1
|
Volitaki E, Forro T, Li K, Nevian T, Ciocchi S. Activity of ventral hippocampal parvalbumin interneurons during anxiety. Cell Rep 2024; 43:114295. [PMID: 38796850 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114295] [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: 02/23/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Anxiety plays a key role in guiding behavior in response to potential threats. Anxiety is mediated by the activation of pyramidal neurons in the ventral hippocampus (vH), whose activity is controlled by GABAergic inhibitory interneurons. However, how different vH interneurons might contribute to anxiety-related processes is unclear. Here, we investigate the role of vH parvalbumin (PV)-expressing interneurons while mice transition from safe to more anxiogenic compartments of the elevated plus maze (EPM). We find that vH PV interneurons increase their activity in anxiogenic EPM compartments concomitant with dynamic changes in inhibitory interactions between PV interneurons and pyramidal neurons. By optogenetically inhibiting PV interneurons, we induce an increase in the activity of vH pyramidal neurons and persistent anxiety. Collectively, our results suggest that vH inhibitory microcircuits may act as a trigger for enduring anxiety states.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emmanouela Volitaki
- Laboratory of Systems Neuroscience, Department of Physiology, University of Bern, Bühlplatz 5, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Thomas Forro
- Laboratory of Systems Neuroscience, Department of Physiology, University of Bern, Bühlplatz 5, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Kaizhen Li
- Laboratory of Systems Neuroscience, Department of Physiology, University of Bern, Bühlplatz 5, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Thomas Nevian
- Neuronal Plasticity Group, Department of Physiology, University of Bern, Bühlplatz 5, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Stéphane Ciocchi
- Laboratory of Systems Neuroscience, Department of Physiology, University of Bern, Bühlplatz 5, 3012 Bern, Switzerland.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Kiyokawa Y, Ootaki M, Kambe Y, Tanaka KD, Kimura G, Tanikawa T, Takeuchi Y. Approach/Avoidance Behavior to Novel Objects is Correlated with the Serotonergic and Dopaminergic Systems in the Brown Rat (Rattus norvegicus). Neuroscience 2024; 549:110-120. [PMID: 38723837 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2024.05.003] [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: 02/03/2024] [Revised: 04/21/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
The brown rat (Rattus norvegicus) is known to show three types of behavioral responses to novel objects. Whereas some rats are indifferent to novel objects, neophobic and neophilic rats show avoidance and approach behavior, respectively. Here, we compared the dopaminergic, serotonergic, and noradrenergic systems immunohistochemically among these rats. Trapped wild rats and laboratory rats were first individually exposed to the novel objects in their home cage. Wild rats were divided into neophobic and indifferent rats depending on their behavioral responses. Similarly, laboratory rats were divided into neophilic and indifferent rats. Consistent with the behavioral differences, in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus, Fos expression in corticotropin-releasing hormone-containing neurons was higher in the neophobic rats than in the indifferent rats. In the anterior basal amygdala, the neophobic rats showed higher Fos expression than the indifferent rats. In the posterior basal amygdala, the neophobic and neophilic rats showed lower and higher Fos expressions than the indifferent rats, respectively. When we compared the neuromodulatory systems, in the dorsal raphe, the number of serotonergic neurons and Fos expression in serotonergic neurons increased linearly from neophobic to indifferent to neophilic rats. In the ventral tegmental area, Fos expression in dopaminergic neurons was higher in the neophilic rats than in the indifferent rats. These results demonstrate that approach/avoidance behavior to novel objects is correlated with the serotonergic and dopaminergic systems in the brown rat. We propose that the serotonergic system suppresses avoidance behavior while the dopaminergic system enhances approach behavior to novel objects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yasushi Kiyokawa
- Laboratory of Veterinary Ethology, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan.
| | - Masato Ootaki
- Laboratory of Veterinary Ethology, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
| | - Yoshikazu Kambe
- Technical Research Laboratory, Ikari Shodoku Co. Ltd, 1-12-3 Akanehama, Narashino-shi, Chiba 275-0024, Japan
| | - Kazuyuki D Tanaka
- Technical Research Laboratory, Ikari Shodoku Co. Ltd, 1-12-3 Akanehama, Narashino-shi, Chiba 275-0024, Japan
| | - Goro Kimura
- Technical Research Laboratory, Ikari Shodoku Co. Ltd, 1-12-3 Akanehama, Narashino-shi, Chiba 275-0024, Japan
| | - Tsutomu Tanikawa
- Technical Research Laboratory, Ikari Shodoku Co. Ltd, 1-12-3 Akanehama, Narashino-shi, Chiba 275-0024, Japan
| | - Yukari Takeuchi
- Laboratory of Veterinary Ethology, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Hou W, Ma H, Huang C, Li Y, Li L, Zhang L, Qu Y, Xun Y, Yang Q, He Z, Tai F. Effects of paternal deprivation on empathetic behavior and the involvement of oxytocin receptors in the anterior cingulate cortex. Horm Behav 2024; 162:105536. [PMID: 38522143 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2024.105536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2023] [Revised: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024]
Abstract
Paternal deprivation (PD) impairs social cognition and sociality and increases levels of anxiety-like behavior. However, whether PD affects the levels of empathy in offspring and its underlying mechanisms remain unknown. The present study found that PD increased anxiety-like behavior in mandarin voles (Microtus mandarinus), impaired sociality, reduced the ability of emotional contagion, and the level of consolation behavior. Meanwhile, PD reduced OT neurons in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) in both male and female mandarin voles. PD decreased the level of OT receptor (OTR) mRNA in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) of male and female mandarin voles. Besides, OTR overexpression in the ACC reversed the PD-induced changes in anxiety-like behavior, social preference, emotional contagion, and consolation behavior. Interference of OTR expression in the ACC increased levels of anxiety-like behaviors, while it reduced levels of sociality, emotional contagion, and consolation. These results revealed that the OTR in the ACC is involved in the effects of PD on empathetic behaviors, and provide mechanistic insight into how social experiences affect empathetic behaviors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wenjuan Hou
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China; School of Environmental and Material Engineering, Yantai University, 264005, China
| | - Huan Ma
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China
| | - Caihong Huang
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China
| | - Yin Li
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China
| | - Lu Li
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China
| | - Lizi Zhang
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China
| | - Yishan Qu
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China
| | - Yufeng Xun
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China
| | - Qixuan Yang
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China
| | - Zhixiong He
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China.
