1
|
O'Connor AM, Hagenauer MH, Thew Forrester LC, Maras PM, Arakawa K, Hebda-Bauer EK, Khalil H, Richardson ER, Rob FI, Sannah Y, Watson SJ, Akil H. Adolescent environmental enrichment induces social resilience and alters neural gene expression in a selectively bred rodent model with anxious phenotype. Neurobiol Stress 2024; 31:100651. [PMID: 38933284 PMCID: PMC11201356 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2024.100651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2023] [Revised: 04/10/2024] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Stress is a major influence on mental health status; the ways that individuals respond to or copes with stressors determine whether they are negatively affected in the future. Stress responses are established by an interplay between genetics, environment, and life experiences. Psychosocial stress is particularly impactful during adolescence, a critical period for the development of mood disorders. In this study we compared two established, selectively-bred Sprague Dawley rat lines, the "internalizing" bred Low Responder (bLR) line versus the "externalizing" bred High Responder (bHR) line, to investigate how genetic temperament and adolescent environment impact future responses to social interactions and psychosocial stress, and how these determinants of stress response interact. Male bLR and bHR rats were exposed to social and environmental enrichment in adolescence prior to experiencing social defeat and were then assessed for social interaction and anxiety-like behavior. Adolescent enrichment caused rats to display more social interaction, as well as nominally less social avoidance, less submission during defeat, and resilience to the effects of social stress on corticosterone, in a manner that seemed more notable in bLRs. For bHRs, enrichment also caused greater aggression during a neutral social encounter and nominally during defeat, and decreased anxiety-like behavior. To explore the neurobiology underlying the development of social resilience in the anxious phenotype bLRs, RNA-seq was conducted on the hippocampus and nucleus accumbens, two brain regions that mediate stress regulation and social behavior. Gene sets previously associated with stress, social behavior, aggression and exploratory activity were enriched with differential expression in both regions, with a particularly large effect on gene sets that regulate social behaviors. Our findings provide further evidence that adolescent enrichment can serve as an inoculating experience against future stressors. The ability to induce social resilience in a usually anxious line of animals by manipulating their environment has translational implications, as it underscores the feasibility of intervention strategies targeted at genetically vulnerable adolescent populations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Megan Hastings Hagenauer
- Michigan Neuroscience Institute, 205 Zina Pitcher Place, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA, 48109
| | - Liam Cannon Thew Forrester
- Michigan Neuroscience Institute, 205 Zina Pitcher Place, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA, 48109
| | - Pamela M. Maras
- Michigan Neuroscience Institute, 205 Zina Pitcher Place, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA, 48109
| | - Keiko Arakawa
- Michigan Neuroscience Institute, 205 Zina Pitcher Place, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA, 48109
| | - Elaine K. Hebda-Bauer
- Michigan Neuroscience Institute, 205 Zina Pitcher Place, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA, 48109
| | - Huzefa Khalil
- Michigan Neuroscience Institute, 205 Zina Pitcher Place, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA, 48109
| | - Evelyn R. Richardson
- Michigan Neuroscience Institute, 205 Zina Pitcher Place, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA, 48109
| | - Farizah I. Rob
- Michigan Neuroscience Institute, 205 Zina Pitcher Place, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA, 48109
| | - Yusra Sannah
- Michigan Neuroscience Institute, 205 Zina Pitcher Place, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA, 48109
| | - Stanley J. Watson
- Michigan Neuroscience Institute, 205 Zina Pitcher Place, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA, 48109
| | - Huda Akil
- Michigan Neuroscience Institute, 205 Zina Pitcher Place, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA, 48109
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Holt RV, Skånberg L, Keeling LJ, Estevez I, Newberry RC. Resource choice during ontogeny enhances both the short- and longer-term welfare of laying hen pullets. Sci Rep 2024; 14:3360. [PMID: 38336837 PMCID: PMC10858183 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-53039-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/27/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
We hypothesised that resource choice during early life contributes to both current and longer-term beneficial effects on animal welfare. We investigated this hypothesis in a longitudinal cross-over experiment with laying hen pullets (Gallus gallus domesticus) reared in pens with one or four litter and perch types, respectively (n = 8 pens/treatment, all providing ample and identical litter and perch space). After 4 weeks (chick period), half the pens were modified to provide the opposite treatment (juvenile period). After 11 more weeks, all groups were moved to novel, identical laying pens (adult period; Week 16-27). In support of our hypothesis, the opportunity to choose between multiple litter and perch variants was associated with higher levels of positively-valenced behaviours, including play as chicks and dustbathing as juveniles and adults, and lower levels of negatively-valenced behaviours, including feather pecking as chicks and juveniles and aggressive pecking as adults. Resource choice in the juvenile period also led to better juvenile and adult plumage condition, and greater growth as adults. We conclude that the opportunity to choose among different litter and perch types, instead of having only one type of each, had both short- and longer-term positive effects on the birds' affective states and physical condition.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Regine Victoria Holt
- Department of Animal and Aquacultural Sciences, Faculty of Biosciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway.
