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Gorman-Sandler E, Wood G, Cloude N, Frambes N, Brennen H, Robertson B, Hollis F. Mitochondrial might: powering the peripartum for risk and resilience. Front Behav Neurosci 2023; 17:1286811. [PMID: 38187925 PMCID: PMC10767224 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1286811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024] Open
Abstract
The peripartum period, characterized by dynamic hormonal shifts and physiological adaptations, has been recognized as a potentially vulnerable period for the development of mood disorders such as postpartum depression (PPD). Stress is a well-established risk factor for developing PPD and is known to modulate mitochondrial function. While primarily known for their role in energy production, mitochondria also influence processes such as stress regulation, steroid hormone synthesis, glucocorticoid response, GABA metabolism, and immune modulation - all of which are crucial for healthy pregnancy and relevant to PPD pathology. While mitochondrial function has been implicated in other psychiatric illnesses, its role in peripartum stress and mental health remains largely unexplored, especially in relation to the brain. In this review, we first provide an overview of mitochondrial involvement in processes implicated in peripartum mood disorders, underscoring their potential role in mediating pathology. We then discuss clinical and preclinical studies of mitochondria in the context of peripartum stress and mental health, emphasizing the need for better understanding of this relationship. Finally, we propose mitochondria as biological mediators of resilience to peripartum mood disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin Gorman-Sandler
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, United States
- Columbia VA Healthcare System, Columbia, SC, United States
| | - Gabrielle Wood
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, United States
| | - Nazharee Cloude
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, United States
| | - Noelle Frambes
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, United States
| | - Hannah Brennen
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, United States
| | - Breanna Robertson
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, United States
| | - Fiona Hollis
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, United States
- Columbia VA Healthcare System, Columbia, SC, United States
- USC Institute for Cardiovascular Disease Research, Columbia, SC, United States
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2
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Urocortin-3 neurons in the perifornical area are critical mediators of chronic stress on female infant-directed behavior. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:483-496. [PMID: 36476733 PMCID: PMC9847478 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01902-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Revised: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Infant avoidance and aggression are promoted by activation of the Urocortin-3 expressing neurons of the perifornical area of hypothalamus (PeFAUcn3) in male and female mice. PeFAUcn3 neurons have been implicated in stress, and stress is known to reduce maternal behavior. We asked how chronic restraint stress (CRS) affects infant-directed behavior in virgin and lactating females and what role PeFAUcn3 neurons play in this process. Here we show that infant-directed behavior increases activity in the PeFAUcn3 neurons in virgin and lactating females. Chemogenetic inhibition of PeFAUcn3 neurons facilitates pup retrieval in virgin females. CRS reduces pup retrieval in virgin females and increases activity of PeFAUcn3 neurons, while CRS does not affect maternal behavior in lactating females. Inhibition of PeFAUcn3 neurons blocks stress-induced deficits in pup-directed behavior in virgin females. Together, these data illustrate the critical role for PeFAUcn3 neuronal activity in mediating the impact of chronic stress on female infant-directed behavior.
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Winters C, Gorssen W, Ossorio-Salazar VA, Nilsson S, Golden S, D'Hooge R. Automated procedure to assess pup retrieval in laboratory mice. Sci Rep 2022; 12:1663. [PMID: 35102217 PMCID: PMC8803842 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-05641-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
All mammalian mothers form some sort of caring bond with their infants that is crucial to the development of their offspring. The Pup Retrieval Test (PRT) is the leading procedure to assess pup-directed maternal care in laboratory rodents, used in a wide range of basic and preclinical research applications. Most PRT protocols require manual scoring, which is prone to bias and spatial and temporal inaccuracies. This study proposes a novel procedure using machine learning algorithms to enable reliable assessment of PRT performance. Automated tracking of a dam and one pup was established in DeepLabCut and was combined with automated behavioral classification of "maternal approach", "carrying" and "digging" in Simple Behavioral Analysis (SimBA). Our automated procedure estimated retrieval success with an accuracy of 86.7%, whereas accuracies of "approach", "carry" and "digging" were estimated at respectively 99.3%, 98.6% and 85.0%. We provide an open-source, step-by-step protocol for automated PRT assessment, which aims to increase reproducibility and reliability, and can be easily shared and distributed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmen Winters
- Laboratory of Biological Psychology, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Leuven, Belgium.
- Leuven Experimental Attachment Research Lab, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Wim Gorssen
- Department of Biosystems, Center for Animal Breeding and Genetics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Simon Nilsson
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Sam Golden
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Rudi D'Hooge
- Laboratory of Biological Psychology, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Leuven, Belgium.
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Josefson CC, Skibiel AL. Changes in maternal fecal corticosterone metabolites across lactation and in response to chronic stress. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2021; 314:113916. [PMID: 34555412 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2021.113916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2021] [Revised: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 09/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Maternal exposure to stressors during lactation has previously been demonstrated to impact various aspects of milk synthesis and to have long-term physiological effects on offspring. Much of the current literature investigating the effects of stress during lactation has used acute stressors, and the studies investigating the effects of chronic stressors largely focus on neurological changes. Further, temporal variation in glucocorticoids across lactation in response to stressors has rarely been assessed. The present work uses a novel male intruder paradigm to model the effects of chronic stress on maternal fecal corticosterone metabolites (FCMs) in Sprague-Dawley rats across lactation. FCM levels were elevated in chronically-stressed mothers relative to the control group. Further, FCMs in the stress group were time-dependent either due to repeated exposure to the stressor or lactation stage. Together, this work demonstrates the efficacy of this established paradigm in increasing circulating glucocorticoids in lactating rats. These results highlight the need for repeated temporal sampling, as glucocorticoid levels in response to a chronic stressor may change across lactation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chloe C Josefson
- Department of Animal, Veterinary and Food Sciences, University of Idaho, 875 Perimeter Dr., MS 2330, Moscow, ID 83844-2330, USA.
| | - Amy L Skibiel
- Department of Animal, Veterinary and Food Sciences, University of Idaho, 875 Perimeter Dr., MS 2330, Moscow, ID 83844-2330, USA.