| | - Fadao Tai
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Madison FN, Bingman VP, Smulders TV, Lattin CR. A bird's eye view of the hippocampus beyond space: Behavioral, neuroanatomical, and neuroendocrine perspectives. Horm Behav 2024; 157:105451. [PMID: 37977022 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2023.105451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Revised: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/05/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
Although the hippocampus is one of the most-studied brain regions in mammals, research on the avian hippocampus has been more limited in scope. It is generally agreed that the hippocampus is an ancient feature of the amniote brain, and therefore homologous between the two lineages. Because birds and mammals are evolutionarily not very closely related, any shared anatomy is likely to be crucial for shared functions of their hippocampi. These functions, in turn, are likely to be essential if they have been conserved for over 300 million years. Therefore, research on the avian hippocampus can help us understand how this brain region evolved and how it has changed over evolutionary time. Further, there is a strong research foundation in birds on hippocampal-supported behaviors such as spatial navigation, food caching, and brood parasitism that scientists can build upon to better understand how hippocampal anatomy, network circuitry, endocrinology, and physiology can help control these behaviors. In this review, we summarize our current understanding of the avian hippocampus in spatial cognition as well as in regulating anxiety, approach-avoidance behavior, and stress responses. Although there are still some questions about the exact number of subdivisions in the avian hippocampus and how that might vary in different avian families, there is intriguing evidence that the avian hippocampus might have complementary functional profiles along the rostral-caudal axis similar to the dorsal-ventral axis of the rodent hippocampus, where the rostral/dorsal hippocampus is more involved in cognitive processes like spatial learning and the caudal/ventral hippocampus regulates emotional states, anxiety, and the stress response. Future research should focus on elucidating the cellular and molecular mechanisms - including endocrinological - in the avian hippocampus that underlie behaviors such as spatial navigation, spatial memory, and anxiety-related behaviors, and in so doing, resolve outstanding questions about avian hippocampal function and organization.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Farrah N Madison
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Verner P Bingman
- Department of Psychology, J. P. Scott Center for Neuroscience, Mind and Behavior, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH 43403, USA
| | - Tom V Smulders
- Centre for Behaviour and Evolution, School of Psychology, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4DR, UK
| | - Christine R Lattin
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70808, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Piquet R, Faugère A, Parkes SL. Contribution of dorsal versus ventral hippocampus to the hierarchical modulation of goal-directed actions in rats. Eur J Neurosci 2023; 58:3737-3750. [PMID: 37697949 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Revised: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/13/2023]
Abstract
Adaptive behaviour often necessitates that animals learn about events in a manner that is specific to a particular context or environment. These hierarchical organisations allow the animal to decide which action is the most appropriate when faced with ambiguous or conflicting possibilities. This study examined the role of hippocampus in enabling animals to use the context to guide action selection. We used a hierarchical instrumental outcome devaluation task in which male rats learn that the context provides information about the unique action-outcome relations that are in effect. We first confirmed that rats encode and use hierarchical context-(action-outcome) relations. We then show that chemogenetic inhibition of ventral hippocampus impairs both the encoding and retrieval of these associations, while inhibition of dorsal hippocampus impairs only the retrieval. Importantly, neither dorsal nor ventral hippocampus was required for goal-directed behaviour per se as these impairments only emerged when rats were forced to use the context to identify the current action-outcome relationships. These findings are discussed with respect to the role of the hippocampus and its broader circuitry in the contextual modulation of goal-directed behaviour and the importance of hierarchical associations in flexible behaviour.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Robin Piquet
- University of Bordeaux, CNRS, INCIA, UMR 5287, Bordeaux, France
| | | | - Shauna L Parkes
- University of Bordeaux, CNRS, INCIA, UMR 5287, Bordeaux, France
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Yang X, Wan R, Liu Z, Feng S, Yang J, Jing N, Tang K. The differentiation and integration of the hippocampal dorsoventral axis are controlled by two nuclear receptor genes. eLife 2023; 12:RP86940. [PMID: 37751231 PMCID: PMC10522401 DOI: 10.7554/elife.86940] [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] [Indexed: 09/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The hippocampus executes crucial functions from declarative memory to adaptive behaviors associated with cognition and emotion. However, the mechanisms of how morphogenesis and functions along the hippocampal dorsoventral axis are differentiated and integrated are still largely unclear. Here, we show that Nr2f1 and Nr2f2 genes are distinctively expressed in the dorsal and ventral hippocampus, respectively. The loss of Nr2f2 results in ectopic CA1/CA3 domains in the ventral hippocampus. The deficiency of Nr2f1 leads to the failed specification of dorsal CA1, among which there are place cells. The deletion of both Nr2f genes causes almost agenesis of the hippocampus with abnormalities of trisynaptic circuit and adult neurogenesis. Moreover, Nr2f1/2 may cooperate to guarantee appropriate morphogenesis and function of the hippocampus by regulating the Lhx5-Lhx2 axis. Our findings revealed a novel mechanism that Nr2f1 and Nr2f2 converge to govern the differentiation and integration of distinct characteristics of the hippocampus in mice.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiong Yang
- Precise Genome Engineering Center, School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou UniversityGuangzhouChina
| | - Rong Wan
- Precise Genome Engineering Center, School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou UniversityGuangzhouChina
| | - Zhiwen Liu
- Guangzhou Laboratory/Bioland LaboratoryGuangzhouChina
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangdong Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of SciencesGuangzhouChina
| | - Su Feng
- Guangzhou Laboratory/Bioland LaboratoryGuangzhouChina
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangdong Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of SciencesGuangzhouChina
| | - Jiaxin Yang
- Precise Genome Engineering Center, School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou UniversityGuangzhouChina
| | - Naihe Jing
- Guangzhou Laboratory/Bioland LaboratoryGuangzhouChina
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangdong Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of SciencesGuangzhouChina
| | - Ke Tang
