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Vega-Vásquez T, Langgartner D, Wang JY, Reber SO, Picard M, Basualto-Alarcón C. Mitochondrial morphology in the mouse adrenal cortex: Influence of chronic psychosocial stress. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2024; 160:106683. [PMID: 38086320 PMCID: PMC10872515 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2023.106683] [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: 02/10/2023] [Revised: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/02/2024]
Abstract
Mitochondria within the adrenal cortex play a key role in synthesizing steroid hormones. The adrenal cortex is organized in three functionally specialized zones (glomerulosa, fasciculata, and reticularis) that produce different classes of steroid hormones in response to various stimuli, including psychosocial stress. Given that the functions and morphology of mitochondria are dynamically related and respond to stress, we applied transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to examine potential differences in mitochondrial morphology under basal and chronic psychosocial stress conditions. We used the chronic subordinate colony housing (CSC) paradigm, a murine model of chronic psychosocial stress. Our findings quantitatively define how mitochondrial morphology differs among each of the three adrenal cortex zones under basal conditions, and show that chronic psychosocial stress mainly affected mitochondria in the zona glomerulosa, shifting their morphology towards the more typical glucocorticoid-producing zona fasciculata mitochondrial phenotype. Analysis of adrenocortical lipid droplets that provide cholesterol for steroidogenesis showed that chronic psychosocial stress altered lipid droplet diameter, without affecting droplet number or inter-organellar mitochondria-lipid droplet interactions. Together, our findings support the hypothesis that each adrenal cortex layer is characterized by morphologically distinct mitochondria and that this adrenal zone-specific mitochondrial morphology is sensitive to environmental stimuli, including chronic psychosocial stressors. Further research is needed to define the role of these stress-induced changes in mitochondrial morphology, particularly in the zona glomerulosa, on stress resilience and related behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamara Vega-Vásquez
- Laboratory of Cellular Physiology and Metabolism, Health Sciences Department, University of Aysén, Coyhaique, Chile
| | - Dominik Langgartner
- Laboratory for Molecular Psychosomatics, Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Jennifer Y Wang
- School of Medicine, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY, USA
| | - Stefan O Reber
- Laboratory for Molecular Psychosomatics, Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Martin Picard
- Department of Psychiatry, Division of Behavioral Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, USA; Department of Neurology, H. Houston Merritt Center, Columbia University Translational Neuroscience Initiative, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, USA; New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, USA
| | - Carla Basualto-Alarcón
- Laboratory of Cellular Physiology and Metabolism, Health Sciences Department, University of Aysén, Coyhaique, Chile; Anatomy and Legal Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile.
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Mazzari G, Lowry CA, Langgartner D, Reber SO. Subcutaneous Mycobacterium vaccae ameliorates the effects of early life adversity alone or in combination with chronic stress during adulthood in male and female mice. Neurobiol Stress 2023; 26:100568. [PMID: 37727147 PMCID: PMC10506060 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2023.100568] [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] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Revised: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/03/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic psychosocial stress is a burden of modern society and poses a clear risk factor for a plethora of somatic and affective disorders, of which most are associated with an activated immune status and chronic low-grade inflammation. Preclinical and clinical studies further suggest that a failure in immunoregulation promotes an over-reaction of the inflammatory stress response and, thus, predisposes an individual to the development of stress-related disorders. Therefore, all genetic (i.e., sex) and environmental (i.e., early life adversity; ELA) factors facilitating an adult's inflammatory stress response are likely to increase their stress vulnerability. In the present study we investigated whether repeated subcutaneous (s.c.) administrations with a heat-killed preparation of Mycobacterium vaccae (M. vaccae; National Collection of Type Cultures (NCTC) 11659), an abundant soil saprophyte with immunoregulatory properties, are protective against negative behavioral, immunological and physiological consequences of ELA alone or of ELA followed by chronic psychosocial stress during adulthood (CAS) in male and female mice. ELA was induced by the maternal separation (MS) paradigm, CAS was induced by 19 days of chronic subordinate colony housing (CSC) in males and by a 7-week exposure to the social instability paradigm (SIP) in females. Our data indicate that ELA effects in both sexes, although relatively mild, were to a great extent prevented by subsequent s.c. M. vaccae administrations. Moreover, although the use of different paradigms for males and females impedes a direct comparison, male mice seemed to be more susceptible to CAS than females, with only females benefitting slightly from the stress protective effects of s.c. M. vaccae administrations when given prior to CAS alone. Finally, our data support the hypothesis that female mice are more vulnerable to the additive effects of ELA and CAS than male mice and that s.c. M. vaccae administrations subsequent to ELA but prior to CAS are protective in both sexes. Taken together and considering the limitation that CAS in males and females was induced by different paradigms, our findings are consistent with the hypotheses that murine stress vulnerability during different phases of life is strongly sex dependent and that developing immunoregulatory approaches, such as repeated s.c. administrations with immunoregulatory microorganisms, have potential for prevention/treatment of stress-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Mazzari
- Laboratory for Molecular Psychosomatics, Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Ulm University Medical Center, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Christopher A. Lowry
- Department of Integrative Physiology, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Center for Neuroscience and Center for Microbial Exploration, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and Center for Neuroscience, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
- Veterans Health Administration, Rocky Mountain Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC), The Rocky Mountain Regional Veterans Affairs Medical Center (RMRVAMC), Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
- Military and Veteran Microbiome: Consortium for Research and Education (MVM-CoRE), Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
| | - Dominik Langgartner
- Laboratory for Molecular Psychosomatics, Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Ulm University Medical Center, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Stefan O. Reber
- Laboratory for Molecular Psychosomatics, Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Ulm University Medical Center, 89081, Ulm, Germany