| | - Lena Skånberg
- Department of Animal Environment and Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Linda J Keeling
- Department of Animal Environment and Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Inma Estevez
- Department of Animal Production, NEIKER, Basque Institute for Agricultural Research and Development, Arkaute, Spain
- IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, Spain
| | - Ruth C Newberry
- Department of Animal and Aquacultural Sciences, Faculty of Biosciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Smail MA, Smith BL, Shukla R, Alganem K, Eby HM, Bollinger JL, Parikh RK, Chambers JB, Reigle JK, Moloney RD, Nawreen N, Wohleb ES, Pantazopoulos H, McCullumsmith RE, Herman JP. Molecular neurobiology of loss: a role for basolateral amygdala extracellular matrix. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:4729-4741. [PMID: 37644175 PMCID: PMC10914625 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02231-8] [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: 02/06/2023] [Revised: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
Psychological loss is a common experience that erodes well-being and negatively impacts quality of life. The molecular underpinnings of loss are poorly understood. Here, we investigate the mechanisms of loss using an environmental enrichment removal (ER) paradigm in male rats. The basolateral amygdala (BLA) was identified as a region of interest, demonstrating differential Fos responsivity to ER and having an established role in stress processing and adaptation. A comprehensive multi-omics investigation of the BLA, spanning multiple cohorts, platforms, and analyses, revealed alterations in microglia and the extracellular matrix (ECM). Follow-up studies indicated that ER decreased microglia size, complexity, and phagocytosis, suggesting reduced immune surveillance. Loss also substantially increased ECM coverage, specifically targeting perineuronal nets surrounding parvalbumin interneurons, suggesting decreased plasticity and increased inhibition within the BLA following loss. Behavioral analyses suggest that these molecular effects are linked to impaired BLA salience evaluation, leading to a mismatch between stimulus and reaction intensity. These loss-like behaviors could be rescued by depleting BLA ECM during the removal period, helping us understand the mechanisms underlying loss and revealing novel molecular targets to ameliorate its impact.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marissa A Smail
- Department of Pharmacology and Systems Physiology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
| | - Brittany L Smith
- Department of Pharmacology and Systems Physiology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Rammohan Shukla
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH, USA
| | - Khaled Alganem
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH, USA
| | - Hunter M Eby
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH, USA
| | - Justin L Bollinger
- Department of Pharmacology and Systems Physiology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Ria K Parikh
- Department of Pharmacology and Systems Physiology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - James B Chambers
- Department of Pharmacology and Systems Physiology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - James K Reigle
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Rachel D Moloney
- School of Pharmacy, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland, UK
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland, UK
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland, UK
| | - Nawshaba Nawreen
- Department of Pharmacology and Systems Physiology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Eric S Wohleb
- Department of Pharmacology and Systems Physiology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Harry Pantazopoulos
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomical Sciences, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA
| | - Robert E McCullumsmith
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH, USA
- Neurosciences Institute, ProMedica, Toledo, OH, USA
| | - James P Herman
- Department of Pharmacology and Systems Physiology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Kent M, Kovalev D, Hart B, Leserve D, Handford G, Vavra D, Lambert K. The emotional impact of disrupted environmental contexts: Enrichment loss and coping profiles influence stress response recovery in Long-Evans rats. J Neuroendocrinol 2022; 34:e13179. [PMID: 35866213 PMCID: PMC9540572 DOI: 10.1111/jne.13179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Revised: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