- Precise Genome Engineering Center, School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou UniversityGuangzhouChina
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Godino A, Salery M, Minier-Toribio AM, Patel V, Fullard JF, Parise EM, Martinez-Rivera FJ, Morel C, Roussos P, Blitzer RD, Nestler EJ. Dopaminoceptive D1 and D2 neurons in ventral hippocampus arbitrate approach and avoidance in anxiety. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.07.25.550554. [PMID: 37546856 PMCID: PMC10402022 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.25.550554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
The hippocampus 1-7, as well as dopamine circuits 8-11, coordinate decision-making in anxiety-eliciting situations. Yet, little is known about how dopamine modulates hippocampal representations of emotionally-salient stimuli to inform appropriate resolution of approach versus avoidance conflicts. We here study dopaminoceptive neurons in mouse ventral hippocampus (vHipp), molecularly distinguished by their expression of dopamine D1 or D2 receptors. We show that these neurons are transcriptionally distinct and topographically organized across vHipp subfields and cell types. In the ventral subiculum where they are enriched, both D1 and D2 neurons are recruited during anxiogenic exploration, yet with distinct profiles related to investigation and behavioral selection. In turn, they mediate opposite approach/avoidance responses, and are differentially modulated by dopaminergic transmission in that region. Together, these results suggest that vHipp dopamine dynamics gate exploratory behaviors under contextual uncertainty, implicating dopaminoception in the complex computation engaged in vHipp to govern emotional states.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Arthur Godino
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience & Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Marine Salery
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience & Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Angelica M. Minier-Toribio
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience & Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Vishwendra Patel
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience & Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Department of Psychiatry & Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - John F. Fullard
- Department of Psychiatry & Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences & Icahn Genomics Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Center for Disease Neurogenomics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Eric M. Parise
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience & Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Freddyson J. Martinez-Rivera
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience & Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Carole Morel
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience & Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Panos Roussos
- Department of Psychiatry & Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences & Icahn Genomics Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Center for Disease Neurogenomics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Centers, James J. Peters VA Medical Center, Bronx, NY 10468, USA
| | - Robert D. Blitzer
- Department of Psychiatry & Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Eric J. Nestler
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience & Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Department of Psychiatry & Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Serra MP, Sanna F, Boi M, Trucas M, Fernández-Teruel A, Corda MG, Giorgi O, Quartu M. Effects of Tail Pinch on BDNF and trkB Expression in the Hippocampus of Roman Low- (RLA) and High-Avoidance (RHA) Rats. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24119498. [PMID: 37298449 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24119498] [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: 04/27/2023] [Revised: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
In this article, we describe the effects of tail pinch (TP), a mild acute stressor, on the levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and its tyrosine kinase receptor B (trkB) proteins in the hippocampus (HC) of the outbred Roman High- (RHA) and Low-Avoidance (RLA) rats, one of the most validated genetic models for the study of fear/anxiety- and stress-related behaviors. Using Western blot (WB) and immunohistochemistry assays, we show for the first time that TP induces distinct changes in the levels of BDNF and trkB proteins in the dorsal (dHC) and ventral (vHC) HC of RHA and RLA rats. The WB assays showed that TP increases BDNF and trkB levels in the dHC of both lines but induces opposite changes in the vHC, decreasing BDNF levels in RHA rats and trkB levels in RLA rats. These results suggest that TP may enhance plastic events in the dHC and hinder them in the vHC. Immunohistochemical assays, carried out in parallel to assess the location of changes revealed by the WB, showed that, in the dHC, TP increases BDNF-like immunoreactivity (LI) in the CA2 sector of the Ammon's horn of both Roman lines and in the CA3 sector of the Ammon's horn of RLA rats while, in the dentate gyrus (DG), TP increases trkB-LI in RHA rats. In contrast, in the vHC, TP elicits only a few changes, represented by decreases of BDNF- and trkB-LI in the CA1 sector of the Ammon's horn of RHA rats. These results support the view that the genotypic/phenotypic features of the experimental subjects influence the effects of an acute stressor, even as mild as TP, on the basal BDNF/trkB signaling, leading to different changes in the dorsal and ventral subdivisions of the HC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maria Pina Serra
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Cytomorphology, University of Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria di Monserrato, 09042 Monserrato, Italy
| | - Francesco Sanna
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Section of Pharmaceutical, Pharmacological and Nutraceutical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria di Monserrato, 09042 Monserrato, CA, Italy
| | - Marianna Boi
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Cytomorphology, University of Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria di Monserrato, 09042 Monserrato, Italy
| | - Marcello Trucas
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Cytomorphology, University of Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria di Monserrato, 09042 Monserrato, Italy
| | - Alberto Fernández-Teruel
- Medical Psychology Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Legal Medicine, Institute of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Autonomous University of Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Maria Giuseppa Corda
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Section of Pharmaceutical, Pharmacological and Nutraceutical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria di Monserrato, 09042 Monserrato, CA, Italy
| | - Osvaldo Giorgi
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Section of Pharmaceutical, Pharmacological and Nutraceutical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria di Monserrato, 09042 Monserrato, CA, Italy
