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Wang T, Ma YN, Zhang CC, Liu X, Sun YX, Wang HL, Wang H, Zhong YH, Su YA, Li JT, Si TM. The Nucleus Accumbens CRH-CRHR1 System Mediates Early-Life Stress-Induced Sleep Disturbance and Dendritic Atrophy in the Adult Mouse. Neurosci Bull 2023; 39:41-56. [PMID: 35750984 PMCID: PMC9849529 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-022-00903-z] [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: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 05/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Adverse experiences in early life have long-lasting negative impacts on behavior and the brain in adulthood, one of which is sleep disturbance. As the corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH)-corticotropin-releasing hormone receptor 1 (CRHR1) system and nucleus accumbens (NAc) play important roles in both stress responses and sleep-wake regulation, in this study we investigated whether the NAc CRH-CRHR1 system mediates early-life stress-induced abnormalities in sleep-wake behavior in adult mice. Using the limited nesting and bedding material paradigm from postnatal days 2 to 9, we found that early-life stress disrupted sleep-wake behaviors during adulthood, including increased wakefulness and decreased non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep time during the dark period and increased rapid eye movement (REM) sleep time during the light period. The stress-induced sleep disturbances were accompanied by dendritic atrophy in the NAc and both were largely reversed by daily systemic administration of the CRHR1 antagonist antalarmin during stress exposure. Importantly, Crh overexpression in the NAc reproduced the effects of early-life stress on sleep-wake behavior and NAc morphology, whereas NAc Crhr1 knockdown reversed these effects (including increased wakefulness and reduced NREM sleep in the dark period and NAc dendritic atrophy). Together, our findings demonstrate the negative influence of early-life stress on sleep architecture and the structural plasticity of the NAc, and highlight the critical role of the NAc CRH-CRHR1 system in modulating these negative outcomes evoked by early-life stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Wang
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Yu-Nu Ma
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Chen-Chen Zhang
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Xiao Liu
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Ya-Xin Sun
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Hong-Li Wang
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Han Wang
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Yu-Heng Zhong
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Yun-Ai Su
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Ji-Tao Li
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, 100191, China.
| | - Tian-Mei Si
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, 100191, China.
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Duque-Quintero M, Hooijmans CR, Hurowitz A, Ahmed A, Barris B, Homberg JR, Hen R, Harris AZ, Balsam P, Atsak P. Enduring effects of early-life adversity on reward processes: A systematic review and meta-analysis of animal studies. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 142:104849. [PMID: 36116576 PMCID: PMC10729999 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Revised: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Two-thirds of individuals experience adversity during childhood such as neglect, abuse or highly-stressful events. Early-life adversity (ELA) increases the life-long risk of developing mood and substance use disorders. Reward-related deficits has emerged as a key endophenotype of such psychiatric disorders. Animal models are invaluable for studying how ELA leads to reward deficits. However, the existing literature is heterogenous with difficult to reconcile findings. To create an overview, we conducted a systematic review containing multiple meta-analyses regarding the effects of ELA on reward processes overall and on specific aspects of reward processing in animal models. A comprehensive search identified 120 studies. Most studies omitted key details resulting in unclear risk of bias. Overall meta-analysis showed that ELA significantly reduced reward behaviors (SMD: -0.42 [-0.60; -0.24]). The magnitude of ELA effects significantly increased with longer exposure. When reward domains were analyzed separately, ELA only significantly dampened reward responsiveness (SMD: -0.525[-0.786; -0.264]) and social reward processing (SMD: -0.374 [-0.663; -0.084]), suggesting that ELA might lead to deficits in specific reward domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Duque-Quintero
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Center, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, 6525 EN Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Carlijn R Hooijmans
- Systematic Review Centre for Laboratory animal Experimentation (SYRCLE), Department for Health Evidence, Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Radboud university medical center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Department of Anesthesiology, Pain and Palliative Medicine, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Alexander Hurowitz
- Integrative Neuroscience, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York 10032, USA
| | - Afsana Ahmed
- Integrative Neuroscience, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York 10032, USA
| | - Ben Barris
- Integrative Neuroscience, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York 10032, USA
| | - Judith R Homberg
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Center, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, 6525 EN Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Rene Hen
- Integrative Neuroscience, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York 10032, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Alexander Z Harris
- Integrative Neuroscience, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York 10032, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Peter Balsam
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Piray Atsak
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Center, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, 6525 EN Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Integrative Neuroscience, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York 10032, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA.
