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Djabirska I, Delaval L, Tromme A, Blomet J, Desmecht D, Van Laere AS. Longitudinal quantitative assessment of TMEV-IDD-induced MS phenotypes in two inbred mouse strains using automated video tracking technology. Exp Neurol 2024; 379:114851. [PMID: 38876197 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2024.114851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2024] [Revised: 05/29/2024] [Accepted: 06/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/16/2024]
Abstract
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disabling disease of the central nervous system affecting over 2.5 million people worldwide. Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus-induced demyelinating disease (TMEV-IDD) is a murine model that reproduces the progressive form of MS and serves as a reference model for studying virus-induced demyelination. Certain mouse strains such as SJL are highly susceptible to this virus and serve as a prototype strain for studying TMEV infection. Other strains such as SWR are also susceptible, but their disease course following TMEV infection differs from SJL's. The quantification of motor and behavioral deficits following the induction of TMEV-IDD could help identify the differences between the two strains. Motor deficits have commonly been measured with the rotarod apparatus, but a multicomponent assessment tool has so far been lacking. For that purpose, we present a novel way of quantifying locomotor deficits, gait alterations and behavioral changes in this well-established mouse model of multiple sclerosis by employing automated video analysis technology (The PhenoTyper, Noldus Information Technology). We followed 12 SJL and 12 SWR female mice and their mock-infected counterparts over a period of 9 months following TMEV-IDD induction. We demonstrated that SJL and SWR mice both suffer significant gait alterations and reduced exploration following TMEV infection. However, SJL mice also display an earlier and more severe decline in spontaneous locomotion, especially in velocity, as well as in overall activity. Maintenance behaviors such as eating and grooming are not affected in either of the two strains. The system also showed differences in mock-infected mice from both strains, highlighting an age-related decline in spontaneous locomotion in the SJL strain, as opposed to hyperactivity in the SWR strain. Our study confirms that this automated video tracking system can reliably track the progression of TMEV-IDD for 9 months. We have also shown how this system can be utilized for longitudinal phenotyping in mice by describing useful parameters that quantify locomotion, gait and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iskra Djabirska
- Department of Pathology, Fundamental and Applied Research for Animals & Health (FARAH), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liege, Liège 4000, Belgium; Prevor Research Laboratories, Valmondois 95760, France
| | - Laetitia Delaval
- Department of Pathology, Fundamental and Applied Research for Animals & Health (FARAH), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liege, Liège 4000, Belgium; Prevor Research Laboratories, Valmondois 95760, France
| | - Audrey Tromme
- Department of Pathology, Fundamental and Applied Research for Animals & Health (FARAH), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liege, Liège 4000, Belgium; Prevor Research Laboratories, Valmondois 95760, France
| | - Joël Blomet
- Prevor Research Laboratories, Valmondois 95760, France
| | - Daniel Desmecht
- Department of Pathology, Fundamental and Applied Research for Animals & Health (FARAH), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liege, Liège 4000, Belgium
| | - Anne-Sophie Van Laere
- Department of Pathology, Fundamental and Applied Research for Animals & Health (FARAH), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liege, Liège 4000, Belgium; Prevor Research Laboratories, Valmondois 95760, France.
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2
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Guarino A, Pignata P, Lovisari F, Asth L, Simonato M, Soukupova M. Cognitive comorbidities in the rat pilocarpine model of epilepsy. Front Neurol 2024; 15:1392977. [PMID: 38872822 PMCID: PMC11171745 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2024.1392977] [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: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Patients with epilepsy are prone to cognitive decline, depression, anxiety and other behavioral disorders. Cognitive comorbidities are particularly common and well-characterized in people with temporal lobe epilepsy, while inconsistently addressed in epileptic animals. Therefore, the aim of this study was to ascertain whether there is good evidence of cognitive comorbidities in animal models of epilepsy, in particular in the rat pilocarpine model of temporal lobe epilepsy. We searched the literature published between 1990 and 2023. The association of spontaneous recurrent seizures induced by pilocarpine with cognitive alterations has been evaluated by using various tests: contextual fear conditioning (CFC), novel object recognition (NOR), radial and T-maze, Morris water maze (MWM) and their variants. Combination of results was difficult because of differences in methodological standards, in number of animals employed, and in outcome measures. Taken together, however, the analysis confirmed that pilocarpine-induced epilepsy has an effect on cognition in rats, and supports the notion that this is a valid model for assessment of cognitive temporal lobe epilepsy comorbidities in preclinical research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annunziata Guarino
- Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, Section of Pharmacology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Paola Pignata
- Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, Section of Pharmacology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Francesca Lovisari
- Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, Section of Pharmacology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Laila Asth
- Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, Section of Pharmacology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Michele Simonato
- Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, Section of Pharmacology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
- Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Marie Soukupova
- Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, Section of Pharmacology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
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Lee HHC, Latzer IT, Bertoldi M, Gao G, Pearl PL, Sahin M, Rotenberg A. Gene replacement therapies for inherited disorders of neurotransmission: Current progress in succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase deficiency. J Inherit Metab Dis 2024; 47:476-493. [PMID: 38581234 PMCID: PMC11096052 DOI: 10.1002/jimd.12735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2023] [Revised: 03/06/2024] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/08/2024]
Abstract
Neurodevelopment is a highly organized and complex process involving lasting and often irreversible changes in the central nervous system. Inherited disorders of neurotransmission (IDNT) are a group of genetic disorders where neurotransmission is primarily affected, resulting in abnormal brain development from early life, manifest as neurodevelopmental disorders and other chronic conditions. In principle, IDNT (particularly those of monogenic causes) are amenable to gene replacement therapy via precise genetic correction. However, practical challenges for gene replacement therapy remain major hurdles for its translation from bench to bedside. We discuss key considerations for the development of gene replacement therapies for IDNT. As an example, we describe our ongoing work on gene replacement therapy for succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase deficiency, a GABA catabolic disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henry HC Lee
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Rosamund Stone Zander Translational Neuroscience Center, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Itay Tokatly Latzer
- Division of Epilepsy & Clinical Neurophysiology, Department of Neurology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Tel-Aviv University Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Mariarita Bertoldi
- Dept. of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Guangping Gao
- The Horae Gene Therapy Center, UMass Medical School, MA 01605, USA
| | - Phillip L Pearl
- Division of Epilepsy & Clinical Neurophysiology, Department of Neurology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Mustafa Sahin
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Rosamund Stone Zander Translational Neuroscience Center, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Alexander Rotenberg
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Division of Epilepsy & Clinical Neurophysiology, Department of Neurology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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Dhume SH, Balogun K, Sarkar A, Acosta S, Mount HTJ, Cahill LS, Sled JG, Serghides L. Perinatal exposure to atazanavir-based antiretroviral regimens in a mouse model leads to differential long-term motor and cognitive deficits dependent on the NRTI backbone. Front Mol Neurosci 2024; 17:1376681. [PMID: 38646101 PMCID: PMC11027900 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2024.1376681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Combination antiretroviral therapy (ART) use in pregnancy has been pivotal in improving maternal health and reducing perinatal HIV transmission. However, children born HIV-exposed uninfected fall behind their unexposed peers in several areas including neurodevelopment. The contribution of in utero ART exposure to these deficits is not clear. Here we present our findings of neurocognitive outcomes in adult mice exposed in utero to ART. Methods Dams were treated with a combination of ritonavir-boosted atazanavir with either abacavir plus lamivudine (ABC/3TC + ATV/r) or tenofovir disoproxil fumarate plus emtricitabine (TDF/FTC + ATV/r), or water as a control, administered daily from day of plug detection to birth. Offspring underwent a battery of behavioral tests that investigated motor performance and cognition starting at 6-weeks of age and ending at 8 months. Changes in brain structure were assessed using magnetic resonance imaging and immunohistochemistry. Expression of genes involved in neural circuitry and synaptic transmission were assessed in the hippocampus, a region strongly associated with memory formation, using qPCR. Findings Pups exposed to TDF/FTC + ATV/r showed increased motor activity and exploratory drive, and deficits in hippocampal-dependent working memory and social interaction, while pups exposed to ABC/3TC + ATV/r showed increased grooming, and deficits in working memory and social interaction. Significant volumetric reductions in the brain were seen only in the ABC/3TC + ATV/r group and were associated with reduced neuronal counts in the hippocampus. Altered neurotransmitter receptor mRNA expression as well as changes in expression of the neurotrophic factor BDNF and its receptors were observed in both ART-exposed groups in a sex-dependent manner. Interpretation In our model, in utero ART exposure had long-term effects on brain development and cognitive and motor outcomes in adulthood. Our data show that neurological outcomes can be influenced by the type of nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor backbone of the regimen and not just the base drug, and display sex differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shreya H. Dhume
- Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Kayode Balogun
- Department of Pathology, Montefiore Medical Center and Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, United States
| | - Ambalika Sarkar
- Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Sebastian Acosta
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Howard T. J. Mount
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Psychiatry and Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Lindsay S. Cahill
- Department of Chemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, NL, Canada
- Mouse Imaging Centre, Toronto Centre for Phenogenomics, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - John G. Sled
- Mouse Imaging Centre, Toronto Centre for Phenogenomics, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Lena Serghides
- Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Women’s College Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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Nigri M, Bramati G, Steiner AC, Wolfer DP. Appetitively motivated tasks in the IntelliCage reveal a higher motivational cost of spatial learning in male than female mice. Front Behav Neurosci 2024; 18:1270159. [PMID: 38487348 PMCID: PMC10938600 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2024.1270159] [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: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024] Open
Abstract
The IntelliCage (IC) permits the assessment of the behavior and learning abilities of mice in a social home cage context. To overcome water deprivation as an aversive driver of learning, we developed protocols in which spatial learning is motivated appetitively by the preference of mice for sweetened over plain water. While plain water is available at all times, only correct task responses give access to sweetened water rewards. Under these conditions, C57BL/6J mice successfully mastered a corner preference task with the reversal and also learned a more difficult time-place task with reversal. However, the rate of responding to sweetened water decreased strongly with increasing task difficulty, indicating that learning challenges and reduced success in obtaining rewards decreased the motivation of the animals to seek sweetened water. While C57BL/6J mice of both sexes showed similar initial taste preferences and learned similarly well in simple learning tasks, the rate of responding to sweetened water and performance dropped more rapidly in male than in female mice in response to increasing learning challenges. Taken together, our data indicate that male mice can have a disadvantage relative to females in mastering difficult, appetitively motivated learning tasks, likely due to sex differences in value-based decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Nigri
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Institute of Human Movement Sciences and Sport, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Institute of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Giulia Bramati
- Institute of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Adrian C. Steiner
- Institute of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - David P. Wolfer
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Institute of Human Movement Sciences and Sport, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Institute of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
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Löscher W. Of Mice and Men: The Inter-individual Variability of the Brain's Response to Drugs. eNeuro 2024; 11:ENEURO.0518-23.2024. [PMID: 38355298 PMCID: PMC10867552 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0518-23.2024] [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: 12/08/2023] [Revised: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Biological variation is ubiquitous in nature. Despite highly standardized breeding and husbandry under controlled environmental conditions, phenotypic diversity exists in laboratory mice and rats just as it does in humans. The resulting inter-individual variability affects various characteristics of animal disease models, including the responsiveness to drugs. Thus, the common practice of averaging data within an experimental group can lead to misinterpretations in neuroscience and other research fields. In this commentary, the impact of inter-individual variation in drug responsiveness is illustrated by examples from the testing of antiseizure medications in rodent temporal lobe epilepsy models. Individual mice and rats rendered epileptic by treatment according to standardized protocols fall into groups that either do or do not respond to antiseizure medications, thus mimicking the clinical situation in patients with epilepsy. Population responses are not normally distributed, and divergent responding is concealed in averages subjected to parametric statistical tests. Genetic, epigenetic, and environmental factors are believed to contribute to inter-individual variation in drug response but the specific molecular and physiological causes are not well understood. Being aware of inter-individual variability in rodents allows an improved interpretation of both behavioral phenotypes and drug effects in a pharmacological experiment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wolfgang Löscher
- Translational Neuropharmacology Lab, NIFE, Department of Experimental Otology of the ENT Clinics, Hannover Medical School, Hannover 30625, Germany
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7
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Asghar H, Siddiqui A, Batool L, Batool Z, Ahmed T. Post-exposure self-recovery reverses oxidative stress, ameliorates pathology and neurotransmitters imbalance and rescues spatial memory after time-dependent aluminum exposure in rat brain. Biometals 2024:10.1007/s10534-023-00570-1. [PMID: 38233603 DOI: 10.1007/s10534-023-00570-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
Aluminum is a potent neurotoxin, responsible for memory impairment and cognitive dysfunction. The neurotoxic effect of aluminum on cognitive impairment is well documented, however, exposure to aluminum in a time-dependent manner and post-exposure self-recovery still needs to be elaborated. This research aimed to (1) study the time-dependent effect of aluminum exposure by administering a total dose of 5850 mg/kg of Al over two different time periods: 30 and 45 days (130 and 195 mg/kg of AlCl3 respectively), and (2) study 20 days post-exposure self-recovery effect in both aluminum-exposed groups by giving distilled water. Cognitive abilities were investigated through Morris water maze test and hole board test and compared in both exposure and recovery groups. Oxidative stress markers and neurotransmitter levels were measured for both exposure and recovery groups. To understand the mechanism of aluminum exposure and recovery, immunohistochemical analysis of synaptophysin (Syp) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) was performed. Results showed cognitive dysfunction, oxidative stress-induced damage, reduced neurotransmitter levels, decreased immunoreactivity of Syp, and increased GFAP. However, these parameters showed a larger improvement in the recovery group where rats were given aluminum for 30 days period in comparison to recovery group followed by 45 days of aluminum exposure. These results suggest that restoration of cognitive ability is affected by the duration of aluminum exposure. The study findings provide us with insight into the adverse effects of aluminum exposure and can be utilized to guide future preventive and therapeutic strategies against aluminum neurotoxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Humna Asghar
- Neurobiology Laboratory, Department of Healthcare Biotechnology, Atta-ur-Rahman School of Applied Biosciences, National University of Sciences and Technology, Sector H-12, Islamabad, 44000, Pakistan
| | - Alveena Siddiqui
- Neurobiology Laboratory, Department of Healthcare Biotechnology, Atta-ur-Rahman School of Applied Biosciences, National University of Sciences and Technology, Sector H-12, Islamabad, 44000, Pakistan
| | - Laraib Batool
- Dr. Panjwani Center for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research, International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Zehra Batool
- Dr. Panjwani Center for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research, International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Touqeer Ahmed
- Neurobiology Laboratory, Department of Healthcare Biotechnology, Atta-ur-Rahman School of Applied Biosciences, National University of Sciences and Technology, Sector H-12, Islamabad, 44000, Pakistan.
