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Shook LL, Batorsky RA, De Guzman RM, McCrea LT, Brigida SM, Horng JE, Sheridan SD, Kholod O, Cook AM, Li JZ, Goods BA, Perlis RH, Edlow AG. Maternal SARS-CoV-2 impacts fetal placental macrophage programs and placenta-derived microglial models of neurodevelopment. medRxiv 2023:2023.12.29.23300544. [PMID: 38234776 PMCID: PMC10793528 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.29.23300544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
The SARS-CoV-2 virus activates maternal and placental immune responses, which in the setting of other infections occurring during pregnancy are known to impact fetal brain development. The effects of maternal immune activation on neurodevelopment are mediated at least in part by fetal brain microglia. However, microglia are inaccessible for direct analysis, and there are no validated non-invasive surrogate models to evaluate in utero microglial priming and function. We have previously demonstrated shared transcriptional programs between microglia and Hofbauer cells (HBCs, or fetal placental macrophages) in mouse models. Here, we assessed the impact of maternal SARS-CoV-2 on HBCs isolated from term placentas using single-cell RNA-sequencing. We demonstrated that HBC subpopulations exhibit distinct cellular programs, with specific subpopulations differentially impacted by SARS-CoV-2. Assessment of differentially expressed genes implied impaired phagocytosis, a key function of both HBCs and microglia, in some subclusters. Leveraging previously validated models of microglial synaptic pruning, we showed that HBCs isolated from placentas of SARS-CoV-2 positive pregnancies can be transdifferentiated into microglia-like cells, with altered morphology and impaired synaptic pruning behavior compared to HBC models from negative controls. These findings suggest that HBCs isolated at birth can be used to create personalized cellular models of offspring microglial programming.
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De Guzman RM, Rosinger ZJ, Rybka KA, Jacobskind JS, Thrasher CA, Caballero AL, Sturm KL, Sharif MS, Abbas MS, Parra KE, Zuloaga KL, Justice NJ, Zuloaga DG. Changes in Corticotropin-Releasing Factor Receptor Type 1, Co-Expression with Tyrosine Hydroxylase and Oxytocin Neurons, and Anxiety-Like Behaviors across the Postpartum Period in Mice. Neuroendocrinology 2023; 113:795-810. [PMID: 36917957 PMCID: PMC10389801 DOI: 10.1159/000530156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/15/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Corticotropin-releasing factor and its primary receptor (CRFR1) are critical regulators of behavioral and neuroendocrine stress responses. CRFR1 has also been associated with stress-related behavioral changes in postpartum mice. Our previous studies indicate dynamic changes in CRFR1 levels and coupling of CRFR1 with tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and oxytocin (OT) neurons in postpartum mice. In this study, we aimed to determine the time course of these changes during the postpartum period. METHODS Using a CRFR1-GFP reporter mouse line, we compared postpartum mice at five time points with nulliparous mice. We performed immunohistochemistry to assess changes in CRFR1 levels and changes in co-expression of TH/CRFR1-GFP and OT/CRFR1-GFP across the postpartum period. Mice were also assessed for behavioral stress responses in the open field test. RESULTS Relative to nulliparous mice, CRFR1 levels were elevated in the anteroventral periventricular nucleus (AVPV/PeN) but were decreased in the medial preoptic area from postpartum day 1 (P1) through P28. In the paraventricular hypothalamus (PVN), there is a transient decline in CRFR1 mid-postpartum with a nadir at P7. Co-localization of CRFR1 with TH-expressing neurons was also altered with a transient decrease found in the AVPV/PeN at P7 and P14. Co-expression of CRFR1 and OT neurons of the PVN and supraoptic nucleus was dramatically altered with virtually no co-expression found in nulliparous mice, but levels increased shortly after parturition and peaked near P21. A transient decrease in open field center time was found at P7, indicating elevated anxiety-like behavior. CONCLUSION This study revealed various changes in CRFR1 across the postpartum period, which may contribute to stress-related behavior changes in postpartum mice.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Christina A. Thrasher
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Albany Medical College, Albany, NY, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Kristen L. Zuloaga
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Albany Medical College, Albany, NY, USA
| | - Nicholas J. Justice
- Center for Metabolic and Degenerative Diseases, Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine of McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Sciences Center, Houston, TX, USA
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Atyeo C, Shook LL, Nziza N, Deriso EA, Muir C, Baez AM, Lima RS, Demidkin S, Brigida S, De Guzman RM, Burns MD, Balazs AB, Fasano A, Yonker LM, Gray KJ, Alter G, Edlow AG. COVID-19 booster dose induces robust antibody response in pregnant, lactating, and nonpregnant women. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2023; 228:68.e1-68.e12. [PMID: 35868417 PMCID: PMC9295313 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajog.2022.07.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2022] [Revised: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although emerging data during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic have demonstrated robust messenger RNA vaccine-induced immunogenicity across populations, including pregnant and lactating individuals, the rapid waning of vaccine-induced immunity and the emergence of variants of concern motivated the use of messenger RNA vaccine booster doses. Whether all populations, including pregnant and lactating individuals, will mount a comparable response to a booster dose is not known. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to profile the humoral immune response to a COVID-19 messenger RNA booster dose in a cohort of pregnant, lactating, and nonpregnant age-matched women. STUDY DESIGN This study characterized the antibody response against ancestral Spike and Omicron in a cohort of 31 pregnant, 12 lactating, and 20 nonpregnant age-matched controls who received a BNT162b2 or messenger RNA-1273 booster dose after primary COVID-19 vaccination. In addition, this study examined the vaccine-induced antibody profiles of 15 maternal-to-cord dyads at delivery. RESULTS Receiving a booster dose during pregnancy resulted in increased immunoglobulin G1 levels against Omicron Spike (postprimary vaccination vs postbooster dose; P=.03). Pregnant and lactating individuals exhibited equivalent Spike-specific total immunoglobulin G1, immunoglobulin M, and immunoglobulin A levels and neutralizing titers against Omicron compared with nonpregnant women. Subtle differences in Fc receptor binding and antibody subclass profiles were observed in the immune response to a booster dose in pregnant vs nonpregnant individuals. The analysis of maternal and cord antibody profiles at delivery demonstrated equivalent total Spike-specific immunoglobulin G1 in maternal and cord blood, yet higher Spike-specific FcγR3a-binding antibodies in the cord relative to maternal blood (P=.002), consistent with the preferential transfer of highly functional immunoglobulin. Spike-specific immunoglobulin G1 levels in the cord were positively correlated with the time elapsed since receiving the booster dose (Spearman R, .574; P=.035). CONCLUSION Study data suggested that receiving a booster dose during pregnancy induces a robust Spike-specific humoral immune response, including against Omicron. If boosting occurs in the third trimester of pregnancy, higher Spike-specific cord immunoglobulin G1 levels are achieved with greater time elapsed between receiving the booster and delivery. Receiving a booster dose has the potential to augment maternal and neonatal immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lydia L Shook
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA; Vincent Center for Reproductive Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
| | - Nadege Nziza
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA
| | | | - Cordelia Muir
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Arantxa Medina Baez
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Rosiane S Lima
- Department of Pediatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Stepan Demidkin
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA; Vincent Center for Reproductive Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
| | - Sara Brigida
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA; Vincent Center for Reproductive Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
| | - Rose M De Guzman
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA; Vincent Center for Reproductive Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
| | - Madeleine D Burns
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA; Department of Pediatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | | | - Alessio Fasano
- Department of Pediatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Lael M Yonker
- Department of Pediatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Kathryn J Gray
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Galit Alter
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA.
