1
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Kalamari A, Kentrop J, Hinna Danesi C, Graat EAM, van IJzendoorn MH, Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ, Joëls M, van der Veen R. Complex Housing, but Not Maternal Deprivation Affects Motivation to Liberate a Trapped Cage-Mate in an Operant Rat Task. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 15:698501. [PMID: 34512284 PMCID: PMC8427758 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.698501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2021] [Accepted: 07/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Early life environment influences the development of various aspects of social behavior, particularly during sensitive developmental periods. We studied how challenges in the early postnatal period or (early) adolescence affect pro-social behavior. To this end, we designed a lever-operated liberation task, to be able to measure motivation to liberate a trapped conspecific (by progressively increasing required lever pressing for door-opening). Liberation of the trapped rat resulted either in social contact or in liberation into a separate compartment. Additionally, a condition was tested in which both rats could freely move in two separate compartments and lever pressing resulted in social contact. When partners were not trapped, rats were more motivated to press the lever for opening the door than in either of the trapped configurations. Contrary to our expectations, the trapped configuration resulted in a reduced motivation to act. Early postnatal stress (24 h maternal deprivation on postnatal day 3) did not affect behavior in the liberation task. However, rearing rats from early adolescence onwards in complex housing conditions (Marlau cages) reduced the motivation to door opening, both in the trapped and freely moving conditions, while the motivation for a sucrose reward was not affected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aikaterini Kalamari
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Jiska Kentrop
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Chiara Hinna Danesi
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Evelien A M Graat
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Marinus H van IJzendoorn
- Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands.,Primary Care Unit, School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | | | - Marian Joëls
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands.,University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen University, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Rixt van der Veen
- Brain Plasticity group, SILS Center for Neuroscience, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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2
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Homberg JR, Adan RAH, Alenina N, Asiminas A, Bader M, Beckers T, Begg DP, Blokland A, Burger ME, van Dijk G, Eisel ULM, Elgersma Y, Englitz B, Fernandez-Ruiz A, Fitzsimons CP, van Dam AM, Gass P, Grandjean J, Havekes R, Henckens MJAG, Herden C, Hut RA, Jarrett W, Jeffrey K, Jezova D, Kalsbeek A, Kamermans M, Kas MJ, Kasri NN, Kiliaan AJ, Kolk SM, Korosi A, Korte SM, Kozicz T, Kushner SA, Leech K, Lesch KP, Lesscher H, Lucassen PJ, Luthi A, Ma L, Mallien AS, Meerlo P, Mejias JF, Meye FJ, Mitchell AS, Mul JD, Olcese U, González AO, Olivier JDA, Pasqualetti M, Pennartz CMA, Popik P, Prickaerts J, de la Prida LM, Ribeiro S, Roozendaal B, Rossato JI, Salari AA, Schoemaker RG, Smit AB, Vanderschuren LJMJ, Takeuchi T, van der Veen R, Smidt MP, Vyazovskiy VV, Wiesmann M, Wierenga CJ, Williams B, Willuhn I, Wöhr M, Wolvekamp M, van der Zee EA, Genzel L. The continued need for animals to advance brain research. Neuron 2021; 109:2374-2379. [PMID: 34352213 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.07.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Policymakers aim to move toward animal-free alternatives for scientific research and have introduced very strict regulations for animal research. We argue that, for neuroscience research, until viable and translational alternatives become available and the value of these alternatives has been proven, the use of animals should not be compromised.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Roger A H Adan
- University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Natalia Alenina
- The Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin, Germany
| | - Antonis Asiminas
- Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9XD, UK; Center for Translational Neuromedicine, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Michael Bader
- The Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin, Germany
| | - Tom Beckers
- KU Leuven, Leuven Brain Institute and Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Denovan P Begg
- School of Psychology, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | | | | | - Gertjan van Dijk
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Ulrich L M Eisel
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Ype Elgersma
- Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | | | | | - Carlos P Fitzsimons
- Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Anne-Marie van Dam
- Amsterdam University Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Amsterdam University Medical Center, Free University, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Peter Gass
- Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim Faculty, Mannheim, Germany
| | | | - Robbert Havekes
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | | | - Christiane Herden
- Institute of Veterinary Pathology, Gießen, Gießen, Germany; Center of Mind Brain and Behavior (CMBB), Philipps-University of Marburg and Justus-Liebig-University Gießen, Marburg, Germany
| | - Roelof A Hut
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | | | - Kate Jeffrey
- Institute of Behavioural Neuroscience, University College London, London WC1H 0AP, UK
