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Morris DM, Wang C, Papanastasiou G, Gray CD, Xu W, Sjöström S, Badr S, Paccou J, Semple SIK, MacGillivray T, Cawthorn WP. A novel deep learning method for large-scale analysis of bone marrow adiposity using UK Biobank Dixon MRI data. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2024; 24:89-104. [PMID: 38268780 PMCID: PMC10806280 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2023.12.029] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Bone marrow adipose tissue (BMAT) represents > 10% fat mass in healthy humans and can be measured by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as the bone marrow fat fraction (BMFF). Human MRI studies have identified several diseases associated with BMFF but have been relatively small scale. Population-scale studies therefore have huge potential to reveal BMAT's true clinical relevance. The UK Biobank (UKBB) is undertaking MRI of 100,000 participants, providing the ideal opportunity for such advances. Objective To establish deep learning for high-throughput multi-site BMFF analysis from UKBB MRI data. Materials and methods We studied males and females aged 60-69. Bone marrow (BM) segmentation was automated using a new lightweight attention-based 3D U-Net convolutional neural network that improved segmentation of small structures from large volumetric data. Using manual segmentations from 61-64 subjects, the models were trained to segment four BM regions of interest: the spine (thoracic and lumbar vertebrae), femoral head, total hip and femoral diaphysis. Models were tested using a further 10-12 datasets per region and validated using datasets from 729 UKBB participants. BMFF was then quantified and pathophysiological characteristics assessed, including site- and sex-dependent differences and the relationships with age, BMI, bone mineral density, peripheral adiposity, and osteoporosis. Results Model accuracy matched or exceeded that for conventional U-Nets, yielding Dice scores of 91.2% (spine), 94.5% (femoral head), 91.2% (total hip) and 86.6% (femoral diaphysis). One case of severe scoliosis prevented segmentation of the spine, while one case of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma prevented segmentation of the spine, femoral head and total hip because of T2 signal depletion; however, successful segmentation was not disrupted by any other pathophysiological variables. The resulting BMFF measurements confirmed expected relationships between BMFF and age, sex and bone density, and identified new site- and sex-specific characteristics. Conclusions We have established a new deep learning method for accurate segmentation of small structures from large volumetric data, allowing high-throughput multi-site BMFF measurement in the UKBB. Our findings reveal new pathophysiological insights, highlighting the potential of BMFF as a novel clinical biomarker. Applying our method across the full UKBB cohort will help to reveal the impact of BMAT on human health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- David M. Morris
- University/BHF Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, The Queen's Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh BioQuarter, 47 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, UK
- Edinburgh Imaging, University of Edinburgh, The Queen's Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh BioQuarter, 47 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, UK
| | - Chengjia Wang
- University/BHF Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, The Queen's Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh BioQuarter, 47 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, UK
- School of Mathematics and Computer Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh EH14 1AS, UK
| | - Giorgos Papanastasiou
- Edinburgh Imaging, University of Edinburgh, The Queen's Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh BioQuarter, 47 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, UK
- School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering, Wivenhoe Park, The University of Essex, Colchester CO4 3SQ, UK
| | - Calum D. Gray
- Edinburgh Imaging, University of Edinburgh, The Queen's Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh BioQuarter, 47 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, UK
| | - Wei Xu
- Centre for Global Health, Usher Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9AG, UK
| | - Samuel Sjöström
- University/BHF Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, The Queen's Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh BioQuarter, 47 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, UK
| | - Sammy Badr
- University of Lille, Marrow Adiposity and Bone Laboratory (MABlab) ULR 4490, F-59000 Lille, France
- CHU Lille, Department of Radiology and Musculoskeletal Imaging, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Julien Paccou
- University of Lille, Marrow Adiposity and Bone Laboratory (MABlab) ULR 4490, F-59000 Lille, France
- CHU Lille, Department of Rheumatology, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Scott IK Semple
- University/BHF Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, The Queen's Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh BioQuarter, 47 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, UK
- Edinburgh Imaging, University of Edinburgh, The Queen's Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh BioQuarter, 47 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, UK
| | - Tom MacGillivray
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, The Queen's Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh BioQuarter, 47 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, UK
| | - William P. Cawthorn
- University/BHF Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, The Queen's Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh BioQuarter, 47 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, UK
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Behrooz AB, Nasiri M, Adeli S, Jafarian M, Pestehei SK, Babaei JF. Pre-adolescence repeat exposure to sub-anesthetic doses of ketamine induces long-lasting behaviors and cognition impairment in male and female rat adults. IBRO Neurosci Rep 2024; 16:211-223. [PMID: 38352700 PMCID: PMC10862408 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibneur.2024.01.005] [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: 10/25/2023] [Revised: 12/28/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
In pre-adolescence, repeated anesthesia may be required for therapeutic interventions. Adult cognitive and neurobehavioral problems may result from preadolescent exposure to anesthetics. This study examined the long-term morphological and functional effects of repeated sub-anesthetic doses of ketamine exposure on male and female rat adults during pre-adolescence. Weaned 48 pre-adolescent rats from eight mothers and were randomly divided into four equal groups: control group and the ketamine group of males and females (20 mg/kg daily for 14 days); then animals received care for 20-30 days. Repeated exposure to sub-anesthetic doses of ketamine on cognitive functions was assayed using Social discrimination and novel object tests. Besides, an elevated plus maze and fear conditioning apparatus were utilized to determine exploratory and anxiety-like behavior in adults. Toluidine blue stain was used to evaluate the number of dead neurons in the hippocampus, and the effects of ketamine on synaptic plasticity were compared in the perforant pathway of the CA1 of the hippocampus. Our study indicates that repeated exposure to sub-anesthetic doses of ketamine during pre-adolescence can result in neurobehavioral impairment in male and female rat adulthood but does not affect anxiety-like behavior. We found a significant quantifiable increase in dark neurons. Recorded electrophysiologically, repeat sub-anesthetic doses of ketamine resulted in hampering long-term potentiation and pair pulse in male adult animals. Our results showed that repeated exposure to sub-anesthetic doses of ketamine during pre-adolescence can induce hippocampus and neuroplasticity changes later in adulthood. This study opens up a new line of inquiry into potential adverse outcomes of repeated anesthesia exposure in pre-adolescent rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amir Barzegar Behrooz
- Electrophysiology Research Center, Neuroscience Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mahdieh Nasiri
- Electrophysiology Research Center, Neuroscience Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Soheila Adeli
- Electrophysiology Research Center, Neuroscience Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Maryam Jafarian
- Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Research Center, Neuroscience Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Seyed Khalil Pestehei
- Department of Anesthesiology, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Neuroscience Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Javad Fahanik Babaei
- Electrophysiology Research Center, Neuroscience Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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Hanycz SA, Noorani A, Hung PSP, Walker MR, Zhang AB, Latypov TH, Hodaie M. Hippocampus diffusivity abnormalities in classical trigeminal neuralgia. Pain Rep 2024; 9:e1159. [PMID: 38655236 PMCID: PMC11037743 DOI: 10.1097/pr9.0000000000001159] [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: 03/08/2023] [Revised: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 02/24/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Patients with chronic pain frequently report cognitive symptoms that affect memory and attention, which are functions attributed to the hippocampus. Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is a chronic neuropathic pain disorder characterized by paroxysmal attacks of unilateral orofacial pain. Given the stereotypical nature of TN pain and lack of negative symptoms including sensory loss, TN provides a unique model to investigate the hippocampal implications of chronic pain. Recent evidence demonstrated that TN is associated with macrostructural hippocampal abnormalities indicated by reduced subfield volumes; however, there is a paucity in our understanding of hippocampal microstructural abnormalities associated with TN. Objectives To explore diffusivity metrics within the hippocampus, along with its functional and structural subfields, in patients with TN. Methods To examine hippocampal microstructure, we utilized diffusion tensor imaging in 31 patients with TN and 21 controls. T1-weighted magnetic resonance images were segmented into hippocampal subfields and registered into diffusion-weighted imaging space. Fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity were extracted for hippocampal subfields and longitudinal axis segmentations. Results Patients with TN demonstrated reduced FA in bilateral whole hippocampi and hippocampal body and contralateral subregions CA2/3 and CA4, indicating microstructural hippocampal abnormalities. Notably, patients with TN showed significant correlation between age and hippocampal FA, while controls did not exhibit this correlation. These effects were driven chiefly by female patients with TN. Conclusion This study demonstrates that TN is associated with microstructural hippocampal abnormalities, which may precede and potentially be temporally linked to volumetric hippocampal alterations demonstrated previously. These findings provide further evidence for the role of the hippocampus in chronic pain and suggest the potential for targeted interventions to mitigate cognitive symptoms in patients with chronic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaun Andrew Hanycz
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Division of Brain, Imaging, and Behaviour—Systems Neuroscience, Krembil Research Institute, Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Institute of Medical Science, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Alborz Noorani
- Division of Brain, Imaging, and Behaviour—Systems Neuroscience, Krembil Research Institute, Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Institute of Medical Science, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Peter Shih-Ping Hung
- Division of Brain, Imaging, and Behaviour—Systems Neuroscience, Krembil Research Institute, Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Institute of Medical Science, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Matthew R. Walker
- Division of Brain, Imaging, and Behaviour—Systems Neuroscience, Krembil Research Institute, Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Ashley B. Zhang
- MD Program, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Timur H. Latypov
- Division of Brain, Imaging, and Behaviour—Systems Neuroscience, Krembil Research Institute, Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Institute of Medical Science, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Mojgan Hodaie
- Division of Brain, Imaging, and Behaviour—Systems Neuroscience, Krembil Research Institute, Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Institute of Medical Science, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Division of Neurosurgery, Krembil Brain Institute, Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
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Sterpetti AV, Gabriele R, Di Marzo L. Sex disparities for clinical outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention for acute coronary syndrome. Int J Cardiol 2024; 404:131937. [PMID: 38437951 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijcard.2024.131937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2024] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/06/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Antonio V Sterpetti
- Department of Surgery and Vascular-Endovascular Surgery Sapienza University Rome, Italy.
| | - Raimondo Gabriele
- Department of Surgery and Vascular-Endovascular Surgery Sapienza University Rome, Italy
| | - Luca Di Marzo
- Department of Surgery and Vascular-Endovascular Surgery Sapienza University Rome, Italy
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Irish JD. Agenesis of the permanent teeth in sub-Saharan Africans: Prevalence, patterns, interpretations. Arch Oral Biol 2024; 162:105961. [PMID: 38547646 DOI: 10.1016/j.archoralbio.2024.105961] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2024] [Revised: 03/08/2024] [Accepted: 03/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Dental agenesis data in modern and premodern sub-Saharan Africans are presented by region, West, Central, East, and South, and by sex. Beyond characterizing the anomaly, comparisons are made with other populations and future work is encouraged. The findings should be of use to dental clinicians and anthropologists. METHODS Agenesis of the UI2, LI1, UP2, LP2, UM3, and LM3 was recorded in 52 discrete samples of mainly skeletal dentitions (n = 2162) from across the subcontinent. After dividing into temporal categories, regional pooling was effected for adequate sample sizes across the vast geographic area. Only adults were included to record M3 status. Analyses included 95% confidence intervals and chi-square comparisons by region and sex. RESULTS Of 1668 modern individuals 2.3% have UI2-LP2 agenesis (CI 1.6-3.1%). Regional and sex differences are non-significant, though females are most affected. For M3s it is 7.0% (5.7-8.4%), with the Central region sample differing significantly from the East and South. Females again have greater prevalence, with the difference in the West significant. UI2-LP2 agenesis affects 0.6% of 494 premodern individuals (0.1-1.8%), while M3 agenesis is 8.5% (6.1-11.5%). None of these differences are significant. CONCLUSIONS Rates are toward the low end of global ranges, including 0.0-12.6% for UI2-LP2 from case reports, and 5.3-56.0% for M3 agenesis. With exceptions, generally insignificant inter-region differences imply that rates reasonably represent sub-Saharan peoples overall. Results will be of interest to anthropologists, but those related to risk factors, patterning, and prevalence may assist clinicians in tailoring treatment, while informing patients how this anomaly differs by population ancestry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joel D Irish
- Research Centre in Evolutionary Anthropology and Palaeoecology, School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool L3 3AF, UK.
