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Okonogi T, Kuga N, Yamakawa M, Kayama T, Ikegaya Y, Sasaki T. Stress-induced vagal activity influences anxiety-relevant prefrontal and amygdala neuronal oscillations in male mice. Nat Commun 2024; 15:183. [PMID: 38195621 PMCID: PMC10776769 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44205-y] [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: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024] Open
Abstract
The vagus nerve crucially affects emotions and psychiatric disorders. However, the detailed neurophysiological dynamics of the vagus nerve in response to emotions and its associated pathological changes remain unclear. In this study, we demonstrated that the spike rates of the cervical vagus nerve change depending on anxiety behavior in an elevated plus maze test, and these changes were eradicated in stress-susceptible male mice. Furthermore, instantaneous spike rates of the vagus nerve were negatively and positively correlated with the power of 2-4 Hz and 20-30 Hz oscillations, respectively, in the prefrontal cortex and amygdala. The oscillations also underwent dynamic changes depending on the behavioral state in the elevated plus maze, and these changes were no longer observed in stress-susceptible and vagotomized mice. Chronic vagus nerve stimulation restored behavior-relevant neuronal oscillations with the recovery of altered behavioral states in stress-susceptible mice. These results suggested that physiological vagal-brain communication underlies anxiety and mood disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toya Okonogi
- Laboratory of Chemical Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Nahoko Kuga
- Department of Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tohoku University, 6-3 Aramaki-Aoba, Aoba-Ku, Sendai, 980-8578, Japan
| | - Musashi Yamakawa
- Department of Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tohoku University, 6-3 Aramaki-Aoba, Aoba-Ku, Sendai, 980-8578, Japan
| | - Tasuku Kayama
- Department of Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tohoku University, 6-3 Aramaki-Aoba, Aoba-Ku, Sendai, 980-8578, Japan
| | - Yuji Ikegaya
- Laboratory of Chemical Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
- Institute for AI and Beyond, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
- Center for Information and Neural Networks, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Suita City, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Takuya Sasaki
- Laboratory of Chemical Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan.
- Department of Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tohoku University, 6-3 Aramaki-Aoba, Aoba-Ku, Sendai, 980-8578, Japan.
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2
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Koh W, Kwak H, Cheong E, Lee CJ. GABA tone regulation and its cognitive functions in the brain. Nat Rev Neurosci 2023; 24:523-539. [PMID: 37495761 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-023-00724-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023]
Abstract
γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) is the major inhibitory neurotransmitter released at GABAergic synapses, mediating fast-acting phasic inhibition. Emerging lines of evidence unequivocally indicate that a small amount of extracellular GABA - GABA tone - exists in the brain and induces a tonic GABA current that controls neuronal activity on a slow timescale relative to that of phasic inhibition. Surprisingly, studies indicate that glial cells that synthesize GABA, such as astrocytes, release GABA through non-vesicular mechanisms, such as channel-mediated release, and thereby act as the source of GABA tone in the brain. In this Review, we first provide an overview of major advances in our understanding of the cell-specific molecular and cellular mechanisms of GABA synthesis, release and clearance that regulate GABA tone in various brain regions. We next examine the diverse ways in which the tonic GABA current regulates synaptic transmission and synaptic plasticity through extrasynaptic GABAA-receptor-mediated mechanisms. Last, we discuss the physiological mechanisms through which tonic inhibition modulates cognitive function on a slow timescale. In this Review, we emphasize that the cognitive functions of tonic GABA current extend beyond mere inhibition, laying a foundation for future research on the physiological and pathophysiological roles of GABA tone regulation in normal and abnormal psychiatric conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wuhyun Koh
- Center for Cognition and Sociality, Institute for Basic Science, Daejeon, South Korea
| | - Hankyul Kwak
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Eunji Cheong
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea.
| | - C Justin Lee
- Center for Cognition and Sociality, Institute for Basic Science, Daejeon, South Korea.