| | - Daniela Jezova
- Institute of Experimental Endocrinology, Biomedical Research Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Andries Kalsbeek
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience (NIN), Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Amsterdam University Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Maarten Kamermans
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience (NIN), Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Amsterdam University Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Martien J Kas
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | | | | | | | - Aniko Korosi
- Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - S Mechiel Korte
- Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | | | | | - Kirk Leech
- European Animal Research Association, London, UK
| | - Klaus-Peter Lesch
- Division of Molecular Psychiatry, Center of Mental Health, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany; Laboratory of Psychiatric Neurobiology, Institute of Molecular Medicine, Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russia; Department of Neuropsychology and Psychiatry, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience (MHeNS), Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Heidi Lesscher
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Paul J Lucassen
- Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Anita Luthi
- Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Liya Ma
- Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Anne S Mallien
- Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim Faculty, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Peter Meerlo
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Jorge F Mejias
- Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Frank J Meye
- University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | | | - Joram D Mul
- Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Umberto Olcese
- Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | | | - Jocelien D A Olivier
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | | | - Cyriel M A Pennartz
- Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Piotr Popik
- Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków 31-343, Poland
| | | | - Liset M de la Prida
- Instituto Cajal, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid, Spain
| | - Sidarta Ribeiro
- Brain Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | | | - Janine I Rossato
- Department of Physiology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Ali-Akbar Salari
- Salari Institute of Cognitive and Behavioral Disorders (SICBD), Karaj, Alborz, Iran
| | - Regien G Schoemaker
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - August B Smit
- Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | | | - Tomonori Takeuchi
- Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience - DANDRITE, Nordic-EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Rixt van der Veen
- Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Marten P Smidt
- Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | | | | | - Corette J Wierenga
- Biology Department, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | | | - Ingo Willuhn
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience (NIN), Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Amsterdam University Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Markus Wöhr
- Center of Mind Brain and Behavior (CMBB), Philipps-University of Marburg and Justus-Liebig-University Gießen, Marburg, Germany; Philipps-University of Marburg, Faculty of Psychology, Experimental and Biological Psychology, Behavioral Neuroscience, Marburg, Germany; KU Leuven, Leuven Brain Institute and Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Eddy A van der Zee
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Lisa Genzel
- Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
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3
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van der Veen R, Bonapersona V, Joëls M. The relevance of a rodent cohort in the Consortium on Individual Development. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2020; 45:100846. [PMID: 32957026 PMCID: PMC7509002 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2020.100846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2020] [Revised: 07/29/2020] [Accepted: 08/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the features of the Consortium on Individual Development is the existence of a rodent cohort, in parallel with the human cohorts. Here we give an overview of the current status. We first elaborate on the choice of rat and mouse models mimicking early life adverse or beneficial conditions during development. We performed a systematic literature search on early life adversity and adult social behavior to address the status quo. Next, we describe the behavioral tasks we used and designed to examine behavioral control and social competence in rodents. The results so far indicate that manipulation of the environment in the first postnatal week only subtly affects social behavior. Stronger effects were seen in the model that targeted early adolescence; once adult, these rats are characterized by increased attention, a higher degree of impulsiveness and reduced social interest in peers. Many experiments in our rodent models with tightly controlled conditions were inspired by findings in human cohorts, and now allow in-depth mechanistic investigations. Vice versa, some of the findings in rodents are currently followed up by dedicated investigations in the human cohorts. This exemplifies the added value of animal investigations in a consortium encompassing primarily human developmental cohorts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rixt van der Veen
- Dept. Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands.