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Metzger CE, Moore RC, Pirkle AS, Tak LY, Rau J, Bryan JA, Stefanov A, Allen MR, Hook MA. A moderate spinal contusion injury in rats alters bone turnover both below and above the level of injury with sex-based differences apparent in long-term recovery. Bone Rep 2024; 21:101761. [PMID: 38646090 PMCID: PMC11033081 DOI: 10.1016/j.bonr.2024.101761] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Spinal cord injury (SCI) leads to significant sublesional bone loss and high fracture rates. While loss of mechanical loading plays a significant role in SCI-induced bone loss, animal studies have demonstrated mechanical loading alone does not fully account for loss of bone following SCI. Indeed, we have shown that bone loss occurs below the level of an incomplete moderate contusion SCI, despite the resumption of weight-bearing and stepping. As systemic factors could also impact bone after SCI, bone alterations may also be present in bone sites above the level of injury. To examine this, we assessed bone microarchitecture and bone turnover in the supralesional humerus in male and female rats at two different ages following a moderate contusion injury in both sub-chronic (30 days) and chronic (180 days) time points after injury. At the 30-day timepoint, we found that both young and adult male SCI rats had decrements in trabecular bone volume at the supralesional proximal humerus (PH), while female SCI rats were not different from age-matched shams. At the 180-day timepoint, there were no statistical differences between SCI and sham groups, irrespective of age or sex, at the supralesional proximal humerus. At the 30-day timepoint, all SCI rats had lower BFR and higher osteoclast-covered trabecular surfaces in the proximal humerus compared to age-matched sham groups generally matching the pattern of SCI-induced changes in bone turnover seen in the sublesional proximal tibia. However, at the 180-day timepoint, only male SCI rats had lower BFR at the supralesional proximal humerus while female SCI rats had higher or no different BFR than their age-matched counterparts. Overall, this preclinical study demonstrates that a moderate contusion SCI leads to alterations in bone turnover above the level of injury within 30-days of injury; however male SCI rats maintained lower BFR in the supralesional humerus into long-term recovery. These data further highlight that bone loss after SCI is not driven solely by disuse. Additionally, these data allude to potential systemic factors exerting influence on bone following SCI and highlight the need to consider treatments for SCI-induced bone loss that impact both sublesional and systemic factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corinne E. Metzger
- Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology, and Physiology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States of America
| | - Robert C. Moore
- Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology, and Physiology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States of America
| | - Alexander S. Pirkle
- Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology, and Physiology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States of America
| | - Landon Y. Tak
- Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology, and Physiology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States of America
| | - Josephina Rau
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Texas A&M University School of Medicine, Bryan, TX, United States of America
| | - Jessica A. Bryan
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Texas A&M University School of Medicine, Bryan, TX, United States of America
| | - Alexander Stefanov
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Texas A&M University School of Medicine, Bryan, TX, United States of America
| | - Matthew R. Allen
- Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology, and Physiology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States of America
| | - Michelle A. Hook
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Texas A&M University School of Medicine, Bryan, TX, United States of America
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Ahlbrand R, Wilson A, Woller P, Sachdeva Y, Lai J, Davis N, Wiggins J, Sah R. Sex-specific threat responding and neuronal engagement in carbon dioxide associated fear and extinction: Noradrenergic involvement in female mice. Neurobiol Stress 2024; 30:100617. [PMID: 38433995 PMCID: PMC10907837 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2024.100617] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Difficulty in appropriately responding to threats is a key feature of psychiatric disorders, especially fear-related conditions such as panic disorder (PD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Most prior work on threat and fear regulation involves exposure to external threatful cues. However, fear can also be triggered by aversive, within-the-body, sensations. This interoceptive signaling of fear is highly relevant to PD and PTSD but is not well understood, especially in the context of sex. Using female and male mice, the current study investigated fear-associated spontaneous and conditioned behaviors to carbon dioxide (CO2) inhalation, a potent interoceptive threat that induces fear and panic. We also investigated whether behavioral sensitivity to CO2 is associated with delayed PTSD-relevant behaviors. CO2 evoked heterogenous freezing behaviors in both male and female animals. However, active, rearing behavior was significantly reduced in CO2-exposed male but not female mice. Interestingly, behavioral sensitivity to CO2 was associated with compromised fear extinction, independent of sex. However, in comparison to CO2-exposed males, females elicited less freezing and higher rearing during extinction suggesting an engagement of active versus passive defensive coping. Persistent neuronal activation marker ΔFosB immuno-mapping revealed attenuated engagement of infralimbic-prefrontal areas in both sexes but higher activation of brain stem locus coeruleus (LC) area in females. Inter-regional co-activation mapping revealed sex-independent disruptions in the infralimbic-amygdala associations but altered LC associations only in CO2-exposed female mice. Lastly, dopamine β hydroxylase positive (DβH + ve) noradrenergic neuronal cell counts in the LC correlated with freezing and rearing behaviors during CO2 inhalation and extinction only in female but not male mice. Collectively, these data provide evidence for higher active defensive responding to interoceptive threat CO2-associated fear in females that may stem from increased recruitment of the brainstem noradrenergic system. Our findings reveal distinct contributory mechanisms that may promote sex differences in fear and panic associated pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Ahlbrand
- Department of Pharmacology and Systems Physiology, University of Cincinnati, USA
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Allison Wilson
- Neuroscience Undergraduate Program, University of Cincinnati, USA
| | - Patrick Woller
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Cincinnati, USA
| | - Yuv Sachdeva
- Department of Pharmacology and Systems Physiology, University of Cincinnati, USA
| | - Jayden Lai
- Department of Pharmacology and Systems Physiology, University of Cincinnati, USA
| | - Nikki Davis
- Neuroscience Undergraduate Program, University of Cincinnati, USA
| | - James Wiggins
- Neuroscience Undergraduate Program, University of Cincinnati, USA
| | - Renu Sah
- Department of Pharmacology and Systems Physiology, University of Cincinnati, USA
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Cincinnati, USA
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
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Chapp AD, Nwakama CA, Jagtap PP, Phan CMH, Thomas MJ, Mermelstein PG. Fundamental Sex Differences in Cocaine-Induced Plasticity of Dopamine D1 Receptor- and D2 Receptor-Expressing Medium Spiny Neurons in the Mouse Nucleus Accumbens Shell. Biol Psychiatry Glob Open Sci 2024; 4:100295. [PMID: 38533248 PMCID: PMC10963205 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsgos.2024.100295] [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: 11/27/2023] [Revised: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 02/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Cocaine-induced plasticity in the nucleus accumbens shell of males occurs primarily in dopamine D1 receptor-expressing medium spiny neurons (D1R-MSNs), with little if any impact on dopamine D2 receptor-expressing medium spiny neurons (D2R-MSNs). In females, the effect of cocaine on accumbens shell D1R- and D2R-MSN neurophysiology has yet to be reported, nor have estrous cycle effects been accounted for. Methods We used a 5-day locomotor sensitization paradigm followed by a 10- to 14-day drug-free abstinence period. We then obtained ex vivo whole-cell recordings from fluorescently labeled D1R-MSNs and D2R-MSNs in the nucleus accumbens shell of male and female mice during estrus and diestrus. We examined accumbens shell neuronal excitability as well as miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents (mEPSCs). Results In females, we observed alterations in D1R-MSN excitability across the estrous cycle similar in magnitude to the effects of cocaine in males. Furthermore, cocaine shifted estrous cycle-dependent plasticity from intrinsic excitability changes in D1R-MSNs to D2R-MSNs. In males, cocaine treatment produced the anticipated drop in D1R-MSN excitability with no effect on D2R-MSN excitability. Cocaine increased mEPSC frequencies and amplitudes in D2R-MSNs from females in estrus and mEPSC amplitudes of D2R-MSNs from females in diestrus. In males, cocaine increased both D1R- and D2R-MSN mEPSC amplitudes with no effect on mEPSC frequencies. Conclusions Overall, while there are similar cocaine-induced disparities regarding the relative excitability of D1R-MSNs versus D2R-MSNs between the sexes, this is mediated through reduced D1R-MSN excitability in males, whereas it is due to heightened D2R-MSN excitability in females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew D. Chapp
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Medical Discovery Team on Addiction, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Chinonso A. Nwakama
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Medical Discovery Team on Addiction, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Pramit P. Jagtap
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Chau-Mi H. Phan
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Mark J. Thomas
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Medical Discovery Team on Addiction, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Center for Neural Circuits in Addiction, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Paul G. Mermelstein
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Medical Discovery Team on Addiction, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Center for Neural Circuits in Addiction, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
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Montiel-Herrera F, Batanero-Geraldo A, López JC, Vargas JP, Quintero E, Díaz E. Effects of acute and chronic methylphenidate on prepulse inhibition: A sex difference study in Wistar rats. Physiol Behav 2024; 278:114526. [PMID: 38531426 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2024.114526] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2024] [Revised: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The utilization of methylphenidate (MPH) is experiencing a notable surge within the adult population. This growth can be attributed to two key factors: its recreational and cognitive enhancement purposes, as well as the rising prevalence of ADHD diagnoses within this population. This study examined acute and chronic oral MPH effects on attention in male and female Wistar rats. To this end, we used a prepulse inhibition (PPI) task, which is widely used to assess psychoactive drug effects in both humans and rodents. This task allowed us to evaluate changes in attention by analyzing sensorimotor gating associated with stimulus selection process. METHODS Animals were administered a clinically relevant dose of MPH (5 mg/kg) daily for seven days. The estrous cycle phases of the female rats were measured during behavioral sessions. The PPI task was conducted 20 min after drug administration on day 1 (acute), day 7 (chronic), and 48 h post-treatment. RESULTS Results indicated that both acute and chronic MPH treatment impaired PPI expression in male rats, but not in female rats, regardless of their estrous cycle phase. Furthermore, a differential effect of chronic MPH treatment on the PPI task was found in male rats. Specifically, on the seventh treatment day, the PPI effect was observed when animals undertook the PPI task for the first time but was impaired in those animals in which the initial PPI session occurred under the acute influence of the drug (day 1). CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that the impact of MPH on sensorimotor gating responses may vary based on sex and task experience, possibly leading to state-dependent effects in healthy individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Montiel-Herrera
- Laboratory of Animal Behavior and Neuroscience, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Seville, Seville, Spain
| | - A Batanero-Geraldo
- Laboratory of Animal Behavior and Neuroscience, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Seville, Seville, Spain
| | - J C López
- Laboratory of Animal Behavior and Neuroscience, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Seville, Seville, Spain
| | - J P Vargas
- Laboratory of Animal Behavior and Neuroscience, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Seville, Seville, Spain
| | - E Quintero
- Laboratory of Animal Behavior and Neuroscience, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Seville, Seville, Spain
| | - E Díaz
- Laboratory of Animal Behavior and Neuroscience, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Seville, Seville, Spain.
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McFarland MH, Machado MMF, Sansbury GM, Musselman KC, Boero G, O'Buckley TK, Carr CC, Morrow AL, Robinson DL. Acute, but not repeated, cocaine exposure alters allopregnanolone levels in the midbrain of male and female rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2024; 241:1011-1025. [PMID: 38282126 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-024-06534-8] [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: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/13/2024] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
RATIONALE Multiple psychiatric disorders are associated with altered brain and serum levels of neuroactive steroids, including the endogenous GABAergic steroid, allopregnanolone. Clinically, chronic cocaine use was correlated with decreased levels of pregnenolone. Preclinically, the effect of acute cocaine on allopregnanolone levels in rodents has had mixed results, showing an increase or no change in allopregnanolone levels in some brain regions. OBJECTIVE We hypothesized that cocaine acutely increases allopregnanolone levels, but repeated cocaine exposure decreases allopregnanolone levels compared to controls. METHODS We performed two separate studies to determine how systemic administration of 15 mg/kg cocaine (1) acutely or (2) chronically alters brain (olfactory bulb, frontal cortex, dorsal striatum, and midbrain) and serum allopregnanolone levels in adult male and female Sprague-Dawley rats. RESULTS Cocaine acutely increased allopregnanolone levels in the midbrain, but not in olfactory bulb, frontal cortex, or dorsal striatum. Repeated cocaine did not persistently (24 h later) alter allopregnanolone levels in any region in either sex. However, allopregnanolone levels varied by sex across brain regions. In the acute study, we found that females had significantly higher allopregnanolone levels in serum and olfactory bulb relative to males. In the repeated cocaine study, females had significantly higher allopregnanolone levels in olfactory bulb, frontal cortex, and serum. Finally, acute cocaine increased allopregnanolone levels in the frontal cortex of females in proestrus, relative to non-proestrus stages. CONCLUSION Collectively these results suggest that allopregnanolone levels vary across brain regions and by sex, which may play a part in differential responses to cocaine by sex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minna H McFarland
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Meira M F Machado
- Robarts Research Institute, Western University, London, ON, N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - Griffin M Sansbury
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Kate C Musselman
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Giorgia Boero
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Todd K O'Buckley
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Crystal C Carr
- Department of Psychology, Wofford College, Spartanburg, SC, 29303, USA
| | - A Leslie Morrow
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Donita L Robinson
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA.
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Boerhout CKM, Vink CEM, Lee JM, de Waard GA, Mejia-Renteria H, Lee SH, Jung JH, Hoshino M, Echavarria-Pinto M, Meuwissen M, Matsuo H, Madera-Cambero M, Eftekhari A, Effat MA, Murai T, Marques K, Doh JH, Christiansen EH, Banerjee R, Nam CW, Niccoli G, Nakayama M, Tanaka N, Shin ES, Appelman Y, Beijk MAM, van Royen N, Chamuleau SAJ, Knaapen P, Escaned J, Kakuta T, Koo BK, Piek JJ, van de Hoef TP. Impact of sex on the assessment of the microvascular resistance reserve. Int J Cardiol 2024; 402:131832. [PMID: 38316189 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijcard.2024.131832] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Revised: 12/29/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The microvascular resistance reserve (MRR) is an innovative index to assess the vasodilatory capacity of the coronary circulation while accounting for the presence of concomitant epicardial disease. The MRR has shown to be a valuable diagnostic and prognostic tool in the general coronary artery disease (CAD) population. However, considering the fundamental aspects of its assessment and the unique hemodynamic characteristics of women, it is crucial to provide additional considerations for evaluating the MRR specifically in women. AIM The aim of this study was to assess the diagnostic and prognostic applicability of the MRR in women and assess the potential differences across different sexes. METHODS From the ILIAS Registry, we enrolled all patients with a stable indication for invasive coronary angiography, ensuring complete physiological and follow-up data. We analyzed the diagnostic value by comparing differences between sexes and evaluated the prognostic value of the MRR specifically in women, comparing it to that in men. RESULTS A total of 1494 patients were included of which 26% were women. The correlation between MRR and CFR was good and similar between women (r = 0.80, p < 0.005) and men (r = 0.81, p < 0.005). The MRR was an independent and important predictor of MACE in both women (HR 0.67, 0.47-0.96, p = 0.027) and men (HR 0.84, 0.74-0.95, p = 0.007). The optimal cut-off value for MRR in women was 2.8 and 3.2 in men. An abnormal MRR similarly predicted MACE at 5-year follow-up in both women and men. CONCLUSION The MRR seems to be equally applicable in both women and men with stable coronary artery disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - C E M Vink
- Heart Center, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Joo Myung Lee
- Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Heart Vascular Stroke Institute, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | | | - Hernan Mejia-Renteria
- Hospital Clínico San Carlos, IDISSC, and Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Seung Hun Lee
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chonnam National University Hospital, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
| | - Ji-Hyun Jung
- Sejong General Hospital, Sejong Heart Institute, Bucheon, Republic of Korea
| | - Masahiro Hoshino
- Gifu Heart Center, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Gifu, Japan
| | - Mauro Echavarria-Pinto
- Hospital General ISSSTE Querétaro - Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Querétaro, Mexico
| | | | - Hitoshi Matsuo
- Gifu Heart Center, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Gifu, Japan
| | | | - Ashkan Eftekhari
- Aarhus University Hospital, Department of Cardiology, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Mohamed A Effat
- Division of Cardiovascular Health and Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Tadashi Murai
- Tsuchiura Kyodo General Hospital, Department of Cardiology, Tsuchiura City, Japan
| | - Koen Marques
- Heart Center, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Joon-Hyung Doh
- Department of Medicine, Inje University Ilsan Paik Hospital, Goyang, South Korea
| | | | - Rupak Banerjee
- Mechanical and Materials Engineering Department, University of Cincinnati Cincinnati, OH, USA; Research Services, Veteran Affairs Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Chang-Wook Nam
- Department of Medicine, Keimyung University, Daegu, South Korea
| | - Giampaolo Niccoli
- Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Institute of Cardiology, Rome, Italy
| | - Masafumi Nakayama
- Gifu Heart Center, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Gifu, Japan; Toda Central General Hospital, Cardiovascular Center, Toda, Japan
| | - Nobuhiro Tanaka
- Tokyo Medical University Hachioji Medical Center, Department of Cardiology, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Eun-Seok Shin
- Department of Cardiology, Ulsan University Hospital, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Ulsan, South Korea
| | | | | | - Niels van Royen
- Department of Cardiology, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | | | - Paul Knaapen
- Heart Center, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Javier Escaned
- Hospital Clínico San Carlos, IDISSC, and Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Tsunekazu Kakuta
- Tsuchiura Kyodo General Hospital, Department of Cardiology, Tsuchiura City, Japan
| | - Bon Kwon Koo
- Seoul National University Hospital, Department of Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jan J Piek
- Heart Center, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Tim P van de Hoef
- Department of Cardiology, University Medical Centre Utrecht, the Netherlands.
