiatry and Narcology, Moscow, Russia; Department of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russia
| | - Eugene Zubkov
- Department of Basic and Applied Neurobiology, V.P. Serbsky National Medical Research Center for Psychiatry and Narcology, Moscow, Russia
| | - Anna Morozova
- Department of Basic and Applied Neurobiology, V.P. Serbsky National Medical Research Center for Psychiatry and Narcology, Moscow, Russia
| | - Vladimir Chekhonin
- Department of Basic and Applied Neurobiology, V.P. Serbsky National Medical Research Center for Psychiatry and Narcology, Moscow, Russia; Department of Medical Nanobiotechnology, Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow, Russia
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21
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Chen J, Tan J, Greenshaw AJ, Sawalha J, Liu Y, Zhang X, Zou W, Cheng X, Deng W, Zhang Y, Cui L, Liu C, Sun J, Cheng X, Wu Q, Li S, Mai S, Lan X, Chen Y, Cai Y, Zheng C, Cheng D, Zhang B, Yang C, Li X, Li X, Ye B, Yousefnezhad M, Zhang Y, Zhao L, Soares JC, Zhang X, Li T, Cao B, Cao L. CACNB2 rs11013860 polymorphism correlates of prefrontal cortex thickness in bipolar patients with first-episode mania. J Affect Disord 2020; 268:82-87. [PMID: 32158010 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2020.02.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2019] [Revised: 01/28/2020] [Accepted: 02/01/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The β2 subunit of the voltage-gated l-type calcium channel gene(CACNB2) rs11013860 polymorphism is a putative genetic susceptibility marker for bipolar disorder (BD). However, the neural effects of CACNB2 rs11013860 in BD are largely unknown. METHODS Forty-six bipolar patients with first-episode mania and eighty-three healthy controls (HC) were genotyped for CACNB2 rs11013860 and were scanned with a 3.0 Tesla structural magnetic resonance imaging system to measure cortical thickness of prefrontal cortex (PFC) components (superior frontal cortex, orbitofrontal cortex, middle and inferior frontal gyri). RESULTS Cortical thickness was thinner in patients on all PFC measurements compared to HC (p < 0.050). Moreover, we found a significant interaction between CACNB2 genotype and diagnosis for the right superior frontal cortical thickness (F = 8.190, p = 0.040). Bonferroni corrected post-hoc tests revealed that, in CACNB2 A-allele carriers, patients displayed thinner superior frontal thickness compared to HC (p < 0.001). In patients, CACNB2 A-allele carriers also exhibited reduced superior frontal thickness compared to CACNB2 CC-allele carriers (p = 0.016). LIMITATIONS Lithium treatment may influence our results, and the sample size in our study is relatively small. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that the CACNB2 rs11013860 might impact PFC thickness in patients with first-episode mania. These findings provide evidence to support CACNB2 rs11013860 involvement in the emotion-processing neural circuitry abnormality in the early stage of BD, which will ultimately contribute to revealing the link between the variation in calcium channel genes and the neuropathological mechanism of BD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianshan Chen
- Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou HuiAi Hospital, Guangzhou, Guangdong, PR China
| | - Jiuwei Tan
- Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou HuiAi Hospital, Guangzhou, Guangdong, PR China
| | - Andrew J Greenshaw
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Jeff Sawalha
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Yang Liu
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Xiaofei Zhang
- Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou HuiAi Hospital, Guangzhou, Guangdong, PR China
| | - Wenjin Zou
- Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou HuiAi Hospital, Guangzhou, Guangdong, PR China
| | - Xiaofang Cheng
- Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou HuiAi Hospital, Guangzhou, Guangdong, PR China
| | - Wenhao Deng
- Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou HuiAi Hospital, Guangzhou, Guangdong, PR China
| | - Yizhi Zhang
- Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou HuiAi Hospital, Guangzhou, Guangdong, PR China; General Hospital of Southern Theater Command, Guangzhou, Guangdong, PR China
| | - Liqian Cui
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, PR China
| | - Chuihong Liu
- Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou HuiAi Hospital, Guangzhou, Guangdong, PR China
| | - Jiaqi Sun
- Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou HuiAi Hospital, Guangzhou, Guangdong, PR China
| | - Xiongchao Cheng
- Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou HuiAi Hospital, Guangzhou, Guangdong, PR China; Nanning Fifth People's Hospital, Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, PR China
| | - Qiuxia Wu
- Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou HuiAi Hospital, Guangzhou, Guangdong, PR China
| | - Suyi Li
- Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou HuiAi Hospital, Guangzhou, Guangdong, PR China
| | - Siming Mai
- Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou HuiAi Hospital, Guangzhou, Guangdong, PR China
| | - Xiaofeng Lan
- Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou HuiAi Hospital, Guangzhou, Guangdong, PR China
| | - Yingmei Chen
- Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou HuiAi Hospital, Guangzhou, Guangdong, PR China
| | - Yinglian Cai
- Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou HuiAi Hospital, Guangzhou, Guangdong, PR China
| | - Chaodun Zheng
- Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou HuiAi Hospital, Guangzhou, Guangdong, PR China
| | - Daomeng Cheng
- Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou HuiAi Hospital, Guangzhou, Guangdong, PR China
| | - Bin Zhang
- Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou HuiAi Hospital, Guangzhou, Guangdong, PR China
| | - Chanjuan Yang
- Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou HuiAi Hospital, Guangzhou, Guangdong, PR China
| | - Xuan Li
- Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou HuiAi Hospital, Guangzhou, Guangdong, PR China
| | - Xinmin Li
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Biyu Ye
- Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou HuiAi Hospital, Guangzhou, Guangdong, PR China
| | | | - Yamin Zhang
- The Mental Health Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, PR China
| | - Liansheng Zhao
- The Mental Health Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, PR China
| | - Jair C Soares
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Xiangyang Zhang
- Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China
| | - Tao Li
- The Mental Health Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, PR China
| | - Bo Cao
- Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou HuiAi Hospital, Guangzhou, Guangdong, PR China; Department of Psychiatry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
| | - Liping Cao
- Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou HuiAi Hospital, Guangzhou, Guangdong, PR China.
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22
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Zhu R, Liu C, Li T, Xu Z, Fung B, Feng C, Wu H, Luo Y, Wang L. Intranasal oxytocin reduces reactive aggression in men but not in women: A computational approach. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2019; 108:172-181. [PMID: 31374475 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2019.06.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2019] [Revised: 06/07/2019] [Accepted: 06/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Aggression is an important behaviour that concerns individual survival and large-scale social stability. It comprises a variety of psychological subcomponents and is modulated by different biological factors. Two factors in particular, gender and oxytocin, appear to play a robust role in aggressive behaviour. However, whether these two factors interact to impact aggressive behaviour is not currently known. The current study investigated the modulating effect of gender on the relationship between oxytocin and aggression and characterized its underlying mechanisms by combining behavioural economic, pharmacological, and computational approaches. Specifically, we employed a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, between-subjects design, in which one hundred participants (50 men and 50 women) completed a norm-training version of the multi-round one-shot ultimatum game (UG) after intranasal oxytocin or placebo administration. Rejection rates in the UG were adopted as an indicator of reactive aggression. The results indicated that oxytocin compared with placebo administration decreased aggression among men but not among women. Further analyses suggested that this decrease in aggression was a result of changes in men's sensitivity to provocation and positive affect, rather than norm adaptation rates or concerns about the cost of aggression. These findings highlight the role of gender in the relationship between oxytocin and reactive aggression and reveal its underlying psychological and computational mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruida Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China; Center for Collaboration and Innovation in Brain and Learning Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Brain Imaging and Connectomics, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Chao Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China; Center for Collaboration and Innovation in Brain and Learning Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Brain Imaging and Connectomics, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Ting Li
- Institute for Brain Research and Rehabilitation (IBRR), South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhenhua Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China; Center for Collaboration and Innovation in Brain and Learning Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Brain Imaging and Connectomics, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Bowen Fung
- Division of Humanities and Social Sciences and Computation and Neural Systems Program, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, USA
| | - Chunliang Feng
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, Center for Studies of Psychological Application, School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Haiyan Wu
- Division of Humanities and Social Sciences and Computation and Neural Systems Program, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, USA; CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
| | - Yi Luo
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, Virginia Tech, Roanoke, USA.
| | - Li Wang
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Assessment toward Basic Education Quality, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.
