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Sun H, Zhang X, Kong Y, Gou L, Lian B, Wang Y, Jiang L, Li Q, Sun H, Sun L. Maternal Separation-Induced Histone Acetylation Correlates with BDNF-Programmed Synaptic Changes in an Animal Model of PTSD with Sex Differences. Mol Neurobiol 2021; 58:1738-1754. [PMID: 33245480 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-020-02224-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2020] [Accepted: 11/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Maternal separation (MS) causes long-lasting epigenetic changes in the brain and increases vulnerability to traumatic events in adulthood. Of interest, there may be sex-specific differences in these epigenetic changes. In this study, the extent of histone acetylation in the hippocampus (HIP) and the expression of BDNF were measured to determine whether BDNF influences risk of PTSD following MS in early life. Rat offspring were separated from their dams (3 h/day or 6 h/day from PND2~PND14). Then, pups were treated with a single prolonged stress (SPS) procedure when they reached adulthood (PND80). In animals stressed with the SPS procedure in adulthood, those that had increased MS intensity in childhood demonstrated more significant changes in performance on tests of anxiety, depression, and contextual fear memory. Reduced levels of total BDNF mRNA and protein were observed after SPS treatment and further declined in groups with greater MS time in childhood. Interestingly, these changes were correlated with decreased H3K9ac levels and increased HDAC2 levels. Additional MS also led to more severe ultrastructural synaptic damage in rats that experienced the SPS procedure, particularly in the CA1 and CA3 region of the HIP, reflecting impaired synaptic plasticity in these regions. Interestingly, male rats in the MS3h-PTSD group showed decreased anxiety, but no similar changes were found in female rats, suggesting a degree of gender specificity in coping with stress after mild MS. In summary, this study suggests that the epigenetic signatures of the BDNF genes can be linked to HIP responses to stress, providing insights that may be relevant for people at risk of stress-related psychopathologies.
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MESH Headings
- Acetylation
- Animals
- Behavior, Animal
- Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor/metabolism
- CA1 Region, Hippocampal/metabolism
- CA1 Region, Hippocampal/ultrastructure
- CA3 Region, Hippocampal/metabolism
- CA3 Region, Hippocampal/ultrastructure
- Corticosterone/blood
- Disease Models, Animal
- Elevated Plus Maze Test
- Fear
- Female
- Gene Expression Regulation
- Histone Deacetylase 2/genetics
- Histone Deacetylase 2/metabolism
- Histones/metabolism
- Immobilization
- Male
- Maternal Deprivation
- Open Field Test
- Rats, Sprague-Dawley
- Regression Analysis
- Sex Characteristics
- Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/blood
- Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/complications
- Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/metabolism
- Stress, Psychological/blood
- Stress, Psychological/complications
- Swimming
- Synapses/metabolism
- Synapses/ultrastructure
- Rats
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Affiliation(s)
- Haoran Sun
- School of Clinical Medicine, Weifang Medical University, 7166# Baotong West Street, Weifang, 261053, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Xianqiang Zhang
- School of Psychology, Weifang Medical University, 7166# Baotong West Street, Weifang, 261053, Shandong, People's Republic of China
- National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Peking University Sixth Hospital/Institute of Mental Health and the Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Ministry of Health (Peking University), Beijing, 100083, People's Republic of China
| | - Yujia Kong
- School of Public Health, Weifang Medical University, 7166# Baotong West Street, Weifang, 261053, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Luping Gou
- School of Psychology, Weifang Medical University, 7166# Baotong West Street, Weifang, 261053, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Bo Lian
- School of Bioscience and Technology, Weifang Medical University, 7166# Baotong West Street, Weifang, 261053, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Yanyu Wang
- School of Psychology, Weifang Medical University, 7166# Baotong West Street, Weifang, 261053, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Li Jiang
- Cerebral Center, Sunshine Union Hospital, 9000# Yingqian Street, Weifang, 261205, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Qi Li
- Department of Psychiatry and Centre for Reproduction Growth and Development, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China
| | - Hongwei Sun
- School of Psychology, Weifang Medical University, 7166# Baotong West Street, Weifang, 261053, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Lin Sun
- School of Psychology, Weifang Medical University, 7166# Baotong West Street, Weifang, 261053, Shandong, People's Republic of China.
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