With increasing rates of anxiety and mood disorders across the world, there is an unprecedented need for preclinical animal models to generate translational results for humans experiencing disruptive emotional symptoms. Considering that life events resulting in a perception of loss are correlated with depressive symptoms, the enrichment-loss rodent model offers promise as a translational model for stress-initiated psychiatric disorders. Additionally, predisposed temperament characteristics such as coping styles have been found to influence an individual's stress response. Accordingly, male rats were profiled as either consistent or flexible copers and assigned to one of three environments: standard laboratory housing, enriched environment, or enriched environment exposure followed by downsizing to standard laboratory cages (i.e., enrichment-loss group). Throughout the study, several behaviors were assessed to determine stress, social, and reward-processing responses. To assess recovery of the stress response, fecal samples were collected following the swim stress in 3-h increments to determine the recovery trajectory of corticosterone (CORT) and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) metabolite levels. Upon death, neural markers of neuroplasticity including doublecortin, glial fibrillary acidic factor, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor were assessed via immunohistochemistry. Results indicated the flexible coping animals in the continuous enriched group had higher DHEA/CORT ratios (consistent with adaptive responses in past research); furthermore, the enrichment-loss animals exhibited a blunted CORT response throughout the assessments and enriched flexible copers had faster CORT recovery rates than consistent copers. Standard housed animals exhibited less exploratory behavior in the open field task and continuous enriched, flexible rats consumed more food rewards than the other groups. No differences in neuroplasticity neural markers were observed. In sum, the results of the present study support past research indicating the disruptive consequences of enrichment-loss, providing evidence that the model represents a valuable approach for the investigation of neurobiological mechanisms contributing to interindividual variability in responses to changing experiential landscapes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Molly Kent
- Department of BiologyVirginia Military InstituteLexingtonVAUSA
| | - Dmitry Kovalev
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of RichmondRichmondVAUSA
| | - Benjamin Hart
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of RichmondRichmondVAUSA
| | | | | | - Dylan Vavra
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of RichmondRichmondVAUSA
| | - Kelly Lambert
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of RichmondRichmondVAUSA
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Corredor K, Marín DP, García CC, Restrepo DA, Martínez GS, Cardenas FP. Providing Environmental Enrichment without Altering Behavior in Male and Female Wistar Rats ( Rattus norvegicus). JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR LABORATORY ANIMAL SCIENCE : JAALAS 2022; 61:234-240. [PMID: 35379381 PMCID: PMC9137287 DOI: 10.30802/aalas-jaalas-21-000075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2021] [Revised: 09/09/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
In research using animal models, subjects are commonly maintained under standard housing conditions, mainly because of the idea that enhancing welfare conditions could alter experimental data. Another common practice in many laboratories relates to the preponderant use of males. Several reasons justifying this practice include the rapid hormonal and endocrine change in females, which may require a higher number of female animals to achieve more homogenous groups, thereby creating a dilemma with the reduction principle in animal research. In past decades, a relationship between enriched environments and enhanced cognitive functions has been reported in rats, but many of those enriched environmental protocols were not systematically or rigorously studied, leading to unexpected effects on behavior. Here we report the effects of 4 types of housing conditions (standard, structural changes, exercise, and foraging) in Wistar rats on anxiety (elevated plus maze), exploratory (open field), and stress vulnerability (forced swim test) responses. Sex was used as a blocking factor. Data show no effect of housing conditions on anxiety and exploratory behaviors, but do show an effect on stress responses. These results suggest the possibility of using a protocol for environmental enrichment without concern about altering experimental data. From this stand, new ways to enhance animal welfare in research laboratories could be designed and implemented.