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23
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Hendaus MA, Jomha FA, Alhammadi AH. Vasopressin in the Amelioration of Social Functioning in Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Clin Med 2019; 8:jcm8071061. [PMID: 31331023 PMCID: PMC6678231 DOI: 10.3390/jcm8071061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2019] [Revised: 07/10/2019] [Accepted: 07/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability described by diagnostic criteria that comprise deficits in social communication and the existence of repetitive, restricted patterns of behavior, interests, or activities that can last throughout life. Many preclinical studies show the importance of arginine vasopressin (AVP) physiology in social functioning in several mammalian species. Currently, there is a trend to investigate more specific pharmacological agents to improve social functioning in patients with ASD. Neurobiological systems that are crucial for social functioning are the most encouraging conceivable signaling pathways for ASD therapeutic discovery. The AVP signaling pathway is one of the most promising. The purpose of this commentary is to detail the evidence on the use of AVP as an agent that can improve social functioning. The pharmacologic aspects of the drug as well as its potential to ameliorate social functioning characteristics in human and animal studies are described in this manuscript. AVP, especially in its inhaled form, seems to be safe and beneficial in improving social functioning including in children with autism. Larger randomized studies are required to implement a long awaited safe and feasible treatment in people with a deficiency in social functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed A Hendaus
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Academic General Pediatrics, Sidra Medicine, Doha 26999, Qatar.
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Academic General Pediatrics, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha 3050, Qatar.
- Department of Clinical Pediatrics, Weill-Cornell Medical College, Doha 26999, Qatar.
| | - Fatima A Jomha
- School of Pharmacy, Lebanese International University, Khiara 146404, Lebanon
| | - Ahmed H Alhammadi
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Academic General Pediatrics, Sidra Medicine, Doha 26999, Qatar
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Academic General Pediatrics, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha 3050, Qatar
- Department of Clinical Pediatrics, Weill-Cornell Medical College, Doha 26999, Qatar
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24
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Kawada A, Nagasawa M, Murata A, Mogi K, Watanabe K, Kikusui T, Kameda T. Vasopressin enhances human preemptive strike in both males and females. Sci Rep 2019; 9:9664. [PMID: 31273244 PMCID: PMC6609689 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-45953-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2019] [Accepted: 06/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The neuropeptide arginine vasopressin (AVP), which is known to modulate a wide range of social behaviors in animals, has been identified as a modulator of various negative responses to social stimuli in humans. However, behavioral evidence directly supporting its involvement in human defensive aggression has been rare. We investigated the effect of intranasal AVP on defensive aggression in a laboratory experiment, using an incentivized economic game called the “preemptive strike game” (PSG). Participants played PSG individually (1 on 1) as well as in pairs (2 on 2) under either AVP or saline. We observed that exogenous but not basal AVP modulated the attack rate in PSG for both male and female participants. A model-based analysis of the aggregation of individual attack preferences into pair decisions revealed that the AVP effect on defensive aggression occurred mainly at the individual level and was not amplified at the pair level. Overall, these results present the first evidence that intranasal AVP promotes human defensive aggression for both males and females in a bilateral situation where each party can potentially damage the resources of the other party. These findings also parallel accumulating evidence from non-human animals concerning AVP’s involvement in territorial defense against potential intruders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atsushi Kawada
- Department of Social Psychology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Miho Nagasawa
- Department of Animal Science and Biotechnology, Azabu University, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Aiko Murata
- NTT Communication Science Laboratories, NTT Corporation, Kanagawa, Japan.,Faculty of Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kazutaka Mogi
- Department of Animal Science and Biotechnology, Azabu University, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Katsumi Watanabe
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan.,Creative Robotics Lab, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Takefumi Kikusui
- Department of Animal Science and Biotechnology, Azabu University, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Tatsuya Kameda
- Department of Social Psychology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan. .,Brain Science Institute, Tamagawa University, Tokyo, Japan. .,Center for Experimental Research in Social Sciences, Hokkaido University, Hokkaido, Japan.
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25
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Wu X, Feng C, He Z, Gong X, Luo YJ, Luo Y. Gender-specific effects of vasopressin on human social communication: An ERP study. Horm Behav 2019; 113:85-94. [PMID: 31059697 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2019.04.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2018] [Revised: 04/05/2019] [Accepted: 04/27/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
The quick and efficient perception of facial expressions represents a special and fundamental capacity of humans to engage in social communication. Here, we examined the effects of vasopressin (AVP, a neuropeptide) on the processing of same- and other-gender facial expressions among males and females. After receiving either AVP or placebo (PBO) intranasally in a randomized and double-blind manner, participants were asked to rate their approachability to facial expressions while event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded. Males rated lower approachability scores to neutral and positive male faces relative to the scores to emotion-matched female faces after AVP but not following PBO administration. These behavioral effects were correlated with the AVP-induced increased P1 and decreased N170 responses to male faces among male participants. Females rated higher approachability scores to negative female faces than the scores to negative male faces after AVP but not following PBO treatment. These results suggest that AVP decreases friendly responses to neutral/positive male faces in males and increases friendly responses to negative female faces in females. Overall, these results demonstrate the gender-specific effects of AVP in response to same- and other-gender facial expressions, indicating there are sex- and context-dependent effects of AVP on socioemotional processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyan Wu
- Center of Brain Disorder and Cognitive Sciences, College of Psychology and Sociology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China; Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Cognitive Science, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Chunliang Feng
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, Center for Studies of Psychological Application, School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhenhong He
- Division of Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Xu Gong
- Center of Brain Disorder and Cognitive Sciences, College of Psychology and Sociology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China; Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Cognitive Science, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yue-Jia Luo
- Center of Brain Disorder and Cognitive Sciences, College of Psychology and Sociology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China; Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Cognitive Science, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China; Center for Emotion and Brain, Shenzhen Institute of Neuroscience, Shenzhen, China; Dept Psychology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Yi Luo
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute, Virginia Tech, Roanoke, Virginia 24016, USA
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26
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Ulrich M, Niemann J, Boland M, Kammer T, Niemann F, Grön G. The neural correlates of flow experience explored with transcranial direct current stimulation. Exp Brain Res 2018; 236:3223-3237. [DOI: 10.1007/s00221-018-5378-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2018] [Accepted: 09/08/2018] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
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27
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Imaging neuropeptide effects on human brain function. Cell Tissue Res 2018; 375:279-286. [PMID: 30069597 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-018-2899-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2018] [Accepted: 07/20/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
The discovery of prosocial effects of oxytocin (OT) opened new directions for studying neuropeptide effects on the human brain. However, despite obvious effects of OT on neural responses as reported in numerous studies, other peptides have received less attention. Therefore, we will only briefly summarize evidence of OT effects on human functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and primarily focus on OT's sister neuropeptide arginine-vasopressin by presenting our own coordinated-based activation likelihood estimation meta-analysis. In addition, we will recapitulate rather limited data on few other neuropeptides, including pharmacological and genetic fMRI studies. Finally, we will review experiments with external neuropeptide administration to patients afflicted with mental disorders, such as autism or schizophrenia. In conclusion, despite remaining uncertainty regarding the penetrance of exogenous neuropeptides through the blood-brain barrier, it is evident that neuropeptides simultaneously influence the activity of limbic and cortical areas, indicating that these systems have a good potential for therapeutic drug development. Hence, this calls for further systematic studies of a wide spectrum of known and less known neuropeptides to understand their normal function in the brain and, subsequently, to tackle their potential contribution for pathophysiological mechanisms of mental disorders.