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3
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Liu WZ, Huang SH, Wang Y, Wang CY, Pan HQ, Zhao K, Hu P, Pan BX, Zhang WH. Medial prefrontal cortex input to basolateral amygdala controls acute stress-induced short-term anxiety-like behavior in mice. Neuropsychopharmacology 2023; 48:734-744. [PMID: 36513871 PMCID: PMC10066275 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-022-01515-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Revised: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Anxiety is a normal and transitory emotional state that allows the organisms to cope well with the real or perceived threats, while excessive or prolonged anxiety is a key characteristic of anxiety disorders. We have recently revealed that prolonged anxiety induced by chronic stress is associated with the circuit-varying dysfunction of basolateral amygdala projection neurons (BLA PNs). However, it is not yet known whether similar mechanisms also emerge for acute stress-induced, short-lasting increase of anxiety. Here, using a mouse model of acute restraint stress (ARS), we found that ARS mice showed increased anxiety-like behavior at 2 h but not 24 h after stress, and this effect was accompanied by a transient increase of the activity of BLA PNs. Specifically, ex vivo patch-clamp recordings revealed that the increased BLA neuronal activity did not differ among the distinct BLA neuronal populations, regardless of their projection targets being the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) or elsewhere. We further demonstrated that such effects were mainly mediated by the enhanced presynaptic glutamate release in dmPFC-to-BLA synapses but not lateral amygdala-to-BLA ones. Furthermore, while optogenetically weakening the presynaptic glutamate release in dmPFC-to-BLA synapses ameliorated ARS-induced anxiety-like behavior, strengthening the release increased in unstressed mice. Together, these findings suggest that acute stress causes short-lasting increase in anxiety-like behavior by facilitating synaptic transmission from the prefrontal cortex to the amygdala in a circuit-independent fashion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei-Zhu Liu
- Department of Biological Science, School of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institutes of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
| | - Shou-He Huang
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institutes of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
| | - Yu Wang
- Department of Biological Science, School of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institutes of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
| | - Chun-Yan Wang
- Department of Biological Science, School of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institutes of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
| | - Han-Qing Pan
- Department of Biological Science, School of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institutes of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
| | - Ke Zhao
- Department of Biological Science, School of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institutes of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
| | - Ping Hu
- Department of Biological Science, School of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, Jiangxi, China
| | - Bing-Xing Pan
- Department of Biological Science, School of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China.
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institutes of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China.
| | - Wen-Hua Zhang
- Department of Biological Science, School of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China.
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institutes of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China.
- Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Interdisciplinary Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, PR China.
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4
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Svalina MN, Rio CACD, Kushner JK, Levy A, Baca SM, Guthman EM, Opendak M, Sullivan RM, Restrepo D, Huntsman MM. Basolateral Amygdala Hyperexcitability Is Associated with Precocious Developmental Emergence of Fear-Learning in Fragile X Syndrome. J Neurosci 2022; 42:7294-7308. [PMID: 35970562 PMCID: PMC9512574 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1776-21.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2021] [Revised: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Fragile X Syndrome is a neurodevelopmental disorder and the most common monogenic cause of intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorders, and anxiety disorders. Loss of fragile x mental retardation protein results in disruptions of synaptic development during a critical period of circuit formation in the BLA. However, it is unknown how these alterations impact microcircuit development and function. Using a combination of electrophysiologic and behavioral approaches in both male (Fmr1-/y) and female (Fmr1-/-) mice, we demonstrate that principal neurons in the Fmr1KO BLA exhibit hyperexcitability during a sensitive period in amygdala development. This hyperexcitability contributes to increased excitatory gain in fear-learning circuits. Further, synaptic plasticity is enhanced in the BLA of Fmr1KO mice. Behavioral correlation demonstrates that fear-learning emerges precociously in the Fmr1KO mouse. Early life 4,5,6,7-tetrahydroisoxazolo [5,4-c]pyridin-3ol intervention ameliorates fear-learning in Fmr1KO mice. These results suggest that critical period plasticity in the amygdala of the Fmr1KO mouse may be shifted to earlier developmental time points.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT In these studies, we identify early developmental alterations in principal neurons in the Fragile X syndrome BLA. We show that, as early as P14, excitability and feedforward excitation, and synaptic plasticity are enhanced in Fmr1KO lateral amygdala. This correlates with precocious emergence of fear-learning in the Fmr1KO mouse. Early life 4,5,6,7-tetrahydroisoxazolo [5,4-c]pyridin-3ol intervention restores critical period plasticity in WT mice and ameliorates fear-learning in the Fmr1KO mouse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew N Svalina
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado 80045
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado 80045
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado 80045
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado 80045
| | - Christian A Cea-Del Rio
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado 80045
- CIBAP, Escuela de Medicina, Facultad de Ciencias Medicas, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago, Chile 9170201
| | - J Keenan Kushner
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado 80045
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado 80045