Collapse
Key Words
- ee, environmental enrichment
- of, open field
- epm, elevated plus maze
- fst, forced swim test
- sd, standard condition
- st, structural modification
- ex, exercise, playing, and exploration
- fg, foraging
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Karen Corredor
- Universidad de los Andes, Laboratorio de Neurociencia y Comportamiento, Bogotá, Colombia; Centro de Investigaciones en Biomodelos, Bogotá, Colombia;,
| | - Daniela P Marín
- Universidad de los Andes, Laboratorio de Neurociencia y Comportamiento, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Christian C García
- Universidad de los Andes, Laboratorio de Neurociencia y Comportamiento, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Daniela A Restrepo
- Universidad de los Andes, Laboratorio de Neurociencia y Comportamiento, Bogotá, Colombia
| | | | - Fernando P Cardenas
- Universidad de los Andes, Laboratorio de Neurociencia y Comportamiento, Bogotá, Colombia
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Sukegawa M, Yoshihara T, Hou S, Asano M, Hannan AJ, Wang DO. Long‐lasting Housing Environment Manipulation and Acute Loss of Environmental Enrichment Impact BALB/c Mice Behavior in Multiple Functional Domains. Eur J Neurosci 2022; 55:1118-1140. [PMID: 35060219 PMCID: PMC9306724 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Revised: 12/28/2021] [Accepted: 01/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Understanding environmental influences on individuals' behaviour is challenging. Here we have investigated the housing impact of 9 weeks of enriched environment (EE) and social isolation (SI) and the impact of abrupt deprivation of EE (enrichment removal: ER) on BALB/c mice. Compared with the widely used C57BL/6 strain in research, BALB/c synthesises serotonin less efficiently due to a genetic variation and thus may potentially represent human populations at higher risk of stress‐related disorders. We assessed the effects of EE and SI by conducting a behavioural test battery and the effects of acute ER by monitoring homecage activities and social behaviour. We found that EE and SI impact BALB/c's physiological states and behavioural performances from lower to higher cognitive processes: increased body weight, increased rectal temperature, altered performance in motor and sensory tasks, the activity level in a novel environment and altered performance in tests of anxiety‐like behaviour, stress‐coping strategies and learning and memory. Furthermore, acute ER triggered stress/frustration‐like behaviour in BALB/c, with increased aggression, increased social distancing and disrupted daily/nightly activities. Our results demonstrate that long‐lasting housing manipulation such as EE and SI, impact behaviour via multilayered processes over a wide range of functional domains, and unforeseen change to a negative environment, ER, is a major stressor that causes behavioural and psychological consequences through environment–gene interactions, a model of direct relevance to human health.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Momoe Sukegawa
- Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research (BDR), RIKEN Japan
- Graduate School of Biostudies Kyoto University Japan
- Institute for Integrated Cell‐Material Sciences (iCeMS) Kyoto University Japan
| | - Toru Yoshihara
- Institute of Laboratory Animals, Graduate School of Medicine Kyoto University Japan
| | - Shengqun Hou
- Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research (BDR), RIKEN Japan
- Graduate School of Biostudies Kyoto University Japan
- Institute for Integrated Cell‐Material Sciences (iCeMS) Kyoto University Japan
| | - Masahide Asano
- Institute of Laboratory Animals, Graduate School of Medicine Kyoto University Japan
| | - Anthony J. Hannan
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience University of Melbourne Australia
- Melbourne Brain Centre Australia
| | - Dan Ohtan Wang
- Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research (BDR), RIKEN Japan
- Graduate School of Biostudies Kyoto University Japan
- Institute for Integrated Cell‐Material Sciences (iCeMS) Kyoto University Japan
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
de Abreu MS, Costa F, Giacomini ACVV, Demin KA, Zabegalov KN, Maslov GO, Kositsyn YM, Petersen EV, Strekalova T, Rosemberg DB, Kalueff AV. Towards Modeling Anhedonia and Its Treatment in Zebrafish. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2021; 25:293-306. [PMID: 34918075 PMCID: PMC9017771 DOI: 10.1093/ijnp/pyab092] [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: 07/09/2021] [Revised: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Mood disorders, especially depression, are a major cause of human disability. The loss of pleasure (anhedonia) is a common, severely debilitating symptom of clinical depression. Experimental animal models are widely used to better understand depression pathogenesis and to develop novel antidepressant therapies. In rodents, various experimental models of anhedonia have already been developed and extensively validated. Complementing rodent studies, the zebrafish (Danio rerio) is emerging as a powerful model organism to assess pathobiological mechanisms of affective disorders, including depression. Here, we critically discuss the potential of zebrafish for modeling anhedonia and studying its molecular mechanisms and translational implications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Murilo S de Abreu
- School of Pharmacy, Southwest University, Chongqing, China,Bioscience Institute, University of Passo Fundo, Passo Fundo, RS, Brazil,Laboratory of Cell and Molecular Biology and Neurobiology, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Moscow, Russia
| | - Fabiano Costa
- Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Toxicological Biochemistry, Natural and Exact Sciences Center, Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Brazil
| | - Ana C V V Giacomini