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28
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Frye RE. Social Skills Deficits in Autism Spectrum Disorder: Potential Biological Origins and Progress in Developing Therapeutic Agents. CNS Drugs 2018; 32:713-734. [PMID: 30105528 PMCID: PMC6105175 DOI: 10.1007/s40263-018-0556-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder is defined by two core symptoms: a deficit in social communication and the presence of repetitive behaviors and/or restricted interests. Currently, there is no US Food and Drug Administration-approved drug for these core symptoms. This article reviews the biological origins of the social function deficit associated with autism spectrum disorder and the drug therapies with the potential to treat this deficit. A review of the history of autism demonstrates that a deficit in social interaction has been the defining feature of the concept of autism from its conception. Abnormalities identified in early social skill development and an overview of the pathophysiology abnormalities associated with autism spectrum disorder are discussed as are the abnormalities in brain circuits associated with the social function deficit. Previous and ongoing clinical trials examining agents that have the potential to improve social deficits associated with autism spectrum disorder are discussed in detail. This discussion reveals that agents such as oxytocin and propranolol are particularly promising and undergoing active investigation, while other agents such as vasopressin agonists and antagonists are being activity investigated but have limited published evidence at this time. In addition, agents such as bumetanide and manipulation of the enteric microbiome using microbiota transfer therapy appear to have promising effects on core autism spectrum disorder symptoms including social function. Other pertinent issues associated with developing treatments in autism spectrum disorder, such as disease heterogeneity, high placebo response rates, trial design, and the most appropriate way of assessing effects on social skills (outcome measures), are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard E Frye
- Division of Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Department of Neurology, Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix Children's Hospital, 1919 E Thomas St, Phoenix, AZ, 85016, USA.
- Department of Child Health, University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ, 85004, USA.
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29
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Reinwald JR, Becker R, Mallien AS, Falfan-Melgoza C, Sack M, Clemm von Hohenberg C, Braun U, Cosa Linan A, Gass N, Vasilescu AN, Tollens F, Lebhardt P, Pfeiffer N, Inta D, Meyer-Lindenberg A, Gass P, Sartorius A, Weber-Fahr W. Neural Mechanisms of Early-Life Social Stress as a Developmental Risk Factor for Severe Psychiatric Disorders. Biol Psychiatry 2018; 84:116-128. [PMID: 29397900 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2017.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2017] [Revised: 11/21/2017] [Accepted: 12/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND To explore the domain-general risk factor of early-life social stress in mental illness, rearing rodents in persistent postweaning social isolation has been established as a widely used animal model with translational relevance for neurodevelopmental psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia. Although changes in resting-state brain connectivity are a transdiagnostic key finding in neurodevelopmental diseases, a characterization of imaging correlates elicited by early-life social stress is lacking. METHODS We performed resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging of postweaning social isolation rats (N = 23) 9 weeks after isolation. Addressing well-established transdiagnostic connectivity changes of psychiatric disorders, we focused on altered frontal and posterior connectivity using a seed-based approach. Then, we examined changes in regional network architecture and global topology using graph theoretical analysis. RESULTS Seed-based analyses demonstrated reduced functional connectivity in frontal brain regions and increased functional connectivity in posterior brain regions of postweaning social isolation rats. Graph analyses revealed a shift of the regional architecture, characterized by loss of dominance of frontal regions and emergence of nonfrontal regions, correlating to our behavioral results, and a reduced modularity in isolation-reared rats. CONCLUSIONS Our result of functional connectivity alterations in the frontal brain supports previous investigations postulating social neural circuits, including prefrontal brain regions, as key pathways for risk for mental disorders arising through social stressors. We extend this knowledge by demonstrating more widespread changes of brain network organization elicited by early-life social stress, namely a shift of hubness and dysmodularity. Our results highly resemble core alterations in neurodevelopmental psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, autism, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Rochus Reinwald
- Research Group Translational Imaging, Department of Neuroimaging, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Robert Becker
- Research Group Translational Imaging, Department of Neuroimaging, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Anne Stephanie Mallien
- Research Group Animal Models in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Claudia Falfan-Melgoza
- Research Group Translational Imaging, Department of Neuroimaging, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Markus Sack
- Research Group Translational Imaging, Department of Neuroimaging, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Christian Clemm von Hohenberg
- Research Group Translational Imaging, Department of Neuroimaging, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Urs Braun
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany; Research Group Systems Neuroscience in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Alejandro Cosa Linan
- Research Group In Silico Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Natalia Gass
- Research Group Translational Imaging, Department of Neuroimaging, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Andrei-Nicolae Vasilescu
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany; Research Group Animal Models in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Fabian Tollens
- Research Group Translational Imaging, Department of Neuroimaging, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Philipp Lebhardt
- Research Group Translational Imaging, Department of Neuroimaging, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Natascha Pfeiffer
- Research Group Animal Models in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Dragos Inta
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany; Research Group Animal Models in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany; Department of Psychiatry, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Peter Gass
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany; Research Group Animal Models in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Alexander Sartorius
- Research Group Translational Imaging, Department of Neuroimaging, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Weber-Fahr
- Research Group Translational Imaging, Department of Neuroimaging, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
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30
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Goodwin GM, Holmes EA, Andersson E, Browning M, Jones A, Lass-Hennemann J, Månsson KN, Moessnang C, Salemink E, Sanchez A, van Zutphen L, Visser RM. From neuroscience to evidence based psychological treatments - The promise and the challenge, ECNP March 2016, Nice, France. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2018; 28:317-333. [PMID: 29371024 PMCID: PMC5861996 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2017.10.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2017] [Revised: 09/19/2017] [Accepted: 10/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
This ECNP meeting was designed to build bridges between different constituencies of mental illness treatment researchers from a range of backgrounds with a specific focus on enhancing the development of novel, evidence based, psychological treatments. In particular we wished to explore the potential for basic neuroscience to support the development of more effective psychological treatments, just as this approach is starting to illuminate the actions of drugs. To fulfil this aim, a selection of clinical psychologists, psychiatrists and neuroscientists were invited to sit at the same table. The starting point of the meeting was the proposition that we know certain psychological treatments work, but we have only an approximate understanding of why they work. The first task in developing a coherent mental health science would therefore be to uncover the mechanisms (at all levels of analysis) of effective psychological treatments. Delineating these mechanisms, a task that will require input from both the clinic and the laboratory, will provide a key foundation for the rational optimisation of psychological treatments. As reviewed in this paper, the speakers at the meeting reviewed recent advances in the understanding of clinical and cognitive psychology, neuroscience, experimental psychopathology, and treatment delivery technology focussed primarily on anxiety disorders and depression. We started by asking three rhetorical questions: What has psychology done for treatment? What has technology done for psychology? What has neuroscience done for psychology? We then addressed how research in five broad research areas could inform the future development of better treatments: Attention, Conditioning, Compulsions and addiction, Emotional Memory, and Reward and emotional bias. Research in all these areas (and more) can be harnessed to neuroscience since psychological therapies are a learning process with a biological basis in the brain. Because current treatment approaches are not fully satisfactory, there is an imperative to understand why not. And when psychological therapies do work we need to understand why this is the case, and how we can improve them. We may be able to improve accessibility to treatment without understanding mechanisms. But for treatment innovation and improvement, mechanistic insights may actually help. Applying neuroscience in this way will become an additional mission for ECNP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guy M Goodwin
- University Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford and Oxford Health NHS Trust, Warneford Hospital, Oxford OX3 7JX, UK
| | - Emily A Holmes
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 77 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Erik Andersson
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 77 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Michael Browning
- University Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford and Oxford Health NHS Trust, Warneford Hospital, Oxford OX3 7JX, UK
| | - Andrew Jones
- Psychological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Bedford St South, Liverpool L697ZA, UK
| | - Johanna Lass-Hennemann
- Division of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Department of Psychology, Saarland University, D- 66123 Saarbrucken, Germany
| | - Kristoffer Nt Månsson
- Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, SE-106 91, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 77 Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, SE-75105, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Carolin Moessnang
- Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim/Heidelberg University, J5, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Elske Salemink
- Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Nieuwe Achtergracht 129B, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Alvaro Sanchez
- Ghent University, Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Henri Dunantlaan 2, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Linda van Zutphen
- Department of Clinical Psychological Science, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Universiteitssingel 40; 6229 ER, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Renée M Visser
- Medical Research Council Cognition & Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, 15 Chaucer Road, Cambridge CB2 7EF, UK
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31
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Li CSR, Zhang S, Hung CC, Chen CM, Duann JR, Lin CP, Lee TSH. Depression in chronic ketamine users: Sex differences and neural bases. Psychiatry Res 2017; 269:1-8. [PMID: 28892733 PMCID: PMC5634929 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2017.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2017] [Revised: 06/16/2017] [Accepted: 09/01/2017] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Chronic ketamine use leads to cognitive and affective deficits including depression. Here, we examined sex differences and neural bases of depression in chronic ketamine users. Compared to non-drug using healthy controls (HC), ketamine-using females but not males showed increased depression score as assessed by the Center of Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). We evaluated resting state functional connectivity (rsFC) of the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (sgACC), a prefrontal structure consistently implicated in the pathogenesis of depression. Compared to HC, ketamine users (KU) did not demonstrate significant changes in sgACC connectivities at a corrected threshold. However, in KU, a linear regression against CES-D score showed less sgACC connectivity to the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) with increasing depression severity. Examined separately, male and female KU showed higher sgACC connectivity to bilateral superior temporal gyrus and dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC), respectively, in correlation with depression. The linear correlation of sgACC-OFC and sgACC-dmPFC connectivity with depression was significantly different in slope between KU and HC. These findings highlighted changes in rsFC of the sgACC as associated with depression and sex differences in these changes in chronic ketamine users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiang-Shan R Li
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA; Beijing Huilongguan Hospital, Beijing, China.
| | - Sheng Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Chia-Chun Hung
- Bali Psychiatric Center, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taiwan
| | - Chun-Ming Chen
- Department of Radiology, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Jeng-Ren Duann
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, National Central University, Taoyuan, Taiwan; Institute for Neural Computation, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Ching-Po Lin
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Yang Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Tony Szu-Hsien Lee
- Department of Health Promotion and Health Education, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan.
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32
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Rubin LH, Yao L, Keedy SK, Reilly JL, Bishop JR, Carter CS, Pournajafi-Nazarloo H, Drogos LL, Tamminga CA, Pearlson GD, Keshavan MS, Clementz BA, Hill SK, Liao W, Ji GJ, Lui S, Sweeney JA. Sex differences in associations of arginine vasopressin and oxytocin with resting-state functional brain connectivity. J Neurosci Res 2017; 95:576-586. [PMID: 27870395 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.23820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2016] [Revised: 06/04/2016] [Accepted: 06/13/2016] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Oxytocin (OT) and arginine vasopressin (AVP) exert robust and sexually dimorphic influences on cognition and emotion. How these hormones regulate relevant functional brain systems is not well understood. OT and AVP serum concentrations were assayed in 60 healthy individuals (36 women). Brain functional networks assessed with resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) were constructed with graph theory-based approaches that characterize brain networks as connected nodes. Sex differences were demonstrated in rs-fMRI. Men showed higher nodal degree (connectedness) and efficiency (information propagation capacity) in left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and bilateral superior temporal gyrus (STG) and higher nodal degree in left rolandic operculum. Women showed higher nodal betweenness (being part of paths between nodes) in right putamen and left inferior parietal gyrus (IPG). Higher hormone levels were associated with less intrinsic connectivity. In men, higher AVP was associated with lower nodal degree and efficiency in left IFG (pars orbitalis) and left STG and less efficiency in left IFG (pars triangularis). In women, higher AVP was associated with lower betweenness in left IPG, and higher OT was associated with lower nodal degree in left IFG (pars orbitalis). Hormones differentially correlate with brain networks that are important for emotion processing and cognition in men and women. AVP in men and OT in women may regulate orbital frontal cortex connectivity, which is important in emotion processing. Hormone associations with STG and pars triangularis in men and parietal cortex in women may account for well-established sex differences in verbal and visuospatial abilities, respectively. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leah H Rubin
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Li Yao
- Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, People's Republic of China
| | - Sarah K Keedy
- Psychiatry, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - James L Reilly
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Jeffrey R Bishop
- Pharmacy and Psychiatry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | | | | | - Lauren L Drogos
- Departments of Physiology and Pharmacology, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Carol A Tamminga
- Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
| | - Godfrey D Pearlson
- Departments of Psychiatry and Neurobiology, Yale University and Olin Neuropsychiatric Research Center, Hartford, Connecticut
| | - Matcheri S Keshavan
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Brett A Clementz
- Department of Psychology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia
| | - Scot K Hill
- Department of Psychology, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, Illinois
| | - Wei Liao
- Center for Information in Biomedicine, Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, People's Republic of China
| | - Gong-Jun Ji
- Laboratory of Cognitive Neuropsychology, Department of Medical Psychology, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, People's Republic of China
| | - Su Lui
- Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, People's Republic of China
| | - John A Sweeney
- Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, People's Republic of China.,Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
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33
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Lacivita E, Perrone R, Margari L, Leopoldo M. Targets for Drug Therapy for Autism Spectrum Disorder: Challenges and Future Directions. J Med Chem 2017; 60:9114-9141. [PMID: 29039668 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.7b00965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by persistent deficits in social communication and interaction and restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, and activities. Various factors are involved in the etiopathogenesis of ASD, including genetic factors, environmental toxins and stressors, impaired immune responses, mitochondrial dysfunction, and neuroinflammation. The heterogeneity in the phenotype among ASD patients and the complex etiology of the condition have long impeded the advancement of the development of pharmacological therapies. In the recent years, the integration of findings from mouse models to human genetics resulted in considerable progress toward the understanding of ASD pathophysiology. Currently, strategies to treat core symptoms of ASD are directed to correct synaptic dysfunctions, abnormalities in central oxytocin, vasopressin, and serotonin neurotransmission, and neuroinflammation. Here, we present a survey of the studies that have suggested molecular targets for drug development for ASD and the state-of-the-art of medicinal chemistry efforts in related areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enza Lacivita
- Dipartimento di Farmacia-Scienze del Farmaco, Università degli Studi di Bari Aldo Moro , via Orabona 4, 70125, Bari, Italy
| | - Roberto Perrone
- Dipartimento di Farmacia-Scienze del Farmaco, Università degli Studi di Bari Aldo Moro , via Orabona 4, 70125, Bari, Italy
| | - Lucia Margari
- Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche di Base, Neuroscienze e Organi di Senso, Unità di Neuropsichiatria Infantile, Università degli Studi di Bari Aldo Moro , Piazza Giulio Cesare 11, 70124 Bari, Italy
| | - Marcello Leopoldo
- Dipartimento di Farmacia-Scienze del Farmaco, Università degli Studi di Bari Aldo Moro , via Orabona 4, 70125, Bari, Italy
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34
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Johnson ZV, Young LJ. Oxytocin and vasopressin neural networks: Implications for social behavioral diversity and translational neuroscience. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2017; 76:87-98. [PMID: 28434591 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.01.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 179] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2016] [Revised: 12/15/2016] [Accepted: 01/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Oxytocin- and vasopressin-related systems are present in invertebrate and vertebrate bilaterian animals, including humans, and exhibit conserved neuroanatomical and functional properties. In vertebrates, these systems innervate conserved neural networks that regulate social learning and behavior, including conspecific recognition, social attachment, and parental behavior. Individual and species-level variation in central organization of oxytocin and vasopressin systems has been linked to individual and species variation in social learning and behavior. In humans, genetic polymorphisms in the genes encoding oxytocin and vasopressin peptides and/or their respective target receptors have been associated with individual variation in social recognition, social attachment phenotypes, parental behavior, and psychiatric phenotypes such as autism. Here we describe both conserved and variable features of central oxytocin and vasopressin systems in the context of social behavioral diversity, with a particular focus on neural networks that modulate social learning, behavior, and salience of sociosensory stimuli during species-typical social contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary V Johnson
- Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA; School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA.