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Langgartner D, Koenen M, Kupfer S, Glogger L, Kurz L, Perez-Rivas LG, Theodoropoulou M, Noll-Hussong M, Vettorazzi S, Tuckermann J, Reber SO. Intact GR dimerization is critical for restraining plasma ACTH levels during chronic psychosocial stress. Neurobiol Stress 2023; 24:100541. [PMID: 37215522 PMCID: PMC10196852 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2023.100541] [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] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Revised: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Male C57BL/6N mice exposed to the chronic subordinate colony housing (CSC; 19 days) paradigm, a preclinically validated model of chronic psychosocial stress, are characterized by unaffected basal morning plasma corticosterone (CORT) concentrations despite adrenal and pituitary hyperplasia and increased adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) plasma concentrations, compared with single-housed control (SHC) mice. However, as CSC mice are still able to show an increased CORT secretion towards novel heterotypic stressors, these effects might reflect an adaptation rather than a functional breakdown of general hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis functionality. In the present study we used male mice of a genetically modified mouse line, to investigate whether genetically-driven ACTH overexpression compromises adaptational processes occurring at the level of the adrenals during CSC exposure. Experimental mice carried a point mutation in the DNA binding domain of the glucocorticoid (GC) receptor (GR), attenuating dimerization of GR (GRdim), resulting in a congenially compromised negative feedback inhibition at the level of the pituitary. In line with previous studies, CSC mice in both the wild type (WT; GR+/+) and GRdim group developed adrenal enlargement. Moreover, compared with respective SHC and WT mice, CSC GRdim mice show increased basal morning plasma ACTH and CORT concentrations. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) analysis revealed neither a genotype effect, nor a CSC effect on pituitary mRNA expression of the ACTH precursor proopiomelanocortin (POMC). Finally, CSC increased anxiety-related behavior, active coping and splenocyte in vitro (re)activity in both WT and GRdim mice, while a CSC-induced increase in adrenal lipid vesicles and splenic GC resistance was detectable only in WT mice. Of note, lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated splenocytes of GRdim mice were resistant to the inhibitory effects of CORT. Together our findings support the hypothesis that pituitary ACTH protein concentration is negatively controlled by GR dimerization under conditions of chronic psychosocial stress, while POMC gene transcription is not dependent on intact GR dimerization under both basal and chronic stress conditions. Finally, our data suggest that adrenal adaptations during chronic psychosocial stress (i.e., ACTH desensitization), aiming at the prevention of prolonged hypercorticism, are protective only to a certain threshold of plasma ACTH levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominik Langgartner
- Laboratory for Molecular Psychosomatics, Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Mascha Koenen
- Institute of Comparative Molecular Endocrinology, University Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Sandra Kupfer
- Laboratory for Molecular Psychosomatics, Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Lisa Glogger
- Laboratory for Molecular Psychosomatics, Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Lisa Kurz
- Laboratory for Molecular Psychosomatics, Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Luis Gustavo Perez-Rivas
- Medical Clinic and Polyclinic IV, LMU Clinic, Ludwig-Maximilian-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Marily Theodoropoulou
- Medical Clinic and Polyclinic IV, LMU Clinic, Ludwig-Maximilian-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Michael Noll-Hussong
- Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Saarland University Medical Centre, Homburg, Germany
| | - Sabine Vettorazzi
- Institute of Comparative Molecular Endocrinology, University Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Jan Tuckermann
- Institute of Comparative Molecular Endocrinology, University Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Stefan O. Reber
- Laboratory for Molecular Psychosomatics, Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
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Kempter E, Amoroso M, Kupfer S, Lupu L, Kustermann M, Scheurer J, Baumann B, Wirth T, Gündel H, Straub RH, Strauß G, Huber-Lang M, Langgartner D, Reber SO. The PMN-MDSC - A key player in glucocorticoid resistance following combined physical and psychosocial trauma. Brain Behav Immun 2023; 108:148-161. [PMID: 36427809 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2022.11.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [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] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Revised: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Stress-associated somatic and psychiatric disorders are often linked to non-resolving low-grade inflammation, which is promoted at least in part by glucocorticoid (GC) resistance of distinct immune cell subpopulations. While the monocyte/macrophage compartment was in the focus of many clinical and preclinical studies, the role of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) in stress-associated pathologies and GC resistance is less understood. As GC resistance is a clear risk factor for posttraumatic complications in patients on intensive care, the exact interplay of physical and psychosocial traumatization in the development of GC resistance needs to be further clarified. In the current study we employ the chronic subordinate colony housing (CSC) paradigm, a well-characterized mouse model of chronic psychosocial stress, to study the role of myeloid cells, in particular of MDSCs, in innate immune activation and GC resistance following combined psychosocial and physical (e.g., bite wounds) trauma. Our findings support the hypothesis that stress-induced neutrophils, polymorphonuclear (PMN)-MDSCs and monocytes/monocyte-like (MO)-MDSCs get primed and activated locally in the bone marrow as determined by toll-like receptor (TLR)2 upregulation and increased basal and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced in vitro cell viability. These primed and activated myeloid cells emigrate into the peripheral circulation and subsequently, if CSC is accompanied by significant bite wounding, accumulate in the spleen. Here, PMN-MDSCs and monocytes/MO-MDSCs upregulate TLR4 expression, which exclusively in PMN-MDSCs promotes NF-κB hyperactivation upon LPS-stimulation, thereby exceeding the anti-inflammatory capacities of GCs and resulting in GC resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Kempter
- Laboratory for Molecular Psychosomatics, Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Mattia Amoroso
- Laboratory for Molecular Psychosomatics, Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Sandra Kupfer
- Laboratory for Molecular Psychosomatics, Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Ludmila Lupu
- Institute of Clinical and Experimental Trauma Immunology, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Monika Kustermann
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Jasmin Scheurer
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Bernd Baumann
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Thomas Wirth
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Harald Gündel
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Rainer H Straub
- Laboratory of Experimental Rheumatology and Neuroendocrine Immunology, Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Gudrun Strauß
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Markus Huber-Lang
- Institute of Clinical and Experimental Trauma Immunology, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Dominik Langgartner
- Laboratory for Molecular Psychosomatics, Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Stefan O Reber
- Laboratory for Molecular Psychosomatics, Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany.