| | - Marina Quartu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Cytomorphology, University of Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria di Monserrato, 09042 Monserrato, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Fernández-Teruel A, McNaughton N. Post-encounter freezing during approach-avoidance conflict: the role of the hippocampus. Nat Rev Neurosci 2023:10.1038/s41583-023-00703-y. [PMID: 37161023 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-023-00703-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Fernández-Teruel
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Institute of Neurosciences, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Neil McNaughton
- Department of Psychology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
de Oliveira-Silva J, Lisboa PC, Lotufo-Denucci B, Fraga M, de Moura EG, Nunes FC, Ribeiro-Carvalho A, Filgueiras CC, Abreu-Villaça Y, Manhães AC. Maternal protein restriction during the lactation period disrupts the ontogenetic development of behavioral traits in male Wistar rat offspring. J Dev Orig Health Dis 2023:1-12. [PMID: 37185045 DOI: 10.1017/s2040174423000107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Neonatal undernutrition in rats results in short- and long-term behavioral and hormonal alterations in the offspring. It is not clear, however, whether these effects are present since the original insult or if they develop at some specific age later in life. Here, we assessed the ontogenetic profile of behavioral parameters associated with anxiety, exploration and memory/learning of Wistar rat offspring that were subjected to protein malnutrition during lactation. Dams and respective litters were separated into two groups: (1) protein-restricted (PR), which received a hypoproteic chow (8% protein) from birth to weaning [postnatal day (PN) 21]; (2) control (C), which received normoproteic chow. Offspring's behaviors, corticosterone, catecholamines, T3 and T4 levels were assessed at PN21 (weaning), PN45 (adolescence), PN90 (young adulthood) or PN180 (adulthood). PR offspring showed an age-independent reduction in the levels of anxiety-like behaviors in the Elevated Plus Maze and better memory performance in the Radial Arm Water Maze. PR offspring showed peak exploratory activity in the Open Field earlier in life, at PN45, than C, which showed theirs at PN90. Corticosterone was reduced in PR offspring, particularly at young adulthood, while catecholamines were increased at weaning and adulthood. The current study shows that considerable age-dependent variations in the expression of the observed behaviors and hormonal levels exist from weaning to adulthood in rats, and that protein restriction during lactation has complex variable-dependent effects on the ontogenesis of the assessed parameters.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Juliana de Oliveira-Silva
- Laboratório de Neurofisiologia, Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcantara Gomes, Centro Biomédico, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Av. Prof. Manoel de Abreu 444, 5 andar - Vila Isabel, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 20550-170, Brazil
| | - Patrícia C Lisboa
- Laboratório de Fisiologia Endócrina, Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcantara Gomes, Centro Biomédico, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Av. Prof. Manoel de Abreu 444, 5 andar - Vila Isabel, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 20550-170, Brazil
| | - Bruna Lotufo-Denucci
- Laboratório de Neurofisiologia, Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcantara Gomes, Centro Biomédico, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Av. Prof. Manoel de Abreu 444, 5 andar - Vila Isabel, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 20550-170, Brazil
| | - Mabel Fraga
- Laboratório de Neurofisiologia, Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcantara Gomes, Centro Biomédico, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Av. Prof. Manoel de Abreu 444, 5 andar - Vila Isabel, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 20550-170, Brazil
| | - Egberto G de Moura
- Laboratório de Fisiologia Endócrina, Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcantara Gomes, Centro Biomédico, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Av. Prof. Manoel de Abreu 444, 5 andar - Vila Isabel, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 20550-170, Brazil
| | - Fernanda C Nunes
- Laboratório de Neurofisiologia, Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcantara Gomes, Centro Biomédico, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Av. Prof. Manoel de Abreu 444, 5 andar - Vila Isabel, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 20550-170, Brazil
| | - Anderson Ribeiro-Carvalho
- Departamento de Ciências, Faculdade de Formação de Professores da Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rua Dr. Francisco Portela 1470 - Patronato, São Gonçalo, RJ, 24435-005, Brazil
| | - Cláudio C Filgueiras
- Laboratório de Neurofisiologia, Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcantara Gomes, Centro Biomédico, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Av. Prof. Manoel de Abreu 444, 5 andar - Vila Isabel, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 20550-170, Brazil
| | - Yael Abreu-Villaça
- Laboratório de Neurofisiologia, Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcantara Gomes, Centro Biomédico, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Av. Prof. Manoel de Abreu 444, 5 andar - Vila Isabel, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 20550-170, Brazil
| | - Alex C Manhães
- Laboratório de Neurofisiologia, Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcantara Gomes, Centro Biomédico, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Av. Prof. Manoel de Abreu 444, 5 andar - Vila Isabel, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 20550-170, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Letkiewicz AM, Kottler HC, Shankman SA, Cochran AL. Quantifying aberrant approach-avoidance conflict in psychopathology: A review of computational approaches. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 147:105103. [PMID: 36804398 PMCID: PMC10023482 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Revised: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 02/19/2023]
Abstract
Making effective decisions during approach-avoidance conflict is critical in daily life. Aberrant decision-making during approach-avoidance conflict is evident in a range of psychological disorders, including anxiety, depression, trauma-related disorders, substance use disorders, and alcohol use disorders. To help clarify etiological pathways and reveal novel intervention targets, clinical research into decision-making is increasingly adopting a computational psychopathology approach. This approach uses mathematical models that can identify specific decision-making related processes that are altered in mental health disorders. In our review, we highlight foundational approach-avoidance conflict research, followed by more in-depth discussion of computational approaches that have been used to model behavior in these tasks. Specifically, we describe the computational models that have been applied to approach-avoidance conflict (e.g., drift-diffusion, active inference, and reinforcement learning models), and provide resources to guide clinical researchers who may be interested in applying computational modeling. Finally, we identify notable gaps in the current literature and potential future directions for computational approaches aimed at identifying mechanisms of approach-avoidance conflict in psychopathology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Allison M Letkiewicz
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.