| | - Valeria Bonapersona
- Dept. Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Marian Joëls
- Dept. Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands; University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
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4
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Kentrop J, Kalamari A, Danesi CH, Kentrop JJ, van IJzendoorn MH, Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ, Joëls M, van der Veen R. Pro-social preference in an automated operant two-choice reward task under different housing conditions: Exploratory studies on pro-social decision making. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2020; 45:100827. [PMID: 32739841 PMCID: PMC7393525 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2020.100827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2020] [Revised: 07/10/2020] [Accepted: 07/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In this study, we aimed to develop a behavioral task that measures pro-social decision making in rats. A fully automated, operant pro-social two-choice task is introduced that quantifies pro-social preferences for a mutual food reward in a set-up with tightly controlled task contingencies. Pairs of same-sex adult Wistar rats were placed in an operant chamber divided into two compartments (one rat per compartment), separated by a transparent barrier with holes that allowed the rats to see, hear, smell, but not touch each other. Test rats could earn a sucrose pellet either for themselves (own reward) or for themselves and the partner (both reward) by means of lever pressing. On average, male rats showed a 60 % preference for the lever that yielded a food reward for both themselves and their partner. In contrast, females did not show lever preference, regardless of the estrous cycle phase. Next, the impact of juvenile environmental factors on male rat social decision making was studied. Males were group-housed from postnatal day 26 onwards in complex housing Marlau™ cages that provided social and physical enrichment and stimulation in the form of novelty. Complex housed males did not show a preference for the pro-social lever.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiska Kentrop
- Dept. Translational Neuroscience, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Aikaterini Kalamari
- Dept. Translational Neuroscience, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Chiara Hinna Danesi
- Dept. Translational Neuroscience, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - John J Kentrop
- Dept. Translational Neuroscience, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Marinus H van IJzendoorn
- Dept. Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Primary Care Unit, School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | | | - Marian Joëls
- Dept. Translational Neuroscience, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands; University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Rixt van der Veen
- Dept. Translational Neuroscience, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands.
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5
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Knop J, van IJzendoorn MH, Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ, Joëls M, van der Veen R. Maternal care of heterozygous dopamine receptor D4 knockout mice: Differential susceptibility to early-life rearing conditions. Genes Brain Behav 2020; 19:e12655. [PMID: 32306548 PMCID: PMC7540036 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2020] [Revised: 03/30/2020] [Accepted: 04/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The differential susceptibility hypothesis proposes that individuals who are more susceptible to the negative effects of adverse rearing conditions may also benefit more from enriched environments. Evidence derived from human experiments suggests the lower efficacy dopamine receptor D4 (DRD4) 7‐repeat as a main factor in exhibiting these for better and for worse characteristics. However, human studies lack the genetic and environmental control offered by animal experiments, complicating assessment of causal relations. To study differential susceptibility in an animal model, we exposed Drd4+/− mice and control litter mates to a limited nesting/bedding (LN), standard nesting (SN) or communal nesting (CN) rearing environment from postnatal day (P) 2‐14. Puberty onset was examined from P24 to P36 and adult females were assessed on maternal care towards their own offspring. In both males and females, LN reared mice showed a delay in puberty onset that was partly mediated by a reduction in body weight at weaning, irrespective of Drd4 genotype. During adulthood, LN reared females exhibited characteristics of poor maternal care, whereas dams reared in CN environments showed lower rates of unpredictability towards their own offspring. Differential susceptibility was observed only for licking/grooming levels of female offspring towards their litter; LN reared Drd4+/− mice exhibited the lowest and CN reared Drd4+/− mice the highest levels of licking/grooming. These results indicate that both genetic and early‐environmental factors play an important role in shaping maternal care of the offspring for better and for worse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jelle Knop
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Marinus H van IJzendoorn
- Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.,Primary Care Unit, School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Marian Joëls
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.,University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Rixt van der Veen
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
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6
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Knop J, van IJzendoorn MH, Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ, Joëls M, van der Veen R. The effects of different rearing conditions on sexual maturation and maternal care in heterozygous mineralocorticoid receptor knockout mice. Horm Behav 2019; 112:54-64. [PMID: 30953639 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2019.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2018] [Revised: 03/14/2019] [Accepted: 04/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Sexual and social development is affected by a complex interplay between genetic makeup and the early-life rearing environment. While many rodent studies focused primarily on the detrimental effects of early-life stress, human literature suggests that genetic susceptibility may not be restricted to negative environments; it may also enhance the beneficial effects of positive rearing conditions. To examine this interaction in a controlled setting, heterozygous mineralocorticoid receptor knockout (MR+/-) mice and control litter mates were exposed to a limited nesting/bedding (LN, impoverished), standard nesting (SN, control) or communal nesting (CN, enriched) paradigm from postnatal day 2-9 (P2-P9). Offspring was monitored for puberty onset between P24-P36 and, in females, maternal care-giving (i.e. as F1) during adulthood, after which basal corticosterone was measured. Different home-cage environments resulted in profound differences in received maternal care and offspring body weight. In male offspring, LN resulted in delayed puberty onset that was mediated by body weight and unpredictability of maternal care received during early development. In female offspring, rearing condition did not significantly alter sexual maturation and had little effect on their own maternal care-giving behavior. Genotype did affect maternal care: female MR+/- offspring exhibited a less active nursing style and upregulated fragmentation during adulthood, irrespective of early life conditions. Basal corticosterone levels were highest in MR+/- mice with a background of LN. Overall, we found a gene-by-environment interaction with respect to basal corticosterone levels, but not for sexual maturation or maternal behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jelle Knop
- Dept. Translational Neuroscience, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Marinus H van IJzendoorn
- Dept. of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Primary Care Unit, School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | | | - Marian Joëls
- Dept. Translational Neuroscience, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands; University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Rixt van der Veen
- Dept. Translational Neuroscience, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands.