- Bioscience Institute, University of Passo Fundo, Passo Fundo, RS, Brazil,Graduate Program in Environmental Sciences, University of Passo Fundo, Passo Fundo, RS, Brazil
| | - Konstantin A Demin
- Drug Screening Platform, School of Pharmacy, Southwest University, Chongqing, China,Ural Federal University, Ekaterinburg, Russia,Institute of Experimental Medicine, Almazov National Medical Research Centre, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | | | - Gleb O Maslov
- Ural Federal University, Ekaterinburg, Russia,Neurobiology Program, Sirius University of Science and Technology, Sochi, Russia
| | - Yuriy M Kositsyn
- Neurobiology Program, Sirius University of Science and Technology, Sochi, Russia
| | - Elena V Petersen
- Laboratory of Cell and Molecular Biology and Neurobiology, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Moscow, Russia
| | - Tatiana Strekalova
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Maastricht Medical Center Annadal, Maastricht, Netherlands,Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, University of Maastricht, Maasticht, the Netherlands,Laboratory of Psychiatric Neurobiology, Institute of Molecular Medicine and Department of Normal Physiology, Sechenov 1st Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russia,Institute of General Pathology and Pathophysiology, Moscow, Russia
| | - Denis B Rosemberg
- Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Toxicological Biochemistry, Natural and Exact Sciences Center, Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Brazil,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Natural and Exact Sciences Center, Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Brazil
| | - Allan V Kalueff
- School of Pharmacy, Southwest University, Chongqing, China,Drug Screening Platform, School of Pharmacy, Southwest University, Chongqing, China,Ural Federal University, Ekaterinburg, Russia,Russian Research Center of Radiology and Surgical Technologies, Ministry of Healthcare of Russian Federation, St. Petersburg, Russia,Institute of Experimental Medicine, Almazov National Medical Research Centre, St. Petersburg, Russia,Novosibirsk State University, Novosibisk, Russia,Scientific Research Institute of Neurosciences and Medicine, Novosibirsk, Russia,Correspondence: Allan V. Kalueff, PhD, School of Pharmacy, Southwest University, Chongqing, China ()
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Orock A, Louwies T, Ligon CO, Mohammadi E, Greenwood-Van Meerveld B. Environmental enrichment prevents stress-induced epigenetic changes in the expression of glucocorticoid receptor and corticotrophin releasing hormone in the central nucleus of the amygdala to inhibit visceral hypersensitivity. Exp Neurol 2021; 345:113841. [PMID: 34390704 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2021.113841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2021] [Revised: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Stress is a known trigger for the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a gastrointestinal (GI) disorder that presents with abnormal bowel habits and abdominal pain due to visceral hypersensitivity. While behavioral therapies have been used to attenuate IBS symptoms, the underlying mechanisms by which these therapies interact with stress-induced pathology remains to be delineated. Here we use a rat model to test the hypothesis that exposure to environmental enrichment (EE) inhibits stress-induced changes within the brain-gut axis to prevent visceral and somatic hypersensitivity and colonic hyperpermeability. METHODS Female rats (n = 8/group) were housed in EE one week before and one week during exposure to water avoidance stress (WAS) while controls were housed in standard cages (SH). One day after the final WAS exposure, colonic and somatic sensitivity were assessed by the visceromotor response (VMR) to colorectal distension (CRD) and withdrawal threshold elicited by an electronic von Frey on the hind paw of the rats respectively. All rats were returned to SH for 3 weeks before colonic and somatic sensitivity were reassessed on day 28. The rats were then immediately euthanized and the spinal cord was collected to assess changes in neuronal activation (assessed via ERK phosphorylation) in response to noxious CRD. A separate cohort of animals (n = 8/group) that did not undergo behavioral assessments was euthanized the day after the final WAS exposure and the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) was collected to investigate WAS and EE induced epigenetic changes at the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and corticotrophin releasing hormone (CRH) promoter. The colon from these rats was also collected to assess colonic permeability via changes in transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) in vitro. RESULTS Exposure to stress persistently increased VMR to CRD (P < 0.01) and decreased the hind paw withdrawal threshold (P < 0.001) in female rats. WAS also decreased TEER in the colon tissue of female rats (p = 0.05). In the CeA, WAS induced a decrease in histone acetylation at the GR promoter but increased histone acetylation at the CRH promoter and reduced GR-CRH interactions in the CeA. Analysis of the spinal cord showed that WAS increased CRD-evoked ERK phosphorylation in the dorsal horn. Exposure to EE prevented WAS-induced changes in the CeA, dorsal horn and colon respectively to prevent visceral and somatic hypersensitivity. CONCLUSION Our data reveals that behavioral therapies can produce long lasting molecular and epigenetic changes that can prevent stress-induced pathologies even after completion of the therapy. These results highlight the potential mechanisms by which behavioral therapies may ameliorate visceral pain associated stress-related pathologies such as the irritable bowel syndrome.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- A Orock
- Department of Physiology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, United States of America.