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Cohen MF, Dunlop AL, Johnson DA, Dunn Amore A, Corwin EJ, Brennan PA. Intergenerational Effects of Discrimination on Black American Children's Sleep Health. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19074021. [PMID: 35409703 PMCID: PMC8997890 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19074021] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Revised: 03/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/26/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Greater exposure to racial/ethnic discrimination among pregnant Black American women is associated with elevated prenatal depressive symptomatology, poorer prenatal sleep quality, and poorer child health outcomes. Given the transdiagnostic importance of early childhood sleep health, we examined associations between pregnant women's lifetime exposure to racial/ethnic discrimination and their two-year-old children's sleep health. We also examined women's gendered racial stress as a predictor variable. In exploratory analyses, we examined prenatal sleep quality and prenatal depressive symptoms as potential mediators of the prior associations. We utilized data from a sample of Black American women and children (n = 205). Women self-reported their lifetime experiences of discrimination during early pregnancy, their sleep quality and depressive symptoms during mid-pregnancy, and their children's sleep health at age two. Hierarchical linear multiple regression models were fit to examine direct associations between women's experiences of discrimination and children's sleep health. We tested our mediation hypotheses using a parallel mediator model. Higher levels of gendered racial stress, but not racial/ethnic discrimination, were directly associated with poorer sleep health in children. Higher levels of racial/ethnic discrimination were indirectly associated with poorer sleep health in children, via women's prenatal depressive symptomatology, but not prenatal sleep quality. Clinical efforts to mitigate the effects of discrimination on Black American women may benefit women's prenatal mental health and their children's sleep health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madeleine F. Cohen
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA;
- Correspondence:
| | - Anne L. Dunlop
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA;
| | - Dayna A. Johnson
- Department of Epidemiology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA;
| | - Alexis Dunn Amore
- Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA;
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Lefter R, Cojocariu RO, Ciobica A, Balmus IM, Mavroudis I, Kis A. Interactions between Sleep and Emotions in Humans and Animal Models. Medicina (B Aires) 2022; 58:medicina58020274. [PMID: 35208598 PMCID: PMC8877042 DOI: 10.3390/medicina58020274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Revised: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Recently, increased interest and efforts were observed in describing the possible interaction between sleep and emotions. Human and animal model studies addressed the implication of both sleep patterns and emotional processing in neurophysiology and neuropathology in suggesting a bidirectional interaction intimately modulated by complex mechanisms and factors. In this context, we aimed to discuss recent evidence and possible mechanisms implicated in this interaction, as provided by both human and animal models in studies. In addition, considering the affective component of brain physiological patterns, we aimed to find reasonable evidence in describing the two-way association between comorbid sleep impairments and psychiatric disorders. The main scientific literature databases (PubMed/Medline, Web of Science) were screened with keyword combinations for relevant content taking into consideration only English written papers and the inclusion and exclusion criteria, according to PRISMA guidelines. We found that a strong modulatory interaction between sleep processes and emotional states resides on the activity of several key brain structures, such as the amygdala, prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, and brainstem nuclei. In addition, evidence suggested that physiologically and behaviorally related mechanisms of sleep are intimately interacting with emotional perception and processing which could advise the key role of sleep in the unconscious character of emotional processes. However, further studies are needed to explain and correlate the functional analysis with causative and protective factors of sleep impairments and negative emotional modulation on neurophysiologic processing, mental health, and clinical contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Radu Lefter
- Center of Biomedical Research, Romanian Academy, Iasi Branch, B dul Carol I, no. 8, 700506 Iasi, Romania;
| | - Roxana Oana Cojocariu
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Biology, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, B dul Carol I, no 11, 700506 Iasi, Romania;
| | - Alin Ciobica
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Biology, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, B dul Carol I, no 11, 700506 Iasi, Romania;
- Center of Biomedical Research, Romanian Academy, B dul Carol I, no 8, 700505 Iasi, Romania
- Academy of Romanian Scientists, Splaiul Independentei nr. 54, Sector 5, 050094 Bucuresti, Romania
- Correspondence: (A.C.); (I.-M.B.)
| | - Ioana-Miruna Balmus
- Department of Exact Sciences and Natural Sciences, Institute of Interdisciplinary Research, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi, Alexandru Lapusneanu Street, no. 26, 700057 Iasi, Romania
- Correspondence: (A.C.); (I.-M.B.)