| | - Andrea G Edlow
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA; Vincent Center for Reproductive Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA.
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Ugartemendia L, De Guzman RM, Cai J, Rajamanickam S, Jiang Z, Tao J, Zuloaga DG, Justice NJ. A subpopulation of oxytocin neurons initiate expression of CRF receptor 1 (CRFR1) in females post parturition. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2022; 145:105918. [PMID: 36116320 PMCID: PMC9881188 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2022.105918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2022] [Revised: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/04/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Oxytocin (OT) is essential for successful reproduction, particularly during parturition and lactation. During the postpartum period, OT also influences maternal behavior to promote bonding between mothers and their newborns, and increases stress resilience. However, the mechanism by which stress influences OT neuron activity and OT release has remained unclear. Here, we provide evidence that a subpopulation of OT neurons initiate expression of the receptor for the stress neuropeptide Corticotropin Releasing Factor (CRF), CRFR1, in reproductive females. OT neuron expression of CRFR1 begins at the first parturition and increases during the postpartum period until weaning. The percentage of OT neurons that express CRFR1 increases with successive breeding cycles until it reaches a plateau of 20-25% of OT neurons. OT neuron expression of CRFR1 in reproductive females is maintained after they are no longer actively breeding. CRFR1 expression leads to activation of OT neurons when animals are stressed. We propose a model in which direct CRF signaling to OT neurons selectively in reproductive females potentiates OT release to promote stress resilience in mothers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lierni Ugartemendia
- Center for Metabolic and Degenerative Diseases, Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Sciences Center, Houston, TX 77030, United States
| | - Rose M De Guzman
- Department of Psychology, University at Albany, Albany, NY 12222, United States
| | - Jing Cai
- Center for Metabolic and Degenerative Diseases, Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Sciences Center, Houston, TX 77030, United States
| | - Shivakumar Rajamanickam
- Center for Metabolic and Degenerative Diseases, Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Sciences Center, Houston, TX 77030, United States
| | - Zhiying Jiang
- Center for Metabolic and Degenerative Diseases, Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Sciences Center, Houston, TX 77030, United States
| | - Jonathan Tao
- Center for Metabolic and Degenerative Diseases, Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Sciences Center, Houston, TX 77030, United States
| | - Damian G Zuloaga
- Department of Psychology, University at Albany, Albany, NY 12222, United States.
| | - Nicholas J Justice
- Center for Metabolic and Degenerative Diseases, Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Sciences Center, Houston, TX 77030, United States.
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Atyeo CG, Shook LL, Brigida S, De Guzman RM, Demidkin S, Muir C, Akinwunmi B, Baez AM, Sheehan ML, McSweeney E, Burns MD, Nayak R, Kumar MK, Patel CD, Fialkowski A, Cvrk D, Goldfarb IT, Yonker LM, Fasano A, Balazs AB, Elovitz MA, Gray KJ, Alter G, Edlow AG. Maternal immune response and placental antibody transfer after COVID-19 vaccination across trimester and platforms. Nat Commun 2022; 13:3571. [PMID: 35764643 PMCID: PMC9239994 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-31169-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The availability of three COVID-19 vaccines in the United States provides an unprecedented opportunity to examine how vaccine platforms and timing of vaccination in pregnancy impact maternal and neonatal immunity. Here, we characterize the antibody profile after Ad26.COV2.S, mRNA-1273 or BNT162b2 vaccination in 158 pregnant individuals and evaluate transplacental antibody transfer by profiling maternal and umbilical cord blood in 175 maternal-neonatal dyads. These analyses reveal lower vaccine-induced functions and Fc receptor-binding after Ad26.COV2.S compared to mRNA vaccination and subtle advantages in titer and function with mRNA-1273 versus BN162b2. mRNA vaccines have higher titers and functions against SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern. First and third trimester vaccination results in enhanced maternal antibody-dependent NK-cell activation, cellular and neutrophil phagocytosis, and complement deposition relative to second trimester. Higher transplacental transfer ratios following first and second trimester vaccination may reflect placental compensation for waning maternal titers. These results provide novel insight into the impact of platform and trimester of vaccination on maternal humoral immune response and transplacental antibody transfer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline G Atyeo
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- PhD Program in Virology, Division of Medical Sciences, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Lydia L Shook
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Vincent Center for Reproductive Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sara Brigida
- Vincent Center for Reproductive Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Rose M De Guzman
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Vincent Center for Reproductive Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Stepan Demidkin
- Vincent Center for Reproductive Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Cordelia Muir
- Vincent Center for Reproductive Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Babatunde Akinwunmi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Arantxa Medina Baez
- Vincent Center for Reproductive Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Erin McSweeney
- Vincent Center for Reproductive Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Madeleine D Burns
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Mucosal Immunology and Biology Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ruhi Nayak
- Vincent Center for Reproductive Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Maya K Kumar
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Chinmay D Patel
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Allison Fialkowski
- Vincent Center for Reproductive Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Mucosal Immunology and Biology Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Dana Cvrk
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ilona T Goldfarb
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Lael M Yonker
- Mucosal Immunology and Biology Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Alessio Fasano
- Mucosal Immunology and Biology Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Michal A Elovitz
- Maternal and Child Health Research Program, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Kathryn J Gray
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Galit Alter
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| | - Andrea G Edlow
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Vincent Center for Reproductive Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
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6