| | - T Louwies
- Department of Physiology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, United States of America
| | - C O Ligon
- Department of Physiology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, United States of America
| | - E Mohammadi
- Department of Physiology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, United States of America
| | - B Greenwood-Van Meerveld
- Department of Physiology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, United States of America; Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care System, Oklahoma City, OK, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Miglioli A, Vasconcellos ADS. Can behavioural management improve behaviour and reproduction in captive blue-and-yellow macaws (Ara ararauna)? Appl Anim Behav Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2021.105386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
|
10
|
Zhao X, Tran H, DeRosa H, Roderick RC, Kentner AC. Hidden talents: Poly (I:C)-induced maternal immune activation improves mouse visual discrimination performance and reversal learning in a sex-dependent manner. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2021; 20:e12755. [PMID: 34056840 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2021] [Revised: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 05/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
While there is a strong focus on the negative consequences of maternal immune activation (MIA) on developing brains, very little attention is directed towards potential advantages of early life challenges. In this study, we utilized a polyinosine-polycytidylic acid (poly(I:C)) MIA model to test visual pairwise discrimination (PD) and reversal learning (RL) in mice using touchscreen technology. Significant sex differences emerged in that MIA reduced the latency for males to make a correct choice in the PD task while females reached criterion sooner, made fewer errors, and utilized fewer correction trials in RL compared to saline controls. These surprising improvements were accompanied by the sex-specific upregulation of several genes critical to cognitive functioning, indicative of compensatory plasticity in response to MIA. In contrast, when exposed to a 'two-hit' stress model (MIA + loss of the social component of environmental enrichment [EE]), mice did not display anhedonia but required an increased number of PD and RL correction trials. These animals also had significant reductions of CamK2a mRNA in the prefrontal cortex. Appropriate functioning of synaptic plasticity, via mediators such as this protein kinase and others, are critical for behavioral flexibility. Although EE has been implicated in, delaying the appearance of symptoms associated with certain brain disorders, these findings are in line with evidence that it also makes individuals more vulnerable to its loss. Overall, with the right 'dose', early life stress exposure can confer at least some functional advantages, which are lost when the number or magnitude of these exposures become too great.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xin Zhao
- School of Arts & Sciences, Health Psychology Program, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Hieu Tran
- School of Arts & Sciences, Health Psychology Program, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Holly DeRosa
- School of Arts & Sciences, Health Psychology Program, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Ryland C Roderick
- School of Arts & Sciences, Health Psychology Program, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Amanda C Kentner
- School of Arts & Sciences, Health Psychology Program, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Bashiri H, Houwing DJ, Homberg JR, Salari AA. The combination of fluoxetine and environmental enrichment reduces postpartum stress-related behaviors through the oxytocinergic system and HPA axis in mice. Sci Rep 2021; 11:8518. [PMID: 33875712 PMCID: PMC8055994 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-87800-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Gestational stress can increase postpartum depression in women. To treat maternal depression, fluoxetine (FLX) is most commonly prescribed. While FLX may be effective for the mother, at high doses it may have adverse effects on the fetus. As environmental enrichment (EE) can reduce maternal stress effects, we hypothesized that a subthreshold dose of FLX increases the impact of EE to reduce anxiety and depression-like behavior in postpartum dams exposed to gestational stress. We evaluated this hypothesis in mice and to assess underlying mechanisms we additionally measured hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function and brain levels of the hormone oxytocin, which are thought to be implicated in postpartum depression. Gestational stress increased anxiety- and depression-like behavior in postpartum dams. This was accompanied by an increase in HPA axis function and a decrease in whole-brain oxytocin levels in dams. A combination of FLX and EE remediated the behavioral, HPA axis and oxytocin changes induced by gestational stress. Central administration of an oxytocin receptor antagonist prevented the remediating effect of FLX + EE, indicating that brain oxytocin contributes to the effect of FLX + EE. These findings suggest that oxytocin is causally involved in FLX + EE mediated remediation of postpartum stress-related behaviors, and HPA axis function in postpartum dams.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hamideh Bashiri