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Amoroso M, Kempter E, Langgartner D, Gross P, Reber SO. Inducing a stressed phenotype in healthy recipient mice by adoptively transferring CD4(+) lymphocytes from mice undergoing chronic psychosocial stress. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2020; 122:104898. [PMID: 33126029 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2020.104898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2020] [Revised: 09/01/2020] [Accepted: 10/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Although chronic stress is an acknowledged risk factor for the development of somatic and affective disorders, the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying stress-induced pathologies are not fully understood. Interestingly, rodent studies involving immune cell transfer suggest that CD4+ T cells might be at least in part involved in reactivation of a chemically-induced colitis by stress. However, until now evidence is lacking that these immune cell types are indeed involved in the development of a "stressed phenotype". The aim of the present study was, therefore, to assess the effects of adoptively transferring total mesenteric lymph node cells (mesLNCs) and CD4+ mesLNCs isolated from chronically-stressed mice into healthy recipient mice on various physiological, immunological and behavioral parameters. To induce chronic psychosocial stress in donor mice we employed the chronic subordinate colony housing (CSC) paradigm. Our data indicate that transfer of total or CD4+ mesLNCs from CSC mice, compared with respective cells from single-housed control (SHC) mice, promoted splenomegaly and interferon (IFN)-γ secretion from in vitro anti-CD3-stimulated mesLNCs in naïve recipient mice. This effect was independent of recipient mice additionally being administered with dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) or not. Transfer of CD4+ mesLNCs additionally increased adrenal weight and secretion of IL-6 from in vitro anti-CD3 stimulated mesLNCs in recipients administered with DSS. Importantly, transfer of neither cell type from CSC vs. SHC donor mice affected anxiety-related behavior of recipient mice in the light-dark box. Taken together, our data demonstrate that typical physiological and immunological, but not behavioral, effects of chronic stress can be induced in naïve recipient mice by adoptively transferring mesLNCs, in particular CD4+ mesLNCs, from chronically stressed donor mice.
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Langgartner D, Marks J, Nguyen TC, Reber SO. Changes in adrenal functioning induced by chronic psychosocial stress in male mice: A time course study. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2020; 122:104880. [PMID: 33065459 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2020.104880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2020] [Revised: 08/10/2020] [Accepted: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIM Chronic subordinate colony housing (CSC, 19 days), an established and preclinically-validated mouse model for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), causes evening hypocorticism and a reduced adrenal in vitro ACTH (adrenocorticotropic hormone) sensitivity despite pronounced adrenal hyperplasia. However, until now it remains unclear at what time point during CSC exposure evening hypocorticism and adrenal in vitro ACTH insensitivity develop and whether the repeated change of dominant aggressor mice plays an important role in this context. It is, therefore, the aim of the current study, to explore the detailed time course of these stress-induced adrenal changes. METHODS Adrenal weight, plasma corticosterone (CORT) and ACTH were assessed in the morning of days 8 (right before exposure to the 2nd aggressor), 9 (24 h after exposure to the 2nd aggressor), 15 (right before exposure to the 3rd aggressor), 16 (24 h after exposure to the 3rd aggressor) and 20 or in the evening of days 8 (10 h after exposure to the 2nd aggressor), 9 (34 h after exposure to the 2nd aggressor), 15 (10 h after exposure to the 3rd aggressor), 16 (34 h after exposure to the 3rd aggressor) and 20 of CSC exposure. Moreover, we in vitro cultured adrenal explants of all mice euthanized in the morning of days 8, 9, 15, 16 and 20 either in the presence or absence of ACTH to subsequently assess CORT concentration in the supernatants. RESULTS Our results indicate that while adrenal mass was increased at all time points assessed, plasma morning CORT only transiently increased in response to the 2nd (on day 8) but not 3rd (on day 15) dominant aggressor mouse. Moreover, although mild signs of adrenal in vitro ACTH insensitivity developed already after one week of CSC exposure, moderate and severe adrenal in vitro ACTH insensitivity required two and three weeks of chronic subordination, respectively. CONCLUSION Together with unaffected plasma ACTH levels at all time points assessed, our data suggest that stress-induced adrenal in vitro ACTH insensitivity develops gradually during times of chronic subordination while subordination to different aggressor mice aggravates its severity. Moreover, a mild form of adrenal ACTH insensitivity seems to allow prevention of morning hypercorticism on day 8 of CSC, despite functional adrenal mass being increased, while a moderate and severe form of adrenal ACTH insensitivity in CSC mice seems to promote HPA axis adaptation to repeated homotypic stressor exposure (i.e. dominant aggressor mice) and basal evening hypocorticism in CSC mice, respectively. Our results might, therefore, be the basis for future clinical studies assessing CORT supplementation as novel treatment regimen for somatic and affective pathologies linked to chronic and/or traumatic stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominik Langgartner
- Laboratory for Molecular Psychosomatics, Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University of Ulm, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Janina Marks
- Laboratory for Molecular Psychosomatics, Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University of Ulm, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Thien C Nguyen
- Laboratory for Molecular Psychosomatics, Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University of Ulm, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Stefan O Reber
- Laboratory for Molecular Psychosomatics, Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University of Ulm, 89081 Ulm, Germany.