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Rybka KA, Sturm KL, De Guzman RM, Bah S, Jacobskind JS, Rosinger ZJ, Taroc EZM, Forni PE, Zuloaga DG. Androgen regulation of corticotropin releasing factor receptor 1 in the mouse brain. Neuroscience 2022; 491:185-199. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2022.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Revised: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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Shook LL, Bordt EA, Meinsohn MC, Pepin D, De Guzman RM, Brigida S, Yockey LJ, James KE, Sullivan MW, Bebell LM, Roberts DJ, Kaimal AJ, Li JZ, Schust D, Gray KJ, Edlow AG. Placental Expression of ACE2 and TMPRSS2 in Maternal Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Infection: Are Placental Defenses Mediated by Fetal Sex? J Infect Dis 2021; 224:S647-S659. [PMID: 34293137 PMCID: PMC8344531 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiab335] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Expression of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and type II transmembrane serine protease (TMPRSS2), host molecules required for viral entry, may underlie sex differences in vulnerability to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. We investigated whether placental ACE2 and TMPRSS2 expression vary by fetal sex in the presence of maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection. METHODS Placental ACE2 and TMPRSS2 expression was quantified by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and by Western blot in 68 pregnant women (38 SARS-CoV-2 positive, 30 SARS-CoV-2 negative) delivering at Mass General Brigham from April to June 2020. The impact of fetal sex and maternal SARS-CoV-2 exposure on ACE2 and TMPRSS2 was analyzed by 2-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). RESULTS Maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection impacted placental TMPRSS2 expression in a sexually dimorphic fashion (2-way ANOVA interaction, P = .002). We observed no impact of fetal sex or maternal SARS-CoV-2 status on ACE2. TMPRSS2 expression was significantly correlated with ACE2 expression in males (Spearman ρ = 0.54, P = .02) but not females (ρ = 0.23, P = .34) exposed to maternal SARS-CoV-2. CONCLUSIONS Sex differences in placental TMPRSS2 but not ACE2 were observed in the setting of maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection, which may have implications for offspring vulnerability to placental infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lydia L Shook
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Vincent Center for Reproductive Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Evan A Bordt
- Department of Pediatrics, Lurie Center for Autism, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Marie-Charlotte Meinsohn
- Pediatric Surgical Research Laboratories, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - David Pepin
- Pediatric Surgical Research Laboratories, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Rose M De Guzman
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Vincent Center for Reproductive Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Sara Brigida
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Vincent Center for Reproductive Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Laura J Yockey
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Kaitlyn E James
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Mackenzie W Sullivan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Lisa M Bebell
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Massachusetts General Hospital, MGH Center for Global Health, and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Drucilla J Roberts
- Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Anjali J Kaimal
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jonathan Z Li
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Danny Schust
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Women’s Health, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA
| | - Kathryn J Gray
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Andrea G Edlow
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Vincent Center for Reproductive Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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Medina J, De Guzman RM, Workman JL. Lactation is not required for maintaining maternal care and active coping responses in chronically stressed postpartum rats: Interactions between nursing demand and chronic variable stress. Horm Behav 2021; 136:105035. [PMID: 34488064 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2021.105035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Revised: 06/11/2021] [Accepted: 07/04/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Women who do not breastfeed or discontinue breastfeeding early are more likely to develop postpartum depression (PPD) and stress is a significant risk factor for depression, including PPD. Using a rat model, we investigated whether the absence of nursing would increase the susceptibility to chronic stress-related behavioral and neural changes during the postpartum period. Adult female rats underwent thelectomy (thel; removal of teats), sham surgery, or no surgery (control) and were paired with males for breeding. All litters were rotated twice daily until postpartum day (PD) 26. Sham rats served as surrogates for thel litters, yielding a higher nursing demand for sham rats. Concurrently, rats received either no stress or chronic variable stress until PD 25. Rats were observed for maternal behaviors and tested in a series of tasks including open field, sucrose preference, and forced swim. We used immunohistochemistry (IHC) for doublecortin (DCX; to label immature neurons) or for mineralocorticoid receptor (MR). Contrary to our expectations, non-nursing thel rats were resistant to the effects of stress in all dependent measures. Our data indicate that even in chronic adverse conditions, nursing is not required for maintaining stable care to offspring or active coping responses in an acutely stressful task. We discuss the possible role of offspring contact and consider future directions for biomedical and clinical research. In rats with high nursing demand, however, chronic stress increased immobility, hippocampal neurogenesis, and MR expression (largely in opposition to the effects of stress in rats with typical nursing demand). We discuss these patterns in the context of energetics and allostatic load. This research highlights the complexity in relationships between stress, nursing, and neurobehavioral outcomes in the postpartum period and underscores the need for additional biomedical and clinical research geared toward optimizing treatments and interventions for women with PPD, regardless of breastfeeding status. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: The goal of this research was to determine how the absence of nursing and higher nursing demand impact stress-coping behaviors and neural changes associated with chronic stress in order to disentangle the complex interplay of factors that contribute to psychological illness during the postpartum period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Medina
- Department of Psychology, University at Albany, State University of New York, 1400 Washington Ave., Albany, NY 12222, United States of America
| | - Rose M De Guzman
- Department of Psychology, University at Albany, State University of New York, 1400 Washington Ave., Albany, NY 12222, United States of America
| | - Joanna L Workman
- Department of Psychology, University at Albany, State University of New York, 1400 Washington Ave., Albany, NY 12222, United States of America; Center for Neuroscience Research, University at Albany, State University of New York, 1400 Washington Ave., Albany, NY 12222, United States of America.