| | - Ioannis Mavroudis
- Department of Neurology, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK;
| | - Anna Kis
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, 1117 Budapest, Hungary;
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Cabré S, Ratsika A, Rea K, Stanton C, Cryan JF. Animal Models for Assessing Impact of C-Section Delivery on Biological Systems. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 135:104555. [PMID: 35122781 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104555] [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: 06/29/2021] [Revised: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 01/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
There has been a significant increase in Caesarean section (C-section) births worldwide over the past two decades and although it is can be a life-saving procedure, the enduring effects on host physiology are now undergoing further scrutiny. Indeed, epidemiological data have linked C-section birth with multiple immune, metabolic and neuropsychiatric diseases. Birth by C-section is known to alter the colonisation of the neonatal gut microbiota (with C-section delivered infants lacking vaginal microbiota associated with passing along the birth canal), which in turn can impact the development and maintenance of many important biological systems. Appropriate animal models are key to disentangling the role of missing microbes in brain health and disease in C-section births. In this review of preclinical studies, we interrogate the effects of C-section birth on the development (and maintenance) of several biological systems and we discuss the involvement of the gut microbiome on C-section-related alterations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sílvia Cabré
- APC Microbiome Ireland, Biosciences Institute, University College Cork, Cork T12 YT20, Ireland; Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Cork T12 YT20, Ireland
| | - Anna Ratsika
- APC Microbiome Ireland, Biosciences Institute, University College Cork, Cork T12 YT20, Ireland; Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Cork T12 YT20, Ireland
| | - Kieran Rea
- APC Microbiome Ireland, Biosciences Institute, University College Cork, Cork T12 YT20, Ireland
| | - Catherine Stanton
- APC Microbiome Ireland, Biosciences Institute, University College Cork, Cork T12 YT20, Ireland; Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioural Science, University College Cork, Cork T12 YT20, Ireland; Teagasc Food Research Centre, Moorepark, Fermoy P61 C996, Ireland
| | - John F Cryan
- APC Microbiome Ireland, Biosciences Institute, University College Cork, Cork T12 YT20, Ireland; Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Cork T12 YT20, Ireland.
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Chronic mild stress paradigm as a rat model of depression: facts, artifacts, and future perspectives. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2022; 239:663-693. [PMID: 35072761 PMCID: PMC8785013 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-021-05982-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2020] [Accepted: 09/15/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE The chronic mild stress (CMS) paradigm was first described almost 40 years ago and has become a widely used model in the search for antidepressant drugs for major depression disorder (MDD). It has resulted in the publication of almost 1700 studies in rats alone. Under the original CMS procedure, the expression of an anhedonic response, a key symptom of depression, was seen as an essential feature of both the model and a depressive state. The prolonged exposure of rodents to unpredictable/uncontrollable mild stressors leads to a reduction in the intake of palatable liquids, behavioral despair, locomotor inhibition, anxiety-like changes, and vegetative (somatic) abnormalities. Many of the CMS studies do not report these patterns of behaviors, and they often fail to include consistent molecular, neuroanatomical, and physiological phenotypes of CMS-exposed animals. OBJECTIVES To critically review the CMS studies in rats so that conceptual and methodological flaws can be avoided in future studies. RESULTS Analysis of the literature supports the validity of the CMS model and its impact on the field. However, further improvements could be achieved by (i) the stratification of animals into 'resilient' and 'susceptible' cohorts within the CMS animals, (ii) the use of more refined protocols in the sucrose test to mitigate physiological and physical artifacts, and (iii) the systematic evaluation of the non-specific effects of CMS and implementation of appropriate adjustments within the behavioral tests. CONCLUSIONS We propose methodological revisions and the use of more advanced behavioral tests to refine the rat CMS paradigm, which offers a valuable tool for developing new antidepressant medications.