| | - Haley C Kottler
- Department of Mathematics, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Stewart A Shankman
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA; Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Amy L Cochran
- Department of Mathematics, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA; Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Boxer EE, Kim J, Dunn B, Aoto J. Ventral Subiculum Inputs to Nucleus Accumbens Medial Shell Preferentially Innervate D2R Medium Spiny Neurons and Contain Calcium Permeable AMPARs. J Neurosci 2023; 43:1166-1177. [PMID: 36609456 PMCID: PMC9962776 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1907-22.2022] [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: 10/08/2022] [Revised: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Ventral subiculum (vSUB) is the major output region of ventral hippocampus (vHIPP) and sends major projections to nucleus accumbens medial shell (NAcMS). Hyperactivity of the vSUB-NAcMS circuit is associated with substance use disorders and the modulation of vSUB activity alters drug seeking and drug reinstatement behavior in rodents. However, to the best of our knowledge, the cell type-specific connectivity and synaptic transmission properties of the vSUB-NAcMS circuit have never been directly examined. Instead, previous functional studies have focused on total ventral hippocampal (vHIPP) output to NAcMS without distinguishing vSUB from other subregions of vHIPP, including ventral CA1 (vCA1). Using ex vivo electrophysiology, we systematically characterized the vSUB-NAcMS circuit with cell type- and synapse-specific resolution in male and female mice and found that vSUB output to dopamine receptor type-1 (D1R) and type-2 (D2R) expressing medium spiny neurons (MSNs) displays a functional connectivity bias for D2R MSNs. Furthermore, we found that vSUB-D1R and vSUB-D2R MSN synapses contain calcium-permeable AMPA receptors in drug-naive mice. Finally, we find that, distinct from other glutamatergic inputs, cocaine exposure selectively induces plasticity at vSUB-D2R synapses. Importantly, we directly compared vSUB and vCA1 output to NAcMS and found that vSUB synapses are functionally distinct and that vCA1 output recapitulated the synaptic properties previously ascribed to vHIPP. Our work highlights the need to consider the contributions of individual subregions of vHIPP to substance use disorders and represents an important first step toward understanding how the vSUB-NAcMS circuit contributes to the etiologies that underlie substance use disorders.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Inputs to nucleus accumbens (NAc) dopamine receptor type 1 (D1R) and D2R medium spiny neurons (MSNs) are critically involved in reward seeking behavior. Ventral subiculum (vSUB) provides robust synaptic input to nucleus accumbens medial shell (NAcMS) and activity of this circuit is linked to substance use disorders. Despite the importance of the vSUB to nucleus accumbens circuit, the functional connectivity and synaptic transmission properties have not been tested. Here, we systematically interrogated these properties and found that basal connectivity and drug-induced plasticity are biased for D2R medium spiny neurons. Overall, we demonstrate that this circuit is distinct from synaptic inputs from other brain regions, which helps to explain how vSUB dysfunction contributes to the etiologies that underlie substance use disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emma E Boxer
- University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado 80045
| | - JungMin Kim
- University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado 80045
| | - Brett Dunn
- University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado 80045
| | - Jason Aoto
- University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado 80045
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Griffin WC, Lopez MF, Woodward JJ, Becker HC. Alcohol dependence and the ventral hippocampal influence on alcohol drinking in male mice. Alcohol 2023; 106:44-54. [PMID: 36328184 PMCID: PMC9868110 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2022.10.004] [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: 06/29/2022] [Revised: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Examining neural circuits underlying persistent, heavy drinking provides insight into the neurobiological mechanisms driving alcohol use disorder. Facilitated by its connectivity with other parts of the brain such as the nucleus accumbens (NAc), the ventral hippocampus (vHC) supports many behaviors, including those related to reward seeking and addiction. These studies used a well-established mouse model of alcohol (ethanol) dependence. After surgery to infuse DREADD-expressing viruses (hM4Di, hM3Dq, or mCherry-only) into the vHC and position guide cannula above the NAc, male C57BL/6J mice were treated in the CIE drinking model that involved repeated cycles of chronic intermittent alcohol (CIE) vapor or air (CTL) exposure alternating with weekly test drinking cycles in which mice were offered alcohol (15% v/v) 2 h/day. Additionally, smaller groups of mice were evaluated for either cFos expression or glutamate release using microdialysis procedures. In CIE mice expressing inhibitory (hM4Di) DREADDs in the vHC, drinking increased as expected, but CNO (3 mg/kg intraperitoneally [i.p.]) given 30 min before testing did not alter alcohol intake. However, in CTL mice expressing hM4Di, CNO significantly increased alcohol drinking (∼30%; p < 0.05) to levels similar to the CIE mice. The vHC-NAc pathway was targeted by infusing CNO into the NAc (3 or 10 μM/side) 30 min before testing. CNO activation of the pathway in mice expressing excitatory (hM3Dq) DREADDs selectively reduced consumption in CIE mice back to CTL levels (∼35-45%; p < 0.05) without affecting CTL alcohol intake. Lastly, activating the vHC-NAc pathway increased cFos expression and evoked significant glutamate release from the vHC terminals in the NAc. These data indicate that reduced activity of the vHC increases alcohol consumption and that targeted, increased activity of the vHC-NAc pathway attenuates excessive drinking associated with alcohol dependence. Thus, these findings indicate that the vHC and its glutamatergic projections to the NAc are involved in excessive alcohol drinking.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- William C Griffin
- Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States.