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12
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Lin YJ, Lai MC, Yang LK, Gau SSF. Sex-differential patterns of neuropsychological functioning in adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Compr Psychiatry 2024; 131:152464. [PMID: 38394925 DOI: 10.1016/j.comppsych.2024.152464] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The sex-differential prevalence of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) varies across the lifespan, but little is known about sex differences in executive functions in adults with ADHD. METHODS We assessed 261 adults, aged 18-40 years, diagnosed with ADHD (170 males [assigned at birth], aged 25.81 ± 5.49; 91 females, aged 27.76 ± 5.42) and 308 neurotypical adults (176 males, aged 24.62 ± 5.14; 132 female, aged 25.37 ± 5.42) via psychiatric interviews to confirm ADHD and other psychiatric diagnoses. They were assessed by the Cambridge Neuropsychological Testing Automated Battery (CANTAB) on Reaction Time (arousal/processing speed), Rapid Visual Information Processing (sustained attention), Spatial Span (spatial memory), Spatial Working Memory, Intradimentional/Extradimensional Shift (set-shifting), and Stocking of Cambridge (spatial planning). The primary analyses were adjusted for age, full-scale IQ, and co-occurring psychiatric conditions. RESULTS Adults with ADHD had various co-occurring psychiatric conditions without sex differences in ADHD-neurotypical differences. Both adult males and females with ADHD performed poorer in all CANTAB tasks than same-sex neurotypical adults. Significant sex-moderating effects were observed in neuropsychological performance, including greater ADHD-neurotypical differences in arousal for females than males and in location memory for spatial tasks in males than females. CONCLUSION There were no sex-moderating effects in the presence of co-occurring psychiatric conditions in adult ADHD. However, there were sex-moderating effects on how ADHD related to neuropsychological functioning in adulthood. ADHD was associated with more challenges in arousal/processing speed in females and more challenges in strategy use or inhibition in spatial memory in males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Ju Lin
- Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital and College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Psychiatry and Child Development Center, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Meng-Chuan Lai
- Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital and College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan; The Margaret and Wallace McCain Centre for Child, Youth & Family Mental Health and Azrieli Adult Neurodevelopmental Centre, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Li-Kuang Yang
- Department of Psychiatry, Tri-Service General Hospital, Beitou Branch, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Susan Shur-Fen Gau
- Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital and College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, and Graduate Institute of Brain and Mind Sciences, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
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13
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Castle ME, Flanigan ME. The role of brain serotonin signaling in excessive alcohol consumption and withdrawal: A call for more research in females. Neurobiol Stress 2024; 30:100618. [PMID: 38433994 PMCID: PMC10907856 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2024.100618] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Revised: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) is a leading cause of death and disability worldwide, but current treatments are insufficient in fully addressing the symptoms that often lead to relapses in alcohol consumption. The brain's serotonin system has been implicated in AUD for decades and is a major regulator of stress-related behaviors associated with increased alcohol consumption. This review will discuss the current literature on the association between neurobiological adaptations in serotonin systems and AUD in humans as well as the effectiveness of serotonin receptor manipulations on alcohol-related behaviors like consumption and withdrawal. We will further discuss how these findings in humans relate to findings in animal models, including a comparison of systemic pharmacological manipulations modulating alcohol consumption. We next provide a detailed overview of brain region-specific roles for serotonin and serotonin receptor signaling in alcohol-related behaviors in preclinical animal models, highlighting the complexity of forming a cohesive model of serotonin function in AUD and providing possible avenues for more effective therapeutic intervention. Throughout the review, we discuss what is known about sex differences in the sequelae of AUD and the role of serotonin in these sequelae. We stress a critical need for additional studies in women and female animals so that we may build a clearer path to elucidating sex-specific serotonergic mechanisms and develop better treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan E. Castle
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Meghan E. Flanigan
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
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14
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Barrett ES, Sullivan A, Workman T, Zhang Y, Loftus CT, Szpiro AA, Paquette A, MacDonald JW, Coccia M, Smith R, Bowman M, Smith A, Derefinko K, Nguyen RHN, Zhao Q, Sathyanarayana S, Karr C, LeWinn KZ, Bush NR. Sex-specific associations between placental corticotropin releasing hormone and problem behaviors in childhood. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2024; 163:106994. [PMID: 38387218 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2024.106994] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Revised: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Placental corticotropin-releasing hormone (pCRH) is a neuroactive peptide produced in high concentrations in mid-late pregnancy, during key periods of fetal brain development. Some evidence suggests that higher pCRH exposure during gestation is associated with adverse neurodevelopment, particularly in female offspring. In 858 mother-child dyads from the sociodemographically diverse CANDLE cohort (Memphis, TN), we examined: (1) the slope of pCRH rise in mid-late pregnancy and (2) estimated pCRH at delivery as a measure of cumulative prenatal exposure. When children were 4 years-old, mothers reported on problem behaviors using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and cognitive performance was assessed by trained psychologists using the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scales. We fitted linear regression models examining pCRH in relation to behavioral and cognitive performance measures, adjusting for covariates. Using interaction models, we evaluated whether associations differed by fetal sex, breastfeeding, and postnatal neighborhood opportunity. In the full cohort, log-transformed pCRH measures were not associated with outcomes; however, we observed sex differences in some models (interaction p-values≤0.01). In male offspring, an interquartile (IQR) increase in pCRH slope (but not estimated pCRH at delivery), was positively associated with raw Total (β=3.06, 95%CI: 0.40, 5.72), Internalizing (β=0.89, 95%CI: 0.03, 1.76), and Externalizing (β=1.25, 95%CI: 0.27, 2.22) Problem scores, whereas, in females, all associations were negative (Total Problems: β=-1.99, 95%CI: -3.89, -0.09; Internalizing: β=-0.82, 95%CI: -1.42, -0.23; Externalizing: β=-0.56, 95%CI: -1.34, 0.22). No associations with cognitive performance were observed nor did we observe moderation by breastfeeding or postnatal neighborhood opportunity. Our results provide further evidence that prenatal pCRH exposure may impact subsequent child behavior in sex-specific ways, however in contrast to prior studies suggesting adverse impacts in females, steeper mid-gestation pCRH rise was associated with more problem behaviors in males, but fewer in females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily S Barrett
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Rutgers School of Public Health, Piscataway, NJ, USA; Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA.
| | - Alexandra Sullivan
- Center for Health and Community, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Tomomi Workman
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Yuhong Zhang
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Christine T Loftus
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Adam A Szpiro
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Alison Paquette
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - James W MacDonald
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Michael Coccia
- Center for Health and Community, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Roger Smith
- Mothers and Babies Research Centre, Hunter Medical Research Institute, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, Australia
| | - Maria Bowman
- Mothers and Babies Research Centre, Hunter Medical Research Institute, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, Australia
| | - Alicia Smith
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, USA
| | - Karen Derefinko
- Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Ruby H N Nguyen
- Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Qi Zhao
- Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Sheela Sathyanarayana
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Catherine Karr
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Kaja Z LeWinn
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Nicole R Bush
- Center for Health and Community, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
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15
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Kumar M, Bhatt B, Gusain C, Mahajan N, Bishnoi M. Sex-specific effects of ketogenic diet on anxiety-like behavior and neuroimmune response in C57Bl/6J mice. J Nutr Biochem 2024; 127:109591. [PMID: 38311044 DOI: 10.1016/j.jnutbio.2024.109591] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Revised: 01/27/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/06/2024]
Abstract
The ketogenic diet (KD) has been shown to reduce anxiety and enhance cognitive functions in neurological diseases. However, the sex-specific effects of KD on anxiety-like behavior in healthy individuals and the underlying molecular mechanisms contributing to these effects, including neuroinflammation, are unelucidated. This study investigated the sex-specific effects of KD on anxiety-like behavior and the neuroimmune response in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and hippocampus of healthy C57BL/6J male and female mice. Animals were fed either a control diet (CD- 17% fat, 65% carb, 18% protein) or a KD (80% fat, 5% carb, 15% protein) for 4 weeks. KD increased the levels of circulating β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) both in males and females. However, PFC BHB levels were found to be elevated only in KD males. Moreover, KD did not affect the behavior of females but improved motor abilities and reduced anxiety levels in males. KD suppressed the mRNA expression of the pan microglial markers (Cd68, P2ry12) and induced morphological changes in the male PFC microglia. A sex-specific decrease in IL1β and an increase in IL-10 levels was found in the PFC of KD males. A similar trend was observed in the hippocampus of males where KD reduced the mRNA expression of P2ry12, Il1β, and cFos. Additionally, BHB increased the production of IL-10 whereas it decreased the production of IL1β from human microglia in in-vitro conditions. In summary, these results demonstrate that the anxiolytic and motor function enhancement abilities of KD are male-specific. Reduced pro-inflammatory and improved anti-inflammatory factors in the male PFC and hippocampus may underlie these effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohit Kumar
- Centre for Excellence in Functional Foods, Food & Nutrition Biotechnology Division, National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute, S.A.S Nagar, Sector 81 (Knowledge City), Punjab, India; Adjunct faculty, Regional Centre for Biotechnology, Faridabad, Haryana, India.
| | - Babita Bhatt
- Centre for Excellence in Functional Foods, Food & Nutrition Biotechnology Division, National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute, S.A.S Nagar, Sector 81 (Knowledge City), Punjab, India
| | - Chitralekha Gusain
- Centre for Excellence in Functional Foods, Food & Nutrition Biotechnology Division, National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute, S.A.S Nagar, Sector 81 (Knowledge City), Punjab, India
| | - Nayan Mahajan
- Centre for Excellence in Functional Foods, Food & Nutrition Biotechnology Division, National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute, S.A.S Nagar, Sector 81 (Knowledge City), Punjab, India
| | - Mahendra Bishnoi
- Centre for Excellence in Functional Foods, Food & Nutrition Biotechnology Division, National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute, S.A.S Nagar, Sector 81 (Knowledge City), Punjab, India
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16
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Jameson AN, Siemann JK, Grueter CA, Grueter B, McMahon DG. Effects of age and sex on photoperiod modulation of nucleus accumbens monoamine content and release in adolescence and adulthood. Neurobiol Sleep Circadian Rhythms 2024; 16:100103. [PMID: 38585223 PMCID: PMC10990739 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbscr.2024.100103] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Revised: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Day length, or photoperiod, is a reliable environmental cue encoded by the brain's circadian clock that indicates changing seasons and induces seasonal biological processes. In humans, photoperiod, age, and sex have been linked to seasonality in neuropsychiatric disorders, as seen in Seasonal Affective Disorder, Major Depressive Disorder, and Bipolar Disorder. The nucleus accumbens is a key locus for the regulation of motivated behaviors and neuropsychiatric disorders. Using periadolescent and young adult male and female mice, here we assessed photoperiod's effect on serotonin and dopamine tissue content in the nucleus accumbens core, as well as on accumbal synaptic dopamine release and uptake. We found greater serotonin and dopamine tissue content in the nucleus accumbens from young adult mice raised in a Short winter-like photoperiod. In addition, dopamine release and clearance were greater in the nucleus accumbens from young adult mice raised in a Long summer-like photoperiod. Importantly, we found that photoperiod's effects on accumbal dopamine tissue content and release were sex-specific to young adult females. These findings support that in mice there are interactions across age, sex, and photoperiod that impact critical monoamine neuromodulators in the nucleus accumbens which may provide mechanistic insight into the age and sex dependencies in seasonality of neuropsychiatric disorders in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexis N. Jameson
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Justin K. Siemann
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
- Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Carrie A. Grueter
- Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
- Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - BradA. Grueter
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Douglas G. McMahon
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
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17
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Joue G, Navarro-Schröder T, Achtzehn J, Moffat S, Hennies N, Fuß J, Döller C, Wolbers T, Sommer T. Effects of estrogen on spatial navigation and memory. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2024; 241:1037-1063. [PMID: 38407638 PMCID: PMC11031496 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-024-06539-3] [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: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
RATIONALE Animal studies suggest that the so-called "female" hormone estrogen enhances spatial navigation and memory. This contradicts the observation that males generally out-perform females in spatial navigation and tasks involving spatial memory. A closer look at the vast number of studies actually reveals that performance differences are not so clear. OBJECTIVES To help clarify the unclear performance differences between men and women and the role of estrogen, we attempted to isolate organizational from activational effects of estrogen on spatial navigation and memory. METHODS In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study, we tested the effects of orally administered estradiol valerate (E2V) in healthy, young women in their low-hormone menstrual cycle phase, compared to healthy, young men. Participants performed several first-person, environmentally rich, 3-D computer games inspired by spatial navigation and memory paradigms in animal research. RESULTS We found navigation behavior suggesting that sex effects dominated any E2 effects with men performing better with allocentric strategies and women with egocentric strategies. Increased E2 levels did not lead to general improvements in spatial ability in either sex but to behavioral changes reflecting navigation flexibility. CONCLUSION Estrogen-driven differences in spatial cognition might be better characterized on a spectrum of navigation flexibility rather than by categorical performance measures or skills.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gina Joue
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistraße 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Tobias Navarro-Schröder
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Olav Kyrres Gate 9, 7030, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Johannes Achtzehn
- Department of Neurology with Experimental Neurology (CVK), Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany
| | - Scott Moffat
- School of Psychology, Georgia Institute of Technology, 654 Cherry Street, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - Nora Hennies
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistraße 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Johannes Fuß
- Institute of Forensic Psychiatry and Sex Research, University Duisburg-Essen, Hohlweg 26, 45147, Essen, Germany
| | - Christian Döller
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Olav Kyrres Gate 9, 7030, Trondheim, Norway
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Stephanstraße 1a, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Thomas Wolbers
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Leipziger Straße 44, 39120, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Tobias Sommer
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistraße 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