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Alyamani R, Nephew B, Murgatroyd C. Intergenerational changes in hippocampal transcription in an animal model of maternal depression. Eur J Neurosci 2021; 55:2242-2252. [PMID: 33687770 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2020] [Revised: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Chronic stress during early life, such as exposure to social conflict or deficits in parental care, can have persistent adverse behavioural effects. Offspring in a rodent model of maternal depression and early life stress have increased susceptibility to maternal depression themselves, suggesting a pathway by which maternal stress could be intergenerationally inherited. The overall aim of this study was to explore the genetic regulatory pathways underlying how maternal social stress and reduced care mediates stress-related behavioural changes in offspring across generations. This study investigated a social stress-based rat model of postpartum depression and the intergenerational inheritance of depressed maternal care where F0 (dams exposed to male intruder stress during lactation) and F1 offspring are directly exposed to social stress. RNASeq was used to investigate genome-wide transcriptome changes in the hippocampus of F1 and F2 generations. Transcriptome analyses revealed differential expression of 69 genes in the F1 generation and 14 in the F2 between controls versus social stress differences. Many of these genes were receptors and calcium-binding proteins in the F1 and involved in cellular oxidant detoxification in F2. The present data identify and characterize changes in the neural expression of key genes involved in the regulation of depression maintained between the generations, suggesting a potential neural pathway for the intergenerational transmission of depressed maternal care and maternal anxiety in the CSS model. Further work is needed to understand to what extent these results are due to molecular germline inheritance and/or the social propagation of deficits in maternal care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reema Alyamani
- Department of Life Sciences, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK
| | - Ben Nephew
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Chris Murgatroyd
- Department of Life Sciences, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK
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Strohmaier S, Devore EE, Huang T, Vetter C, Eliassen AH, Rosner B, Okereke OI, Austin SB, Schernhammer ES. Maternal rotating night shift work before pregnancy and offspring stress markers. Physiol Behav 2019; 207:185-193. [PMID: 31078673 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2019.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2019] [Revised: 04/18/2019] [Accepted: 05/08/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent studies suggest an intergenerational influence of stress such that maternal exposure even before pregnancy could impact offspring health outcomes later in life. In humans, investigations on the impact of maternal stressors on offspring health outcomes, including stress-sensitive biomarkers, have largely been limited to extreme stressors. Prior studies have not addressed more moderate maternal stressors, such as rotating night shift work, on offspring stress markers in young adulthood. METHODS We investigated the association between maternal rotating night shift work before conception and offspring salivary cortisol and alpha amylase (sAA) patterns in young adulthood among mothers enrolled in the Nurses' Health Study II (NHSII) and their offspring participating in the Growing Up Today Study 2 (GUTS2). Our sample included over 300 mother-child pairs where, between 2011 and 2014, the children provided 5 saliva samples over the course of one day. We used piecewise linear mixed models to compare awakening responses, overall slopes as well as several other diurnal patterns of cortisol and sAA between offspring born to shift working versus non-shift working mothers. RESULTS Offspring born to shift working mothers had a flattened late decline in cortisol (percent differences in slope (%D): 2.1%; 95%CI: 0.3, 3.8) and their sAA awakening response was steeper (%D -37.4%; 95%CI: -59.0, -4.4), whereas sAA increase before bedtime appeared less pronounced (%D -35.9%; 95%CI: -55.3, -8.3), compared to offspring born to mothers without shift work. For cortisol, we observed a significant difference in the Area Under the Curve (AUC) (%D 1.5%; 95%CI: 0.3, 2.7) with higher AUC for offspring of mothers who worked rotating night shifts. In offspring-sex-stratified analyses we found differences primarily among males. CONCLUSION Our results provide some - albeit modest - evidence that maternal rotating night shift work-a moderate stressor-influences offspring stress markers. Future studies with larger samples sizes, more detailed exposure assessment (particularly during maternal pregnancy), and multiple offspring biomarker assessments at different developmental stages are needed to further investigate these associations.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Strohmaier
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America; Department of Epidemiology, Center for Public Health, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - E E Devore
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - T Huang
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - C Vetter
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America; Department of Integrative Physiology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States of America
| | - A H Eliassen
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America; Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - B Rosner
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America; Departments of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - O I Okereke
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America; Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States of America; Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - S B Austin
- Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, United States of America; Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - E S Schernhammer
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America; Department of Epidemiology, Center for Public Health, Medical University of Vienna, Austria; Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States of America.