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Bordes J, Miranda L, Reinhardt M, Narayan S, Hartmann J, Newman EL, Brix LM, van Doeselaar L, Engelhardt C, Dillmann L, Mitra S, Ressler KJ, Pütz B, Agakov F, Müller-Myhsok B, Schmidt MV. Automatically annotated motion tracking identifies a distinct social behavioral profile following chronic social defeat stress. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4319. [PMID: 37463994 PMCID: PMC10354203 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40040-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Severe stress exposure increases the risk of stress-related disorders such as major depressive disorder (MDD). An essential characteristic of MDD is the impairment of social functioning and lack of social motivation. Chronic social defeat stress is an established animal model for MDD research, which induces a cascade of physiological and behavioral changes. Current markerless pose estimation tools allow for more complex and naturalistic behavioral tests. Here, we introduce the open-source tool DeepOF to investigate the individual and social behavioral profile in mice by providing supervised and unsupervised pipelines using DeepLabCut-annotated pose estimation data. Applying this tool to chronic social defeat in male mice, the DeepOF supervised and unsupervised pipelines detect a distinct stress-induced social behavioral pattern, which was particularly observed at the beginning of a novel social encounter and fades with time due to habituation. In addition, while the classical social avoidance task does identify the stress-induced social behavioral differences, both DeepOF behavioral pipelines provide a clearer and more detailed profile. Moreover, DeepOF aims to facilitate reproducibility and unification of behavioral classification by providing an open-source tool, which can advance the study of rodent individual and social behavior, thereby enabling biological insights and, for example, subsequent drug development for psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joeri Bordes
- Research Group Neurobiology of Stress Resilience, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804, Munich, Germany
| | - Lucas Miranda
- Research Group Statistical Genetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804, Munich, Germany
- International Max Planck Research School for Translational Psychiatry (IMPRS-TP), 80804, Munich, Germany
| | - Maya Reinhardt
- Research Group Neurobiology of Stress Resilience, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804, Munich, Germany
| | - Sowmya Narayan
- Research Group Neurobiology of Stress Resilience, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804, Munich, Germany
- International Max Planck Research School for Translational Psychiatry (IMPRS-TP), 80804, Munich, Germany
| | - Jakob Hartmann
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, 02478, USA
| | - Emily L Newman
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, 02478, USA
| | - Lea Maria Brix
- Research Group Neurobiology of Stress Resilience, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804, Munich, Germany
- International Max Planck Research School for Translational Psychiatry (IMPRS-TP), 80804, Munich, Germany
| | - Lotte van Doeselaar
- Research Group Neurobiology of Stress Resilience, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804, Munich, Germany
- International Max Planck Research School for Translational Psychiatry (IMPRS-TP), 80804, Munich, Germany
| | - Clara Engelhardt
- Research Group Neurobiology of Stress Resilience, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804, Munich, Germany
| | - Larissa Dillmann
- Research Group Neurobiology of Stress Resilience, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804, Munich, Germany
| | - Shiladitya Mitra
- Research Group Neurobiology of Stress Resilience, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804, Munich, Germany
| | - Kerry J Ressler
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, 02478, USA
| | - Benno Pütz
- Research Group Statistical Genetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804, Munich, Germany
| | - Felix Agakov
- Pharmatics Limited, Edinburgh, EH16 4UX, Scotland, UK
| | - Bertram Müller-Myhsok
- Research Group Statistical Genetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804, Munich, Germany.
| | - Mathias V Schmidt
- Research Group Neurobiology of Stress Resilience, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804, Munich, Germany.
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Schiavo A, Martins LA, Wearick-Silva LE, Orso R, Xavier LL, Mestriner RG. Can anxiety-like behavior and spatial memory predict the extremes of skilled walking performance in mice? An exploratory, preliminary study. Front Behav Neurosci 2023; 17:1059029. [PMID: 36926582 PMCID: PMC10011164 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1059029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Skilled walking is influenced by memory, stress, and anxiety. While this is evident in cases of neurological disorders, memory, and anxiety traits may predict skilled walking performance even in normal functioning. Here, we address whether spatial memory and anxiety-like behavior can predict skilled walking performance in mice. Methods A cohort of 60 adult mice underwent a behavioral assessment including general exploration (open field), anxiety-like behavior (elevated plus maze), working and spatial memory (Y-maze and Barnes maze), and skilled walking performance (ladder walking test). Three groups were established based on their skilled walking performance: superior (SP, percentiles ≥75), regular (RP, percentiles 74-26), and inferior (IP, percentiles ≤25) performers. Results Animals from the SP and IP groups spent more time in the elevated plus maze closed arms compared to the RP group. With every second spent in the elevated plus maze closed arms, the probability of the animal exhibiting extreme percentiles in the ladder walking test increased by 1.4%. Moreover, animals that spent 219 s (73% of the total time of the test) or more in those arms were 4.67 times more likely to exhibit either higher or lower percentiles of skilled walking performance. Discussion We discuss and conclude anxiety traits may influence skilled walking performance in facility-reared mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aniuska Schiavo
- Graduate Program in Biomedical Gerontology, School of Medicine, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Neuroplasticity and Rehabilitation Research Group (NEUROPLAR), Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Lucas Athaydes Martins
- Graduate Program in Biomedical Gerontology, School of Medicine, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Neuroplasticity and Rehabilitation Research Group (NEUROPLAR), Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Luís Eduardo Wearick-Silva
- Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Lab (DCNL), Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo Orso
- Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Lab (DCNL), Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Léder Leal Xavier
- Neuroplasticity and Rehabilitation Research Group (NEUROPLAR), Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Brazil.,School of Health and Life Sciences, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Régis Gemerasca Mestriner
- Graduate Program in Biomedical Gerontology, School of Medicine, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Neuroplasticity and Rehabilitation Research Group (NEUROPLAR), Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Brazil.,School of Health and Life Sciences, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
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10
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Lindberg FA, Roman E, Fredriksson R. Behavioral profiling of SLC38A10 knockout mice using the multivariate concentric square field TM test. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:987037. [PMID: 36620864 PMCID: PMC9815452 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.987037] [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: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction SLC38A10 is a gene that encodes the SLC38A10 protein, also known as SNAT10. The SLC38 family is evolutionary old, and SLC38A10 is one of the oldest members of the family. It is ubiquitously expressed, and its substrates are glutamine, glutamate, alanine, aspartate, and serine. However, little is known about its biological importance. Methods In the current study, an SLC38A10 knockout mouse was run in the multivariate concentric square field TM (MCSF) test. The MCSF test gives the mouse a choice of areas to explore; sheltered areas, elevated and illuminated areas, or open spaces, and a behavioral profile is obtained. The multivariate data obtained were analyzed (i) for each parameter, (ii) parameters grouped into functional categories, and (iii) with a principal component analysis. Results In the trend analysis, knockout mice had a decreased exploratory behavior compared to controls but did not show a distinct grouping in the principal component analysis. Discussion There was not a pronounced difference in the behavioral profile in SLC38A10 knockout mice compared to their wild-type controls, although subtle alterations in zones associated with exploratory behavior and risk assessment in female and male knockout mice, respectively, could be observed. These results imply that a loss of function of the SLC38A10 protein in mice does not drastically alter behavior in the MSCF test.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frida A. Lindberg
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Molecular Neuropharmacology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden,*Correspondence: Frida A. Lindberg,
| | - Erika Roman
- Neuropharmacology and Addiction, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden,Division of Anatomy and Physiology, Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Biochemistry, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Robert Fredriksson
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Molecular Neuropharmacology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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11
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Aranđelović J, Santrač A, Batinić B, Todorović L, Stevanović V, Tiruveedhula VVNPB, Sharmin D, Rashid F, Stanojević B, Cook JM, Savić MM. Effects of α5 GABA A receptor modulation on social interaction, memory, and neuroinflammation in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. CNS Neurosci Ther 2022; 28:1767-1778. [PMID: 35822698 PMCID: PMC9532908 DOI: 10.1111/cns.13914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Revised: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Aims GABAergic modulation involved in cognitive processing appears to be substantially changed in Alzheimer's disease (AD). In a widely used 5xFAD model of AD, we aimed to assess if negative and positive allosteric modulators of α5 GABAA receptors (NAM and PAM, respectively) would affect social interaction, social, object and spatial memory, and neuroinflammation. Methods After 10‐day treatment with PAM, NAM, or solvent, 6‐month‐old transgenic and non‐transgenic 5xFAD mice underwent testing in a behavioral battery. Gene expressions of IL‐1β, IL‐6, TNF‐α, GFAP, and IBA‐1 were determined in hippocampus and prefrontal cortex by qPCR. Results PAM treatment impaired spatial learning in transgenic females compared to solvent‐treated transgenic females, and social recognition in transgenic and non‐transgenic males. NAM treatment declined social interaction in transgenic and non‐transgenic males, while had beneficial effect on cognitive flexibility in non‐transgenic males compared to solvent‐treated non‐transgenic males. Transgenic animals have not fully displayed cognitive symptoms, but neuroinflammation was confirmed. NAM reduced proinflammatory gene expressions in transgenic females and astrogliosis in transgenic males compared to pathological controls. Conclusion PAM and NAM failed to exert favorable behavioral effects in transgenic animals. Suppression of neuroinflammation obtained with NAM calls for more studies with GABAergic ligands in amyloid beta‐ and/or tau‐dependent models with prominent neuroinflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jovana Aranđelović
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Anja Santrač
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Bojan Batinić
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Lidija Todorović
- Laboratory for Radiobiology and Molecular Genetics, Vinča Institute of Nuclear Sciences, National Institute of thе Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Vladimir Stevanović
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | | | - Dishary Sharmin
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Milwaukee Institute for Drug Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Farjana Rashid
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Milwaukee Institute for Drug Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Boban Stanojević
- Laboratory for Radiobiology and Molecular Genetics, Vinča Institute of Nuclear Sciences, National Institute of thе Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia.,Comprehensive Cancer Centre, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, King's College London, Rayne Institute, London, UK
| | - James M Cook
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Milwaukee Institute for Drug Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Miroslav M Savić
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
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12
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A Comprehensive Study on the Mechanistic Way of Hexaflumuron and Hymexazol Induced Neurobehavioral Toxicity in Rats. Neurochem Res 2022; 47:3051-3062. [PMID: 35773501 PMCID: PMC9470636 DOI: 10.1007/s11064-022-03654-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2022] [Revised: 05/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Pesticides are widely used in agriculture to kill pests, but their action is non-selective and results in several hazardous effects on humans and animals. Pesticide toxicity has been demonstrated to alter a variety of neurological functions and predisposes to various neurodegenerative diseases. Although, there is no data available for hexaflumuron (HFM) and hymexazol (HML) neurotoxicity. Hence, the present study aims to investigate the possible mechanisms of HFM and HML neurotoxicity. 21 male Wistar rats were divided into three groups and daily received the treatment via oral gavage for 14 days as follows: group (1) normal saline, group (2) HFM (1/100LD50), and group (3) HML (1/100 LD50). Our results revealed that both HFM and HML produced a significant increase in MDA levels and a decrease in GSH and CAT activity in some brain areas. There were severe histopathological alterations mainly neuronal necrosis and gliosis in different examined areas. Upregulation of mRNA levels of JNK and Bax with downregulation of Bcl-2 was also recorded in both pesticides exposed groups. In all studied toxicological parameters, HML produced neurotoxicity more than HFM. HFM targets the cerebral cortex and striatum, while HML targets the cerebral cortex, striatum, hippocampus, and cerebellum. We can conclude that both HFM and HML provoke neurobehavioral toxicity through oxidative stress that impairs the mitochondrial function and activates the JNK-dependent apoptosis pathway.