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
- Sirjan School of Medical Sciences, Sirjan, Iran
| | - Danielle J Houwing
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Center for Medical Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Judith R Homberg
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Center for Medical Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Ali-Akbar Salari
- Salari Institute of Cognitive and Behavioral Disorders (SICBD), Karaj, Alborz, Iran.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Smail MA, Smith BL, Nawreen N, Herman JP. Differential impact of stress and environmental enrichment on corticolimbic circuits. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2020; 197:172993. [PMID: 32659243 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2020.172993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2020] [Revised: 05/27/2020] [Accepted: 07/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Stress exposure can produce profound changes in physiology and behavior that can impair health and well-being. Of note, stress exposure is linked to anxiety disorders and depression in humans. The widespread impact of these disorders warrants investigation into treatments to mitigate the harmful effects of stress. Pharmacological treatments fail to help many with these disorders, so recent work has focused on non-pharmacological alternatives. One of the most promising of these alternatives is environmental enrichment (EE). In rodents, EE includes social, physical, and cognitive stimulation for the animal, in the form of larger cages, running wheels, and toys. EE successfully reduces the maladaptive effects of various stressors, both as treatment and prophylaxis. While we know that EE can have beneficial effects under stress conditions, the morphological and molecular mechanisms underlying these behavioral effects are still not well understood. EE is known to alter neurogenesis, dendrite development, and expression of neurotrophic growth factors, effects that vary by type of enrichment, age, and sex. To add to this complexity, EE has differential effects in different brain regions. Understanding how EE exerts its protective effects on morphological and molecular levels could hold the key to developing more targeted pharmacological treatments. In this review, we summarize the literature on the morphological and molecular consequences of EE and stress in key emotional regulatory pathways in the brain, the hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, and amygdala. The similarities and differences among these regions provide some insight into stress-EE interaction that may be exploited in future efforts toward prevention of, and intervention in, stress-related diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marissa A Smail
- Department of Pharmacology and Systems Physiology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States.
| | - Brittany L Smith
- Department of Pharmacology and Systems Physiology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Nawshaba Nawreen
- Department of Pharmacology and Systems Physiology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - James P Herman
- Department of Pharmacology and Systems Physiology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States; Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States; Department of Neurology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Orock A, Louwies T, Yuan T, Greenwood-Van Meerveld B. Environmental enrichment prevents chronic stress-induced brain-gut axis dysfunction through a GR-mediated mechanism in the central nucleus of the amygdala. Neurogastroenterol Motil 2020; 32:e13826. [PMID: 32084303 PMCID: PMC7906280 DOI: 10.1111/nmo.13826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2019] [Accepted: 02/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) improves quality of life of patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a disorder characterized by chronic visceral pain and abnormal bowel habits. Whether CBT can actually improve visceral pain in IBS patients is still unknown. The aim of this study is to evaluate whether environment enrichment (EE), the animal analog of CBT, can prevent stress-induced viscero-somatic hypersensitivity through changes in glucocorticoid receptor (GR) signaling within the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA). METHODS Rats were housed in either standard housing (SH) or EE for 7 days before and during daily water avoidance stress (WAS) exposure (1-h/d for 7 days). In the first cohort, visceral and somatic sensitivity were assessed via visceromotor response to colorectal distention and von Frey Anesthesiometer 24 hous and 21 days after WAS. In another cohort, the CeA was isolated for GR mRNA quantification. KEY RESULTS Environment enrichment for 7 days before and during the 7 days of WAS persistently attenuated visceral and somatic hypersensitivity when compared to rats placed in SH. Environment enrichment exposure also prevented the WAS-induced decrease in GR expression in the CeA. CONCLUSION & INFERENCES Pre-exposure to short-term EE prevents the stress-induced downregulation of GR, and inhibits visceral and somatic hypersensitivity induced by chronic stress. These results suggest that a positive environment can ameliorate stress-induced pathology and provide a non-pharmacological therapeutic option for disorders such as IBS.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- A Orock