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Leinweber ME, Geisbuesch P, Balzer K, Schmandra T, Karl T, Popp S, Hoffmann J, Schmitz-Rixen T, Jung G, Oikonomou K, Storck M, Balzer K, Kugelmann U, Schneider C, Engelhardt M, Petzold M, Weis-Mueller B, Wortmann M, Popp S, Grotemeyer D, Wenk H, Shayesteh-Kheslat R, Torsello G, Böckler D, Meisenbacher K, Hoffmann J, Schelzig H, Roopa Y, Strohschneider T, Noppeney T, Reichert V, Lorenz U, Pfister K, Damirchi S, Stojanovic T, Oberhuber A, Lobenstein B, Sagban TA, Pfeiffer T, Koller J, Sprenger C, Kruschwitz T, Schmedt CG, Marquardt F, Schmandra T, Bail D. Sex disparities in popliteal artery aneurysms. J Vasc Surg 2024; 79:1179-1186.e1. [PMID: 38145634 DOI: 10.1016/j.jvs.2023.12.036] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Revised: 12/16/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 12/27/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Only 5% of patients with popliteal artery aneurysms (PAAs) are female. Evidence on PAA treatment and outcomes in women is therefore scarce. The POPART Registry provides one of Europe's largest data collections regarding PAA treatment. Data on clinical presentation, aneurysm morphology, and perioperative outcomes after open surgical PAA repair in women will be presented. METHODS POPART is a multicenter, noninterventional registry for open and endovascular PAA repair, with 42 participating centers in Germany and Luxembourg. All patients aged >18 years who have been treated for PAA since 2010 are eligible for study inclusion. Data collection is based on an online electronic case report form. RESULTS Of the 1236 PAAs, 58 (4.8%) were in women. There were no significant differences in age or cardiopulmonary comorbidities. However, female patients had a lower prevalence of contralateral PAAs and abdominal aortic aneurysms (P < .05). PAAs in women were more likely to be symptomatic before surgery (65.5% vs 49.4%; P = .017), with 19% of women presenting with acute limb ischemia (vs 11%; P = .067). Women had smaller aneurysm diameters than men (22.5 mm vs 27 mm; P = .004) and became symptomatic at smaller diameters (20 mm vs 26 mm; P = .002). Only 8.6% of women and 11.6% of men underwent endovascular aneurysm repair (P > .05); therefore, the perioperative outcome analysis focused on open surgical repair. In total, 23.5% of women and 16.9% of men developed perioperative complications (P > .05). There were no differences in major cardiovascular events (P > .05), but women showed a higher incidence of impaired wound healing (15.7% vs 7.2%; P = .05) and major amputation (5.9% vs 1.1%; P = .027). Female sex was significantly associated with the need for nonvascular reinterventions within 30 days after surgery (odds ratio: 2.48, 95% confidence interval: 1.26-4.88), whereas no significant differences in the odds for vascular reinterventions were observed (odds ratio: 1.98, 95% confidence interval: 0.68-5.77). In the multiple logistic regression model, female sex, symptomatic PAAs, poor quality of outflow vessels, and graft material other than vein graft were independently associated with perioperative reinterventions. CONCLUSIONS Women have smaller PAAs, are more likely to be symptomatic before treatment, and are more often affected by nonvascular reinterventions in the perioperative course. As our understanding of aneurysmatic diseases in women continues to expand, sex-specific treatment strategies and screening options for women in well-selected cohorts with modified screening protocols should be continuously re-evaluated.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Phillip Geisbuesch
- Department of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, Klinikum Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Kai Balzer
- Department of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, St. Marien-Hospital, GFO-Kliniken, Bonn, Germany
| | - Thomas Schmandra
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Sana Klinikum Offenbach, Offenbach, Germany
| | - Thomas Karl
- Department of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, Klinikum am Plattenwald, SLK-Kliniken Heilbronn GmbH, Bad Friedrichshall, Germany
| | - Sebastian Popp
- Department of Vascular Surgery, RoMed Klinik Wasserburg am Inn, Wasserburg am Inn, Germany
| | - Johannes Hoffmann
- Department of Vascular Surgery and Phlebology, Contilia Herz und Gefaeßzentrum, Essen, Germany
| | | | - Georg Jung
- Department of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, Lucerne Cantonal Hospital, Lucerne, Switzerland
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19
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Evans AK, Saw NL, Woods CE, Vidano LM, Blumenfeld SE, Lam RK, Chu EK, Reading C, Shamloo M. Impact of high-fat diet on cognitive behavior and central and systemic inflammation with aging and sex differences in mice. Brain Behav Immun 2024; 118:334-354. [PMID: 38408498 PMCID: PMC11019935 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2024.02.025] [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: 01/20/2023] [Revised: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Aging and age-related diseases are associated with cellular stress, metabolic imbalance, oxidative stress, and neuroinflammation, accompanied by cognitive impairment. Lifestyle factors such as diet, sleep fragmentation, and stress can potentiate damaging cellular cascades and lead to an acceleration of brain aging and cognitive impairment. High-fat diet (HFD) has been associated with obesity, metabolic disorders like diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. HFD also induces neuroinflammation, impairs learning and memory, and may increase anxiety-like behavior. Effects of a HFD may also vary between sexes. The interaction between Age- and Sex- and Diet-related changes in neuroinflammation and cognitive function is an important and poorly understood area of research. This study was designed to examine the effects of HFD on neuroinflammation, behavior, and neurodegeneration in mice in the context of aging or sex differences. In a series of studies, young (2-3 months) or old (12-13 months) C57BL/6J male mice or young male and female C57Bl/6J mice were fed either a standard diet (SD) or a HFD for 5-6 months. Behavior was assessed in Activity Chamber, Y-maze, Novel Place Recognition, Novel Object Recognition, Elevated Plus Maze, Open Field, Morris Water Maze, and Fear Conditioning. Post-mortem analyses assessed a panel of inflammatory markers in the plasma and hippocampus. Additionally, proteomic analysis of the hypothalamus, neurodegeneration, neuroinflammation in the locus coeruleus, and neuroinflammation in the hippocampus were assessed in a subset of young and aged male mice. We show that HFD increased body weight and decreased locomotor activity across groups compared to control mice fed a SD. HFD altered anxiety-related exploratory behavior. HFD impaired spatial learning and recall in young male mice and impaired recall in cued fear conditioning in young and aged male mice, with no effects on spatial learning or fear conditioning in young female mice. Effects of Age and Sex were observed on neuroinflammatory cytokines, with only limited effects of HFD. HFD had a more significant impact on systemic inflammation in plasma across age and sex. Aged male mice had induction of microglial immunoreactivity in both the locus coeruleus (LC) and hippocampus an effect that HFD exacerbated in the hippocampal CA1 region. Proteomic analysis of the hypothalamus revealed changes in pathways related to metabolism and neurodegeneration with both aging and HFD in male mice. Our findings suggest that HFD induces widespread systemic inflammation and limited neuroinflammation. In addition, HFD alters exploratory behavior in male and female mice, and impairs learning and memory in male mice. These results provide valuable insight into the impact of diet on cognition and aging pathophysiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew K Evans
- Stanford University School of Medicine, Department of Neurosurgery, 1050 Arastradero Road, Building A, Palo Alto, CA 94304
| | - Nay L Saw
- Stanford University School of Medicine, Department of Neurosurgery, 1050 Arastradero Road, Building A, Palo Alto, CA 94304
| | - Claire E Woods
- Stanford University School of Medicine, Department of Neurosurgery, 1050 Arastradero Road, Building A, Palo Alto, CA 94304
| | - Laura M Vidano
- Stanford University School of Medicine, Department of Neurosurgery, 1050 Arastradero Road, Building A, Palo Alto, CA 94304
| | - Sarah E Blumenfeld
- Stanford University School of Medicine, Department of Neurosurgery, 1050 Arastradero Road, Building A, Palo Alto, CA 94304
| | - Rachel K Lam
- Stanford University School of Medicine, Department of Neurosurgery, 1050 Arastradero Road, Building A, Palo Alto, CA 94304
| | - Emily K Chu
- Stanford University School of Medicine, Department of Neurosurgery, 1050 Arastradero Road, Building A, Palo Alto, CA 94304
| | | | - Mehrdad Shamloo
- Stanford University School of Medicine, Department of Neurosurgery, 1050 Arastradero Road, Building A, Palo Alto, CA 94304.
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20
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Miller R, Balshaw TG, Massey GJ, Maeo S, Lanza MB, Haug B, Johnston M, Allen SJ, Folland JP. Sex Differences in Muscle Morphology between Male and Female Sprinters. J Appl Physiol (1985) 2024. [PMID: 38660724 DOI: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00009.2023] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
There is a marked difference between males and females in sprint running performance, yet a comprehensive investigation of sex differences in the muscle morphology of sprinters remains to completed. This study compared muscle volumes of 23 individual leg muscles/compartments and five functional muscle groups, assessed with 3T magnetic resonance imaging, between male (n=31) and female (n=22) sprinters, and sub-groups of elite males (EM, n=5), elite females (EF, n=5), and performance matched (to elite females) males (PMMEF, n=6). Differences in muscle volume distribution between EM, EF and unathletic male controls (UM) were also assessed. For the full sprint cohorts, males were more muscular than females, but the differences were non-uniform and anatomically variable, with the largest differences in the hip extensors and flexors. However, amongst elite sprinters the sex differences in the volume of the functional muscle groups were almost uniform (absolute volume +47-53%), and the muscle volume distribution of EM was more similar to EF than UM (P<0.039). For PMMEF relative hip extensor volume, but not stature or percent body fat, differentiated for performance (PMMEF and EF < EM) rather than sex. In conclusion, whilst the full cohorts of sprinters showed a marked sex difference in the amount and distribution of muscle mass, elite sprinters appeared to be selected for a common muscle distribution phenotype that for these elite sub-groups was a stronger effect than that of sex. Relative hip extensor muscle volume appeared to be the primary determinant of the sex difference in performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Miller
- School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, Loughborough University, Loughborough, Leicestershire, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas G Balshaw
- School of Sport, Exercise, and Health Sciences, Loughborough University, Loughborough, Leicestershire, United Kingdom
| | - Garry J Massey
- School of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Exeter, Devon, United Kingdom
| | - Sumiaki Maeo
- College of Sport and Health Sciences, Ritsumeikan University, Kusatsu, Shiga, Japan
| | - Marcel B Lanza
- Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation, University of Maryland, Baltimore, BALTIMORE, Maryland, United States
| | - Bill Haug
- School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, Loughborough University, United Kingdom
| | - Michael Johnston
- Applied Sports Technology Exercise and Medicine Research Centre, Swansea University, United Kingdom
| | - Sam J Allen
- School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, Loughborough University, United Kingdom
| | - Jonathan P Folland
- School of Sport, Exercise & Health Sciences, Loughborough University, Loughborough, Leicestershire, United Kingdom
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21
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Zhang C, Wang Y, Xie W, Zhang J, Tian T, Zhu Q, Fang X, Sui J, Pan D, Xia H, Wang S, Sun G, Dai Y. Sex differences and dietary patterns in the association of air pollutants and hypertension. BMC Public Health 2024; 24:1134. [PMID: 38654317 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-024-18620-9] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hypertension is one of the major public health problems in China. Limited evidence exists regarding sex differences in the association between hypertension and air pollutants, as well as the impact of dietary factors on the relationship between air pollutants and hypertension. The aim of this study was to investigate the sex-specific effects of dietary patterns on the association between fine particulate matter (PM2.5), ozone(O3) and hypertension in adults residing in Jiangsu Province of China. METHODS A total of 3189 adults from the 2015 China Adult Chronic Disease and Nutrition Surveillance in Jiangsu Province were included in this study. PM2.5 and O3 concentrations were estimated using satellite space-time models and assigned to each participant. Dietary patterns were determined by reduced rank regression (RRR), and multivariate logistic regression was used to assess the associations of the obtained dietary patterns with air pollutants and hypertension risk. RESULTS After adjusting for confounding variables, we found that males were more sensitive to long-term exposure to PM2.5 (Odds ratio (OR) = 1.42 95%CI:1.08,1.87), and females were more sensitive to long-term exposure to O3 (OR = 1.61 95%CI:1.15,2.23). Traditional southern pattern identified through RRR exhibited a protective effect against hypertension in males (OR = 0.73 95%CI: 0.56,1.00). The results of the interaction between dietary pattern score and PM2.5 revealed that adherence to traditional southern pattern was significantly associated with a decreased risk of hypertension in males (P < 0.05), while no significant association was observed among females. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggested that sex differences existed in the association between dietary patterns, air pollutants and hypertension. Furthermore, we found that adherence to traditional southern pattern may mitigate the risk of long-term PM2.5 exposure-induced hypertension in males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine and Engineering of Ministry of Education, Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Southeast University, 210009, Nanjing, China
| | - Yuanyuan Wang
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine and Engineering of Ministry of Education, Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Southeast University, 210009, Nanjing, China
| | - Wei Xie
- Institute of Food Safety and Assessment, Jiangsu Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 210009, Nanjing, China
| | - Jingxian Zhang
- Institute of Food Safety and Assessment, Jiangsu Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 210009, Nanjing, China
| | - Ting Tian
- Institute of Food Safety and Assessment, Jiangsu Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 210009, Nanjing, China
| | - Qianrang Zhu
- Institute of Food Safety and Assessment, Jiangsu Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 210009, Nanjing, China
| | - Xinyu Fang
- Institute of Food Safety and Assessment, Jiangsu Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 210009, Nanjing, China
| | - Jing Sui
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine and Engineering of Ministry of Education, Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Southeast University, 210009, Nanjing, China
- Research Institute for Environment and Health, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, 211544, Nanjing, China
| | - Da Pan
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine and Engineering of Ministry of Education, Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Southeast University, 210009, Nanjing, China
| | - Hui Xia
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine and Engineering of Ministry of Education, Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Southeast University, 210009, Nanjing, China
| | - Shaokang Wang
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine and Engineering of Ministry of Education, Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Southeast University, 210009, Nanjing, China
| | - Guiju Sun
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine and Engineering of Ministry of Education, Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Southeast University, 210009, Nanjing, China.
| | - Yue Dai
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine and Engineering of Ministry of Education, Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Southeast University, 210009, Nanjing, China.
- Institute of Food Safety and Assessment, Jiangsu Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 210009, Nanjing, China.
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22
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McKiel A, Woods S, Faragher M, Taylor G, Vandenboom R, Falk B. Optimization of post-activation potentiation in girls and women. Eur J Appl Physiol 2024:10.1007/s00421-024-05475-6. [PMID: 38652270 DOI: 10.1007/s00421-024-05475-6] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 03/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Maximal conditioning contractions (CCs) can lead to the enhancement of evoked-twitch characteristics in human skeletal muscle. This phenomenon is termed post-activation potentiation (PAP). In the knee extensors, PAP is greater in men compared with boys. In adults, the optimal CC duration for PAP is ~ 10 s. We examined child-adult differences in PAP among females and aimed to determine the optimal CC duration in girls and women. METHODS Eleven girls (9.3 ± 1.4 years) and 13 women (23.4 ± 2.7 years) participated in this study. Maximal isometric evoked twitches were recorded in the knee extensors before and after 4 maximal CCs of different durations (5, 10, 20, and 30 s), in a random order. PAP was calculated as the percent-change in peak torque (Tpeak) and peak rate of torque development (RTDpeak) after each CC. RESULTS There was a group-by-duration interaction (p < 0.001), reflecting greater Tpeak PAP in women compared with girls following 5 and 10 s CCs, and lower RTDpeak PAP in women following the 30 s CC. The 5 and 10 s CCs lead to the greatest Tpeak and RTDpeak PAP amongst the women while there were no differences between CC durations in girls. CONCLUSION After both a 5 and 10 s CC, women have greater PAP compared with girls. The optimal CC duration for the knee extensors in women appears to be ~ 5-10 s, while CC durations between 5 and 30 s do not appear to affect levels of PAP in girls.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew McKiel
- Department of Kinesiology, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, L2S 3A1, Canada
- Centre for Bone and Muscle Health, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, Canada
| | - Stacey Woods
- Department of Kinesiology, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, L2S 3A1, Canada
- Centre for Bone and Muscle Health, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, Canada
| | - McKenna Faragher
- Department of Kinesiology, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, L2S 3A1, Canada
| | - Gregory Taylor
- Department of Kinesiology, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, L2S 3A1, Canada
| | - Rene Vandenboom
- Department of Kinesiology, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, L2S 3A1, Canada
- Centre for Bone and Muscle Health, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, Canada
| | - Bareket Falk
- Department of Kinesiology, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, L2S 3A1, Canada.
- Centre for Bone and Muscle Health, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, Canada.