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Krishnan K, Rahman S, Hasbum A, Morales D, Thompson LM, Crews D, Gore AC. Maternal care modulates transgenerational effects of endocrine-disrupting chemicals on offspring pup vocalizations and adult behaviors. Horm Behav 2019; 107:96-109. [PMID: 30576639 PMCID: PMC6366859 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2018.12.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2018] [Revised: 12/17/2018] [Accepted: 12/17/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) can act upon a developing organism to change its endocrine health and behavior in adulthood. Beyond actions on the exposed individuals, transgenerational effects of several EDCs have been reported. This study assessed the combinatorial impact of EDC-altered maternal care and transgenerational inheritance on F3 male and female offspring. Pregnant rats were exposed to EDCs with different modes of action: the weakly estrogenic polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) mixture Aroclor 1221, the anti-androgenic fungicide vinclozolin (VIN), or the vehicle (6% dimethylsulfoxide in sesame oil; VEH) during embryonic development. The F1 male and female offspring were bred through the paternal- or maternal-lineage with untreated partners to generate F2 offspring. This process was repeated through both maternal and paternal lineages to create the F3 generation. Maternal care of F2 dams towards their F3 offspring was altered in a lineage-dependent manner, particularly in PCB paternal-lineage animals. When F3 pups were recorded for ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) following separation from the mother, the rate of neonatal USVs in F3 offspring were decreased in PCB paternal-lineage pups. In adulthood, anxiety-like behaviors of the F3 rats were tested, with only small effects of EDCs detected. These interactions of maternal behaviors and EDC effects across generations, especially via the paternal lineage, has implications for health and environmental responses in wildlife and humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krittika Krishnan
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Shafaqat Rahman
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Asbiel Hasbum
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Daniel Morales
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Lindsay M Thompson
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - David Crews
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Department of Integrative Biology, College of Natural Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Andrea C Gore
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
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Payne JL, Maguire J. Pathophysiological mechanisms implicated in postpartum depression. Front Neuroendocrinol 2019; 52:165-180. [PMID: 30552910 PMCID: PMC6370514 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2018.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 162] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2018] [Revised: 11/13/2018] [Accepted: 12/11/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
This review aims to summarize the diverse proposed pathophysiological mechanisms contributing to postpartum depression, highlighting both clinical and basic science research findings. The risk factors for developing postpartum depression are discussed, which may provide insight into potential neurobiological underpinnings. The evidence supporting a role for neuroendocrine changes, neuroinflammation, neurotransmitter alterations, circuit dysfunction, and the involvement of genetics and epigenetics in the pathophysiology of postpartum depression are discussed. This review integrates clinical and preclinical findings and highlights the diversity in the patient population, in which numerous pathophysiological changes may contribute to this disorder. Finally, we attempt to integrate these findings to understand how diverse neurobiological changes may contribute to a common pathological phenotype. This review is meant to serve as a comprehensive resource reviewing the proposed pathophysiological mechanisms underlying postpartum depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer L Payne
- Department of Psychiatry, Women's Mood Disorders Center, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Jamie Maguire
- Department of Neuroscience, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02111, USA.
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Melón LC, Hooper A, Yang X, Moss SJ, Maguire J. Inability to suppress the stress-induced activation of the HPA axis during the peripartum period engenders deficits in postpartum behaviors in mice. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2018; 90:182-193. [PMID: 29274662 PMCID: PMC6613202 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2017.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2017] [Revised: 11/08/2017] [Accepted: 12/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The stress-induced activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is normally suppressed during pregnancy. Dysregulation of the HPA axis has been proposed to play a role in postpartum depression. However, direct investigation into the relationship between the HPA axis and postpartum depression has been hindered by the lack of useful animal models. Building on our discovery of a role for the K+/Cl-co-transporter, KCC2, in the GABAergic regulation of CRH neurons in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN), critical for mounting the body's physiological response to stress, we assessed the role of KCC2 in the regulation of the HPA axis during pregnancy and the postpartum period. Here we demonstrate that the normal suppression of the stress-induced activation of the HPA axis during the peripartum period involves maintenance of KCC2 in the PVN. Mice lacking KCC2 specifically in corticosterone-releasing hormone (CRH) neurons, which govern the activity of the HPA axis (KCC2/Crh mice), exhibit dysregulation of the HPA axis and abnormal postpartum behaviors. Loss of KCC2 specifically in CRH neurons in the PVN is sufficient to reproduce the depression-like phenotype and deficits in maternal behaviors during the postpartum period. Similarly, chemogenetic activation of CRH neurons in the PVN is sufficient to induce abnormal postpartum behaviors and chemogenetic silencing of CRH neurons in the PVN can ameliorate abnormal postpartum behaviors observed in KCC2/Crh mice. This study demonstrates that dysregulation of the HPA axis is sufficient to induce abnormal postpartum behaviors and deficits in maternal behaviors in mice, providing empirical support for a role of HPA axis dysfunction in the pathophysiology of postpartum depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laverne Camille Melón
- Tufts University School of Medicine, Department of Neuroscience, Boston, MA 02111, United States
| | - Andrew Hooper
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University, Boston, MA, 02111, United States
| | - Xuzhong Yang
- Master's Program in Pharmacology & Drug Development, Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University, Boston, MA, 02111, United States
| | - Stephen J Moss
- Tufts University School of Medicine, Department of Neuroscience, Boston, MA 02111, United States
| | - Jamie Maguire
- Tufts University School of Medicine, Department of Neuroscience, Boston, MA 02111, United States.
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Nephew BC, Febo M, Huang W, Colon-Perez LM, Payne L, Poirier GL, Greene O, King JA. Early life social stress and resting state functional connectivity in postpartum rat anterior cingulate circuits. J Affect Disord 2018; 229:213-223. [PMID: 29324369 PMCID: PMC5807174 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2017.12.089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2017] [Revised: 11/22/2017] [Accepted: 12/31/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Continued development and refinement of resting state functional connectivity (RSFC) fMRI techniques in both animal and clinical studies has enhanced our comprehension of the adverse effects of stress on psychiatric health. The objective of the current study was to assess both maternal behavior and resting state functional connectivity (RSFC) changes in these animals when they were dams caring for their own young. It was hypothesized that ECSS exposed dams would express depressed maternal care and exhibit similar (same networks), yet different specific changes in RSFC (different individual nuclei) than reported when they were adult females. METHODS We have developed an ethologically relevant transgenerational model of the role of chronic social stress (CSS) in the etiology of postpartum depression and anxiety. Initial fMRI investigation of the CSS model indicates that early life exposure to CSS (ECSS) induces long term changes in functional connectivity in adult nulliparous female F1 offspring. RESULTS ECSS in F1 dams resulted in depressed maternal care specifically during early lactation, consistent with previous CSS studies, and induced changes in functional connectivity in regions associated with sensory processing, maternal and emotional responsiveness, memory, and the reward pathway, with robust changes in anterior cingulate circuits. LIMITATIONS The sample sizes for the fMRI groups were low, limiting statistical power. CONCLUSION This behavioral and functional neuroanatomical foundation can now be used to enhance our understanding of the neural etiology of early life stress associated disorders and test preventative measures and treatments for stress related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin C Nephew
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, 200 Westborough Road, North Grafton, MA 01536, USA.