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Bahi A, Dreyer JL. Environmental enrichment decreases chronic psychosocial stress-impaired extinction and reinstatement of ethanol conditioned place preference in C57BL/6 male mice. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2020; 237:707-721. [PMID: 31786650 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-019-05408-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2019] [Accepted: 11/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE During the last few decades, alcohol use disorders (AUD) have reached an epidemic prevalence, yet social influences on alcoholism have not been fully addressed. Several factors can modulate alcohol intake. On one hand, stress can reinforce ethanol-induced behaviors and be an important component in AUD and alcoholism. On the other hand, environmental enrichment (EE) has a neuroprotective role and prevents the development of excessive ethanol intake in rodents. However, studies showing the role of EE in chronic psychosocial stress-impaired ethanol-conditioned rewards are nonexistent. AIM The purpose of the current study is to explore the potential protective role of EE on extinction and reinstatement of ethanol-conditioned place preference (EtOH-CPP) following chronic psychosocial stress. METHODS In the first experiment and after the EtOH-CPP test, the mice were subjected to 15 days of chronic stress, then housed in a standard (SE) or enriched environment (EE) while EtOH-CPP extinction was achieved by repeated exposure to the CPP chambers without ethanol injection. In the second experiment and after the EtOH-CPP test, extinction was achieved as described above. Mice were then exposed to chronic stress for 2 weeks before being housed in a SE or EE. EtOH-CPP reinstatement was induced by a single exposure to the conditioning chambers. RESULTS As expected, stress exposure increased anxiety-like behavior and reduced weight gain. More importantly, we found that EE significantly shortened chronic stress-delayed extinction and decreased the reinstatement of EtOH-CPP. CONCLUSION These results support the hypothesis that EE reduces the impact of alcohol-associated environmental stimuli, and hence it may be a general intervention for reducing cue-elicited craving and relapse in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amine Bahi
- College of Medicine, Ajman University, Ajman, UAE. .,Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, UAE.
| | - Jean-Luc Dreyer
- Division of Biochemistry, Department of Medicine, University of Fribourg, 1700, Fribourg, Switzerland
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Meier HCS, Hussein M, Needham B, Barber S, Lin J, Seeman T, Diez Roux A. Cellular response to chronic psychosocial stress: Ten-year longitudinal changes in telomere length in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2019; 107:70-81. [PMID: 31112903 PMCID: PMC6635040 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2019.04.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [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: 08/28/2018] [Revised: 02/14/2019] [Accepted: 04/26/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies have demonstrated an inverse association between chronic psychosocial stress and leukocyte telomere length (LTL), a potential marker of cellular aging. However, due to paucity of longitudinal data, responses of LTL and the LTL aging trajectory to changes in chronic stress exposure remain less well understood. Using data from the Stress I and II ancillary studies of the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis, we estimated the 10-year longitudinal (n = 1,158) associations of within-person changes in chronic stress with changes in LTL, as well as the pooled, cross-sectional associations of chronic stress and LTL (total n = 2,231). We measured chronic stress from both individual and neighborhood-environment sources. At the individual level, we calculated a summary score of each participant's rating of their ongoing (>6 months) material/social problems as moderately/very stressful on the Chronic Burden Scale. Neighborhood-level stress was measured using a summary score of reverse-coded MESA Neighborhood safety, aesthetic quality, and social cohesion scales. Quantiles of these scores were empirically categorized as high, moderate, or low stress. We then summed these individual- and neighborhood-level categorical variables for a total stress measure. Longitudinal within-person associations were estimated with fixed-effects models, which control for all time-invariant confounding, with additional control for time-varying demographics, lagged behaviors and chronic conditions, and specimen storage duration, as well as correction for regression to the mean. Change from low to high total chronic stress was associated with telomere shortening by 0.054 units [95% confidence interval: -0.095, -0.013] over 10 years. This was consistent with, though stronger in magnitude than, cross-sectional estimates. Change in individual-level stress was the primary driver of this effect. We also found suggestive evidence that 1) individuals with persistently high stress experienced the least shortening of telomeres, and 2) changes in individual-level stress were associated with stronger telomere shortening among women, whereas changes in neighborhood stress were associated with stronger shortening among men. Our findings provide longitudinal support to existing evidence, and point to interesting dynamics in telomere attrition across stress levels and genders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen C S Meier
- Joseph J. Zilber School of Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 1240 N. 10th St., Milwaukee, WI, 53205, USA.
| | - Mustafa Hussein
- Joseph J. Zilber School of Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 1240 N. 10th St., Milwaukee, WI, 53205, USA.
| | - Belinda Needham
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan School of Public Health, 1415 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
| | - Sharrelle Barber
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, and the Urban Health Collaborative, Drexel University Dornsife School of Public Health, 3215 Market St., Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
| | - Jue Lin
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, 600 16th Street, Room S312F Genentech Hall, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA.
| | - Teresa Seeman
- Department of Medicine, Division of Geriatrics, University of California, Los Angeles, 10945 Le Conte Avenue, Suite 2339, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.