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13
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Ueno H, Takahashi Y, Murakami S, Wani K, Matsumoto Y, Okamoto M, Ishihara T. Effect of simultaneous testing of two mice in the tail suspension test and forced swim test. Sci Rep 2022; 12:9224. [PMID: 35654971 PMCID: PMC9163059 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-12986-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
In mouse studies, the results of behavioural experiments are greatly affected by differences in the experimental environment and handling methods. The Porsolt forced swim test and tail suspension test are widely used to evaluate predictive models of depression-like behaviour in mice. It has not been clarified how the results of these tests are affected by testing single or multiple mice simultaneously. Therefore, this study evaluated the differences between testing two mice simultaneously or separately. To investigate the effect of testing multiple mice simultaneously, the Porsolt forced swim test and tail suspension test were performed in three patterns: (1) testing with an opaque partition between two mice, (2) testing without a partition between two mice, and (3) testing a single mouse. In the Porsolt forced swim test, the mice tested simultaneously without a partition demonstrated increased immobility time as compared to mice tested alone. No difference in immobility time was observed between the three groups in the tail suspension test. Our results showed that the environment of behavioural experiments investigating depression-like behaviour in mice can cause a difference in depression-like behaviour. The results of this experiment indicated that it is necessary to describe the method used for behavioural testing in detail.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroshi Ueno
- Department of Medical Technology, Kawasaki University of Medical Welfare, 288, Matsushima, Kurashiki, Okayama, 701-0193, Japan.
| | - Yu Takahashi
- Department of Psychiatry, Kawasaki Medical School, Kurashiki, 701-0192, Japan
| | - Shinji Murakami
- Department of Psychiatry, Kawasaki Medical School, Kurashiki, 701-0192, Japan
| | - Kenta Wani
- Department of Psychiatry, Kawasaki Medical School, Kurashiki, 701-0192, Japan
| | - Yosuke Matsumoto
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, Okayama, 700-8558, Japan
| | - Motoi Okamoto
- Department of Medical Technology, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Okayama University, Okayama, 700-8558, Japan
| | - Takeshi Ishihara
- Department of Psychiatry, Kawasaki Medical School, Kurashiki, 701-0192, Japan
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14
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Kovács AD, Langin LM, Hernandez JLG, Pearce DA. Acidified drinking water attenuates motor deficits and brain pathology in a mouse model of a childhood neurodegenerative disorder. Sci Rep 2022; 12:9025. [PMID: 35637265 PMCID: PMC9151921 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-12981-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractWe recently demonstrated that HCl-acidified drinking water, which is widely used in laboratory animal facilities, had some beneficial effects in the Cln3−/− mouse model of juvenile Batten disease, a neurodegenerative lysosomal storage disorder1. Here we tested if acidified drinking water has therapeutic effects in Cln1R151X nonsense mutant mice, a model of the infantile form of Batten disease. In Cln1R151X mice, acidified drinking water received from weaning prevented the impairment in pole climbing ability measured at 3 and 6 months of age. Histopathological analysis of the brain at 6 months showed that acidified drinking water decreased the amount of lysosomal storage material, reduced astrocytosis in the striatum and somatosensory barrelfield cortex, and attenuated microglial activation in the thalamus. Compared to wild-type mice, the gut microbiota of Cln1R151X mice was markedly different. Acidified drinking water significantly altered the gut microbiota composition of Cln1R151X mice, indicating a contribution of gut bacteria to the therapeutic effects of acidified water. Our results in Cln1R151X mice suggest that acidified drinking water may have beneficial effects for patients with infantile Batten disease. This study also verifies that acidified drinking water can modify disease phenotypes in mouse models, contributing to the inter-laboratory variations in neurological and pathological findings.
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15
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Ratner MH, Farb DH. Probing the Neural Circuitry Targets of Neurotoxicants In Vivo Through High Density Silicon Probe Brain Implants. FRONTIERS IN TOXICOLOGY 2022; 4:836427. [PMID: 35548683 PMCID: PMC9081674 DOI: 10.3389/ftox.2022.836427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Adverse effects of drugs on the human nervous system are rarely possible to anticipate based on preclinical neurotoxicity data, thus propagating the centuries long single most important obstacle to drug discovery and development for disorders of the nervous system. An emerging body of evidence indicates that in vivo electrophysiology using chronically implanted high-density electrodes (ciHDE) in freely moving animals is a rigorous method with enhanced potential for use in translational research. In particular, the structure and function of the hippocampal trisynaptic circuit (HTC) is conserved from rodents to primates, including Homo sapiens, suggesting that the effects of therapeutic agents and other potential neurologically active agents, whether beneficial or adverse, are likely to translate across species when interrogated using a conserved neural circuitry platform. This review explores science advances in the rapidly moving field of in vivo ciHDE in animal models of learning and memory. For this reason we focus on the HTC, where substantial research has investigated neural circuitry level responses and specific behaviors that reflect memory permitting a test of the ground truth validity of the findings. Examples of changes in neural network activity induced by endogenous neurotoxicants associated with neurodegenerative diseases, as well as exogenous therapeutics, drugs, and neurotoxicants are presented. Several illustrative examples of relevant findings that involve longer range neural circuitry outside of the HTC are discussed. Lastly, the limitations of in vivo ciHDE as applied to preclinical neurotoxicology are discussed with a view toward leveraging circuitry level actions to enhance our ability to project the specificity of in vitro target engagement with the desired psychopharmacological or neurological outcome. At the same time, the goal of reducing or eliminating significant neurotoxic adverse events in human is the desired endpoint. We believe that this approach will lead to enhanced discovery of high value neuroactive therapeutics that target neural circuitry domains as their primary mechanism of action, thus enhancing their ultimate contribution toward discovery of precision therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcia H. Ratner
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
- *Correspondence: Marcia H. Ratner,
| | - David H. Farb
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
- Center for Systems Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
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16
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Vossen LE, Brunberg R, Rådén P, Winberg S, Roman E. The zebrafish Multivariate Concentric Square Field: A Standardized Test for Behavioral Profiling of Zebrafish (Danio rerio). Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:744533. [PMID: 35368300 PMCID: PMC8968638 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.744533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The zebrafish (Danio rerio) is an important model organism in the study of the neurobiological basis of human mental disorders. Yet the utility of this species is limited by the quality of the phenotypical characterization tools available. Here, we present a complex testing environment for the quantification of explorative behavior in adult zebrafish, the zebrafish Multivariate Concentric Square Field™ (zMCSF), adapted from the rodent equivalent that has been used in > 40 studies. The apparatus consists of a central open area which is surrounded by a dark corner with a roof (DCR), corridors, and an inclined ramp. These areas differ in illumination, water depth, and are sheltered or exposed to different degrees. We quantified behavior of male and female wild-caught and AB strain zebrafish in the zMCSF (day 1) and cross-validated these results using the novel tank diving test (NTDT) (day 2). To assess the effect of repeated testing, AB zebrafish we tested a second time in both tests 1 week later (on days 7 and 8). We detected strong differences between the strains, with wild zebrafish swimming faster and spending more time in the corridors and on the ramp, while they avoided the open area in the center. AB zebrafish were less hesitant to enter the center but avoided the ramp, and often left one or more zones unexplored. No major sex differences in exploratory behavior were detected in either strain, except for a slightly higher velocity of AB males which has been reported before. Importantly, the zMCSF was largely resilient to repeated testing. The diving test revealed only one difference confined to one sex; wild females paid more visits to the top third than AB females. In isolation, this finding could lead to the conclusion that wild zebrafish are more risk-taking, which is incorrect given this strain’s avoidance of open areas. To conclude, our results suggest that the zMCSF presents a sophisticated behavioral tool that can distinguish between different magnitudes and types of risk, allowing the user to create an intricate behavioral profile of individual adult zebrafish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura E. Vossen
- Division of Anatomy and Physiology, Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Biochemistry, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
- *Correspondence: Laura E. Vossen,
| | - Ronja Brunberg
- Neuropharmacology, Addiction and Behavior, Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Pontus Rådén
- Neuropharmacology, Addiction and Behavior, Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Svante Winberg
- Behavioral Neuroendocrinology, Department of Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Behavioral Neuroendocrinology, Department of Medical Cell Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Erika Roman
- Division of Anatomy and Physiology, Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Biochemistry, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
- Neuropharmacology, Addiction and Behavior, Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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17
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Harry GJ, McBride S, Witchey SK, Mhaouty-Kodja S, Trembleau A, Bridge M, Bencsik A. Roadbumps at the Crossroads of Integrating Behavioral and In Vitro Approaches for Neurotoxicity Assessment. FRONTIERS IN TOXICOLOGY 2022; 4:812863. [PMID: 35295216 PMCID: PMC8915899 DOI: 10.3389/ftox.2022.812863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
With the appreciation that behavior represents the integration and complexity of the nervous system, neurobehavioral phenotyping and assessment has seen a renaissance over the last couple of decades, resulting in a robust database on rodent performance within various testing paradigms, possible associations with human disorders, and therapeutic interventions. The interchange of data across behavior and other test modalities and multiple model systems has advanced our understanding of fundamental biology and mechanisms associated with normal functions and alterations in the nervous system. While there is a demonstrated value and power of neurobehavioral assessments for examining alterations due to genetic manipulations, maternal factors, early development environment, the applied use of behavior to assess environmental neurotoxicity continues to come under question as to whether behavior represents a sensitive endpoint for assessment. Why is rodent behavior a sensitive tool to the neuroscientist and yet, not when used in pre-clinical or chemical neurotoxicity studies? Applying new paradigms and evidence on the biological basis of behavior to neurobehavioral testing requires expertise and refinement of how such experiments are conducted to minimize variability and maximize information. This review presents relevant issues of methods used to conduct such test, sources of variability, experimental design, data analysis, interpretation, and reporting. It presents beneficial and critical limitations as they translate to the in vivo environment and considers the need to integrate across disciplines for the best value. It proposes that a refinement of behavioral assessments and understanding of subtle pronounced differences will facilitate the integration of data obtained across multiple approaches and to address issues of translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- G. Jean Harry
- Neurotoxicology Group, Molecular Toxicology Branch, Division National Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Durham, NC, United States
- *Correspondence: G. Jean Harry,
| | - Sandra McBride
- Social & Scientific Systems, Inc., a DLH Holdings Company, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Shannah K. Witchey
- Division National Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Sakina Mhaouty-Kodja
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, INSERM, Neuroscience Paris Seine – Institut de Biologie Paris Seine, Paris, France
| | - Alain Trembleau
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS UMR8246, Inserm U1130, Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (IBPS), Neuroscience Paris Seine (NPS), Paris, France
| | - Matthew Bridge
- Social & Scientific Systems, Inc., a DLH Holdings Company, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Anna Bencsik
- Anses Laboratoire de Lyon, French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES), Université de Lyon 1, Lyon, France
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18
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Salihoğlu AK. Editorial for "The Anti-Depressive Effects of Ultra-High Static Magnetic Field". J Magn Reson Imaging 2022; 56:366-367. [PMID: 34989441 DOI: 10.1002/jmri.28060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Arif Kamil Salihoğlu