| | - Abigail Levy
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado 80045
| | - Serapio M Baca
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado 80045
| | - E Mae Guthman
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado 80045
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado 80045
| | - Maya Opendak
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute, Orangeburg, New York 10962
- Child Study Center, Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, New York, 10016
| | - Regina M Sullivan
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute, Orangeburg, New York 10962
- Child Study Center, Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, New York, 10016
| | - Diego Restrepo
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado 80045
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado 80045
| | - Molly M Huntsman
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado 80045
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado 80045
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado 80045
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5
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Pan HQ, Liu XX, He Y, Zhou J, Liao CZ, You WJ, Jiang SY, Qin X, Chen WB, Fei EK, Zhang WH, Pan BX. Prefrontal GABA A(δ)R Promotes Fear Extinction through Enabling the Plastic Regulation of Neuronal Intrinsic Excitability. J Neurosci 2022; 42:5755-5770. [PMID: 35705488 PMCID: PMC9302468 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0689-22.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2022] [Revised: 06/02/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Extinguishing the previously acquired fear is critical for the adaptation of an organism to the ever-changing environment, a process requiring the engagement of GABAA receptors (GABAARs). GABAARs consist of tens of structurally, pharmacologically, and functionally heterogeneous subtypes. However, the specific roles of these subtypes in fear extinction remain largely unexplored. Here, we observed that in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), a core region for mood regulation, the extrasynaptically situated, δ-subunit-containing GABAARs [GABAA(δ)Rs], had a permissive role in tuning fear extinction in male mice, an effect sharply contrasting to the established but suppressive role by the whole GABAAR family. First, the fear extinction in individual mice was positively correlated with the level of GABAA(δ)R expression and function in their mPFC. Second, knockdown of GABAA(δ)R in mPFC, specifically in its infralimbic (IL) subregion, sufficed to impair the fear extinction in mice. Third, GABAA(δ)R-deficient mice also showed fear extinction deficits, and re-expressing GABAA(δ)Rs in the IL of these mice rescued the impaired extinction. Further mechanistic studies demonstrated that the permissive effect of GABAA(δ)R was associated with its role in enabling the extinction-evoked plastic regulation of neuronal excitability in IL projection neurons. By contrast, GABAA(δ)R had little influence on the extinction-evoked plasticity of glutamatergic transmission in these cells. Altogether, our findings revealed an unconventional and permissive role of extrasynaptic GABAA receptors in fear extinction through a route relying on nonsynaptic plasticity.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is one of the kernel brain regions engaged in fear extinction. Previous studies have repetitively shown that the GABAA receptor (GABAAR) family in this region act to suppress fear extinction. However, the roles of specific GABAAR subtypes in mPFC are largely unknown. We observed that the GABAAR-containing δ-subunit [GABAA(δ)R], a subtype of GABAARs exclusively situated in the extrasynaptic membrane and mediating the tonic neuronal inhibition, works oppositely to the whole GABAAR family and promotes (but does not suppress) fear extinction. More interestingly, in striking contrast to the synaptic GABAARs that suppress fear extinction by breaking the extinction-evoked plasticity of glutamatergic transmission, the GABAA(δ)R promotes fear extinction through enabling the plastic regulation of neuronal excitability in the infralimbic subregion of mPFC. Our findings thus reveal an unconventional role of GABAA(δ)R in promoting fear extinction through a route relying on nonsynaptic plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han-Qing Pan
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institutes of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, People's Republic of China
- Department of Biological Science, School of Life Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiao-Xuan Liu
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institutes of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, People's Republic of China
- Neurology Department, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, People's Republic of China
| | - Ye He
- Center for Medical Experiments, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, People's Republic of China
| | - Jin Zhou
- Department of Biological Science, School of Life Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, People's Republic of China
| | - Cai-Zhi Liao
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institutes of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, People's Republic of China
- Department of Biological Science, School of Life Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, People's Republic of China
| | - Wen-Jie You
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institutes of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, People's Republic of China
- Department of Biological Science, School of Life Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, People's Republic of China
| | - Si-Ying Jiang
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institutes of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, People's Republic of China
- Department of Biological Science, School of Life Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, People's Republic of China
| | - Xia Qin
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institutes of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, People's Republic of China
- Department of Biological Science, School of Life Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, People's Republic of China
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, People's Republic of China
| | - Wen-Bing Chen
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institutes of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, People's Republic of China
- Department of Biological Science, School of Life Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, People's Republic of China
| | - Er-Kang Fei
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institutes of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, People's Republic of China
- Department of Biological Science, School of Life Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, People's Republic of China