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The Effects of At-Birth Adoption on Atypical Behavior and Anxiety: A Nonhuman Primate Model. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2021; 60:1382-1393. [PMID: 34116166 PMCID: PMC9383052 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaac.2021.04.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2020] [Revised: 03/27/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Adopted children tend to show an increased risk for a variety of psychopathological outcomes, even when adoption occurs at birth, which some suggest is a result of nonrandom assignment of adoptees and parents. This study uses a nonhuman primate model, in which adoptions were randomly assigned, to investigate the behavioral and physiological outcomes associated with at-birth adoption. METHOD Immediately following birth, rhesus monkey infants were randomly assigned to be reared by either their biological mother (n = 113) or by an unrelated, lactating, adoptive mother (n = 34). At 6 months of age, infant behavior and physiology were assessed during a stressful series of mother-infant separations. Four years later, stress-related behaviors were measured following confrontation by an unfamiliar intruder, an ecologically meaningful stressor. RESULTS When compared to infants reared by their biological mothers, adopted infants exhibited more behavioral withdrawal and higher plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) concentrations in response to separation. These behavioral differences persisted 4 years later during a stressful intruder challenge, with adoptees exhibiting more behavioral withdrawal, stereotypies, and impulsive approaches of the potentially aggressive intruder. CONCLUSION Compared to infants reared by their biological mothers, adopted infants exhibited more behavioral inhibition, impulsivity, and higher ACTH concentrations, even when subjects were randomly assigned to be adopted or to remain with their biological mother. To the extent that these findings generalize to humans, they suggest that the overall risk for psychopathology in adopted individuals persists even after random assignment to adoption conditions.
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Cadney MD, Schwartz NE, McNamara MP, Schmill MP, Castro AA, Hillis DA, Garland T. Cross-fostering selectively bred High Runner mice affects adult body mass but not voluntary exercise. Physiol Behav 2021; 241:113569. [PMID: 34481826 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2021.113569] [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: 07/20/2021] [Revised: 08/18/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
While nursing, mammals progress through critical developmental periods for the cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, and central nervous systems. The suckling period in mammals is therefore especially vulnerable to environmental factors that may affect the "developmental programming" of many complex traits. As a result, various aspects of maternal behavior and physiology can influence offspring in ways that have lasting effects into adulthood. Several recent studies of animal models have shown that maternal effects can partially program adult activity behaviors, which has important implications for health and locomotor performance. Here, we used cross-fostering to test for possible maternal effects on adult wheel-running behavior (voluntary exercise), maximal aerobic capacity during forced exercise (VO2max), body mass and composition, and organ masses. Subjects were from a line of mice that has been selectively bred for ∼90 generations for high voluntary wheel-running behavior (High Runner; HR) and a non-selected Control (C) line. Adult HR mice run ∼3-fold the daily distances of C mice and have evolved other differences associated with exercise capacity, including elevated VO2max, reduced body mass and fat mass, and larger hearts. At birth, we fostered offspring to create 4 experimental groups: C pups to other C dams (in-foster), HR pups to other HR dams (in-foster), C pups to HR dams (cross-foster), HR pups to C dams (cross-foster). Thus, all pups were fostered to a different mother. Mice were weaned 3 weeks later, and adult testing began at ∼6 weeks of age. At weaning, pups raised by HR dams were smaller than those raised by C dams for both sexes and as expected, HR pups raised by HR dams weighed less than C pups raised by C dams. As adults, mice raised by HR dams continued to have reduced body masses. As expected, adult HR mice ran approximately 3-fold more than their C counterparts and females ran more than males. However, cross-fostering did not statistically affect any aspect of wheel-running behavior (distance, duration, speed). Similarly, with body mass as a covariate, HR mice had higher VO2max than C mice, and males had higher VO2max than females, but cross-fostering had no effect. With body mass as a covariate, cross-fostering had variable effects on adult organ masses in a sex-specific manner. Overall, our results indicate that development of the adult High Runner phenotype does not require rearing by an HR dam, suggesting that high adult activity in humans may be independent of high maternal activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcell D Cadney
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Nicole E Schwartz
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Monica P McNamara
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Margaret P Schmill
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Alberto A Castro
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - David A Hillis
- Genetics, Genomics, and Bioinformatics Graduate Program, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Theodore Garland
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA.