| | - Larry J Young
- Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA.
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35
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A Single Dose, Randomized, Controlled Proof-Of-Mechanism Study of a Novel Vasopressin 1a Receptor Antagonist (RG7713) in High-Functioning Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Neuropsychopharmacology 2017; 42:1914-1923. [PMID: 27711048 PMCID: PMC5520775 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2016.232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2016] [Revised: 09/12/2016] [Accepted: 09/17/2016] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The core symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) include impaired social communication, repetitive behaviors, and restricted interests. No effective pharmacotherapy for these core deficits exists. Within the domain of social communication, the vasopressin system is implicated in social cognition and social signaling deficits of ASD, and represents a potential therapeutic target. We assessed the effects of a single 20 mg intravenous dose of the arginine vasopressin receptor 1A (V1a) antagonist, RG7713, on exploratory biomarkers (eye tracking), behavioral and clinical measures of social cognition and communication (affective speech recognition (ASR), reading the mind in the eyes, olfactory identification, scripted interaction), and safety and tolerability in a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study of 19 high-functioning adult male subjects with DSM-IV Autistic Disorder (age 18-45 years; full scale IQ >70; ABC-Irritability subscale ⩽13). Eye-tracking showed an increase in biological motion orienting preference with RG7713 (ES=0.8, p=0.047) and a non-significant improvement in the composite score (ES=0.2, p=0.29). RG7713 reduced ability to detect lust (ES=-0.8, p=0.03) and fear (ES=-0.7, p=0.07) in ASR. However, when all eight individual emotion subscales were combined into an overall ASR performance score, the reduction was non-significant (ES=-0.1, p=0.59). Thirteen adverse events were reported in 10 subjects; all were of mild (11/13) or moderate (2/13) severity. Although interpretation should be cautious due to multiple comparisons and small sample size, these results provide preliminary evidence from experimental and behavioral biomarkers, that blockade of the V1a receptor may improve social communication in adults with high-functioning ASD. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01474278 A Study of RO5028442 in Adult Male High-Functioning Autistic Patients. Available at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01474278.
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36
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Kraaijenvanger EJ, Hofman D, Bos PA. A neuroendocrine account of facial mimicry and its dynamic modulation. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2017; 77:98-106. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2016] [Revised: 02/15/2017] [Accepted: 03/12/2017] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
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37
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Effects of Oxytocin and Vasopressin on Preferential Brain Responses to Negative Social Feedback. Neuropsychopharmacology 2017; 42:1409-1419. [PMID: 27796303 PMCID: PMC5436111 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2016.248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2016] [Revised: 09/28/2016] [Accepted: 09/29/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Receiving negative social feedback can be detrimental to emotional, cognitive, and physical well-being, and fear of negative social feedback is a prominent feature of mental illnesses that involve social anxiety. A large body of evidence has implicated the neuropeptides oxytocin and vasopressin in the modulation of human neural activity underlying social cognition, including negative emotion processing; however, the influence of oxytocin and vasopressin on neural activity elicited during negative social evaluation remains unknown. Here 21 healthy men underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover design to determine how intranasally administered oxytocin and vasopressin modulated neural activity when receiving negative feedback on task performance from a study investigator. We found that under placebo, a preferential response to negative social feedback compared with positive social feedback was evoked in brain regions putatively involved in theory of mind (temporoparietal junction), pain processing (anterior insula and supplementary motor area), and identification of emotionally important visual cues in social perception (right fusiform). These activations weakened with oxytocin and vasopressin administration such that neural responses to receiving negative social feedback were not significantly greater than positive social feedback. Our results show effects of both oxytocin and vasopressin on the brain network involved in negative social feedback, informing the possible use of a pharmacological approach targeting these regions in multiple disorders with impairments in social information processing.
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38
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A Volumetric and Functional Connectivity MRI Study of Brain Arginine-Vasopressin Pathways in Autistic Children. Neurosci Bull 2017; 33:130-142. [PMID: 28258508 PMCID: PMC5360858 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-017-0109-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2016] [Accepted: 02/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Dysfunction of brain-derived arginine-vasopressin (AVP) systems may be involved in the etiology of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Certain regions such as the hypothalamus, amygdala, and hippocampus are known to contain either AVP neurons or terminals and may play an important role in regulating complex social behaviors. The present study was designed to investigate the concomitant changes in autistic behaviors, circulating AVP levels, and the structure and functional connectivity (FC) of specific brain regions in autistic children compared with typically developing children (TDC) aged from 3 to 5 years. The results showed: (1) children with ASD had a significantly increased volume in the left amygdala and left hippocampus, and a significantly decreased volume in the bilateral hypothalamus compared to TDC, and these were positively correlated with plasma AVP level. (2) Autistic children had a negative FC between the left amygdala and the bilateral supramarginal gyri compared to TDC. The degree of the negative FC between amygdala and supramarginal gyrus was associated with a higher score on the clinical autism behavior checklist. (3) The degree of negative FC between left amygdala and left supramarginal gyrus was associated with a lowering of the circulating AVP concentration in boys with ASD. (4) Autistic children showed a higher FC between left hippocampus and right subcortical area compared to TDC. (5) The circulating AVP was negatively correlated with the visual and listening response score of the childhood autism rating scale. These results strongly suggest that changes in structure and FC in brain regions containing AVP may be involved in the etiology of autism.