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9
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Atyeo C, DeRiso EA, Davis C, Bordt EA, De Guzman RM, Shook LL, Yonker LM, Fasano A, Akinwunmi B, Lauffenburger DA, Elovitz MA, Gray KJ, Edlow AG, Alter G. COVID-19 mRNA vaccines drive differential antibody Fc-functional profiles in pregnant, lactating, and nonpregnant women. Sci Transl Med 2021; 13:eabi8631. [PMID: 34664972 PMCID: PMC9067624 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abi8631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Substantial immunological changes occur throughout pregnancy to promote tolerization of the mother to the fetus and allow fetal growth. However, additional local and systemic immunological adaptations also occur, allowing the maternal immune system to continue to protect the dyad against pathogens both during pregnancy and after birth through lactation. This fine balance of tolerance and immunity, along with physiological and hormonal changes, contribute to increased susceptibility to particular infections in pregnancy, including more severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Whether these changes also make pregnant women less responsive to vaccination or induce altered immune responses to vaccination remains incompletely understood. To holistically define potential changes in vaccine response during pregnancy and lactation, we deeply profiled the humoral vaccine response in a group of pregnant and lactating women and non-pregnant age-matched controls. Vaccine-specific titers were comparable between pregnant women, lactating women, and non-pregnant controls. However, Fc receptor (FcR)-binding and antibody effector functions were induced with delayed kinetics in both pregnant and lactating women compared to non-pregnant women after the first vaccine dose, which normalized after the second dose. Antibody boosting resulted in high FcR-binding titers in breastmilk. These data suggest that pregnancy promotes resistance to generating highly inflammatory antibodies and indicates that there is a critical need to follow prime-boost timelines in this vulnerable population to ensure full immunity is attained. Pregnant and lactating women develop distinct antibody Fc profiles in response to the mRNA-1273 and BNT162b2 vaccines compared to non-pregnant women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Atyeo
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.,PhD Program in Virology, Division of Medical Sciences, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | | | - Christine Davis
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Evan A Bordt
- Department of Pediatrics, Lurie Center for Autism, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Rose M De Guzman
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA.,Vincent Center for Reproductive Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Lydia L Shook
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA.,Vincent Center for Reproductive Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Lael M Yonker
- Mucosal Immunology and Biology Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Alessio Fasano
- Mucosal Immunology and Biology Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Babatunde Akinwunmi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Douglas A Lauffenburger
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Michal A Elovitz
- Maternal and Child Health Research Center, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Kathryn J Gray
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Andrea G Edlow
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA.,Vincent Center for Reproductive Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Galit Alter
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
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10
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Bordt EA, Shook LL, Atyeo C, Pullen KM, De Guzman RM, Meinsohn MC, Chauvin M, Fischinger S, Yockey LJ, James K, Lima R, Yonker LM, Fasano A, Brigida S, Bebell LM, Roberts DJ, Pépin D, Huh JR, Bilbo SD, Li JZ, Kaimal A, Schust DJ, Gray KJ, Lauffenburger D, Alter G, Edlow AG. Maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection elicits sexually dimorphic placental immune responses. Sci Transl Med 2021; 13:eabi7428. [PMID: 34664987 PMCID: PMC8784281 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abi7428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
There is a persistent bias toward higher prevalence and increased severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in males. Underlying mechanisms accounting for this sex difference remain incompletely understood. Interferon responses have been implicated as a modulator of COVID-19 disease in adults and play a key role in the placental antiviral response. Moreover, the interferon response has been shown to alter Fc receptor expression and therefore may affect placental antibody transfer. Here, we examined the intersection of maternal-fetal antibody transfer, viral-induced placental interferon responses, and fetal sex in pregnant women infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Placental Fc receptor abundance, interferon-stimulated gene (ISG) expression, and SARS-CoV-2 antibody transfer were interrogated in 68 human pregnancies. Sexually dimorphic expression of placental Fc receptors, ISGs and proteins, and interleukin-10 was observed after maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection, with up-regulation of these features in placental tissue of pregnant individuals with male fetuses. Reduced maternal SARS-CoV-2–specific antibody titers and impaired placental antibody transfer were also observed in pregnancies with a male fetus. These results demonstrate fetal sex-specific maternal and placental adaptive and innate immune responses to SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evan A Bordt
- Department of Pediatrics, Lurie Center for Autism, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02129, USA
| | - Lydia L Shook
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA.,Vincent Center for Reproductive Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Caroline Atyeo
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.,PhD Program in Virology, Division of Medical Sciences, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Krista M Pullen
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Rose M De Guzman
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA.,Vincent Center for Reproductive Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Marie-Charlotte Meinsohn
- Pediatric Surgical Research Laboratories, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Maeva Chauvin
- Pediatric Surgical Research Laboratories, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | | | - Laura J Yockey
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA.,Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Kaitlyn James
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Rosiane Lima
- Mucosal Immunology and Biology Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02129, USA
| | - Lael M Yonker
- Mucosal Immunology and Biology Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02129, USA
| | - Alessio Fasano
- Mucosal Immunology and Biology Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02129, USA.,European Biomedical Research Institute of Salerno (EBRIS), Salerno, Italy
| | - Sara Brigida
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA.,Vincent Center for Reproductive Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Lisa M Bebell
- Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Drucilla J Roberts
- Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - David Pépin
- Pediatric Surgical Research Laboratories, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Jun R Huh
- Department of Immunology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.,Evergrande Center for Immunologic Diseases, Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Staci D Bilbo
- Department of Pediatrics, Lurie Center for Autism, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02129, USA.,Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Jonathan Z Li
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Anjali Kaimal
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Danny J Schust
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Women's Health, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65201, USA
| | - Kathryn J Gray
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Douglas Lauffenburger
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Galit Alter
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Andrea G Edlow
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA.,Vincent Center for Reproductive Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
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11
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De Guzman RM, Rosinger ZJ, Parra KE, Jacobskind JS, Justice NJ, Zuloaga DG. Alterations in corticotropin-releasing factor receptor type 1 in the preoptic area and hypothalamus in mice during the postpartum period. Horm Behav 2021; 135:105044. [PMID: 34507241 PMCID: PMC8653990 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2021.105044] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2021] [Revised: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 08/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) signaling through CRF receptor 1 (CRFR1) regulates autonomic, endocrine, and behavioral responses to stress, as well as behavioral changes during the maternal period. Previous work in our lab reported higher levels of CRFR1 in female, compared to male, mice within the rostral anteroventral periventricular nucleus (AVPV/PeN), a brain region involved in maternal behaviors. In this study, we used CRFR1-GFP reporter mice to investigate whether the reproductive status (postpartum vs. nulliparous) of acutely stressed females affects levels of CRFR1 in the AVPV/PeN and other regions involved in maternal functions. Compared to nulliparous, postpartum day 14 females showed increased AVPV/PeN CRFR1-GFP immunoreactivity and an elevated number of restraint stress-activated AVPV/PeN CRFR1 cells as assessed by immunohistochemical co-localization of CRFR1-GFP and phosphorylated CREB (pCREB). The medial preoptic area (MPOA) and paraventricular hypothalamus (PVN) of postpartum mice showed modest decreases in CRFR1-GFP immunoreactivity, while increased CRFR1-GFP/pCREB co-expressing cells were found in the PVN following restraint stress relative to nulliparous mice. Tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and CRFR1-GFP co-localization was also assessed in the AVPV/PeN and other regions and revealed a decrease in co-localized neurons in the AVPV/PeN and ventral tegmental area of postpartum mice. Corticosterone analysis of restrained mice revealed blunted peak, but elevated recovery, levels in postpartum compared to nulliparous mice. Finally, we investigated projection patterns of AVPV/PeN CRFR1 neurons using female CRFR1-Cre mice and revealed dense efferent projections to several preoptic, hypothalamic, and hindbrain regions known to control stress-associated and maternal functions. Together, these findings contribute to our understanding of the neurobiology that might underlie changes in stress-related functions during the postpartum period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rose M De Guzman
- Department of Psychology, University at Albany, State University New York, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222, United States
| | - Zachary J Rosinger
- Department of Psychology, University at Albany, State University New York, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222, United States
| | - Katherine E Parra
- Department of Psychology, University at Albany, State University New York, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222, United States
| | - Jason S Jacobskind
- Department of Psychology, University at Albany, State University New York, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222, United States
| | - Nicholas J Justice
- Center for Metabolic and Degenerative Diseases, Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Sciences Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Damian G Zuloaga
- Department of Psychology, University at Albany, State University New York, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222, United States.