| | - Wen-Hua Zhang
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institutes of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, People's Republic of China
- Department of Biological Science, School of Life Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, People's Republic of China
| | - Bing-Xing Pan
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institutes of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, People's Republic of China
- Department of Biological Science, School of Life Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, People's Republic of China
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Pesarico AP, Carceller H, Guirado R, Coviello S, Nacher J. Long term effects of 24-h-restraint stress on the connectivity and structure of interneurons in the basolateral amygdala. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2022; 115:110512. [PMID: 35066055 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2022.110512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Revised: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The effects of intense stressors can last a long time and may lead to the development of psychiatric disorders, including posttraumatic stress disorder. The basolateral amygdala (BLA) plays a critical role in these diseases and is extremely sensitive to stress. Here, we explored in male and female mice the long-term (35 days) impact of a 24-h restraint stress on BLA circuitry. We used Thy1-YFP mice to discriminate 2 subpopulations of excitatory neurons, which participate in "Fear-On" (Thy1-) and "Fear-Off" (Thy1+) circuits. The stress decreased the density of parvalbumin (PV) + inhibitory neurons in both sexes but did not alter their dendritic complexity. We also analyzed the perisomatic input of basket interneurons on Thy1+ and Thy1- neurons, finding sex dependent effects. In males, we did not find alterations in the density of PV+ puncta or in that of cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1R) + puncta from cholecystokinin+ basket cells. By contrast, in females we found increased the density of PV+ puncta on Thy1+ neurons and reduced on the Thy1- neurons. This adverse experience also reduced in the long term the density of CB1R+ puncta both on Thy1+ and Thy1- cells in females. The expression of the activity marker FosB was not altered in PV+ interneurons and in Thy1+ neurons of stressed animals. The density of perineuronal nets, a specialized region of the extracellular matrix, which covers particularly PV+ interneurons and regulates their connectivity, was increased by stress in male mice. Our findings indicate that a single stressful event can produce long-term alterations in the inhibitory circuits of the BLA, especially on PV+ neurons and their plasticity, and that there is a differential impact depending on the sex and the fear-related circuits involved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Paula Pesarico
- Neurobiology Unit, Program in Neurosciences and Institute of Biotechnology and Biomedicine (BIOTECMED), Universitat de València, Burjassot, Spain
| | - Hector Carceller
- Neurobiology Unit, Program in Neurosciences and Institute of Biotechnology and Biomedicine (BIOTECMED), Universitat de València, Burjassot, Spain; Spanish National Network for Research in Mental Health, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain.
| | - Ramón Guirado
- Neurobiology Unit, Program in Neurosciences and Institute of Biotechnology and Biomedicine (BIOTECMED), Universitat de València, Burjassot, Spain
| | - Simona Coviello
- Neurobiology Unit, Program in Neurosciences and Institute of Biotechnology and Biomedicine (BIOTECMED), Universitat de València, Burjassot, Spain
| | - Juan Nacher
- Neurobiology Unit, Program in Neurosciences and Institute of Biotechnology and Biomedicine (BIOTECMED), Universitat de València, Burjassot, Spain; Spanish National Network for Research in Mental Health, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain; Fundación Investigación Hospital Clínico de Valencia, INCLIVA, Valencia, Spain.
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7
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Huang SH, Liu WZ, Qin X, Guo CY, Xiong QC, Wang Y, Hu P, Pan BX, Zhang WH. Association of Increased Amygdala Activity with Stress-Induced Anxiety but not Social Avoidance Behavior in Mice. Neurosci Bull 2022; 38:16-28. [PMID: 34494228 PMCID: PMC8782949 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-021-00762-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2021] [Accepted: 05/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic stress leads to many psychiatric disorders, including social and anxiety disorders that are associated with over-activation of neurons in the basolateral amygdala (BLA). However, not all individuals develop psychiatric diseases, many showing considerable resilience against stress exposure. Whether BLA neuronal activity is involved in regulating an individual's vulnerability to stress remains elusive. In this study, using a mouse model of chronic social defeat stress (CSDS), we divided the mice into susceptible and resilient subgroups based on their social interaction behavior. Using in vivo fiber photometry and in vitro patch-clamp recording, we showed that CSDS persistently (after 20 days of recovery from stress) increased BLA neuronal activity in all the mice regardless of their susceptible or resilient nature, although impaired social interaction behavior was only observed in susceptible mice. Increased anxiety-like behavior, on the other hand, was evident in both groups. Notably, the CSDS-induced increase of BLA neuronal activity correlated well with the heightened anxiety-like but not the social avoidance behavior in mice. These findings provide new insight to our understanding of the role of neuronal activity in the amygdala in mediating stress-related psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shou-He Huang
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institutes of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
| | - Wei-Zhu Liu
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institutes of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
| | - Xia Qin
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institutes of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
| | - Chen-Yi Guo
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institutes of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
| | - Qing-Cheng Xiong
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institutes of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
| | - Yu Wang
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institutes of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
| | - Ping Hu
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330001, China
| | - Bing-Xing Pan
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institutes of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China.