- Oklahoma Center for Neuroscience, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK
| | - T Louwies
- Oklahoma Center for Neuroscience, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK
| | - T Yuan
- Oklahoma Center for Neuroscience, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK
| | - B Greenwood-Van Meerveld
- Oklahoma Center for Neuroscience, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK,,Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care System, Oklahoma City, OK.,Department of Physiology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Grimm JW, Sauter F. Environmental enrichment reduces food seeking and taking in rats: A review. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2020; 190:172874. [PMID: 32084492 PMCID: PMC7100331 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2020.172874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2019] [Revised: 01/21/2020] [Accepted: 02/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Environmental enrichment (EE) for rodents is generally defined as providing subjects with an environment enhanced with access to conspecifics, novel and tactile stimuli, and in many preparations, more space. EE exposure, in particular as an "intervention" in adult rodents, decreases food and drug seeking and taking. This review focuses on the reduction of sucrose seeking and taking in rats assessed in operant-based procedures. The operant-based model provides a means to evaluate addiction-related behaviors. Findings using the model might translate to clinically-relevant addiction behaviors directed towards both drugs and food. Both overnight (acute) and one month (chronic) EE effects on behavior are described, including a recent evaluation of the persistence of EE effects following its removal. EE effects on neurobiology related to sucrose seeking using the model are outlined, with a special emphasis on meso-cortico-limbic terminals. Overall, our working hypothesis for how EE reduces sucrose seeking and taking is that EE alters processing of incentive valence. This may also be accompanied by changes in learning and affect. Anti-seeking and anti-taking effects of EE have translational implications for the prevention and treatment of both drug addiction and food-focused behaviors ("food addiction").
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey W Grimm
- Department of Psychology and Program in Behavioral Neuroscience, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA, USA.
| | - Frances Sauter
- Department of Psychology and Program in Behavioral Neuroscience, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Environmental influences on placental programming and offspring outcomes following maternal immune activation. Brain Behav Immun 2020; 83:44-55. [PMID: 31493445 PMCID: PMC6906258 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2019.08.192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2019] [Revised: 08/15/2019] [Accepted: 08/27/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Adverse experiences during pregnancy induce placental programming, affecting the fetus and its developmental trajectory. However, the influence of 'positive' maternal experiences on the placenta and fetus remain unclear. In animal models of early life stress, environmental enrichment (EE) has ameliorated and even prevented associated impairments in brain and behavior. Here, using a maternal immune activation (MIA) model in rats, we test whether EE attenuates maternal, placental and/or fetal responses to an inflammatory challenge, thereby offering a mechanism by which fetal programming may be prevented. Moreover, we evaluate life-long EE exposure on offspring development and examine a constellation of genes and epigenetic writers that may protect against MIA challenges. In our model, maternal plasma corticosterone and interleukin-1β were elevated 3 h after MIA, validating the maternal inflammatory response. Evidence for developmental programming was demonstrated by a simultaneous decrease in the placental enzymes Hsd11b2 and Hsd11b2/Hsd11b1, suggesting disturbances in glucocorticoid metabolism. Reductions of Hsd11b2 in response to challenge is thought to result in excess glucocorticoid exposure to the fetus and altered glucocorticoid receptor expression, increasing susceptibility to behavioral impairments later in life. The placental, but not maternal, glucocorticoid implications of MIA were attenuated by EE. There were also sustained changes in epigenetic writers in both placenta and fetal brain as a consequence of environmental experience and sex. Following MIA, both male and female juvenile animals were impaired in social discrimination ability. Life-long EE mitigated these impairments, in addition to the sex specific MIA associated disruptions in central Fkbp5 and Oprm1. These data provide the first evidence that EE protects placental functioning during stressor exposure, underscoring the importance of addressing maternal health and well-being throughout pregnancy. Future work must evaluate critical periods of EE use to determine if postnatal EE experience is necessary, or if prenatal exposure alone is sufficient to confer protection.
Collapse
|
16
|
Gururajan A, Reif A, Cryan JF, Slattery DA. The future of rodent models in depression research. Nat Rev Neurosci 2019; 20:686-701. [DOI: 10.1038/s41583-019-0221-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
|