| | - Marcelo F Lopez
- Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States
| | - John J Woodward
- Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States; Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States
| | - Howard C Becker
- Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States; Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States; Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center, Charleston, SC 29425-0742, United States
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Khani F, Pourmotabbed A, Veisi M, Hosseinmardi N, Fathollahi Y, Azizi H. Adolescent morphine exposure impairs dark avoidance memory and synaptic potentiation of ventral hippocampal CA1 during adulthood in rats. Life Sci 2023; 314:121344. [PMID: 36587788 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2022.121344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Revised: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Adolescence is a neurobiological critical period for neurodevelopmental processes. Adolescent opioid exposure can affect cognitive abilities via regional-specific lasting changes in brain structure and function. The current study was therefore designed to assess the long-term effects of adolescent morphine exposure on dark avoidance memory and synaptic plasticity of the ventral hippocampal CA1. Adolescent Wistar rats received escalating doses of morphine for 10 days. Morphine injections were started with an incremental dose of 2.5 mg/kg to reach a dose of 25 mg/kg. 30 days after the last injection, inhibitory memory and in vitro field potential recording were evaluated. Also, the weight of the animals was measured during drug and post-drug exposure. We found that adolescent morphine exposure decreased weight gain during morphine and post-morphine exposure. Passive avoidance memory was impaired in the morphine group. Moreover, adolescent morphine exposure caused an increase in baseline synaptic responsiveness and failed long-term potentiation (LTP) in the ventral hippocampal CA1 during adulthood. In the morphine group, the mean values of the field excitatory postsynaptic potential (fEPSP) slopes required to elicit a half-maximal population spike (PS) amplitude were significantly greater than that of the saline group. Therefore, adolescent morphine exposure has a durable effect on memory functions, synaptic activity, and plasticity of ventral hippocampal CA1. Adults with adolescent morphine exposures may experience maladaptive behaviors and cognitive disabilities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fatemeh Khani
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ali Pourmotabbed
- Department of Physiology, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Mozhgan Veisi
- Department of Physiology, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Narges Hosseinmardi
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Yaghoub Fathollahi
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hossein Azizi
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Yoo JY, Kim HB, Lee YJ, Kim YJ, Yoo SY, Choi Y, Lee MJ, Kim IS, Baik TK, Lee JH, Woo RS. Neuregulin-1 reverses anxiety-like behavior and social behavior deficits induced by unilateral micro-injection of CoCl 2 into the ventral hippocampus (vHPC). Neurobiol Dis 2023; 177:105982. [PMID: 36592864 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2022.105982] [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: 09/23/2022] [Revised: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuregulin-1 (NRG1) is an epidermal growth factor family member with essential roles in the developing and adult nervous systems. In recent years, establishing evidence has collectively suggested that NRG1 is a new modulator of central nervous system (CNS) injury and disease, with multifaceted roles in neuroprotection, remyelination, neuroinflammation, and other repair mechanisms. NRG1 signaling exerts its effects via the tyrosine kinase receptors ErbB2-ErbB4. The NRG1/ErbB network in CNS pathology and repair has evolved, primarily in recent years. In the present study, we demonstrated that a unilateral microinjection of CoCl2 into the ventral hippocampus (vHPC) induced hypoxic insult and led to anxiety-related behaviors and deficit sociability in mice. NRG1 treatment significantly alleviated the CoCl2-induced increase of hypoxic-related molecules and behavioral abnormalities. Furthermore, NRG1 reduced the CoCl2-induced neuroinflammation and neuronal deficits in the vHPC or primary hippocampal neurons in mice. Collectively, these results suggest that NRG1 ameliorates hypoxia by alleviating synaptic deficits and behavioral abnormalities of the CoCl2-induced vHPC hypoxic model.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ji-Young Yoo
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, College of Medicine, Eulji University, Daejeon 34824, Republic of Korea
| | - Han-Byeol Kim
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, College of Medicine, Eulji University, Daejeon 34824, Republic of Korea
| | - Ye-Ji Lee
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, College of Medicine, Eulji University, Daejeon 34824, Republic of Korea
| | - Yu-Jin Kim
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, College of Medicine, Eulji University, Daejeon 34824, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung-Yeon Yoo
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, College of Medicine, Eulji University, Daejeon 34824, Republic of Korea
| | - Yoori Choi
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul 03080, Republic of Korea
| | - Mi-Jo Lee
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Eulji University Hospital, Daejeon 35233, Republic of Korea
| | - In-Sik Kim
- Department of Biomedical Laboratory Science, School of Medicine and Department of Senior Healthcare, Graduate School, Eulji University, Uijeongbu 11759, Republic of Korea
| | - Tai-Kyoung Baik
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, College of Medicine, Eulji University, Daejeon 34824, Republic of Korea
| | - Jun-Ho Lee
- Department of Emergency Medical Technology, Daejeon University, Daejeon 34520, Republic of Korea.
| | - Ran-Sook Woo
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, College of Medicine, Eulji University, Daejeon 34824, Republic of Korea.
