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Catale C, Lo Iacono L, Martini A, Heil C, Guatteo E, Mercuri NB, Viscomi MT, Palacios D, Carola V. Early Life Social Stress Causes Sex- and Region-Dependent Dopaminergic Changes that Are Prevented by Minocycline. Mol Neurobiol 2022; 59:3913-3932. [PMID: 35435618 PMCID: PMC9148283 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-022-02830-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 04/02/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Early life stress (ELS) is known to modify trajectories of brain dopaminergic development, but the mechanisms underlying have not been determined. ELS perturbs immune system and microglia reactivity, and inflammation and microglia influence dopaminergic transmission and development. Whether microglia mediate the effects of ELS on dopamine (DA) system development is still unknown. We explored the effects of repeated early social stress on development of the dopaminergic system in male and female mice through histological, electrophysiological, and transcriptomic analyses. Furthermore, we tested whether these effects could be mediated by ELS-induced altered microglia/immune activity through a pharmacological approach. We found that social stress in early life altered DA neurons morphology, reduced dopamine transporter (DAT) and tyrosine hydroxylase expression, and lowered DAT-mediated currents in the ventral tegmental area but not substantia nigra of male mice only. Notably, stress-induced DA alterations were prevented by minocycline, an inhibitor of microglia activation. Transcriptome analysis in the developing male ventral tegmental area revealed that ELS caused downregulation of dopaminergic transmission and alteration in hormonal and peptide signaling pathways. Results from this study offer new insight into the mechanisms of stress response and altered brain dopaminergic maturation after ELS, providing evidence of neuroimmune interaction, sex differences, and regional specificity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clarissa Catale
- Division of Experimental Neuroscience, Neurobiology of Behavior Laboratory, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Luisa Lo Iacono
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies, Sapienza University of Rome, Via degli Apuli 1, Rome, Italy
| | - Alessandro Martini
- Division of Experimental Neuroscience, Experimental Neurology Laboratory, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Constantin Heil
- Division of Experimental Neuroscience, Epigenetics and Signal Transduction Laboratory, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Ezia Guatteo
- Division of Experimental Neuroscience, Experimental Neurology Laboratory, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
- Department of Motor Science and Wellness, University of Naples Parthenope, Naples, Italy
| | - Nicola Biagio Mercuri
- Division of Experimental Neuroscience, Experimental Neurology Laboratory, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
- Department of Systems Medicine, Università Degli Studi Di Roma Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Teresa Viscomi
- Department of Life Science and Public Health, Section of Histology and Embryology, Università Cattolica Del S. Cuore, Rome, Italy
- IRCCS Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli, Rome, Italy
| | - Daniela Palacios
- Division of Experimental Neuroscience, Epigenetics and Signal Transduction Laboratory, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
- IRCCS Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli, Rome, Italy
- Department of Life Science and Public Health, Section of Biology, Università Cattolica Del S. Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Valeria Carola
- Division of Experimental Neuroscience, Neurobiology of Behavior Laboratory, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy.
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies, Sapienza University of Rome, Via degli Apuli 1, Rome, Italy.
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