| | - Marcelo Febo
- Department of Psychiatry, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Wei Huang
- Center for Comparative NeuroImaging, Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01655, USA
| | - Luis M Colon-Perez
- Department of Psychiatry, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Laurellee Payne
- Center for Comparative NeuroImaging, Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01655, USA
| | - Guillaume L Poirier
- Center for Comparative NeuroImaging, Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01655, USA
| | - Owen Greene
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, 200 Westborough Road, North Grafton, MA 01536, USA
| | - Jean A King
- Center for Comparative NeuroImaging, Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01655, USA
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11
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Nephew B, Carini L, Sallah S, Cotino C, Alyamani R, Pittet F, Bradburn S, Murgatroyd C. Intergenerational accumulation of impairments in maternal behavior following postnatal social stress. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2017; 82:98-106. [PMID: 28528143 PMCID: PMC6390956 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2017.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2017] [Revised: 05/10/2017] [Accepted: 05/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Early adversity such as depressed maternal care can have long-term physiological and behavioral effects on offspring and future generations. Exposure to chronic social stress (CSS), an ethologically model of postpartum depression and anxiety, during lactation impairs maternal care and exerts similar effects on the F1 dam offspring of the stressed F0 dams. These changes associate with increased corticosterone and neuroendocrine alterations. CSS F2 offspring further display decreased social behavior as juveniles and adults and decreased basal levels of corticosterone. This current study investigates the intergenerational inheritance of alterations in maternal behavior in F2 CSS dams together with neuroendocrine and immune markers to explore whether aspects of maternal behavior are intergenerationally inherited through immune and neuroendocrine mechanisms. We find that defects in maternal care behavior persist into the F2 generation with F2 dams exhibiting a pervasively depressed maternal care and increased restlessness throughout lactation. This occurs together with reduced basal cortisol (in contrast to an increase in F1 dams), a lack of changes in neuroendocrine gene expression, and reduced serum ICAM-1 (intercellular adhesion molecule-1) levels - a marker for inflammation and blood-brain barrier integrity. The data support the hypothesis that the effects of chronic social stress can accumulate across multiple generations to depress maternal care, increase restlessness and alter basal functioning of the immune system and hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- B.C. Nephew
- Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, North Grafton, MA, USA
| | - L.M. Carini
- Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, North Grafton, MA, USA
| | - S. Sallah
- Manchester Metropolitan University, School of Healthcare Science, Manchester, UK
| | - C. Cotino
- Manchester Metropolitan University, School of Healthcare Science, Manchester, UK
| | - R.A.S. Alyamani
- Manchester Metropolitan University, School of Healthcare Science, Manchester, UK
| | - F. Pittet
- Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, North Grafton, MA, USA
| | - S. Bradburn
- Manchester Metropolitan University, School of Healthcare Science, Manchester, UK
| | - C. Murgatroyd
- Manchester Metropolitan University, School of Healthcare Science, Manchester, UK,Corresponding author at: School of Healthcare Science, Manchester Metropolitan University, Chester Street, Manchester M1 5GD, UK., (C. Murgatroyd)
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12
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Hicks-Nelson A, Beamer G, Gurel K, Cooper R, Nephew BC. Transgenerational Social Stress Alters Immune-Behavior Associations and the Response to Vaccination. Brain Sci 2017; 7:E89. [PMID: 28753980 PMCID: PMC5532602 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci7070089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2017] [Revised: 06/28/2017] [Accepted: 07/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Similar to the multi-hit theory of schizophrenia, social behavior pathologies are mediated by multiple factors across generations, likely acting additively, synergistically, or antagonistically. Exposure to social adversity, especially during early life, has been proposed to induce depression symptoms through immune mediated mechanisms. Basal immune factors are altered in a variety of neurobehavioral models. In the current study, we assessed two aspects of a transgenerational chronic social stress (CSS) rat model and its effects on the immune system. First, we asked whether exposure of F0 dams and their F1 litters to CSS changes basal levels of IL-6, TNF, IFN-γ, and social behavior in CSS F1 female juvenile rats. Second, we asked whether the F2 generation could generate normal immunological responses following vaccination with Mycobacterium bovis Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG). We report several changes in the associations between social behaviors and cytokines in the F1 juvenile offspring of the CSS model. It is suggested that changes in the immune-behavior relationships in F1 juveniles indicate the early stages of immune mediated disruption of social behavior that becomes more apparent in F1 dams and the F2 generation. We also report preliminary evidence of elevated IL-6 and impaired interferon-gamma responses in BCG-vaccinated F2 females. In conclusion, transgenerational social stress alters both immune-behavior associations and responses to vaccination. It is hypothesized that the effects of social stress may accumulate over generations through changes in the immune system, establishing the immune system as an effective preventative or treatment target for social behavior pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandria Hicks-Nelson
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, North Grafton, MA 01536, USA.
| | - Gillian Beamer
- Department of Infectious Disease and Global Health, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, North Grafton, MA 01536, USA.
| | - Kursat Gurel
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, North Grafton, MA 01536, USA.
| | - Rachel Cooper
- Department of Infectious Disease and Global Health, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, North Grafton, MA 01536, USA.
| | - Benjamin C Nephew
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, North Grafton, MA 01536, USA.