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23
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Huang H, Liu X, Wang L, Wang F. Whole-brain connections of glutamatergic neurons in the mouse lateral habenula in both sexes. Biol Sex Differ 2024; 15:37. [PMID: 38654275 DOI: 10.1186/s13293-024-00611-5] [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: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The lateral habenula (LHb) is an epithalamus nucleus that is evolutionarily conserved and involved in various physiological functions, such as encoding value signals, integrating emotional information, and regulating related behaviors. The cells in the LHb are predominantly glutamatergic and have heterogeneous functions in response to different stimuli. The circuitry connections of the LHb glutamatergic neurons play a crucial role in integrating a wide range of events. However, the circuitry connections of LHb glutamatergic neurons in both sexes have not been thoroughly investigated. METHODS In this study, we injected Cre-dependent retrograde trace virus and anterograde synaptophysin-labeling virus into the LHb of adult male and female Vglut2-ires-Cre mice, respectively. We then quantitatively analyzed the input and output of the LHb glutamatergic connections in both the ipsilateral and contralateral whole brain. RESULTS Our findings showed that the inputs to LHbvGlut2 neurons come from more than 30 brain subregions, including the cortex, striatum, pallidum, thalamus, hypothalamus, midbrain, pons, medulla, and cerebellum with no significant differences between males and females. The outputs of LHbvGlut2 neurons targeted eight large brain regions, primarily focusing on the midbrain and pons nuclei, with distinct features in presynaptic bouton across different brain subregions. While correlation and cluster analysis revealed differences in input and collateral projection features, the input-output connection pattern of LHbvGlut2 neurons in both sexes was highly similar. CONCLUSIONS This study provides a systematic and comprehensive analysis of the input and output connections of LHbvGlut2 neurons in male and female mice, shedding light on the anatomical architecture of these specific cell types in the mouse LHb. This structural understanding can help guide further investigations into the complex functions of the LHb.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongren Huang
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Modulation, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 518055, Shenzhen, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 518055, Shenzhen, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 518055, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xue Liu
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Modulation, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 518055, Shenzhen, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 518055, Shenzhen, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 518055, Shenzhen, China
| | - Liping Wang
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Modulation, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 518055, Shenzhen, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 518055, Shenzhen, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 518055, Shenzhen, China
| | - Feng Wang
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Modulation, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 518055, Shenzhen, China.
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 518055, Shenzhen, China.
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 518055, Shenzhen, China.
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24
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Casto KV, Cohen DJ, Akinola M, Mehta PH. Testosterone, gender identity and gender-stereotyped personality attributes. Horm Behav 2024; 162:105540. [PMID: 38652981 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2024.105540] [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] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 03/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
Sex/gender differences in personality associated with gender stereotyped behavior are widely studied in psychology yet remain a subject of ongoing debate. Exposure to testosterone during developmental periods is considered to be a primary mediator of many sex/gender differences in behavior. Extensions of this research has led to both lay beliefs and initial research about individual differences in basal testosterone in adulthood relating to "masculine" personality. In this study, we explored the relationships between testosterone, gender identity, and gender stereotyped personality attributes in a sample of over 400 university students (65 % female assigned at birth). Participants provided ratings of their self-perceived masculinity and femininity, resulting in a continuous measure of gender identity, and a set of agentic and communal personality attributes. A saliva sample was also provided for assay of basal testosterone. Results showed no compelling evidence that basal testosterone correlates with gender-stereotyped personality attributes or explains the relationship between sex/gender identity and these attributes, across, within, or covarying out sex assigned at birth. Contributing to a more gender diverse approach to assessing sex/gender relationships with personality and testosterone, our continuous measure of self-perceived masculinity and femininity predicted additional variance in personality beyond binary sex and showed some preliminary but weak relationships with testosterone. Results from this study cast doubt on the activational testosterone-masculinity hypothesis for explaining sex differences in gender stereotyped traits and within-sex/gender variation in attributes associated with agency and communality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen V Casto
- Kent State University, Department of Psychological Sciences, United States of America.
| | - Dale J Cohen
- University of North Carolina Wilmington, Department of Psychology, United States of America
| | - Modupe Akinola
- Columbia University, Columbia Business School, United States of America
| | - Pranjal H Mehta
- University College London, Department of Experimental Psychology, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
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25
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Grissom NM, Glewwe N, Chen C, Giglio E. Sex mechanisms as nonbinary influences on cognitive diversity. Horm Behav 2024; 162:105544. [PMID: 38643533 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2024.105544] [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] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 04/09/2024] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
Essentially all neuropsychiatric diagnoses show some degree of sex and/or gender differences in their etiology, diagnosis, or prognosis. As a result, the roles of sex-related variables in behavior and cognition are of strong interest to many, with several lines of research showing effects on executive functions and value-based decision making in particular. These findings are often framed within a sex binary, with behavior of females described as less optimal than male "defaults"-- a framing that pits males and females against each other and deemphasizes the enormous overlap in fundamental neural mechanisms across sexes. Here, we propose an alternative framework in which sex-related factors encompass just one subset of many sources of valuable diversity in cognition. First, we review literature establishing multidimensional, nonbinary impacts of factors related to sex chromosomes and endocrine mechanisms on cognition, focusing on value- based decision-making tasks. Next, we present two suggestions for nonbinary interpretations and analyses of sex-related data that can be implemented by behavioral neuroscientists without devoting laboratory resources to delving into mechanisms underlying sex differences. We recommend (1) shifting interpretations of behavior away from performance metrics and towards strategy assessments to avoid the fallacy that the performance of one sex is worse than another; and (2) asking how much variance sex explains in measures and whether any differences are mosaic rather than binary, to avoid assuming that sex differences in separate measures are inextricably correlated. Nonbinary frameworks in research on cognition will allow neuroscience to represent the full spectrum of brains and behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola M Grissom
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, United States of America.
| | - Nic Glewwe
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Cathy Chen
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Erin Giglio
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, United States of America
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Oliveira AN, Memme JM, Wong J, Hood DA. Dimorphic effect of TFE3 in determining mitochondrial and lysosomal content in muscle following denervation. Skelet Muscle 2024; 14:7. [PMID: 38643162 PMCID: PMC11031958 DOI: 10.1186/s13395-024-00339-1] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 03/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/22/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Muscle atrophy is a common consequence of the loss of innervation and is accompanied by mitochondrial dysfunction. Mitophagy is the adaptive process through which damaged mitochondria are removed via the lysosomes, which are regulated in part by the transcription factor TFE3. The role of lysosomes and TFE3 are poorly understood in muscle atrophy, and the effect of biological sex is widely underreported. METHODS Wild-type (WT) mice, along with mice lacking TFE3 (KO), a transcriptional regulator of lysosomal and autophagy-related genes, were subjected to unilateral sciatic nerve denervation for up to 7 days, while the contralateral limb was sham-operated and served as an internal control. A subset of animals was treated with colchicine to capture mitophagy flux. RESULTS WT females exhibited elevated oxygen consumption rates during active respiratory states compared to males, however this was blunted in the absence of TFE3. Females exhibited higher mitophagy flux rates and greater lysosomal content basally compared to males that was independent of TFE3 expression. Following denervation, female mice exhibited less muscle atrophy compared to male counterparts. Intriguingly, this sex-dependent muscle sparing was lost in the absence of TFE3. Denervation resulted in 45% and 27% losses of mitochondrial content in WT and KO males respectively, however females were completely protected against this decline. Decreases in mitochondrial function were more severe in WT females compared to males following denervation, as ROS emission was 2.4-fold higher. In response to denervation, LC3-II mitophagy flux was reduced by 44% in females, likely contributing to the maintenance of mitochondrial content and elevated ROS emission, however this response was dysregulated in the absence of TFE3. While both males and females exhibited increased lysosomal content following denervation, this response was augmented in females in a TFE3-dependent manner. CONCLUSIONS Females have higher lysosomal content and mitophagy flux basally compared to males, likely contributing to the improved mitochondrial phenotype. Denervation-induced mitochondrial adaptations were sexually dimorphic, as females preferentially preserve content at the expense of function, while males display a tendency to maintain mitochondrial function. Our data illustrate that TFE3 is vital for the sex-dependent differences in mitochondrial function, and in determining the denervation-induced atrophy phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley N Oliveira
- School of Kinesiology and Health Science Muscle Health Research Centre, York University, 4700 Keele St, Toronto, ON, M3J 1P3, Canada
| | - Jonathan M Memme
- School of Kinesiology and Health Science Muscle Health Research Centre, York University, 4700 Keele St, Toronto, ON, M3J 1P3, Canada
| | - Jenna Wong
- School of Kinesiology and Health Science Muscle Health Research Centre, York University, 4700 Keele St, Toronto, ON, M3J 1P3, Canada
| | - David A Hood
- School of Kinesiology and Health Science Muscle Health Research Centre, York University, 4700 Keele St, Toronto, ON, M3J 1P3, Canada.
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Albeely AM, Williams OOF, Blight CR, Thériault RK, Perreault ML. Sex differences in neuronal oscillatory activity and memory in the methylazoxymethanol acetate model of schizophrenia. Schizophr Res 2024; 267:451-461. [PMID: 38643726 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2024.04.002] [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] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
The methylazoxymethanol acetate (MAM) rodent model is used to study aspects of schizophrenia. However, numerous studies that have employed this model have used only males, resulting in a dearth of knowledge on sex differences in brain function and behaviour. The purpose of this study was to determine whether differences exist between male and female MAM rats in neuronal oscillatory function within and between the prefrontal cortex (PFC), ventral hippocampus (vHIP) and thalamus, behaviour, and in proteins linked to schizophrenia neuropathology. We showed that female MAM animals exhibited region-specific alterations in theta power, elevated low and high gamma power in all regions, and elevated PFC-thalamus high gamma coherence. Male MAM rats had elevated beta and low gamma power in PFC, and elevated vHIP-thalamus coherence. MAM females displayed impaired reversal learning whereas MAM males showed impairments in spatial memory. Glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3) was altered in the thalamus, with female MAM rats displaying elevated GSK-3α phosphorylation. Male MAM rats showed higher expression and phosphorylation GSK-3α, and higher expression of GSK-β. Sex-specific changes in phosphorylated Tau levels were observed in a region-specific manner. These findings demonstrate there are notable sex differences in behaviour, oscillatory network function, and GSK-3 signaling in MAM rats, thus highlighting the importance of inclusion of both sexes when using this model to study schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdalla M Albeely
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Colin R Blight
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada
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Robinson MD, Irvin RL, Asad MR. Threat sensitivity in emotion dynamics: Negativity effects and sex differences. Behav Res Ther 2024; 178:104542. [PMID: 38648683 DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2024.104542] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2023] [Revised: 03/03/2024] [Accepted: 04/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
Evolutionary theorizing has given rise to the idea that responding to any particular threat may be more mandatory than responding to any particular reward. The present three experiments (total N = 375) sought to provide support for this perspective in an emotion dynamics task in which participants continuously rated their affective state in response to appetitive (reward-related) versus aversive (threat-related) images. Even when equating images for arousal and extremity, several negativity effects (e.g., steeper reactivity slopes in response to aversive images) were found. These negativity effects can serve as an experimental model of threat sensitivity, which should predispose some individuals, more than others, to symptoms related to fear and anxiety. This point was made with respect to sex differences, given that women (relative to men) are diagnosed with anxiety disorders at higher rates. Sex differences were pronounced and extensions of this work, both basic and applied, are proposed.
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De Oliveira Sergio T, Darevsky D, Kellner J, de Paula Soares V, de Cassia Albino M, Maulucci D, Wean S, Hopf FW. Sex- and estrous-related response patterns for alcohol depend critically on the level of compulsion-like challenge. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2024; 133:111008. [PMID: 38641236 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2024.111008] [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] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2024] [Revised: 03/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/21/2024]
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder is a substantial social and economic burden. During the last years, the number of women with drinking problems has been increasing, and one main concern is that they are particularly more vulnerable to negative consequences of alcohol. However, little is known about female-specific response patterns for alcohol, and potential underlying differences in brain mechanisms, including for compulsion-like alcohol drinking (when intake persists despite adverse consequences). We used lickometry to assess behavioral microstructure in adult Wistar male and female rats (n = 28-30) during alcohol-only drinking or moderate- or higher-challenge alcohol compulsion (10 or 60 mg/l quinine in alcohol, respectively). Estrous stages were determined and related to drinking levels and patterns of responding to alcohol, as was ovariectomy. Our findings showed that females (where we didn't determine estrus stage) had similar total licks in a session as males, but significantly longer licking bouts under alcohol-only and moderate-challenge, suggesting greater persistence. Further, greater intake under alcohol-only and moderate-challenge was related to faster licking in males, while female consumption was not related to licking speed. Thus, females could have increased persistence without greater vigor, unlike males. However, under higher-challenge, faster licking did predict higher intake in females, similar to males. To better understand female higher-challenge responding, we examined drinking in relation to phases of the estrous cycle. Higher-challenge had longer bouts only in late diestrus. In addition, ovariectomy led to longer bouts only under higher-challenge, suggesting that conditions with reduced hormone levels could increase female persistence for alcohol under higher-challenge. However, ovariectomy also reduced alcohol-only and moderate-challenge drinking but did not reduce bout length. Thus, intake level and response strategy could be regulated somewhat differently by ovarian hormones. Finally, moderate-challenge licking speed was less variable during early diestrus, and we previously showed more stereotyped responding specifically under moderate-challenge in males. By combining behavioral microstructure and sex- and estrus-related changes in drinking patterns, our results suggest that females have greater persistence for alcohol under lower-challenge drinking, while late diestrus and ovariectomy unmasked greater persistence under higher-challenge. Together, our novel insights could help develop more effective and personalized treatments for problematic alcohol use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thatiane De Oliveira Sergio
- Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine (IUSOM), Indianapolis, IN, USA; Stark Neuroscience Research Institute, IUSOM, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - David Darevsky
- University of California at Berkeley-UCSF Graduate Program in Bioengineering, USA; UCSF Medical Scientist Training Program, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Jacob Kellner
- Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine (IUSOM), Indianapolis, IN, USA; Stark Neuroscience Research Institute, IUSOM, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Vanessa de Paula Soares
- Laboratory of Psychopharmacology, Department of Biophysics and Pharmacology, Biosciences Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil
| | - Maryelle de Cassia Albino
- Laboratory of Psychopharmacology, Department of Biophysics and Pharmacology, Biosciences Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil
| | - Danielle Maulucci
- Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine (IUSOM), Indianapolis, IN, USA; Stark Neuroscience Research Institute, IUSOM, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Sarah Wean
- Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine (IUSOM), Indianapolis, IN, USA; Stark Neuroscience Research Institute, IUSOM, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Frederic W Hopf
- Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine (IUSOM), Indianapolis, IN, USA; Stark Neuroscience Research Institute, IUSOM, Indianapolis, IN, USA.