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Physiology, Karadeniz Technical University, Trabzon, Turkey
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19
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Bruns B, Daub R, Schmitz T, Hamze-Sinno M, Spaich S, Dewenter M, Schwale C, Gass P, Vogt M, Katus H, Herzog W, Friederich HC, Frey N, Schultz JH, Backs J. Forebrain corticosteroid receptors promote post-myocardial infarction depression and mortality. Basic Res Cardiol 2022; 117:44. [PMID: 36068417 PMCID: PMC9448693 DOI: 10.1007/s00395-022-00951-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Revised: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Myocardial infarction (MI) with subsequent depression is associated with increased cardiac mortality. Impaired central mineralocorticoid (MR) and glucocorticoid receptor (GR) equilibrium has been suggested as a key mechanism in the pathogenesis of human depression. Here, we investigate if deficient central MR/GR signaling is causative for a poor outcome after MI in mice. Mice with an inducible forebrain-specific MR/GR knockout (MR/GR-KO) underwent baseline and follow-up echocardiography every 2 weeks after MI or sham operation. Behavioral testing at 4 weeks confirmed significant depressive-like behavior and, strikingly, a higher mortality after MI, while cardiac function and myocardial damage remained unaffected. Telemetry revealed cardiac autonomic imbalance with marked bradycardia and ventricular tachycardia (VT) upon MI in MR/GR-KO. Mechanistically, we found a higher responsiveness to atropine, pointing to impaired parasympathetic tone of 'depressive' mice after MI. Serum corticosterone levels were increased but-in line with the higher vagal tone-plasma and cardiac catecholamines were decreased. MR/GR deficiency in the forebrain led to significant depressive-like behavior and a higher mortality after MI. This was accompanied by increased vagal tone, depleted catecholaminergic compensatory capacity and VTs. Thus, limbic MR/GR disequilibrium may contribute to the impaired outcome of depressive patients after MI and possibly explain the lack of anti-depressive treatment benefit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bastian Bruns
- Institute of Experimental Cardiology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg and DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Heidelberg/Mannheim, Im Neuenheimer Feld 669, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany ,Department of General Internal Medicine and Psychosomatics, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany ,Department of Cardiology, Angiology and Pneumology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Ricarda Daub
- Institute of Experimental Cardiology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg and DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Heidelberg/Mannheim, Im Neuenheimer Feld 669, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany ,Department of General Internal Medicine and Psychosomatics, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Thomas Schmitz
- Institute of Experimental Cardiology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg and DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Heidelberg/Mannheim, Im Neuenheimer Feld 669, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany ,Department of General Internal Medicine and Psychosomatics, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Maria Hamze-Sinno
- Department of General Internal Medicine and Psychosomatics, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sebastian Spaich
- Institute of Experimental Cardiology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg and DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Heidelberg/Mannheim, Im Neuenheimer Feld 669, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany ,Department of Cardiology, Angiology and Pneumology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany ,Department of Cardiology and Angiology, Robert-Bosch-Krankenhaus, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Matthias Dewenter
- Institute of Experimental Cardiology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg and DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Heidelberg/Mannheim, Im Neuenheimer Feld 669, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Chrysovalandis Schwale
- Department of General Internal Medicine and Psychosomatics, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany ,Institute for Physiology and Pathophysiology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Peter Gass
- Central Institute of Mental Health, RG Animal Models in Psychiatry, Medical Faculty of Mannheim/University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Miriam Vogt
- Central Institute of Mental Health, RG Animal Models in Psychiatry, Medical Faculty of Mannheim/University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Hugo Katus
- Department of Cardiology, Angiology and Pneumology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany ,DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site, Heidelberg/Mannheim, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Herzog
- Department of General Internal Medicine and Psychosomatics, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Hans-Christoph Friederich
- Department of General Internal Medicine and Psychosomatics, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Norbert Frey
- Department of Cardiology, Angiology and Pneumology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany ,DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site, Heidelberg/Mannheim, Germany
| | - Jobst-Hendrik Schultz
- Department of General Internal Medicine and Psychosomatics, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Johannes Backs
- Institute of Experimental Cardiology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg and DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Heidelberg/Mannheim, Im Neuenheimer Feld 669, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
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20
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Killian M, Colaone F, Haumont P, Nicco C, Cerles O, Chouzenoux S, Cathébras P, Rochereau N, Chanut B, Thomas M, Laroche N, Forest F, Grouard-Vogel G, Batteux F, Paul S. Therapeutic Potential of Anti-Interferon α Vaccination on SjS-Related Features in the MRL/lpr Autoimmune Mouse Model. Front Immunol 2021; 12:666134. [PMID: 34867938 PMCID: PMC8635808 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.666134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Sjögren’s syndrome (SjS) is a frequent systemic autoimmune disease responsible for a major decrease in patients’ quality of life, potentially leading to life-threatening conditions while facing an unmet therapeutic need. Hence, we assessed the immunogenicity, efficacy, and tolerance of IFN-Kinoid (IFN-K), an anti-IFNα vaccination strategy, in a well-known mouse model of systemic autoimmunity with SjS-like features: MRL/MpJ-Faslpr/lpr (MRL/lpr) mice. Two cohorts (with ISA51 or SWE01 as adjuvants) of 26 female MRL/lpr were divided in parallel groups, “controls” (not treated, PBS and Keyhole Limpet Hemocyanin [KLH] groups) or “IFN-K” and followed up for 122 days. Eight-week-old mice received intra-muscular injections (days 0, 7, 28, 56 and 84) of PBS, KLH or IFN-K, emulsified in the appropriate adjuvant, and blood samples were serially collected. At sacrifice, surviving mice were euthanized and their organs were harvested for histopathological analysis (focus score in salivary/lacrimal glands) and IFN signature evaluation. SjS-like features were monitored. IFN-K induced a disease-modifying polyclonal anti-IFNα antibody response in all treated mice with high IFNα neutralization capacities, type 1 IFN signature’s reduction and disease features’ (ocular and oral sicca syndrome, neuropathy, focus score, glandular production of BAFF) improvement, as reflected by the decrease in Murine Sjögren’s Syndrome Disease Activity Index (MuSSDAI) modelled on EULAR Sjögren’s Syndrome Disease Activity Index (ESSDAI). No adverse effects were observed. We herein report on the strong efficacy of an innovative anti-IFNα vaccination strategy in a mouse model of SjS, paving the way for further clinical development (a phase IIb trial has just been completed in systemic lupus erythematosus with promising results).
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Killian
- Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie (CIRI), Team Groupe Immunité des Muqueuses et Agents Pathogènes (GIMAP), Université de Lyon, Université Jean Monnet, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Inserm, U1111, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), UMR530, Saint-Etienne, France
- Internal Medicine Department, Saint-Etienne University Hospital, Saint-Etienne, France
| | | | | | - Carole Nicco
- Team Stress Oxydant, Prolifération Cellulaire et Inflammation, Institut National de la Santé Et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM) U1016 Institut Cochin, Paris, France
| | - Olivier Cerles
- Team Stress Oxydant, Prolifération Cellulaire et Inflammation, Institut National de la Santé Et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM) U1016 Institut Cochin, Paris, France
| | - Sandrine Chouzenoux
- Team Stress Oxydant, Prolifération Cellulaire et Inflammation, Institut National de la Santé Et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM) U1016 Institut Cochin, Paris, France
| | - Pascal Cathébras
- Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie (CIRI), Team Groupe Immunité des Muqueuses et Agents Pathogènes (GIMAP), Université de Lyon, Université Jean Monnet, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Inserm, U1111, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), UMR530, Saint-Etienne, France
- Internal Medicine Department, Saint-Etienne University Hospital, Saint-Etienne, France
| | - Nicolas Rochereau
- Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie (CIRI), Team Groupe Immunité des Muqueuses et Agents Pathogènes (GIMAP), Université de Lyon, Université Jean Monnet, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Inserm, U1111, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), UMR530, Saint-Etienne, France
| | - Blandine Chanut
- Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie (CIRI), Team Groupe Immunité des Muqueuses et Agents Pathogènes (GIMAP), Université de Lyon, Université Jean Monnet, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Inserm, U1111, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), UMR530, Saint-Etienne, France
| | - Mireille Thomas
- Institut National de la Santé Et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM) U1059-Sainbiose, Université de Lyon, Saint Priest en Jarez, France
| | - Norbert Laroche
- Institut National de la Santé Et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM) U1059-Sainbiose, Université de Lyon, Saint Priest en Jarez, France
| | - Fabien Forest
- Department of Pathology, Saint-Etienne University Hospital, Saint-Etienne, France
| | | | - Frédéric Batteux
- Team Stress Oxydant, Prolifération Cellulaire et Inflammation, Institut National de la Santé Et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM) U1016 Institut Cochin, Paris, France
| | - Stéphane Paul
- Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie (CIRI), Team Groupe Immunité des Muqueuses et Agents Pathogènes (GIMAP), Université de Lyon, Université Jean Monnet, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Inserm, U1111, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), UMR530, Saint-Etienne, France
- *Correspondence: Stéphane Paul,
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21
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Presto P, Ji G, Junell R, Griffin Z, Neugebauer V. Fear Extinction-Based Inter-Individual and Sex Differences in Pain-Related Vocalizations and Anxiety-like Behaviors but Not Nocifensive Reflexes. Brain Sci 2021; 11:brainsci11101339. [PMID: 34679403 PMCID: PMC8533751 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11101339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Revised: 10/05/2021] [Accepted: 10/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Inter-individual and sex differences in pain responses are recognized but their mechanisms are not well understood. This study was intended to provide the behavioral framework for analyses of pain mechanisms using fear extinction learning as a predictor of phenotypic and sex differences in sensory (mechanical withdrawal thresholds) and emotional-affective aspects (open field tests for anxiety-like behaviors and audible and ultrasonic components of vocalizations) of acute and chronic pain. In acute arthritis and chronic neuropathic pain models, greater increases in vocalizations were found in females than males and in females with poor fear extinction abilities than females with strong fear extinction, particularly in the neuropathic pain model. Female rats showed higher anxiety-like behavior than males under baseline conditions but no inter-individual or sex differences were seen in the pain models. No inter-individual and sex differences in mechanosensitivity were observed. The data suggest that vocalizations are uniquely suited to detect inter-individual and sex differences in pain models, particularly in chronic neuropathic pain, whereas no such differences were found for mechanosensitivity, and baseline differences in anxiety-like behaviors disappeared in the pain models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peyton Presto
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, 3601 4th St, Lubbock, TX 79430-6592, USA; (P.P.); (G.J.); (R.J.); (Z.G.)
| | - Guangchen Ji
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, 3601 4th St, Lubbock, TX 79430-6592, USA; (P.P.); (G.J.); (R.J.); (Z.G.)
- Center of Excellence for Translational Neuroscience and Therapeutics, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430-6592, USA
| | - Riley Junell
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, 3601 4th St, Lubbock, TX 79430-6592, USA; (P.P.); (G.J.); (R.J.); (Z.G.)
| | - Zach Griffin
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, 3601 4th St, Lubbock, TX 79430-6592, USA; (P.P.); (G.J.); (R.J.); (Z.G.)
| | - Volker Neugebauer
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, 3601 4th St, Lubbock, TX 79430-6592, USA; (P.P.); (G.J.); (R.J.); (Z.G.)