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Pittet F, Babb JA, Carini L, Nephew BC. Chronic social instability in adult female rats alters social behavior, maternal aggression and offspring development. Dev Psychobiol 2017; 59:291-302. [PMID: 28138966 DOI: 10.1002/dev.21491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2015] [Accepted: 11/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
We investigated the consequences of chronic social instability (CSI) during adulthood on social and maternal behavior in females and social behavior of their offspring in a rat model. CSI consisted of changing the social partners of adult females every 2-3 days for 28 days, 2 weeks prior to mating. Females exposed to CSI behaved less aggressively and more pro-socially towards unfamiliar female intruders. Maternal care was not affected by CSI in a standard testing environment, but maternal behavior of CSI females was less disrupted by a male intruder. CSI females were quicker to attack prey and did not differ from control females in their saccharin consumption indicating, respectively, no stress-induced sensory-motor or reward system impairments. Offspring of CSI females exhibited slower growth and expressed more anxiety in social encounters. This study demonstrates continued adult vulnerability to social challenges with an impact specific to social situations for mothers and offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florent Pittet
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University: Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, North Grafton, Massachusetts
| | - Jessica A Babb
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University: Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, North Grafton, Massachusetts.,Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Pain Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Lindsay Carini
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University: Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, North Grafton, Massachusetts
| | - Benjamin C Nephew
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University: Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, North Grafton, Massachusetts
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14
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Murgatroyd CA, Hicks-Nelson A, Fink A, Beamer G, Gurel K, Elnady F, Pittet F, Nephew BC. Effects of Chronic Social Stress and Maternal Intranasal Oxytocin and Vasopressin on Offspring Interferon-γ and Behavior. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2016; 7:155. [PMID: 28018290 PMCID: PMC5155012 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2016.00155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2016] [Accepted: 11/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent studies support the hypothesis that the adverse effects of early-life adversity and transgenerational stress on neural plasticity and behavior are mediated by inflammation. The objective of the present study was to investigate the immune and behavioral programing effects of intranasal (IN) vasopressin (AVP) and oxytocin (OXT) treatment of chronic social stress (CSS)-exposed F1 dams on F2 juvenile female offspring. It was hypothesized that maternal AVP and OXT treatment would have preventative effects on social stress-induced deficits in offspring anxiety and social behavior and that these effects would be associated with changes in interferon-γ (IFNγ). Control and CSS-exposed F1 dams were administered IN saline, AVP, or OXT during lactation and the F2 juvenile female offspring were assessed for basal plasma IFNγ and perseverative, anxiety, and social behavior. CSS F2 female juvenile offspring had elevated IFNγ levels and exhibited increased repetitive/perseverative and anxiety behaviors and deficits in social behavior. These effects were modulated by AVP and OXT in a context- and behavior-dependent manner, with OXT exhibiting preventative effects on repetitive and anxiety behaviors and AVP possessing preventative effects on social behavior deficits and anxiety. Basal IFNγ levels were elevated in the F2 offspring of OXT-treated F1 dams, but IFNγ was not correlated with the behavioral effects. These results support the hypothesis that maternal AVP and OXT treatment have context- and behavior-specific effects on peripheral IFNγ levels and perseverative, anxiety, and social behaviors in the female offspring of early-life social stress-exposed dams. Both maternal AVP and OXT are effective at preventing social stress-induced increases in self-directed measures of anxiety, and AVP is particularly effective at preventing impairments in overall social contact. OXT is specifically effective at preventing repetitive/perseverative behaviors, yet is ineffective at preventing deficits in overall social behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alexandria Hicks-Nelson
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, North Grafton, MA, USA
| | | | - Gillian Beamer
- Department of Infectious Disease and Global Health, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, North Grafton, MA, USA
| | - Kursat Gurel
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, North Grafton, MA, USA
| | - Fawzy Elnady
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Florent Pittet
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, North Grafton, MA, USA
| | - Benjamin C. Nephew
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, North Grafton, MA, USA
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15
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Nephew BC, Huang W, Poirier GL, Payne L, King JA. Altered neural connectivity in adult female rats exposed to early life social stress. Behav Brain Res 2016; 316:225-233. [PMID: 27594665 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2016.08.051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2016] [Revised: 08/24/2016] [Accepted: 08/25/2016] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
The use of a variety of neuroanatomical techniques has led to a greater understanding of the adverse effects of stress on psychiatric health. One recent advance that has been particularly valuable is the development of resting state functional connectivity (RSFC) in clinical studies. The current study investigates changes in RSFC in F1 adult female rats exposed to the early life chronic social stress (ECSS) of the daily introduction of a novel male intruder to the cage of their F0 mothers while the F1 pups are in the cage. This ECSS for the F1 animals consists of depressed maternal care from their F0 mothers and exposure to conflict between their F0 mothers and intruder males. Analyses of the functional connectivity data in ECSS exposed adult females versus control females reveal broad changes in the limbic and reward systems, the salience and introspective socioaffective networks, and several additional stress and social behavior associated nuclei. Substantial changes in connectivity were found in the prefrontal cortex, nucleus accumbens, hippocampus, and somatosensory cortex. The current rodent RSFC data support the hypothesis that the exposure to early life social stress has long term effects on neural connectivity in numerous social behavior, stress, and depression relevant brain nuclei. Future conscious rodent RSFC studies can build on the wealth of data generated from previous neuroanatomical studies of early life stress and enhance translational connectivity between animal and human fMRI studies in the development of novel preventative measures and treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin C Nephew
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Peabody Pavilion, North Grafton, MA, 01536, United States.