| | - Ana Diez Roux
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, and the Urban Health Collaborative, Drexel University Dornsife School of Public Health, 3215 Market St., Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
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Bautista LE, Bajwa PK, Shafer MM, Malecki KMC, McWilliams CA, Palloni A. The relationship between chronic stress, hair cortisol and hypertension. Int J Cardiol Hypertens 2019; 2:100012. [PMID: 33447745 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijchy.2019.100012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2019] [Revised: 04/12/2019] [Accepted: 05/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Inconsistencies in studies of chronic psychosocial stress and hypertension may be explained by the use of stress markers greatly influenced by circadian rhythm and transient stressors. We assessed whether hair cortisol, a marker that captures systemic cortisol over months, was independently associated with hypertension. We measured hair cortisol and blood pressure in 75 consecutive participants in the Survey of the Health of Wisconsin, using an ELISA test. Individuals with values ≥ median (78.1 pg/mg) were considered exposed. We used approximate Bayesian logistic regression, with a prior odds ratio of 1.0–4.0, to quantify the multivariate-adjusted hair cortisol-hypertension association. Participants' average age was 46.9 years; 37.3% were male; and 25.3% were hypertensive. Hypertension prevalence was 2.23 times higher in exposed (95% CI: 1.69–3.03). This finding was unlikely explained by differential measurement errors, since we conducted blinded measurements of exposure and outcome. Sensitivity analyses showed the association was unlikely explained by an unmeasured confounder, survival bias, or reverse causality bias. Findings suggest elevated hair cortisol is a risk factor for hypertension. Although feasible, the clinical value of hair cortisol as a tool for hypertension risk stratification or for monitoring the effect of chronic psychosocial stress management interventions is still uncertain.
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Vodička M, Ergang P, Hrnčíř T, Mikulecká A, Kvapilová P, Vagnerová K, Šestáková B, Fajstová A, Hermanová P, Hudcovic T, Kozáková H, Pácha J. Microbiota affects the expression of genes involved in HPA axis regulation and local metabolism of glucocorticoids in chronic psychosocial stress. Brain Behav Immun 2018; 73:615-624. [PMID: 29990567 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2018.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2018] [Revised: 06/01/2018] [Accepted: 07/07/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The commensal microbiota affects brain functioning, emotional behavior and ACTH and corticosterone responses to acute stress. However, little is known about the role of the microbiota in shaping the chronic stress response in the peripheral components of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis and in the colon. Here, we studied the effects of the chronic stress-microbiota interaction on HPA axis activity and on the expression of colonic corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) system, cytokines and 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11HSD1), an enzyme that determines locally produced glucocorticoids. Using specific pathogen-free (SPF) and germ-free (GF) BALB/c mice, we showed that the microbiota modulates emotional behavior in social conflicts and the response of the HPA axis, colon and mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN) to chronic psychosocial stress. In the pituitary gland, microbiota attenuated the expression of Fkbp5, a gene regulating glucocorticoid receptor sensitivity, while in the adrenal gland, it attenuated the expression of genes encoding steroidogenesis (MC2R, StaR, Cyp11a1) and catecholamine synthesis (TH, PNMT). The pituitary expression of CRH receptor type 1 (CRHR1) and of proopiomelanocortin was not influenced by microbiota. In the colon, the microbiota attenuated the expression of 11HSD1, CRH, urocortin UCN2 and its receptor, CRHR2, but potentiated the expression of cytokines TNFα, IFNγ, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-10, IL-13 and IL-17, with the exception of IL-1β. Compared to GF mice, chronic stress upregulated in SPF animals the expression of pituitary Fkbp5 and colonic CRH and UCN2 and downregulated the expression of colonic cytokines. Differences in the stress responses of both GF and SPF animals were also observed when immunophenotype of MLN cells and their secretion of cytokines were analyzed. The data suggest that the presence of microbiota/intestinal commensals plays an important role in shaping the response of peripheral tissues to stress and indicates possible pathways by which the environment can interact with glucocorticoid signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Vodička
- Institute of Physiology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic; Department of Physiology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.
| | - P Ergang
- Institute of Physiology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - T Hrnčíř
- Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Nový Hrádek, Czech Republic
| | - A Mikulecká
- Institute of Physiology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - P Kvapilová
- Institute of Physiology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - K Vagnerová
- Institute of Physiology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - B Šestáková
- Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Nový Hrádek, Czech Republic
| | - A Fajstová
- Institute of Physiology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - P Hermanová
- Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Nový Hrádek, Czech Republic
| | - T Hudcovic
- Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Nový Hrádek, Czech Republic
| | - H Kozáková
- Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Nový Hrádek, Czech Republic
| | - J Pácha
- Institute of Physiology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic; Department of Physiology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
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Foertsch S, Haffner-Luntzer M, Kroner J, Gross F, Kaiser K, Erber M, Reber SO, Ignatius A. Chronic psychosocial stress disturbs long-bone growth in adolescent mice. Dis Model Mech 2017; 10:1399-1409. [PMID: 28982680 PMCID: PMC5769608 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.030916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2017] [Accepted: 09/30/2017] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Although a strong association between psychiatric and somatic disorders is generally accepted, little is known regarding the interrelationship between mental and skeletal health. Although depressive disorders have been shown to be strongly associated with osteoporosis and increased fracture risk, evidence from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) patients is less consistent. Therefore, the present study investigated the influence of chronic psychosocial stress on bone using a well-established murine model for PTSD. C57BL/6N mice (7 weeks old) were subjected to chronic subordinate colony housing (CSC) for 19 days, whereas control mice were singly housed. Anxiety-related behavior was assessed in the open-field/novel-object test, after which the mice were euthanized to assess endocrine and bone parameters. CSC mice exhibited increased anxiety-related behavior in the open-field/novel-object test, increased adrenal and decreased thymus weights, and unaffected plasma morning corticosterone. Microcomputed tomography and histomorphometrical analyses revealed significantly reduced tibia and femur lengths, increased growth-plate thickness and reduced mineral deposition at the growth plate, suggesting disturbed endochondral ossification during long-bone growth. This was associated with reduced Runx2 expression in hypertrophic chondrocytes in the growth plate. Trabecular thicknesses and bone mineral density were significantly increased in CSC compared to singly housed mice. Tyrosine hydroxylase expression was increased in bone marrow cells located at the growth plates of CSC mice, implying that local adrenergic signaling might be involved in the effects of CSC on the skeletal phenotype. In conclusion, chronic psychosocial stress negatively impacts endochondral ossification in the growth plate, affecting both longitudinal and appositional bone growth in adolescent mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Foertsch