- Center of Excellence for Translational Neuroscience and Therapeutics, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430-6592, USA
- Garrison Institute on Aging, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430-6592, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-806-743-3880; Fax: +1-806-732-2744
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22
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Gharagozloo M, Amrani A, Wittingstall K, Hamilton-Wright A, Gris D. Machine Learning in Modeling of Mouse Behavior. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:700253. [PMID: 34594182 PMCID: PMC8477014 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.700253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2021] [Accepted: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Mouse behavior is a primary outcome in evaluations of therapeutic efficacy. Exhaustive, continuous, multiparametric behavioral phenotyping is a valuable tool for understanding the pathophysiological status of mouse brain diseases. Automated home cage behavior analysis produces highly granulated data both in terms of number of features and sampling frequency. Previously, we demonstrated several ways to reduce feature dimensionality. In this study, we propose novel approaches for analyzing 33-Hz data generated by CleverSys software. We hypothesized that behavioral patterns within short time windows are reflective of physiological state, and that computer modeling of mouse behavioral routines can serve as a predictive tool in classification tasks. To remove bias due to researcher decisions, our data flow is indifferent to the quality, value, and importance of any given feature in isolation. To classify day and night behavior, as an example application, we developed a data preprocessing flow and utilized logistic regression (LG), support vector machines (SVM), random forest (RF), and one-dimensional convolutional neural networks paired with long short-term memory deep neural networks (1DConvBiLSTM). We determined that a 5-min video clip is sufficient to classify mouse behavior with high accuracy. LG, SVM, and RF performed similarly, predicting mouse behavior with 85% accuracy, and combining the three algorithms in an ensemble procedure increased accuracy to 90%. The best performance was achieved by combining the 1DConv and BiLSTM algorithms yielding 96% accuracy. Our findings demonstrate that computer modeling of the home-cage ethome can clearly define mouse physiological state. Furthermore, we showed that continuous behavioral data can be analyzed using approaches similar to natural language processing. These data provide proof of concept for future research in diagnostics of complex pathophysiological changes that are accompanied by changes in behavioral profile.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marjan Gharagozloo
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Abdelaziz Amrani
- Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Kevin Wittingstall
- Department of Radiology, Sherbrooke Molecular Imaging Center, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | | | - Denis Gris
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
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23
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Grieco F, Bernstein BJ, Biemans B, Bikovski L, Burnett CJ, Cushman JD, van Dam EA, Fry SA, Richmond-Hacham B, Homberg JR, Kas MJH, Kessels HW, Koopmans B, Krashes MJ, Krishnan V, Logan S, Loos M, McCann KE, Parduzi Q, Pick CG, Prevot TD, Riedel G, Robinson L, Sadighi M, Smit AB, Sonntag W, Roelofs RF, Tegelenbosch RAJ, Noldus LPJJ. Measuring Behavior in the Home Cage: Study Design, Applications, Challenges, and Perspectives. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 15:735387. [PMID: 34630052 PMCID: PMC8498589 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.735387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The reproducibility crisis (or replication crisis) in biomedical research is a particularly existential and under-addressed issue in the field of behavioral neuroscience, where, in spite of efforts to standardize testing and assay protocols, several known and unknown sources of confounding environmental factors add to variance. Human interference is a major contributor to variability both within and across laboratories, as well as novelty-induced anxiety. Attempts to reduce human interference and to measure more "natural" behaviors in subjects has led to the development of automated home-cage monitoring systems. These systems enable prolonged and longitudinal recordings, and provide large continuous measures of spontaneous behavior that can be analyzed across multiple time scales. In this review, a diverse team of neuroscientists and product developers share their experiences using such an automated monitoring system that combines Noldus PhenoTyper® home-cages and the video-based tracking software, EthoVision® XT, to extract digital biomarkers of motor, emotional, social and cognitive behavior. After presenting our working definition of a "home-cage", we compare home-cage testing with more conventional out-of-cage tests (e.g., the open field) and outline the various advantages of the former, including opportunities for within-subject analyses and assessments of circadian and ultradian activity. Next, we address technical issues pertaining to the acquisition of behavioral data, such as the fine-tuning of the tracking software and the potential for integration with biotelemetry and optogenetics. Finally, we provide guidance on which behavioral measures to emphasize, how to filter, segment, and analyze behavior, and how to use analysis scripts. We summarize how the PhenoTyper has applications to study neuropharmacology as well as animal models of neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric illness. Looking forward, we examine current challenges and the impact of new developments. Examples include the automated recognition of specific behaviors, unambiguous tracking of individuals in a social context, the development of more animal-centered measures of behavior and ways of dealing with large datasets. Together, we advocate that by embracing standardized home-cage monitoring platforms like the PhenoTyper, we are poised to directly assess issues pertaining to reproducibility, and more importantly, measure features of rodent behavior under more ethologically relevant scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Briana J Bernstein
- Neurobiology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States
| | | | - Lior Bikovski
- Myers Neuro-Behavioral Core Facility, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- School of Behavioral Sciences, Netanya Academic College, Netanya, Israel
| | - C Joseph Burnett
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Jesse D Cushman
- Neurobiology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States
| | | | - Sydney A Fry
- Neurobiology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States
| | - Bar Richmond-Hacham
- Department of Anatomy and Anthropology, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Judith R Homberg
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Martien J H Kas
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Helmut W Kessels
- Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | | | - Michael J Krashes
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Vaishnav Krishnan
- Laboratory of Epilepsy and Emotional Behavior, Baylor Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, Departments of Neurology, Neuroscience, and Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Sreemathi Logan
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, College of Allied Health, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, United States
| | - Maarten Loos
- Sylics (Synaptologics BV), Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Katharine E McCann
- Neurobiology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States
| | | | - Chaim G Pick
- Department of Anatomy and Anthropology, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- The Dr. Miriam and Sheldon G. Adelson Chair and Center for the Biology of Addictive Diseases, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Thomas D Prevot
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Gernot Riedel
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | - Lianne Robinson
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | - Mina Sadighi
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - August B Smit
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - William Sonntag
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Center for Geroscience, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, United States
| | | | | | - Lucas P J J Noldus
- Noldus Information Technology BV, Wageningen, Netherlands
- Department of Biophysics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
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24
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Dan X, Wechter N, Gray S, Mohanty JG, Croteau DL, Bohr VA. Olfactory dysfunction in aging and neurodegenerative diseases. Ageing Res Rev 2021; 70:101416. [PMID: 34325072 PMCID: PMC8373788 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2021.101416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2021] [Revised: 07/22/2021] [Accepted: 07/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Alterations in olfactory functions are proposed to be early biomarkers for neurodegeneration. Many neurodegenerative diseases are age-related, including two of the most common, Parkinson's disease (PD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD). The establishment of biomarkers that promote early risk identification is critical for the implementation of early treatment to postpone or avert pathological development. Olfactory dysfunction (OD) is seen in 90% of early-stage PD patients and 85% of patients with early-stage AD, which makes it an attractive biomarker for early diagnosis of these diseases. Here, we systematically review widely applied smelling tests available for humans as well as olfaction assessments performed in some animal models and the relationships between OD and normal aging, PD, AD, and other conditions. The utility of OD as a biomarker for neurodegenerative disease diagnosis and future research directions are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiuli Dan
- Section on DNA Repair, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Noah Wechter
- Section on DNA Repair, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Samuel Gray
- Section on DNA Repair, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Joy G Mohanty
- Section on DNA Repair, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Deborah L Croteau
- Section on DNA Repair, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Vilhelm A Bohr
- Section on DNA Repair, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA; Danish Center for Healthy Aging, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark.
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25
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Hericium erinaceus (Bull.) Pers. Ethanolic Extract with Antioxidant Properties on Scopolamine-Induced Memory Deficits in a Zebrafish Model of Cognitive Impairment. J Fungi (Basel) 2021; 7:jof7060477. [PMID: 34204787 PMCID: PMC8231562 DOI: 10.3390/jof7060477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Revised: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Hericium erinaceus (H. erinaceus) is a rare and appreciated fungal species belonging to the division Basidiomycota used for centuries in traditional Chinese medicine for its medicinal value. This species of mushrooms brings the most diverse benefits for the human body, and can have beneficial effects for treating Alzheimer’s disease (AD). This study investigated whether ethanolic extract from the fungal biomass of H. erinaceus enhances cognitive function via the action on cholinergic neurons using the scopolamine (SCOP)-induced zebrafish (Danio rerio) model of memory impairment. The ethanolic extract from the fungal biomass of H. erinaceus was previously obtained using an ultrasonic extraction method (UE). The administration of H. erinaceus extract to zebrafish, with a pattern of AD induced by scopolamine, showed an improvement in memory evaluated by behavioral and biochemical tests on brain tissue. These results suggest that H. erinaceus has preventive and therapeutic potentials in managing memory deficits and brain oxidative stress in zebrafish with AD.
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26
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George RP, Semendric I, Bowley-Schubert ER, Chivonivoni CT, Warrender AP, Whittaker AL. Reporting in rodent models of 'chemobrain': a systematic review assessing compliance with the ARRIVE guidelines. Support Care Cancer 2021; 29:7073-7084. [PMID: 34080055 DOI: 10.1007/s00520-021-06312-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2021] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/09/2022]
Abstract
Patients diagnosed with cancer are often plagued with debilitating side effects post-chemotherapy treatment. One such side effect is chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairment or 'chemobrain'. Rodent models are commonly used to investigate pathogenesis and potential therapeutic strategies. However, concerns have been raised regarding inadequacies in reporting of animal studies rendering them unreliable and irreproducible. The aim of this systematic review was to assess compliance with the ARRIVE reporting guidelines in peer-reviewed publications evaluating chemotherapy-induced cognitive changes in rodent models, and to determine if the introduction of the ARRIVE guidelines has improved quality of reporting. A comprehensive search was conducted to identify relevant peer-reviewed publications. Ninety-seven studies met the eligibility criteria, and publication compliance with the ARRIVE guideline reporting was assessed. No studies achieved full adherence with the ARRIVE guidelines. Furthermore, no significant improvement was demonstrated in the overall compliance score post-ARRIVE. Given the lack of standardisation of animal models in this research area, these results pose particular threat to future progress and translation of findings in this area of research. These results highlight the need for stricter adherence to the ARRIVE guidelines by journal editors and reviewers. Animal Ethics Committees also have an important educative role in improving knowledge and awareness of the guidelines amongst researchers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca P George
- School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Roseworthy Campus, Roseworthy, South Australia, 5371, Australia.
| | - Ines Semendric
- Adelaide Medical School, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, 5005, Australia
| | | | - Christine T Chivonivoni
- Adelaide Medical School, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, 5005, Australia
| | - Alexandra P Warrender
- Adelaide Medical School, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, 5005, Australia
| | - Alexandra L Whittaker
- School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Roseworthy Campus, Roseworthy, South Australia, 5371, Australia.
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27
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Comprehensive characterization of motor and coordination functions in three adolescent wild-type mouse strains. Sci Rep 2021; 11:6497. [PMID: 33753800 PMCID: PMC7985312 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-85858-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuropsychiatric disorders are often associated with motor and coordination abnormalities that have important implications on the etiology, pathophysiology, and management of these disorders. Although the onset of many neuropsychiatric disorders including autism spectrum disorder, schizophrenia, and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder emerges mainly during infancy and adolescence, most of the behavioral studies in mice modeling neuropsychiatric phenotypes are performed in adult animals, possibly missing valuable phenotypic information related to the effect of synaptic maturation during development. Here, we examined which behavioral tests assessing both motor and coordination functions can be performed in mice at two different adolescent stages. As strain and sex affect mouse behavior, our experiments covered both male and female mice of three inbred wild-type strains, C57BL/6N, DBA/2, and FVB/N. Adolescent mice of both postnatal days (P)22-30 and P32-40 developmental stages were capable of mastering common motor and coordination tests. However, results differed significantly between strains and sexes. Moreover, the 10-day interval between the two tested cohorts uncovered a strong difference in the behavioral results, confirming the significant impact of maturation on behavioral patterns. Interestingly, the results of distinct behavioral experiments were directly correlated with the weight of mice, which may explain the lack of reproducibility of some behavioral results in genetically-modified mice. Our study paves the way for better reproducibility of behavioral tests by addressing the effect of the developmental stage, strain, sex, and weight of mice on achieving the face validity of neuropsychiatric disorder-associated motor dysfunctions.
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28
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Putra M, Gage M, Sharma S, Gardner C, Gasser G, Anantharam V, Thippeswamy T. Diapocynin, an NADPH oxidase inhibitor, counteracts diisopropylfluorophosphate-induced long-term neurotoxicity in the rat model. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2020; 1479:75-93. [PMID: 32037612 PMCID: PMC7415478 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.14314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2019] [Revised: 01/14/2020] [Accepted: 01/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Organophosphate (OP) nerve agents are a threat to both the military and civilians. OP exposure causes cholinergic crisis and status epilepticus (SE) because of irreversible inhibition of acetylcholinesterase that can be life-threatening if left untreated. OP survivors develop long-term morbidity, such as cognitive impairment and motor dysfunction, because of oxidative stress and progressive neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration, which act as disease promoters. Current medical countermeasures (MCMs) do not mitigate these pathologies. Therefore, our goal was to target these disease promoters using diapocynin (DPO), an NADPH oxidase inhibitor, in addition to MCMs, in a rat diisopropylfluorophosphate (DFP) model. The DFP-intoxicated rats were treated with DPO (300 mg/kg, oral, six doses, 12-h intervals) or vehicle 2 h following behavioral SE termination with diazepam. The DPO treatment significantly rescued DFP-induced motor impairment and attenuated epileptiform spiking during the first 72 h after DFP exposure in severely seizing rats despite no difference in epileptiform spike rate between the vehicle and DPO groups in mild SE rats. DPO significantly reduced DFP-induced reactive astrogliosis, neurodegeneration, GP91phox , glutathiolated protein, serum nitrite, and proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines, such as interleukins (ILs) IL-1α, IL-6, IL-2, IL-17A, leptin, and IP-10, in the hippocampus. Collectively, these data support a neuroprotective role of DPO in an OP-induced neurotoxicity model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marson Putra
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011
| | - Meghan Gage
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011
| | - Shaunik Sharma
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011
| | - Cara Gardner
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011
| | | | | | - Thimmasettappa Thippeswamy
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011
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29
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Sensini F, Inta D, Palme R, Brandwein C, Pfeiffer N, Riva MA, Gass P, Mallien AS. The impact of handling technique and handling frequency on laboratory mouse welfare is sex-specific. Sci Rep 2020; 10:17281. [PMID: 33057118 PMCID: PMC7560820 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-74279-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Accepted: 09/10/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Handling is a well-known source of stress to laboratory animals and can affect variability of results and even compromise animal welfare. The conventional tail handling in mice has been shown to induce aversion and anxiety-like behaviour. Recent findings demonstrate that the use of alternative handling techniques, e.g. tunnel handling, can mitigate negative handling-induced effects. Here, we show that technique and frequency of handling influence affective behaviour and stress hormone release of subjects in a sex-dependent manner. While frequent tail handling led to a reduction of wellbeing-associated burrowing and increased despair-like behaviour in male mice, females seemed unaffected. Instead, they displayed a stress response to a low handling frequency, which was not detectable in males. This could suggest that in terms of refinement, the impact in handling could differ between the sexes. Independently from this observation, both sexes preferred to interact with the tunnel. Mice generally explored the tunnel more often than the tail-handling hands of the experimenter and showed more positively rated approaches, e.g. touching or climbing, and at the same time, less defensive burrowing, indicating a strong preference for the tunnel.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Sensini
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Dragos Inta
- RG Animal Models in Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry (UPK), University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Rupert Palme
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | - Christiane Brandwein
- RG Animal Models in Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Natascha Pfeiffer
- RG Animal Models in Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Marco Andrea Riva
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Peter Gass
- RG Animal Models in Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Anne Stephanie Mallien
- RG Animal Models in Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany.