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39
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Latzman RD, Young LJ, Hopkins WD. Displacement behaviors in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes): A neurogenomics investigation of the RDoC Negative Valence Systems domain. Psychophysiology 2017; 53:355-63. [PMID: 26877126 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.12449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2015] [Revised: 04/07/2015] [Accepted: 04/07/2015] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
The current study aimed to systematically investigate genetic and neuroanatomical correlates of individual variation in scratching behaviors, a well-validated animal-behavioral indicator of negative emotional states with clear links to the NIMH Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) response to potential harm ("anxiety") construct within the Negative Valence Systems domain. Utilizing data from a sample of 76 captive chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), we (a) examined the association between scratching and presence or absence of the RS3-containing DupB element in the AVPR1A 5' flanking region, (b) utilized voxel-based morphometry (VBM) to identify gray matter (GM) voxel clusters that differentiated AVPR1A genotype, and (c) conducted a VBM-guided voxel-of-interest analysis to examine the association between GM intensity and scratching. AVPR1A evidenced sexually dimorphic associations with scratching. VBM analyses revealed significant differences in GM by genotype across twelve clusters largely in the frontal cortex. Regions differentiating AVPR1A genotype showed sex-specific associations with scratching. Results suggest that sexually dimorphic associations between AVPR1A and scratching may be explained by genotype-specific neuroanatomical variation. The current study provides an example of the way in which chimpanzee research is uniquely poised for multilevel, systematic investigations of psychopathology-relevant constructs within the context of the RDoC framework.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert D Latzman
- Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Larry J Young
- Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Division of Behavioral Neuroscience and Psychiatric Disorders, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - William D Hopkins
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.,Division of Developmental and Cognitive Neuroscience, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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40
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Rilling JK, Li T, Chen X, Gautam P, Haroon E, Thompson RR. Arginine Vasopressin Effects on Subjective Judgments and Neural Responses to Same and Other-Sex Faces in Men and Women. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2017; 8:200. [PMID: 28871239 PMCID: PMC5566575 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2017.00200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2017] [Accepted: 07/31/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Arginine vasopressin (AVP) influences social and emotional behaviors across a wide range of species. In humans, intranasal AVP has been previously shown to alter physiological responses to and subjective judgments of same-sex faces in both men and women. The present study attempted to elucidate the neural mechanism for these effects by randomizing 40 healthy men and 40 healthy women to treatment with either 40 IU intranasal AVP or a saline placebo approximately 30 min before imaging their brain function with fMRI as they viewed same and other-sex faces. All subjects were also scanned a second time several days later with no treatment to evaluate the persistence of AVP effects over time. AVP acutely increased positive ratings of same-sex faces in women, with some evidence that these effects persisted until the second scan. While AVP had no acute effects on same-sex ratings in men, AVP increased positive ratings of same-sex faces several days later. On the other hand, AVP had no effect on other-sex face judgments in either sex. AVP modulation of brain function was focused on the nucleus accumbens (NAc) and the lateral septum, two reward processing areas involved in the formation of social bonds. AVP provoked acute increases in right NAc and bilateral lateral septum responses to female faces among men, with left lateral septum responses persisting over time while right NAc responses reversed over time. Finally, AVP modulated hypothalamic activation to faces in both men and women. The present study therefore indicates that intranasal AVP affects subjective ratings and neural responses to same and other-sex faces in men and women, with some effects persisting and others emerging over time. Future studies should investigate whether AVP effects are modulated by individual variables such as genotype, personality, or attachment style as previously reported for other nonapeptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- James K. Rilling
- Anthropology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
- Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
- Center for Translational and Social Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
- Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Atlanta, GA, United States
- *Correspondence: James K. Rilling,
| | - Ting Li
- Anthropology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Xiangchuan Chen
- Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Pritam Gautam
- Anthropology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Ebrahim Haroon
- Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
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41
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Mate-choice copying, social information processing, and the roles of oxytocin. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2016; 72:232-242. [PMID: 27923732 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2016] [Revised: 11/23/2016] [Accepted: 12/01/2016] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Social and sexual behaviors, including that of mate choice, are dependent on social information. Mate choice can be modified by prior and ongoing social factors and experience. The mate choice decisions of one individual can be influenced by either the actual or potential mate choice of another female or male. Such non-independent mate choice, where individuals gain social information and socially learn about and recognizes potential mates by observing the choices of another female or male, has been termed "mate-choice copying". Here we first briefly review how, why, and under what circumstances individuals engage in mate-choice copying. Secondly, we review the neurobiological mechanisms underlying mate-choice copying. In particular, we consider the roles of the nonapeptide, oxytocin, in the processing of social information and the expression of mate-choice copying.
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42
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Wilson VAD, Weiss A, Humle T, Morimura N, Udono T, Idani G, Matsuzawa T, Hirata S, Inoue-Murayama M. Chimpanzee Personality and the Arginine Vasopressin Receptor 1A Genotype. Behav Genet 2016; 47:215-226. [PMID: 27804047 PMCID: PMC5306277 DOI: 10.1007/s10519-016-9822-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2016] [Accepted: 09/29/2016] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
Polymorphisms of the arginine vasopressin receptor 1a (AVPR1a) gene have been linked to various measures related to human social behavior, including sibling conflict and agreeableness. In chimpanzees, AVPR1a polymorphisms have been associated with traits important for social interactions, including sociability, joint attention, dominance, conscientiousness, and hierarchical personality dimensions named low alpha/stability, disinhibition, and negative emotionality/low dominance. We examined associations between AVPR1a and six personality domains and hierarchical personality dimensions in 129 chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) living in Japan or in a sanctuary in Guinea. We fit three linear and three animal models. The first model included genotype, the second included sex and genotype, and the third included genotype, sex, and sex × genotype. All personality phenotypes were heritable. Chimpanzees possessing the long form of the allele were higher in conscientiousness, but only in models that did not include the other predictors; however, additional analyses suggested that this may have been a consequence of study design. In animal models that included sex and sex × genotype, chimpanzees homozygous for the short form of the allele were higher in extraversion. Taken with the findings of previous studies of chimpanzees and humans, the findings related to conscientiousness suggest that AVPR1a may be related to lower levels of impulsive aggression. The direction of the association between AVPR1a genotype and extraversion ran counter to what one would expect if AVPR1a was related to social behaviors. These results help us further understand the genetic basis of personality in chimpanzees.