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7
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Kentrop J, Smid CR, Achterberg EJM, van IJzendoorn MH, Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ, Joëls M, van der Veen R. Effects of Maternal Deprivation and Complex Housing on Rat Social Behavior in Adolescence and Adulthood. Front Behav Neurosci 2018; 12:193. [PMID: 30254573 PMCID: PMC6141926 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2018] [Accepted: 08/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Early life context and stressful experiences are known to increase the risk of developing psychiatric disorders later in life, including disorders with deficits in the social domain. Our study aimed to investigate the influence of early life environment on social behavior in a well-controlled animal model. To this end we tested the effects of maternal deprivation (MD) on rat social play behavior in adolescence and social interaction in adulthood. Additionally, we provided a stimulating environment during adolescence (complex housing) as a potential intervention to diminish the effects of early life stress. Male and female Wistar rats were deprived from their mother for 24 h on postnatal day 3 (PND 3) or were left undisturbed. Complex housing started 5 days after weaning and consisted of housing 10 same-sex conspecifics in large, two-floor MarlauTM cages until the end of the study. Social play behavior in adolescence was tested under different conditions (3 h vs. 24 h social isolation prior to testing). Maternally deprived males – but not females – showed a longer latency to play and a decreased total amount of social play behavior, after a 24 h isolation period. In adulthood, social discrimination was impaired in deprived male and female rats in the three-chamber social approach task. Complex housing did not moderate the effects of MD, but in itself induced a strong behavioral phenotype. Both complex housed males and females hardly displayed any play behavior after a 3 h isolation period. However, after 24 h of isolation, these animals showed shorter latencies to engage in social play behavior. Only complex housed males truly showed more social play behavior here, while showing less social interest in adulthood. We conclude that MD has mild negative effects on social behavior in adolescence and adulthood, which are not counteracted by complex housing. Complex housing induces a specific phenotype associated with rapid habituation; a lack of social play after short isolation periods, while increasing play behavior after a prolonged period of isolation in adolescence, and less social interest, paired with intact social discrimination in adulthood. In both early life settings, males seem to be more influenced by the early life environment compared to females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiska Kentrop
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Claire R Smid
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - E J M Achterberg
- Department of Animals in Science and Society, Division of Behavioral Neuroscience, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Marinus H van IJzendoorn
- Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands.,Primary Care Unit, School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | | | - Marian Joëls
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands.,University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Rixt van der Veen
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands.,Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
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8
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Knop J, Joëls M, van der Veen R. The added value of rodent models in studying parental influence on offspring development: opportunities, limitations and future perspectives. Curr Opin Psychol 2017; 15:174-181. [DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2017.02.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2017] [Accepted: 02/13/2017] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
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9
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Kentrop J, van der Tas L, Loi M, van IJzendoorn MH, Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ, Joëls M, van der Veen R. Mifepristone Treatment during Early Adolescence Fails to Restore Maternal Deprivation-Induced Deficits in Behavioral Inhibition of Adult Male Rats. Front Behav Neurosci 2016; 10:122. [PMID: 27378873 PMCID: PMC4908124 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2016.00122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2016] [Accepted: 06/01/2016] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Early life adversity has a profound impact on brain development and later life health. Animal models have provided insight how early life stress programs stress responsiveness and might contribute to the development of psychiatric