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Preclinical and clinical evidence on the approach-avoidance conflict evaluation as an integrative tool for psychopathology. Epidemiol Psychiatr Sci 2022; 31:e90. [PMID: 36510831 PMCID: PMC9762142 DOI: 10.1017/s2045796022000725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The approach-avoidance conflict (AAC), i.e. the competing tendencies to undertake goal-directed actions or to withdraw from everyday life challenges, stands at the basis of humans' existence defining behavioural and personality domains. Gray's Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory posits that a stable bias toward approach or avoidance represents a psychopathological trait associated with excessive sensitivity to reward or punishment. Optogenetic studies in rodents and imaging studies in humans associated with cross-species AAC paradigms granted new emphasis to the hippocampus as a hub of behavioural inhibition. For instance, recent functional neuroimaging studies show that functional brain activity in the human hippocampus correlates with threat perception and seems to underlie passive avoidance. Therefore, our commentary aims to (i) discuss the inhibitory role of the hippocampus in approach-related behaviours and (ii) promote the integration of functional neuroimaging with cross-species AAC paradigms as a means of diagnostic, therapeutic, follow up and prognosis refinement in psychiatric populations.
Collapse
|
17
|
A circuit from the ventral subiculum to anterior hypothalamic nucleus GABAergic neurons essential for anxiety-like behavioral avoidance. Nat Commun 2022; 13:7464. [PMID: 36463200 PMCID: PMC9719513 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-35211-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Behavioral observations suggest a connection between anxiety and predator defense, but the underlying neural mechanisms remain unclear. Here we examine the role of the anterior hypothalamic nucleus (AHN), a node in the predator defense network, in anxiety-like behaviors. By in vivo recordings in male mice, we find that activity of AHN GABAergic (AHNVgat+) neurons shows individually stable increases when animals approach unfamiliar objects in an open field (OF) or when they explore the open-arm of an elevated plus-maze (EPM). Moreover, object-evoked AHN activity overlap with predator cue responses and correlate with the object and open-arm avoidance. Crucially, exploration-triggered optogenetic inhibition of AHNVgat+ neurons reduces object and open-arm avoidance. Furthermore, retrograde viral tracing identifies the ventral subiculum (vSub) of the hippocampal formation as a significant input to AHNVgat+ neurons in driving avoidance behaviors in anxiogenic situations. Thus, convergent activation of AHNVgat+ neurons serves as a shared mechanism between anxiety and predator defense to promote behavioral avoidance.
Collapse
|
18
|
Woon EP, Butkovich LM, Peluso AA, Elbasheir A, Taylor K, Gourley SL. Medial orbitofrontal neurotrophin systems integrate hippocampal input into outcome-specific value representations. Cell Rep 2022; 40:111334. [PMID: 36103822 PMCID: PMC9799221 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2022] [Revised: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
In everyday life, we mentally represent possible consequences of our behaviors and integrate specific outcome values into existing knowledge to inform decisions. The medial orbitofrontal cortex (MO) is necessary to adapt behaviors when outcomes are not immediately available-when they and their values need to be envisioned. Nevertheless, neurobiological mechanisms remain unclear. We find that the neuroplasticity-associated neurotrophin receptor tropomyosin receptor kinase B (TrkB) is necessary for mice to integrate outcome-specific value information into choice behavior. This function appears attributable to memory updating (and not retrieval) and the stabilization of dendritic spines on excitatory MO neurons, which led us to investigate inputs to the MO. Ventral hippocampal (vHC)-to-MO projections appear conditionally necessary for value updating, involved in long-term aversion-based value memory updating. Furthermore, vHC-MO-mediated control of choice is TrkB dependent. Altogether, we reveal a vHC-MO connection by which specific value memories are updated, and we position TrkB within this functional circuit.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ellen P Woon
- Graduate Training Program in Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Departments of Pediatrics and Psychiatry, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Laura M Butkovich
- Departments of Pediatrics and Psychiatry, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Arianna A Peluso
- Departments of Pediatrics and Psychiatry, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Aziz Elbasheir
- Graduate Training Program in Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Departments of Pediatrics and Psychiatry, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Kian Taylor
- Graduate Training Program in Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Departments of Pediatrics and Psychiatry, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Shannon L Gourley
- Graduate Training Program in Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Departments of Pediatrics and Psychiatry, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Wong AH, Wirth FM, Pittig A. Avoidance of learnt fear: Models, potential mechanisms, and future directions. Behav Res Ther 2022; 151:104056. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2022.104056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2021] [Revised: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
|
20
|
Mack NR, Deng SX, Yang SS, Shu YS, Gao WJ. Prefrontal Cortical Control of Anxiety: Recent Advances. Neuroscientist 2022:10738584211069071. [PMID: 35086369 PMCID: PMC9869286 DOI: 10.1177/10738584211069071] [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] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Dysfunction in the prefrontal cortex is commonly implicated in anxiety disorders, but the mechanisms remain unclear. Approach-avoidance conflict tasks have been extensively used in animal research to better understand how changes in neural activity within the prefrontal cortex contribute to avoidance behaviors, which are believed to play a major role in the maintenance of anxiety disorders. In this article, we first review studies utilizing in vivo electrophysiology to reveal the relationship between changes in neural activity and avoidance behavior in rodents. We then review recent studies that take advantage of optical and genetic techniques to test the unique contribution of specific prefrontal cortex circuits and cell types to the control of anxiety-related avoidance behaviors. This new body of work reveals that behavior during approach-avoidance conflict is dynamically modulated by individual cell types, distinct neural pathways, and specific oscillatory frequencies. The integration of these different pathways, particularly as mediated by interactions between excitatory and inhibitory neurons, represents an exciting opportunity for the future of understanding anxiety.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nancy R. Mack
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129
| | - Sui-Xin Deng
- Department of Neurology, Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Institute for Translational Brain Research, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Sha-Sha Yang
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129