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Adoboi F, Mohammed A, Duodu PA, Aboagye RG, Seidu AA, Wongnaah FG, Ahinkorah BO. Sex-related inequalities in crude and age-standardized suicide rates: trends in Ghana from 2000 to 2019. BMC Public Health 2024; 24:1070. [PMID: 38632578 PMCID: PMC11022425 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-024-18516-8] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Suicide represents a major public health concern, affecting a significant portion of individuals. However, there remains a gap in understanding the age and sex disparities in the occurrence of suicide. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the sex-related inequalities in suicide rates in Ghana from 2000 to 2019. METHODS We utilized data from the WHO Health Equity Assessment Toolkit (HEAT) online software. We analysed sex differences in both crude and age-standardized suicide rates in Ghana spanning from 2000 to 2019. Crude and age-adjusted suicide rates were calculated based on the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) definition and coding of suicide mortality. We measured inequality in terms of sex. Two inequality indicators were used to examine the suicide rates: the difference (D) and the ratio (R). RESULTS Age-standardized and crude suicide rates in Ghana were higher among men from 2000 to 2019. Between 2000 and 2007, the age-standardized suicide rate for women rose steadily and declined slightly between 2008 and 2019. Age-standardized suicide rates for men increased consistently from 2000 to 2010, then declined steadily from 2011 to 2019. The crude suicide rates among men and women followed similar patterns. The widest absolute inequality in crude suicide rates (D) was recorded in 2013 (D=-11.91), while the smallest difference was observed in 2000 (D=-7.16). We also found the greatest disparity in age-standardized rates in 2011 (D=-21.46) and the least in 2000 (D=-14.32). The crude suicide rates increased with age for both men and women aged 15-54 years and 55-85+ years respectively. However, the increased rate was higher in men than in women across all age groups surveyed. A similar pattern was observed for relative inequality in both crude and age-standardized rates of suicide. CONCLUSION The suicide rate in Ghana has declined over time. Suicide is more common among older men. Inequalities in suicide rates, in both absolute and relative terms, are similar. There is a need to monitor suicide trends in Ghana, especially among older men. Moreover, the findings could serve as a basis for future studies on suicide in Ghana.
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Affiliation(s)
- Faustina Adoboi
- Cape Coast Nursing and Midwifery Training College, Cape Coast, Ghana
| | - Aliu Mohammed
- Department of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana
| | - Precious Adade Duodu
- Department of Nursing, School of Human and Health Sciences, University of Huddersfield, Queensgate, Huddersfield, England, UK
| | - Richard Gyan Aboagye
- School of Population Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of New South Wales, 2052, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
- Department of Family and Community Health, Fred N. Binka School of Public Health, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Hohoe, Ghana.
| | - Abdul-Aziz Seidu
- College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, 4811, Queensland, QLD, Australia
- Centre for Gender and Advocacy, Takoradi Technical University, Takoradi, P.O. Box 256, Ghana
- REMS Consultancy Services Limited, Sekondi-Takoradi, Western Region, Ghana
| | | | - Bright Opoku Ahinkorah
- REMS Consultancy Services Limited, Sekondi-Takoradi, Western Region, Ghana
- School of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales Sydney, Sydney, Australia
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Greiner EM, Petrovich GD. Recruitment of hippocampal and thalamic pathways to the central amygdala in the control of feeding behavior under novelty. Brain Struct Funct 2024:10.1007/s00429-024-02791-7. [PMID: 38625554 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-024-02791-7] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
It is adaptive to restrict eating under uncertainty, such as during habituation to novel foods and unfamiliar environments. However, sustained restrictive eating can become maladaptive. Currently, the neural substrates of restrictive eating are poorly understood. Using a model of feeding avoidance under novelty, our recent study identified forebrain activation patterns and found evidence that the central nucleus of the amygdala (CEA) is a core integrating node. The current study analyzed the activity of CEA inputs in male and female rats to determine if specific pathways are recruited during feeding under novelty. Recruitment of direct inputs from the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus (PVT), the infralimbic cortex (ILA), the agranular insular cortex (AI), the hippocampal ventral field CA1, and the bed nucleus of the stria terminals (BST) was assessed with combined retrograde tract tracing and Fos induction analysis. The study found that during consumption of a novel food in a novel environment, larger number of neurons within the PVTp and the CA1 that send monosynaptic inputs to the CEA were recruited compared to controls that consumed familiar food in a familiar environment. The ILA, AI, and BST inputs to the CEA were similarly recruited across conditions. There were no sex differences in activation of any of the pathways analyzed. These results suggest that the PVTp-CEA and CA1-CEA pathways underlie feeding inhibition during novelty and could be potential sites of malfunction in excessive food avoidance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eliza M Greiner
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, 02467, USA
| | - Gorica D Petrovich
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, 02467, USA.
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Sritharan J, Arrandale VH, Kirkham TL, Dakouo M, MacLeod JS, Demers PA. Risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in a large cohort of Ontario, Canada workers. Sci Rep 2024; 14:8756. [PMID: 38627517 PMCID: PMC11021393 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-59429-1] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Although several occupational exposures have been linked to the risk of COPD; limited data exists on sex-specific differences. This study aimed to identify at-risk occupations and sex differences for COPD risk. Cases were identified in a large surveillance system established through the linkage of former compensation claimants' data (non-COPD claims) to physician visits, ambulatory care data, and hospital inpatient data (1983-2020). Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) for occupation groups (occupation at time of claim), stratified by sex. HRs were indirectly adjusted for cigarette smoking using another population dataset. A total of 29,445 male and 14,693 female incident cases of COPD were identified. Increased risks were observed in both sexes for construction (HRmale 1.15, 95% CI 1.12-1.19; HRfemale 1.54, 95% CI 1.29-1.83) transport/equipment operating (HRmale 1.32, 95% CI 1.28-1.37; HRfemale 1.53, 95% CI 1.40-1.68) farming (HRmale 1.23, 95% CI 1.15-1.32; HRfemale 1.19, 95% CI 1.04-1.37) and janitors/cleaners (HRmale 1.31, 95% CI 1.24-1.37; HRfemale 1.40, 95% CI 1.31-1.49). Increased risks were observed for females employed as chefs and cooks (HR 1.44, 95% CI 1.31-1.58), bartenders (HR 1.38, 95% CI 1.05-1.81), and those working in food/beverage preparation (HR 1.34, 95% CI 1.24-1.45) among other occupations. This study demonstrates elevated risk of COPD among both male and female workers potentially exposed to vapours, gases, dusts, and fumes, highlighting the need for occupational surveillance of COPD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeavana Sritharan
- Occupational Cancer Research Centre, Ontario Health, 525 University Avenue, 3rd Floor, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X3, Canada.
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
| | - Victoria H Arrandale
- Occupational Cancer Research Centre, Ontario Health, 525 University Avenue, 3rd Floor, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X3, Canada
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Tracy L Kirkham
- Occupational Cancer Research Centre, Ontario Health, 525 University Avenue, 3rd Floor, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X3, Canada
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Mamadou Dakouo
- Occupational Cancer Research Centre, Ontario Health, 525 University Avenue, 3rd Floor, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X3, Canada
| | - Jill S MacLeod
- Occupational Cancer Research Centre, Ontario Health, 525 University Avenue, 3rd Floor, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X3, Canada
| | - Paul A Demers
- Occupational Cancer Research Centre, Ontario Health, 525 University Avenue, 3rd Floor, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X3, Canada
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
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Cleland NRW, Potter GJ, Buck C, Quang D, Oldham D, Neal M, Saviola A, Niemeyer CS, Dobrinskikh E, Bruce KD. Altered metabolism and DAM-signatures in female brains and microglia with aging. Brain Res 2024; 1829:148772. [PMID: 38244754 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2024.148772] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 01/22/2024]
Abstract
Despite Alzheimer's disease (AD) disproportionately affecting women, the mechanisms remain elusive. In AD, microglia undergo 'metabolic reprogramming', which contributes to microglial dysfunction and AD pathology. However, how sex and age contribute to metabolic reprogramming in microglia is understudied. Here, we use metabolic imaging, transcriptomics, and metabolic assays to probe age- and sex-associated changes in brain and microglial metabolism. Glycolytic and oxidative metabolism in the whole brain was determined using Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Microscopy (FLIM). Young female brains appeared less glycolytic than male brains, but with aging, the female brain became 'male-like.' Transcriptomic analysis revealed increased expression of disease-associated microglia (DAM) genes (e.g., ApoE, Trem2, LPL), and genes involved in glycolysis and oxidative metabolism in microglia from aged females compared to males. To determine whether estrogen can alter the expression of these genes, BV-2 microglia-like cell lines, which abundantly express DAM genes, were supplemented with 17β-estradiol (E2). E2 supplementation resulted in reduced expression of DAM genes, reduced lipid and cholesterol transport, and substrate-dependent changes in glycolysis and oxidative metabolism. Consistent with the notion that E2 may suppress DAM-associated factors, LPL activity was elevated in the brains of aged female mice. Similarly, DAM gene and protein expression was higher in monocyte-derived microglia-like (MDMi) cells derived from middle-aged females compared to age-matched males and was responsive to E2 supplementation. FLIM analysis of MDMi from young and middle-aged females revealed reduced oxidative metabolism and FAD+ with age. Overall, our findings show that altered metabolism defines age-associated changes in female microglia and suggest that estrogen may inhibit the expression and activity of DAM-associated factors, which may contribute to increased AD risk, especially in post-menopausal women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas R W Cleland
- Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Garrett J Potter
- Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Courtney Buck
- Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Daphne Quang
- Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Dean Oldham
- Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Mikaela Neal
- Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Anthony Saviola
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Christy S Niemeyer
- Department of Neurology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Evgenia Dobrinskikh
- Section of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, USA
| | - Kimberley D Bruce
- Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA.
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Sun X, Zhang H, Huang X, Yang D, Wu C, Liu H, Zhang L. Associations of glyphosate exposure and serum sex steroid hormones among 6-19-year-old children and adolescents. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 2024; 275:116266. [PMID: 38564862 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2024.116266] [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] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2024] [Revised: 03/16/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Glyphosate, ranked as one of the most widely used herbicides in the world, has raised concerns about its potential disruptive effects on sex hormones. However, limited human evidence was available, especially for children and adolescents. The present study aimed to examine the associations between exposure to glyphosate and sex hormones among participants aged 6-19 years, utilizing data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) conducted between 2013 and 2016. Children and adolescents who had available data on urinary glyphosate, serum sex steroid hormones, including testosterone (TT), estradiol (E2) and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), and covariates were selected. Additionally, the ratio of TT to E2 (TT/E2) and the free androgen index (FAI), which was calculated using TT/SHBG, were also included as sex hormone indicators. Survey regression statistical modeling was used to examine the associations between urinary glyphosate concentration and sex hormone indicators by age and sex group. Among the 964 participants, 83.71% had been exposed to glyphosate (>lower limit of detection). The survey regression revealed a marginally negative association between urinary glyphosate and E2 in the overall population, while this association was more pronounced in adolescents with a significant trend. In further sex-stratified analyses among adolescents, a significant decrease in E2, FAI, and TT (p trend <0.05) was observed in female adolescents for the highest quartile of urinary glyphosate compared to the lowest quartile. However, no similar association was observed among male adolescents. Our findings suggest that exposure to glyphosate at the current level may decrease the levels of sex steroids in adolescents, particularly female adolescents. Considering the cross-sectional study design, further research is needed to confirm our findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaojie Sun
- Department of Environmental Hygiene and Occupational Medicine, School of Public Health, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China; Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Occupational Hazard Identification and Control, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China; Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Environmental Protection, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health (Incubation), School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Huan Zhang
- Department of Environmental Hygiene and Occupational Medicine, School of Public Health, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China; Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Occupational Hazard Identification and Control, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiaojing Huang
- Department of Environmental Hygiene and Occupational Medicine, School of Public Health, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China; Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Occupational Hazard Identification and Control, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Di Yang
- Department of Environmental Hygiene and Occupational Medicine, School of Public Health, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China; Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Occupational Hazard Identification and Control, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Chuansha Wu
- Department of Environmental Hygiene and Occupational Medicine, School of Public Health, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China; Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Occupational Hazard Identification and Control, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Hongxiu Liu
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Environmental Protection, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health (Incubation), School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Ling Zhang
- Department of Environmental Hygiene and Occupational Medicine, School of Public Health, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China; Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Occupational Hazard Identification and Control, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
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Uweru OJ, Okojie AK, Trivedi A, Benderoth J, Thomas LS, Davidson G, Cox K, Eyo UB. A P2RY12 deficiency results in sex-specific cellular perturbations and sexually dimorphic behavioral anomalies. J Neuroinflammation 2024; 21:95. [PMID: 38622726 PMCID: PMC11017545 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-024-03079-7] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Microglia are sexually dimorphic, yet, this critical aspect is often overlooked in neuroscientific studies. Decades of research have revealed the dynamic nature of microglial-neuronal interactions, but seldom consider how this dynamism varies with microglial sex differences, leaving a significant gap in our knowledge. This study focuses on P2RY12, a highly expressed microglial signature gene that mediates microglial-neuronal interactions, we show that adult females have a significantly higher expression of the receptor than adult male microglia. We further demonstrate that a genetic deletion of P2RY12 induces sex-specific cellular perturbations with microglia and neurons in females more significantly affected. Correspondingly, female mice lacking P2RY12 exhibit unique behavioral anomalies not observed in male counterparts. These findings underscore the critical, sex-specific roles of P2RY12 in microglial-neuronal interactions, offering new insights into basal interactions and potential implications for CNS disease mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ogochukwu J Uweru
- Center for Brain Immunology and Glia, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA.
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA.
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA.
| | - Akhabue K Okojie
- Center for Brain Immunology and Glia, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Aparna Trivedi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Jordan Benderoth
- Center for Brain Immunology and Glia, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Lauren S Thomas
- North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Greensboro, NC, USA
| | - Georgia Davidson
- Center for Brain Immunology and Glia, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Kendall Cox
- Center for Brain Immunology and Glia, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Ukpong B Eyo
- Center for Brain Immunology and Glia, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA.
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA.
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA.