- Laboratory for Molecular Psychosomatics, Clinic for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Melanie Haffner-Luntzer
- Institute of Orthopedic Research and Biomechanics, University Medical Center Ulm, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Jochen Kroner
- Institute of Orthopedic Research and Biomechanics, University Medical Center Ulm, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Florian Gross
- Institute of Orthopedic Research and Biomechanics, University Medical Center Ulm, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Kathrin Kaiser
- Institute of Orthopedic Research and Biomechanics, University Medical Center Ulm, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Maike Erber
- Laboratory for Molecular Psychosomatics, Clinic for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Stefan O Reber
- Laboratory for Molecular Psychosomatics, Clinic for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Anita Ignatius
- Institute of Orthopedic Research and Biomechanics, University Medical Center Ulm, 89081 Ulm, Germany
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12
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Langgartner D, Peterlik D, Foertsch S, Füchsl AM, Brokmann P, Flor PJ, Shen Z, Fox JG, Uschold-Schmidt N, Lowry CA, Reber SO. Individual differences in stress vulnerability: The role of gut pathobionts in stress-induced colitis. Brain Behav Immun 2017; 64:23-32. [PMID: 28012830 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2016.12.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [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: 08/26/2016] [Revised: 12/15/2016] [Accepted: 12/16/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic subordinate colony housing (CSC), an established mouse model for chronic psychosocial stress, promotes a microbial signature of gut inflammation, characterized by expansion of Proteobacteria, specifically Helicobacter spp., in association with colitis development. However, whether the presence of Helicobacter spp. during CSC is critically required for colitis development is unknown. Notably, during previous CSC studies performed at Regensburg University (University 1), male specific-pathogen-free (SPF) CSC mice lived in continuous subordination to a physically present and Helicobacter spp.-positive resident. Therefore, it is likely that CSC mice were colonized, during the CSC procedure, with Helicobacter spp. originating from the dominant resident. In the present study we show that employing SPF CSC mice and Helicobacter spp.-free SPF residents at Ulm University (University 2), results in physiological responses that are typical of chronic psychosocial stress, including increased adrenal and decreased thymus weights, decreased adrenal in vitro adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) responsiveness, and increased anxiety-related behavior. However, in contrast to previous studies that used Helicobacter spp.-positive resident mice, use of Helicobacter spp.-negative resident mice failed to induce spontaneous colitis in SPF CSC mice. Consistent with the hypothesis that the latter is due to a lack of Helicobacter spp. transmission from dominant residents to subordinate mice during the CSC procedure, colonization of SPF residents with Helicobacter typhlonius at University 2, prior to the start of the CSC model, rescued the colitis-inducing potential of CSC exposure. Furthermore, using SPF CSC mice and H. typhlonius-free SPF residents at University 1 prevented CSC-induced colitis. In summary, our data support the hypothesis that the presence or absence of exposure to certain pathobionts contributes to individual variability in susceptibility to stress-/trauma-associated pathologies and to reproducibility of stress-related outcomes between laboratories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominik Langgartner
- Laboratory for Molecular Psychosomatics, Clinic for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University of Ulm, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Daniel Peterlik
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, D-93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Sandra Foertsch
- Laboratory for Molecular Psychosomatics, Clinic for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University of Ulm, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Andrea M Füchsl
- Laboratory for Molecular Psychosomatics, Clinic for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University of Ulm, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Petra Brokmann
- Animal Research Facility, University of Ulm, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Peter J Flor
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, D-93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Zeli Shen
- Division of Comparative Medicine, Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - James G Fox
- Division of Comparative Medicine, Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Nicole Uschold-Schmidt
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, D-93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Christopher A Lowry
- Department of Integrative Physiology and Center for Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA; Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and Center for Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA; Rocky Mountain Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center, Denver, CO 80220, USA; Military and Veteran Microbiome Consortium for Research and Education (MVM-CoRE), Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Stefan O Reber
- Laboratory for Molecular Psychosomatics, Clinic for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University of Ulm, 89081 Ulm, Germany.
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Bahi A. Environmental enrichment reduces chronic psychosocial stress-induced anxiety and ethanol-related behaviors in mice. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2017; 77:65-74. [PMID: 28390969 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2017.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2017] [Revised: 03/07/2017] [Accepted: 04/02/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Previous research from our laboratory has shown that exposure to chronic psychosocial stress increased voluntary ethanol consumption and preference as well as acquisition of ethanol-induced conditioned place preference (CPP) in mice. This study was done to determine whether an enriched environment could have "curative" effects on chronic psychosocial stress-induced ethanol intake and CPP. For this purpose, experimental mice "intruders" were exposed to the chronic subordinate colony (CSC) housing for 19 consecutive days in the presence of an aggressive "resident" mouse. At the end of that period, mice were tested for their anxiety-like behavior using the elevated plus maze (EPM) test then housed in a standard or enriched environment (SE or EE respectively). Anxiety and ethanol-related behaviors were investigated using the open field (OF) test, a standard two-bottle choice drinking paradigm, and the CPP procedure. As expected, CSC exposure increased anxiety-like behavior and reduced weight gain as compared to single housed colony (SHC) controls. In addition, CSC exposure increased voluntary ethanol intake and ethanol-CPP. Interestingly, we found that EE significantly and consistently reduced anxiety and ethanol consumption and preference. However, neither tastants' (saccharin and quinine) intake nor blood ethanol metabolism were affected by EE. Finally, and most importantly, EE reduced the acquisition of CPP induced by 1.5g/kg ethanol. Taken together, these results support the hypothesis that EE can reduce voluntary ethanol intake and ethanol-induced conditioned reward and seems to be one of the strategies to reduce the behavioral deficits and the risk of anxiety-induced alcohol abuse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amine Bahi
- Department of Anatomy, Tawam Medical Campus, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates.