| | - You-Sheng Shu
- Department of Neurology, Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Institute for Translational Brain Research, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China,Corresponding author: You-Sheng Shu, Ph.D., Department of Neurology, Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Institute for Translational Brain Research, Fudan University, 131 Dong’an Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai, 200032, China, ; Wen-Jun Gao, M.D., Ph.D.,
| | - Wen-Jun Gao
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129,Corresponding author: You-Sheng Shu, Ph.D., Department of Neurology, Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Institute for Translational Brain Research, Fudan University, 131 Dong’an Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai, 200032, China, ; Wen-Jun Gao, M.D., Ph.D.,
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Tucker LB, McCabe JT. Measuring Anxiety-Like Behaviors in Rodent Models of Traumatic Brain Injury. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 15:682935. [PMID: 34776887 PMCID: PMC8586518 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.682935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2021] [Accepted: 10/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Anxiety is a common complaint following acquired traumatic brain injury (TBI). However, the measurement of dysfunctional anxiety behavioral states following experimental TBI in rodents is complex. Some studies report increased anxiety after TBI, whereas others find a decreased anxiety-like state, often described as increased risk-taking behavior or impulsivity. These inconsistencies may reflect a lack of standardization of experimental injury models or of behavioral testing techniques. Here, we review the most commonly employed unconditioned tests of anxiety and discuss them in a context of experimental TBI. Special attention is given to the effects of repeated testing, and consideration of potential sensory and motor confounds in injured rodents. The use of multiple tests and alternative data analysis methods are discussed, as well as the potential for the application of common data elements (CDEs) as a means of providing a format for documentation of experimental details and procedures of each published research report. CDEs may improve the rigor, reproducibility, as well as endpoint for better relating findings with clinical TBI phenotypes and the final goal of translation. While this may not resolve all incongruities in findings across laboratories, it is seen as a way forward for standardized and universal data collection for improvement of data quality and sharing, and advance therapies for neuropsychiatric symptoms that often present for decades following TBI.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Laura B Tucker
- Preclinical Behavior and Models Core, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States.,Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Genetics, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Joseph T McCabe
- Preclinical Behavior and Models Core, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States.,Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Genetics, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Abstract
An organism's survival can depend on its ability to recall and navigate to spatial locations associated with rewards, such as food or a home. Accumulating research has revealed that computations of reward and its prediction occur on multiple levels across a complex set of interacting brain regions, including those that support memory and navigation. However, how the brain coordinates the encoding, recall and use of reward information to guide navigation remains incompletely understood. In this Review, we propose that the brain's classical navigation centres - the hippocampus and the entorhinal cortex - are ideally suited to coordinate this larger network by representing both physical and mental space as a series of states. These states may be linked to reward via neuromodulatory inputs to the hippocampus-entorhinal cortex system. Hippocampal outputs can then broadcast sequences of states to the rest of the brain to store reward associations or to facilitate decision-making, potentially engaging additional value signals downstream. This proposal is supported by recent advances in both experimental and theoretical neuroscience. By discussing the neural systems traditionally tied to navigation and reward at their intersection, we aim to offer an integrated framework for understanding navigation to reward as a fundamental feature of many cognitive processes.
Collapse
|
23
|
Oleksiak CR, Ramanathan KR, Miles OW, Perry SJ, Maren S, Moscarello JM. Ventral hippocampus mediates the context-dependence of two-way signaled avoidance in male rats. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2021; 183:107458. [PMID: 34015439 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2021.107458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2021] [Revised: 04/18/2021] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Considerable work indicates that instrumental responding is context-dependent, but the neural mechanisms underlying this phenomenon are poorly understood. Given the important role for the hippocampal formation in contextual processing, we hypothesized that reversible inactivation of the hippocampus would impair the context-dependence of active avoidance. To test this hypothesis, we used a two-way signaled active avoidance (SAA) task that requires rats to shuttle across a divided chamber during a tone CS in order to avoid a footshock US. After training, avoidance responding was assessed in an extinction test in both the training context and a novel context in a counterbalanced order. Rats performed significantly more avoidance responses in the training context than in the novel context, demonstrating the context-dependence of shuttle avoidance behavior. To examine the role of the hippocampus in the context-dependence of SAA, we reversibly inactivated either the dorsal (DH) or ventral hippocampus (VH) prior to testing. Inactivation of the VH eliminated the context-dependence of SAA and elevated avoidance responding in the novel context to levels similar to that expressed in the training context. In contrast, DH inactivation had no effect on avoidance in either context, and neither manipulation affected freezing behavior. Therefore, the integrity of the VH, but not DH, is required for the expression of the context-dependence of avoidance behavior.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cecily R Oleksiak
- Texas A&M University Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-4235, United States; Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-4235, United States
| | - Karthik R Ramanathan
- Texas A&M University Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-4235, United States; Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-4235, United States
| | - Olivia W Miles
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-4235, United States
| | - Sarah J Perry
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-4235, United States
| | - Stephen Maren
- Texas A&M University Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-4235, United States; Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-4235, United States.
| | - Justin M Moscarello
- Texas A&M University Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-4235, United States; Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-4235, United States.
| |
Collapse
|