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12
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Bordt EA, Shook LL, Atyeo C, Pullen KM, De Guzman RM, Meinsohn MC, Chauvin M, Fischinger S, Yockey LJ, James K, Lima R, Yonker LM, Fasano A, Brigida S, Bebell LM, Roberts DJ, Pépin D, Huh JR, Bilbo SD, Li JZ, Kaimal A, Schust D, Gray KJ, Lauffenburger D, Alter G, Edlow AG. Sexually dimorphic placental responses to maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection. bioRxiv 2021:2021.03.29.437516. [PMID: 33821279 PMCID: PMC8020979 DOI: 10.1101/2021.03.29.437516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
There is a persistent male bias in the prevalence and severity of COVID-19 disease. Underlying mechanisms accounting for this sex difference remain incompletely understood. Interferon responses have been implicated as a modulator of disease in adults, and play a key role in the placental anti-viral response. Moreover, the interferon response has been shown to alter Fc-receptor expression, and therefore may impact placental antibody transfer. Here we examined the intersection of viral-induced placental interferon responses, maternal-fetal antibody transfer, and fetal sex. Placental interferon stimulated genes (ISGs), Fc-receptor expression, and SARS-CoV-2 antibody transfer were interrogated in 68 pregnancies. Sexually dimorphic placental expression of ISGs, interleukin-10, and Fc receptors was observed following maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection, with upregulation in males. Reduced maternal SARS-CoV-2-specific antibody titers and impaired placental antibody transfer were noted in pregnancies with a male fetus. These results demonstrate fetal sex-specific maternal and placental adaptive and innate immune responses to SARS-CoV-2.
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13
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Sheridan SD, Thanos JM, De Guzman RM, McCrea LT, Horng JE, Fu T, Sellgren CM, Perlis RH, Edlow AG. Umbilical cord blood-derived microglia-like cells to model COVID-19 exposure. Transl Psychiatry 2021; 11:179. [PMID: 33741894 PMCID: PMC7976669 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-021-01287-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Microglia, the resident brain immune cells, play a critical role in normal brain development, and are impacted by the intrauterine environment, including maternal immune activation and inflammatory exposures. The COVID-19 pandemic presents a potential developmental immune challenge to the fetal brain, in the setting of maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection with its attendant potential for cytokine production and, in severe cases, cytokine storming. There is currently no biomarker or model for in utero microglial priming and function that might aid in identifying the neonates and children most vulnerable to neurodevelopmental morbidity, as microglia remain inaccessible in fetal life and after birth. This study aimed to generate patient-derived microglial-like cell models unique to each neonate from reprogrammed umbilical cord blood mononuclear cells, adapting and extending a novel methodology previously validated for adult peripheral blood mononuclear cells. We demonstrate that umbilical cord blood mononuclear cells can be used to create microglial-like cell models morphologically and functionally similar to microglia observed in vivo. We illustrate the application of this approach by generating microglia from cells exposed and unexposed to maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection. Our ability to create personalized neonatal models of fetal brain immune programming enables non-invasive insights into fetal brain development and potential childhood neurodevelopmental vulnerabilities for a range of maternal exposures, including COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven D Sheridan
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Center for Genomic Medicine and Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jessica M Thanos
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Center for Genomic Medicine and Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Rose M De Guzman
- Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Vincent Center for Reproductive Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Liam T McCrea
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Center for Genomic Medicine and Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Joy E Horng
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Center for Genomic Medicine and Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ting Fu
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Center for Genomic Medicine and Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Carl M Sellgren
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Roy H Perlis
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Center for Genomic Medicine and Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Andrea G Edlow
- Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Vincent Center for Reproductive Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
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14
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Gray KJ, Bordt EA, Atyeo C, Deriso E, Akinwunmi B, Young N, Baez AM, Shook LL, Cvrk D, James K, De Guzman RM, Brigida S, Diouf K, Goldfarb I, Bebell LM, Yonker LM, Fasano A, Rabi SA, Elovitz MA, Alter G, Edlow AG. COVID-19 vaccine response in pregnant and lactating women: a cohort study. medRxiv 2021. [PMID: 33758889 DOI: 10.1101/2021.03.07.21253094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Background Pregnant and lactating women were excluded from initial COVID-19 vaccine trials; thus, data to guide vaccine decision-making are lacking. We sought to evaluate the immunogenicity and reactogenicity of COVID-19 mRNA vaccination in pregnant and lactating women. Methods 131 reproductive-age vaccine recipients (84 pregnant, 31 lactating, and 16 non-pregnant) were enrolled in a prospective cohort study at two academic medical centers. Titers of SARS-CoV-2 Spike and RBD IgG, IgA and IgM were quantified in participant sera (N=131), umbilical cord sera (N=10), and breastmilk (N=31) at baseline, 2nd vaccine dose, 2-6 weeks post 2nd vaccine, and delivery by Luminex, and confirmed by ELISA. Titers were compared to pregnant women 4-12 weeks from native infection (N=37). Post-vaccination symptoms were assessed. Kruskal-Wallis tests and a mixed effects model, with correction for multiple comparisons, were used to assess differences between groups. Results Vaccine-induced immune responses were equivalent in pregnant and lactating vs non-pregnant women. All titers were higher than those induced by SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy. Vaccine-generated antibodies were present in all umbilical cord blood and breastmilk samples. SARS-CoV-2 specific IgG, but not IgA, increased in maternal blood and breastmilk with vaccine boost. No differences were noted in reactogenicity across the groups. Conclusions COVID-19 mRNA vaccines generated robust humoral immunity in pregnant and lactating women, with immunogenicity and reactogenicity similar to that observed in non-pregnant women. Vaccine-induced immune responses were significantly greater than the response to natural infection. Immune transfer to neonates occurred via placental and breastmilk.