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Abstract
Prairie voles have emerged as an important rodent model for understanding the neuroscience of social behavior. Prairie voles are well known for their capacity for pair bonding and alloparental care. These behavioral phenomena overlap with human social behavior but are not commonly observed in traditional rodent models. In this article, we highlight the many benefits of using prairie voles in neuroscience research. We begin by describing the advantages of using diverse and non-traditional study models. We then focus on social behaviors, including pair bonding, alloparental care, and peer interactions, that have brought voles to the forefront of social neuroscience. We describe many additional features of prairie vole biology and behavior that provide researchers with opportunities to address an array of research questions. We also survey neuroethological methods that have been used with prairie voles, from classic to modern techniques. Finally, we conclude with a discussion of other vole species, particularly meadow voles, and their own unique advantages for neuroscience studies. This article provides a foundation for researchers who are new to working with voles, as well as for experienced neuroscientists who want to expand their research scope. © 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- William M. Kenkel
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716
| | - Morgan L. Gustison
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712 USA
| | - Annaliese K. Beery
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720 USA
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Brancato A, Castelli V, Lavanco G, Cannizzaro C. Environmental Enrichment During Adolescence Mitigates Cognitive Deficits and Alcohol Vulnerability due to Continuous and Intermittent Perinatal Alcohol Exposure in Adult Rats. Front Behav Neurosci 2020; 14:583122. [PMID: 33100982 PMCID: PMC7546794 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2020.583122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2020] [Accepted: 08/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Perinatal alcohol exposure affects ontogenic neurodevelopment, causing physical and functional long-term abnormalities with limited treatment options. This study investigated long-term consequences of continuous and intermittent maternal alcohol drinking on behavioral readouts of cognitive function and alcohol vulnerability in the offspring. The effects of environmental enrichment (EE) during adolescence were also evaluated. Female rats underwent continuous alcohol drinking (CAD)—or intermittent alcohol drinking paradigm (IAD), along pregestation, gestation, and lactation periods—equivalent to the whole gestational period in humans. Male offspring were reared in standard conditions or EE until adulthood and were then assessed for declarative memory in the novel object recognition test; spatial learning, cognitive flexibility, and reference memory in the Morris water maze (MWM); alcohol consumption and relapse by a two-bottle choice paradigm. Our data show that perinatal CAD decreased locomotor activity, exploratory behavior, and declarative memory with respect to controls, whereas perinatal IAD displayed impaired declarative memory and spatial learning and memory. Moreover, both perinatal alcohol-exposed offspring showed higher vulnerability to alcohol consummatory behavior than controls, albeit perinatal IAD rats showed a greater alcohol consumption and relapse behavior with respect to perinatal-CAD progeny. EE ameliorated declarative memory in perinatal CAD, while it mitigated spatial learning and reference memory impairment in perinatal-IAD progeny. In addition, EE decreased vulnerability to alcohol in both control and perinatal alcohol-exposed rats. Maternal alcohol consumption produces drinking pattern-related long-term consequences on cognition and vulnerability to alcohol in the offspring. However, increased positive environmental stimuli during adolescence may curtail the detrimental effects of developmental alcohol exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Brancato
- Department of Health Promotion, Mother and Child Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties of Excellence "G. D'Alessandro", University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Valentina Castelli
- Department of Biomedicine, Neuroscience and Advanced Diagnostics, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Gianluca Lavanco
- INSERM U1215, NeuroCentre Magendie, Bordeaux, France.,University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France.,Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, Section of Pharmacology, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Carla Cannizzaro
- Department of Health Promotion, Mother and Child Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties of Excellence "G. D'Alessandro", University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
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11
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Stress & sleep: A relationship lasting a lifetime. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 117:65-77. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.08.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2019] [Revised: 07/28/2019] [Accepted: 08/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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12
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Morales-Muñoz I, Saarenpää-Heikkilä O, Kylliäinen A, Pölkki P, Porkka-Heiskanen T, Paunio T, Paavonen EJ. The effects of maternal risk factors during pregnancy on the onset of sleep difficulties in infants at 3 months old. J Sleep Res 2018; 27:e12696. [PMID: 29722084 DOI: 10.1111/jsr.12696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2017] [Revised: 02/13/2018] [Accepted: 03/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Sleep problems in young children are among the most common concerns reported to paediatricians. Sleep is thought to have important regulatory functions, and sleep difficulties in early childhood are linked to several psychosocial and physiological problems. Moreover, several prenatal factors have been found to influence infants' sleep. Among them, most of the studies have been focused on maternal prenatal depression and/or anxiety as potential risk factors for sleep problems in childhood, whereas other relevant psychological factors during pregnancy have not received as much attention. Therefore, we aimed to examine the effect of several psychiatric maternal risk factors during pregnancy (i.e. symptoms of anxiety, depression, insomnia, alcohol use, seasonality, attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder and/or stressful life events) on the onset of some sleep problems related to sleep quality and sleep practices in 3-month-old infants. We examined 1,221 cases from a population-based birth cohort, with subjective measures during pregnancy in mothers, and at 3 months after birth in the infants. The findings showed that all the maternal risk factors during pregnancy, except for symptoms of alcoholism and sleepiness, were related to sleep difficulties in infants. Interestingly, attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder symptomatology in mothers during pregnancy was the only variable that predicted more than two sleeping difficulties (i.e. long sleep-onset latency, co-sleeping with parents and irregular sleeping routines) at 3 months old. Our results highlight the relevance of maternal risk factors during pregnancy, and not only prenatal depression and/or anxiety, as variables to be considered when examining sleep difficulties in infants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Morales-Muñoz