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30
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OSERR: an open-source standalone electrophysiology recording system for rodents. Sci Rep 2020; 10:16996. [PMID: 33046761 PMCID: PMC7552399 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-73797-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Behavioral assessment of rodents is critical for investigation of brain function in health and disease. In vivo neurophysiological recordings are powerful tools to mechanistically dissect neural pathways that underlie behavioral changes, and serve as markers for dynamics, efficacy and safety of potential therapeutic approaches. However, most in vivo recording systems require tethers or telemetry receivers, limiting their compatibility with some behavioral tests. Here, we developed an open-source standalone electrophysiology recording system for rodents (OSERR). It is a tether-free, standalone recording device with two channels, a reference and a ground, that acquires, amplifies, filters and stores data all in itself. Thus, it does not require any cable or receiver. It is also compact and light-weight, and compatible with juvenile mice, as well as multiple recording modalities and standard electrode implantation methods. In addition, we provide the complete design of hardware, and software for operation. As an example, we demonstrated that this standalone system, when configured with a bandwidth of 1–120 Hz and gain of 1000, successfully collected EEG signals during induced seizure, extended recording, anesthesia, and social interactions in mice. The design of this system is practical, economical, and freely available. Thus, this system could enable recording of brain activity during diverse behavioral assays in a variety of arenas and settings, and allow simultaneous recordings from multiple subjects to examine social behaviors. Importantly, with the open-source documentation, researchers could customize the design of the system to their specific needs.
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31
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Rasmussen EB, Newland MC, Hemmelman E. The Relevance of Operant Behavior in Conceptualizing the Psychological Well-Being of Captive Animals. Perspect Behav Sci 2020; 43:617-654. [PMID: 33029580 PMCID: PMC7490306 DOI: 10.1007/s40614-020-00259-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The term "psychological well-being" is used in reference to husbandry with animals in human care settings such as research, agriculture, and zoos. This article seeks to clarify and conceptualize the term based upon two approaches that draw from several bodies of literature: the experimental analysis of behavior, experimental psychology, animal welfare and husbandry, farm animal behavior, zoo husbandry, and ethology. One approach focuses on the presence of problem behavior such as stereotypies, depressive-like behavior, and aggression, and emphasizes the conditions under which aberrant behavior in animals under human care occurs. The second approach examines what might be considered wellness by emphasizing opportunities to engage with its environment, or the absence of such opportunities, even if problematic behavior is not exhibited. Here, access to an interactive environment is relatively limited so opportunities for operant (voluntary) behavior could be considered. Designing for operant behavior provides opportunities for variability in both behavior and outcomes. Operant behavior also provides control over the environment, a characteristic that has been a core assumption of well-being. The importance of interactions with one's environment is especially evident in observations that animals prefer opportunities to work for items necessary for sustenance, such as food, over having them delivered freely. These considerations raise the importance of operant behavior to psychological well-being, especially as benefits to animals under human care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin B. Rasmussen
- Department of Psychology, Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID 83209-8112 USA
| | | | - Ethan Hemmelman
- Department of Psychology, Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID 83209-8112 USA
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32
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Eltokhi A, Kurpiers B, Pitzer C. Behavioral tests assessing neuropsychiatric phenotypes in adolescent mice reveal strain- and sex-specific effects. Sci Rep 2020; 10:11263. [PMID: 32647155 PMCID: PMC7347854 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-67758-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2020] [Accepted: 06/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
In humans, infancy and adolescence are associated with major changes in synaptic functions and ongoing maturation of neural networks, which underlie the major behavioral changes during these periods. Among adult cases with neuropsychiatric disorders including autism spectrum disorder, schizophrenia, attention deficit hyperactivity, and bipolar disorders, 50% have developed behavioral symptoms and received a diagnosis before 15 years of age. However, most of the behavioral studies in mice modeling neuropsychiatric phenotypes are performed in adult animals, missing valuable phenotypic information related to the effect of synaptic maturation during development. Here, we explored which behavioral experiments assessing neuropsychiatric phenotypes can be performed during a specific window of development in adolescent male and female C57BL/6N, DBA/2, and FVB/N mice that are typically used as background strains for generating genetically-modified mouse models. The three wild-type strains were evaluated across anxiety, social behaviors, and cognitive functions in order to cover the main behavioral impairments that occur in neuropsychiatric disorders. During adolescence, the three strains displayed significant differences under certain behavioral paradigms. In addition, C57BL/6N and FVB/N, but not DBA/2 mice revealed some sex-related differences. Our results provide new insights into discrete behaviors during development and emphasize the crucial importance of the genetic background, sex, and experimental settings in the age-dependent regulation of different behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed Eltokhi
- Department of Neurology and Epileptology, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany. .,Interdisciplinary Neurobehavioral Core, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Barbara Kurpiers
- Interdisciplinary Neurobehavioral Core, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Claudia Pitzer
- Interdisciplinary Neurobehavioral Core, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.
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33
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Chinn GA, Pearn ML, Vutskits L, Mintz CD, Loepke AW, Lee JJ, Chen J, Bosnjak ZJ, Brambrink AM, Jevtovic-Todorovic V, Sun LS, Sall JW. Standards for preclinical research and publications in developmental anaesthetic neurotoxicity: expert opinion statement from the SmartTots preclinical working group. Br J Anaesth 2020; 124:585-593. [PMID: 32145876 PMCID: PMC7424895 DOI: 10.1016/j.bja.2020.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2019] [Revised: 01/06/2020] [Accepted: 01/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
In March 2019, SmartTots, a public-private partnership between the US Food and Drug Administration and the International Anesthesia Research Society, hosted a meeting attended by research experts, anaesthesia journal editors, and government agency representatives to discuss the continued need for rigorous preclinical research and the importance of establishing reporting standards for the field of anaesthetic perinatal neurotoxicity. This group affirmed the importance of preclinical research in the field, and welcomed novel and mechanistic approaches to answer some of the field's largest questions. The attendees concluded that summarising the benefits and disadvantages of specific model systems, and providing guidance for reporting results, would be helpful for designing new experiments and interpreting results across laboratories. This expert opinion report is a summary of these discussions, and includes a focused review of current animal models and reporting standards for the field of perinatal anaesthetic neurotoxicity. This will serve as a practical guide and road map for novel and rigorous experimental work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory A Chinn
- Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Matthew L Pearn
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Laszlo Vutskits
- Department of Anesthesiology, Clinical Pharmacology, Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine, University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Cyrus D Mintz
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Andreas W Loepke
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jennifer J Lee
- Department of Anesthesiology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jerri Chen
- Department of Anesthesiology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Zeljko J Bosnjak
- Department of Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | | | | | - Lena S Sun
- Department of Anesthesiology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jeffrey W Sall
- Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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Quarta C, Cota D. Anti-obesity therapy with peripheral CB1 blockers: from promise to safe(?) practice. Int J Obes (Lond) 2020; 44:2179-2193. [PMID: 32317751 DOI: 10.1038/s41366-020-0577-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2019] [Revised: 03/03/2020] [Accepted: 03/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Pharmacological blockers of the cannabinoid receptor type-1 (CB1) have been considered for a long time as the holy grail of obesity pharmacotherapy. These agents were hastily released in the clinical setting, due to their clear-cut therapeutic efficacy. However, the first generation of these drugs, which were able to target both the brain and peripheral tissues, had serious neuropsychiatric effects, leading authorities to ban their clinical use. New peripherally restricted CB1 blockers, characterized by low brain penetrance, have been developed over the past 10 years. In preclinical studies, these molecules seem to overcome the neuropsychiatric negative effects previously observed with brain-penetrant CB1 inhibitors, while retaining or even outperforming their efficacy. The mechanisms of action of these peripherally restricted compounds are only beginning to emerge, and a balanced discussion of the risk/benefits ratio associated to their possible clinical use is urgently needed, in order to avoid repeating past mistakes. Here, we will critically discuss the advantages and the possible hidden threats associated with the use of peripheral CB1 blockers for the pharmacotherapy of obesity and its associated metabolic complications. We will address whether this novel pharmacological approach might 'compete' with current pharmacotherapies for obesity and diabetes, while also conceptualizing future CB1-based pharmacological trends that may significantly lower the risk/benefits ratio associated with the use of these drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmelo Quarta
- INSERM, Neurocentre Magendie, Physiopathologie de la Plasticité Neuronale, U1215, F-33000, Bordeaux, France. .,University of Bordeaux, Neurocentre Magendie, Physiopathologie de la Plasticité Neuronale, U1215, F-33000, Bordeaux, France.
| | - Daniela Cota
- INSERM, Neurocentre Magendie, Physiopathologie de la Plasticité Neuronale, U1215, F-33000, Bordeaux, France. .,University of Bordeaux, Neurocentre Magendie, Physiopathologie de la Plasticité Neuronale, U1215, F-33000, Bordeaux, France.