disorders. In the present study, the long-term effects of maternal deprivation (MD) on behavioral inhibition and attention were examined in adult male Wistar rats. To this end animals were tested in the 5-choice serial reaction time task (5-choice SRTT). We also explored the potential of a 3-day treatment with the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) antagonist mifepristone during early adolescence to normalize putative behavioral effects of early life stress. Deprivation of the mother for 24 h on postnatal day (PND) 3 led to a modest but significant increase in premature responses in the 5-choice SRTT, but did not affect measures of attention. Body weight was lower in deprived animals from weaning until the start of testing. Early adolescent mifepristone treatment (PND 26-28) did not influence performance on the 5-choice SRTT and did not mitigate the deprivation-related impairment in behavioral inhibition. Our results indicate that MD leads to impaired behavioral inhibition, and that mifepristone treatment during early adolescence does not normalize the behavioral changes caused by early life stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiska Kentrop
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Liza van der Tas
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Manila Loi
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht Utrecht, Netherlands
| | | | | | - Marian Joëls
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Rixt van der Veen
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center UtrechtUtrecht, Netherlands; Centre for Child and Family Studies, Leiden UniversityLeiden, Netherlands
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van der Veen R, Kentrop J, van der Tas L, Loi M, van IJzendoorn MH, Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ, Joëls M. Complex Living Conditions Impair Behavioral Inhibition but Improve Attention in Rats. Front Behav Neurosci 2015; 9:357. [PMID: 26733839 PMCID: PMC4689791 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2015.00357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2015] [Accepted: 12/08/2015] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Rapid adaptation to changes, while maintaining a certain level of behavioral inhibition is an important feature in every day functioning. How environmental context and challenges in life can impact on the development of this quality is still unknown. In the present study, we examined the effect of a complex rearing environment during adolescence on attention and behavioral inhibition in adult male rats. We also tested whether these effects were affected by an adverse early life challenge, maternal deprivation (MD). We found that animals that were raised in large, two floor MarlauTM cages, together with 10 conspecifics, showed improved attention, but impaired behavioral inhibition in the 5-choice serial reaction time task. The early life challenge of 24 h MD on postnatal day 3 led to a decline in bodyweight during adolescence, but did not by itself influence responses in the 5-choice task in adulthood, nor did it moderate the effects of complex housing. Our data suggest that a complex rearing environment leads to a faster adaptation to changes in the environment, but at the cost of lower behavioral inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rixt van der Veen
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center UtrechtUtrecht, Netherlands; Centre for Child and Family Studies, Leiden UniversityLeiden, Netherlands
| | - Jiska Kentrop
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Liza van der Tas
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Manila Loi
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht Utrecht, Netherlands
| | | | | | - Marian Joëls
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht Utrecht, Netherlands
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Bhandari R, van der Veen R, Parsons CE, Young KS, Voorthuis A, Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ, Stein A, Kringelbach ML, van IJzendoorn MH. Effects of intranasal oxytocin administration on memory for infant cues: Moderation by childhood emotional maltreatment. Soc Neurosci 2014; 9:536-47. [DOI: 10.1080/17470919.2014.932307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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Ter Horst JP, van der Mark M, Kentrop J, Arp M, van der Veen R, de Kloet ER, Oitzl MS. Deletion of the forebrain mineralocorticoid receptor impairs social discrimination and decision-making in male, but not in female mice. Front Behav Neurosci 2014; 8:26. [PMID: 24567706 PMCID: PMC3915243 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2014.00026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2013] [Accepted: 01/17/2014] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Social interaction with unknown individuals requires fast processing of information to decide whether it is friend or foe. This process of