| | - Wei Huang
- Center for Comparative NeuroImaging, Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 Lake Avenue North, Worcester, MA, 01655, United States
| | - Guillaume L Poirier
- Center for Comparative NeuroImaging, Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 Lake Avenue North, Worcester, MA, 01655, United States
| | - Laurellee Payne
- Center for Comparative NeuroImaging, Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 Lake Avenue North, Worcester, MA, 01655, United States
| | - Jean A King
- Center for Comparative NeuroImaging, Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 Lake Avenue North, Worcester, MA, 01655, United States
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16
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Social stress during lactation, depressed maternal care, and neuropeptidergic gene expression. Behav Pharmacol 2016; 26:642-53. [PMID: 26061353 DOI: 10.1097/fbp.0000000000000147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Depression and anxiety can be severely detrimental to the health of both the affected woman and her offspring. In a rodent model of postpartum depression and anxiety, chronic social stress exposure during lactation induces deficits in maternal care and increases anxiety. Here, we extend previous findings by expanding the behavioral analyses, assessing lactation, and examining several neural systems within amygdalar and hypothalamic regions involved in the control of the stress response and expression of maternal care that may be mediating the behavioral changes in stressed dams. Compared with control dams, those exposed to chronic social stress beginning on day 2 of lactation show impaired maternal care and lactation and increased maternal anxiety on day 9 of lactation. Saccharin-based anhedonia and maternal aggression were increased and lactation was also impaired on day 16 of lactation. These behavioral changes were correlated with a decrease in oxytocin mRNA expression in the medial amygdala, and increases in the expressions of corticotrophin-releasing hormone mRNA in the central nucleus of the amygdala, glucocorticoid receptor mRNA in the paraventricular nucleus, and orexin 2 receptor mRNA in the supraoptic nucleus of stressed compared with control dams. The increase in glucocorticoid receptor mRNA in the paraventricular nucleus was negatively correlated with methylation of a CpG site in the promoter region. In conclusion, the data support the hypothesis that social stress during lactation can have profound effects on maternal care, lactation, and anxiety, and that these behavioral effects are mediated by central changes in stress and maternally relevant neuropeptide systems.
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17
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Murgatroyd CA, Babb JA, Bradburn S, Carini LM, Beamer GL, Nephew BC. Transgenerational Social Stress, Immune Factors, Hormones, and Social Behavior. Front Ecol Evol 2016; 3:149. [PMID: 34055816 PMCID: PMC8162697 DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2015.00149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
A social signal transduction theory of depression has been proposed that states that exposure to social adversity alters the immune response and these changes mediate symptoms of depression such as anhedonia and impairments in social behavior The exposure of maternal rats to the chronic social stress (CSS) of a male intruder depresses maternal care and impairs social behavior in the F1 and F2 offspring of these dams. The objective of the present study was to characterize basal peripheral levels of several immune factors and related hormone levels in the adult F2 offspring of CSS exposed dams and assess whether changes in these factors are associated with previously reported deficits in allogrooming behavior. CSS decreased acid glycoprotein (α1AGP) and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) in F2 females, and increased granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) in F2 males. There were also sex dependent changes in IL-18, tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases 1 (TIMP-1), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Progesterone was decreased and alpha melanocyte stimulating hormone (α-MSH) was increased in F2 males, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) was decreased in F2 females. Changes in α1AGP, GM-CSF, progesterone, and α-MSH were correlated with decreased allogrooming in the F2 offspring of stressed dams. These results support the hypothesis that transgenerational social stress affects both the immune system and social behavior, and also support previous studies on the adverse effects of early life stress on immune functioning and stress associated immunological disorders, including the increasing prevalence of asthma. The immune system may represent an important transgenerational etiological factor in disorders which involve social and/or early life stress associated changes in social behavior, such as depression, anxiety, and autism, as well as comorbid immune disorders. Future studies involving immune and/or endocrine assessments and manipulations will address specific questions of function and causation, and may identify novel preventative measures and treatments for the growing number of immune mediated disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jessica A. Babb
- Department of Anesthesia, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Steven Bradburn
- Centre for Healthcare Science Research, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK
| | - Lindsay M. Carini
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, North Grafton, MA, USA
| | - Gillian L. Beamer
- Department of Infectious Disease and Global Health, Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, North Grafton, MA, USA
| | - Benjamin C. Nephew
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, North Grafton, MA, USA
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18
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Nephew BC, Murgatroyd C, Pittet F, Febo M. Brain Reward Pathway Dysfunction in Maternal Depression and Addiction: A Present and Future Transgenerational Risk. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015; 1:105-116. [PMID: 27617302 PMCID: PMC5013732 DOI: 10.17756/jrds.2015-017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Two research areas that could benefit from a greater focus on the role of the reward pathway are maternal depression and maternal addiction. Both depression and addiction in mothers are mediated by deficiencies in the reward pathway and represent substantial risks to the health of offspring and future generations. This targeted review discusses maternal reward deficits in depressed and addicted mothers, neural, genetic, and epigenetic mechanisms, and the transgenerational transmission of these deficits from mother to offspring. Postpartum depression and drug use disorders may entail alterations in the reward pathway, particularly in striatal and prefrontal areas, which may affect maternal attachment to offspring and heighten the risk of transgenerational effects on the oxytocin and dopamine systems. Alterations may involve neural circuitry changes, genetic factors that impact monoaminergic neurotransmission, as well as growth factors such as BDNF and stress-associated signaling in the brain. Improved maternal reward-based preventative measures and treatments may be specifically effective for mothers and their offspring suffering from depression and/or addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin C Nephew