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Garcia-Gomes MSA, Zanatto DA, Yamamoto PK, Wadt D, Antiorio ATFB, Aleman-Laporte J, Alexandre-Ribeiro SR, Marson GA, Guizzo C, Massironi SMG, Bernardi MM, Mori CMC. A Simple and Fast Battery Test for Phenotypic Characterization of Mice. Bio Protoc 2020; 10:e3568. [PMID: 33659538 DOI: 10.21769/bioprotoc.3568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2019] [Revised: 02/18/2020] [Accepted: 02/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite the great number of test batteries already known to assess the behavior of genetically modified and inbred strains of mice, only a few of them focus on basic neurological parameters. The purpose of the battery test proposed is to settle a specific methodology to characterize the phenotype of neurological disease models in mutant or genetically modified mice. This methodology is simple and efficient in order to analyze several parameters, including general activity, sensory nervous system, sensorimotor system, central nervous system and autonomous nervous system. This can aid the choice of specific additional tests as well as the determination of an interrelationship among phenotypic alterations observed. Although being efficient for a first analysis of a mouse model, interpretation of the results must be carefully made because phenotype manifestation may vary due to many parameters, including mouse strain, environmental and housing condition, animal-experimenter interaction, sample size and tests order. It is important to consider as a critical point if handling procedures are aversive. The results acquired with the analysis of 18 parameters together provide preliminary data to characterize mouse phenotype and helps selecting more specific tests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana S A Garcia-Gomes
- Department of Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Dennis A Zanatto
- Department of Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Pedro K Yamamoto
- Department of Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Danilo Wadt
- Department of Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ana T F B Antiorio
- Department of Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Jilma Aleman-Laporte
- Department of Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Sandra R Alexandre-Ribeiro
- Department of Immunology, Institute of Biomedical Science, University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Guilherme A Marson
- Chemistry Department, Institute of Chemistry, University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Cezar Guizzo
- Chemistry Department, Institute of Chemistry, University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Silvia M G Massironi
- Department of Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Maria M Bernardi
- Graduate Program in Environmental and Experimental Pathology, Paulista University, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Claudia M C Mori
- Department of Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, Brazil
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Lundberg S, Nylander I, Roman E. Behavioral Profiling in Early Adolescence and Early Adulthood of Male Wistar Rats After Short and Prolonged Maternal Separation. Front Behav Neurosci 2020; 14:37. [PMID: 32265671 PMCID: PMC7096550 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2020.00037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2019] [Accepted: 02/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Early-life stress and its possible correlations to genes, environment, and later health outcomes can only be studied retrospectively in humans. Animal models enable the exploration of such connections with prospective, well-controlled study designs. However, with the recent awareness of replicability issues in preclinical research, the reproducibility of results from animal models has been highlighted. The present study aims to reproduce the behavioral effects of maternal separation (MS) previously observed in the multivariate concentric square fieldTM (MCSF) test. A second objective was to replicate the adolescent behavioral profiles previously described in the MCSF test. Male rats, subjected to short or prolonged MS or standard rearing, were subjected to behavioral testing in early adolescence and early adulthood. As seen in previous studies, the behavioral effects of MS in the MCSF were small at both tested time points. When tested in early adolescence, the animals exhibited a similar behavioral profile as previously seen, and the finding of adolescent behavioral types was also reproduced. The distribution of animals into the behavioral types was different than in the initial study, but in a manner consistent with developmental theories, as the current cohort was younger than the previous. Notably, the Shelter seeker behavioral type persisted through development, while the Explorer type did not. The lack of basal behavioral effect after MS is in line with the literature on this MS paradigm; the working hypothesis is that the prolonged MS gives rise to a phenotype predisposed to negative health outcomes but which is not apparent without additional provocation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stina Lundberg
- Research Group Neuropharmacology, Addiction and Behavior, Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Ingrid Nylander
- Research Group Neuropharmacology, Addiction and Behavior, Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Erika Roman
- Research Group Neuropharmacology, Addiction and Behavior, Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.,Division of Anatomy and Physiology, Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Biochemistry, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
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37
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Crabbé M, Dirkx N, Casteels C, Laere KV. Excitotoxic neurodegeneration is associated with a focal decrease in metabotropic glutamate receptor type 5 availability: an in vivo PET imaging study. Sci Rep 2019; 9:12916. [PMID: 31501497 PMCID: PMC6733799 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-49356-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2019] [Accepted: 08/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) have been proposed as promising therapeutic targets to correct the dysregulated glutamate signaling, associated with neurodegenerative pathologies. Of all mGluR subtypes, especially mGluR5 acts as a modulator of glutamate-induced excitotoxicity. To study the behavior of mGluR5 following localized excitotoxicity, we utilised a pharmacological model that portrays exacerbated neuronal glutamate release, mediated by the endogenous excitotoxin quinolinic acid (QA). Using longitudinal positron emission tomography (PET) with [18F]FPEB, we investigated cerebral changes in mGluR5 following striatal QA-lesioning. Behavioral tests were executed to monitor motor and cognitive performance. Decreased mGluR5 binding potential (BPND) was found in the affected striatum and globus pallidus of QA-lesioned rats at week 3, and further decreased at week 7, as compared to sham-injected controls. mGluR5 availability in the ipsilateral nucleus accumbens was significantly decreased at 7 weeks post-injection. QA rats performed significantly worse on motor coordination and balance compared to control rats. Correlation analysis indicated a positive correlation between striatal mGluR5 BPND and rotarod performance whereas print width of the unaffected forepaws showed a positive relation with mGluR5 BPND in the contralateral motor cortex. Together, our results suggest decreased mGluR5 availability to be related to excitotoxin-induced neurodegeneration and symptomatology although late stage effects do indicate possible cortical mGluR5-mediated effects on motor behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa Crabbé
- Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Department of Imaging and Pathology, KU Leuven and University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium. .,MoSAIC - Molecular Small Animal Imaging Centre, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Nina Dirkx
- Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Department of Imaging and Pathology, KU Leuven and University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,MoSAIC - Molecular Small Animal Imaging Centre, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Cindy Casteels
- Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Department of Imaging and Pathology, KU Leuven and University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,MoSAIC - Molecular Small Animal Imaging Centre, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Koen Van Laere
- Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Department of Imaging and Pathology, KU Leuven and University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,MoSAIC - Molecular Small Animal Imaging Centre, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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38
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Geng Y, Peterson RT. The zebrafish subcortical social brain as a model for studying social behavior disorders. Dis Model Mech 2019; 12:dmm039446. [PMID: 31413047 PMCID: PMC6737945 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.039446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Social behaviors are essential for the survival and reproduction of social species. Many, if not most, neuropsychiatric disorders in humans are either associated with underlying social deficits or are accompanied by social dysfunctions. Traditionally, rodent models have been used to model these behavioral impairments. However, rodent assays are often difficult to scale up and adapt to high-throughput formats, which severely limits their use for systems-level science. In recent years, an increasing number of studies have used zebrafish (Danio rerio) as a model system to study social behavior. These studies have demonstrated clear potential in overcoming some of the limitations of rodent models. In this Review, we explore the evolutionary conservation of a subcortical social brain between teleosts and mammals as the biological basis for using zebrafish to model human social behavior disorders, while summarizing relevant experimental tools and assays. We then discuss the recent advances gleaned from zebrafish social behavior assays, the applications of these assays to studying related disorders, and the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yijie Geng
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, University of Utah, 30 S. 2000 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Randall T Peterson
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, University of Utah, 30 S. 2000 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
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Sankowski R, Huerta TS, Kalra R, Klein TJ, Strohl JJ, Al-Abed Y, Robbiati S, Huerta PT. Large-Scale Validation of the Paddling Pool Task in the Clockmaze for Studying Hippocampus-Based Spatial Cognition in Mice. Front Behav Neurosci 2019; 13:121. [PMID: 31231197 PMCID: PMC6568215 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2019] [Accepted: 05/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Rationally designed behavioral tests are important tools to assess the function of specific brain regions. The hippocampus is a crucial neural substrate for spatial cognition, and many studies have linked hippocampal dysfunction with defects on spatial learning and memory in neurological conditions ranging from Alzheimer's disease to autoimmune syndromes, such as neuropsychiatric lupus. While our understanding of hippocampal function, from the molecular to the system levels, has increased dramatically over the last decades, this effort has not yet translated into efficacious therapies for cognitive impairment. We think that the availability of highly validated behavioral paradigms to measure cognition in mouse models is likely to enhance the potential success of preclinical therapeutic modalities. Here, we present an extensive study of the paddling pool task (PPT), first reported by Deacon and Rawlins, in which mice learn to escape from shallow water through a peripheral exit in a circular arena dubbed the clockmaze. We show that the PPT provides highly reliable results when assaying spatial cognition in C57/BL6 mice (120 males, 40 females) and BALB/c mice (40 males, 90 females). Additionally, we develop a robust algorithm for the assessment of escape strategies with clearly quantifiable readouts, enabling fine-granular phenotyping. Notably, the use of spatial strategy increases linearly across trials in the PPT. In a separate cohort of mice, we apply muscimol injections to silence the dorsal CA1 region of the hippocampus and show that the use of the spatial strategy in the PPT relies on the integrity of the dorsal hippocampus. Additionally, we compare directly the PPT and the Morris water maze (MWM) task in C57/BL6 mice (20 males, 20 females) and BALB/c mice (20 males, 20 females) and we find that the PPT induces significantly lower anxiety, exhaustion and hypothermia than the MWM. We conclude that the PPT provides a robust assessment of spatial cognition in mice, which can be applied in conjunction with other tests, to facilitate hypothesis testing and drug development to combat cognitive impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roman Sankowski
- Laboratory of Immune & Neural Networks, Institute of Molecular Medicine, Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Northwell Health, Manhasset, NY, United States
- Institute of Bioelectronic Medicine, Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Northwell Health, Manhasset, NY, United States
- Elmezzi Graduate School of Molecular Medicine, Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Northwell Health, Manhasset, NY, United States
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Neuropathology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Tomás S. Huerta
- Laboratory of Immune & Neural Networks, Institute of Molecular Medicine, Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Northwell Health, Manhasset, NY, United States
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Manhasset, NY, United States
| | - Rishi Kalra
- Laboratory of Immune & Neural Networks, Institute of Molecular Medicine, Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Northwell Health, Manhasset, NY, United States
| | - Toby J. Klein
- Laboratory of Immune & Neural Networks, Institute of Molecular Medicine, Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Northwell Health, Manhasset, NY, United States
| | - Joshua J. Strohl
- Laboratory of Immune & Neural Networks, Institute of Molecular Medicine, Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Northwell Health, Manhasset, NY, United States
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Manhasset, NY, United States
| | - Yousef Al-Abed
- Institute of Bioelectronic Medicine, Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Northwell Health, Manhasset, NY, United States
- Elmezzi Graduate School of Molecular Medicine, Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Northwell Health, Manhasset, NY, United States
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Manhasset, NY, United States
| | - Sergio Robbiati
- Laboratory of Immune & Neural Networks, Institute of Molecular Medicine, Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Northwell Health, Manhasset, NY, United States
| | - Patricio T. Huerta
- Laboratory of Immune & Neural Networks, Institute of Molecular Medicine, Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Northwell Health, Manhasset, NY, United States
- Institute of Bioelectronic Medicine, Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Northwell Health, Manhasset, NY, United States
- Elmezzi Graduate School of Molecular Medicine, Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Northwell Health, Manhasset, NY, United States
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Manhasset, NY, United States
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Abstract
Whenever an experiment yields a statistically significant outcome you should ask yourself: To what extent can I trust this result? This is especially important for pre-clinical drug studies because of the frequent failures of phase III clinical trials of neurological diseases, which has put the reliability of pre-clinical research into question. Two important factors, the pre-study likelihood of treatment benefit, and statistical power, affects the reliability of the result in a quantifiable way. This can be used to assess to what extent the result of a study can be trusted (discovery reliability), and to guide the design of pre-clinical research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anders Hånell
- Department of Neuroscience, The Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
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41
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Methodological Aspects for Preclinical Evaluation of Gadolinium Presence in Brain Tissue: Critical Appraisal and Suggestions for Harmonization-A Joint Initiative. Invest Radiol 2019; 53:499-517. [PMID: 29659381 PMCID: PMC6092104 DOI: 10.1097/rli.0000000000000467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Gadolinium (Gd)-based contrast agents (GBCAs) are pharmaceuticals that have been approved for 30 years and used daily in millions of patients worldwide. Their clinical benefits are indisputable. Recently, unexpected long-term presence of Gd in the brain has been reported by numerous retrospective clinical studies and confirmed in preclinical models particularly after linear GBCA (L-GBCA) compared with macrocyclic GBCA (M-GBCA). Even if no clinical consequences of Gd presence in brain tissue has been demonstrated so far, in-depth investigations on potential toxicological consequences and the fate of Gd in the body remain crucial to potentially adapt the clinical use of GBCAs, as done during the nephrogenic systemic fibrosis crisis. Preclinical models are instrumental in the understanding of the mechanism of action as well as the potential safety consequences. However, such models may be associated with risks of biases, often related to the protocol design. Selection of adequate terminology is also crucial. This review of the literature intends to summarize and critically discuss the main methodological aspects for accurate design and translational character of preclinical studies.