discrimination and decision-making is stressful and triggers secretion of corticosterone activating mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) and glucocorticoid receptor (GR). The MR is involved in appraisal of novel experiences and risk assessment. Recently, we have demonstrated in a dual-solution memory task that MR plays a role in the early stage of information processing and decision-making. Here we examined social approach and social discrimination in male and female mice lacking MR from hippocampal-amygdala-prefrontal circuitry and controls. The social approach task allows the assessment of time spent with an unfamiliar mouse and the ability to discriminate between familiar and unfamiliar conspecifics. The male and female test mice were both more interested in the social than the non-social experience and deletion of their limbic MR increased the time spent with an unfamiliar mouse. Unlike controls, the male MRCaMKCre mice were not able to discriminate between an unfamiliar and the familiar mouse. However, the female MR mutant had retained the discriminative ability between unfamiliar and familiar mice. Administration of the MR antagonist RU28318 to male mice supported the role of the MR in the discrimination between an unfamiliar mouse and a non-social stimulus. No effect was found with a GR antagonist. Our findings suggest that MR is involved in sociability and social discrimination in a sex-specific manner through inhibitory control exerted putatively via limbic-hippocampal efferents. The ability to discriminate between familiar and unfamiliar conspecifics is of uttermost importance for territorial defense and depends on a role of MR in decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judith P Ter Horst
- Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, Center for Neuroscience, University of Amsterdam Amsterdam, Netherlands ; Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Amsterdam Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | | | - Jiska Kentrop
- Department of Endocrinology, Leiden University Medical Center & Medical Pharmacology, Leiden Academic Center for Drug Research, Leiden University Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Marit Arp
- Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, Center for Neuroscience, University of Amsterdam Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Rixt van der Veen
- Centre for Child and Family Studies, Leiden University Leiden, Netherlands
| | - E Ronald de Kloet
- Department of Endocrinology, Leiden University Medical Center & Medical Pharmacology, Leiden Academic Center for Drug Research, Leiden University Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Melly S Oitzl
- Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, Center for Neuroscience, University of Amsterdam Amsterdam, Netherlands
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van der Veen R, Boshuizen MCS, de Kloet ER. Mifepristone treatment affects the response to repeated amphetamine injections, but does not attenuate the expression of sensitization. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2013; 230:547-56. [PMID: 23797878 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-013-3176-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2012] [Accepted: 06/06/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Rationale Glucocorticoid hormones facilitate sensitization to repeated administration of psychostimulants, an effect that is mediated by glucocorticoid receptors (GRs). It is still unclear, however, at which stage of psychomotor sensitization are stress and GR-mediated effects involved. OBJECTIVES In the present study, we have tested the hypothesis that GR-mediated effects during the phase of repeated amphetamine injections play a crucial role in the long-term expression of sensitization. For this purpose, we used DBA/2 mice, an inbred strain commonly used for the study of stress effects on psychostimulant sensitization. METHODS Animals were treated with the GR antagonist mifepristone (200 mg/kg) at 2.5 h before each daily injection of amphetamine (2.5 mg/kg) or saline in a 5-day protocol. The amphetamine or saline injections were given in the home or a novel context. This was followed by a 2.5-week withdrawal period, without any drug delivery. Following the withdrawal period, two low-dose amphetamine challenges (1.25 mg/kg) were given subsequently, without additional mifepristone. RESULTS The animals receiving amphetamine in the novel context showed a higher expression of sensitization at challenge as compared to those in the home condition. Mifepristone treatment influenced locomotor response to repeated amphetamine injections, but this effect during the initial phase did not affect the expression of sensitization after a withdrawal period. CONCLUSION Our results indicate that GR-related processes during the initial phase of sensitization are involved in, but not crucial for, the development of long-term sensitization.