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Affiliation(s)
- V A D Wilson
- Department of Psychology, School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, 7 George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ, UK.,Cognitive Ethology, German Primate Center, Georg-August-University Goettingen, Leibniz-ScienceCampus, Göttingen, Germany
| | - A Weiss
- Department of Psychology, School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, 7 George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ, UK.
| | - T Humle
- Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE), School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK
| | - N Morimura
- Wildlife Research Center, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - T Udono
- Wildlife Research Center, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - G Idani
- Wildlife Research Center, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - T Matsuzawa
- Institute for Advanced Study, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.,Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Japan.,Japan Monkey Centre, Inuyama, Japan
| | - S Hirata
- Wildlife Research Center, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - M Inoue-Murayama
- Wildlife Research Center, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.,National Institute for Environmental Studies, Tsukuba, Japan
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43
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Bernhard RM, Chaponis J, Siburian R, Gallagher P, Ransohoff K, Wikler D, Perlis RH, Greene JD. Variation in the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) is associated with differences in moral judgment. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2016; 11:1872-1881. [PMID: 27497314 PMCID: PMC5141955 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsw103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2016] [Revised: 07/02/2016] [Accepted: 07/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Moral judgments are produced through the coordinated interaction of multiple neural systems, each of which relies on a characteristic set of neurotransmitters. Genes that produce or regulate these neurotransmitters may have distinctive influences on moral judgment. Two studies examined potential genetic influences on moral judgment using dilemmas that reliably elicit competing automatic and controlled responses, generated by dissociable neural systems. Study 1 (N = 228) examined 49 common variants (SNPs) within 10 candidate genes and identified a nominal association between a polymorphism (rs237889) of the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) and variation in deontological vs utilitarian moral judgment (that is, judgments favoring individual rights vs the greater good). An association was likewise observed for rs1042615 of the arginine vasopressin receptor gene (AVPR1A). Study 2 (N = 322) aimed to replicate these findings using the aforementioned dilemmas as well as a new set of structurally similar medical dilemmas. Study 2 failed to replicate the association with AVPR1A, but replicated the OXTR finding using both the original and new dilemmas. Together, these findings suggest that moral judgment is influenced by variation in the oxytocin receptor gene and, more generally, that single genetic polymorphisms can have a detectable effect on complex decision processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Regan M Bernhard
- Department of Psychology, Harvard University, 02138, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Jonathan Chaponis
- Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit, Center for Human Genetics Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, 02114, Boston MA, USA
| | - Richie Siburian
- Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit, Center for Human Genetics Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, 02114, Boston MA, USA
| | - Patience Gallagher
- Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit, Center for Human Genetics Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, 02114, Boston MA, USA
| | | | - Daniel Wikler
- Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard School of Public Health, 02115, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Roy H Perlis
- Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit, Center for Human Genetics Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, 02114, Boston MA, USA.,Center for Experimental Drugs and Diagnostics, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 02114, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Joshua D Greene
- Department of Psychology, Harvard University, 02138, Cambridge, MA, USA
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44
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Csikota P, Fodor A, Balázsfi D, Pintér O, Mizukami H, Weger S, Heilbronn R, Engelmann M, Zelena D. Vasopressinergic control of stress-related behavior: studies in Brattleboro rats. Stress 2016; 19:349-61. [PMID: 27187740 DOI: 10.1080/10253890.2016.1183117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [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
Vasopressin, a nonapeptide, signaling both as hormone in the blood and neuromodulator/neurotransmitter in the brain is considered to be causally involved in the pathological changes underlying anxiety and depression. In the present review we summarize experimental data obtained with Brattleboro rats as a model of congenital vasopressin-deficiency to test the hypothesis that central vasopressin signaling contributes to anxiety- and depression-like behavior. Male, female and lactating rats were studied. We focused on the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN) and the septum, two brain areas in which vasopressin is proposed to control the endocrine and behavioral stress response, respectively. The presented data support the hypothesis that the behavioral changes seen in these rats are brought about by an altered vasopressin signaling at the brain level. Whereas vasopressin synthesized and released within the hypothalamus is primarily involved in endocrine regulation, vasopressin signaling in other brain areas may contribute to anxiety- and depression-like behavioral parameters. Further studies in this context might focus particularly on the interplay between extra-hypothalamic brain areas such as the septum and the medial amygdala.
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Affiliation(s)
- Péter Csikota
- a Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Experimental Medicine , Budapest , Hungary
| | - Anna Fodor
- a Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Experimental Medicine , Budapest , Hungary
- b János Szentágothai School of Neurosciences , Semmelweis University , Budapest , Hungary
| | - Diána Balázsfi
- a Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Experimental Medicine , Budapest , Hungary
- b János Szentágothai School of Neurosciences , Semmelweis University , Budapest , Hungary
| | - Ottó Pintér
- a Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Experimental Medicine , Budapest , Hungary
| | - Hiroaki Mizukami
- c Center for Molecular Medicine , Jichi Medical University , Yakushiji , Japan
| | - Stefan Weger
- d Institut für Virologie, Charité - Universitätsmedizin , Berlin , Germany
| | - Regine Heilbronn
- d Institut für Virologie, Charité - Universitätsmedizin , Berlin , Germany
| | - Mario Engelmann
- e Institut für Biochemie & Zellbiol, Otto-von-Guericke-Universität , Magdeburg , Germany
- f Center for Behavioural Brain Sciences , Magdeburg , Germany
| | - Dóra Zelena
- a Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Experimental Medicine , Budapest , Hungary
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Motoki K, Sugiura M, Takeuchi H, Kotozaki Y, Nakagawa S, Yokoyama R, Kawashima R. Are Plasma Oxytocin and Vasopressin Levels Reflective of Amygdala Activation during the Processing of Negative Emotions? A Preliminary Study. Front Psychol 2016; 7:480. [PMID: 27092094 PMCID: PMC4824786 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2015] [Accepted: 03/18/2016] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Plasma oxytocin (OT) and arginine vasopressin (AVP) are associated with individual differences in emotional responses and behaviors. The amygdala is considered to be an important brain region for regulating emotion-based behavior, with OT and AVP modulating activity in the amygdala during the processing of negative emotions. In particular, increased OT levels may diminish amygdala activation (anxiolytic effects) and enhanced AVP levels may augment amygdala activation (anxiogenic effects) when negative emotions are processed. A growing body of research has shown that the effects of OT and AVP are modulated by sex: the aforementioned anxiolytic effects of OT and the anxiogenic effects of AVP occur in men, but not in women. However, we have little knowledge regarding the biological mechanisms underlying OT and AVP plasma levels or their respective anxiogenic and anxiolytic effects; similarly, little is known about the causes and nature of sex differences related to these neuropeptides and their effects on emotional processing. In the current study, we focused on the neural functions associated with the biological mechanisms underlying such effects. We hypothesized that amygdala activation would correlate with trait plasma OT (anxiolytic effects) and AVP (anxiogenic effects) levels because the amygdala is thought to affect the coordinated release of these neuropeptides following affective experiences. We further hypothesized that the effects would be modulated by sex. We assessed 51 participants (male and female) using a paradigm involving negative emotion in conjunction with functional magnetic resonance imaging and measurements of plasma OT and AVP levels. We determined that increased plasma AVP levels were positively associated with amygdala activation (anxiogenic effects) in men, but not in women. These findings highlight the potential underlying neural mechanisms of plasma AVP levels in men.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kosuke Motoki
- Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University Sendai, Japan
| | - Motoaki Sugiura
- Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku UniversitySendai, Japan; International Research Institute of Disaster Science, Tohoku UniversitySendai, Japan
| | - Hikaru Takeuchi
- Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University Sendai, Japan
| | - Yuka Kotozaki
- Medical-Industry Translational Research Center, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine Fukushima, Japan
| | - Seishu Nakagawa
- Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku UniversitySendai, Japan; Department of Psychiatry, Tohoku Pharmaceutical UniversitySendai, Japan
| | - Ryoichi Yokoyama
- Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku UniversitySendai, Japan; Japan Society for the Promotion of ScienceTokyo, Japan
| | - Ryuta Kawashima
- Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University Sendai, Japan
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Dumais KM, Veenema AH. Vasopressin and oxytocin receptor systems in the brain: Sex differences and sex-specific regulation of social behavior. Front Neuroendocrinol 2016; 40:1-23. [PMID: 25951955 PMCID: PMC4633405 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2015.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 335] [Impact Index Per Article: 41.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2015] [Revised: 04/24/2015] [Accepted: 04/27/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The neuropeptides vasopressin (VP) and oxytocin (OT) and their receptors in the brain are involved in the regulation of various social behaviors and have emerged as drug targets for the treatment of social dysfunction in several sex-biased neuropsychiatric disorders. Sex differences in the VP and OT systems may therefore be implicated in sex-specific regulation of healthy as well as impaired social behaviors. We begin this review by highlighting the sex differences, or lack of sex differences, in VP and OT synthesis in the brain. We then discuss the evidence showing the presence or absence of sex differences in VP and OT receptors in rodents and humans, as well as showing new data of sexually dimorphic V1a receptor binding in the rat brain. Importantly, we find that there is lack of comprehensive analysis of sex differences in these systems in common laboratory species, and we find that, when sex differences are present, they are highly brain region- and species-specific. Interestingly, VP system parameters (VP and V1aR) are typically higher in males, while sex differences in the OT system are not always in the same direction, often showing higher OT expression in females, but higher OT receptor expression in males. Furthermore, VP and OT receptor systems show distinct and largely non-overlapping expression in the rodent brain, which may cause these receptors to have either complementary or opposing functional roles in the sex-specific regulation of social behavior. Though still in need of further research, we close by discussing how manipulations of the VP and OT systems have given important insights into the involvement of these neuropeptide systems in the sex-specific regulation of social behavior in rodents and humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly M Dumais
- Neurobiology of Social Behavior Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA.