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14
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Peterlik D, Stangl C, Bauer A, Bludau A, Keller J, Grabski D, Killian T, Schmidt D, Zajicek F, Jaeschke G, Lindemann L, Reber SO, Flor PJ, Uschold-Schmidt N. Blocking metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 5 relieves maladaptive chronic stress consequences. Brain Behav Immun 2017; 59:79-92. [PMID: 27524668 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2016.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [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: 03/24/2016] [Revised: 07/29/2016] [Accepted: 08/10/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Etiology and pharmacotherapy of stress-related psychiatric conditions and somatoform disorders are areas of high unmet medical need. Stressors holding chronic plus psychosocial components thereby bear the highest health risk. Although the metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 5 (mGlu5) is well studied in the context of acute stress-induced behaviors and physiology, virtually nothing is known about its potential involvement in chronic psychosocial stress. Using the mGlu5 negative allosteric modulator CTEP (2-chloro-4-[2-[2,5-dimethyl-1-[4-(trifluoromethoxy)phenyl]imidazol-4yl]ethynyl]pyridine), a close analogue of the clinically active drug basimglurant - but optimized for rodent studies, as well as mGlu5-deficient mice in combination with a mouse model of male subordination (termed CSC, chronic subordinate colony housing), we demonstrate that mGlu5 mediates multiple physiological, immunological, and behavioral consequences of chronic psychosocial stressor exposure. For instance, CTEP dose-dependently relieved hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis dysfunctions, colonic inflammation as well as the CSC-induced increase in innate anxiety; genetic ablation of mGlu5 in mice largely reproduced the stress-protective effects of CTEP and additionally ameliorated CSC-induced physiological anxiety. Interestingly, CSC also induced an upregulation of mGlu5 in the hippocampus, a stress-regulating brain area. Taken together, our findings provide evidence that mGlu5 is an important mediator for a wide range of chronic psychosocial stress-induced alterations and a potentially valuable drug target for the treatment of chronic stress-related pathologies in man.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Peterlik
- Faculty of Biology and Preclinical Medicine, Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, D-93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Christina Stangl
- Faculty of Biology and Preclinical Medicine, Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, D-93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Amelie Bauer
- Faculty of Biology and Preclinical Medicine, Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, D-93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Anna Bludau
- Faculty of Biology and Preclinical Medicine, Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, D-93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Jana Keller
- Faculty of Biology and Preclinical Medicine, Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, D-93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Dominik Grabski
- Faculty of Biology and Preclinical Medicine, Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, D-93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Tobias Killian
- Faculty of Biology and Preclinical Medicine, Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, D-93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Dominic Schmidt
- Institute of Immunology, University of Regensburg, D-93042 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Franziska Zajicek
- Faculty of Biology and Preclinical Medicine, Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, D-93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Georg Jaeschke
- Roche Pharmaceutical Research and Early Development, Discovery Chemistry, Roche Innovation Center Basel, CH-4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Lothar Lindemann
- Roche Pharmaceutical Research and Early Development, Discovery Neuroscience, Neuroscience, Ophthalmology, and Rare Diseases, Roche Innovation Center Basel, CH-4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Stefan O Reber
- Laboratory for Molecular Psychosomatics, Clinic for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University of Ulm, D-89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Peter J Flor
- Faculty of Biology and Preclinical Medicine, Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, D-93053 Regensburg, Germany.
| | - Nicole Uschold-Schmidt
- Faculty of Biology and Preclinical Medicine, Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, D-93053 Regensburg, Germany.
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15
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Reber SO, Langgartner D, Foertsch S, Postolache TT, Brenner LA, Guendel H, Lowry CA. Chronic subordinate colony housing paradigm: A mouse model for mechanisms of PTSD vulnerability, targeted prevention, and treatment-2016 Curt Richter Award Paper. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2016; 74:221-230. [PMID: 27676359 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2016.08.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2016] [Accepted: 08/31/2016] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
There is considerable individual variability in vulnerability for developing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD); evidence suggests that this variability is related in part to genetic and environmental factors, including adverse early life experience. Interestingly, recent studies indicate that induction of chronic low-grade inflammation may be a common mechanism underlying gene and environment interactions that increase the risk for development of PTSD symptoms, and, therefore, may be a target for novel interventions for prevention or treatment of PTSD. Development of murine models with face, construct, and predictive validity would provide opportunities to investigate in detail complex genetic, environmental, endocrine, and immunologic factors that determine vulnerability to PTSD-like syndromes, and furthermore may provide mechanistic insight leading to development of novel interventions for both prevention and treatment of PTSD symptoms. Here we describe the potential use of the chronic subordinate colony housing (CSC) paradigm in mice as an adequate animal model for development of a PTSD-like syndrome and describe recent studies that suggest novel interventions for the prevention and treatment of PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan O Reber
- Laboratory for Molecular Psychosomatics, Clinic for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Ulm, 89081 Ulm, Germany.
| | - Dominik Langgartner
- Laboratory for Molecular Psychosomatics, Clinic for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Ulm, 89081 Ulm, Germany.
| | - Sandra Foertsch
- Laboratory for Molecular Psychosomatics, Clinic for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Ulm, 89081 Ulm, Germany.
| | - Teodor T Postolache
- University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore MD, MD 21201, USA; Rocky Mountain Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC), University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Denver, CO 80220, USA; Military and Veteran Microbiome Consortium for Research and Education (MVM-CoRE), Denver, CO 80220, USA.
| | - Lisa A Brenner
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA; Rocky Mountain Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC), University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Denver, CO 80220, USA; Military and Veteran Microbiome Consortium for Research and Education (MVM-CoRE), Denver, CO 80220, USA.
| | - Harald Guendel
- Laboratory for Molecular Psychosomatics, Clinic for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Ulm, 89081 Ulm, Germany.
| | - Christopher A Lowry
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA; Rocky Mountain Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC), University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Denver, CO 80220, USA; Military and Veteran Microbiome Consortium for Research and Education (MVM-CoRE), Denver, CO 80220, USA; Department of Integrative Physiology and Center for Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA; Center for Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA.