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Neuroscience and Reproductive Biology, Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, North Grafton, MA, USA
| | | | - Florent Pittet
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Neuroscience and Reproductive Biology, Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, North Grafton, MA, USA
| | - Marcelo Febo
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL, USA
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19
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Murgatroyd CA, Peña CJ, Podda G, Nestler EJ, Nephew BC. Early life social stress induced changes in depression and anxiety associated neural pathways which are correlated with impaired maternal care. Neuropeptides 2015; 52:103-11. [PMID: 26049556 PMCID: PMC4537387 DOI: 10.1016/j.npep.2015.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2014] [Revised: 05/06/2015] [Accepted: 05/18/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Exposures to various types of early life stress can be robust predictors of the development of psychiatric disorders, including depression and anxiety. The objective of the current study was to investigate the roles of the translationally relevant targets of central vasopressin, oxytocin, ghrelin, orexin, glucocorticoid, and the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) pathway in an early chronic social stress (ECSS) based rodent model of postpartum depression and anxiety. The present study reports novel changes in gene expression and extracellular signal related kinase (ERK) protein levels in the brains of ECSS exposed rat dams that display previously reported depressed maternal care and increased maternal anxiety. Decreases in oxytocin, orexin, and ERK proteins, increases in ghrelin receptor, glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid receptor mRNA levels, and bidirectional changes in vasopressin underscore related work on the adverse long-term effects of early life stress on neural activity and plasticity, maternal behavior, responses to stress, and depression and anxiety-related behavior. The differences in gene and protein expression and robust correlations between expression and maternal care and anxiety support increased focus on these targets in animal and clinical studies of the adverse effects of early life stress, especially those focusing on depression and anxiety in mothers and the transgenerational effects of these disorders on offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher A Murgatroyd
- Manchester Metropolitan University School of Healthcare Science, All Saints Building, Manchester M15 6BH, UK
| | - Catherine J Peña
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1425 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10029, United States
| | - Giovanni Podda
- Manchester Metropolitan University School of Healthcare Science, All Saints Building, Manchester M15 6BH, UK
| | - Eric J Nestler
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1425 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10029, United States
| | - Benjamin C Nephew
- Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, 200 Westboro Road, North Grafton, MA 01536, United States.
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20
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Sachs BD, Rodriguiz RM, Tran HL, Iyer A, Wetsel WC, Caron MG. Serotonin deficiency alters susceptibility to the long-term consequences of adverse early life experience. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2015; 53:69-81. [PMID: 25602134 PMCID: PMC4344834 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2014.12.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2014] [Revised: 11/26/2014] [Accepted: 12/29/2014] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Brain 5-HT deficiency has long been implicated in psychiatric disease, but the effects of 5-HT deficiency on stress susceptibility remain largely unknown. Early life stress (ELS) has been suggested to contribute to adult psychopathology, but efforts to study the long-term consequences of ELS have been limited by a lack of appropriate preclinical models. Here, we evaluated the effects of 5-HT deficiency on several long-term cellular, molecular, and behavioral responses of mice to a new model of ELS that combines early-life maternal separation (MS) of pups and postpartum learned helplessness (LH) training in dams. Our data demonstrate that this paradigm (LH/MS) induces depressive-like behavior and impairs pup retrieval in dams. In addition, we show that brain 5-HT deficiency exacerbates anxiety-like behavior induced by LH/MS and blunts the effects of LH/MS on acoustic startle responses in adult offspring. Although the mechanisms underlying these effects remain unclear, following LH/MS, 5-HT-deficient animals had significantly less mRNA expression of the mineralocorticoid receptor in the amygdala than wild-type animals. In addition, 5-HT-deficient mice exhibited reduced mRNA levels of the 5-HT2a receptor and p11 in the hippocampus regardless of stress. LH/MS decreased the number of doublecortin+ immature neurons in the hippocampus in both wild-type (WT) and 5-HT-deficient animals. Our data emphasize the importance of complex interactions between genetic factors and early life experience in mediating long-term changes in emotional behavior. These findings may have important implications for our understanding of the combinatorial roles of 5-HT deficiency, ELS, and postpartum depression in the development of neuropsychiatric disorders.
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MESH Headings
- Amygdala/metabolism
- Animals
- Animals, Newborn
- Behavior, Animal
- Depression, Postpartum/metabolism
- Depression, Postpartum/psychology
- Disease Models, Animal
- Disease Susceptibility
- Female
- Gene Knock-In Techniques
- Helplessness, Learned
- Hippocampus/metabolism
- Maternal Deprivation
- Mice
- Mutation
- Neurogenesis/genetics
- RNA, Messenger/metabolism
- Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2A/genetics
- Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2A/metabolism
- Receptors, Mineralocorticoid/genetics
- Receptors, Mineralocorticoid/metabolism
- Reflex, Abnormal
- Reflex, Startle
- Serotonin/deficiency
- Stress, Psychological/metabolism
- Stress, Psychological/psychology
- Tryptophan Hydroxylase/genetics
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin D Sachs
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, United States
| | - Ramona M Rodriguiz
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, United States; Mouse Behavioral and Neuroendocrine Analysis Core Facility, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, United States
| | - Ha L Tran
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, United States
| | - Akshita Iyer
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, United States
| | - William C Wetsel
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, United States; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, United States; Mouse Behavioral and Neuroendocrine Analysis Core Facility, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, United States; Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, United States
| | - Marc G Caron
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, United States; Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, United States.