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Voorthuis A, Out D, van der Veen R, Bhandari R, van IJzendoorn MH, Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ. One doll fits all: validation of the Leiden Infant Simulator Sensitivity Assessment (LISSA). Attach Hum Dev 2013; 15:603-17. [DOI: 10.1080/14616734.2013.820897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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van Ijzendoorn MH, Bhandari R, van der Veen R, Grewen KM, Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ. Elevated Salivary Levels of Oxytocin Persist More than 7 h after Intranasal Administration. Front Neurosci 2012; 6:174. [PMID: 23233832 PMCID: PMC3516702 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2012.00174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2012] [Accepted: 11/16/2012] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
We addressed the question how long salivary oxytocin levels remain elevated after intranasal administration, and whether it makes a difference when 16 or 24 IU of oxytocin administration is used. Oxytocin levels were measured in saliva samples collected from 46 female participants right before intranasal administration (at 9:30 a.m.) of 16 IU (n = 18) or 24 IU (n = 10) of oxytocin, or a placebo (n = 18), and each hour after administration, for 7 h in total. Oxytocin levels did not differ among conditions before use of the nasal spray. Salivary oxytocin levels in the placebo group showed high stability across the day. After oxytocin administration oxytocin levels markedly increased, they peaked around 1 h after administration, and were still significantly elevated 7 h after administration. The amount of oxytocin (16 or 24 IU) did not make a difference for oxytocin levels. The increase of oxytocin levels for at least 7 h shows how effective intranasal administration of oxytocin is. Our findings may raise ethical questions about potentially persisting behavioral effects after participants have left the lab setting. More research into the long-term neurological and behavioral effects of sniffs of oxytocin is urgently needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marinus H van Ijzendoorn
- Centre for Child and Family Studies, Leiden University Leiden, Netherlands ; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University Leiden, Netherlands
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Koehl M, van der Veen R, Gonzales D, Piazza PV, Abrous DN. Interplay of maternal care and genetic influences in programming adult hippocampal neurogenesis. Biol Psychiatry 2012; 72:282-9. [PMID: 22483276 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2012.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2011] [Revised: 02/16/2012] [Accepted: 03/01/2012] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Adult hippocampal neurogenesis, which is involved in the physiopathology of hippocampal functions, is genetically determined and influenced by early life events. However, studies on the interaction of these determining forces are lacking. This prompted us to investigate whether adult hippocampal neurogenesis can be modulated by maternal care and whether this influence depends upon the genetic background of the individual. METHODS We used a model of fostering that allows singling out the influence of the genetic make-up of the pups on the outcome of maternal behavior. Mice from two different inbred strains (C57BL/6J and DBA/2J) known to differ in their baseline neurogenesis as well as in their sensitivity to the influence of environmental experiences were raised by nonrelated mothers from the AKR/Ola (AKR) and C3H/He (C3H) strains exhibiting low- and high-pup-oriented behavior, respectively. Neurogenesis was then assessed in the dentate gyrus of the adult adopted C57BL/6J and DBA/2J mice. RESULTS We show that both the number and the morphological features of newborn granule cells in the dentate gyrus are determined by the maternal environment to which mice were exposed as pups and that this sensitivity to maternal environment is observed only in genetically vulnerable subjects. CONCLUSIONS Altogether, our data indicate interplay between early environment and the genetic envelop of an individual in determining adult hippocampal neurogenesis. Our experimental approach could thus contribute to the identification of factors determining the neurogenic potential of the adult hippocampus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muriel Koehl
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Neurocentre Magendie, Physiopathologie de la Plasticité Neuronale, 146 rue Leo Saignat, Bordeaux, France.
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Claessens SEF, Daskalakis NP, van der Veen R, Oitzl MS, de Kloet ER, Champagne DL. Development of individual differences in stress responsiveness: an overview of factors mediating the outcome of early life experiences. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2011; 214:141-54. [PMID: 21165737 PMCID: PMC3045508 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-010-2118-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2010] [Accepted: 11/25/2010] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Human epidemiology and animal studies have convincingly shown the long-lasting impact of early life experiences on the development of individual differences in stress responsiveness in later life. The interplay between genes and environment underlies this phenomenon. OBJECTIVES We provide an overview of studies investigating the impact of early life experiences on the development of individual differences in neuroendocrine stress responsiveness in adulthood and address (1) impact of environment on later stress phenotypes, (2) role of genetic factors in modulating the outcome of environment, and (3) role of nonshared environmental experience in the outcome of gene × environment interplays. We present original findings where we investigated the influence of nonshared experiences in terms of individual differences in maternal care received, on the development of stress phenotype in later life in rats. RESULTS Environmental influences in early life exert powerful effects on later stress phenotypes, but they do not always lead to expression of diseases. Heterogeneity in response is explained by the role of particular genetic factors in modulating the influence of environment. Nonshared experiences are important in the outcome of gene × environment interplays in humans. We show that nonshared experiences acquired through within-litter variation in maternal care in rats predict the stress phenotype of the offspring. CONCLUSION The outcome of early experience is not deterministic and depends on several environmental and genetic factors interacting in an intricate manner to support stress adaptation. The degree of "match" and "mismatch" between early and later life environments predicts resilience and vulnerability to stress-related diseases, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanne E F Claessens
- Division of Medical Pharmacology, Leiden/Amsterdam Center for Drug Research, Gorlaeus Laboratories, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9502, 2300 RA, Leiden, The Netherlands.