| | - Wen-Hua Zhang
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institutes of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China.
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8
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Qin X, Pan HQ, Huang SH, Zou JX, Zheng ZH, Liu XX, You WJ, Liu ZP, Cao JL, Zhang WH, Pan BX. GABA A(δ) receptor hypofunction in the amygdala-hippocampal circuit underlies stress-induced anxiety. Sci Bull (Beijing) 2022; 67:97-110. [PMID: 36545966 DOI: 10.1016/j.scib.2021.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Revised: 08/07/2021] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Dysregulated GABAergic inhibition in the amygdala has long been implicated in stress-related neuropsychiatric disorders. However, the molecular and circuit mechanisms underlying the dysregulation remain elusive. Here, by using a mouse model of chronic social defeat stress (CSDS), we observed that the dysregulation varied drastically across individual projection neurons (PNs) in the basolateral amygdala (BLA), one of the kernel amygdala subregions critical for stress coping. While persistently reducing the extrasynaptic GABAA receptor (GABAAR)-mediated tonic current in the BLA PNs projecting to the ventral hippocampus (BLA → vHPC PNs), CSDS increased the current in those projecting to the anterodorsal bed nucleus of stria terminalis (BLA → adBNST PNs), suggesting projection-based dysregulation of tonic inhibition in BLA PNs by CSDS. Transcriptional and electrophysiological analysis revealed that the opposite CSDS influences were mediated by loss- and gain-of-function of δ-containing GABAARs (GABAA(δ)Rs) in BLA → vHPC and BLA → adBNST PNs, respectively. Importantly, it was the lost inhibition in the former population but not the augmentation in the latter population that correlated with the increased anxiety-like behavior in CSDS mice. Virally mediated maintenance of GABAA(δ)R currents in BLA → vHPC PNs occluded CSDS-induced anxiety-like behavior. These findings clarify the molecular substrate for the dysregulated GABAergic inhibition in amygdala circuits for stress-associated psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xia Qin
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institute of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, China; Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, China
| | - Han-Qing Pan
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institute of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, China
| | - Shou-He Huang
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institute of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, China
| | - Jia-Xin Zou
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institute of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, China
| | - Zhi-Heng Zheng
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institute of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, China
| | - Xiao-Xuan Liu
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institute of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, China
| | - Wen-Jie You
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institute of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, China
| | - Zhi-Peng Liu
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institute of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, China
| | - Jun-Li Cao
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, China
| | - Wen-Hua Zhang
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institute of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, China; Department of Biological Science, School of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, China.
| | - Bing-Xing Pan
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institute of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, China; Department of Biological Science, School of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, China; Department of Ophthalmology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Medical School of Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, China.