| | - Alexa H Veenema
- Neurobiology of Social Behavior Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA
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Meyer-Lindenberg A. [Practice relevant research in biological psychiatry]. DER NERVENARZT 2015; 86:1343-8. [PMID: 26440519 DOI: 10.1007/s00115-015-4329-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The practice of psychiatry would be unthinkable without modern psychopharmacology. Drug treatment, especially of severe psychiatric disorders, is often a precondition of community participation, societal reintegration and recovery. Seen in this context it is understandable that biological psychiatry has long been primarily defined by its close interconnection with psychopharmacology and has been perceived this way by practicing physicians. In recent years, however, the concept of what is "biological" has markedly expanded and so has the outreach of this approach into the practice of psychiatry. This article discusses examples showing that biological research methods provide new impulses for individualized medicine, psychotherapy and understanding environmental risks and therefore provide the basis for a preemptive and preventive approach that will be the key to master the challenges posed by the severe burden of mental illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Meyer-Lindenberg
- Zentralinstitut für seelische Gesundheit, Klinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Universität Heidelberg/Medizinische Fakultät Mannheim, J5, 68159, Mannheim, Deutschland.
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Baribeau DA, Anagnostou E. Oxytocin and vasopressin: linking pituitary neuropeptides and their receptors to social neurocircuits. Front Neurosci 2015; 9:335. [PMID: 26441508 PMCID: PMC4585313 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2015.00335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 118] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2015] [Accepted: 09/07/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Oxytocin and vasopressin are pituitary neuropeptides that have been shown to affect social processes in mammals. There is growing interest in these molecules and their receptors as potential precipitants of, and/or treatments for, social deficits in neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorder. Numerous behavioral-genetic studies suggest that there is an association between these peptides and individual social abilities; however, an explanatory model that links hormonal activity at the receptor level to complex human behavior remains elusive. The following review summarizes the known associations between the oxytocin and vasopressin neuropeptide systems and social neurocircuits in the brain. Following a micro- to macro- level trajectory, current literature on the synthesis and secretion of these peptides, and the structure, function and distribution of their respective receptors is first surveyed. Next, current models regarding the mechanism of action of these peptides on microcircuitry and other neurotransmitter systems are discussed. Functional neuroimaging evidence on the acute effects of exogenous administration of these peptides on brain activity is then reviewed. Overall, a model in which the local neuromodulatory effects of pituitary neuropeptides on brainstem and basal forebrain regions strengthen signaling within social neurocircuits proves appealing. However, these findings are derived from animal models; more research is needed to clarify the relevance of these mechanisms to human behavior and treatment of social deficits in neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Evdokia Anagnostou
- Autism Research Centre, Bloorview Research Institute, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital Toronto, ON, Canada
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Feng C, DeMarco AC, Haroon E, Rilling JK. Neuroticism modulates the effects of intranasal vasopressin treatment on the neural response to positive and negative social interactions. Neuropsychologia 2015; 73:108-15. [PMID: 25979609 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2015.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2015] [Revised: 04/12/2015] [Accepted: 05/07/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Neuroticism is a fundamental personality trait associated with proneness to feel negative affect. Here we ask how Neuroticism influences the neural response to positive and negative social interactions and how Neuroticism modulates the effect of intranasal oxytocin (OT) and vasopressin (AVP) on the neural response to social interactions. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study, 153 male participants were randomized to receive 24 IU intranasal OT, 20 IU AVP or placebo. Afterwards, they were imaged with fMRI while playing an iterated Prisoner's Dilemma Game. On a different day, subjects completed the NEO personality inventory to measure Neuroticism. Neuroticism was positively correlated with the neural response to negative social interactions in the anterior cingulate cortex/medial prefrontal cortex and with the neural response to positive social interactions in the insula, indicating that Neuroticism modulates neuropsychological processing of both negative and positive social interactions. Neuroticism did not modulate the effect of intranasal OT treatment on the neural response to either positive or negative social interactions. On the other hand, AVP treatment significantly interacted with Neuroticism to modulate the BOLD response to both positive and negative social interactions. Specifically, AVP increased anterior cingulate cortex/medial prefrontal cortex and lateral temporal lobe responses to negative social interactions to a greater extent in participants scoring high rather than low on Neuroticism. AVP also increased the insula response to positive social interactions to a greater extent in participants scoring high rather than low on Neuroticism. These results imply that AVP may increase emotion regulation in response to negative social interactions and the salience of positive social interactions to a greater extent in individuals high compared to low in Neuroticism. The current findings urge caution against uniform clinical application of nonapeptides and suggest that their efficacy may vary as a function of personality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunliang Feng
- Department of Anthropology, Emory University, United States; State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, China
| | | | - Ebrahim Haroon
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, United States
| | - James K Rilling
- Department of Anthropology, Emory University, United States; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, United States; Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Emory University, United States; Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, United States; Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory University, United States.
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50
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Stress, sex, and addiction: potential roles of corticotropin-releasing factor, oxytocin, and arginine-vasopressin. Behav Pharmacol 2015; 25:445-57. [PMID: 24949572 DOI: 10.1097/fbp.0000000000000049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Stress sensitivity and sex are predictive factors for the development of neuropsychiatric disorders. Life stresses are not only risk factors for the development of addiction but also are triggers for relapse to drug use. Therefore, it is imperative to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying the interactions between stress and drug abuse, as an understanding of this may help in the development of novel and more effective therapeutic approaches to block the clinical manifestations of drug addiction. The development and clinical course of addiction-related disorders do appear to involve neuroadaptations within neurocircuitries that modulate stress responses and are influenced by several neuropeptides. These include corticotropin-releasing factor, the prototypic member of this class, as well as oxytocin and arginine-vasopressin that play important roles in affiliative behaviors. Interestingly, these peptides function to balance emotional behavior, with sexual dimorphism in the oxytocin/arginine-vasopressin systems, a fact that might play an important role in the differential responses of women and men to stressful stimuli and the specific sex-based prevalence of certain addictive disorders. Thus, this review aims to summarize (i) the contribution of sex differences to the function of dopamine systems, and (ii) the behavioral, neurochemical, and anatomical changes in brain stress systems.
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