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15
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Phumsatitpong C, De Guzman RM, Zuloaga DG, Moenter SM. A CRH Receptor Type 1 Agonist Increases GABA Transmission to GnRH Neurons in a Circulating-Estradiol-Dependent Manner. Endocrinology 2020; 161:5892962. [PMID: 32798220 PMCID: PMC7547842 DOI: 10.1210/endocr/bqaa140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2020] [Accepted: 08/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
GnRH neurons are central regulators of reproduction and respond to factors affecting fertility, such as stress. Corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) is released during stress response. In brain slices from unstressed controls, CRH has opposite, estradiol-dependent effects on GnRH neuron firing depending on the CRH receptor activated; activating CRHR-1 stimulates whereas activating CRHR-2 suppresses activity. We investigated possible direct and indirect mechanisms. Mice were ovariectomized and either not treated further (OVX) or given a capsule producing high positive feedback (OVX + E) or low negative feedback (OVX + low E) physiologic circulating estradiol levels. We tested possible direct effects on GnRH neurons by altering voltage-gated potassium currents. Two types of voltage-gated potassium currents (transient IA and sustained IK) were measured; neither CRHR-1 nor CRHR-2 agonists altered potassium current density in GnRH neurons from OVX + E mice. Further, neither CRH nor receptor-specific agonists altered action potential generation in response to current injection in GnRH neurons from OVX + E mice. To test the possible indirect actions, GABAergic postsynaptic currents were monitored. A CRHR-1 agonist increased GABAergic transmission frequency to GnRH neurons from OVX + E, but not OVX, mice, whereas a CRHR-2 agonist had no effect. Finally, we tested if CRH alters the firing rate of arcuate kisspeptin neurons, which provide an important excitatory neuromodulatory input to GnRH neurons. CRH did not acutely alter firing activity of these neurons from OVX, OVX + E or OVX + low E mice. These results suggest CRH increases GnRH neuron activity in an estradiol-dependent manner in part by activating GABAergic afferents. Mechanisms underlying inhibitory effects of CRH remain unknown.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Suzanne M Moenter
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, US
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, US
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, US
- Correspondence: Suzanne M. Moenter; 7725 Med Sci II; 1137 E Catherine St; Ann Arbor, MI 48109-5622. E-mail:
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16
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De Guzman RM, Medina J, Saulsbery AI, Workman JL. Rotated nursing environment with underfeeding: A form of early-life adversity with sex- and age-dependent effects on coping behavior and hippocampal neurogenesis. Physiol Behav 2020; 225:113106. [PMID: 32717197 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2020.113106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2020] [Revised: 07/07/2020] [Accepted: 07/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
We investigated how a unique form of early-life adversity (ELA), caused by rotated nursing environment to induce underfeeding, alters anxiety-like and stress-coping behaviors in male and female Sprague Dawley rats in adolescence and adulthood. Adult female rats underwent either thelectomy (thel; surgical removal of teats), sham surgery, or no surgery (control) before mating. Following parturition, litters were rotated between sham and thel rats every 12 h to generate a group of rats that experienced ELA (rotated housing, rotated mother, and 50% food restriction) from postnatal day 0 to 26. Control litters remained with their natal, nursing dams. Regardless of age and sex, ELA reduced activity in the periphery of the open field. ELA increased immobility in the forced swim test, particularly in adults. We used doublecortin immunohistochemistry to identify immature neurons in the hippocampus. ELA increased the number and density of immature neurons in the dentate gyrus of adolescent males (but not females) and reduced the density of immature neurons in adult males (but not females). This research indicates that a unique form of ELA alters stress-related passive coping and hippocampal neurogenesis in an age- and sex-dependent manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rose M De Guzman
- Department of Psychology, University at Albany, State University of New York, 1400 Washington Ave. Albany, NY 12222 United States
| | - Joanna Medina
- Department of Psychology, University at Albany, State University of New York, 1400 Washington Ave. Albany, NY 12222 United States
| | - Angela I Saulsbery
- Department of Psychology, University at Albany, State University of New York, 1400 Washington Ave. Albany, NY 12222 United States
| | - Joanna L Workman
- Department of Psychology, University at Albany, State University of New York, 1400 Washington Ave. Albany, NY 12222 United States; Center for Neuroscience Research, University at Albany, State University of New York, 1400 Washington Ave. Albany, NY 12222, United States.
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17
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Sheridan SD, Thanos JM, De Guzman RM, McCrea LT, Horng J, Fu T, Sellgren CM, Perlis RH, Edlow AG. Umbilical cord blood derived microglia-like cells to model COVID-19 exposure. bioRxiv 2020:2020.10.07.329748. [PMID: 33052344 PMCID: PMC7553171 DOI: 10.1101/2020.10.07.329748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Microglia, the resident brain immune cells, play a critical role in normal brain development, and are impacted by the intrauterine environment, including maternal immune activation and inflammatory exposures. The COVID-19 pandemic presents a potential developmental immune challenge to the fetal brain, in the setting of maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection with its attendant potential for cytokine production and, in severe cases, cytokine storming. There is currently no biomarker or model for in utero microglial priming and function that might aid in identifying the neonates and children most vulnerable to neurodevelopmental morbidity, as microglia remain inaccessible in fetal life and after birth. This study aimed to generate patient-derived microglial-like cell models unique to each neonate from reprogrammed umbilical cord blood mononuclear cells, adapting and extending a novel methodology previously validated for adult peripheral blood mononuclear cells. We demonstrate that umbilical cord blood mononuclear cells can be used to create microglial-like cell models morphologically and functionally similar to microglia observed in vivo . We illustrate the application of this approach by generating microglia from cells exposed and unexposed to maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection. Our ability to create personalized neonatal models of fetal brain immune programming enables non-invasive insights into fetal brain development and potential childhood neurodevelopmental vulnerabilities for a range of maternal exposures, including COVID-19.