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Macatee RJ, Cannon MJ, Schermitzler BS, Preston TJ, Afshar K. Biological sex and hormonal contraceptive associations with drug cue reactivity in cannabis use disorder. J Psychiatr Res 2024; 174:121-128. [PMID: 38626562 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2024.04.016] [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] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2023] [Revised: 02/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/18/2024]
Abstract
Biological sex differences in Cannabis Use Disorder (CUD) progression, cannabis withdrawal severity, and pharmacotherapy response have been reported, suggesting that CUD mechanisms may differ by sex. Drug cue reactivity is an established predictor of drug use behavior, but the literature on sex differences in drug cue reactivity is mixed, including in CUD. One possible moderator of sex differences in drug cue reactivity is hormonal contraceptive (HC) use. The aim of the present study was to test whether sex differences in neural cannabis cue reactivity and craving varied by female HC use in a CUD sample. As part of a larger study, 152 adults reporting frequent cannabis use completed a drug cue reactivity task during electrocenphalogram recording. Late positive potential (LPP) amplitude modulation by cannabis cues was used to measure neural cue reactivity. Craving after the cue reactivity task was also assessed. Males (n = 74) and naturally-cycling females (n = 26), who did not differ from each other, showed significantly greater LPP enhancement to cannabis vs. neutral cues compared to HC-using females (n = 52), an effect mostly driven by neutral cues. Craving was significantly higher in naturally-cycling but not HC-using females compared to males, but only in covariate-unadjusted analyses. Exploratory analyses of HC and menstrual phase characteristics indicate a progesterone-related mechanism may underlie HC effects on cannabis cue reactivity. The present study's results suggest that mixed findings on drug cue reactivity sex differences may be due to variability in HC use, which has implications for sex-specific models of CUD progression and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Kaveh Afshar
- Auburn University, Department of Psychological Sciences, USA
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Somsen YBO, de Winter RW, Schumacher SP, van Veelen A, van Diemen PA, Jukema RA, Hoek R, Stuijfzand WJ, Danad I, Twisk JWR, Verouden NJ, Appelman Y, Nap A, Kleijn SA, Henriques JP, Knaapen P. Impact of sex on myocardial perfusion following percutaneous coronary intervention of chronic total coronary occlusions. Cardiovasc Revasc Med 2024:S1553-8389(24)00166-0. [PMID: 38658269 DOI: 10.1016/j.carrev.2024.04.014] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2024] [Revised: 03/14/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES We sought to investigate the impact of sex on myocardial perfusion changes following chronic total coronary occlusion (CTO) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) as measured by [15O]H2O positron-emission tomography (PET) perfusion imaging. BACKGROUND CTO PCI has been associated with an increase in myocardial perfusion, yet females are less likely to undergo revascularization. As such, data on the impact of sex on myocardial perfusion following CTO PCI is scarce. METHODS A total of 212 patients were prospectively enrolled and underwent CTO PCI combined with [15O]H2O PET perfusion imaging prior to and 3 months after PCI. Hyperemic myocardial blood flow (hMBF, mL·min-1·g-1) and coronary flow reserve (CFR) allocated to the CTO territory were quantitatively assessed. RESULTS This study comprised 34 (16 %) females and 178 (84 %) males. HMBF at baseline did not differ between sexes. Females showed a higher increase in hMBF than males (Δ1.34 ± 0.67 vs. Δ1.06 ± 0.74, p = 0.044), whereas post-PCI hMBF was comparable (2.59 ± 0.85 in females vs. 2.28 ± 0.84 in males, p = 0.052). Female sex was independently associated with a higher increase in hMBF after correction for clinical covariates. CFR increase after revascularization was similar in females and males (Δ1.47 ± 0.99 vs. Δ1.30 ± 1.14, p = 0.711). CONCLUSIONS The present study demonstrates a greater recovery of stress perfusion in females compared to males as measured by serial [15O]H2O PET imaging. In addition, a comparable increase in CFR was found in females and males. These results emphasize the benefit of performing CTO PCI in both sexes. CLINICAL PERSPECTIVE What is new? What are the clinical implications?
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Affiliation(s)
- Yvemarie B O Somsen
- Department of Cardiology, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Ruben W de Winter
- Department of Cardiology, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Stefan P Schumacher
- Department of Cardiology, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Anna van Veelen
- Department of Cardiology Amsterdam UMC, AMC, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Pepijn A van Diemen
- Department of Cardiology, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Ruurt A Jukema
- Department of Cardiology, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Roel Hoek
- Department of Cardiology, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Wynand J Stuijfzand
- Department of Cardiology, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Ibrahim Danad
- Department of Cardiology, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Jos W R Twisk
- Department of Epidemiology & Data Science, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Niels J Verouden
- Department of Cardiology, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Yolande Appelman
- Department of Cardiology, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Alexander Nap
- Department of Cardiology, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Sebastiaan A Kleijn
- Department of Cardiology, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - José P Henriques
- Department of Cardiology Amsterdam UMC, AMC, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Paul Knaapen
- Department of Cardiology, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
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Liria Sánchez-Lafuente C, Martinez-Verbo L, Johnston JN, Floyd J, Esteller M, Kalynchuk LE, Ausió J, Caruncho HJ. Chronic corticosterone exposure in rats induces sex-specific alterations in hypothalamic reelin fragments, MeCP2, and DNMT3a protein levels. Neurosci Lett 2024; 830:137770. [PMID: 38616004 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2024.137770] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2023] [Revised: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
Women are disproportionately affected by stress-related disorders like depression. In our prior research, we discovered that females exhibit lower basal hypothalamic reelin levels, and these levels are differentially influenced by chronic stress induced through repeated corticosterone (CORT) injections. Although epigenetic mechanisms involving DNA methylation and the formation of repressor complexes by DNA methyl-transferases (DNMTs) and Methyl-CpG binding protein 2 (MeCP2) have been recognized as regulators of reelin expression in vitro, there is limited understanding of the impact of stress on the epigenetic regulation of reelin in vivo and whether sex differences exist in these mechanisms. To address these questions, we conducted various biochemical analyses on hypothalamic brain samples obtained from male and female rats previously treated with either 21 days of CORT (40 mg/kg) or vehicle (0.9 % saline) subcutaneous injections. Upon chronic CORT treatment, a reduction in reelin fragment NR2 was noted in males, while the full-length molecule remained unaffected. This decrease paralleled with an elevation in MeCP2 and a reduction in DNMT3a protein levels only in males. Importantly, sex differences in baseline and CORT-induced reelin protein levels were not associated with changes in the methylation status of the Reln promoter. These findings suggest that CORT-induced reelin decreases in the hypothalamus may be a combination of alterations in downstream processes beyond gene transcription. This research brings novel insights into the sexually distinct consequences of chronic stress, an essential aspect to understand, particularly concerning its role in the development of depression.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Laura Martinez-Verbo
- Cancer Epigenetics Group, Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute (IJC), Badalona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Jenessa N Johnston
- Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Jennifer Floyd
- Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Manel Esteller
- Cancer Epigenetics Group, Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute (IJC), Badalona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Centro de Investigacion Biomedica en Red Cancer (CIBERONC), Madrid, Spain; Institucio Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Physiological Sciences Department, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Lisa E Kalynchuk
- Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Juan Ausió
- Biochemistry and Microbiology Department, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.
| | - Hector J Caruncho
- Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.
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Bussinger de Souza Penna D, Gumiéro Costa S, Dos Santos-Rodrigues A, Pandolfo P. The association of caffeine and nandrolone decanoate modulates aversive memory and nociception in rats. Brain Res 2024:148937. [PMID: 38615923 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2024.148937] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2024] [Revised: 04/10/2024] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
Caffeine and anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) are commonly used to improve muscle mass and athletic performance. Nandrolone Decanoate (ND) is one of the most abused AAS worldwide, leading to behavioral changes in both humans and rodents. Caffeine, the most widely consumed psychostimulant globally, is present in various thermogenic and gym supplements. Low and moderate doses of caffeine antagonize adenosine receptors and have been linked to improved memory and pain relief. We have previously demonstrated that consuming caffeine prevents the risk-taking behavior triggered by nandrolone. In this study, we aimed to investigate the long-term effects of ND and caffeine, either alone or in combination, on passive avoidance memory and nociception. We used the step-down and hot-plate tasks in male and female Lister Hooded rats. Our results confirmed the antinociceptive effect of caffeine and indicated that chronic administration of the ND-caffeine association promotes the evocation of aversive memory in female rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Bussinger de Souza Penna
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Program of Biomedical Sciences: Physiology and Pharmacology, Federal Fluminense University, Niteroi, Brazil; Institute of Biology, Program of Neurosciences, Federal Fluminense University, Niteroi, Brazil
| | - Samara Gumiéro Costa
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Program of Biomedical Sciences: Physiology and Pharmacology, Federal Fluminense University, Niteroi, Brazil
| | | | - Pablo Pandolfo
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Program of Biomedical Sciences: Physiology and Pharmacology, Federal Fluminense University, Niteroi, Brazil; Institute of Biology, Program of Neurosciences, Federal Fluminense University, Niteroi, Brazil.
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Mahapatra G, Gao Z, Bateman JR, Lockhart SN, Bergstrom J, Piloso JE, Craft S, Molina AJA. Peripheral Blood Cells from Older Adults Exhibit Sex-Associated Differences in Mitochondrial Function. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2024:glae098. [PMID: 38602189 DOI: 10.1093/gerona/glae098] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 04/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Blood based mitochondrial bioenergetic profiling is a feasible, economical, and minimally invasive approach that can be used to examine mitochondrial function and energy metabolism in human subjects. In this study, we use two complementary respirometric techniques to evaluate mitochondrial bioenergetics in both intact and permeabilized peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and platelets to examine sex dimorphism in mitochondrial function among older adults. Employing equal numbers of PBMCs and platelets to assess mitochondrial bioenergetics, we observe significantly higher respiration rates in female compared to male participants. Mitochondrial bioenergetic differences remain significant after controlling for independent parameters including demographic parameters (age, years of education), and cognitive parameters (mPACC5, COGDX). Our study illustrates that circulating blood cells, immune cells in particular, have distinctly different mitochondrial bioenergetic profiles between females and males. These differences should be taken into account as blood based bioenergetic profiling is now commonly used to understand the role of mitochondrial bioenergetics in human health and aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gargi Mahapatra
- Division of Geriatrics, Gerontology, and Palliative Care; Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Zhengrong Gao
- Section on Gerontology and Geriatrics, Sticht Center for Healthy Aging and Alzheimer's Prevention, Department of Internal Medicine, Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - James R Bateman
- Department of Neurology, Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
- Section on Gerontology and Geriatrics, Sticht Center for Healthy Aging and Alzheimer's Prevention, Department of Internal Medicine, Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Samuel Neal Lockhart
- Section on Gerontology and Geriatrics, Sticht Center for Healthy Aging and Alzheimer's Prevention, Department of Internal Medicine, Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Jaclyn Bergstrom
- Division of Geriatrics, Gerontology, and Palliative Care; Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Jemima Elizabeth Piloso
- Section on Gerontology and Geriatrics, Sticht Center for Healthy Aging and Alzheimer's Prevention, Department of Internal Medicine, Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Suzanne Craft
- Section on Gerontology and Geriatrics, Sticht Center for Healthy Aging and Alzheimer's Prevention, Department of Internal Medicine, Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Anthony J A Molina
- Division of Geriatrics, Gerontology, and Palliative Care; Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA, USA
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Hajek A, Gyasi RM, König HH. Factors associated with loneliness among individuals aged 80 years and over: Findings derived from the nationally representative "Old Age in Germany (D80+)" study. Arch Gerontol Geriatr 2024; 123:105443. [PMID: 38631279 DOI: 10.1016/j.archger.2024.105443] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2024] [Revised: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To clarify the factors associated with loneliness in individuals aged 80 years and older in Germany (also stratified by sex). METHODS Data from the nationally representative "Old Age in Germany (D80+)" were employed. The analytic sample equaled 10,031 individuals. The D80+ study included community-dwelling and institutionalized individuals ≥ 80 years in Germany. Multiple linear regressions were used (with sociodemographic and health-related explanatory factors). The collection of data occurred between November 2020 and April 2021 (written questionnaire). RESULTS Higher loneliness was significantly associated with not being married (e.g., widowed compared to being married, β=0.37, p<.001), being institutionalized (β=0.33, p<.001), low education (high education compared to low education, β=-0.07, p<.01), a higher number of chronic conditions (β=0.02, p<.001), poor self-rated health (β=-0.19, p<.001) and greater functional impairment (β=0.15, p<.001). Sex-stratified regressions produced comparable results. However, low education was only associated with higher loneliness among men, but not women (with significant interaction: education x sex). CONCLUSION Several sociodemographic and health-related factors can contribute to loneliness among the oldest old in Germany, with sex-specific associations between education and loneliness. Overall, such knowledge can aid to address individuals with higher loneliness levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- André Hajek
- Department of Health Economics and Health Services Research, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg Center for Health Economics, Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Razak M Gyasi
- African Population and Health Research Center, Nairobi, Kenya; National Centre for Naturopathic Medicine, Faculty of Health, Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW, Australia
| | - Hans-Helmut König
- Department of Health Economics and Health Services Research, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg Center for Health Economics, Hamburg, Germany
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Lane RM, Darreh-Shori T, Junge C, Li D, Yang Q, Edwards AL, Graham DL, Moore K, Mummery CJ. Onset of Alzheimer disease in apolipoprotein ɛ4 carriers is earlier in butyrylcholinesterase K variant carriers. BMC Neurol 2024; 24:116. [PMID: 38594621 PMCID: PMC11003149 DOI: 10.1186/s12883-024-03611-5] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The authors sought to examine the impact of the K-variant of butyrylcholinesterase (BCHE-K) carrier status on age-at-diagnosis of Alzheimer disease (AD) in APOE4 carriers. METHODS Patients aged 50-74 years with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarker-confirmed AD, were recruited to clinical trial (NCT03186989 since June 14, 2017). Baseline demographics, disease characteristics, and biomarkers were evaluated in 45 patients according to BCHE-K and APOE4 allelic status in this post-hoc study. RESULTS In APOE4 carriers (N = 33), the mean age-at-diagnosis of AD in BCHE-K carriers (n = 11) was 6.4 years earlier than in BCHE-K noncarriers (n = 22, P < .001, ANOVA). In APOE4 noncarriers (N = 12) there was no observed influence of BCHE-K. APOE4 carriers with BCHE-K also exhibited slightly higher amyloid and tau accumulations compared to BCHE-K noncarriers. A predominantly amyloid, limited tau, and limbic-amnestic phenotype was exemplified by APOE4 homozygotes with BCHE-K. In the overall population, multiple regression analyses demonstrated an association of amyloid accumulation with APOE4 carrier status (P < .029), larger total brain ventricle volume (P < .021), less synaptic injury (Ng, P < .001), and less tau pathophysiology (p-tau181, P < .005). In contrast, tau pathophysiology was associated with more neuroaxonal damage (NfL, P = .002), more synaptic injury (Ng, P < .001), and higher levels of glial activation (YKL-40, P = .01). CONCLUSION These findings have implications for the genetic architecture of prognosis in early AD, not the genetics of susceptibility to AD. In patients with early AD aged less than 75 years, the mean age-at-diagnosis of AD in APOE4 carriers was reduced by over 6 years in BCHE-K carriers versus noncarriers. The functional status of glia may explain many of the effects of APOE4 and BCHE-K on the early AD phenotype. TRIAL REGISTRATION NCT03186989 since June 14, 2017.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roger M Lane
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, 2855 Gazelle Court, Carlsbad, CA, 92010, USA.
| | - Taher Darreh-Shori
- Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Center for Alzheimer Research, Division of Clinical Geriatric, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Candice Junge
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, 2855 Gazelle Court, Carlsbad, CA, 92010, USA
| | - Dan Li
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, 2855 Gazelle Court, Carlsbad, CA, 92010, USA
| | - Qingqing Yang
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, 2855 Gazelle Court, Carlsbad, CA, 92010, USA
| | | | | | - Katrina Moore
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, 2855 Gazelle Court, Carlsbad, CA, 92010, USA
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Carminati M, Fazio V, Maccario M, Zanardi R. The impact of menopause on antidepressant response: an explorative analysis from a real-world study. Arch Womens Ment Health 2024:10.1007/s00737-024-01465-x. [PMID: 38587634 DOI: 10.1007/s00737-024-01465-x] [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] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
This study endeavors to deepen our understanding of the subject matter by exploring, within a real-world sample, the impact of menopausal status on the antidepressant treatments response. The whole sample included a total of 447 patients, 156 male and 291 female, 110 pre-menopause and 181 post-menopause. In our sample post-menopause women showed a worse response to antidepressants than pre-menopause women (p = 0.006), and this difference seems to be unrelated to age or brain aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Carminati
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Via Stamira d'Ancona, 20, 20127, Milan, Italy.
| | - Valentina Fazio
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Via Stamira d'Ancona, 20, 20127, Milan, Italy
| | - Melania Maccario
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Via Stamira d'Ancona, 20, 20127, Milan, Italy
| | - Raffaella Zanardi
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Via Stamira d'Ancona, 20, 20127, Milan, Italy
- Mood Disorder Unit, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Via Stamira d'Ancona, 20, 20127, Milan, Italy
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Segal NA, Nilges JM, Oo WM. Sex differences in osteoarthritis prevalence, pain perception, physical function and therapeutics. Osteoarthritis Cartilage 2024:S1063-4584(24)01150-6. [PMID: 38588890 DOI: 10.1016/j.joca.2024.04.002] [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] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Revised: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Women have a higher prevalence of osteoarthritis (OA) and worse clinical courses than men. However, the underlying factors and therapeutic outcomes of these sex-specific differences are incompletely researched. This review examines the current state of knowledge regarding sex differences in OA prevalence, risk factors, pain severity, functional outcomes, and use and response to therapeutics. METHODS PubMed database was used with the title keyword combinations "{gender OR sex} AND osteoarthritis" plus additional manual search of the included papers for pertinent references, yielding 212 references. Additional references were added and 343 that were reviewed for appropriateness. RESULTS Globally, women account for 60% of people with osteoarthritis with a greater difference after age 40. The higher risk for women may be due to differences in joint anatomy, alignment, muscle strength, hormonal influences, obesity, and/or genetics. At the same radiographic severity, women have greater pain severity than men, which may be explained by biologically distinct pain pathways, differential activation of central pain pathways, differences in pain sensitivity, perception, reporting, and coping strategies. Women have greater limitations of physical function and performance than men independent of BMI, OA severity, injury history, amount of weekly exercise. Women also have greater use of analgesic medications than men but less use of arthroplasty and poorer prognosis after surgical interventions. CONCLUSIONS The recognition of sex differences in OA manifestations and management could guide tailoring of sex-specific treatment protocols, and analysis of sex as a biological variable in future research would enhance development of precision medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neil A Segal
- University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, USA; The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.
| | | | - Win Min Oo
- The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; University of Medicine, Mandalay, Mandalay, Myanmar.