- Department of Health, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - Anneli Kylliäinen
- Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland
| | - Pirjo Pölkki
- Department of Social Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | | | - Tiina Paunio
- Department of Health, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland.,Psychiatry, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - E Juulia Paavonen
- Department of Health, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland.,Child Psychiatry, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
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Brancato A, Castelli V, Cavallaro A, Lavanco G, Plescia F, Cannizzaro C. Pre-conceptional and Peri-Gestational Maternal Binge Alcohol Drinking Produces Inheritance of Mood Disturbances and Alcohol Vulnerability in the Adolescent Offspring. Front Psychiatry 2018; 9:150. [PMID: 29743872 PMCID: PMC5930268 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2018] [Accepted: 04/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Although binge drinking is on the rise in women of reproductive age and during pregnancy, the consequences in the offspring, in particular the inheritance of alcohol-related mood disturbances and alcohol abuse vulnerability, are still poorly investigated. In this study, we modeled both Habitual- and Binge Alcohol Drinking (HAD and BAD) in female rats by employing a two-bottle choice paradigm, with 20% alcohol and water. The exposure started 12 weeks before pregnancy and continued during gestation and lactation. The consequences induced by the two alcohol drinking patterns in female rats were assessed before conception in terms of behavioral reactivity, anxiety- and depressive-like behavior. Afterwards, from adolescence to young-adulthood, male offspring was assessed for behavioral phenotype and alcohol abuse vulnerability. At pre-conceptional time BAD female rats showed higher mean alcohol intake and preference than HAD group; differences in drinking trajectories were attenuated during pregnancy and lactation. Pre-conceptional BAD induced a prevalent depressive/anhedonic-like behavior in female rats, rather than an increase in anxiety-like behavior, as observed in HAD rats. In the adolescent offspring, peri-gestational BAD did not affect behavioral reactivity in the open field and anxiety-like behavior in the elevated plus maze. Rather, BAD dams offspring displayed higher despair-behavior and lower social interaction with respect to control- and HAD dams progeny. Notably, only binge drinking exposure increased offspring vulnerability to alcohol abuse and relapse following forced abstinence. This is the first report showing that binge-like alcohol consumption from pre-conceptional until weaning induces relevant consequences in the affective phenotype of both the mothers and the offspring, and that such effects include heightened alcohol abuse vulnerability in the offspring. These findings highlight the need for more incisive public education campaigns about detrimental consequences of peri-gestational alcohol exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Brancato
- Department of Sciences for Health Promotion and Mother and Child Care "Giuseppe D'Alessandro", University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Valentina Castelli
- Department of Sciences for Health Promotion and Mother and Child Care "Giuseppe D'Alessandro", University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Angela Cavallaro
- Department of Sciences for Health Promotion and Mother and Child Care "Giuseppe D'Alessandro", University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Gianluca Lavanco
- Department of Sciences for Health Promotion and Mother and Child Care "Giuseppe D'Alessandro", University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Fulvio Plescia
- Department of Sciences for Health Promotion and Mother and Child Care "Giuseppe D'Alessandro", University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Carla Cannizzaro
- Department of Sciences for Health Promotion and Mother and Child Care "Giuseppe D'Alessandro", University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
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McCarty R. Cross-fostering: Elucidating the effects of gene×environment interactions on phenotypic development. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2016; 73:219-254. [PMID: 28034661 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.12.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2016] [Revised: 12/15/2016] [Accepted: 12/17/2016] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Cross-fostering of litters from soon after birth until weaning is a valuable tool to study the ways in which gene×environment interactions program the development of neural, physiological and behavioral characteristics of mammalian species. In laboratory mice and rats, the primary focus of this review, cross-fostering of litters between mothers of different strains or treatment groups (intraspecific) or between mothers of different species (interspecific) has been conducted over the past 9 decades. Areas of particular interest have included maternal effects on emotionality, social preferences, responses to stressful stimulation, nutrition and growth, blood pressure regulation, and epigenetic effects on brain development and behavior. Results from these areas of research highlight the critical role of the postnatal maternal environment in programming the development of offspring phenotypic characteristics. In addition, experimental paradigms that have included cross-fostering have permitted investigators to tease apart prenatal versus postnatal effects of various treatments on offspring development and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard McCarty
- Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37240 USA.
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