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9
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He F, Zhang P, Zhang Q, Qi G, Cai H, Li T, Li M, Lu J, Lin J, Ming J, Tian B. Dopaminergic Projection from Ventral Tegmental Area to Substantia Nigra Pars Reticulata Mediates Chronic Social Defeat Stress-Induced Hypolocomotion. Mol Neurobiol 2021; 58:5635-5648. [PMID: 34382160 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-021-02522-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2021] [Accepted: 08/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Numerous human clinical studies have suggested that decreased locomotor activity is a common symptom of major depressive disorder (MDD), as well as other psychiatric diseases. In MDD, the midbrain ventral tegmental area (VTA) dopamine (DA) neurons are closely related to regulate the information processing of reward, motivation, cognition, and aversion. However, the neural circuit mechanism that underlie the relationship between VTA-DA neurons and MDD-related motor impairments, especially hypolocomotion, is still largely unknown. Herein, we investigate how the VTA-DA neurons contribute to the hypolocomotion performance in chronic social defeat stress (CSDS), a mouse model of depression-relevant neurobehavioral states. The results show that CSDS could affect the spontaneous locomotor activity of mice, but not the grip strength and forced locomotor ability. Chemogenetic activation of VTA-DA neurons alleviated CSDS-induced hypolocomotion. Subsequently, quantitative whole-brain mapping revealed decreased projections from VTA-DA neurons to substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNr) after CSDS treatment. Optogenetic activation of dopaminergic projection from VTA to SNr with the stimulation of phasic firing, but not tonic firing, could significantly increase the locomotor activity of mice. Moreover, chemogenetic activation of VTA-SNr dopaminergic circuit in CSDS mice could also rescued the decline of locomotor activity. Taken together, our data suggest that the VTA-SNr dopaminergic projection mediates CSDS-induced hypolocomotion, which provides a theoretical basis and potential therapeutic target for MDD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng He
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, 430030, People's Republic of China
| | - Pei Zhang
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, 430030, People's Republic of China.,Institute for Brain Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, 430030, People's Republic of China.,Key Laboratory of Neurological Diseases, Ministry of Education, Wuhan, Hubei Province, 430030, People's Republic of China
| | - Qian Zhang
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, 430030, People's Republic of China
| | - Guangjian Qi
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, 430030, People's Republic of China
| | - Hongwei Cai
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, 430030, People's Republic of China
| | - Tongxia Li
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, 430030, People's Republic of China
| | - Ming Li
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, 430030, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiazhen Lu
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, 430030, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiaen Lin
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, 430030, People's Republic of China
| | - Jie Ming
- Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technolog, Wuhan, Hubei Province, 430022, People's Republic of China.
| | - Bo Tian
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, 430030, People's Republic of China. .,Institute for Brain Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, 430030, People's Republic of China. .,Key Laboratory of Neurological Diseases, Ministry of Education, Wuhan, Hubei Province, 430030, People's Republic of China.
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10
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Gong X, Huang C, Yang X, Chen J, Pu J, He Y, Xie P. Altered Fecal Metabolites and Colonic Glycerophospholipids Were Associated With Abnormal Composition of Gut Microbiota in a Depression Model of Mice. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:701355. [PMID: 34349620 PMCID: PMC8326978 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.701355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The microbiota–gut–brain axis has been considered to play an important role in the development of depression, but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. The gastrointestinal tract is home to trillions of microbiota and the colon is considered an important site for the interaction between microbiota and host, but few studies have been conducted to evaluate the alterations in the colon. Accordingly, in this study, we established a chronic social defeated stress (CSDS) mice model of depression. We applied 16S rRNA gene sequencing to assess the gut microbial composition and gas and liquid chromatography–mass spectroscopy to identify fecal metabolites and colonic lipids, respectively. Meanwhile, we used Spearman’s correlation analysis method to evaluate the associations between the gut microbiota, fecal metabolites, colonic lipids, and behavioral index. In total, there were 20 bacterial taxa and 18 bacterial taxa significantly increased and decreased, respectively, in the CSDS mice. Further, microbial functional prediction demonstrated a disturbance of lipid, carbohydrate, and amino acid metabolism in the CSDS mice. We also found 20 differential fecal metabolites and 36 differential colonic lipids (in the category of glycerolipids, glycerophospholipids, and sphingolipids) in the CSDS mice. Moreover, correlation analysis showed that fecal metabolomic signature was associated with the alterations in the gut microbiota composition and colonic lipidomic profile. Of note, three lipids [PC(16:0/20:4), PG(22:6/22:6), and PI(18:0/20:3), all in the category of glycerophospholipids] were significantly associated with anxiety- and depression-like phenotypes in mice. Taken together, our results indicated that the gut microbiota might be involved in the pathogenesis of depression via influencing fecal metabolites and colonic glycerophospholipid metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Gong
- NHC Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment on Brain Functional Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.,Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.,Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurobiology, Chongqing, China
| | - Cheng Huang
- Department of Neurology and Stroke Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Clinical Neuroscience Institute of Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xun Yang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment on Brain Functional Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.,Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jianjun Chen
- Institute of Life Sciences, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Juncai Pu
- NHC Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment on Brain Functional Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.,Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.,Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurobiology, Chongqing, China
| | - Yong He
- NHC Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment on Brain Functional Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.,Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.,Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurobiology, Chongqing, China
| | - Peng Xie
- NHC Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment on Brain Functional Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.,Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.,Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurobiology, Chongqing, China
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