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Mason DM, Wang Y, Bhatia TN, Miner KM, Trbojevic SA, Stolz JF, Luk KC, Leak RK. The center of olfactory bulb-seeded α-synucleinopathy is the limbic system and the ensuing pathology is higher in male than in female mice. Brain Pathol 2019; 29:741-770. [PMID: 30854742 DOI: 10.1111/bpa.12718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2018] [Accepted: 03/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
At early disease stages, Lewy body disorders are characterized by limbic vs. brainstem α-synucleinopathy, but most preclinical studies have focused solely on the nigrostriatal pathway. Furthermore, male gender and advanced age are two major risk factors for this family of conditions, but their influence on the topographical extents of α-synucleinopathy and the degree of cell loss are uncertain. To fill these gaps, we infused α-synuclein fibrils in the olfactory bulb/anterior olfactory nucleus complex-one of the earliest and most frequently affected brain regions in Lewy body disorders-in 3-month-old female and male mice and in 11-month-old male mice. After 6 months, we observed that α-synucleinopathy did not expand significantly beyond the limbic connectome in the 9-month-old male and female mice or in the 17-month-old male mice. However, the 9-month-old male mice had developed greater α-synucleinopathy, smell impairment and cell loss than age-matched females. By 10.5 months post-infusion, fibril treatment hastened mortality in the 21.5-month-old males, but the inclusions remained centered in the limbic system in the survivors. Although fibril infusions reduced the number of cells expressing tyrosine hydroxylase in the substantia nigra of young males at 6 months post-infusion, this was not attributable to true cell death. Furthermore, mesencephalic α-synucleinopathy, if present, was centered in mesolimbic circuits (ventral tegmental area/accumbens) rather than within strict boundaries of the nigral pars compacta, which were defined here by tyrosine hydroxylase immunolabel. Nonprimate models cannot be expected to faithfully recapitulate human Lewy body disorders, but our murine model seems reasonably suited to (i) capture some aspects of Stage IIb of Lewy body disorders, which displays a heavier limbic than brainstem component compared to incipient Parkinson's disease; and (ii) leverage sex differences and the acceleration of mortality following induction of olfactory α-synucleinopathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel M Mason
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Yaqin Wang
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Tarun N Bhatia
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Kristin M Miner
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Sara A Trbojevic
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - John F Stolz
- Department of Biological Sciences, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Kelvin C Luk
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Rehana K Leak
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA
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Gupte R, Christian S, Keselman P, Habiger J, Brooks WM, Harris JL. Evaluation of taurine neuroprotection in aged rats with traumatic brain injury. Brain Imaging Behav 2019; 13:461-471. [PMID: 29656312 PMCID: PMC6186512 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-018-9865-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Despite higher rates of hospitalization and mortality following traumatic brain injury (TBI) in patients over 65 years old, older patients remain underrepresented in drug development studies. Worse outcomes in older individuals compared to younger adults could be attributed to exacerbated injury mechanisms including oxidative stress, inflammation, blood-brain barrier disruption, and bioenergetic dysfunction. Accordingly, pleiotropic treatments are attractive candidates for neuroprotection. Taurine, an endogenous amino acid with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic, osmolytic, and neuromodulator effects, is neuroprotective in adult rats with TBI. However, its effects in the aged brain have not been evaluated. We subjected aged male rats to a unilateral controlled cortical impact injury to the sensorimotor cortex, and randomized them into four treatment groups: saline or 25 mg/kg, 50 mg/kg, or 200 mg/kg i.p. taurine. Treatments were administered 20 min post-injury and daily for 7 days. We assessed sensorimotor function on post-TBI days 1-14 and tissue loss on day 14 using T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging. Experimenters were blinded to the treatment group for the duration of the study. We did not observe neuroprotective effects of taurine on functional impairment or tissue loss in aged rats after TBI. These findings in aged rats are in contrast to previous reports of taurine neuroprotection in younger animals. Advanced age is an important variable for drug development studies in TBI, and further research is required to better understand how aging may influence mechanisms of taurine neuroprotection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raeesa Gupte
- Hoglund Brain Imaging Center, University of Kansas Medical Center, KS 66160, USA, 913-588-3519,
| | - Sarah Christian
- Hoglund Brain Imaging Center, University of Kansas Medical Center, KS 66160, USA, 913-588-9070,
| | - Paul Keselman
- Hoglund Brain Imaging Center, University of Kansas Medical Center, KS 66160, USA, 913-588-9079,
| | - Joshua Habiger
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Kansas Medical Center, KS 66160, USA, 405-744-9657,
| | - William M. Brooks
- Department of Neurology, Director, Hoglund Brain Imaging Center, Director, University of Kansas Alzheimer’s Disease Center Neuroimaging Core, University of Kansas Medical Center, KS 66160, USA, 913-588-9075,
| | - Janna L. Harris
- Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, Director, Animal Magnetic Resonance Imaging Core, Hoglund Brain Imaging Center, University of Kansas Medical Center, KS 66160, USA, 913-588-9076,
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Lundberg S, Högman C, Roman E. Adolescent Exploratory Strategies and Behavioral Types in the Multivariate Concentric Square Field TM Test. Front Behav Neurosci 2019; 13:41. [PMID: 30886574 PMCID: PMC6409336 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2018] [Accepted: 02/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Adolescence is an important developmental phase with extensive changes in behavior due to remodeling of the brain and hormonal systems. Validation of animal behavioral tests in this age group is therefore of importance as differences to adult behavior are often not clarified. The aim of the present study was to investigate adolescent behavior in the multivariate concentric square fieldTM (MCSF) test and its relationship to other common behavioral tests as well as to a literature dataset of adult animals. Sixty adolescent male Wistar rats were tested in the MCSF and one of four reference tests; the elevated plus maze, the open field with or without start box, or the social play behavior test. Additionally, 12 animals were tested twice in the MCSF. When analyzing the first encounter with the MCSF test, a distinct grouping of the individuals into three behavioral types was observed. Approximately 20% of the animals had high levels of activity and an additional 20% had high levels of shelter seeking-behavior, these groups composed the outlying behavioral types named Explorers and Shelter seekers, respectively, which were distinct from the Main type of animals. When tested in the MCSF for a second time, the adolescent animals showed a recollection of the arena as they changed their behavior in relation to the first encounter. When comparing the MCSF performance to the reference tests, a relationship was found between the MCSF and the other behavioral test entailing forced exploration, while no relationship was found between the MCSF and social play. The adolescent behavioral profile was characterized by decreased risk assessment and a different activity profile than adults. In conclusion, the MCSF test is useful for profiling adolescent rats but the behavioral interpretation differs from that of adults due to differences in behavioral manifestation during adolescence and the presence of natural subgroups. Adolescent exploration shows a relationship across tests, but the MCSF gives more information than any of the other behavioral tests based on forced exploration. Further studies into the neurobiology behind the behavioral types and how different manipulations affect the distribution into the behavioral types are of interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stina Lundberg
- Neuropharmacology, Addiction and Behavior, Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Cecilia Högman
- Neuropharmacology, Addiction and Behavior, Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Erika Roman
- Neuropharmacology, Addiction and Behavior, Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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Using Zebrafish for Investigating the Molecular Mechanisms of Drug-Induced Cardiotoxicity. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2018; 2018:1642684. [PMID: 30363733 PMCID: PMC6180974 DOI: 10.1155/2018/1642684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2018] [Revised: 07/31/2018] [Accepted: 08/18/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Over the last decade, the zebrafish (Danio rerio) has emerged as a model organism for cardiovascular research. Zebrafish have several advantages over mammalian models. For instance, the experimental cost of using zebrafish is comparatively low; the embryos are transparent, develop externally, and have high fecundity making them suitable for large-scale genetic screening. More recently, zebrafish embryos have been used for the screening of a variety of toxic agents, particularly for cardiotoxicity testing. Zebrafish has been shown to exhibit physiological responses that are similar to mammals after exposure to medicinal drugs including xenobiotics, hormones, cancer drugs, and also environmental pollutants, including pesticides and heavy metals. In this review, we provided a summary for recent studies that have used zebrafish to investigate the molecular mechanisms of drug-induced cardiotoxicity. More specifically, we focused on the techniques that were exploited by us and others for cardiovascular toxicity assessment and described several microscopic imaging and analysis protocols that are being used for the estimation of a variety of cardiac hemodynamic parameters.
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Sturman O, Germain PL, Bohacek J. Exploratory rearing: a context- and stress-sensitive behavior recorded in the open-field test. Stress 2018; 21:443-452. [PMID: 29451062 DOI: 10.1080/10253890.2018.1438405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 246] [Impact Index Per Article: 41.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Stressful experiences are linked to anxiety disorders in humans. Similar effects are observed in rodent models, where anxiety is often measured in classic conflict tests such as the open-field test. Spontaneous rearing behavior, in which rodents stand on their hind legs to explore, can also be observed in this test yet is often ignored. We define two forms of rearing, supported rearing (in which the animal rears against the walls of the arena) and unsupported rearing (in which the animal rears without contacting the walls of the arena). Using an automated open-field test, we show that both rearing behaviors appear to be strongly context dependent and show clear sex differences, with females rearing less than males. We show that unsupported rearing is sensitive to acute stress, and is reduced under more averse testing conditions. Repeated testing and handling procedures lead to changes in several parameters over varying test sessions, yet unsupported rearing appears to be rather stable within a given animal. Rearing behaviors could therefore provide an additional measure of anxiety in rodents relevant for behavioral studies, as they appear to be highly sensitive to context and may be used in repeated testing designs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver Sturman
- a Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Lab of Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience , ETH Zurich , Zurich , Switzerland
| | - Pierre-Luc Germain
- b Brain Research Institute , University of Zurich , Zurich , Switzerland
| | - Johannes Bohacek
- a Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Lab of Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience , ETH Zurich , Zurich , Switzerland
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Neonatal brain injury causes cerebellar learning deficits and Purkinje cell dysfunction. Nat Commun 2018; 9:3235. [PMID: 30104642 PMCID: PMC6089917 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-05656-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2017] [Accepted: 07/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Premature infants are more likely to develop locomotor disorders than term infants. In a chronic sub-lethal hypoxia (Hx) mouse model of neonatal brain injury, we recently demonstrated the presence of cellular and physiological changes in the cerebellar white matter. We also observed Hx-induced delay in Purkinje cell (PC) arborization. However, the behavioral consequences of these cellular alterations remain unexplored. Using the Erasmus Ladder to study cerebellar behavior, we report the presence of locomotor malperformance and long-term cerebellar learning deficits in Hx mice. Optogenetics experiments in Hx mice reveal a profound reduction in spontaneous and photoevoked PC firing frequency. Finally, treatment with a gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) reuptake inhibitor partially rescues locomotor performance and improves PC firing. Our results demonstrate a long-term miscoordination phenotype characterized by locomotor malperformance and cerebellar learning deficits in a mouse model of neonatal brain injury. Our findings also implicate the developing GABA network as a potential therapeutic target for prematurity-related locomotor deficits.
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Seo DO, Motard LE, Bruchas MR. Contemporary strategies for dissecting the neuronal basis of neurodevelopmental disorders. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2018; 165:106835. [PMID: 29550367 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2018.03.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2017] [Revised: 02/22/2018] [Accepted: 03/13/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Great efforts in clinical and basic research have shown progress in understanding the neurobiological mechanisms of neurodevelopmental disorders, such as autism, schizophrenia, and attention-deficit hyperactive disorders. Literature on this field have suggested that these disorders are affected by the complex interaction of genetic, biological, psychosocial and environmental risk factors. However, this complexity of interplaying risk factors during neurodevelopment has prevented a complete understanding of the causes of those neuropsychiatric symptoms. Recently, with advances in modern high-resolution neuroscience methods, the neural circuitry analysis approach has provided new solutions for understanding the causal relationship between dysfunction of a neural circuit and behavioral alteration in neurodevelopmental disorders. In this review we will discuss recent progress in developing novel optogenetic and chemogenetic strategies to investigate neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong-Oh Seo
- Departmentof Anesthesiology, Division of Basic Research, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, United States
| | - Laura E Motard
- Departmentof Anesthesiology, Division of Basic Research, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, United States; Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, United States
| | - Michael R Bruchas
- Departmentof Anesthesiology, Division of Basic Research, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, United States; Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, United States; Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, United States; Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, United States; Washington University Pain Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, United States.
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Belovicova K, Bogi E, Csatlosova K, Dubovicky M. Animal tests for anxiety-like and depression-like behavior in rats. Interdiscip Toxicol 2018; 10:40-43. [PMID: 30123035 PMCID: PMC6096862 DOI: 10.1515/intox-2017-0006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 116] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2017] [Accepted: 04/25/2017] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
An animal model of human behavior represents a complex of cognitive and/or emotional processess, which are translated from animals to humans. A behavioral test is developed primarily and specifically to verify and support a theory of cognition or emotion; it can also be used to verify a theory of a psychopathology, but it is not developed for a particular type of psychopathology. The paper reviews tests commonly used in novel drug discovery research. Focus is especially on tests which can evaluate anxiety-like (openfield test, novelty suppressed feeding, elevated plus maze, light/dark box, stressinduced hyperthermia) and depression-like behaviors (forced swim test, tail suspension test, sucrose preference test) as they represent an important methodological tool in pre-clinical as well as in behavioral toxicology studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina Belovicova
- Institute of Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovak Republic.,Department of Pharmacology, Jessenius Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, Martin, Slovak Republic
| | - Eszter Bogi
- Institute of Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovak Republic
| | - Kristina Csatlosova
- Institute of Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovak Republic.,Department of Pharmacology, Jessenius Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, Martin, Slovak Republic
| | - Michal Dubovicky
- Institute of Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovak Republic
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An Automated Home-Cage System to Assess Learning and Performance of a Skilled Motor Task in a Mouse Model of Huntington's Disease. eNeuro 2017; 4:eN-NWR-0141-17. [PMID: 28929129 PMCID: PMC5602104 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0141-17.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2017] [Revised: 08/22/2017] [Accepted: 08/30/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Behavioral testing is a critical step in assessing the validity of rodent models of neurodegenerative disease, as well as evaluating the efficacy of pharmacological interventions. In models of Huntington's disease (HD), a gradual progression of impairments is observed across ages, increasing the need for sensitive, high-throughput and longitudinal assessments. Recently, a number of automated systems have been developed to perform behavioral profiling of animals within their own home-cage, allowing for 24-h monitoring and minimizing experimenter interaction. However, as of yet, few of these have had functionality for the assessment of skilled motor learning, a relevant behavior for movement disorders such as HD. To address this, we assess a lever positioning task within the mouse home-cage. Animals first acquire a simple operant response, before moving to a second phase where they must learn to hold the lever for progressively longer in a rewarded position range. Testing with this paradigm has revealed the presence of distinct phenotypes in the YAC128 mouse model of HD at three early symptomatic time points. YAC128 mice at two months old, but not older, had a motor learning deficit when required to adapt their response to changes in task requirements. In contrast, six-month-old YAC128 mice had disruptions of normal circadian activity and displayed kinematic abnormalities during performance of the task, suggesting an impairment in motor control. This system holds promise for facilitating high throughput behavioral assessment of HD mouse models for preclinical therapeutic screening.
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