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Oitzl MS, Champagne DL, van der Veen R, de Kloet ER. Brain development under stress: hypotheses of glucocorticoid actions revisited. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2009; 34:853-66. [PMID: 19631685 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2009.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 246] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2008] [Revised: 06/05/2009] [Accepted: 07/16/2009] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
One of the conundrums in today's stress research is why some individuals flourish and others perish under similar stressful conditions. It is recognized that this individual variability in adaptation to stress depends on the outcome of the interaction of genetic and cognitive/emotional inputs in which glucocorticoid hormones and receptors play a crucial role. Hence one approach towards understanding individual variation in stress coping is how glucocorticoid actions can change from protective to harmful. To address this question we focus on four hypotheses that are connected and not mutual exclusive. First, the classical Glucocorticoid Cascade Hypothesis, in which the inability to cope with chronic stress causes a vicious cycle of excess glucocorticoid and downregulation of glucocorticoid receptors (GR) in the hippocampus triggering a feed-forward cascade of degeneration and disease. Second, the Balance Hypothesis, which takes also the limbic mineralocorticoid receptors (MR) into account and proposes that an integral limbic MR:GR imbalance is causal to altered processing of information in circuits underlying fear, reward, social behaviour and resilience, dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and impairment of behavioural adaptation. The MR:GR balance is altered by gene variants of these receptor complexes and experience-related factors, which can induce lasting epigenetic changes in the expression of these receptors. A particular potent epigenetic stimulus is the maternal environment which is fundamental for the Maternal Mediation Hypothesis. The outcome of perinatal gene x environment interaction, and thus of MR:GR-mediated functions depends however, on the degree of 'matching' with environmental demands in later life. The Predictive Adaptation Hypothesis therefore presents a conceptual framework to examine the role of glucocorticoids in understanding individual phenotypic differences in stress-related behaviours over the lifespan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melly S Oitzl
- Division of Medical Pharmacology, Leiden/Amsterdam Centre for Drug Research (LACDR)/Leiden University Medical Centre (LUMC), University of Leiden, Einsteinweg 55, P.O. Box 9502, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands.
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van der Veen R, Piazza PV, Deroche-Gamonet V. Gene-environment interactions in vulnerability to cocaine intravenous self-administration: a brief social experience affects intake in DBA/2J but not in C57BL/6J mice. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2007; 193:179-86. [PMID: 17396246 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-007-0777-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2007] [Accepted: 03/15/2007] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Individual differences in cocaine-taking behavior and liability to develop abuse are clearly observed, but underlying mechanisms are still poorly understood. A role for gene-environment interactions has been proposed but remains hypothetical. OBJECTIVES We investigated whether gene-environment interactions influence intravenous cocaine self-administration (SA) in mice. We tested the effect of a past short group housing experience on cocaine SA in two inbred strains of mice, the C57BL/6J (C57) and DBA/2J (DBA). METHODS Adult C57 and DBA mice were individually housed upon arrival in the laboratory. After 3 weeks, half of the animals of each strain were group housed for 19 days. One week after the end of group housing, cocaine SA or measurement of brain cocaine levels took place. RESULTS Individually and ex-group-housed C57 mice did not differ for cocaine SA. On the contrary, the ex-group-housed DBA mice showed an upward shift in the dose-response curve as compared to individually housed DBA. Differences in brain cocaine levels could not account for the observed behavioral differences. CONCLUSIONS These results demonstrate that vulnerability to cocaine reinforcing effects can be affected by gene-environment interactions. We propose a mouse model for the characterization of gene-environment interactions in the vulnerability to cocaine-taking behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rixt van der Veen
- Centre de recherche INSERM U862 Physiopathologie de la plasticité neuronale, Institut François Magendie, Université de Bordeaux 2, 146 rue Léo Saignat, 33077 Bordeaux Cedex, France
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