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18
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McCauley JP, Petroccione MA, D'Brant LY, Todd GC, Affinnih N, Wisnoski JJ, Zahid S, Shree S, Sousa AA, De Guzman RM, Migliore R, Brazhe A, Leapman RD, Khmaladze A, Semyanov A, Zuloaga DG, Migliore M, Scimemi A. Circadian Modulation of Neurons and Astrocytes Controls Synaptic Plasticity in Hippocampal Area CA1. Cell Rep 2020; 33:108255. [PMID: 33053337 PMCID: PMC7700820 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.108255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [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: 11/13/2019] [Revised: 08/21/2020] [Accepted: 09/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Most animal species operate according to a 24-h period set by the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the hypothalamus. The rhythmic activity of the SCN modulates hippocampal-dependent memory, but the molecular and cellular mechanisms that account for this effect remain largely unknown. Here, we identify cell-type-specific structural and functional changes that occur with circadian rhythmicity in neurons and astrocytes in hippocampal area CA1. Pyramidal neurons change the surface expression of NMDA receptors. Astrocytes change their proximity to synapses. Together, these phenomena alter glutamate clearance, receptor activation, and integration of temporally clustered excitatory synaptic inputs, ultimately shaping hippocampal-dependent learning in vivo. We identify corticosterone as a key contributor to changes in synaptic strength. These findings highlight important mechanisms through which neurons and astrocytes modify the molecular composition and structure of the synaptic environment, contribute to the local storage of information in the hippocampus, and alter the temporal dynamics of cognitive processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- John P McCauley
- Department of Biology, SUNY Albany, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222, USA
| | | | - Lianna Y D'Brant
- Department of Biology, SUNY Albany, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222, USA; Department of Physics, SUNY Albany, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222, USA
| | - Gabrielle C Todd
- Department of Biology, SUNY Albany, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222, USA
| | - Nurat Affinnih
- Department of Biology, SUNY Albany, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222, USA
| | - Justin J Wisnoski
- Department of Biology, SUNY Albany, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222, USA
| | - Shergil Zahid
- Department of Biology, SUNY Albany, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222, USA
| | - Swasti Shree
- Department of Biology, SUNY Albany, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222, USA; Bethlehem Central High School, 700 Delaware Avenue, Delmar, NY 12054, USA
| | - Alioscka A Sousa
- Federal University of São Paulo, Department of Biochemistry, 100 Rua Tres de Maio, São Paulo 04044-020, Brazil; National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, National Institutes of Health, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Rose M De Guzman
- Department of Psychology, SUNY Albany, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222, USA
| | - Rosanna Migliore
- Institute of Biophysics, National Research Council, 153 Via Ugo La Malfa, Palermo 90146, Italy
| | - Alexey Brazhe
- Department of Biophysics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory 1/12, Moscow 119234, Russia; Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Ulitsa Miklukho-Maklaya 16/10, Moscow 117997, Russia
| | - Richard D Leapman
- National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, National Institutes of Health, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Alexander Khmaladze
- Department of Physics, SUNY Albany, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222, USA
| | - Alexey Semyanov
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Ulitsa Miklukho-Maklaya 16/10, Moscow 117997, Russia; Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Bolshaya Pirogovskaya Ulitsa 19с1, Moscow 119146, Russia
| | - Damian G Zuloaga
- Department of Psychology, SUNY Albany, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222, USA
| | - Michele Migliore
- Institute of Biophysics, National Research Council, 153 Via Ugo La Malfa, Palermo 90146, Italy
| | - Annalisa Scimemi
- Department of Biology, SUNY Albany, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222, USA.
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19
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Zuloaga DG, Heck AL, De Guzman RM, Handa RJ. Roles for androgens in mediating the sex differences of neuroendocrine and behavioral stress responses. Biol Sex Differ 2020; 11:44. [PMID: 32727567 PMCID: PMC7388454 DOI: 10.1186/s13293-020-00319-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2020] [Accepted: 07/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Estradiol and testosterone are powerful steroid hormones that impact brain function in numerous ways. During development, these hormones can act to program the adult brain in a male or female direction. During adulthood, gonadal steroid hormones can activate or inhibit brain regions to modulate adult functions. Sex differences in behavioral and neuroendocrine (i.e., hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis) responses to stress arise as a result of these organizational and activational actions. The sex differences that are present in the HPA and behavioral responses to stress are particularly important considering their role in maintaining homeostasis. Furthermore, dysregulation of these systems can underlie the sex biases in risk for complex, stress-related diseases that are found in humans. Although many studies have explored the role of estrogen and estrogen receptors in mediating sex differences in stress-related behaviors and HPA function, much less consideration has been given to the role of androgens. While circulating androgens can act by binding and activating androgen receptors, they can also act by metabolism to estrogenic molecules to impact estrogen signaling in the brain and periphery. This review focuses on androgens as an important hormone for modulating the HPA axis and behaviors throughout life and for setting up sex differences in key stress regulatory systems that could impact risk for disease in adulthood. In particular, impacts of androgens on neuropeptide systems known to play key roles in HPA and behavioral responses to stress (corticotropin-releasing factor, vasopressin, and oxytocin) are discussed. A greater knowledge of androgen action in the brain is key to understanding the neurobiology of stress in both sexes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ashley L Heck
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | | | - Robert J Handa
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA.
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Rosinger ZJ, De Guzman RM, Jacobskind JS, Saglimbeni B, Malone M, Fico D, Justice NJ, Forni PE, Zuloaga DG. Sex-dependent effects of chronic variable stress on discrete corticotropin-releasing factor receptor 1 cell populations. Physiol Behav 2020; 219:112847. [PMID: 32081812 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2020.112847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2019] [Revised: 01/25/2020] [Accepted: 02/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Anxiety and depression are strikingly more prevalent in women compared with men. Dysregulation of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) binding to its cognate receptor (CRFR1) is thought to play a critical role in the etiology of these disorders. In the present study, we investigated whether there were sex differences in the effects of chronic variable stress (CVS) on CRFR1 cells using CRFR1-GFP reporter mice experiencing a 9-day CVS paradigm. Brains were collected from CVS and stress naïve female and male mice following exposure to the open field test. This CVS paradigm effectively increased anxiety-like behavior in female and male mice. In addition, we assessed changes in activation of CRFR1 cells (co-localization with c-Fos and phosphorylated CREB (pCREB)) in stress associated brain structures, including two sexually dimorphic CRFR1 cell groups in the anteroventral periventricular nucleus (AVPV/PeN; F>M) and paraventricular hypothalamus (PVN; M>F). CVS increased CRFR1-GFP cell number as well as the number of CRFR1/pCREB co-expressing cells in the female but not male AVPV/PeN. In the PVN, the number of CRFR1/pCREB co-expressing cells was overall greater in males regardless of treatment and CVS resulted in a male-specific reduction of CRFR1/c-Fos cells. In addition, CVS induced a female-specific reduction in CRFR1/c-Fos cells within the anteroventral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and both sexes exhibited a reduction in CRFR1/c-Fos co-expressing cells following CVS within the ventral basolateral amygdala. Overall, these sex-specific effects of CVS on CRFR1 populations may have implications for sex differences in stress-induction of mood disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary J Rosinger
- Department of Psychology, University at Albany, Albany, NY 12222, United States
| | - Rose M De Guzman
- Department of Psychology, University at Albany, Albany, NY 12222, United States
| | - Jason S Jacobskind
- Department of Psychology, University at Albany, Albany, NY 12222, United States
| | - Brianna Saglimbeni
- Department of Psychology, University at Albany, Albany, NY 12222, United States
| | - Margaret Malone
- Department of Psychology, University at Albany, Albany, NY 12222, United States
| | - Danielle Fico
- Department of Psychology, University at Albany, Albany, NY 12222, United States
| | - Nicholas J Justice
- Center for Metabolic and Degenerative Diseases, Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Sciences Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Paolo E Forni
- Department of Biological Sciences, The RNA Institute, and the Center for Neuroscience Research, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, NY 12222, United States
| | - Damian G Zuloaga
- Department of Psychology, University at Albany, Albany, NY 12222, United States.