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Peart DR, Nolan CJ, Stone AP, Williams MA, Karlovcec JM, Murray JE. Disruption of positive- and negative-feature morphine interoceptive occasion setters by dopamine receptor agonism and antagonism in male and female rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2024:10.1007/s00213-024-06584-y. [PMID: 38580732 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-024-06584-y] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024]
Abstract
RATIONALE Internally perceived stimuli evoked by morphine administration can form Pavlovian associations such that they can function as occasion setters (OSs) for externally perceived reward cues in rats, coming to modulate reward-seeking behaviour. Though much research has investigated mechanisms underlying opioid-related reinforcement and analgesia, neurotransmitter systems involved in the functioning of opioids as Pavlovian interoceptive discriminative stimuli remain to be disentangled despite documented differences in the development of tolerance to analgesic versus discriminative stimulus effects. OBJECTIVES Dopamine has been implicated in many opioid-related behaviours, so we aimed to investigate the role of this neurotransmitter in expression of morphine occasion setting. METHODS Male and female rats were assigned to positive- (FP) or negative-feature (FN) groups and received an injection of morphine or saline before each training session. A 15-s white noise conditioned stimulus (CS) was presented 8 times during every training session; offset of this stimulus was followed by 4-s access to liquid sucrose on morphine, but not saline, sessions for FP rats. FN rats learned the reverse contingency. Following stable discrimination, rats began generalization testing for expression of morphine-guided sucrose seeking after systemic pretreatment with different doses of the non-selective dopamine receptor antagonist, flupenthixol, and the non-selective dopamine receptor agonist, apomorphine, combined with training doses of morphine or saline in a Latin-square design. RESULTS The morphine discrimination was acquired under both FP and FN contingencies by males and females. Neither flupenthixol nor apomorphine at any dose substituted for morphine, but both apomorphine and flupenthixol disrupted expression of the morphine OS. This inhibition was specific to sucrose seeking during CS presentations rather than during the period before CS onset and, in the case of apomorphine more so than flupenthixol, to trials on which access to sucrose was anticipated. CONCLUSIONS Our findings lend support to a mechanism of occasion setting involving gating of CS-induced dopamine release rather than by direct dopaminergic modulation by the morphine stimulus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davin R Peart
- Department of Psychology, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada
- Collaborative Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Caitlin J Nolan
- Collaborative Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Adiia P Stone
- Department of Psychology, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada
- Collaborative Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Mckenna A Williams
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Jessica M Karlovcec
- Department of Psychology, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada
- Collaborative Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Jennifer E Murray
- Department of Psychology, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada.
- Collaborative Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada.
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Peart DR, Claridge EV, Karlovcec JM, El Azali R, LaDouceur KE, Sikic A, Thomas A, Stone AP, Murray JE. Generalization of a positive-feature interoceptive morphine occasion setter across the rat estrous cycle. Horm Behav 2024; 162:105541. [PMID: 38583235 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2024.105541] [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] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2023] [Revised: 03/17/2024] [Accepted: 03/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Interoceptive stimuli elicited by drug administration acquire conditioned modulatory properties of the induction of conditioned appetitive behaviours by exteroceptive cues. This effect may be modeled using a drug discrimination task in which the drug stimulus is trained as a positive-feature (FP) occasion setter (OS) that disambiguates the relation between an exteroceptive light conditioned stimulus (CS) and a sucrose unconditioned stimulus (US). We previously reported that females are less sensitive to generalization of a FP morphine OS than males, so we investigated the role of endogenous ovarian hormones in this difference. METHODS Male and female rats received intermixed injections of 3.2 mg/kg morphine or saline before each daily training session. Training consisted of 8 presentations of the CS, each followed by access to sucrose on morphine, but not saline sessions. Following acquisiton, rats were tested for generalization of the morphine stimulus to 0, 1.0, 3.2, and 5.4 mg/kg morphine. Female rats were monitored for estrous cyclicity using vaginal cytology throughout the study. RESULTS Both sexes acquired stable drug discrimination. A gradient of generalization was measured across morphine doses and this behaviour did not differ by sex, nor did it differ across the estrous cycle in females. CONCLUSIONS Morphine generalization is independent of fluctuations in levels of sex and endogenous gonadal hormones in females under these experimental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davin R Peart
- Department of Psychology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada; Collaborative Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Ella V Claridge
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Jessica M Karlovcec
- Department of Psychology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada; Collaborative Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Rita El Azali
- Department of Psychology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada; Collaborative Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Kathleen E LaDouceur
- Department of Psychology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada; Collaborative Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Anita Sikic
- Department of Psychology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada; Collaborative Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Abina Thomas
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Adiia P Stone
- Department of Psychology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada; Collaborative Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Jennifer E Murray
- Department of Psychology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada; Collaborative Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.
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Zhong Y, Lai S, Hu A, Liao Y, Li Y, Zhang Z, Zhang XY. Sex differences in prevalence and clinical correlates of internet addiction among Chinese adolescents with schizophrenia. BMC Psychiatry 2024; 24:258. [PMID: 38580925 PMCID: PMC10998377 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-024-05691-6] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patients with schizophrenia (SCZ) exhibit sex differences in various aspects, and patients with SCZ have a high prevalence of internet addiction (IA). However, sex differences in IA among patients with SCZ mostly remain unstudied, particularly in Chinese adolescent patients with SCZ. This study investigated sex differences in prevalence, risk factors, and clinical correlates of IA among Chinese adolescent patients with SCZ. METHODS A total of 706 adolescent patients with SCZ were enrolled in this study using a cross-sectional design and a convenience sampling method. Demographics and clinical data of the patients were collected using a standardized clinical assessment form. The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and the Young's Internet Addiction Test were used to evaluate psychopathological symptoms and IA respectively. RESULTS Overall, the prevalence of IA among Chinese adolescent patients with SCZ was 26.30% (95% CI: 23.09-29.60%). In Chinese adolescents with SCZ, there was a sex difference in the comorbidity of IA (males: 33.33% vs. females: 21.69%). Binary logistic regression analysis showed that IA was significantly predicted by good socioeconomic status in male and female patients with SCZ. City of living and PANSS total score were associated with IA in male patients with SCZ. In contrast, hospitalization rate and depression score were associated with IA in female patients with SCZ. CONCLUSION Our study suggests sex differences in clinical correlates of IA in Chinese adolescent patients with SCZ. An additional longitudinal study is required to confirm the findings of the present study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunhui Zhong
- The Third People's Hospital of Ganzhou, Ganzhou, China
| | - Shuixiu Lai
- Jiangxi Environmental Engineering Vocational College, Ganzhou, China
| | - Anquan Hu
- The Third People's Hospital of Ganzhou, Ganzhou, China
| | - Yuanping Liao
- The Third People's Hospital of Ganzhou, Ganzhou, China
| | - Yibo Li
- Institute of Psychology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Zheng Zhang
- School of Education Science, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, China
| | - Xiang-Yang Zhang
- The Third People's Hospital of Ganzhou, Ganzhou, China.
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 16 Lincui Road, Hai-Dian District, 100101, Beijing, China.
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Cusack SE, Maihofer AX, Bustamante D, Amstadter AB, Duncan LE. Genetic influences on testosterone and PTSD. J Psychiatr Res 2024; 174:8-11. [PMID: 38598976 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2024.04.002] [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] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2023] [Revised: 02/25/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024]
Abstract
Females are twice as likely to experience PTSD as compared to males. Although sex differences in prevalence are well-established, little is known about why such sex differences occur. Biological factors that vary with sex, including sex hormone production, may contribute to these differences. Considerable evidence links sex hormones, such as testosterone, to PTSD risk though less is known about the shared genetic underpinnings. The objective of the present study was to test for genetic relationships between testosterone and PTSD. To do so, we used summary statistics from large, publicly available genetic consortia to conduct linkage disequilibrium score regression to estimate the genetic correlations between PTSD and testosterone in males and females, and two-sample, bi-directional Mendelian randomization to examine potential causal relationships of testosterone on PTSD and the reverse. Heritability estimates of testosterone were significantly higher in males (0.17, SE = 0.02) than females (0.11, SE = 0.01; z = 2.46, p = 00.01). The correlation between testosterone and PTSD was negative in males (rg = -0.11, SE = 0.02, p = 6.7 x 10-6), but not significant in females (rg = 0.002, SE = 0.03, p = 0.95). MR analyses found no evidence of a causal effect of testosterone on PTSD or the reverse. Findings are consistent with phenotypic literature suggesting a relationship between testosterone and PTSD that may be sex-specific. This work provides early evidence of a relationship between testosterone and PTSD genotypically and suggests an avenue for future research that will enable a better understanding of disparities in PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannon E Cusack
- Virginia Institute of Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, USA.
| | - Adam X Maihofer
- University of California San Diego, Department of Psychiatry, La Jolla, CA, USA; Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, Research Service, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Daniel Bustamante
- Virginia Institute of Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, USA
| | - Ananda B Amstadter
- Virginia Institute of Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, USA
| | - Laramie E Duncan
- Stanford University, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, USA
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Williams LA, Barragan S, Lu Z, Weigel BJ, Spector LG. Sex differences in osteosarcoma survival across the age spectrum: A National Cancer Database analysis (2004-2016). Cancer Epidemiol 2024:102565. [PMID: 38575425 DOI: 10.1016/j.canep.2024.102565] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2023] [Revised: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Osteosarcoma displays a bimodal peak in incidence in adolescence and later adulthood. Males are more frequently diagnosed with osteosarcoma in both periods. Males have worse survival than females, which is generally poor at 30-70% 5-years post diagnosis, depending on age, but treatment received is often unaccounted for in survival analyses. METHODS Therefore, we estimated sex differences in survival for children and adults stratifying by treatment received and other disease characteristics using the National Cancer Database (2004-2016, n=9017). We estimated sex differences in long-term survival using Kaplan Meier survival curves and Log-Rank p-values. We also estimated hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) as the measure of association between sex and death using Cox regression. RESULTS In all age groups, cases were predominantly male (52-58%). In Kaplan-Meier analyses, males had worse overall survival than females for 0-19, 20-39, and ≥60-year-olds (Log-Rank p<0.05). Females had higher 5- and 10-year survival percentages in all age groups. In adjusted Cox models, males had a higher risk of death among 0-19-year-olds (HRoverall: 1.24, 95% CI: 1.06-1.44; HRnon-metastatic disease: 1.35, 95% CI: 1.12, 1.63, HRlower limb tumors: 1.31, 95% CI: 1.09-1.59). Among 20-39-year-olds, males had an increased risk of death when receiving surgery only (HR: 4.67, 95% CI: 1.44, 15.09). Among those ≥60-year-olds, males had a suggestive increased risk of death overall (HR: 1.17, 95% CI: 0.99-1.39) and a higher risk of death based on some tumor locations, (HRupper limb: 2.52, 95% CI: 1.24, 5.11; HRmidline: 1.36, 95% CI: 1.02, 1.82). CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that the worse survival among young males compared to females with osteosarcoma persisted after accounting for many major disease characteristics, including treatment received. Collectively, our work points toward other unexplored mechanisms beyond treatment, potentially biologic or otherwise, which may be driving the observed sex differences in long-term survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay A Williams
- Division of Epidemiology and Clinical Research, Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA; Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
| | - Sofia Barragan
- Division of Epidemiology and Clinical Research, Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Zhanni Lu
- Division of Epidemiology and Clinical Research, Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Brenda J Weigel
- Department of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Logan G Spector
- Division of Epidemiology and Clinical Research, Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA; Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
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Kan RLD, Zhang BBB, Lin TTZ, Tang AHP, Xia AWL, Qin PPI, Jin M, Fong KNK, Becker B, Yau SY, Kranz GS. Sex differences in brain excitability revealed by concurrent iTBS/fNIRS. Asian J Psychiatr 2024; 96:104043. [PMID: 38598937 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajp.2024.104043] [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] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2024] [Accepted: 03/31/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024]
Abstract
Sex differences have been claimed an imperative factor in the optimization of psychiatric treatments. Intermittent theta-burst stimulation (iTBS), a patterned form of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, is a promising non-invasive treatment option. Here, we investigated whether the real-time neural response to iTBS differs between men and women, and which mechanisms may mediate these differences. To this end, we capitalized on a concurrent iTBS/functional near-infrared spectroscopy setup over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, a common clinical target, to test our assumptions. In a series of experiments, we show (1) a biological sex difference in absolute hemoglobin concentrations in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in healthy participants; (2) that this sex difference is amplified by iTBS but not by cognitive tasks; and (3) that the sex difference amplified by iTBS is modulated by stimulation intensity. These results inform future stimulation treatment optimizations towards precision psychiatry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca L D Kan
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Bella B B Zhang
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Tim T Z Lin
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Alvin H P Tang
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Adam W L Xia
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Penny P I Qin
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Minxia Jin
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China; Shanghai YangZhi Rehabilitation Hospital (Shanghai Sunshine Rehabilitation Center), School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Kenneth N K Fong
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Benjamin Becker
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Department of Psychology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Suk-Yu Yau
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China; Mental Health Research Center (MHRC), The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Georg S Kranz
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China; Mental Health Research Center (MHRC), The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
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