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16
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Peterlik D, Stangl C, Bludau A, Grabski D, Strasser R, Schmidt D, Flor PJ, Uschold-Schmidt N. Relief from detrimental consequences of chronic psychosocial stress in mice deficient for the metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 7. Neuropharmacology 2016; 115:139-148. [PMID: 27188844 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2016.04.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [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: 01/13/2016] [Revised: 04/25/2016] [Accepted: 04/26/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Chronic stress-related psychiatric conditions and comorbid somatic pathologies are an enormous public health concern in modern society. The etiology of these disorders is complex, with stressors holding a chronic and psychosocial component representing the most acknowledged risk factor. During the last decades, research on the metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGlu) system advanced dramatically and much attention was given to the role of the metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 7 (mGlu7) in acute stress-related behavior and physiology. However, virtually nothing is known about the potential involvement of mGlu7 in chronic psychosocial stress-related conditions. Using the chronic subordinate colony housing (CSC, 19 days) in male mice, we addressed whether central mGlu7 is altered upon chronic psychosocial stressor exposure and whether genetic ablation of mGlu7 interferes with the multitude of chronic stress-induced alterations. CSC exposure resulted in a downregulation of mGlu7 mRNA transcript levels in the prefrontal cortex, a brain region relevant for stress-related behaviors and physiology. Interestingly, mGlu7 deficiency relieved multiple chronic stress-induced alterations including the CSC-induced anxiety-prone phenotype; mGlu7 ablation also ameliorated CSC-induced physiological and immunological consequences such as hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis dysfunctions and colonic inflammation, respectively. Together, our findings provide first evidence for the involvement of mGlu7 in a wide range of behavioral and physiological alterations in response to chronic psychosocial stressor exposure. Moreover, the stress-protective phenotype of genetic mGlu7 ablation suggests mGlu7 pharmacological blockade to be a relevant option for the treatment of chronic stress-related emotional and somatic dysfunctions. This article is part of the Special Issue entitled 'Metabotropic Glutamate Receptors, 5 years on'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Peterlik
- Faculty of Biology and Preclinical Medicine, Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Christina Stangl
- Faculty of Biology and Preclinical Medicine, Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Anna Bludau
- Faculty of Biology and Preclinical Medicine, Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Dominik Grabski
- Faculty of Biology and Preclinical Medicine, Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Robert Strasser
- Faculty of Biology and Preclinical Medicine, Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Dominic Schmidt
- Institute of Immunology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Peter J Flor
- Faculty of Biology and Preclinical Medicine, Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.
| | - Nicole Uschold-Schmidt
- Faculty of Biology and Preclinical Medicine, Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.
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Czech B, Neumann ID, Müller M, Reber SO, Hellerbrand C. Effect of chronic psychosocial stress on nonalcoholic steatohepatitis in mice. Int J Clin Exp Pathol 2013; 6:1585-1593. [PMID: 23923077 PMCID: PMC3726974] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2013] [Accepted: 06/20/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is characterized by hepatic lipid accumulation which may progress towards inflammation (nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH)). NAFLD is regarded as a consequence of a sedentary, food-abundant lifestyle which, in the modern world, often coincides with chronically high levels of perceived psychosocial stress. Here, we aimed to characterize the effect of chronic psychosocial stress on the development of NAFLD/NASH in male mice either fed with standard chow or NASH-inducing high fat diet. Chronic psychosocial stress was induced by chronic subordinate colony housing (CSC), a pre-clinically validated paradigm relevant for human affective and somatic disorders. Single housed (SHC) mice served as controls. Under standard chow conditions CSC mice revealed lower hepatic triglyceride levels but higher hepatic TNFα, MCP-1 and HMOX mRNA expression, while serum transaminase levels did not significantly differ from SHC mice. Under the NASH-inducing high-fat diet CSC and SHC mice showed similar body weight-gain and serum levels of glucose and adiponectin. Moreover, liver histology as well as TNFα, MCP-1 and HMOX expression were similar in CSC and SHC mice fed with HFD. Surprisingly, CSC showed even significantly lower transaminase levels than SHC mice fed with the same NASH-inducing diet. Together, these data indicate that under normal dietary conditions the CSC model induces noticeable hepatic oxidative stress and inflammation without causing manifest hepatocellular injury. In contrast, CSC exhibited a protective effect on hepatocellular injury in a dietary NASH-model. Identification of the underlying mechanisms of this phenomenon may lead to novel therapeutic strategies to prevent progression of NAFLD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Czech
- Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital RegensburgGermany
| | - Inga D Neumann
- Department of Behavioral and Molecular Neurobiology, Institute of Zoology, University of RegensburgGermany
| | - Martina Müller
- Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital RegensburgGermany
| | - Stefan O Reber
- Department of Behavioral and Molecular Neurobiology, Institute of Zoology, University of RegensburgGermany
- Laboratory for Molecular Psychosomatics, Clinic for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University of UlmGermany
| | - Claus Hellerbrand
- Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital RegensburgGermany
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