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21
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Babb JA, Deligiannidis KM, Murgatroyd CA, Nephew BC. Peripartum depression and anxiety as an integrative cross domain target for psychiatric preventative measures. Behav Brain Res 2015; 276:32-44. [PMID: 24709228 PMCID: PMC4185260 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2014.03.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2014] [Revised: 03/21/2014] [Accepted: 03/24/2014] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Exposure to high levels of early life stress has been identified as a potent risk factor for neurodevelopmental delays in infants, behavioral problems and autism in children, but also for several psychiatric illnesses in adulthood, such as depression, anxiety, autism, and posttraumatic stress disorder. Despite having robust adverse effects on both mother and infant, the pathophysiology of peripartum depression and anxiety are poorly understood. The objective of this review is to highlight the advantages of using an integrated approach addressing several behavioral domains in both animal and clinical studies of peripartum depression and anxiety. It is postulated that a greater focus on integrated cross domain studies will lead to advances in treatments and preventative measures for several disorders associated with peripartum depression and anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica A Babb
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, North Grafton, MA 01536, USA.
| | - Kristina M Deligiannidis
- Departments of Psychiatry and Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA.
| | | | - Benjamin C Nephew
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, North Grafton, MA 01536, USA.
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22
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Haim A, Sherer M, Leuner B. Gestational stress induces persistent depressive-like behavior and structural modifications within the postpartum nucleus accumbens. Eur J Neurosci 2014; 40:3766-73. [PMID: 25359225 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.12752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2014] [Revised: 09/10/2014] [Accepted: 09/11/2014] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Postpartum depression (PPD) is a common complication following childbirth experienced by one in every five new mothers. Pregnancy stress enhances vulnerability to PPD and has also been shown to increase depressive-like behavior in postpartum rats. Thus, gestational stress may be an important translational risk factor that can be used to investigate the neurobiological mechanisms underlying PPD. Here we examined the effects of gestational stress on depressive-like behavior during the early/mid and late postpartum periods and evaluated whether this was accompanied by altered structural plasticity in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), a brain region that has been linked to PPD. We show that early/mid (postpartum day 8) postpartum female rats exhibited more depressive-like behavior in the forced swim test as compared with late postpartum females (postpartum day 22). However, 2 weeks of restraint stress during pregnancy increased depressive-like behavior regardless of postpartum timepoint. In addition, dendritic length, branching and spine density on medium spiny neurons in the NAc shell were diminished in postpartum rats that experienced gestational stress although stress-induced reductions in spine density were evident only in early/mid postpartum females. In the NAc core, structural plasticity was not affected by gestational stress but late postpartum females exhibited lower spine density and reduced dendritic length. Overall, these data not only demonstrate structural changes in the NAc across the postpartum period, they also show that postpartum depressive-like behavior following exposure to gestational stress is associated with compromised structural plasticity in the NAc and thus may provide insight into the neural changes that could contribute to PPD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Achikam Haim
- Department of Neuroscience, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA
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23
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Babb JA, Carini LM, Spears SL, Nephew BC. Transgenerational effects of social stress on social behavior, corticosterone, oxytocin, and prolactin in rats. Horm Behav 2014; 65:386-93. [PMID: 24657520 PMCID: PMC4076950 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2014.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2013] [Revised: 03/04/2014] [Accepted: 03/12/2014] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Social stressors such as depressed maternal care and family conflict are robust challenges which can have long-term physiological and behavioral effects on offspring and future generations. The current study investigates the transgenerational effects of an ethologically relevant chronic social stress on the behavior and endocrinology of juvenile and adult rats. Exposure to chronic social stress during lactation impairs maternal care in F0 lactating dams and the maternal care of the F1 offspring of those stressed F0 dams. The overall hypothesis was that the male and female F2 offspring of stressed F1 dams would display decreased social behavior as both juveniles and adults and that these behavioral effects would be accompanied by changes in plasma corticosterone, prolactin, and oxytocin. Both the female and male F2 offspring of dams exposed to chronic social stress displayed decreased social behavior as juveniles and adults, and these behavioral effects were accompanied by decreases in basal concentrations of corticosterone in both sexes, as well as elevated juvenile oxytocin and decreased adult prolactin in the female offspring. The data support the conclusion that social stress has transgenerational effects on the social behavior of the female and male offspring which are mediated by changes in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. Social stress models are valuable resources in the study of the transgenerational effects of stress on the behavioral endocrinology of disorders such as depression, anxiety, autism, and other disorders involving disrupted social behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica A Babb
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, North Grafton, MA 01536, USA
| | - Lindsay M Carini
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, North Grafton, MA 01536, USA
| | - Stella L Spears
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, North Grafton, MA 01536, USA
| | - Benjamin C Nephew
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, North Grafton, MA 01536, USA.
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Nephew B, Murgatroyd C. The role of maternal care in shaping CNS function. Neuropeptides 2013; 47:371-8. [PMID: 24210943 PMCID: PMC3874801 DOI: 10.1016/j.npep.2013.10.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2013] [Revised: 10/07/2013] [Accepted: 10/09/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Maternal care involves the consistent and coordinated expression of a variety of behaviours over an extended period of time, and adverse changes in maternal care can have profound impacts on the CNS and behaviour of offspring. This complex behavioural pattern depends on a number of integrated neuroendocrine mechanisms. This review will discuss the use of animal models in the study of the role of maternal care in shaping CNS function, the contributions of corticosteroid releasing hormone, vasopressin, oxytocin, and prolactin in this process, the molecular mechanisms involved, and the translational relevance of this research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Nephew
- Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Biomedical Sciences, 200 Wesboro Rd., Peabody Pavilion, North Grafton, MA 01536, UNITED STATES, 508-641-0865,
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