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21
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Rosinger ZJ, Jacobskind JS, De Guzman RM, Justice NJ, Zuloaga DG. Corrigendum to "A Sexually Dimorphic Distribution of Corticotropin-Releasing Factor Receptor 1 in the Paraventricular Hypothalamus" [Neuroscience 409 (2019) 195-203]. Neuroscience 2020; 428:1. [PMID: 31923402 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2019.12.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Rose M De Guzman
- University at Albany, Department of Psychology, Albany, NY 12222, USA
| | - Nicholas J Justice
- Center for Metabolic and Degenerative Diseases, Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Sciences Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Damian G Zuloaga
- University at Albany, Department of Psychology, Albany, NY 12222, USA.
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22
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Rosinger ZJ, Jacobskind JS, De Guzman RM, Justice NJ, Zuloaga DG. A sexually dimorphic distribution of corticotropin-releasing factor receptor 1 in the paraventricular hypothalamus. Neuroscience 2019; 409:195-203. [PMID: 31055007 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2019.04.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2019] [Revised: 04/08/2019] [Accepted: 04/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Sex differences in neural structures are generally believed to underlie sex differences reported in anxiety, depression, and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, although the specific circuitry involved is largely unclear. Using a corticotropin-releasing factor receptor 1 (CRFR1) reporter mouse line, we report a sexually dimorphic distribution of CRFR1 expressing cells within the paraventricular hypothalamus (PVN; males > females). Relative to adult levels, PVN CRFR1-expressing cells are sparse and not sexually dimorphic at postnatal days 0, 4, or 21. This suggests that PVN cells might recruit CRFR1 during puberty or early adulthood in a sex-specific manner. The adult sex difference in PVN CRFR1 persists in old mice (20-24 months). Adult gonadectomy (6 weeks) resulted in a significant decrease in CRFR1-immunoreactive cells in the male but not female PVN. CRFR1 cells show moderate co-expression with estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) and high co-expression with androgen receptor, indicating potential mechanisms through which circulating gonadal hormones might regulate CRFR1 expression and function. Finally, we demonstrate that a psychological stressor, restraint stress, induces a sexually dimorphic pattern of neural activation in PVN CRFR1 cells (males >females) as assessed by co-localization with the transcription/neural activation marker phosphorylated CREB. Given the known role of CRFR1 in regulating stress-associated behaviors and hormonal responses, this CRFR1 PVN sex difference might contribute to sex differences in these functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary J Rosinger
- University at Albany, Department of Psychology, Albany, NY 12222, United States of America
| | - Jason S Jacobskind
- University at Albany, Department of Psychology, Albany, NY 12222, United States of America
| | - Rose M De Guzman
- University at Albany, Department of Psychology, Albany, NY 12222, United States of America
| | - Nicholas J Justice
- Center for Metabolic and Degenerative Diseases, Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Sciences Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Damian G Zuloaga
- University at Albany, Department of Psychology, Albany, NY 12222, United States of America.
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23
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Monaco JD, De Guzman RM, Blair HT, Zhang K. Spatial synchronization codes from coupled rate-phase neurons. PLoS Comput Biol 2019; 15:e1006741. [PMID: 30682012 PMCID: PMC6364943 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1006741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2018] [Revised: 02/06/2019] [Accepted: 12/21/2018] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
During spatial navigation, the frequency and timing of spikes from spatial neurons including place cells in hippocampus and grid cells in medial entorhinal cortex are temporally organized by continuous theta oscillations (6-11 Hz). The theta rhythm is regulated by subcortical structures including the medial septum, but it is unclear how spatial information from place cells may reciprocally organize subcortical theta-rhythmic activity. Here we recorded single-unit spiking from a constellation of subcortical and hippocampal sites to study spatial modulation of rhythmic spike timing in rats freely exploring an open environment. Our analysis revealed a novel class of neurons that we termed 'phaser cells,' characterized by a symmetric coupling between firing rate and spike theta-phase. Phaser cells encoded space by assigning distinct phases to allocentric isocontour levels of each cell's spatial firing pattern. In our dataset, phaser cells were predominantly located in the lateral septum, but also the hippocampus, anteroventral thalamus, lateral hypothalamus, and nucleus accumbens. Unlike the unidirectional late-to-early phase precession of place cells, bidirectional phase modulation acted to return phaser cells to the same theta-phase along a given spatial isocontour, including cells that characteristically shifted to later phases at higher firing rates. Our dynamical models of intrinsic theta-bursting neurons demonstrated that experience-independent temporal coding mechanisms can qualitatively explain (1) the spatial rate-phase relationships of phaser cells and (2) the observed temporal segregation of phaser cells according to phase-shift direction. In open-field phaser cell simulations, competitive learning embedded phase-code entrainment maps into the weights of downstream targets, including path integration networks. Bayesian phase decoding revealed error correction capable of resetting path integration at subsecond timescales. Our findings suggest that phaser cells may instantiate a subcortical theta-rhythmic loop of spatial feedback. We outline a framework in which location-dependent synchrony reconciles internal idiothetic processes with the allothetic reference points of sensory experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph D. Monaco
- Biomedical Engineering Department, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Rose M. De Guzman
- Psychology Department, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Hugh T. Blair
- Psychology Department, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Kechen Zhang
- Biomedical Engineering Department, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
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De Guzman RM, Saulsbery AI, Workman JL. High nursing demand reduces depression-like behavior despite increasing glucocorticoid concentrations and reducing hippocampal neurogenesis in late postpartum rats. Behav Brain Res 2018; 353:143-153. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2018.07.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [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: 03/27/2018] [Revised: 07/03/2018] [Accepted: 07/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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